With the weather breaking, it’s time to check out The Stand. The little hut in Crystal City sells sweet and savory (lox and cream cheese-stuffed) doughnuts from B Doughnut, coffee from La Colombe and a rotating lunch menu from local vendors.
Craft pretzel trend alert: Nordic Knots. Find them at local breweries and coffee shops, and this spring, starring in their own bakery in Reston’s Lake Anne Plaza.
Add crunch for a better grain bowl with Carrington Farms crispy puffed quinoa. Even better: letting the puffs sizzle in oil with smoked paprika, red chili flakes and sesame seeds.
Kabob Zone in Woodbridge makes naan bagels. It’s more naan than bagel: buttery, charred, puffy, not dense, no seeds but shaped in that quintessential ring. The novelty brought me in, but the za’atar naan and tender falafel will keep me going back.
Alison Roman’s viral hit, the salted butter and chocolate chunk shortbread cookies from her cookbook Dining In, are as good as everyone on my social media feeds says they are.
When molten broth becomes less attractive as spring warms up, check out the spicy dry hot pot at IncrediBowl in Chantilly.
