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Posted

Yesterday I happened by their Connecticut Ave space (facing 18th Street, NW) and an employee was distributing their menu (a 10-panel foldup measuring 64 cm by 14 cm). At first I thought, based on the name, that it was modeled on the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the Smithsonian. Thankfully, I read their soy-based vegan menu after I'd gotten to Capriotti's and didn't have to stress about their "Native" chicken, bacon, and cheese.

NativeDCMenu_Sep2014.pdf

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Posted

Is this replacing that little deli-type place that was at 701 Penn?  Or is it a new space?

Got me - I assume the deli because I don't see where you could put a new space in there (I think these are the shops facing the fountain).

Posted

Yesterday I happened by their Connecticut Ave space (facing 18th Street, NW) and an employee was distributing their menu (a 10-panel foldup measuring 64 cm by 14 cm). At first I thought, based on the name, that it was modeled on the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe at the Smithsonian. Thankfully, I read their soy-based vegan menu after I'd gotten to Capriotti's and didn't have to stress about their "Native" chicken, bacon, and cheese.

One thing I find disturbing is that I could swear that the restaurant at the Museum of the American Indian used to be called, simply, "Mitsitam Cafe," whereas it seems now that it's called "Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe." Was this always the case? I don't think it was - I've been there numerous times, and don't remember "Native Foods" being in the name - plus, it's not on their cookbook.

I'm not worried about Native Foods Cafe opening up several locations; I *am* worried that they're finessing a takeover, even though I have no reason to believe that other than the name. And, I might even be wrong because this 2006 post mentions "Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe."

Does anyone know?

Posted

Had the portobello burger at the Penn Quarter location a few weeks ago - very, very bland. I don't think they put any kind of marinade on the portobello, and the natural mushroom flavor was overwhelmed by the mass of very boring seitan "sausage", buns, and toppings (how do you make flavorless salsa, caramelized onions, and garlic pesto??).  Even worse was the carrot cupcake - utterly devoid of any flavor whatsoever.

I expect this of, say, cold sandwiches from the airport kiosk, where foods must pass through some kind of flavor-eliminating scanner before being allowed into the terminal. But how (and why) they accomplished it here is a mystery.

Posted

i thought the smithsonian cafe was mitsam native foods cafe for a long time. i'm pretty sure that at one point it was named that.

Yes, but it was unrelated (btw, I had a late lunch at Mitsitam last week, and it's still humming along nicely).

Posted

Borderstan reports that the two DC locations are closing on Tuesday.  The article also mentions that the Falls Church location closed in October.

I went to the Falls Church location once, and I didn't see how it could possibly survive there. I didn't say it, but I was thinking it.

They did have nachos, however - you can probably tell from the tone of my post that I wasn't optimistic.

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