Markets
You may prefer to view articles alphabetically.
Broad Branch Market - one of my favorite markets - 24 Dec 2008
Tracy Stannard used to work for chef Carole Greenwood at Buck's Fishing & Camping. Now she owns and runs the Broad Branch Market which is what a neighborhood market ought to be. I remember it in previous hands as a run-down dump that sold good sausages. Sausages are still for sale. But picture a complete physical make-over. A bright and airy modest Dean & DeLuca crossed with the serve-yourself section like Whole Foods used to have for dried pulses, rice, nuts and such, plus an old-time ice cream parlor and wild, wild candy store to the side. read more...
The Fishery - one of my favorite markets - 24 Dec 2008
It's hard to find a fishmonger in Washington DC where you can see the fish whole before it's filleted. It's a common practice in Europe where housewives gauge freshness by demanding to press the flesh, check the gills and look at the eyes of their approaching dinner before they decide to buy. So your best bet for assuring freshness is to buy fish from a source where the eating of fish is key to the culture. This is why I like The Fishery, a Korean-owned market. read more...
Breads Unlimited - one of my favorite markets - 2 Dec 2008
No bakery does brown bread like Breads Unlimited. Whole Foods' brown loaves taste packed with unnecessary sugar. Firehook's are extremely dense. Heidelberg Bakery's brown bread is excellent - if you want a German or Northern European loaf. If you just want a gooey, chewy bread that makes about the best toast in town, head to Breads Unlimited.
It's in the Bradley Shopping Center on Arlington Road in Bethesda. The strip may look unprepossessing, but it's home to two of the Washington area's best treasures: Bruce Variety and Strosneider's. read more...
Halalco - 25 Nov 2008
While some of us may back off from offal (though both Joe Palma at Westend Bistro and Amy Brandwein at fyve report their sweetbreads are moving off the menu), those who like a good steak and kidney pie can find the necessary lambs' kidneys at Halalco. If that sounds like a forkful too far, choose the Halal duck. This Halal supermarket is like a holiday to somewhere south of the Bosphorus. read more...
Le Market/El Mercado - one of my favorite markets - 19 Nov 2008
I may just be about to betray my favorite market - H Mart in Merrifield. Just up from it where Gallows Road meets Route 50 is Le Market/El Mercado, a clean and shiny recent arrival stocked with treasures from South East Asia and Latin America. read more...
York Castle Tropical Ice Cream: one of my favorite markets - 12 Nov 2008
One of my favorite markets for its exotic ice cream flavors. But owner Caroline Tay is also one of my favorite market people. Like me, she thinks Washingtonians should venture beyond the diamond for their culinary adventures. After all, her ice cream parlor is just at the top of 16th Street where it meets Georgia Avenue - a straight shot from the 7th Street NW Convention Center. And you can pick up a pint (or more) of her Pumpkin Ice Cream for Thanksgiving... read more...
Let's Meat on the Avenue - one of my favorite markets - 29 Oct 2008
Anyone from Colchester, the oldest recorded Roman town in England, would know butcher Steve Gatward comes from there. He wears the butcher's apron traditional only to Colchester, in red and white stripes. read more...
Paak Bangla Bazaar - 21 Oct 2008
Par-boiled basmati rice was only one of the intriguing ingredients on sale at the small Pakistani-Bangladeshi bazaar in Falls Church. read more...
Kosher markets, bakeries & restaurants - 16 Oct 2008
There are a wide number of Kosher markets and bakeries, as well as eateries offering most options from a casual pita to a Chinese meal, around the greater Washington area. read more...
Thai produce to order from Thailand - 10 Oct 2008
You want to order fresh produce direct from Thailand? Apparently you can, at the Foodway in New Carrollton. read more...
Wagshal's - one of my favorite markets - 8 Oct 2008
One of the downsides of supermarkets like Whole Foods and the Giant is that they cause the disappearance of the local purveyor. How many main street butchers are still in business around the country? Wagshal's, in Spring Valley, is one of the last. read more...
Korean Korner - 1 Oct 2008
Though its produce section is lush with bunches of salad greens, mustard greens, bok chois and herbs, it's Korean Korner's meat counter that offers some interesting cuts. There's a short rib that's so thick it makes a foolproof braise. Spare ribs come in regular lengths as well as finger-food size. read more...
Shri Krishna Grocery - 24 Sep 2008
Seductive, calming Indian music plays inside this modest market. So when you stop in front of a display of karhai bowls - wok-like pans that some say gave 'curry' its name - you sense that with a simple purchase of just one small one you'll turn out perfect Indian meals. read more...
