About Restaurant Openings Around DC
A guide to the newest places to eat and drink.
Little Sesame will bring its Insta-ready millennial pink design and seasonal hummus bowls to a new Chinatown location on Wednesday, March 13.
Don’t expect too many changes from the downtown outpost. You’ll find the same menu of bowls and pita wraps for $10 and under, pairing creamy chickpeas with ingredients like chicken shawarma, roasted squash, or everything-spiced cauliflower. You’ll also have the same salatim side options (tahini root salad, smashed cucumbers) and dairy-free soft-serve (vanilla-tahini, dark chocolate Turkish coffee).
One difference: the eatery will be open later (until 10 PM) and on weekends. Also: alcohol is coming. The simple offerings, which won’t debut for a few months, will likely include canned wine, a low-alcohol IPA, a light Middle Eastern lager, and the occasional specialty cocktail. In the meantime, find non-alcoholic butterfly flower lemonade, wild kombucha, and hot Moroccan mint tea.
As for future expansion plans? Co-owner Nick Wiseman says only that “our goal is to authentically grow.” That seems to include venturing into “lifestyle brand” territory. (Think Sweetgreen and its annual Sweetlife music festival.)
In this case, though, Little Sesame has teamed up with Getaway House, which provides tiny luxe cabins outside major cities, and apparel company Outdoor Voices for a weekend of glamping, kayaking, foraging, yoga, and outdoor cooking in April. The restaurant also recently hosted a small concert featuring world music that tied into the store’s playlist.
“It’s trying to cultivate this idea of what we are and what we stand for,” says Wiseman. “We’re trying to build a real community around what we’re doing.”
Little Sesame. 736 6th St., NW.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
