sandwich culture & beyond -- eating out in washington dc

au bon pain, cosí, potbelly's, caribou coffee, and the obligatory corner starbucks. the sandwich culture in washington dc goes beyond the standard subway. it comes, however, with a few weird rules.

au bon pain is my favorite for name and style sake. the yellow and white simple style of letters, the french nasal ring to words, the variety of sweet and savory snacks. it is cumbersome though to order. just a simple sandwich requires marking the right spot on a long sheet. despite orally telling the sandwich-preparer-person that i just would like to order the menu-listed portobello and goat cheese sandwich he ignores my voice and demands the sheet with his hand.

after putting the fungus and the protein on a toasted sun-dried tomato bread he not only hands me the food but the sheet as well. likewise the cashier ignores my person, looks at the paper, takes my paper bills. has been the best place so far to buy a somewhat non-traditional sandwich in a way that requires minimal human interaction.

au contraire at cosí. another popular sandwich shop that like most others of its market range offers soups, salads, beverages, and sweets in addition to bread-y items. but you better know what you want the minute you step through its glass doors. depending on if you are a salad or a sandwich type you need to queue up correctly. a lady with a friendly smile is eager to inquire after your wishes. lucky me, someone wanted to talk about my gustatory desires. this time trickier with my choice of the cosí-invented menu option called duo. it lets you choose between two of the three: half a sandwich, regular-sized soup, half a salad. either way you are in the wrong line. miss friendly smile shooed me into the nearest row of people, probably just to get rid of me.

as goes for the omnipresent starbucks with its minimal selection of edibles and flood of varied brown, flavored water, i have learnt to abstain entirely. in a three step trial i found out that its chai tea -- i am not a coffee person -- induced rashes on my right arm and queasiness in my tummy. i got desensitized with every attempt but thought i stick to peppermint tea from home.

this is by all means just the tiniest selection of food available in dc.

i also ate bean-stuffed tortilla-like pupusas with raw slaw at el rinconcito, a neat little el salvadorean restaurant on park road at columbia heights. i tried the talked-about chain-produced yet tasty goat cheese pizza from california pizza kitchen on wisconsin avenue (where no one could provide calorie information for any of the menu items). i slurped long-boiled soupy lentils, spinach, and chickpeas from the indian take-away called naan & beyond at the corner of 17th and L street.

you get the picture. foodies and fast foodies alike will find a plate full in dc. including the fun to discover the interesting ways favorites and novelties are served.

help yourself!