La Tasca

Last Thursday afternoon, my boss came into my office with her usual order: a last-minute semi-crisis. She wanted to hold a cocktail reception the following Thursday evening, for about 35 people, in a private room at a restaurant within easy walking distance of the DSC Convention Center, that wasn’t too expensive. As a recent transplant to DC, she had consulted someone else and gotten three suggestions – Zaytinya, Café Atlantico, and Jaleo – which were more or less my first instincts as well, so we hoped they might not be booked. The manager at Zaytinya may have snickered a bit when I asked, but Atlantico’s manager was lovely and suggested a number of other places I might try; it turns out that the downtown Jaleo doesn’t do private parties.

Scouring my memory and the internet, I identified and phoned more than 20 restaurants on Friday morning, and one place I had never really heard of not only had a private room available but the manager/owner was also exceedingly friendly and helpful on the phone. So, after a walk-by and consultation of one person I found who’d eaten there, we decided on the DC outpost of British tapas chain La Tasca. Please note that by “we decided on” I mean “I made a reservation while my bosses held a meeting and argued about it and then finally got around to apparently realizing that I am the only one who knows the area and that we had no time to mess about and agreed.”

Fast forward to Wednesday morning, when I arrive to the Convention Center to find that my bosses had failed to sign the contract or make menu selections, so I run through the hot sun at lunch to do it all myself. The owner is lovely and understanding about all of this. He is also twelve years old. By “twelve years old,” I mean “not enough older than me to possibly justify owning anything more substantial than a few CDs and maybe a hoopdee.”

Thursday night arrives, and our party descends on 722 7th St, NW, where we have the whole lower level. The setup is lovely, a fun theme without being kitschy, and as we all deliberate over the impressive list of sangria options (they have nine!), plates of food are set about the room.

I began with a white sangria, very tasty, with hints of cinnamon and peach, over the first tapas course of mixed olives and sun dried tomato bread, soon followed by Manchego cheese. Very tasty. Other tapas, brought out one at a time over our two-hour party, were grilled salmon with veggie salsa, a Spanish tortilla (egg and potato goodness), lovely fried calamari, a truly inspired shrimp in garlic sauce, and finally some really fantastic chorizo in red wine sauce.

The food was excellent, and the service equally so. They had a live salsa band upstairs, but we didn’t hear that where we were. I will definitely go back to this place, although hopefully not so stressfully!

La Tasca
722 7th St, NW
Washington DC, 20001
202.347.9190