Thursday, September 24, 2009

Where are you lunchin? DC Lunch Spots

So I meant to post this...apparently months and months ago. Oh how time flies...

For your lunching enjoyment...

In an effort to lend some variety to my DC lunch experiences, I made an informal poll of friends of favorite places for lunch in DC. I asked for each friend to send in their top three picks and offered just one rule -- a meal plus a drink must be $10 or less. I expected that several contenders would come out on top, but was (pleasantly) surprised to find that the resulting list was quite extensive with only several places receiving multiple votes.

The three that received multiple votes are as follows:

Bread Line (1751 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW -- Farragut West)
  • Different options daily! Check the website for daily menus -- opened Monday thru Friday

  • Favorites include... portobello piadine (caramelized onions, spinach, portobellos, and fontina cheese), italian sausage sandwich, spicy chicken sandwich (west african chicken, caramelized opinion, fried plaintain), french madrange ham sandwich, oyster po'boy, cuban sandwich

  • AND the salad combos -- choose 1, 2, or 3 toppings -- our picks: curry chicken, lentils and feta, nicoise, and potato green beans.
Brown Bag (2 locations in DC -- 818 18th Street NW (Farragut West); 1099 14th Street NW (McPherson Sq))
  • Noodle bowls (pad thai, chicken marinara, chicken pesto, "build your own noodle bowl")

  • Salad bowls (Bayou chicken caesar, cowboy steak, kitchen sink chef, remember the alamo)

  • Grilled Sandwiches (Parisian (brie, tomato, basil, olive oil, salt & pepper on baguette); golden gate grill (roast beef, artichokes, red peppers, onions), coltrane chicken (grilled chicken, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, pesto mayo)

  • Stuffed Sandwiches (big apple turkey, portabello sandwich, voo doo chicken wrap)
Chop't (menu) (NOW 5 locations in the DC area! Chinatown (730 7th St NW), Dupont Circle (1300 Connecticut Avenue), 19th & L St NW, and Metro Center (618 12th St. NW), Rosslyn (1735 N. Lynn St.))
  • Famous for their salads -- array of fresh ingredients all "chop't" up together to make a very tasty (and fairly massive) salad. Pick your own ingredients or from one of the salad mixes... highlights below

  • Santa Fe (Romaine lettuce, pepper jack cheese, avocado, tomato, corn, and fried onion)

  • Beverly Hills Chef (Iceberg lettuce, grilled chicken, italian salami, mozzerella cheese, tomato, and chickpeas)

  • Palm Beach Shrimp (Romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado, hearts of palm, and grilled shrimp)

  • Harvest Cobb (Spinach and romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, granny smith apples, walnuts, beets, goat cheese)
Below are the rest of the best (and if their nominators provided comments or favorite dishes, that information is below too):
  • Ben's Chili Bowl (1213 U Street NW) The original chili half-smoke, chili con carne, chili fries...
  • Burrito Cart (15th and K) I admit, I didn't expect to find a website when I googled the Burrito Cart, but here it is! Pedro & Vinny's burritos...their slogan "FRESH! never canned or frozen ingredients" ... I heard rave reviews about the burrito cart (and that a line often snakes around the corner...). Check their website daily to see if they are open
  • Busboys and Poets (2 DC locations - 14th & V St NW, 5th & K St NW) More for a nice leisurely lunch as opposed to a quick bite.
  • Casa Blanca (1014 Vermont Avenue NW)
  • Corner Bakery
  • Falafel House
  • Five Guys (love the burgers!)
  • Heidi's (excellent cajun turkey sandwich, all the bread is made on site)
  • Java Green (the stuff may be sort of strange, but lots of vegetarian options, incredibly earth friendly, even their disposable cups are made out of corn, great bulgogi sandwich)
  • Le Bon Cafe
  • Loeb Deli (favorite dish: reuben)
  • Old Ebbitt Express
  • Port of Piraeus (large variety, favorites: 42nd Streeter, Greek Style Chicken, Kolonaki Salad)
  • Potbelly's
  • Ravi Kabob (in Arlington, amazing Pakistani kabob place, looks like a hole in the wall in a strip mall, but always packed)
  • Roasting House (fabulous roast turkey salads/sandwiches)
  • Santa Fe Cafe (great Mexican sit down place, more like Rio Grande, less like Chipotle)
  • Sushi Place McPherson (bulgogi box lunch very good)
  • Teaism (love the chicken bento box, basically panko fried chicken, yum!)
  • Thai Place
  • Washington Deli (favorite: Marylin Monroe sandwich - fresh turkey, chedar, sauteed onions, hard roll)

No comments: