Danny Lledó Merges Fine Dining and Paella with Xiquet

Danny Lledó, an award-winning paella chef, finally took the plunge toward opening another spot after successfully running Slate Wine Bar. He opened Xiquet above Slate on March 3, a high-end eatery dedicated to paella and other Valencian dishes.

“This a concept that’s been close to my heart,” Lledó told District Fray over a heaping pan of vegetarian paella, “and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.”

Now you’ll have a choice when you walk into the restaurant: You can either stay downstairs and enjoy what Slate has to offer (“your typical neighborhood wine bar,” Lledó says) or trek upstairs and experience Xiquet.

Guests are greeted warmly when they enter Xiquet’s mezzanine lounge (“we want them to feel like they’re coming to our house,” a staffer said) and are given a cocktail or glass of champagne to sip as they peruse the restaurant’s menu and avant-garde drink selection. Once guests order, they’re brought up to the building’s third floor where the Xiquet kitchen and dining area awaits.

“It’s a luxury experience,” Lledó notes. “Real fine dining.”

The complete woodfire kitchen features an open concept where guests can see their fare being prepared.

“My father is from the Valencia area and I grew up making paella with him. I’ got good at it and started entering (and winning) competitions,” Lledó added. “To master the woodfire is a whole different animal. You have to control the heat and use different kinds of wood for different flavors. It’s not easy.”

The colorful dish has many options and a range of flavors. “There’s a saying in Valencia: to make paella is to empty the refrigerator,” Lledó said. “In Spain, rice is the protagonist. Here, it’s a little different. You have to create a balance: You want to educate your customer on paella but some people want a lobster paella and they want to see the lobster. ”

In addition to the paella offerings, Lledó believes customers will enjoy Xiquet’s Valencian cocas.

“It’s kind of like ratatouille but it’s infused with salted cod and anchovy,” he said. “In the Valencian area, everyone has their own unique flatbread so it will be a good way for people to see what we do.”

Paellas at Xiquet range from $30-$50 a la carte, or they offer a five-course (starting at $90) and eight-course menu (starting at $130). Additionally, they have “a growing and expanding collection” of wine, plus a la carte appetizers, desserts, and entrees.

The restaurant is open Tuesday-Thursday from 5-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 5-11 p.m. You can make your reservation on the Xiquet website.

Xiquet: 2404 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, DC; www.xiquetdl.com