DMV Dining

In what has been one of the most anticipated openings in the Potomac area for quite some time, the famed Attman’s Delicatessen of Baltimore finally opened their second location in Cabin John Plaza yesterday.

Rachel and I took a sneak preview of the deli this past weekend and right off the bat we could tell that this place was going to be a surefire hit. Let me preface by saying that this area suffers from a severe shortage of legit, Jewish-style delicatessens. Sure, there are places like Parkway Deli and DGS Delicatessen, but the former is more of a diner while the latter is more of an upscale dining option.

Attman’s, a Baltimore staple known for their piled-high sandwiches, fills the niche in the best way possible. By offering a massive selection of high-quality deli fare in an area rife with deli-lovers, the Washington area finally has an authentic delicatessen, with history behind it to boot! And while Cabin John Plaza isn’t necessarily Corned Beef Row, at least parking is easy to come by.

When you step inside, the first thing you notice are the deli counters lined up against the left side housing a variety of meats, cheeses, and knishes. It’s probably best to research the menu before stepping in line as you’ll need to be prepared what to order given how extensive the menu is.

What’s also nice about the Potomac location is that they offer table service towards the back of the restaurant. And of course, their catering department should have no problems generating business given the heavily populated D.C. market they just entered. One drawback, however, is that Attman’s is not kosher outside of their Hebrew National offerings (hot dogs, salami, and bologna).

Our advice? Order the extra lean corned beef on rye with mustard. Tender, flavorful, and sandwiched between two slices of soft rye bread, this is as good as it gets. And while the pastrami was very good, it’s the corned beef that keeps you coming back here for more.

Attman’s Delicatessen is located on 11325 Seven Locks Road in Potomac, Maryland.

A few weeks ago, we decided to take a trip over to Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg to check out the behemoth baby store with our cousins and start looking at furniture for our new addition. After being completely overwhelmed and famished, we tried to think of a place nearby that would be fun to go for an early dinner, and the recently-opened Founding Farmers in Park Potomac came to mind.

It’s been years since we have been to their DC location, and we have wanted to try to this suburban outpost for some time now. Because we arrived so early for a Saturday dinner, we were seated right away, and by a TV no less so we could watch the Caps – Bruins game. (Yes, we’re just a little behind on this post…).

The menu itself can be fairly overwhelming, with so much to choose from between the small snacks to share, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, entrees, and more. We decided to share the popcorn of the day, which was ranch flavored, as well as the table biscuits with honey butter and tomato jam. The popcorn was tasty but the flavor was a little too overpowering, and while I enjoyed the biscuits, they were also a little dry.

As for entrees, Brett decided to go for the spicy ahi tuna poke salad, which I jealously eyed throughout the meal. Prepared with cabbage, avocado, fried wonton, spicy cilantro-lime vinaigrette, and Kung Pao dressing, Brett was very impressed not only with the artful presentation but how satisfying the salad was. The rare tuna was very fresh while the crispy wonton added a nice crunch to the dish. He’s not a big salad person but he remarked how he would definitely order this again.

I had a baby shower earlier in the day at Black Market Bistro so I wasn’t that hungry (I know, poor me). I decided on their roasted tomato soup and an order of their Farmer’s Salad, which was comprised of baby lettuce, avocado, dates, tomatoes, red grapes, almonds, parmesan cheese, and a champagne vinaigrette. I was worried that it may be too small but it was actually a decent size, and I even took some home with me. I loved all the ingredients and if I was hungrier, I would have seen if it was possible to order it in a larger size. The tomato soup had a nice kick to it, and Brett gladly helped me finish the large bowl.

What’s so great about a place like Founding Farmers is that you can go several times and never get the same thing. I have been to breakfast at the downtown location a few times and would love to come back here for brunch to try items such as the New Orleans French toast or the red velvet pancakes. Oddly enough, we happened to be there on a prom night for one of the local high schools, so there were lots of kids dressed up which made for great people watching.

Some critics might knock a place like this for overreaching with too many items on the menu, or questioning just how “farm-to-table” the ingredients really are, but we were happy with our meal and feel like it’s a nice addition to the growing list of restaurants in Potomac. With the addition of the new hot spot Sugo, it might be harder to find parking in that lot than at some places downtown. Oh and in case you’re wondering, our cousin tried the $28 lobster macaroni and cheese and while it was decadent, it would definitely be better as a side dish than as an entree. A whole cast iron plate of lobster and a gouda-cheddar gratin with pasta is just a tad too hearty.