Dining Near Moultrie Courthouse

[JLK]

I will be doing my civic duty this week. Last time I served, I went in unprepared and found myseld eating at the nearby Subway (ugh!).

What is near Moultrie Courthouse (500 Indiana Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001; Judiciary Square stop on the red line)? Ideally, I'll spend less than, say, $12 and return to the courthouse within 45 minutes to an hour.

Bonus points for any place with WiFi.

[DC in DC]

I will  be doing my civic duty this week.  Last time I served, I went in unprepared and found myseld eating at the nearby Subway (ugh!). 

What is near Moultrie Courthouse (500 Indiana Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001; Judiciary Square stop on the red line)?  Ideally, I'll spend less than, say, $12 and return to the courthouse within 45 minutes to an hour. 

Bonus points for any place with WiFi.

I ate at Matchbox for 2 days in a row. Kind of a hike, but both days, I managed to find a seat at the bar and got back in time. Have fun! I enjoyed my jury duty a lot, but maybe that's just a lawyer's perspective. Don't know about WiFi--I'm pretty low-tech.

[bookluvingbabe]

I like the cafeteria at the National Gallery of Art for jury duty lunches.

Last time though I was dismissed so early I was able to go home for lunch.

[DCMark]

I was on a major murder case two years ago. I think we had lunch paid for in the cafeteria....

Also, once deliberations began, we HAD to eat together.

[Keithstg]

I will  be doing my civic duty this week.  Last time I served, I went in unprepared and found myseld eating at the nearby Subway (ugh!). 

What is near Moultrie Courthouse (500 Indiana Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001; Judiciary Square stop on the red line)?  Ideally, I'll spend less than, say, $12 and return to the courthouse within 45 minutes to an hour. 

Bonus points for any place with WiFi.

Excellent question - I will be doing my civic duty tomorrow and was just about to pose this question....

[JLK]

I love Matchbox, but was hoping for something closer.

[MBK]

Other recommendations (my jury duty is in a few weeks and I've been taking recommendations from friends) are:

Full Kee, Burma, Teaism, Kanlaya.

I'll admit that of this group, I've only been to Teaism.

[Spiral Stairs]

Teaism would be a relatively short walk.

Map

[Jonathan]

isnt bistro bis nearby...?

[JLK]

Bistro Bis would be a budget-buster.

Teaism is definitely in the running.

Edited November 14, 2005 by JLK

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I believe Andale is nearby as well. 401 7th St. Should be a couple of blocks away.

Edited November 14, 2005 by Jacques Gastreaux

[Barbara]

There's a rather nice cafe in the Building Museum.

Edited November 14, 2005 by Barbara

[Jonathan]

PÂTÉ DE LAPIN

country style rabbit pâté and rillettes

with celeri remoulade, mâche, toasted

baguette and pommery mustard 9.50

[Jonathan]

there is a decent deli on the left side of the road if you're heading up from judiciary square toward dc central kitchen. its before the bridge but i dont know what its called (NOT 3RD AND EATS)

[JLK]

I like the cafeteria at the National Gallery of Art for jury duty lunches.

Last time though I was dismissed so early I was able to go home for lunch.

What type of offerings are typical at this cafeteria, blb?

[Spiral Stairs]

there is a decent deli on the left side of the road if you're heading up from judiciary square toward dc central kitchen. its before the bridge but i dont know what its called (NOT 3RD AND EATS)

Could you be referring to Jack's?

I worked a couple blocks away for a year -- I never made it to that Jack's. (There's also a Jack's on Indiana Avenue, even closer to the courthouse -- a couple doors west of Au Bon Pain. I did make it into the Indiana Avenue one a couple times, but just got soup. (Which was merely okay.))

[lackadaisi]

Teaism.

[bookluvingbabe]

What type of offerings are typical at this cafeteria, blb?

They usually have a number of different stations--there is a pasta offering of some sort, salad bar, a fresh carved meat, an asian noodle thing, and maybe sushi.

It's pricier now than it used to be but it is still better than much of the typical jury duty offerings.

[Heather]

Jaleo isn't far, and might be within your budget depending on what you order.

[DonRocks]

Click

[JLK]

Very, very, very helpful - thank you!

[Mark Slater]

I got tapped for a murder jury 2 years ago and was able to have decent lunches at:

701 - at the bar

Signatures - at the bar

Several places in Chinatown

Jaleo

The cafeteria only during deliberations - for 4 days!

During the trial, it seemed most of the witnesses and trial participants ate at the McDonald's a block north of the courthouse.

[CrescentFresh]

Jaleo's lunch platters are very often overlooked in the tapas frenzy. I always go for:

Butifarra con setas y pan al huevo

Grilled pork sausage and mushrooms with egg on toasted brioche

$6.95

It's delicious and a great deal. Make sure they don't overcook your egg and ask for the side of Spanish Potato Salad. It comes with it free. Get an iced tea and you're still in the $10-$12 range for lunch. Make it a glass of wine for a little more. Hell, have a pitcher of sangria! It's jury duty. It's not like you're going to work or anything!

