Make Room For Another Wisey's
Georgetown students don't waste their valuable time with the five syllables of Wise-mil-ler's De-li. To them it's just "Wisey's," the prime spot for cold drinks, take-out sandwiches and a few household items next to 1789. But two weeks ago, along came another Wisey's. This time, not seconds from the campus front gates, but gasp—a few minutes away. Not only is the new one a bit farther from campus, it's also farther away from the original Wisey's philosophy. Since when did Wisey's care about the zen art of tea drinking? Or have enough space for menu browsing or the act of "dining in?"
People uncomfortable with stark change, read no more—this will scare you. Wisemiller's Deli has spawned a young, hippie-chick relative, located at Wisconsin Avenue and P Street NW. Based on the various international tea leaves on display in the window, and whiteboard with steeping instructions, the new Wisey's cares more about wellness than the greasyness that is Chicken Madness. Inside, there are a few stools and tables—something like hookah bar furniture—on which students may linger, which alone might be too un-Wisey's for students to accept. What happened to side-stepping when the front doors swing open? And "doors," for the record, is not a misprint—there are actually two this time.
Once a Smoothie King and then an independent art gallery, the new Wisey's space has a lime green sign and boasts healthier menu alternatives than the original. Paninis, wraps and more than a dozen salads. Luckily, neither of the Madnesses—Chicken or Burger—are gone. That would probably require a name change. But they are overshadowed by packaged caprese salads, or what Wisemiller's owner and Georgetown grad Nabeel Audeh calls his favorite, the Rivera Salad—a bed of spinach topped with strawberries, tortilla chips, goat cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Goat cheese and mozzarella? At a Wisey's? That would have been crazy talk before. While the original location did have an "On the Lighter Side" menu, the scanty selection was dwarfed by heftier, greasier picks from the Grill.
The beverage department has also changed. Instead of the original's fridges, well stocked with chilled cans and bottles of every thinkable energy drink or diet soda, the big headliners at Wisey's 2.0 are classier, hot beverages—Caribou Coffee and Serendipitea. Again, the emphasis is on sipping and enjoying, rather than rushing in between classes. They also have fruit smoothies made with Dannon frozen yogurt from the self-serve machine up front—another addition, which would never fit in the closet-sized original Wisey's.
In terms of kitchen hours, both close at 11 p.m. All phone orders must be placed by 10:30 p.m. Yet this one has no corner store feature, so the space closes once the kitchen does. There are no last-minute life accessories such as trash bags or Advil available, especially with CVS right across the street. Who knows if Georgetown students will even recognize the new Wisey's? Or deem it worthy of the nickname they have name dropped so casually for years. Will the world outside the academic community know what to do with a Wisey's of their own?
Wisey's Deli
1440 Wisconsin Ave.
202-333-4122