Dish of the Week: Ceviche

Where: Del Campo, Cuba Libre, Oyamel, La Limena

Next Friday is National Ceviche Day. Well, at least it is in Peru. But before we jet off to Lima, we’re going to join several Latin-inspired eateries around the city in getting the marinated fish flesh action started a bit early.

Ceviche, popular throughout Latin America, makes use of citrus to cook (sort of) finely chopped pieces of fish or other seafood. The fish, marinated with citrus juices, undergoes a chemical reaction that causes its proteins to become denatured from their lemon, lime, or orange embrace. It’s not exactly cooking. Heat would technically be needed for that and to be sure to kill any bacteria present in the fish. But it’s not exactly raw either like tartare.

Styles vary across the Americas. In Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, shrimp and other shellfish are most commonly used. Tomatoes are popular whether in soupy Ecuadorian variations or nouvelle North American styles. Peruvian ceviche blends the meat of a white fish with chili peppers, circles of red onion, and the marinade.

At Del Campo, chef Victor Albisu adds his asado spin to his ceviches. Cooked elements such as grilled avocados and burned shallots are thrown into the raw fish mix and, in a twist that flirts with the line of what you can call ceviche, there’s a grilled scallop sushi ceviche with smoked uni. (It does employ some soy citrus.) Beginning June 24 and lasting through the week, all lunch menu ceviches and crudos at Del Campo are half price to mark the fishy celebration.

In Peru, ceviche is also often served with corn on the cob and slices of sweet potatoes. It also goes great with pisco, the national spirit. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar serves a Cuban shrimp ceviche on its appetizer menu along with a Maryland crab style with melted cheddar cheese, salsa, and candied peanuts. Not exactly what you’d find in the boulevards of Havana.

Small Bites

Soft-serve Gelato
Gelato. It’s not just for scooping anymore. Dolceeza’s Dupont Circle location will debut a soft-serve gelato beginning in July. The Carpigiani machine will dispense two seasonal flavors that will rotate each month starting with dulce de leche and blackberries and cream. An accompanying sundae bar will offer free chocolate dips for cones and creations such as a strawberry sundae with a homemade brownie, meringue, and local strawberry jam with dulce de leche.

Taco Bamba Opens in Falls Church
Albisu’s Taco Bamba taqueria opened for business earlier this week in Falls Church. Inventive takes on Mexican street food are highlighted on the Nuestrossection of the taco menu. Sweetbreads are paired with shrimp. Taco filings include duck confit and BLT, as in bacon, lime, and tomatillos. Vegetarians can try spicy mushrooms with chipotle, grilled corn, cotija, and pepitas. More traditional tacos, other favorites including sopas, tamales, and quesadillas, and a signature double stacked Bamba burger with poblanos, pepper jack, and avocados round out the menu. Taco Bamba is at 2190 Pimmit Drive in Falls Church.

25 Years of Congressional Coronas
Tortilla Coast, beloved by many a Capitol Hill staffer for countless Coronas and discounted taco nights, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Tonight, D.C. firefighters head behind the bar to raise money for a fund benefitting Frager’s Hardware, which burned up in a large fire earlier this month. Anniversary festivities continue through the weekend with all-you-can-eat chicken fajita special and Sunday’s “Weekend Fun Bar” featuring build-your-own bloody marias.

Dine ‘N Dash Fundraiser in Penn Quarter
A culinary tour of Penn Quarter next Tuesday night will welcome strolling diners to six neighborhood hotspots with sales benefiting José Andrés’ charity, World Central Kitchen. For $150, guests can sample specialty plates and cocktails at Andrés’ Jaleo, Oyamen, and Zaytinya and also stop at Azur, Poste, and Proof from 6 to 10 p.m. Higher rollers can pay extra to start the evening with the Spanish chef at his exclusive Barmini.

Ripple to Pour Its Own Wine
Cleveland Park’s Ripple has partnered up with an Oregon winery to bottle a custom blended pinot noir. Sineann Ripple Cuvee, from 2012 Wilamette Valley pinot noir grapes, is expected to be ready to be poured by the glass for customers starting this fall. Sineann Winery has developed wine for other restaurants including Thomas Keller’s French Laundry in Yountville, Calif. Ripple owner Roger Marmet notes, through a press release, that “Oregon Pinot Noir is one of the best matches for the food we serve, so to guarantee guests get a great wine at a great price, we are partnering with Sineann to make our own.”

D.C. Bourbon Bash
Bar crawls are not just for Bud Light anymore. From the people that bring you Beerathon, that took you on a Whiskey Walk earlier this year, then a Margarita March, comes Saturday afternoon’s Bourbon Bash. Starting at Buffalo Billiards and James Hoban’s and spilling out into six other Dupont Circle bars, bashers will sip—or shoot—their ways through eight bourbons. Most of the pours are pretty standard, though some approach the better end of the spectrum, such as the Eagle Rare 10-Year Single Barrel that Science Club will pour. Tickets cost $55 with a portion of sales going to a charity that benefits wounded Army rangers and their families