Oakhart Social & The Bebedero
My two new favorite restaurants to take visitors to are Oakhart Social and The Bebedero. Both are by the downtown area. I finally checked them out a couple of months ago and I was completely sold after my first bites. It also doesn't hurt that both restaurants have really nice contemporary aesthetics.
Oakhart Social is a shared plate type of restaurant that serves a range of cuisine. It opened in 2015 and I resisted them for a while because of the above average pricing. I also heard mixed reviews from friends. Then, I went this past summer and was filled with regret at the end of my meal. The food was delicious and creative!! I kicked myself for not going there sooner. I've only been there twice and every single dish I've gotten was really good.
The "chicken wangz" are my favorite. They're made with "charred poblano salsa, buttermilk dressing, radish, scallion, lime, cilantro." It's no secret I love wings and I can be pretty picky about them. The wangz at Oakhart Social always leave me wanting more. I think the next time I go, I'll have to order them just for myself. Here's a mouth-watering photo of them from their Facebook page:
If wings aren't your thing (which I hope is false!), the following dishes are also fantastic: sweet and sticky pork belly, charred carrots, shaved salad, hanger steak, pizzas, brussels sprout, and burrata. I'm sure their other dishes are just as good. They also have a great drinks list :)
Look at those perfect tender and crispy pork belly pieces!
On to The Bebedero! It has brought Veracruz cuisine to C'Ville since early 2016. It's a Will Richey restaurant, so I was pretty confident it'd be good. Will Richey also owns/co-owns Revolutionary Soup, The Whiskey Jar, Alley Light, and the Pie Chest.
Although I've only been to The Bebedero once and had two dishes, I love everything about the restaurant. The decor, atmosphere, drinks, and food are on point. It's one of the few restaurants in town that I really look forward to returning to.
I got the chorizo and grilled cactus (!!) tacos, ceviche, and del mar stew. I've never had cactus before, unless you count aloe, and I didn't really know what to expect. If I got it without knowing that it was cactus, I wouldn't have known. It was a fun dish to try. The star of my meal was the del mar or seafood stew. It had mussels, white fish, scallops, shrimp, and red rice in a tomato based broth, which gave the dish the right amount of tanginess. The flavors melded together really well and it did not taste fishy at all. I just salivated typing the last two sentences....
A great photo of the stew from The Bebedero's Facebook page:
If you're looking for a unique restaurant with delicious food to take visitors or just to try for yourself, Oakhart Social or The Bebedero fits the bill. Just make a reservation first.