French v. DC markets - 17 Sep 2008
This is a picture of Monsieur Arvouet who makes the best duck salami in the Dordogne. I miss it. It's always hard to adjust to shopping at home after a long, long holiday. This summer in France has wrecked my buying skills. Stocking up an empty fridge, I spent an hour in Whole Foods - and came out with a pint of milk. read more...
Roots - 17 Sep 2008
Roots is an organic supermarket with three branches locally that claims it is small enough to beat Whole Foods on price. read more...
Rodmans - one of my favorite markets - 10 Sep 2008
Rodman's is a treasure trove of a store - a market filled with groceries, wines and beers at heavily discounted prices. Missing McVitie's Digestive Biscuits, PG Tips, South African chutneys, Indian ready-meals, Middle East jams? Ex-pats from and travelers to everywhere crowd the aisles in search of nostalgia-inducing products they desire the most. read more...
Bubble Tea Cafe - 3 Sep 2008
Bubble tea may be an acquired taste for anyone not from South East Asia. But give yourself a treat: acquire it. On the lower level of the Wheaton Mall, not far from the entrance to Target, is a dynamic young Asian couple who whiz around like dervishes making all manner of cold or frozen drinks, from fruit smoothies to milk shakes. But their Bubble Teas are where the fun is. read more...
Napolean Bakery - 26 Aug 2008
It's always a pleasure to see people at work when you're not. At the Korean Napoleon Bakery if you look over the counter crammed with cakes colorfully decorated in butter creams with greetings, wedding figures, sugar babies to celebrate every occasion imaginable, you can see the bakers in the back making the goodies. read more...
Healthway - 19 Aug 2008
Long before Whole Foods, Healthway was in the area selling organic produce and natural foods. The branch in Annandale, pictured here, opened over 20 years ago. read more...
Spice Lanka - one of my favorite markets - 12 Aug 2008
There is a huge difference, says Chandra Malalasekara, between Indian food and the food of Sri Lanka. It's mainly in the spices. "Totally different," he says. He's the Sri Lankan owner of Spice Lanka, so he should know. read more...
Niralla Sweets - one of my favorite markets - 5 Aug 2008
When no-one's looking, specially not your mother, you can huddle low in your car outside Niralla Sweets munching on a hot samosa fresh from the bag and very slightly greasy, and dip it into one or the other of two sauces - a hot chili and a cool coriander yogurt. read more...
Wegmans - one of my favorite markets - 29 Jul 2008
What a shame for central city dwellers that Wegmans is such a long drive away. It gives Whole Foods such a good run for our money. But then if it weren't and had to pay the high District rents, it probably wouldn't be able to maintain its good prices. Its organic section is competitive, too, and in its own zone which makes for easier shopping. read more...
Stella's Bakery - one of my favorites - 19 Jul 2008
Stella's Bakery is a bakery of European pastries, cakes and breads that's one of the best in the area. read more...
South African groceries - 7 Jul 2008
South African ex-pats or enthusiasts miss their Rooibos tea, their All Gold cans of Seville oranges and figs, their special chutneys. read more...
Arrowine - one of my favorites - 2 Jul 2008
"I'm getting blackberries, I'm getting pepper, I'm getting tarmac, I'm getting $100,000 a year to talk about wine like this"...Some eonophiles can drive you bonkers. But if you want the right wine without a pretentious sales pitch, to go with an unusual lump of artisan cheese, head to Arrowine and get them both there. read more...
Artfully Chocolate/Kingsbury Confections - one of my favorites - 15 Jun 2008
This is a rare photograph, according to Rob Kingsbury and Eric Nelson, owners of Artfully Chocolate/Kingsbury Confections. They're rarely found together, one of them holding the fort at the Alexandria store, the other manning the 14th St NW location, probably behind the bar area creating chocolate-based cocktails and drinks. read more...
The Dairy Godmother - one of my favorites - 3 Jun 2008
At The Dairy Godmother I forfeited my usual effort to maintain distance from subject to greed. The afternoon I visited this Del Ray, Alexandria ice cream shop, the Dessert Of the Day (officially know as the DOD as opposed to the FOTD which is the Flavor Of The Day) was Rhubarb Cobbler, still warm from her oven. It called out for a scoop of her soft custard ice cream. Forget adhering to reporter dispassion. Not possible. read more...
