Emissary
1726 20th St., NW
This tucked-away independent coffee shop and cafe recently opened—a cozy little spinoff of a larger Dupont Circle location. Drop by in the mornings for single origin Finca Lomaverde espresso drinks, brioche egg sandwiches, and huevos revueltos (scrambled eggs with tomato, onion, and an arepa). There’s also a curated list of wines, beers, and bottled cocktails. Indoor and outdoor seating; takeout.
Good Eats Emporium
45990 Waterview Plaza, Sterling
Local hospitality group Great American Restaurants is known for comforting Americana (Patsy’s, Coastal Flats, Randy’s). This week they debuted one of their more ambitious projects to date: a fast-casual emporium that houses four concepts: Best Buns Bakery & Cafe for all your coffee and breakfast sandwich needs; Stupid Good BBQ, which dishes up brisket nachos and pulled pork sandwiches; Good Eats Burger & Wings for a variety of patties and chicken; and Taqueria Loca, serving street-style tacos, fajitas, and churros. Indoor and patio seating; takeout; delivery.
Hazel
808 V St., NW
Shaw’s Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant reopened on Thursday for outdoor dining with a new menu from chef Robert Curtis. The pretty garden patio is the place for Saturday and Sunday brunch, where guests can graze on cardamom rolls, heirloom tomato salad, lamb sandwiches, and shrimp with rice grits. Drink the al fresco theme with a gin-cucumber-lime “Keep It Green” cocktail. Outdoor seating only.
Hi-Lawn
1309 Fifth St., NE
The massive all-outdoor bar and restaurant atop Union Market is ready for the weekend with pouched cocktails, beer buckets, backyard grill fare, and picnic baskets stocked with snack-y items like cheeses/meats and dips, or high-brow fillers such as lobster rolls and caviar with potato chips. Walk-ins are accepted, though on nice days it’s a good idea to book tables or designated picnic spots on the turf lawn in advance.
I Egg You
423 Eighth St., SE
The team behind Chiko is breaking into the egg sandwich game with a new breakfast sandwich concept out of the Barracks Row location. Drop by on Saturdays and Sundays for five styles of breakfast sandwiches served on griddled O’Bakery milk bread. We like the sound of eggs cooked in brown butter with melty fontina, and “lots o’ bacon.” Pair it with crispy breakfast potatoes and locally roasted Rako coffees. Takeout and delivery.
Roaming Rooster
1301 U St., NW
Some of DC’s best fried chicken sandwiches have found a new roost on U Street. Head to the fast-casual shop in the Ellington for crispy birds, tangy slaw, and sides like creamy mac or fries. Sandwiches run the gamut from mild to Nashville hot, and there’s a delicious honey-butter option too.
The Roost
1401 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
The Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s new Capitol Hill East “culinary clubhouse” just unveiled a bunch of spots where you could easily spend the day, starting with single origin coffees and pastries at Cameo. For afternoons, there’s creative taqueria Hi/Fi Taco (mmm bacon cheeseburger queso); Shelter, a beer garden with 100 outdoor seats from resident brew guy Greg Engert (Churchkey, Bluejacket), which specializes in low-alcohol options for easy day drinking; and butchery Red Apron, which dishes up burgers, poutine platters, and charcuterie boards. Indoor and outdoor seating; takeout.
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.
