Dupont is home to yet another fast-casual restaurant with the Monday opening of the Little Beet. The New York-based eatery, which currently claims two other locations in Manhattan and Long Island, serves a wholly gluten-free menu and health-minded meals.
The concept comes from chef Franklin Becker, a Top Chef Masters alum who was diagnosed with diabetes as an adult, and penned the health-minded cookbook, Good Fat Cooking. Like the recipes, dishes at Little Beet aspire to be diet-conscious yet flavorful, with an emphasis on veggies and proteins. Customers can order combos of the two, such as grill-seared salmon, tofu, and steak, paired with sides such as charred broccoli and soba noodles. Plates of “just sides” are also available, as well as salads, soups, fresh juices, and sushi-style rolls with brown rice and fillings like salmon tartare or marinated mushrooms. No surprise—kale makes a strong appearance throughout.
The Little Beet is open for continuous service, lunch through dinner. Breakfast is scheduled to begin in a few weeks.
The Little Beet. 1212 18th St., NW. Open Monday through Friday, 11 to 9; Saturday noon to 7. Closed Sundays.
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.