Salinas Oriental Store - 29 May 2008
You'll find a small selection of home-made Filipino snacks at this unassuming little market. But what's also interesting are the packaged snacks and what these say about different a culture's tastes. read more...
The sweet corn van - 26 May 2008
You can find yourself in Mexico in the heart of Annandale, in the Columbia Pike car park of El Gran Palenque restaurant. It's there that the Elotes Asados Minutas van is parked, cooking and selling sweetcorn smothered in mayo, chili sauce and that grated Mexican cheese that can make your nostrils flare and your lips curl. read more...
Artisan Confections - one of my favorites - 25 May 2008
Chocolate as art - art as chocolate? Visit Artisan Confections, eat and decide. Native of Arlington Jason Andelman was the pastry chef at TenPenh for five years. A Fine Arts major from the College of William & Mary and an alum of the Culinary Institute of America, he left to pursue an even more artistic adventure - opening his own chocolate shop, Artisan Confections. Now he's making chocolates that look like jewelry. read more...
New Zealand eatery - 20 May 2008
EatWashington doesn't cover many restaurants. (I haven't got the money to review them properly...) And I haven't actually eaten at this one. But there are few enough sources for anything New Zealand in the capital I couldn't ignore Cassatt's. You'll have to review it for me. It calls itself a Kiwi Cafe - and a Gourmet Bistro and its card reads "Where restaurant meets coffee shop". read more...
Filipino Home Baking & Grocery - 19 May 2008
Triangle Lane in Wheaton is an international food court in itself. One of the little markets tucked away is Filipino Home Baking & Grocery. It's a modest place with a very small selection of fresh produce. But it's filled with groceries essential to Filipino cooking. read more...
Vegan bakeries - 14 May 2008
Hard to believe you can make a seductive cake without eggs or cream or butter. But there are a number of bakeries around town doing just that. And there's nothing homespun in how they look either, for those of you who think 'vegan' means food that looks and tastes like a hand-knitted sock. But look at Cake Love's bundt cake, right. read more...
Thai Market - one of my favorite markets - 12 May 2008
Peter Gosak used to be a banker, until one of his clients told him he was going out of business. So Gosak bought him up - and he and Silver Spring's Thai Market have never looked back. read more...
Farmers' markets - food for health and flavor - 11 May 2008
Spring is here and farmers' markets are about to blossom on the streets of the capital. We need to support local farmers. They're doing a tough job to bring us food that's healthy and full of flavor. If we want to see that kind of respect from regular supermarkets when they decide what to stock, they need to notice the sales they're missing when we shop for local produce. Then they might be more encouraged to shop locally, too... read more...
Yasaman - one of my favorites - 29 Apr 2008
Depending on who's behind the counter, it can be a little daunting shopping at Yasaman. Most of the women who serve are distant and seldom smile. Get over it. You're there for the best walnut macaroons you've ever eaten. read more...
Shemali's - one of my favorite markets - 14 Apr 2008
Shemali's is a Lebanese delicatessen that has suffered, along with the Cleveland Park neighborhood around Wisconsin Ave, from the ditherings and delays in redevelopment of the Giant. It used to have a store in the parking lot of the supermarket, large enough to run a lunch counter that served the best bargain in sharwama and the best lentil soup in the District. But when Giant - around 5 years ago - closed down all the premises it leased out to increase its size, Shemali's disappeared to the medical building at 3301 New Mexico Ave NW. It's there you'll find all the Middle East goodies of its previous location. But no lunch counter. Don't despair, though. Gretta and Joseph Chemali (no, that's not a spelling mistake) can sell you a whole stuffed lamb... read more...
Pooja Spices, Pizza Plus & Hot Stuff Foods - 6 Apr 2008
Ranjan and Gita Chhibber are such an accommodating pair of shopkeepers that they keep adding services to support their customers. Hot Stuff Foods is the newest extra they're offering, hot foods to go or eat in. But they started Pooja's Spices, named for their daughter and for the Indian word for 'to pray', 21 years ago, to sell hard-to-find ingredients to the Washington area's growing Indian community. Ranjan had been working in New York selling Indian appliances. His travels brought him to the Washington area, "And I thought, I like this area better." read more...
Maxim's Supermarket - one of my favorite markets - 31 Mar 2008
There's no shortage of Oriental and Asian markets in the area. But some of them offer a little extra. At Maxim's, it's the take-out food counter. It's packed with dishes some of which you need to be a little adventurous to try, like tripe, and various parts of the inner pig that look like Captain Davy Jones' face in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. But there's also a wonderful stewed pork picnic cut that's been marinated and slow-cooked until it's almost purple which wouldn't upset the most conservative eater. And there are noodles and vegetable dishes, along with fried fish and chicken dishes that would frighten no-one. $4.25 buys you your choice of three dishes for a take-out meal in a box. read more...
