“Top Chef” alum Mike Isabella may have ended his relationship with the first D.C. Mexican restaurant he was involved in — Georgetown’s Bandolero— but the chef didn’t lose his taste for the casual cantina cuisine he helped spearhead there.
Those same flavors will appear early next year at Pepita, a Mexican cantina in Ballston right down the block from Kapnos Taverna, another Isabella restaurant opening in the same building.
The focus of Pepita is on the “cantina,” or bar. That means there will likely be up to 40 cocktails, many of them featuring tequila or mezcal, and a relatively small menu of Mexican bar snacks. Isabella also anticipates offering different drink specials throughout the day and night to cater to Ballston’s different drinking crowds.
Isabella is testing out his recipes during a pop-up at his 14th Street sandwich shop and restaurant, G by Mike Isabella, for the next two weeks. An idea of what’s on offer? Tacos al pastor (with pork and pineapple); barbacoa made with Isabella’s favorite ingredient, lamb, instead of the traditional beef; pozole verde, a hearty Mexican soup including hominy and pork belly; and a surprisingly refreshing salsa verde that includes gooseberries.
The chef hopes to perfect 30 to 40 dishes for Pepita, but only offer 12 to 15 of them at any given time, swapping out the warming pozole for a more summer-friendly gazpacho, for example.
The pop-up is available at G until Nov. 8; reservations are required and available by phone at 202-234-5015.
