José Andrés' Minibar Makes Like Darwinism And Evolves

After a summer hiatus that saw the closure of America Eats Tavern, his experiment in historical American food, José Andrés has reopened minibar with a culinary vengeance. To wit: reservations are now taken via email, and the price of admission to Andrés' multi-course, progressive tasting menu of diminutive single-, two-, and three-bite dishes has jumped from $150 to a much more prohibitive $225 without wine pairings. "minibar is my nerve center. It's where everything begins," said José Andrés. "It is a place of collaboration, of creativity, of love. Here we honor the past and traditions and translate that into ideas for our future."

Andrés also spoke to his goals for the future, adding, "I want it to be a center of education, of sharing of ideas. I could not be more proud of the work of our team and to now have this very special place to share with the world."

In keeping with his image as this country's unofficial culinary ambassador of Spanish cuisine, chef Andrés hired Spanish architect and designer Juli Capella as well as local Washington, D.C. firm CORE to help construct a destination both inventive and inviting enough to match Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup's aspirations. Those aspirations are exceeded in the dining room, where guests can delve into more than 20 courses, including surprising tastes such as olive oil soup with mandarin, beech mushroom risotto with truffle, and smoked oyster escabeche.

To complement the food, four beverage pairing options are available, including the non-alcoholic "The Virtue" ($45); "The Experience" ($75), an array of special items, craft soft beverages, and wines from world-class regions; "The Celebration" ($125), a bubbles-focused toast to some of the best sparkling wines in the world; and "The José" ($200), a premium beverage pairing featuring spectacular wines from around the world and a vast selection of sought-after spirits and specialty drinks.

We'd say "let the games begin," but it looks like they already have. Time to take a seat and get down to business.