Rosa Loves… The perfect necklace for dinner at Oyamel. Today’s...

Rosa Loves… The perfect necklace for dinner at Oyamel.

Today’s post is the second part of my collaboration with Ann Taylor featuring my favorite places in DC. As you can see by the photos, it involves delicious food and a fabulous sparkly accessory.

My mini tour of DC wouldn’t be complete without Oyamel, an amazing Mexican restaurant owned by local chef José Andrés who has been internationally recognized for his culinary innovation. I spent my childhood in México and the food at Oyamel always brings back wonderful memories and makes me think of my grandmother’s cooking. The quesadilla huitlacoche (Mexican corn truffle), the nopalitos (baby cactus) salad, and the gorditas de pato (masa cakes with duck confit) are among my favorite dishes. In terms of cocktails, I highly recommend the signature salt air margarita and the mojito Dorado. The restaurant also holds an annual Tequila and Mezcal Festival, which features unique dishes and cocktails inspired by these two Mexican spirits. I have been able to attend the festival before and it is incredible. Oyamel is very close to several museums and other attractions in downtown DC so it is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat after a day of exploring the city. I love meeting friends at Oyamel for dinner during the weekend; it is not only a fabulous way to catch up and unwind after a long week at work, but it is also a great excuse to wear one of my favorite accessories, a very sparkly necklace.

Interesting fact: If you are curious about the meaning of name of this fantastic restaurant, oyamel is a fir tree found in the forests of Michoacán, México, where monarch butterflies seek refuge every winter after traveling thousands of miles from the U.S. and Canada.

Dishes featured in this post:

• Albóndigas (traditional Mexican meatballs)
• Chilorio de res (taco with shredded beef braised in sauce of pasilla and guajillo chile)
• Taco pescado Baja California (seared mahi mahi taco)
• Quesadilla huitlacoche (traditional folded corn tortilla with Chihuahua cheese and Mexican corn truffle)

Oyamel is located in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of Washington, DC. Reservations can be made online and walk-ins are welcome.

{Necklace and clutch featured in this post were courtesy of Ann Taylor}

{Photos by RosaLovesDC}