The first European explorers set sail with hopes of finding new, exotic spices to placate the palates of epicurious monarchs, but all they found were heaps of inedible gold. Pick up where they left off by broadening your mouth's horizons with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of Latin American cuisine and drinks at The Parva in Bethesda.
Artistic chefs create The Parva's menu by interfusing the zesty culinary traditions of Argentina, Colombia, and Peru, staying true to sub-equatorial influences by utilizing mostly organic, seasonal ingredients. Each platter that flies from the kitchen is made fresh, and recipes do not depend on excessive oils to enhance flavor or lubricate creaky jaws. Appetizing aromas emanate from seafood ensembles such as the ceviche caribe ($17.99)—which pours a piquant sea of tiger milk, passion fruit, coconut milk, and mango over a medley of lemony sea fare—and caserita de mar ($26.95), a diverse caucus of mussels, calamari, scallops, and shrimp swimming in a creamy tomato sauce with fettuccine. Carne cravers can opt for a 10-ounce new york steak glazed in argentine creole sauce ($26.95) or the puerco al plato ($25.95), a pork-chop platter cooked with the tenderness of a 4-month-old clergyman in a cocktail of sake, mirin, soy, ginger, and dried chilies.
Colorful light fixtures send cascades of neon onto The Parva's ivory walls and billowy white drapes, fashioning a soft, colorful ambiance reminiscent of a Miami club or a poodle bedecked with mood rings. Take a seat on a plush white couch in the lounge to properly savor a libation from The Parva's fully stocked bar, or perch on the bar's chairs and try to change the channel on a flat-panel TV with your mind.
Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar
Dozens and dozens of tequila bottles fill the festive space of Parva Cocina & Tequila Bar, sating customers' thirst for the beloved south-of-the-border liquor. These 100% blue agave tequilas can stand on their own, or they can mix with natural pulp fruits to form the basis of tasty margaritas that pair nicely with a spread of Latin American and Tex-Mex eats. Spicy ceviches and carne asada-topped nachos kick things off, followed by entrees of flash-fried whole tilapia, shredded flank steak, and veggie-stuffed enchiladas. Thursday-Sunday, the pace picks up at Parva, with DJ sets pumping out Latin-themed music into the night.