[Keithstg]

ohhhhhhhh. well whats for lunch?

Yesterday I had a longer than expected lunch break at Jury Duty, and went to Le Paradou to take advantage of the bar menu. Unlike my experience with the tasting menu, the food was excellent.

I had the morel soup, with scallop, which was an incredibly rich dish. Just wonderful. I followed that with a lobster purse, basically four dumplings filled with lobster, carrot, and ginger, with a light ginger sauce. Also excellent.

All in all, a really nice way to take advantage of what was otherwise a really boring day.

[JLK]

My day was really boring too, but at least I got dismissed shortly after two (that's the good news; the bad is that I'm in the office now because I'm a rule-oriented schmuck ).

My lunch selection? Andale. I had been there before for happy hour and had enjoyed a selection of antojitos. Unfortunately my lunch was not nearly as enjoyable. It wasn't bad. I was just less than moved. Part of it could have been that my experience was colored with grumpiness - I had sat still on a panel for the three previous hours with very few diversions. Oh, and the man next to me, who kept trying to start conversations, had the most rank breath.

Anyway...instead of picking one entree or entree salad, I ordered a bowl of one of the sopas del dia and guacamole. The soup, described by the bartender who seated me, was a beef stew of sorts, she said as she wrinkled up her nose, warning me that it was both thick and spicy. I hesitated for a moment, considered the chicken taquitos I had enjoyed on a previous visit, and then ordered the soup. I like soup, even on an unseasonably warm, humid day.

The soup, while decidedly not spicy, was, um, pleasant. I can't come up with anything less wishy-washy about it than that. There was a light sprinkling of Mexican white cheese in there along with onions, pinto beans, the largest bay leaf I have ever seen and maybe four or five tiny pieces of very tasty stewed beef.

As for the guacamole, it was fine, but I beginning to believe that there are two, and only two, places I should order it: Cafe Atlantico and Rosa Mexicano. Either that, or I should just eat the guac I make at home. Two hours later, I'm still tasting some weird element from the guacamole and I really wish it would just go away and leave me alone. Not onion...not garlic...dunno.

At least I stayed within my budget (or close). Total damage with tip: $13.

Off to brush my teeth (again).

[KeithA]

So I have jury duty on wednesday, so I'm reviving this old thread with the hope of new ideas since some of the places have gone out of business. Any suggestions on good places to go for lunch that won't take too long (I seem to remember from 2 years ago, there is not a big time window for lunch) and won't cost to much, say around $10 or less? Thanks.

[Mark Slater]

So I have jury duty on wednesday, so I'm reviving this old thread with the hope of new ideas since some of the places have gone out of business. Any suggestions on good places to go for lunch that won't take too long (I seem to remember from 2 years ago, there is not a big time window for lunch) and won't cost to much, say around $10 or less? Thanks.

Lunch break is between an hour and an hour and a half. The bar at 701 is good for a quickie lunch. Not $10, but not much more. The McDonalds on D Street is a mob scene at lunch, but lots of courthouse types are there. Chinatown is a sprint, but doable.

[oliveDC]

I second the bar at 701. For $15, you get a choice of entrees and a glass of wine. When I served nearly two weeks and couldn't bear Au Bon Pain every day, I went to 701, Rasika, Teaism and Andale (now Oyamel). It's easy to get in and out in an hour, especially if you sit at the bar.

[brettashley01]

I'd also put in a nod for Chop't, but those lines get looong... not an hour long, but long enough. If you're looking for something more substantial than a (giant) salad, though, look elsewhere.

[Anna Blume]

There's a rather nice cafe in the Building Museum.

When I was selected for jury duty, I brought my own lunch and ate in the courtyard there, a space I love. Time left over to wander through the galleries upstairs or a rather cool gift shop.

[youngfood]

I will be doing my civic duty this week. Last time I served, I went in unprepared and found myseld eating at the nearby Subway (ugh!).

What is near Moultrie Courthouse (500 Indiana Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001; Judiciary Square stop on the red line)? Ideally, I'll spend less than, say, $12 and return to the courthouse within 45 minutes to an hour.

If you don't mind walking 5-6 blocks, you should go to Taqueria Nacionale in the back of Johnny's.

If you do, there's not much there. Rasika is out of your time/price range. Closest & easiest is a bagel & coffee / breakfast/lunch buffet spot at 3rd & C, called Jack's, which does pretty decent egg bagels and has tons of Seattle's Best coffee options.

Pretty close and edible is to walk East on C to New Jersey Ave to Billy Goat tavern where you can get pretty decent cheap burgers, grilled cheese, etc. Georgetown Law cafeteria is right there as well.

[wolverine]

So I have jury duty on wednesday, so I'm reviving this old thread with the hope of new ideas since some of the places have gone out of business. Any suggestions on good places to go for lunch that won't take too long (I seem to remember from 2 years ago, there is not a big time window for lunch) and won't cost to much, say around $10 or less? Thanks.

If you're looking for something quicker or cheaper than the above options, you could always go to Potbelly on Indiana between 6th and 7th.

