Recent DC Events

Lime and Cilantro: Passion, Precision, and Plated Perfection

by Vice Chargé de Presse Wesley Jefferies

The June twilight lingered over Rockville, Maryland as members and guests of the Bailliage of Greater Washington D.C. stepped through the doors of Lime & Cilantro on June 10th, 2025. Inside, the room hummed with anticipation. Crystal flutes of Billecart-Salmon Brut Sous Bois NV were pressed into waiting hands, the Champagne’s pale gold bubbles rising in a soft cascade like the prelude to an overture. There was no rush to the table—this was a moment to gather, to exchange smiles and stories, to mark the start of another Chaîne evening with the sparkle of conversation and the quiet pop of corks.

The reception unfolded like a low, elegant chord. Small clusters formed—old friends leaning in with warmth, new faces drawn into easy introductions. The room itself glowed with understated confidence, its modern lines softened by warm lighting that played gently against the gleam of dishes and glassware set for the courses to come. Servers glided among the guests with trays of bocaditos that set the tone for the evening’s Latin journey: crisp empanadas filled with earthy mushroom and sweet acorn squash, their flaky pastry yielding with a gentle crackle; and smooth asparagus velouté shooters, warm and silken, a whisper of early summer in a single sip.

Each tray that emerged from the kitchen felt like a carefully timed note in the evening’s prelude. Guests lingered over the mushroom and acorn squash empanadas, their pastry shells golden and fragile, the filling carrying an earthy sweetness that met the Champagne’s bright acidity with effortless grace. The asparagus velouté shooters provided a different tempo, their velvety warmth balanced by the Billecart-Salmon’s layered notes of toasted brioche and roasted nuts. The interplay of the champagne’s refined mousse and the savory richness of the bites created a dialogue of contrast and harmony.

There was a momentary hush each time the kitchen doors opened, as though the night’s performance was building toward its opening act. Conversations drifted like soft threads of music—stories of past dinners, anticipation for the courses to come—while the Champagne’s steady sparkle stitched the room together. This reception was not a preamble, but the first movement of a story Chef Danny Chavez was about to tell.

The murmur of conversation mellowed as guests drifted toward their seats, the reception’s brightness easing into the quiet elegance of the dinner. Champagne flutes, still beaded with the last traces of Billecart-Salmon, were set aside, and the first course awaited. It felt less like a signal than a natural deepening of the evening’s rhythm, the overture giving way to the first true act.

The first plates emerged with quiet confidence: Lime & Cilantro’s signature fish taco and a duck confit mole taco, presented side by side like a duet of familiar notes reimagined. The fish, delicately battered and brightened with lime crema, carried the kind of freshness that lingers like sea breeze at the edge of memory. Its counterpart, the duck confit, offered a deeper, slower melody—the richness of tender meat woven through the earthy, bittersweet depth of mole, a sauce built from tradition yet refined with the precision of modern technique.

The Nicolas Rossignol Pommard Les Vignots 2014, drawn from Burgundy’s storied soils, rose to meet the tacos with supple tannins and an undertone of spice. The wine’s structure felt almost architectural—red cherries, wild herbs, and a whisper of earth grounding each bite, while its lifted acidity brushed against the brightness of the fish and the silk of the duck’s confit glaze. It was a pairing that felt less orchestrated than instinctive, a dialogue between land and sea, France and Latin America, each enhancing the other’s voice.

The confit cabbage emerged as an understated triumph, a dish that spoke in murmurs rather than proclamations. Each leaf, slow-braised until yielding and silken, released a gentle sweetness under a faint veil of char, its flavors layered like brushstrokes on aged parchment. There was a quiet confidence to it—an elegance born not from excess but from restraint. Paired with the Elk Cove Vineyards Pinot Gris 2022, the dish revealed new dimensions. The wine, drawn from the cool, loamy soils of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, carried the purity of orchard fruit and a taut minerality that moved across the palate like the clean, bright tone of a plucked string. Each sip swept the richness of the cabbage forward and then pulled it back, creating a dialogue of warmth and precision.

There was a soft pause in the evening’s cadence—glasses were refilled, and conversation hummed like low, warm music—before the next plate arrived. Pan-seared branzino, its skin burnished to a crisp bronze, concealed flesh that was tender and pale as a winter dawn. A subtle butter sauce, faintly aromatic and shimmering, added depth without intruding on the fish’s quiet integrity. The Domaine François Mikulski Meursault Les Tillets 2018 entered like an elegant partner on the stage. Its hazelnut tones, mingled with whispers of stone fruit and the limestone terroir of Burgundy, did not so much dominate as resonate with the branzino’s delicacy. Each bite and sip formed a balance of richness and clarity, like two instruments in a duet—one carrying the melody, the other sustaining the harmony.

As dessert made its entrance, the room seemed to settle into a reflective stillness, the evening’s energy softening into warmth. The mango flan with dulce de leche was a final statement of refinement: its surface golden and glossy, its body silken and light, layered with tropical sweetness that was tempered by the deep caramel tones of the dulce. The Braida (Giacomo Bologna) Moscato d’Asti Senza Nome 2021 brought the finale into focus with its fine effervescence and honeyed floral notes. The wine’s balance of fresh peach, white blossoms, and delicate sweetness lifted the flan without competing with it—an ending as graceful as a final bow, its lingering notes leaving the room quietly expectant, as if holding onto the memory of the meal for just a moment longer.

As the last notes of the evening settled, Bailli Judith Mazza rose to bring the night to a graceful close. With the soft glow of candlelight reflecting off the polished tables, she invited Chef Danny Chavez and his partner Fathi Sarsouri to join her at the front of the room. Their work—the artistry of the menu, the careful choreography of flavors—had defined the evening’s rhythm, and her words carried the warmth of genuine appreciation. A commemorative Chaîne dish, gleaming like a keepsake of both effort and memory, was presented to them—a tangible expression of gratitude for a dinner that felt as considered as it was inspired.

Bailli Judith Mazza then turned her attention to the officers whose work made evenings like this possible: Chambellan Will Perry, ever the steady presence bridging the Mid-Atlantic, who joined the Baillaige for the evening, Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Mark Lewonowski, whose precision and palate helped craft the evening’s flow, received special mention. Chris Wenstrom, newly appointed Vice Chargé de Missions, was recognized for his care in ensuring that the evening’s wines, each chosen for harmony and character, were delivered and presented with thought. Vice Echanson Ellen Kirsh, the architect of the Bailliage’s wine cellar and its pairings, was honored for her discerning selections. Finally, Vice Chargé de Presse Wesley Jefferies was thanked for his work in shaping the menus and chronicling the Bailliage’s events.

The room, already filled with a quiet glow, seemed to lean closer with each word. As the Bailli’s acknowledgments concluded, there was a pause—not of silence, but of shared appreciation—before the final round of applause filled the air.

The evening closed like the soft turn of a final page. Glasses clinked one last time, and the hum of conversation settled into something unspoken yet understood. This was more than a dinner; it was an orchestration of talent and camaraderie, of flavors that whispered and wines that sang. When guests stepped out into the warm June night, Chef Chavez’s modern Latin vision—and the graceful fellowship of the Chaîne—lingered, like the faint, memorable perfume of summer evenings yet to come.