From the moment you walk in the door at Evo Bistro, you’re made to feel like, somehow, you’re late to the party—and you better catch up fast. That’s easy to do at this noisy, often overstuffed Mediterranean tapas outlet, where, with a house-issued debit card, you can help yourself to one-, three-, or five-ounce pours from the 50-plus wines available by the glass. But a buzz would just be a buzz if it weren’t for chef Driss Zahidi, whose menu draws from North Africa, Spain, Italy, France, and the Middle East. Despite the menu’s apparent randomness, Zahidi does an amazing job at connecting the dots between cuisines, from Spanish chorizo to grilled North African merguez to Italian risotto with chorizo, shrimp, and pecorino. Even more impressive: Zahidi displays a deft hand with each cuisine, as if his scientific background in chemical engineering has allowed him to break down every last Mediterranean dish and reconstruct it back in McLean.

Next up: Four Sisters