THE SCENE. Theatergoers, students, backpacking tourists, and couples gather around carafes of sangria and plates of chorizo at José Andrés's loud and lively Penn Quarter tapas place--still the best, most consistent of his three Jaleo locations and the style-setter for small plates in the city.

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE. You'll taste the small-town cooking Andrés grew up on and see flashes of the avant-garde style he's since embraced. The small plates lend themselves to fun experimentation, and there's something for nearly every appetite--from brightly flavored gazpacho to rich tripe stew.

WHAT YOU WON'T. Overcrowding can curb Spaniard-style lingering.

BEST DISHES. A tin can of mussels marinated in olive oil, orange peel, and paprika; potatoes on toothpicks with Cabrales cheese; Cadiz-style fried shark; tomato bread with manchego cheese; croquetas; superb date-and-bacon fritters; goat-cheese-stuffed pimientos; a peppy gazpacho; Basque cake.