Jaleo, Washington, D.C.

Jaleo, a Spanish tapas bar up the street from the street festival on 7th, gave Leo, Guy Bill, and me a wonderful mid-afternoon luncheon respite from the heat and the crowds. I had a very very interesting "white gazpacho," which was presented by the server in a large square glass bowl with green grapes and olive oil in the corners and a mound of crab meat in the middle, and then a carafe of the soup was poured into the bowl tableside. It had a very unique taste and texture which I still can't place.....it was almost potatoey, rather than white tomato, and had a distinct vinegar edge to it. Cold soups are always wonderful in the summer.

I also had a little omelette (I forget the Spanish name) with an unusual slice of Spanish sausage in the middle with some Spanish white cheese. Everyone made me have dessert, so I had the arroz con leche (rice pudding), with lots of whipped cream, toasted almond slices on top, and the essence of orange in the thin, rich pudding.

Guy Bill had an interesting shredded apple and cheese salad and the same omelette as me (which he hated), and Leo had a huge bowl of mussels, a plateful of fried squid, a broiled salmon plank, and an enormous flan with an "espuma" of airy whipped cream and Valencia oranges, plus two big sangrias (Guy Bill and I were just doing iced tea, being the Southern boys we are). I don't see how Leo can eat the way he does and still stay so thin. Must be one of the great mysteries of the Orient.