The Kielbasa Factory - one of my favorite markets - 27 Mar 2008
At last there's a replacement for the much missed Polonetz Gourmet - The Kielbasa Factory. And despite its name it sells good Polish doughnuts, a denser version of the ones we're familiar with. Krystyna Ahrens opened the deli just after Thanksgiving in 2007. Now the place is packed. read more...
Eden Center unscrambled - one of my favorite markets - 22 Mar 2008
If you want a trip to Vietnam without leaving the area, head out to the Eden Center on Wilson Boulevard at Seven Corners, just before Route 50 and Route 7 intersect. You won't hear English spoken. The music blaring from the outdoor speakers comes from a local Vietnamese radio station. It's packed with Vietnamese tailors, jewelers, video stores, Chinese medicine practitioners and more. This is the list of food-related outlets, to eat at or to buy ingredients for your home-cooked Vietnamese feast. read more...
Persian markets - 21 Mar 2008
There are a surprising number of Persian supermarkets in the area, selling Persian and other Middle Eastern foods. read more...
Amphora Bakery - one of my favorites - 21 Mar 2008
Amphora Bakery is the place to head for whimsically decorated cakes, cupcakes and cookies. And for delicious European patisseries, baked goods and breads of all sorts.
For 25 years the Bilidas and Cholakis families ran the Amphora Bakery next to their restaurant in Vienna. But in 2003, they realized the demand for their cakes, cookies and buns was so great, they needed to find a second location. It's in Herndon. Visit it for your patisserie and you can also spend time with a coffee and a Danish watching the bakers decorate the cakes through the massive windows at the back of a congenial space that feels like some grand artist's sitting room. read more...
Apsara Gourmet Oriental Food Market - 21 Mar 2008
Apsara Gourmet Oriental Food Market has been running for 21 years. Angela Doroteo is its latest owner. She took it over from her uncle when he retired, but aside from having to hump heavy boxes of fresh produce from the bag of her car herself, little has changed.There are fresh rice noodles in the cold cabinet and shelves and shelves of dried ones, along with a huge array of bottled sauces and curry gravies. The choice of fresh produce is small but useful. In the season for champagne mangoes (the very best for flavor without fiber) she keeps a large supply of crates of them. "If it is wrinkly at the fat end," she advises, "don't walk away. This is when they are at their sweetest." read more...
European Delight - one of my favorite markets - 21 Mar 2008
There's been a name change, along with a change in management, at European Bazaar, the source for Russian produce on the Rockville Pike. It's now called European Delight. Nothing else has changed - if anything, there's more. The choice of charcuterie in the meat counter is remarkable, from head cheese to a huge range of salamis, keilbasa, moskovskaya and other sausages. And the selection of smoked and dried fish is also good, with different smoked salmons, sturgeon, smelts, selyodka and whitefish prominent. read more...
Yekta - one of my favorite markets - 21 Mar 2008
When Yekta, a Persian market, began 28 years ago, "It was more of a beer and wine deli type," says Cathy Dadras, the daughter of the family that owns and runs it. "But it evolved." She can be found next door in the kitchen of Kabobi, the restaurant that serves delectable grilled meats over Persian fragrant rice. read more...
Jumbo Jumbo Bubble Express - one of my favorites - 21 Mar 2008
Irene Yen cooks her tapioca bubbles for bubble tea fresh every day. They need a gentle simmer for an hour and a half. "They can't be overcooked or they will lose their chewiness," she says. Any that aren't used during that day's service she throws out. "They don't keep overnight." Her bubble tea in Rockville is so popular, she rarely needs to waste any of the tapioca beads that need a tube as wide as a plumber might use to suck them up. Who, you wonder, ever came up with such a weird and wonderful drink? read more...
Aji Ichiban - one of my favorites - 13 Mar 2008
Aji Ichiban calls itself 'Munchies Paradise'. It's one of over 200 of a Hong Kong based snack food franchise. Craving the weird and wonderful nibbles of Asia, Ping Sun opened this one in Rockville in 2003. read more...
