DCVegEats

High end restaurant Equinox drops their fish and beef on the weekends for a "Plant Based" vegan brunch, and the result is a really impressive meal, albeit pricey ($35 per person).  The menu includes a wide variety of items which span the globe from India to the Caribbean.  I started with the more traditional breakfast options.  There was the house-made granola with almond milk, which was gently crunchy, well seasoned and something I would aspire to as I enter the make-your-own-granola field.  This was followed by the "Just Egg" scramble, a rich dish made with the new mung-bean based egg substitute, sweet peppers, tomatoes and scallions.  The seasoning was perfect and while I wouldn't mistake it for actual scrambled eggs it made for a very acceptable alternative.  The stuffed walnut french toast (with strawberry rhubarb jam) was not a favorite.  Like many vegan baked items the consistency was a tad gummy, although I wouldn't say that it was bad (one c...

A beautiful day took me to Takoma Park for a nice bike ride.  After that it was a short jaunt, although a complicated one due to road construction, to this amazing restaurant tucked into a shopping mall off of University Blvd.  I had checked out the menu ahead of time but didn't realize that Saturdays, at least, have an endless buffet (for a hugely affordable $15).  I arrived late for lunch, after 2pm, and the place was still packed to the gills.  A credit to the wait staff who kept my water glass filled and my dirty plates bussed without fail.  It's rare that I eat to the point of discomfort, but it is also rare that I find a buffet where I can eat ~everything~.  Sadly (or not), I did eat, well, almost everything.  Woodlands advertises itself as a South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant, which means lots of tomatoes and lots of coconut.  The buffet itself is expansive.  There was a Chaat Bar (think noshes and salad toppings, like puffed rice,...

This little cafe packs a punch.  For a small store-front in a less than ideal location the food was great, the menu options expansive and the place absolutely worth multiple, repeated visits.  Today, I selected their Mixed Greens Salad, which was large and rich with a complex mix of ingredients.  There were dark purple greens mixed with butter lettuce, carrot and apple sticks, brussels sprouts shavings, chopped almonds, small chunks of feta and more.  Arriving with ~toasted~ bruschetta (brushed with butter!) the salad was only slightly less than perfect.  The vinaigrette was strong and almost too tart for the acidic greens.  I would have the dish with dressing on the side in the future.  Or I would have one of the many other options on the menu, including three other salads and a number of sandwiches, listed as vegetarian (I'm thinking the soup was vegan and the salads could be made so, although that was not mentioned on the menu).  They open at...

I was delighted to check out this newer addition to the Wharf, the second Falafel, Inc. location in DC (the franchise has restaurants in other cities, as well).  Not only one of the cheapest meals I have purchased at the Wharf but one of the best as well.  The menu is pretty limited and entirely vegetarian and/or vegan.  There are Falafel sandwiches ($3), very large Falafel salads, called "bowls" ($4), Zaatar Fries and some sides like Tabouli (most of the sides are also in the sandwiches and salads).  Add Hummus to your sandwich or salad for a dollar more and you end up with a hugely yummy and filling lunch for under $6 (albeit drippy ... really, really, do grab some extra napkins).  Habibi sauce is applied to the dishes but there are a host of sauces to add to your dish or to take away.  First and foremost, the Falafel.  It's flavorful, fluffy, crunchy and really the best I have had in DC, an area replete with Middle Eastern restaurants (sorry Littl...

Update:  RIGHT after I wrote this, Smorgasburg shut down for August.  It will return on September 7th. If you have been waiting for the crowds to die down at the DC Smorgasburg now is the time!  Located at Tingey Plaza near the Navy Yard this outdoor food court features some 30 area restaurateurs each week (there is some rotation).  It is open from 11am to 6pm every Saturday from now through October.  Busy but not packed in the early hours today, organizers have addressed the need for shade and are now providing a free water station (with mist!) during these hot summer days.  Good news is that some two thirds of today's vendors offered Vegan dishes and all materials used (bags, utensils, napkins, etc) are compostable.  Bad news is that this is street food, and almost everything is, by definition, fried.  Nonetheless I indulged, managing to consume more fried food than I have since losing my gall bladder.  It was pretty much delicious....