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Dish of the Week: Spanakopita
Where: Kapnos, Zorba’s Café, Zaytinya, Greek Deli & Catering, Kellari Seafood Taverna, Alfa Piehouse
St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching, and we here at DCist would like to recommend that the District eat its greens as well as wear them come March 17th. Whether it’s a satisfying kale salad from the original Sweetgreen or a hearty portion of collards from Oooh’s & Aaah’s, leafy green vegetables will keep us healthy as we all push the luck of the Irish come Friday night. For a quick and always delicious dose of greens this week, we’re recommending an order of spanakopita.
The dish itself, with its layers of crispy puff pastry, generous portions of cooked spinach, and tasty gobs of salty feta cheese, is almost a cliché of American-Greek food today. But just because you’ve had spinach pie once doesn’t mean you shouldn’t chow down on many of the wonderful Spanakopita options that D.C. has to offer.
On the grab-and-go end is Greek Deli & Catering (1120 19th St. NW), which sells a scrumptious spinach pie, served as a side or a platter with orzo, salad, and a vegetable. The line might be long, but the food is well worth the wait. For fancier fare, José Andrés’ Zaytinya (701 9th St. NW) offers spanakopita with house-made phyllo, spinach, and feta as part of its sit-down mezze lunch.
In between are a host of differing takes on the otherwise straightforward dish. Chef Mike Isabella’s Kapnos Taverna (4000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA) and Kapnos (2201 14th St. NW) both offer up smalls plates of spanakopita incorporating leeks, as does the team at the Kellari Seafood Taverna (1700 K St. NW). The casual (and longstanding) Zorba’s Café in Dupont Circle (1612 20th St. NW) jazzes the dish up with egg, sautéed onions, and fresh herbs as well. The awesome Alfa Pie House (1750 H St. NW) has a lengthy selection of traditional Greek pies filled with everything from spinach and feta to eggs, olives, potatoes, and more. They’re perfect for a quick dine-in meal or to take away.
