A good salad that doesn’t leave you hungry can be hard to find. One of our favorites at this lunch standby popular with the granola set is the Marsoni’s smoked free-range-chicken salad ($8.25). The grilled-chicken-and-asparagus salad is topped with enough diced organic chicken, honey-glazed pecans, and mild blue cheese to give the salad heft without negating its virtues. A dash of perfect balsamic vinaigrette and you have a satisfying lunch.
If just a salad won’t do, try one of the soups (small $3.75, large $4.75), which change but often include earthy lentil or squash. Quesadillas ($6.50 to $8.75) are another good choice if the dizzying number of menu items—which include smoothies and vegan-friendly dishes—is just too much for a lunchtime brain to handle.
Open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch.
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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.
