The year’s highest-profile food-hall debut—by the developer behind the Bourse food hall in Philly—will take over an early-19th-century market building in Foggy Bottom later this summer. The massive destination will have indoor and outdoor communal seating, QR-code ordering, and an eclectic group of vendors—plus ExPat, a newly announced bar and restaurant with sports betting with Lucky Danger chef Tim Ma that’ll debut next year. Here’s what to expect when the hall launches this summer.
Georgetown’s sunny Southeast Asian salad shop from the Myint family will soon welcome a sibling. It’ll have a similar menu to the original, with customizable salad and rice bowls taking cues from Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Annapolis-based Mason’s sources its lobster, crab, and shrimp from Maine for a variety of buttery rolls, chowders, and bisques.
3. Tigerella
The team behind the Mount Pleasant bakery and restaurant Elle expands for the first time with this cafe (named after a favorite variety of heirloom tomato). Vegetables will play a central role on the menu, which will serve breakfast, lunch, and, come evening, pizzas and pastas.
Shaw’s popular Italian deli will have a second location for its massive subs—sliced-to-order deli meats, house-roasted beef, chicken parm—and witty pouched cocktails (the Fauci Pouchy was Capo’s creation).
The hugely popular, fast-growing string of fried-chicken-sandwich spots grew out of a food truck. Expect to line up for its Nashville-style, Buffalo, and honey-butter sandos.
Ferry Huang, owner of Glover Park’s Sushi Keiko, is opening this sleek sushi bar serving raw delicacies and East-meets-West small plates.
Fresh-baked cookies are matched with local milks and crafted into made-to-order ice-cream sandwiches.
The Venezuelan vendor stuffs arepas with a variety of meats, cheeses, and veggies, plus serves tasty tequeños (cheese sticks) and baguette sandwiches.
Baltimore-based Gangster Vegan owners James and Taneea Yarborough will debut their latest concept: an organic, raw-food venture offering salads, sandwiches, bowls, and freshly pressed juices and nut milks.
10. Alitiko*
Greek street eats from native Dimitri Piskapas are everything you’d want for an ouzo-filled outing—think fresh-cut fries, shawarma sandwiches, and glazed pork neck.
Shaw’s former Guatemalan street-food pop-up from partners Rosario Guzman and Karla Alonzo finds a home here. Bring your appetite for loaded hot dogs on toasty buns (shukos) or tucked into tortillas (mixtas); tacos; and more.
*Set to open in August. Other stalls will debut later this year.
Western Market takes over a historic Foggy Bottom building.
Western Market, 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.
Photographs courtesy of Western Market.
This article appears in the July 2021 issue of Washingtonian.
Executive Food Editor/Critic
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Logan Circle.
Food Editor
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
