EAT, DRINK, AND DON'T TELL ANYONE - UNION MARKET

VISIT #1: February 24, 2013, Sunday

When I find something I really like, sometimes I am under the impression that the "goodness" of the place is due to my particular mindset on that day, probably my search of "something good" in every step... So, when I finally made it to Union Market in DC last week, and was amazed after having such a good time, I needed couple days to evaluate. Was it really me or the market? Was it because the weather was nice, the drive through the city was pleasant, and I was hungry for a sandwich and beer... and found it at Red Apron Butchery? And with very friendly service unseen in this city?

 Sausage in a fresh baguette (weekly special) with Blast! from Brooklyn Brewery

I kept thinking... Was the smoked hummus (yeah, smoked hummus. More on this later) from Neopol Smokery really that tasty? Or did I want it to be that tasty, after hearing my friends were wandering around at Borough Market -a food-centric market in London where you find treasures on every visit-the day before, and wishing I were there, too?

CONTEMPLATING ANOTHER VISIT - March 3, 2013 Saturday

While preparing dinner, I was struggling with the above thoughts, and contemplating whether I'd go back on Sunday or not, until... I found a tiny bit of leftover smoked hummus in the fridge. "How did this happen" I asked myself, I never leave anything good stay in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Then I remembered last Sunday when... I had such a bliss eating the smoked hummus on top of rice crackers, sprinkled with smoked paprika and chipotle, and topped with kimchee while watching the Oscars at home, I had to hide the last bit in the back of the fridge before I went into a hummus and kimchee induced coma :-) So, curiously, I opened the container and decided, that this would be my answer to when to go back to Union Market. Little did I know... that one last bit, licked off the spoon was so good and so potent that, if I'd done it earlier in the day, I'd jump in the car and start driving. Unfortunately, given the hour, I had to wait til the following day which made me even more impatient. (In the meantime, I licked every bit of what was left in the container with my finger - yumm... Since I am not a cupcake or icing person, this must be how many people feel about icing)

VISIT #2: March 3, 2013, Sunday

I am told that mornings are busy at Union Market during the weekends. Since I prefer to linger and enjoy the atmosphere, I waited til early afternoon, and as soon as I walked in the door, my brain started screaming "see, it wasn't you! You weren't dreaming! This place is real!" I was happy to find the same buzz and happy faces. It wasn't the "give me what I want so I can get going" kind of craziness you get at some farmers markets in the city. It was more of a "I know this will be good, so I am willing to wait" kind of buzz you get at real food markets all around the world. Good things take time, and most of the vendors at Union Market, my friends, are very good!

Union Market offers free parking (entrance on 6th Street NE)

If you are new to the market, I suggest walking around first to see what entices you. You will see some vendors share tastes or stories, invite you with a smile, or simply say a friendly hello. And you will see some vendors not as confident, probably on their phones, or not paying much attention to the customers:

Such is world, and clearly I am not here to talk about them, especially when there are some who take lots of pride in what they do, and truly enjoy being there - this is confirmed time and time again, no matter how many times you pass by. These vendors are interested in everyone, and they provide a good product with a smiley face - which is all I ask for. Since you might be wondering, my top 3 places at Union Market are:

1. Neopol Smokery

1. Red Apron Butchery

1. Peregrine Espresso

It's not a typo - all these places offer something different depending on your mood and taste for the day, and they all deliver superbly any time of the day. Now more details - in case you wanted to know:

Neopol Smokery at Union Market

Since I'd done my tour last week, I knew exactly what I wanted: the salmon BLT from Neopol everyone was talking about (meaning the vendors - I asked couple of them where they eat at the market, and many of them talked about this particular sandwich.) Plus they had run out of it last week when I made it to the market, so now, I had to have it. Fortunately Mar (the friendly guy who made me taste and buy the smoked hummus last week) was there, with exactly the same friendly smile even though it was later in the day. When I told him I wanted the salmon BLT, he asked me how hungry I was and he explained he was going to prepare it from scratch, and it would take a couple of minutes. When I told him I was always hungry, he got to work on it, with a smile. 

