Lunch near 1st & M, NE

[agm]

So my office has moved, to the soon to be thriving (yeah, right) NOMA neighborhood (the area between Union Station at the south end and the intersection of Florida & New York Avenues). We've got construction sites, a few office buildings (one or two actually have tenants), parking lots and not much else. The people who moved in a few weeks ago tell me the food options are limited to a coffee shop two blocks away, and the food court at Union Station five blocks away.

Are there other options? Please, somebody must know this area. Can an edible meal be found? A quick sandwich to go, or a three-course lunch - I'll take any suggestions. I'm on foot, so proximity to 131 M Street, NE is rather important.

[bookluvingbabe]

So my office has moved, to the soon to be thriving (yeah, right) NOMA neighborhood (the area between Union Station at the south end and the intersection of Florida & New York Avenues). We've got construction sites, a few office buildings (one or two actually have tenants), parking lots and not much else. The people who moved in a few weeks ago tell me the food options are limited to a coffee shop two blocks away, and the food court at Union Station five blocks away.

Are there other options? Please, somebody must know this area. Can an edible meal be found? A quick sandwich to go, or a three-course lunch - I'll take any suggestions. I'm on foot, so proximity to 131 M Street, NE is rather important.

Mr. BLB is over at 64 NY Avenue NE. He says it is bleak... How far are you from the ATF building? Five Guys just opened there and a pizza and mussels place is scheduled to open soon. There is a coffee shop there that gets premade sandwiches delivered around 11 and they are gone by 12:30. Rumor has it that there is a nightclub on 1st Street that is open for lunch at random times but he hasn't been able to catch it when it is open. None of the Chinese options are reported to be edible.

[TedE]

So my office has moved, to the soon to be thriving (yeah, right) NOMA neighborhood (the area between Union Station at the south end and the intersection of Florida & New York Avenues). We've got construction sites, a few office buildings (one or two actually have tenants), parking lots and not much else. The people who moved in a few weeks ago tell me the food options are limited to a coffee shop two blocks away, and the food court at Union Station five blocks away.

Are there other options? Please, somebody must know this area. Can an edible meal be found? A quick sandwich to go, or a three-course lunch - I'll take any suggestions. I'm on foot, so proximity to 131 M Street, NE is rather important.

There is a newish Five Guys on the Florida Ave side of the Metro (just off Fla Ave, kind of tucked in behind the ATF building). I think you can get through from the M St side, but I don't know for sure. Not exactly what you were looking for I'm sure, but it's all I can think of.

There is a BBQ truck in a parking lot on Florida and 3rd or 4th NE (south side of the street). It's been there awhile, but whenever I drive or ride by it seldom seems operational. I have seen smoke coming out though. Might be just a summer thing.

Of course A Litteri is right off of 6th St north of Florida (6th and Morse) if you are in the mood for a hoagie

Good luck, I know the pickin's are slim!

[agm]

Mr. BLB is over at 64 NY Avenue NE. He says it is bleak... How far are you from the ATF building? Five Guys just opened there and a pizza and mussels place is scheduled to open soon. There is a coffee shop there that gets premade sandwiches delivered around 11 and they are gone by 12:30. Rumor has it that there is a nightclub on 1st Street that is open for lunch at random times but he hasn't been able to catch it when it is open. None of the Chinese options are reported to be edible.

There's a large construction site immediately south of the ATF building. I'm on the other side of that. The coffee shop on the side of the ATF building is where I ended up today (they must be placing larger orders - I got my sandwich after 2:00). OK, but I couldn't do it regularly.

The pizza & mussels place looks like it's under heavy construction (according to the sign, hard hats are required). The nightclub is probably Ibiza, which was supposed to serve lunch, but according to their website they're remodeling. I didn't notice that Five Guys was open - I was here a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't open yet. That will probably be my best option. I'll check it out.

[Pat]

So my office has moved, to the soon to be thriving (yeah, right) NOMA neighborhood (the area between Union Station at the south end and the intersection of Florida & New York Avenues). We've got construction sites, a few office buildings (one or two actually have tenants), parking lots and not much else. The people who moved in a few weeks ago tell me the food options are limited to a coffee shop two blocks away, and the food court at Union Station five blocks away.

Are there other options? Please, somebody must know this area. Can an edible meal be found? A quick sandwich to go, or a three-course lunch - I'll take any suggestions. I'm on foot, so proximity to 131 M Street, NE is rather important.

I guess Taylor is too far (?). That wouldn't be an impossible walk, but it won't work well with limited time. They do delivery, though. Call them.

There's also an Au Bon Pain at North Capitol and H.

ETA a link to the Taylor thread.

[southdenverhoo]

obviously of no current help to agm, and too far to walk on a lunch hour when it does happen (ought to be accessible fairly quickly by bus though), but whatever happened to the Fire Station renovation at (IIRC) roughly the 1600 block of North Capitol, on the west side of the street?

I believe a group including the St Ex guys got the nod, seems like two Christmases ago...I was looking at Bloomingdale property at the time and I remember the announcement being a big deal, though my plans changed & I'm still in Denver...but I haven't read any more about it in this forum...

[agm]

A Litteri or a delivery from Taylor both sound like decent options. Thanks.

[agm]

So it looks like I will be brown-bagging it most days, with an occasional trip to Five Guys, and somewhat less frequently, A Litteri or Taylor. And when I don't pack a lunch, and want something other than a burger or a hoagie, I'll do what I did today: take Metro one stop to Union Station, walk to Johnny's Half Shell, order a half dozen oysters and some grilled wings at the nearly empty bar, wash it down with something cold on tap, and make it back to my desk in one hour exactly (dining alone, with no conversation to prolong the occasion). Not a cheap lunch, but sometimes you just have to.

[Sthitch]

Agm, welcome to my hell. The cafes around these parts basically suck, Lucky's on North Cap is the least sucky of the lot, but that really is setting the bar rather low. The 5 Guys never looks open, but it is, and my one visit surprised me, it did not blow nearly as bad as other 5 Guys, again the bar is not set high. I wish that I could give you better news, but besides the aforementioned ability to get Taylor delivery (which I have not done yet - delivery that is), you are in a culinary wasteland that is worse than being stuck in Concourse B at O'Hare.

[kwhitney]

I've been at XM for 8 years, so I know how bad it is. We like to say we have equal access to the three major food groups: McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King.

Literi's is a good option, and they are reliable, but they get busy. It is best to fax your order.

There is an new Chicken place called Luciana's Cafe that is pretty good, and a good value. Rotisserie chicken roasted over a wood fire. They are at the corner of North capital and P St. NW.

In the spring time, we have the new "On The Run" Foodmobile parked by our building. They offer a pretty good option.

There is a basic coffee shop in the People's bulding, that is not great but offer an option.

Five Guy's has been open for about a month, but I can't handle that food, myslef. Others here like it.

I didn't like the sandwich offerings at the coffee shop in the ATF Building.

The new Tacoria National (apologies for the poor spelling) is good and worth a walk.

Otherwise you are left to the dimishing shops at and near Union station. For a special treat we take the subway in to MCI area.