Lunch at Zaytinya

I love Greek/Mediterranean food and as I have said before Roti is one of my fav lunch spots, but one afternoon my coworkers and I decided to slip out to lunch at Zaytinya.  It was fabulous!

Traditionally Zaytinya serves small plates and I would recommend three to four plates per a person.  I ordered hummus for my first course and paired with their hot and airy bread it was delicious.

Next I had their crispy brussel sprouts.

Then I had the skewered ground lamb, with grilled tomatoes and onions.

I also had the Turkish delight for dessert but forgot to take a photo of it…

This was a great meal paired with their white wine they have on tap it was mükemmel (aka perfect).  Zaytinya participates in restaurant week, but also regularly have a $25 prix fixe lunch that includes four courses or you can order a la carte.

Details:

Zaytinya
701 9^th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
202.638.0800
Serve: Lunch, Dinner
Price Range: $5.00 – $25.00

Lunch or Dinner at Cava Grill

Growing up I rarely ate Mediterranean/Greek food, it just wasn’t available where we lived, but since moving to DC a few years ago it has become one of my favorites.  I could probably eat it every day and now I’m a lucky duck because Cava Grill just opened near by!  There are only a few locations for Cava Grill in the DC metro area, but if you happen to find yourself near one you need to stop in and try it.

I would describe Cava Grill as a fast casual-style restaurant, with their process being similar to Chipotle or Roti, where you choose your base (i.e. pita, salad, rice), then choose your dips & spread (i.e. hummus, tzatziki, crazy feta), then you choose your protein  and your toppings.  Their menu is relatively easy to understand and everything I have tried is delicious.

I usually go for the salad base and you must try the crazy feta.  It is feta cheese with a few jalapenos in it, not too hot, but super yummy.  Making my mouth water as I write the description!  The salad comes with a small pita on the side as well, so it’s less bread overall, but you still get to enjoy the pita if you want too.  Eat up!

Details:

Cava Mezze Grill
Multiple Locations (Tysons Corner, Merrifield, Bethesda, Columbia Heights, Tenleytown)
Serve: Lunch & Dinner
Price Range:  $7.25-$8.50