FoBoGro
Friday, July 2, 2010 at 09:00AM D.C., you've been called out, bro! On recent trips to Baltimore and Philadelphia, we've eaten delectable sandwiches that put the District's lunchtime options to serious tail-between-the-legs shame. Enter FoBoGro, a revamped grocery and sandwich joint that pumps GWU students full of caffeine and gazpacho. The eatery's owners are no strangers to the campus life, frat brothers who've all recently graduated (or are still currently attending?) George Washington University themselves.
A few steps away from the lawn chairs and discarded kegger cups of a local Greek house sits the revamped storefront of the neighborhood's 60-year old staple. Having previously been the 'Foggy Bottom Grocery' (the sign for which still loiters out front, below left) the former students took over the spot, coining it 'FoBoGro' as they'd called it in their dorm days. With a small market upstairs, the building boasts coffee, soup and sandwiches on its first floor. So what does the Gro' have to offer D.C.'s desolate sandwich scene? Well, if nothing else, it's a good start.
When you walk into the below-ground sandwich shop of FoBoGro you're greeted with head-bobbing independent hip-hop - some dude's ever-changing iPod playlist, no doubt - but there has seemed to be a common theme on each subsequent visit. The decor is sparsely decorated and divey, at best. But where they get it right is by bringing in fresh, locally-made bread every morning.
Let's take a brief detour, if you'll humor me on my criticism of D.C. sandwiches. Anyone ever notice that D.C.'s sandwich par seems to be set by establishments that also offer Chinese take-out and fried chicken? You've probably also noticed that Potbelly boasts a sign thanking D.C. for voting them the best sandwich in the city. Now I like Potbelly as much as the next DC-ite, but our local sandwiches are in a sorry state to be overshadowed by a chain. Ask a local of New York, or Philadelphia, or Boston where to get the best sandwich in town and you'll get an earful. Ask someone from the District, and you may get pointed towards Subway.
Then there's the bread. More often than not, I see D.C. sandwich vendors slab generic deli meat on top of cheap, store-brought slices of bread. Why should we settle for ingredients we can grab off a 7-11 shelf? Why do we pay for sandwiches we can make at home? Part of the problem may be that you'll be hard-pressed to find freshly baked breads in this city that compare to breads from our northeastern brethren. Case and point is D.C.'s new-ish Philly-style sandwich beacon, Taylor Gourmet: if this tells you anything, they have their breads driven in from Philadelphia every day.
The dudes at FoBoGro may not leave the District for their baked goods, but it's a healthy slice or two above the Wonder Bread you'll find all around town. Perhaps my expectations have been lowered by the lack of competition, but I found the freshly baked breads delightful and the sandwiches served on them relatively inspired.
The Chicken Salad (above) is served on fresh ciabatta with a nice mix of walnuts, craisins, tarragon and fresh greens. After one bite, it's evident that the bread isn't something I'd pull off the shelf from Safeway. The walnuts, craisins and tarragon give it a gourmet touch and this sandwich is already miles ahead of most of the runny, bland chicken salads I've encountered around town.
On a subsequent trip, I sprang for the Brewster (above), a whirlwind of hand-sliced roast beef with caramelized onions, horseradish coleslaw and ground black pepper on an Italian roll. Like I said, I've had better Italian rolls in other cities, but remained impressed with the bread quality. The horseradish coleslaw was a fine touch to combine with the roast beef (and as a side-note, if you didn't already know, all coleslaw should be made with horseradish. Mmm...).
For me, this Foggy Bottom eat-shop was totally worth the walk from Dupont Circle. It may not revolutionize the sandwich scene in D.C. but it's sure to fuel an all-nighter...maybe even cure a hangover or two.
D.C., Sandwich in Reviews: On The Town
Reader Comments (9)
Have you had banh mi sandwiches in the northern VA area? I think those can kill hangovers.
It's true--the owner Kris Hart is quite the G Dub fixture; he also owns a tanning salon on campus. I love the (expensive-ish) sandwiches at Jetties. They are well-known at the OTHER GW campus, Mt Vernon. I doubt you'll find yourself on Foxhall Road anytime soon, but if you go out of your way, I think you'd enjoy it.
Debb-
If you can believe it, I've actually never had a banh mi (although Mark might have). We've been meaning to hit up some Vietnamese places out in northern VA - hopefully we'll make it out there some weekend soon.
And a tanning salon? Really? Interesting. We don't make it out to the Mt. Vernon area that often, but the need for a good sandwich might just push us in that direction.
The tanning salon is called FauxBroGlo... Ba Dum Ching...
Deb- I hear Dino has a 'Tuscan Banh Mi' - and I'd love to try Arlington's food truck Rebel Heroes... The Saucu truck also has some Banh Mi selections... I think that could become an obsession.
I'm in total agreement. Our discussion regarding lack of sandwiches options was noted in one of my recent posts (http://dclovesfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/battle-of-burgers-two-years-later.html). For now, I can make my way to GW for sandwich goodness (heck, I've braved the GW food court just for Chik-Fil-A many times).
Where is this Elevation you speak of? And don't forget Bobby Flay's burger chain moving to the DMV soon...
Couldn't agree more on DC bakeries. More bread. Less Cupcakes please!
Oh yes, I forgot about Bobby Flay burgers as well. Where is DMV, by the way?
This particular Elevation Burger is in North Arlington in a strip mall with a bunch of other great low-key restaurants. We'll have to take you there some time.
The DMV = DC-Maryland-Virgina ... D...M...V...
Glad you liked the subs. Both sandwiches are featured in DC's new Restaurant Guide: http://runinout.com/dish/fobro-gro-chicken-salad
Thanks!