Health & Fitness
Video: The Man Behind Mio -- Open Kitchen and Local Produce
Hear from the owner and visionary behind the open kitchen culture restaurant serving up local produce with Latin flavors of Mio.
The thing I love about many of the restaurants in Del Ray is their use of local ingredients. When headed into D.C. for a night out, I look for restaurants with those same epicurean values. Mio, on Vermont Avenue in northwest D.C., captures the essences of local produce and is a great independent establishment just a few miles from Del Ray.
Mio's owner, Manuel Iguina, has a vision for food and wine at his 5-year-old restaurant. He buys food locally and frequently buys from various small producers in order to create the flavors of Spain, Latin America, France and America for customers’ plates. Iguina explains that "integrity in food is important."
His dishes are complimented by a list of more than 20 wines by the glass and more than 300 bottles. Mio’s wine selection is currently grouped by grape, but coming soon the wine list will be revamped to be showcased by region. At Mio the wine list changes with the menu, and as wines become mainstream, they are removed from the menu to make room for new varietals. Iguina explores to discover new types, producers and makers. When asked how he chooses which wines to bring into Mio: "If I like it, it's on the menu, and it is important that the wine be a good value, accessible to customers," remarks Iguina.
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I recently sat down with Iguina to ask him about his passion for farm to table, how to spot a good glass of wine and his excitement for being part of the first D.C. Wine Week. Hopefully a Wine Week is in the future for Del Ray soon! In the meantime, next up is .