I am a huge fan of lunchtime here in DC. Or at least I used to be. I work downtown, and recently we moved offices from 18th and L to 17th and Pennsylvania. It might not seem like a big move, but the effect on my lunch has dramatically impacted my quality of life. I used to look forward to lunch every day, because I had so many wonderful choices within a short walk of my office. See the following map of my favorites:
- Mackeys
- Asian Bistro
- Nooshi
- Greek Deli
- Luigi's
- Crepeway
- Couscous Cafe
- Chipotle
- Panang
- CF Folks
- Naan and Beyond
- Colombia
That is 12 delicious choices within 1/4 mile of the old office. Twelve delicious options where I could effectively not be stuck with either a salad or a sandwich. Asian. Greek. Italian. Indian American. French. Everything. All right there. So obviously, lunch was exciting for me every day. And I'm not even counting the chains - Potbelly, Au Bon Pain, Subway, etc. (I'm counting Chipotle because I like it, dammit.)
Then, we moved.
Here is the new map:
- Breadline - sucks
- BS Chain
- BS Chain
- BS Chain
- Brown Bag
- Corner Bakery
- Swings Coffee
- The Exchange
- Penn Grill
So there you have it. Pretty much everything there is a salad and sandwich place. Any my main complaint, of course: the first time I went into Breadline, I purchased the soup and sandwich combination. And it cost me $11.13. I didn't even get a beverage with this. And it wasn't that good. Sure, it was better than Cosi or ABP, but still. $11.13. For that price, I want real food, and not an overpriced, underdelivered sandwich and soup.
What frustrates me is that I'm sure there are quality places in the neighborhood to eat. I just haven't found them yet. But I'm losing hope. But I will not cease my explorations.
