4 MoCo Restaurants Named To Post Critic's 40 Best For Fall Guide

BETHESDA, MD — Four restaurants in Montgomery County have earned praise from Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema as some of the new 40 best restaurants in and around D.C.

The food critic has been doing the fall dining guide for 25 years and includes new and continuing favorites. According to Sietsema, the 40 restaurants represent a "range of tastes, wishes and budgets."

The four MoCo restaurants singled out for praise are:

• Chennai Hoppers, 136 Paramount Park Dr., Gaithersburg
• Lime & Cilantro, 1909 Seminary Rd., Silver Spring
• Melina, 905 Rose Ave., North Bethesda
• Taqueria Sabor Mixteco, 2462 Ennalls Ave., Silver Spring

Here are details about the cuisine each restaurant features, and what Sietsema's review said about them.

Chennai Hoppers: Describes itself as "Inspired by south Indian traditions, Chennai Hoppers embodies the traditional flavor profiles to offer exotic dishes in authentic flavor with emphasis on refined and creative cuisine from the traditional kitchens of Southern India of Tamilnadu, where the city of Chennai is located. Our contemporary version of rustic Indian food will be beyond your expectation but still rooted in its origins."

Sietsma says: "Order the “family” dosa, and everyone whips out their phones when it slides down the center of multiple tables. Four feet of savory stuffed crepe is a sight to behold. A seat removed, I watched a stiff business meeting devolve into laughs as the golden log was introduced and recipients took turns tearing into the crisp surface made of fermented rice and lentils."

Lime & Cilantro: The website says, in part, "We are a modern Latin casual restaurant focusing on new twists on familiar Latin favorites. Come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner daily. Sit outside with your dog, where we provide a dog friendly menu. We will be offering a specialty brunch menu you won’t want to miss on Saturday and Sunday. Come for the pupusas Benedict and leave with some horchata glazed cinnamon rolls to-go."

Sietsma says: "Lime and cilantro are just two of the chef’s tools. Danny Chavez also uses lots of corn, chiles and imagination in a fledgling storefront that modernizes the food he was raised on in his native El Salvador. His menu is basically an art show. … Chavez serves food you think you know — tacos, tortas, tamales — with delicious twists. Mexican Seoul food!"

Melina: The website says, "Melina restaurant is named after the daughter of Cava and Julii Co-Founder Chef Dimitri Moshovitis. … Melina will honor the strength of the matriarchy in the Greek family. It will lean vegetable forward with modernized Greek classics from the sea and grilled meats. Greek cuisine is all about freshness and quality of ingredients and that will be on display in a fine casual setting."

Sietsma says: "It’s a postcard come true. … Chef Aris Tsekouras got his job because the owners respected his bread. See for yourself and check out the bread of the day. The rest of the menu tastes like you’re eating closer to the Aegean than the Atlantic. … The food proves as attractive as it is delicious."

Taqueria Sabor Mixteco: Its website says, "Welcome to Taqueria Sabor Mixteco, an extraordinary culinary restaurant that redefines the dining experience. Taqueria Sabor Mixteco is a place that brings together a harmonious fusion of flavors originating from many regions and states from all over Mexico. As we prioritize your satisfaction through our exceptional service, we invite you to experience our food as well as our warm and welcoming ambiance."

Sietsma says: "The three primary reasons for acquainting yourself with this charming suburban storefront are Juan Solano, Apolinar Cervantes and Marisol Gonzales. Solano is the kind of chef who impresses you by sharing his stash of fried grasshoppers to complete your tlayuda. Cervantes is the sort of host who offers free refills of agua fresca. And Gonzales … is behind a flan that’s dense with cream cheese and scented with Mexican vanilla."

See the full list of Sietsema's 40 favorite restaurants for the fall season.