Why go: The soup-and-sandwich lunch is elevated to the level of cuisine at this bakery and cafe where White House staffers and World Bankers queue up and nearly everything—soups, breads, sweets, salads—is made in-house.
What to get: A good if not entirely authentic Cubano; a delicate yet hearty sandwich of smoked salmon with cucumbers, cress, and dill-and-caper cream cheese; egg salad on olive bread; chocolate sandwich cookies filled with creamy mascarpone.
Best for: A change from the lunch rut.
Insider tip: Going early or late to avoid the horde makes for a more relaxed lunch—as does nabbing a table in the upstairs back annex or outside on warm days.
Open Monday through Friday for lunch.
>> See all 2009 Cheap Eats restaurants here
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 Petworth.
