Food halls are popping up everywhere in Washington, with more on the way— a huge one is coming to Mount Vernon Triangle; a branch of The Block is headed to Farragut Square; and three are slated for Rosslyn alone. But first, Whole Foods is hopping on the trend at its new Mid-Atlantic flagship store, opening in Tysons on Wednesday, October 30.
If you think your average Whole Foods is fancy for its sushi and wine counters, just wait for the massive 70,000 square-foot market headlined by local bigwigs like Michelin-starred chef Nick Stefanelli and Rappahannock Oyster Co. The first floor “Friends of Whole Foods” hall hopes to become a dining and drinking destination in the upscale Boro development, offering counter-order service and seating for around 60. A fast-casual offshoot of Stefanelli’s Officina will serve porchetta paninis and pastas such as bucatini all’amatriciana alongside Italian wines and sodas. The Rappahannock team is bringing their “stuffin muffin”(that’s oyster-bacon stuffing in muffin form) plus fresh-shucked oysters, crab cakes, chowder, and a diner-style burger. To drink: seafood-friendly wines like cava and albariño as well as beer. No trendy food hall would be complete without ramen and poke, which you’ll find at Genji Izakaya (instead of sushi doughnuts they’ll serve an intriguing “sushi taco”). And for the sweet finish there’s a branch of Curiosity Doughnuts, which will offer 11 flavors plus a fried chicken sandwich. For something a little healthier, local juice bar Jrink will offer superfood smoothies and acai bowls.
Whole Foods tells us there will also be another draw: High Point, a 100-seat indoor/outdoor pub and game room with a full-service bar for beer, wine, and cocktails (plus a pour-your-own system for vino and brews, similar to the new Navy Yard location). Other plans for the pub include a build-your-own taco bar, Detroit pizza—it’s officially a trend—and cocktails starring Moscow mules and old fashioneds from local cocktail-mix purveyor Pratt Standard. Entertainment will come in the form of arcades and board games.
Whole Foods Tysons Corner, 1635 Boro Place, McLean.
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.
