Washington may soon be home to a new Mexican eatery. Victor Albisu, the chef behind the Latin American grill Del Campo and the casual Taco Bamba taqueria, plans to bring a Mexican restaurant specializing in street fare to Ballston. Bombazo (the word means an explosion or big hit) will combine a sit-down cantina and a second Taco Bamba for quick-grab tacos within the space.
Albisu is one of eight semifinalists in the Ballston Restaurant Challenge, and the Bombazo concept is what he entered into the competition for a chance to win a lease and one year’s free rent at 1110 North Glebe Road. A cookoff at the Taste of Arlington on May 18 will help determine which of the eight semifinalists advance; a battle between the top two crowd favorites will determine the final winner on June 4. Even if he doesn’t win the grand prize, Albisu says he plans to pursue the restaurant in the neighborhood.
“I grew up around different cultures of Latin food, and my mission now is to further the ideas of a Latin cuisine,” he says.
Similar to Taco Bamba, he envisions a mixture of traditional dishes and his own riffs on Mexican street fare. You might find a ceviche bar, tamales, tortas, grilled platters, and more, in addition to a lineup of tacos served in the restaurant and for takeout from the taqueria (one welcome difference here: beer and margaritas). Stay tuned for more details as the concept and competition develop.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
