Check it Out: Greek Deli

Remember the Soup Nazi character from Seinfeld? The brutally efficient, yet immensely talented sous chef of a small New York soup shop. His cheap, delicious food was as renowned as his quick, unbalanced temperament. I am happy to say the the Soup Nazi is alive in well right here in DuPont's Greek Deli. Kostas, the bombastic owner, operator, and mascot of the restaurant seems to channel this character. Standing at the end of the long lunchtime line, you can already hear him berating his staff or a first-timer. Someone mistakenly confused the deli for Nooshi next door and asked Kostas what kinds of sushi he served. He screamed back, "DO I LOOK JAPANESE?" A man asked Kostas for hot soup to which he yelled, "WHAT? DO YOU THINK I SERVE MY SOUP COLD? MCDONALDS IS DOWN THE STREET!" All of this before he informed his staff, made up mostly of family members, "WHY DO I PAY YOU? TOO SLOW, TOO SLOW. ALL FIRED," and went outside to smoke a cigarette.


Aside from the entertainment, people return to Greek Deli time and time again for the superb and authentic food at an unbeatable price.

They serve an extensive menu of Greek delicacies. I typically stick with the Gyro Platter. A delicious pita stuffed with seasoned meat, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, feta, and drizzled with tzatziki sauce. It is served with huge portions of Orzo salad and Greek style string beans. All of this for just $8.99. Also popular is the Spanakopita (delectable spinach and cheese pastry), Pastitsio (a Greek lasagna of sorts), and their Greek meatball special. The portions are huge and typically all around $9. That's the reason the lunch line stretches out the door every weekday. No worries though, the line moves quickly as Kostas and his staff mean business (expect a 5 minute wait from the end of the line). Swing by, between L and M on 19th Street, pick up lunch, save half for dinner. Enjoy delicious and authentic Greek food with an authentic Greek temperament.

Check It Out: Loeb's Deli

Sandwiches are awesome. Whether you’re standing in line at Subway, tucking in to some $20 swank-wich piled high with top-shelf toppings or even whipping one up yourself, you do so with the confidence that unless something has gone horribly wrong along the way it’s going to be pretty damn good. There is something in the way that sandwiches can flit so effortlessly between simple to complex without losing anything in translation that sets them in a class of their own as far as food is concerned.

Despite this though, like bratwurst is to Germany or wine to France, sandwich snobs always seem subscribe to the belief that delis (particularly of the New York variety) are the end-all be-all when it comes to the matter, and while I’m personally partial to my own creations, they do have a point. The problem with so-called “New York style” delis though is… you guessed it, they’re tough to find outside of the big apple. It’s a shame for most, but Washingtonians can take heart because for almost 40 years Loeb’s Deli has been providing Foggy Bottom with some of the finest lunch fare in the District. Located near the intersection of I and 15th, Loeb’s is decidedly a lunch joint, only serving weekdays from 6:00 to 4:30.

One’s relationship with their sandwich of choice is an intense and personal one, so I certainly won’t presume to suggest what you should get at Loeb’s, but I always go for a Reuben and a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup and the combination has yet to fail me thus far.

If your lunch break finds you in the area, or looking for something new, head over to Loeb’s Deli and get your sandwich on the way it was meant to be done.

Check it Out: I-The Indian Experience

Some of my favorite meals have been the ones that I least expected. While anticipation is nice, it can even come close to the feeling of excitement that you enjoy after a particularly satisfying surprise. Yesterday I had that distinct pleasure when a friend of mine introduced me to I-The Indian Experience.

Located in Foggy Bottom just off the intersection of 16th and L Street, you enter into the restaurant beneath a vibrant magenta awning before immediately descending down a precipitous flight of stairs to the dining room below. As I had never before had the pleasure of dining there, my surprise at the cavernous subterranean scene which greeted me was matched only by that at the dimly-lit, wood-paneled, almost surreal vibe the place gave off. Almost as if i had somehow stepped back into some 1920's speakeasy or something.

The ambiance aside though, we had gone there there to eat, and the entire walk there had been spent listening to my friend enumerating the many virtues of The Indian Experience lunch buffet; Its 12 bucks. Its delicious. Some of the best i've had. Its all you can eat. Did I mention that its just $12? Suffice it to say I was a tad wary, sure it sounded great, but there had to be some sort of a catch. There isn't. Its every bit as great as it sounds, and if you even remotely like Indian food you owe it to yourself to go. Served every weekday from 11:30 until 2:30, the buffet features about six or seven different dishes of various curried and chili varieties with all rice and naan you might need to chow down how ever you may see fit. There is a dinner buffet too from 6:00 until 9:00 every weeknight as well, and though i have not yet sat for it, I can only assume that its every bit as good as the lunch one.

This place is great, between the food and setting i just dig it, and Im sure you will too. Just remember to bring your appetite because you better believe you're going to need it.

Check it Out: The Black Rooster

For some reason, the term dive-bar has developed a rather negative connotation in our culture. We think of dirty, uncomfortable, old-man bars when someone mentions a dive spot. But that's not all a good dive bar need represent. To me, it speaks of a comfortable, homey, small, friendly bar, where everyone in fact does know your name. Certainly there are some flops that aren't worth considering. But The Black Rooster Public House is one you should definitely check out.

