Eat Great Cheap 2015“Bakery” is a misnomer. True, owner David Guas is a pastry chef, among the best in the region, if not the country—one bite of his dark, chewy pralines will convince you of that. But there’s so much more to rejoice in here than just great cookies, tarts, and pies. Like the wonderfully zesty muffaletta, or the shrimp ’n’ grits that can take you back to one of the classic kitchens in NOLA, or the hot and buttery barbecue shrimp, a Friday special, which will have you asking for more bread to sop up every last slick of sauce.
Cuisine: Southern
Where you can find it: 1515 N. Courthouse Rd., Arlington, 703-243-2410; 901 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, 202-664-5307
Also good: Cheese straws; braised collards; breakfast biscuit with Benton’s bacon; gumbo; chilled, spiced shrimp; beignets.
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.
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.
