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Smorgasburg DC

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.  First up was Balo Kitchen and Pho Wheels, where I got two veggie tacos.  Fried soft taco shells surround shaved carrots with the onions and peppers, nicely cooked brussels sprouts (not firm, not soft, just delightfully in-between), creamy tofu and a zippy siracha sauce.  Satisfying, filling, and far better than the much-ballyhooed Chaia of Georgetown fame IMHO.  Next was a Tofu Bao Bun from Asian Fusion Ekiben.  With fillings much like my first course this sandwich-of-sorts had shaved carrots and other veggies, topped with tofu, all tucked into a pillow-soft bun of snow white dough.  In this case the tofu was lightly fried and sweet, the flavor enhanced by the sauce.  After this, I got two Dooney Rolls from Eat170, a catering company.  Two deep-fried eggrolls filled with seasoned kale and covered in sweet Mumbo sauce, these may up your cholesterol but will make anyone love kale.  The final course was a vegan rice ball from Lei Musubi.  A triangle wedge of lightly sauteed rice, it was coated with black sesame paste and house-made vegan Furikake, microgreens, all wrapped up in seaweed.  Unfortunately, for me it didn't make it past the "fishy" smell but was nonetheless different and worth a try.  For dessert, one simply has to stop at Milk Cult, which not only has some unique, and vegan offerings, but advertises itself as "pretty good" -- which gave me the giggles all the way home.  I had a cup of the Vanilla Barley.  It was small but didn't need to be large.  Incredibly rich ice cream infused with a palpable vanilla, it had an earthy grounding which came from the barley, and notes of citrus as the proprietor grated some orange on top just before serving.  And no, I didn't eat all of this in one sitting.  I took a bite or so of each and then packed each dish away in a handy take-out box provided by Ekiben.  With the exception of the ice cream I was able to enjoy these dishes for dinner, even breakfast, for the next 24 hours.  Yes, this is worth the visit.  Go for it.

At the corner of Tingey and New Jersey Ave, SE.  Take the green line to Navy Yard and leave via the Department of Transportation exit, turning south as you step out of the station.  Do look for the "Transportation Walk" between the plaza and DOT building.  Not only are there nice benches and a water feature but some interesting historical features.

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