By DCist contributor Holley Simmons
The tahini used at Little Sesame, the hummus and pita sandwich shop opening downtown Tuesday, is so delicious that co-owner Nick Wiseman found himself eating it by the spoonful during recipe development.
“There’s a sweetness to it, and a nuttiness and depth,” says Wiseman of the Karawan brand sesame seed blend made in Israel.
Along with organic chickpeas grown in Montana, it serves as the base for Little Sesame’s creamy hummus bowls, which are topped with a variety of ingredients that Wiseman, his co-owner and cousin Dave Wiseman, and executive chef Ronen Tenne plan to rotate seasonally. “Hummus is a simple thing, but there’s a lot of technique in finding the right balance between chickpeas and tahini,” Wiseman says.
Those who frequented the original Little Sesame, which was housed in a tiny alcove beneath its parent restaurant DGS Delicatessen in Dupont Circle, will recognize many of the hummus offerings, like the whole roasted cauliflower with everything spice, and the summer greens with mint pesto and chili oil.
New to this location are a selection of pita sandwiches, including a breakfast variety made with avocado, chopped salad, za’atar spice and a 10-hour egg, as well as one made with chicken shawarma, tahini, amba (a pickled mango sauce) and smashed cucumber salad. You’ll also find dairy-free soft-serve ice cream in flavors like vanilla tahini and dark chocolate Turkish coffee.
Another notable upgrade at the new location? “You don’t have to trek down the dangerous stairs into the basement,” says Wiseman, of the original subterranean spot. It closed in February, when DGS shuttered.
Hummus as a main dish may seem novel in America, where it’s more commonly served as a side. But in the Middle East, where it originates, it’s commonly the center of a meal.
“Historically it’s a working man’s and woman’s lunch,” says Wiseman. “It’s meant to be healthy and filling.” When consumed with a pillowy pita—made in New York by Angel Bakeries—the aim is for guests to leave both sated and light.
Along with Little Sesame, Middle Eastern restaurants like Dizengoff in Philadelphia and Maydan in Shaw are helping to reposition hummus and other spreads as a main star of dinner rather than an accompaniment. “There’s a lot of love for hummus in general, which makes it easy,” says Wiseman. “At the same time, there’s a foreignness as well.”
Last year, Wiseman and Tenne—who met cooking together in New York in 2008—traveled throughout Israel gathering inspiration at hummus shops, where they found that flavors reflect different geographical regions. At Little Sesame, they fuse the far-flung flavors they experienced with locally sourced ingredients. “We wanted to blend food from its origin with foods that are a little more familiar,” Wiseman says.
This marrying of cultures can also be used to describe Wiseman and Tenne’s backgrounds: Wiseman grew up in the D.C. area, while Tenne hails from Haifa, Israel.
Most recently, Tenne was cooking fine-dining Italian at Marea in New York under Michael White, the Michelin-star winning chef behind Osteria Morini, before moving to D.C. to get Little Sesame off the ground.
“You see a lot of people cooking fine dining Italian or French coming back to their roots,” says Wiseman. “I think that’s very true with Ronen.”
Little Sesame, opening Tuesday, is located at 1828 L St. NW. Open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
