Odd Provisions, DC

Who knew Columbia Heights had such a cool grocery store?!  Well, I teach yoga in Columbia Heights now and I happened to come across Odd Provisions as I was walking down the street. It's a totally cool, vegan friendly grocery store, with tons of unique food products, so it was like hitting the jackpot for me! Inside, there is vegan mac and cheese, Hodo Soy tofu products (the best!), unique hot sauces and spaghetti sauces, and an awesome selection of drinks. Not to mention, there's a great prepared food section. After buying dinner there for several weeks, I thought that it would be nice to write about the food I was enjoying!

I'll start by saying that everything in their prepared food area is delicious. I really have not gone wrong yet. My favorite thing to grab and go is the VegItalian sandwich. It may not photograph well, but what it lacks in unphotogenicism is made up by its flavor.  Layers of eggplant "salami," roasted peppers, caramelized fennel and onion are topped with "feta" and olive tapenade. The olive flavor is probably the boldest of all, but they all mesh together in the fresh bread for near perfection.

Next up is the Brussels Sprouts and Apple Salad. Shaved brussels sprouts are tossed with diced apples and walnuts. A dressing made with walnut oil, cider vinegar, salt, and whole grain mustard gives it its flavor and the fresh parsley is the icing on the cake. I love the flavor and crunchiness.

The Lentil Salad is another fantastic salad simply made with lentils, tomato, onions, fresh dill, and a dressing. I could eat this for dinner and be completely satisfied.

The Carrot and Radish Salad may not have the sexiest name, but it was one of my favorites to try. Why? Because of the spicy harissa, which I love. Half the carrots are pan-seared and the other half are raw making a nice balance of crunchiness along with chickpeas, radishes, and a delicious dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, coriander, and salt. Yum!

Lastly, the Ginger Sesame Noodles are just as solid as they seem. With crunchy broccoli, red peppers, carrots, and celery, this sesame noodle dish is simple, yet tasty.

Items in this store are not cheap with small salads like the Lentil Salad selling for $3.95 and the VegItalian sandwich for $8.50, but know you are getting quality food for that price. I have also confirmed with one of the owners, Jess, that although all ingredients are not currently listed on the packages, there is no honey in anything labeled vegan.

Other items they sell that are fantastic include their hummus, Hummus Bialy sandwich, and Garlicky Kale salad. This store is simply awesome. Go support your local vegan friendly grocery and leave the rest up to them.

Odd Provisions
3301 11th Street NW
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 232-4050

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me at no cost to review, that in no way influenced my veracious opinion.