Photo by LaTur. Dish of the Week: Empanadas
Where: Julia’s, Panas, DC Empanadas
Here at the Weekly Feed, we like to feature all sorts of different foods and drinks, from the trendy to the obscure. But sometimes, you want something comforting yet portable. Not many comfort foods fit into this category—imagine trying to eat macaroni and cheese or a bowl of chili while walking down a busy D.C. sidewalk. You’d never dream of such a thing, unless you wanted to wear your lunch for the rest of the day. Thank goodness for the humble empanada. It’s like a Hot Pocket that you can eat without the shame, mouth-scorching cheese, or gastrointestinal distress.
Be it baked or deep-fried, it’s hard to argue with meat and veggies ensconced in dough. These savory Latin American pastries come in both snack and meal sizes, and they’re generally easy enough to eat while on the go. This feature also makes them excellent at any social occasion that requires holding a boozy beverage in one hand and food in the other. Julia’s Empanadas (multiple locations) used to have the lock up on the D.C. empanada market, but now there are several places ready to meet all your hand pie needs. Julia’s keeps things pretty traditional, with fillings like chorizo, chicken saltena, and Chilean beef. But DC Empanadas (inside Union Market, 1309 5th St. NE, or follow their truck) and Panas Gourmet Empanadas (2029 P St. NW) mix it up with flavors like Thai red curry, brie and figs, and pepperoni pizza. Basically, if you can dream it, they’ve probably stuffed it in a crescent moon of dough. Do you have a favorite empanada? Let us know what we should be eating in the comments.
Small Bites
Restaurant Week 2014
It’s ba-ack! The restaurant promotion that will not die returns next week for the winter round of three-course pre fixe lunches and dinners. Lunches will typically set you back $20.14 and dinners are $35.14. We’ve detailed some of our recommendations here and here, but expect some new spots to be participating this time, including Table, Thally, and The Arsenal at Bluejacket Brewery. Winter Restaurant Week runs from January 13th-19th. You can see the entire list of participating restaurants and book a table here.
Lighting(bug) lunch
Going to miss Restaurant Week? Never fear, because you can still snag a lunch deal at Firefly (1310 New Hampshire Ave. NW) starting on January 21st. Stop in for their “Lightning Lunch”, a speedy meal featuring an appetizer, entree, “mocktail” (hey, some of us have to go back to work), and a to-go serving of housemade granola. The $22 lunch special will be available Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Roof-to-table is the new farm-to-table
Union Market’s newest restaurant is taking local to the next level–quite literally. Bidwell (1309 5th St. NE), which opened for dinner yesterday, plans to grow its own organic produce on the market’s roof. But in the meantime, look for lots of ingredients from the market’s other vendors—think oysters, cheese—on the eclectic menu. Bidwell is currently only open for dinner with plans to expand into lunch and brunch.
