Whole Foods Markets in Washington can get pretty fancy. Just look at the Fair Lakes branch, which boasts a sports bar and $1 oyster night, or Alexandria, where you can get a growler filled while shopping for ostrich eggs. Yet as of today Ashburn has them all beat with the opening of a 45,000 square-foot market, two-story cafe, and in-house pub.
A brainstorming team of trendsters couldn’t have devised the offerings better. Are there absinthe cocktails aged in barrels? Yes! How about totchos? Of course. But where will I power my electric car while sampling a Raspberry-Basil Saison? No problem, the parking lot is equipped with two charging stations.
Hard booze is what makes the Ashburn market really stand out, as its the first in the Washington area to pour spirits (available exclusively in the pub, patio, and cafe). Naturally the theme is local, with Virginia distilleries like Catoctin Creek and Copper Fox contributing gins and whiskeys. Drinks can be mixed with DC-made True Tonics, or garnished with pickled vegetables from 4 Bros Bar Essentials. Don’t forget to pad the stomach with sweet and savory artisanal toasts.
For those who don’t crave a cocktail before grocery shopping, the market also claims 17 draft beers, and of course, kombucha on tap.
Whole Foods Market Ashburn. 19800 Belmont Chase Dr., Ashburn; 571-223-4440. Open daily 7 to 10.
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.
