THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Tqla

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Tqla Restaurant Review:

Tqla---pronounced tequila---is a typical trendy Washington Corridor watering hole. Contemporary art, a backlit bar, live music and about 200 tequilas on tap---yes, on tap and chilled---set the vibe. The place also boasts a Tequilier, one of only forty certified specialists in America. Scott Lindsey, an owner and partner in the enterprise, along with chef Tommy Birdwell, makes a mean añejo Old Fashioned (he is also the general manager) while Birdwell turns out food that goes beyond the average bar scene. The C.I.A.-trained Birdwell cut his teeth under Dallas chef Stephan Pyles, one of the fathers of Southwestern cuisine. Under Birdwell’s watchful eye, the Tqla menu offers up fresh, local ingredients in such dishes as the wild mushroom tamale, blue corn-crusted fried oysters swimming in a spicy cream sauce, crawfish corncakes with a habanero jerked chicken breast and grilled mahi mahi with tomatillos. Other highlights include the delicate black beans and the house jalapeño jelly served over the chile-seared ahi. Big eaters can opt for grilled seafood and rib-eyes and your sweet tooth can be tamed with the four-milk take on traditional tres leches cake.