Mercat a la Planxa

Under the helm of Jose Garces, D.C.’s famed Spanish chef, this colorful spot in the Blackstone Hotel offers a prime view of Michigan Avenue, but the cooks’ focus is on the grill. We’re not talking burgers and barbecue, but elevated Catalan cuisine. Flavorful charred octopus is tossed with green olives and confit potato while grilled flat-iron steak is marinated in a rich sauce of nora chilies, roasted garlic and honey. Signatures like the spicy housemade pork sausage make enough of an impact that you’ll believe Garces’s claim that Mercat is different from a “run-of-the-mill tapas bar.”