fave eats D.C.
Sticky Fingers ~ My first love in my hometown is this vegan cafe and bakery of all things sweet and yummy. Doron Petersan, co-founder and winner of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network, opened this shop in 1999. I can tell you that opening this cutting edge shop at the time of few things vegan and off edgy 14th st in Columbia Heights took a lot of chutzpah. But it was a good bet. Sticky Fingers is a D.C. household name and both vegans and not stand in line for beautiful mouth-watering cupcakes and a great brunch or lunch. Where do I begin. Cawfee cake, classic vanilla and rich red velvet cupcakes. Cookies of all types. Getting married or need a sheet cake? Boston creme, classy vanilla, chocolate and tiramisu! Gluten-free? yes, try the chocolate on chocolate cupcake and the Silly Bonez, a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. For brunch try the classic tofu scramble with a side of tempeh bacon or the french toast drenched in nutmeg and cinnamon butter. All good things here.
Founding Farmers ~ When my friend JJ, also my teacher of all things animals, took me to this downtown Pennsylvania Ave. restaurant and told me they had a vegan menu I didn’t believe her. Walking to our table I saw steaks and pork chops on many plates. Turns out that the menu has a section dedicated to meatless meals that look like your typical american meat dishes: turkey burger, mushroom reuben, bacon burger, and many veg meatloaf are just a few. Best thing is that all the vegan dishes are made from scratch and nowhere near the meat equipment. D.C. vegans and their friends current this place along with hungry out-of-town visitors unloading from the tour buses. Friendly environment. Two locations in the D.C. area.
Woodlands Vegan Bistro ~ Located on Georgia Ave in the Howard University area, this vegan eatery boasts a juice and smoothie bar, hot and raw dishes and a variety bar of hot and cold salads. We recently visited for lunch and my husband, who’d been following quietly, ordered a black bean burger that almost made him sing hallelujah. No joke. Needless to say this restaurant pleases even the hardest of meat eaters. From the salad bar try the garlic kale with the special creamy sauce, the artichokes, curried yuba or sweet onion penne, which is gluten-free. Entrée selections available daily such as the curry chicken or eggplant parmesan. Sides such as the delicious ginger roasted pumpkin or the citrus glazed beets are enough for half a meal. Bohemian, great food and child friendly. My son chowed down his grilled cheese and then ran around the room without a second glance from the patrons or the staff.
Great Sage ~ Located a bit outside D.C. in Clarksville, MD, this restaurant is both vegan and focused on organics. Vegan or not, if you are in D.C. it is well worth the drive out there. Great Sage offers brunch, lunch, lite fare (3-5pm) and dinner plus pre fix dinner nights. Start lunch with a raw falafel or artichoke spinach dip and move onto a warm dish such as the cottage pie, a stew of veggies over mashed potatoes, or the green curry over brown rice. For brunch have the fried grilled tomatoes and grits or the tofu quiche of the day with roasted potatoes. Delicious sides include corn bread (gluten-free), tempeh bacon or tofu scramble. Don’t leave without a flute of La Rosette, a drink made from rose Champagne and st. Germain elderflower liquor. Your hunger at dinner will be satisfied with a wild mushroom stroganoff, German parsnip sausages or the adult mac’n cheese that can be ordered gluten-free. Creative food in a friendly environment.
