WASHINGTON — If you can’t get a table at Maketto this weekend, don’t fret. Just a few blocks from Erik Bruner-Yang’s popular H Street restaurant, you’ll find the chef’s signature ramen, beloved bao buns and spicy Chinese burgers — all at the neighborhood grocery store.
The new H Street Whole Foods Market opens Wednesday and includes a stand for Bruner-Yang’s fast-casual concept, Paper Horse; a gourmet hot dog cart; a lounge that serves beer, wine and cheese towers; a coffee and juice bar; and an outdoor patio.
Of course, eggs, milk and the more typical grocery items are also available.
The 40,000-square-foot market is Whole Foods’ fifth D.C. location and its first in Northeast. It’s located on the ground floor of the luxury Apollo apartment building at 600 H St. NE.
Shoppers can expect the features that have made Whole Foods famous, including a full-service bakery, a robust bulk section and a prepared foods department.
The H Street market also includes a fresh pasta stand and shines a spotlight on the city’s growing community of small food entrepreneurs. It carries an exclusive line of sauces and dressings from Cava Grill, vegan “pork rinds” from the local startup Snacklins and spice blends from Maketto.
The store partnered with D.C.’s Atlas Brew Works to make an exclusive Home Rule India pale ale (available in the second-floor lounge). It’s also re-purposing the brewery’s spent grains in its bread, served in the lounge and sold in the bakery.
“It’s another way to reduce waste and use all,” said Michael Coffey, the store’s specialty associate coordinator.
The décor inside the Whole Foods is a subtle nod to the neighborhood. Taps in the lounge’s bar are shaped like microphones to pay tribute to H Street’s rich history in entertainment and a three-panel display, made by local artists, hangs above the coffee bar.
The H Street Whole Foods will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday. Expect doorbuster deals, demos and samples. The store will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Hungry? Here’s what you can nosh on at the new H Street Whole Foods
Hot Dogs: The gourmet hot dog cart serves five different varieties of dogs (from Korean to Coney-style to smoked carrot), plus daily rotating specials. (Brave brunch lovers can bite into an eggs Benedict dog on the weekends.) The hot dog stand is located on the second floor in the store’s lounge.
H Street Lounge: The second level of the store is dedicated to the “H Street Lounge.” The bar has 16 beers on tap and an extensive wine-by-the-glass menu. Food options focus on cheese and include a raclette sandwich, a feta crock, and a cheese and charcuterie tower.
Paper Horse: Chef Erik Bruner-Yang’s Whole Foods outpost offers three different types of ramen (smoked pork, braised chicken and roasted vegetable), two different baos (steamed pork and steamed leek) and sides such as red miso glazed Brussels sprouts and roasted spicy fingerling potatoes.
The H Street Paper Horse location also serves an array of Bruner-Yang’s “Chinese Burgers,” including a spicy beef chili burger, a roasted pork shoulder burger, a chicken burger and a roasted Brussels sprouts burger.
