The flagship Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adams Morgan has long been a popular stop after a night of bar-hopping, but now founder Arianna Bennett is catering to customers in a different kind of altered state. The eatery will serve a limited time “pot pairing menu” in commemoration of 4/20 and the loosening attitudes towards marijuana consumption in the District.
While the edibles at the restaurant are strictly pot-free, the dishes are designed to enhance the high of five popular marijuana strains: Cactus, Afgani, Lemon Haze, OG Kush, and Cabbage Patch. For example, the “earthy, fruity” flavors in Cabbage Patch buds supposedly pair well with “tangy slaws, Turkish salad, and comforting garlic cream” in the recommended falafel sandwich. There’s a holistic angle: the menu says the combination “has been known to relax muscles, fostering a calmness that opens the mind to new ideas.” Like an extra order of fries! We don’t recommend the pairing right after the bars let out—drunk kids launching themselves at the toppings bar causes nothing but anxiety.
The menu launches in AdMo today, and will be served through April 20th. If successful, it may have a longer run and spread to other shop locations in Virginia, Boston, and on 14th Street. Hey, if water sommeliers can be a thing, pot pairing menus aren’t too far away.
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.
