If doubts remained that Washington has become a serious
food-shopping city, the September debut of Union Market (1309 Fifth St.,
NE) put them to rest. A dream team of vendors hawking everything from
bespoke salts to stinky cheeses fills the stands in the airy 141-year-old
building that has been brought back to life by the South Carolina
development group Edens. The developer has also been picking out local
food and drink projects for Merrifield’s Mosaic District (2910 District
Ave., Fairfax), a Target-anchored retail village. Among them: meat monger
Red Apron Butcher, seafood shop MediterraFish, MOM’s Organic Market, and
an outpost of Dolcezza gelato.
This year also saw small-scale neighborhood stores pop up in
places such as DC’s 14th Street corridor, where Smucker Farms of Lancaster
County (2118 14th St., NW; 202-986-7332) sells meats, chutneys, pretzels,
raw honey, baked goods, and produce from Pennsylvania’s Amish
Country.
In Old Town, Society Fair (277 S. Washington St., Alexandria;
703-683-3247) stocks pricey but covetable home-bar supplies. It’s also the
place to get naturally raised meats and eggs, fresh-baked breads, and
luxurious layer cakes.
Read more from our Best in Food 2012 package.
This article appears in the December 2012 issue of The Washingtonian.
