We sent our reporters to Columbia Heights and U Street this week, to learn how immigrant-owned restaurants are making their mark in the District’s renowned food scene.
Los Hermanos
Dominican
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Los Hermanos Dominican restaurant in Columbia Heights has quickly risen to local and national prominence.
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Raymond Compres owns and operates Los Hermanos with his brother, Aris.
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The restaurant started as a bodega grocery store in 1995, and transitioned to a restaurant when Columbia Heights underwent redevelopment and a population boom in the early 2000s.
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The Compres brothers say they hope to one day turn Los Hermanos into a national chain.
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The Dominican cooks at Los Hermanos don’t use recipes. Instead, they cook from memory and by taste.
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The Compres brothers say that customers come from as far as California for their authentic Dominican food.
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Meat, rice, beans and plantains are the staples of most Dominican dishes.
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Aris Compres (left) discusses the restaurant’s highest-profile clients: The Washington Nationals and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
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Dominican players on the Nationals popularized Los Hermanos with their teammates.
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Los Hermanos caters nearly every Washington Nationals home game.
El Tamarindo
Salvadoran
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Jose Flores, owner of El Tamarindo on U Street.
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Flores opened El Tamarindo in 1982, only a few years after immigrating from El Salvador.
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The restaurant serves Elotes Locos, or grilled corn on the cob.
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Famous Salvadoran and Mexican figures line the walls at El Tamarindo.
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El Tamarindo’s enchiladas, pictured, are also popular.
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Customers dig into fish tacos and yucca fries.
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Keren
Eritrean / East African
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Keren Restaurant, on U Street, began business in 1979.
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Keren serves as a meeting place for district residents from Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
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Co-owner Tekie Ghrebrekrstos says their says days at the restaurant are, “really busy. We don’t have much break. We don’t have a day off. Everyday we make sure everything’s perfected.”
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Keren takes its name after a famous city in Eritrea. The restaurant’s decor features the city’s lush hillsides and stunning mountain views.
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Keren’s most popular dishes feature tal, a bean dip, and injera, a spongy bread used to soak up flavorful sauces.
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