[bookluvingbabe]

If you are lucky enough to get dismissed before lunchtime (which happened the last time I served), you could always go have lunch at the National Gallery of Art and see the Hopper exhibit.

[Mrs. B]

I enjoyed a bite a Full Kee last time I served.

[pidgey]

During my jury duty last year, I had time to wander up to Chinatown Express one day, and Jaleo the next. I believe the time allotted was about an hour and half. One funny thing that sticks in my mind was that the judge was very, very, very adament that we not drink any alcoholic beverages during lunch.

[wdcbrucefan]

During my jury duty last year, I had time to wander up to Chinatown Express one day, and Jaleo the next.

I got thru Jaleo with plenty of time during a recent jury duty lunch. Thankfully, it was only a 1 day endeavor.

[Genevieve]

If you're looking for something quicker or cheaper than the above options, you could always go to Potbelly on Indiana between 6th and 7th.

Cosi, not Potbelly. There's a Cosi on one side of the street and Au Bon Pain on the other.

My top recommendations would be Teaism, Rasika, Cafe Atlantico, Full Kee, Burma, Oyamel, Jaleo, South Austin Grill or Olsson's (which has a nice soup and salad combo and tasty sandwiches).

[wolverine]

Cosi, not Potbelly. There's a Cosi on one side of the street and Au Bon Pain on the other.

There is a Potbelly down Indiana about half a block from Cosi and Au Bon Pain.

[Woodleygrrl]

If you want to have something a bit more expensive, I went to Capital Grill right around the corner and had a great steak salad and a glass of wine while I read the paper.

That was kind of cool.

[wolverine]

If you want to have something a bit more expensive, I went to Capital Grill right around the corner and had a great steak salad and a glass of wine while I read the paper.

That was kind of cool.

I totally agree with this statement. They have an outstanding steak sandwich (I'd say best in town) for $16.

[KeithA]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I ended up at Jaleo and had a great "bocato" (aka sandwich) of lamb, olives, cherry tomatos, greens, and some type of light mayo/light cheese sauce on a crusty roll. I wish I worked nearby the bocatos are a steal - around $8-12 for a very filling meal. Actually too filing, I ate half the sandwich open face because there was too much bread. And, the bocatos come with a choice of small side salads. I had the very good caesar with toasted pine nuts and capers. Plus you get the great amuse of olives, cornichons, and pickled cocktail onions. All for $9. Can't beat that. Definitely made jury duty more bearable.

[Roger Troutman]

Is the cafeteria on the ground floor as scary as it looks? I wandered through there and didn't see anything even remotely appetizing. I think I ended up having some delicious Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts for lunch that day, from the vending machine.

[KeithA]

Is the cafeteria on the ground floor as scary as it looks? I wandered through there and didn't see anything even remotely appetizing. I think I ended up having some delicious Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts for lunch that day, from the vending machine.

Actually, I never went down there, because the staff told us the cafeteria was now closed and unlikely to reopen as they due renovations. So plan on eating outside.

[Pat]

I had jury duty lunch at 701 today and enjoyed the chicken cobb salad and the breads (focaccia and mini corn muffins). The service was helpful and attentive, but I was the only person at the bar. Trying to be a dutiful juror, I didn't get the wine with the lunch special, since the juror orientation video says no alcohol. I felt like an idiot when I got back to the courthouse after lunch and was immediately released for the day . The iced tea I had was okay but not great. My water stayed refilled pretty regularly, which was good, as I was pretty thirsty.

ETA: The courthouse no longer has a cafeteria. There is a Firehook in its place.

[grover]

From the courthouse, Charlie Palmer is pretty closer than any restaurant in Chinatown. There is an Asian deli called 'Capital cafe' in the same building (next to the parking garage). A sushi joint called 'Momo Yama' is located next to the building which Charlie Palmer belonged. Johnny's Halfshell is not far away, either.

[Banco]

I always use jury duty as an excuse to eat at the bar at Rasika. Replenished with gin and curry, I re-enter the courthouse like Gunga Din, ready to serve the officers of the court.

[Mrs. B]

I am currently seated in the Jurors' business center and am torn between 701, Cafe Atlantico and Oyamel. The Rasika concept has certain appeal as well. Thanks for all the great food for thought. I can't wait for lunch!

[Waitman]

I always use jury duty as an excuse to eat at the bar at Rasika. Replenished with gin and curry, I re-enter the courthouse like Gunga Din, ready to serve the officers of the court.

Nice going, Banco. I'll have you know that last time Mrs. B had gin and curry for lunch she was thrown out of the jury box for yelling, "screw the Fourth Amendment, just hang the bastard."

And that was just during voire dire.

[chuchelo]

I had GRAND jury duty which goes on for months, several days a week. FWIW, here's my advice: Brown bag it.

[Banco]

Nice going, Banco. I'll have you know that last time Mrs. B had gin and curry for lunch she was thrown out of the jury box for yelling, "screw the Fourth Amendment, just hang the bastard."

And that was just during voire dire.

Well, you must admit my idea does give "side bar" a far more pleasant connotation.