Going Native

K-Last week I decided to head to Penn Quarter and grab some lunch. I had passed Native Foods Café a couple of times and really had wanted to try it but was a bit tight on time due to meetings.  However, they have the option to order online and pick it up, so I did.

Native Foods Café claims they make everything fresh daily—from their homemade tempeh and seitan, to their Native Cheese, sauces and drinks, dressings and desserts. Their entire menu is 100% plant-based and they are very eco-friendly.

I ordered the Greek Gyro Bowl that had the sliced Native Peppered Seitan sautéed with shallots on quinoa, steamed vegetables and kale with lemon-garlic sauce and hummus; Native Fries and the lavender lemonade.

Ordering online and picking up my order was pretty easy and no issues. The people at the counter were very friendly and helpful. For the lemonade, they give you a cup and you fill it up at the condiment/drinks bar.

Once back at my desk, I took out the eco-friendly “bowl.”  The portion was huge, definitely enough for two lunches and same with the fries. The vegetables looked and tasted fresh, kale done nicely and the lemon-garlic sauce, which seemed like it was mixed with the hummus was very garlicky and good.  The seitan added a nice flavour and wasn’t too salty, which sometimes happens at other establishments. The fries were crisp and seasoned and the lavender lemonade was good but a bit too sweet for me. It did have the taste of lavender so if you don’t believe you would be too keen on that, I’d say skip it and go for something else.

If you are vegan, vegetarian or someone who just wants to switch it up on occasion I would recommend trying it. I was quite happy with my lunch and am looking forward to returning.

Hours: Sun 11:00am–7:00pm

Mon–Sat 11:00am–9:00pm

701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

202-347-1848

Exploring Eastern Market

K- Sunday seemed the perfect day to walk around as it was a nice day and cooler than it had been the last few weeks so I decided to explore Eastern Market. It had been awhile since I had been there and I wanted to check out the produce and craft items.

Before I hit the Market I wandered through the flea market, which is every Sunday. There were some interesting items however I found much of it on the expensive side – well, at least for me! For example, there were old Mason jars with lids that started around $3 and went up depending on size and if it had a lid. Stands at the market included clothing, jewelry, copper pots and crafted mirrors.

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After the flea market I walked among the food and craft booths outside. Much of the produce was reasonably priced and looked delicious. Some of the people at the stands had samples of their tomatoes, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables as well as salsas and sauces. I tried a habanero sauce that was tasty and had a nice little kick to it.

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Inside the building, which according to Wikipedia was designed by Adolf Cluss and was in continuous operation as a public market from 1873 until April 30, 2007 – when the fire occured – I found more delicious food items including cakes, salads and cheese in addition to beautiful bouquets of flowers.

If you have a chance to walk over to the Eastern Market you can easily spend a few hours there and that’s not stopping to have breakfast or lunch at any of the stands or nearby restaurants. You can also get your grocery shopping done as there is everything there for a nice dinner such as poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetables, fresh pasta, cheeses, baked goods, and whatever else you can think of… and you could set the table with a nice bouquet to boot!

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Hours of Operation

Tuesday to Friday – 7am – 7pm
Saturday –  7am – 6pm
Sunday –  9am – 5pm
Monday – CLOSED

 225 Seventh Street, SE    Washington, DC  20003