Restaurant Week Brunch @ CoCo Sala, DC

I'll be the first to admit that I'm generally not a fan of Restaurant Week.  Yes, some restaurants handle things well with good service, an extensive-to-full menu offering, and an eagerness to see you back when it's not Restaurant Week.  And to those restaurants- Thank you.  However, all too often we find restaurants with bitter servers who assume only the tightwads come out for RW, rushed service, or a severely limited menu that doesn't give you a good idea of what the restaurant has to offer.  

That being said, I still wound up going to brunch at Co Co. Sala with M during Restaurant Week.  Why?  Because a) I love Co Co. Sala and have enjoyed brunch here before; b) M hadn't had their brunch before and I hadn't been in a while; c) The RW brunch menu wasn't that different from their regular brunch menu, just a little cheaper; and d) HELLLLLLLLLO IT'S CHOCOLATE.

 

I started with a Peanut Butter co co. hot chocolate- the marshmallow was pillowy, and the drink was like a smooth, rich, melted Reece's cup in a mug.  However, the sweetness of the drink came mostly from the peanut butter so the drink itself wasn't overly sweet, which I liked.  My only criticism is that I wish they came in a bigger mug, haha.

Our amuse was some form of an artichoke-based tart, I believe?  Sorry, I wasn't really paying attention when they brought it over.... haha.  The crust was nice and sturdy and didnt' get soggy from the tart filling, which I liked.  I know this might look huge because I was really close to the tart, but really it was about 2"x2" or so, haha.

M and I both decided on the Crispy Creole Crabcake as our entree, which comes with: mango salsa, chipotle chocolate tomato glaze, avocado cilantro emulsion, plus the salad and the avocado slices as you can see above.  I really liked this entree, because it has a lot of flavors that I normally enjoy- crab, tomato, avocado, mango, mmmmm.  I also thought it was sort of interesting how the crabcake was more of a tennis ball shape vs. the usual burger-patty shape that I'm using to seeing for crab cakes.  Clearly plating is one of CoCo. Sala's strengths- it definitely added to the visual appeal. 

For dessert, I got the PB Cheesecake, which comes with milk chocolate & peanut brittle crunch, as well as a chocolate truffle on the side.  This dessert was really rich and decadent, like having my PB co co. on steroids, haha.  The cheesecake portion was v. smooth which I liked, because sometimes peanut butter desserts can be grainy from the peanut butter and sugar.  So good!   

Overall this was a great meal, and the leftovers were tasty too- especially the PB cheesecake!  If anyone's looking for a stylish and unique brunch in the DC area, definitely check out Co Co. Sala!