Mercy Me - The Little Arepa

As you know, I’m on a mission to showcase Colombian flavors not only through my own recipes, but also by highlighting restaurants! For each visit, I will discuss the following categories when describing my experience: Ambience, Colombian Connection, Favorite Dish, and Tips.

We joined our friends for an outdoor brunch at Mercy Me. We loved the food and pastries!

Ambience: This is definitely a place to take some pics! As soon as you walk in there is a wanderlust, modern, trendy, and beautiful vibe. Maybe it’s the bar in the center of the space, or the comfy and Instagram-worthy lounge furniture and décor. Maybe it’s the natural light that comes in from the floor to ceiling windows. I’m not sure, but this place is beautiful. We opted for outdoor seating and were blown away by the set-up. Its tucked away in the center of the building, almost like a converted courtyard. Its peaceful and quiet, which contrasts the busy corner it is on. The colors of the space are calming and joyous.

Colombian Connection: First, Mercy Me’s Pastry Chef is Camila Arango, who was born in the Northern Virginia area, but spent a large part of her childhood in Colombia. Additionally, the owner Dani is a chef and owner of many local favorites such as Timber Pizza, Call Your Mother and more. Dani’s Argentinian roots are sometimes showcased in her menus and Mercy me is her “Sorta South American” culinary project. The restaurant that features signature dishes from South America with her own twist. It was tempting to not order everything on the menu, but I stayed true to the mission of The Little Arepa and ordered the Colombian-ish items.

Favorite Dish: I loved all the dishes we had, but 2 dishes really stood out to me. The first was the fried arepa de huevo. I hadn’t had one in years and the combination of the arepa with the accompanying sauces felt like a cool and unique experience. It was fun, crispy, and a hard menu item to find in this area. The second dish that I want to highlight are their spicy fries with pink sauce. OMG! I could eat these everyday. The fries are fresh, thin, and topped with a perfect cajun-ish seasoning. Then, when you dip the fries in the pink sauce…its just magic.

Tips:

-As always, be sure to account for parking. We had to park about 4 blocks away, but it wasn’t too bad!

-There is an outdoor patio in the front the restaurant. This is for their bakery/cafe and not the outdoor dining I referred to above. Be sure to see the host for your seating.

-Come prepared to take pics, you will want to I guarantee you!