Glen's Garden Market - Dupont 20th & S

[Night Owl]

Anyone go to the preview this past Thursday? Opening tomorrow at 20th & S St. (where the little Safeway used to be) -- local producers from DC, MD, VA, PA, DE and NY. Sounds like a terrific addition to the neighborhood... A few pieces on here WashPo, HuffPo, Washingtonian.

[squidsdc]

I spied Zora in a pic on the Huff Post link!

[DonRocks]

I spied Zora in a pic on the Huff Post link!

---Cliquez---> <---Moi---

[squidsdc]

---Cliquez---> <---Moi---

That's the same link that Night Owl posted above...

[zoramargolis]

I was there for a media event on Thursday evening with my new boss, Melissa Harris, publisher of Foodshed. She's the attractive blonde in the foreground of the picture I'm in. Chef Sean Sullivan has awe-inspiring plans for making use of his large staff and fully-equipped kitchen, which has two big walk-ins, in the basement. He is making both beef and bison pastrami (both of which I tasted, along with his short-rib hot dogs), and other cured and smoked meats and salumi. Worth checking out, if you are in the neighborhood.

[Barbara]

Worth checking out, if you are in the neighborhood.

I plan to do just that mid-week, when I suspect it won't be crowded. That site was long a Safeway Townhouse that was just up the street from where I used to live many, many moons ago. The Townhouse brand was more expensive than Safeway, but they were more "convenient" and smaller than the standard model. Still, a life-saver when one had to get dinner on the table in short order and a car wasn't available. The mark-up on their DC Brau gives me much pause, however. The same stuff is $12/six-pack just up the street from where I now live.

[darkstar965]

I was in yesterday and really enjoyed looking around. Lots to discover here. This is truly a novel retailing concept and I hope it works. The staff with whom I spoke were very helpful, sincere and enthusiastic. Really interesting the local focus, which holds true through all the departments. Local ice creams like Moorenko (no Dolcezza though!). Local meats with many from Eco Friendly. Virtually all the local coffee purveyors including Winchester, Vigilante, and Shenandoah Joe. A good assortment of local produce.

One of the staff with whom I spoke seemed genuinely interested in getting customer reccs for new providers (I imagine all the staff there share this ethic) so I suggested Leonora to complement their bread program which is mostly now Lyon.

The cafe, wine dispensation system, local beers and prepared foods make it a nice lunch option or for take-home dinner. Really interesting and unique store with lots of quality products. I'm guessing even those who really know local farmers' markets and providers would discover some new things here. They've done a great job establishing the relationships to build the product mix.

Wishing these folks a very long and successful run.

[porcupine]

^Say hi next time. I love the concept, too, and wish them much success, but I also wish they could find a way to get more produce (while staying within the concept) and maybe lower the prices a little. A small bag of crackers, a bag of house made pickled carrots, a small house-made sausage, a cheese from Cherry Glen, an 8 oz bag of coffee beans, and a small chocolate bar came to 60 some bucks.

[thistle]

I like the concept, too, but I hated the WaPo article (it seemed to be fawning) , I get it, you're a SUCCESSFUL lawyer, whose mom wants you to be a lawyer, but you're going to open a grocery store-& I guess it's in an area that will support that. I wish her luck, & I hope she's keeping her day job....

[thistle]

Sorry, maybe I'm just being a bitch, but I felt the same way about the feature on Hilda Staples (restauranteur)that was recently in the WaPo-'how does she do it-she has 2 kids?'- well, she has a venture capitalist husband & a nanny, & I'm sure she works very hard, but she has a leg up on folks who are truly struggling to keep their business afloat...sorry, dystopic afternoon, guys....

[TedE]

A small bag of crackers, a bag of house made pickled carrots, a small house-made sausage, a cheese from Cherry Glen, an 8 oz bag of coffee beans, and a small chocolate bar came to 60 some bucks.

Cripes. This is a place I think everybody would want to like, but a $10+ per item average for the above list? Sorry, no.

[sheldman]

I had ten minutes and needed some olive oil, potato chips and a red onion. So I ran into Glen's.

Expensive, but I expected that and accepted it.

What I had not anticipated: (1) such inflexible virtue, that they will not give you or sell you a paper bag, but only a cloth bag for 3 (maybe 2? I think 3) dollars - which is to say, never go in there to buy a few things on impulse while walking in the neighborhood; (2) the onion was bad inside, and unusable.

Want to love but do not like.

[darkstar965]

^Say hi next time.  I love the concept, too, and wish them much success, but I also wish they could find a way to get more produce (while staying within the concept) and maybe lower the prices a little.  A small bag of crackers, a bag of house made pickled carrots, a small house-made sausage, a cheese from Cherry Glen, an 8 oz bag of coffee beans, and a small chocolate bar came to 60 some bucks.

Wondering if others here are regulars of this spot, now coming up on their 2-year anniversary? I was more enthusiastic when it first opened but, since then, stopping by occasionally, my enthusiasm flagged some.

Agree it's (too) expensive in many cases with still-fairly-limited produce for a place of its square footage.

I had ten minutes and needed some olive oil, potato chips and a red onion. So I ran into Glen's.

Expensive, but I expected that and accepted it.

What I had not anticipated: (1) such inflexible virtue, that they will not give you or sell you a paper bag, but only a cloth bag for 3 (maybe 2? I think 3) dollars - which is to say, never go in there to buy a few things on impulse while walking in the neighborhood; (2) the onion was bad inside, and unusable.

Want to love but do not like.

The bag policy is odd. I had a conversation with a cashier about that recently. She seemed to believe (or had been trained?) that paper bags were bad for the environment. I explained that she may have meant plastic bags and how those foul the waterways and don't degrade like paper. Also how the nickel goes to a cleanup fund. Once explained, she seemed surprised and agreed strange she couldn't "sell" me a paper bag.

I loved the concept when this opened and still do. An open-every-day farmer's market in a brick and mortar, permanent facility. But, aside from the pricing, limited produce mix and (smaller) bag issue, I've also been disappointed with produce quality. Too often the produce looks old or brown; simply not to e same level of freshness and quality as DuPont on Sundays.

A strong concept needing better execution? Or a flawed concept?

[cheezepowder]

A second location is opening at 1924 8th Street (the Shay building in Shaw) on Dec. 5 (via Washington Post).  Tim Carman also reports that the head chef is William Teague and...

Teague and Esteban Gonzalez, executive chef at Dupont, also have two hired guns helping them in the kitchen: Jon Sybert, formerly at Komi, and Julien Shapiro, formerly at Eat the Rich, are creating specials, fine-tuning recipes and preparing dishes until they get their own projects up and running. (For the record: Sybert is planning a Mediterranean-inspired concept in Adams Morgan, and Shapiro is headed to New York to run a butcher shop.)

[DaRiv18]

I am sitting in their bar here where most of their local draft rotating beers are $4! (13 oz). It is a medium-sized market, equal parts booze, grocery, and prepared foods. I picked up some Route 11 Salt and Pepper chips that I have not found elsewhere, as well as some 3 Stars tall boys. (Guess i should get a salad later). 

Little Red Fox is my favorite small shop in the neighborhood, but if Glen’s was closer, I’d have a tough choice to make. 

[Pat]

Per Popville: Sold to a like-minded small businessman and will become Dawson's Market, retaining the same employees.