Leo Cabrera has closed his Nuevo Taco spot (formerly Modern Mixture) on the ocean block of The Avenue. Yet another casualty of this prolonged attack on restaurants. And it's the smaller eateries that suffer the most, when some arbitrary “30%” rule means they can only have 6 or 7 people in at the same time. Leo is moving from the area to enjoy his life elsewhere. His big smile and good food will be missed!
Federal Fritter is taking over that space. This takeaway street food snack shop provides customers with a quality nosh experience and features a variety of inspired sauces that compliment their fritters. A wide variety of fritters include vegetable fritters such as Buffalo Cauliflower, Parmesan Risotto Fritters, Roman-style Artichoke, and Apple Pie fritters. Poppable, snackable. Think arancini, but portable!
Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff's original fritter is a modern take on the classic Italian arancini made with risotto, parmesan, and panko breadcrumbs. These fritters have been on Chef Gray's menu at Washington, D.C.'s Equinox Restaurant since its opening in 1999. So how do you eat a fritter!?! Stroll the boards and munch!
Modern Mixture/Neuvo Taco was a low-key gem. I thought Leo had some very good flavor combinations. We had some spiced donuts one time that were original and delightful. His tortilla soup was the best I have had, and even before the pandemic, when we ordered take-out his attention to the details were first rate. All the best to Leo and his family. We will remember this RB original.