Recess Tapas Lounge, Washington

Chef Will Vivas was raised in a restaurant. His mother ran a small eatery out of their home in Venezuela, an experience that left him with a passion for culinary arts. At Recess Tapas Lounge, Chef Vivas flexes his cooking muscles and pays homage to his home country with a menu of Latin-inspired tapas dishes. He stuffs his own chorizo sausage and pairs it with double-fried green plantains, showcases pan-seared scallops on a platform of pesto risotto, and arranges chicken croquettes on small plates. When the kitchen grills cool off, a DJ heats up in the lounge with late-night tunes and games of vinyl frisbee. Patrons enjoy the food and good cheer amid the interior’s colorful lighting, from the blue backlit panels on the wall to the purple bar lights and rectangular deep-red fixtures that dangle from the ceiling.