Arroz congri is one of the new $6 sides at Seven Reasons. | Maritza Rondón Jumping from 21 to 44 dishes, the menu refresh adds inventive (and affordable) dishes fit for sharing With a revamped and expanded menu at City Center’s Latin showpiece Seven Reasons, chef-owner Enrique Limardo has almost 30 new reasons why he wants you to eat there. The goal is to make fine dining more accessible, he says, as more D.C. restaurants shift to small plates and a la carte options to let customers to experiment with new dishes without a hefty price tag. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Seven Reasons (@sevenreasonsdc) Among them is the arepita threesome, one of 20 dishes under $20 that is a ménage à trois of cheese, cilantro, and sweet arepitas. And at $11, it’s one of the most affordable dishes on the new menu that dropped on November 12 (931 H Street NW). Limardo says the dish pays homage to the arepa, Venezuela’s staple street food that’s beloved worldwide for its versatility and popularity. With so many varieties, flavors, and combinations to explore, the Venezuelan immigrant calls the arepa a true symbol of creativity and cultural pride. Drawing from this richness, Limardo decided to playfully mix things up and present three distinct flavors, each with its own unique color and style. “This playful and fun approach led me to the idea of naming the creation ‘threesome,’ a nod to the trio of flavors and the vibrant, sassy spirit behind the concept,” says Limardo. Another highlight from the under-$20 set is the $19 lamb lo mein, a compilation of lamb loin, rice noodles, red onion, red pepper, shishito pepper, shiitake, scallions, and peanuts. Limardo and his staff regularly hit up nearby New Big Wong in the wee hours of the morning after closing, where he loves eating lo mein, so he created one with a Latin twist. The sauce he sautees the noodles in is made of guava, passionfruit, peppers from Venezuela, and various spices, including allspice. “You will have that sensation that you are eating in a Chinese restaurant, but with a different flavor profile,” says Limardo. Outside of those dishes, there are plenty of sides ranging from $6 to $12, including aligot croquettes, glazed carrots, and arroz congri. Limardo loaded the new menu with many under-$20 items so that diners on any budget can still enjoy “a very fancy and unique place.” The restaurateur is also behind Joy by Seven Reasons, The Saga, Surreal, Quadrant, Chicken and Whiskey, and Michelin-starred Imperfecto. In his view, fine dining is too stiff. The world craves more fun and people need more places to forget about their troubles, he said. “We need to smile more, we need to be more happy,” says Limardo. “So, fine dining is more like a formal experience, an experience away or something like that, but I think it’s better to be down to earth and laughing.” He’s trying to cultivate his vision of a Middle East vibe where everybody’s feasting, sharing, and eating small plates. With the larger menu, two people can probably eat between seven and 11 different plates, allowing them to have a more extensive, deeper interaction. The menu is also influenced by Limardo’s extensive five-week trip through Latin America, where he ate his way through Brazil’s Amazon rainforest in Manaus and also hit up Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Panama City, Panama. In the Amazon, he sampled piranhas, ants, spiders, and roots of local fruits. He doesn’t use any of these daring ingredients at Seven Reasons, but he had the flavors in his head when he was creating the new menu. “I ate all of them just to experiment, to create better networking between my tongue and my brain — create new experiences,” says Limardo. One of his favorite larger plates, the $70 pulpo anticuchero (whole octopus) that’s influenced by Peruvian cuisine. On his trip, Limardo learned that beef heart skewers, known as anticuchos, are eaten with a sauce that’s spicy, savory, and sour. When he returned to Seven Reasons, Limardo created his own version of that sauce and roasted an entire octopus in it. Maritza Rondón The $70 pulp anticuchero is a whole head-on octopus served with sauteed vegetables, shishito puree, and anticuchera sauce. Meanwhile, Limardo is currently finalizing some minor changes on Seven Reasons’ lunch and brunch offerings. Those will be announced in the coming weeks. “My hands are so full,” Limardo quipped.