More goodies at Leopol Smokery at Union Market

Yes, that is Smoked Roasted Garlic - from Neopol Smokery

Once I got my sandwich, I made my way to the next door vendor: Peregrine Espresso to get a proper coffee. 

A proper macciato from Peregrine Espresso - notice the hot water carafes in the back

Since I knew I was going to be in for a treat with the sandwich, I decided to perfection my coffee by asking for a "flat white" (not as foamy as cappucino and not as milky as latte, somewhere in between) which the barista responded with a smile even though it wasn't on the menu. Then looking at my sandwich he said "you have my favorite sandwich, 2nd best thing in the market" (after the coffee of course since he works at Peregrine). 

Once I had both components of my "perfect Sunday Meal" I found a seat on the corner and took a long-awaited bite from my Salmon BLT... ... ... It was an explosion of simple flavors where everything tasted like it should, yet, the combination of ingredients made everything even better. My teeth went through the slightly toasted sunflower and flax seed bread, freshly crisp lettuce, a bit of red onion, perfectly smoky thick bacon (which I found they smoke themselves, of course) and then the slightly sweet and flaky, full of flavor, salmon... and a hint of lemon, probably in the mayo (turns out it's aioli)... As I began to chew, the rest of the market disappeared into the background, and someone hit the "pause" button... All I could feel was this wonderful combination of great flavors in a happy place. My brain was happy before my stomach... I took my time finishing the sandwich and my coffee before I stood up to walk around for more. But before I did, I made sure to stop by Neopol and thank Mar for the great sandwich. Clearly, it was made with care. 

I was full and happy, so I walked around a bit. Salt & Sundry is a bit expensive but always fun to browse if you are looking for fun items on your dining room table or need decoration ideas. Right across is Buffalo Bergen which is famous for its cocktails:

    

Produce at Union Market

Flower Shop at Union Market

Leon Bakery has a great selection of breads, and wine shop offers tastings:

Baskets at the Leon Bakery

Cordial Wine Shop

Harvey's is a full-service butcher shop (in addition to the cold cuts, pates, and terrines at Red Apron Butchery) which offers a large selection of beef and pork products (they even had a pig's head - which is not in the photos) :

Harvey's Butcher at Union Market

Benton's Ham from Harvey's!

The Dairy Shop is closed today

Nice lunch deal if you happen to be
in the 'hood during the week

Bakery or Butchery? Red Apron

 

It's fun to walk around at Union Market... You can watch the guys at DC Sharp sharpen knives, or watch the staff slice meats at Red Apron Butchery, and make beautiful packages... So good, you want to take one home... And of course, if you like beer (or wine - but they offer only one white and one red), you have to stop at Red Apron Butchery's bar section. Being part of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, their beer selection is designed by Greg Engert (DC's not-yet-crowned king of beer) and offers great choices. And if Will is there (which is probably 80% of the time) he is always willing to help, explain, offer a tasting of the interesting beers, and if you like beer conversation, he is a great resource. While I was trying to decide between Blast (Imperial IPA by Brooklyn Brewery, NY) and The Maharajah (Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing Co. in Colorado) Will's advice came in very handy: Maharajah was seasonal and would be gone as soon as that keg was over. That was my favorite from last week anyway, so I savored my beautiful snifter watching the market activity - which makes a perfect Sunday afternoon in my book. 

Of course before I left, I had to stop at Red Apron Butchery to take a package home. The choice is always the toughest, but for me, on this day, it was an ounce of Saucisson Sec (classic French dry sausage) and one piece of Finocchiona (cured fennel sausage from Italy). 

When I said goodbye to Union Market, the sun was setting behind the clouds in DC, and I considered myself very fortunate to have spent part of my Sunday in a food heaven (as long as you know the gems). If you'd like to go, here are some logistical information from the source: