Photo by Dan Zen.

Drink of the Week: The Paloma

Where: El Chucho

Grapefruit has been getting a pretty bad rap lately. Between Slate declaring it universally “disgusting” to the NYT reporting that grapefruit could actually kill you, this is surely not the citrus’ finest hour. But let’s face the facts: It’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and you should probably be taking a few days off from stuffing rich food and drink down your gullet. Realistically though, most of us are probably riding the holiday fat train into January. As a compromise, give your palate a slight break with a Paloma. After all, exercise and salads are for New Year’s resolutions.

The Paloma—a blend of tequila, grapefruit juice and soda—is an effervescent antidote to all the eggnog, mulled wine, spiced cider and other heavy flavors typical of the season. It’s a bit summery for December, but you’ll get the best flavor from peak-season grapefruit. Grapefruit soda can also be used, but the real thing adds a refreshing tartness without the cloying sugar. A squeeze of lime and a salted rim (optional) add a hit of savory flavor typical of a margarita. You can grab a Paloma at El Chucho (3313 11th Street). Faintly pink and fizzy, it will arrive at your table in a tall, hourglass-shaped goblet, which has the added benefit of making the recipient feel like a pretty princess. It’s not a bad way to condition your liver ahead of some New Year’s Eve reveling.

Small Bites

What are you eating New Year’s Eve?
If you’d like to ring in 2013 with a swanky dinner, there are lots of restaurants that would love to serve you a fancy, if not borderline strange final meal. (Ham and peas in a toothpaste tube?!) For something a little more budget-minded, check out Jack Rose’s “Punch, Pints, and Pork” pre-party. From 6 to 9 p.m., you can hang out on the heated roof top and enjoy all-you-can-eat-and-drink beer, punch and pulled pork for $35 per person. Tickets are available online.

The hungover-est brunch of all
New Year’s Day may fall on a Tuesday, but newly remodeled Nage Bistro will still be serving up the ultimate hangover cure: brunch. Simultaneously rehydrate and dehydrate on a Gatorade cocktail (consisting of lemonade flavor Gatorade and lemongrass and citrus vodka) or sop up the booze in your system with a skillet of bacon and chorizo mac and cheese. Nage will be serving its hangover brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on January 1.

Asian tacos on the Hill
Far East Taco Grille will be joining the ranks of other food trucks that has made the leap from wheels to a permanent storefront. The truck recently tweeted plans to open up a brick-and-mortar location at 15th and D Streets NE in late January.