Korean markets, restaurants & bakeries - 13 Mar 2008
There is no shortage of Korean markets in the wider Washington area. Some are larger than others. Korean bakeries also proliferate close to the capital. In Virginia, there are enough Korean food options from the Landmark Mall in Alexandria to Annandale, that the area is known as Koreatown. A drive through will take you past endless restaurants and markets to satisfy your appetite for this spicy cuisine. read more...
Cornucopia - one of my favorite markets - 5 Mar 2008
Sicilian Ibraim ("Ibo") Selmy trained as a geologist. Luckily for us, his interest was more in people and food than in rocks. So in 2003, after 15 years in Washington, the Palermo-born Italian opened Cornucopia in Bethesda, a food store and cafe to sell the specialties of his native land. "It's about people, sharing time with them." read more...
Caribbean markets - 20 Jan 2008
Caribbean markets seem to be concentrated mostly in the Maryland suburbs of the capital. But Filipino markets carry some Caribbean specialties. read more...
Portuguese delicatessens - 27 Nov 2007
There are a number of markets that are favorites with people shopping for Portuguese ingredients. But they sell a wider range of European products, too. read more...
Oriental & South East Asian markets - 26 Nov 2007
There is no shortage of Oriental and South East Asian supermarkets in the area. But some offer a little extra. read more...
Lebanese specials - 26 Nov 2007
Where to find some Lebanese specialties. read more...
Latino markets - 26 Nov 2007
Sources for Latin American and Mexican produce and products are plentiful in both Maryland and Virginia. Here are some of them. read more...
Italian delicatessens - 26 Nov 2007
The area is not short on good Italian delicatessens. read more...
Greek & Middle East markets - 26 Nov 2007
There are a number of well-stocked Greek and Middle East markets around the area. read more...
Foods of All Nations market - 26 Nov 2007
Pretty much anything I'm told, can be bought at Foods of All Nations, if you're prepared to drive down to 2121 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, 434 296-6131. read more...
Far North ingredients on line - 26 Nov 2007
Far North region ingredients to buy on-line. read more...
Polish Delis in NJ - 26 Nov 2007
The Kielbasa Factory in Rockville MD is the area's only market for Polish specialties.. But New Jersey has a huge Polish community. So if you're up for a drive, or want to try ordering something by phone, here are some other sources. read more...
Afghan markets - 25 Nov 2007
There aren't many specifically Afghan markets in the area. But a lot of products common to Indian cuisine can be found in Indian markets. read more...
Butchers - Halah - 23 Nov 2007
You won't have to travel too far to find a good Halal butcher in the area. Some chefs reckon that a Halal chicken will produce a much more tender roast than a regular chicken. read more...
Russian markets - 23 Nov 2007
Russian and East European markets around Washington abound. read more...
Filipino markets & finds - 18 Nov 2007
There are wonderful, unfamiliar to many, goodies to discover at Filipino markets. read more...
Where to get British groceries? - 18 Nov 2007
Missing Marmite? Pork pies? Or Bird's Custard? Need to lift the spirits with a nip of ginger wine? Where can you buy them? read more...
Ethiopian markets - 14 Nov 2007
There is a large Ethiopian community in Washington, and a number of Ethiopian restaurants around the Adams Morgan area. There you'll also find some small but good Ethiopian groceries. read more...
DC's wholesale/retail market unscrambled - 10 Nov 2007
Shop fresh produce, meat and groceries retail where DC's store and restaurant owners go to buy wholesale. read more...
Joe Palma’s recipe for getting a good culinary training is simple. “Find the best possible people you can work for and shut up.”This became the Chef de Cuisine of the Westend Bistro’s game-plan once he’d discovered a passion for food. He earned money as a line cook while studying for degrees in Economics and Philosophy at the College of Charleston.
My favorite markets - Russian Gourmet
Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Pumpkin Seeds and Tart Apple
Rules for drinking (and sex) to keep you out of trouble in 2009
New Year celebrations - something different
Ethan McKee - new Chef of Notti Bianchi and Circle One Bistro
This week's ingredient - Scallops
Broad Branch Market - one of my favorite markets
The dish - Goings on in the capital
Roasted Pennsylvania Pheasant Breast, Braised Red Cabbage, Maple Syrup Sweet Potato Mousse and Huckleberry Sauce
The Fishery - one of my favorite markets
Chew On This: Hangover cures that work? Debunking the food myths...
Seared Scallops with Nicoise Salad & Gribiche
Joe Palma - Chef de Cuisine of The Westend Bistro
This week's ingredient - Nems
Browse for
Delicious Recipes
DC Chefs
Cuisine Regions