Lauriol Plaza, 18 and T, NW

Lauriol Plaza has become a madhouse since Southern Living, (and subsequently, CNN.com) mentioned its merits. Now, I don’t wish financial destitution on anyone, (except maybe Pinochet; I will not go into my tirade against Riggs Bank at this time,) and I would not wish to detract from the Plaza’s owner’s new-found success, but JEEZ, when a THREE-STORY restaurant is overflowing with people, it’s just kinda a turn-off.

Okay, so snarking aside, Monkey and I took LocalJurisdiction to dine there because Monkey is frequently in the mood for Mexican, Ophelia never is, and when she does crave el Mexicano, you brave wet and cold and possible snow to eat chips and salsa, get slightly blotto on fermented cactus and snark on the other diners. Okay, so maybe snarking is not aside, but then, it’s never completely aside, really, is it?

My favorite thing at LP is the shrimp and crab quesadilla. Unfortunately, it’s not on the regular menu, but I’ve had the good fortune to hit it 66% of the time. The low point though, is that this is not nearly enough to sustain a night of drinking. Be prepared to eat lots of freshly-made chips that come with a smoky-chipotle salsa. We average a basket-point-five per person. Monkey is a fan of the ceviche; I am not, but I normally order it and split it with him anyway because, like I said, Need. Food. To. Sustain. Drinking. (M$ Word thinks that Sustain is ok to be a sentence, but that Food is not. Further, that DRINKING is not. What is wrong with it?)

I will interject here with a relevant point. Either my alcohol tolerance has become pretty low, or LP makes some mean margaritas. Back in G’ville, we’d go to Ashley’s Pub with some frequency, and at my debauchest, I was able to take care of 69 ounces of limey-cactus goodness. That’s one and a half 46ers, which either Monkey or Money* would finish the other half of,(depending on whether Monkey was in SoFL at the time.) So, when Monkey and I cannot handle two pitchers WITH the help of a third, I figure something’s got to be up.**

Normally, (if the quesadilla is not on the menu) Monkey and I order the Reynosa Grande. It’s a nice mix of everything you like about Mexican, it’s filling, and you don’t have to make your own food, like with fajitas (though that will never stop me from ordering them.) Sadly though, I cannot remember what Monkey or Local ordered.

It was a good night ;)

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*Sadly, Money will never take part in Monkey-Ophelia adventures in DC. He is being held hostage by Life, which lies to him and says it loves him and that G'ville is good for his career. Stupid Life. And yes, it is purely coincidental that Monkey and Money differ by only one letter.

** Monkey and Ophelia ONLY order margs on the rocks, and only with salted glasses. Ophelia would just do shots of tequila alone, but Monkey fears for her salt intake.