Amparo Fondita

Chef Christian Irabién’s modern Mexican restaurant is seven years in the making, following a series of pop-ups and a pandemic stint running Muchas Gracias in Chevy Chase. The intimate, minimalist Dupont dining room focuses heavily on seafood, including a serrano-spiked scallop aguachile with seasonal fruit or a tostada topped with citrus-cured Arctic char and crispy leeks. But Irabién also makes a textbook chiles rellenos, lightly breaded in a pool of bright tomato sauce, and a feast-worthy platter of lamb barbacoa with Oaxacan chocolate-chili mole rub. Meanwhile, a takeout operation dubbed Tacos el Gabacho sells a separate menu of tacos and tortas.