This is one of the best pubs in the area. Yes, it is small. Yes, it is not well lit. Yes, it attracts a rather eclectic (read: older) crowd. But you will find a fantastic and lively atmosphere coupled with terrific and friendly service at this neighborhood bar. Having been a patron of this pub for quite a many months, I can tell you that the pub is either absolutely dead or absolutely packed. During the week, the happy hour professional crowd generally jams the place. They come for discounted drinks and great food specials. A pint of Budweiser or Bud Light is only $2.68, one of the better beer deals in town. All other draft pints (including Guinness) are one-dollar off. The food is perhaps the biggest draw. TO be honest, it is likely not the best food you will ever have. However for the price and quantity it certainly is one of the better deals. Tuesday night is my favorite for half-priced burger nights. Get a huge angus burger, with three toppings of your choice (Bacon, blue cheese, and fried onions for me) and fries for only $4.95. With a pint of the black stuff, you can have a fine meal for just $10 with tax and tip. Every weekday night has a different food special, all of which are worth looking into.


After enjoying your meal you can enjoy a game of darts for free, on one of their two boards or simply talk with the friendly bartenders or patrons. This type of atmosphere is a welcome change to many of the "hipper" but also colder venues in DC. Having enjoyed myself a bit too much on one Tuesday evening, I left my laptop at my table. The staff took it, locked it in the office, and I was able to pick it up the next day. I can't imagine many other bars in town where my laptop would have survived the night.

Check it Out: Bread N Brew

Walking home from work, an interesting if not contradictory sign caught my attention: "Bread and Brew: cafe, coffeehouse, cocktails." I stood contemplating the odd conglomeration of coffee, pastries, and alcohol and decided that I could find nothing to object to. Walking in, the main floor looks like a traditional coffee house. Earthy and warm, it invites you to grab a latte, catch up on some reading, or simply relax for a bit. The room is fairly quiet, with only a few other patrons. Whether this is normal or simply because this is a new establishment, I can't say. The staff is as warm and friendly as the decor. While they are certainly not in any rush, you don't feel you need to be either. Though I only sat down to have a coffee, I ended up enticed by the fresh and scrumptious looking food at the cafe.

The menu is a tribute to local, fresh, organic produce. They offer a number of fantastic looking sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, along with a few entrees that change daily. I opted for a Squash and Goat Cheese Quiche. The $7 price-tag wasn't the cheapest but the slice was very generous and came along with a heaping and delicious organic salad. The quiche was completely home-made with a delicious fluffy pie crust. The spinach and cheese tasted as if it had been painstakingly prepared by some rustic Spanish woman, rather than a pleasant Washingtonian titled Chef Eugene. Downstairs at the bar they offer an interesting selection of wines accompanied by a number of small bar plates. While I did not have the opportunity to sample from the wine list, I will most certainly be making a return trip to do so.

Check It Out: Vapiano

Picture in you mind’s eye if you will, an Italian restaurant. A really good Italian restaurant. Now imagine, if instead of your traditional sit-down Italian joint, this one served you cafeteria style, and you could customize your dishes any way you pleased. If that scenario strikes you as a pleasant culinary fantasy, than It’s probably time you made it over to Vapiano

Located near the intersection of 18th and M in Foggy Bottom, Vapiano offers a delightful dining experience not only in the sense that it’s unconventional layout offers an ambiance that is at the same time intimate and accessible, but more importantly in that it serves up a broad spectrum of high-quality Italian dishes.

Unlike most restraints where communication between the customer and the kitchen is kept to a minimum, Vapiano allows you to order directly from the cooks themselves and as a result you get to put whatever you fancy on the dish in question, get it quickly, and see the entire cooking process played out right in front of you. Think Mongolian Barbeque meets Italian Kitchen. It’s not the largest dining room and it shares it’s space with the centrally located kitchen and as well as a bar on the far side, so it can fill up quickly around dinner time. They also don’t take reservations, so I would recommend that you head over earlier rather than later if you want to be able to find a good seat.


As far as the food itself goes, I tend to stick with my trusty standby of pesto vermicelli with pine nuts and grilled chicken, but have also enjoyed some terrific salads and pizzas there as well. Dining at Vapiano is for the most part a can’t-miss situation, so the only real limitation is your own creativity. Get out there and mix it up, you won’t be disappointed.

(also don’t miss the bowl of gummy bears by the door on your way out.)

Check it Out: Zorba's Cafe

You have to admit, living in the District on a budget is not the easiest thing to do and at time can even feel utterly impossible. With all of the fabulous gourmet restaurants serving up all the finest dishes their James Beard award-winning chefs can divvy up, it can be hard to find a restaurant that will serve up a hot plate of deliciousness that won't leave your wallet dumbfounded, wondering what just hit it. However, tucked away throughout this city are a number of gems offering great food at reasonable prices. This week, the Dupont gem that is Zorba's Café.

Maybe it's just me, but between the tall blue and white building and the Greek melodies that play on outside speakers that hypnotize and conjure up nostalgia of munching on pita smothered with tzatziki, I just plain can't resist Zorba's Café. And based on observation, I am not the only one who gets lured in. Located about a block and a half North of Dupont Circle on 20th Street at Connecticut Ave., Zorba's is a no-fuss, quick service, get there early so you have a place to sit, kind of place. Don't hold it against the cooks whose native language is definitely Spanish, not Greek; they really know what they are doing. Having been there several times, I have always favored their superb Yero (also known as Gyro) Sandwich for $7.95(Opt for the sandwich instead of the plate and save $3.55!). There is just something about their light, fluffy, and almost sweet pita bread that induces massive cravings that have me coming back sooner rather than later. Wash it down with a surprisingly not bad Mythos Hellenic Lager Beer for $4.35, and you have just fed yourself an entire meal for under $15!


Cafeteria-style service means feeling like you are back in high school with blue trays AND no tips! BONUS!

Directions to Zorba's Café