A converted carriage house doles out more than sixteen sandwiches named for international cities, as well as salads, pickles, and whoopie pies. The menu maps ingredients: chorizo on Madrid; jerk chicken on Kingston, lamb on Athens. Locavores, explore!
Sundevich, 1314 9th Street Northwest, between N and O Streets (202-319-1086 or sundevich.com).
Chef Jeff Black’s Chesapeake Bay-style crab cakes groan with jumbo lump meat sparked with jalapeno. Black sautees first, finishes in the oven, then tucks those cakes into brioche buns with a side of chips.
BlackSalt Restaurant, 4883 MacArthur Boulevard, between U and V Streets (202-342-9101 or blacksaltrestaurant.com).
Ripple’s curbside takeout staff imagines some of the bolder combos in town. Cue the chicka-boom-boom Muzak: Arctic char kisses caper mayo, kale, and potato. Spicy veggies smooth talk black-eyed pea hummus and Gouda. Maple bacon ice cream makes nice with a couple of waffles.
Ripple, 3417 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, between Ordway and Macomb Streets (202-244-7995 or rippledc.com).
The pint-size gastropub honors the gooey grilled cheese miracle (sharp cheddar, mozzarella, raclette, shot of spicy marinara).
Room 11, 3234 11th Street Northwest, at Lamont Street (202-332-3234 or room11dc.com).
Rockville Pike is full of surprises, not the least of which are imaginative combos served in this strip mall wine shop. Cheetos are the secret in Timmy G’s Ham Cruncher; a blip of maple syrup for Katie’s brie; buffalo wing sauce for Wild Wally’s smoked turkey with blue cheese.
Gilly’s Craft Beer & Fine Wine, 2009 Chapman Avenue, at Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville (301-770-5515 or gillyscbfw.com).
In a riverside tavern, haute Irish master Cathal Armstrong stirs the waters with eclectic pub grub. His sammies include a handsome Cuban, the cheeky Pope’s Lunch (prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, balsamic), and marbled Irish-style corned beef on toasted rye.
Virtue Feed & Grain, 106 South Union Street, Alexandria (571-970-3669 or virtuefeedandgrain.com).
The souvlaki sandwich sinks hot lamb into homemade yogurt. Crisp lettuce and tomatoes don’t stand a chance. And you’re gonna need a fistful of napkins. Don’t let the staff talk you into the souvlaki platter. Not even Kobayashi could make a dent in that mountain on his lunch hour.
Greek Deli & Catering, 1120 19th Street Northwest, between L and O Streets (202-296-2111 or greekdelidc.com).
Standard is a go-to for Southern backyard classics. Shiny sesame seed buns barely contain skeins of slow-roasted pork and a mess of coleslaw. The burger is top-notch, too. Twinkly lights above the picnic tables elevate homey fare.
Standard, 1801 14th Street Northwest, at S Street (standarddc.com).
Each menu item at this vacation-style shop is named for a favorite spot on Nantucket. The offerings are pure WASP nostalgia: Best-selling Nobadeer (roast turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing) is classic Americana; Dionis (lobstah roll) is a day at the beach; and Sconset tastes of freshman year (hummus, Muenster, spouts, tomato, carrots, avocado, cukes). Enjoy the trip.
Jetties, 3708 Macomb Street Northwest, at Wisconsin Avenue; 1609 Foxhall Road, between Greenwich Parkway and Q Street; 4829 Fairmont Avenue, Bethesda (jettiesdc.com).
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