Dos Caminos Soho

Steve Hanson’s empire spans the cuisine globe (Asian, Italian, etc.), but Mexican food seems best suited to his way of making a fiesta out of a meal. DC Soho, like the Park Avenue original, cranks out freshly mashed guacamole, gets everyone lubed up on strong margaritas, then teases appetites with spicy little shredded-pork tacos on warm tortillas. But good luck crashing the festivities. The bar is too small for all the pretty young things who yearn to crowd around it; and the prized patio seats are well nigh impossible to snag during prime time. You can lament the mishaps—eternal waits, entrées before appetizers—but these are inevitable glitches for such a popular place.