Western Market

"Flashy sports (betting) bar Expat made a long-awaited debut inside Western Market, just in time for the March Madness basketball tournament. The 8,000-square-foot hangout specializes in Southern-leaning spins on bar food with playful drinks and plenty of tap lines. Patrons can compete in an opening bracket to win free beer for a year." - Tierney Plumb

"Flashy sports (betting) bar Expat made a long-awaited debut last week inside Western Market, just in time for March Madness season. The 8,000-square-foot hangout specializes in Southern-leaning spins on bar food with playful drinks and plenty of tap lines. Patrons can compete in an opening bracket to win free beer for a year." - Tierney Plumb

"Your friends have no problem agreeing to see The Lion King (again), but when it comes to making dinner plans, no such luck. Instead of wasting valuable group chat meme time arguing over where to eat, go to Western Market. The Foggy Bottom food hall is only half a mile from the Kennedy Center and has fast casual favorites like ArepaZone and Falafel, Inc. so everyone can pick and choose, then meet up at a communal table. Or you can call an audible and grab a table at one of the sit-down spots, like Duke’s Grocery, which serves half-priced wine on Mondays." - tristiana hinton

"A bronzed hippopotamus standing prominently on George Washington University’s campus is the muse for the Northwest neighborhood’s newest taco bar. Local chef and restaurateur Tim Ma (Lucky Danger, Laoban Dumplings) teams up with hospitality duo Ben Sislen and Jonas Singer to plant a new 1,200-square-foot taqueria atop Foggy Bottom’s growing Western Market food hall later this spring (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW). Hippo Taco’s adorable name pays homage to GWU’s unofficial mascot — a gifted hippo statue sitting at the corner of 21st and H streets NW for over 20 years. Students lovingly pet its head and put coins in its open mouth for good luck. “Western Market is a hub for the university,” says Ma. “[Hippo Taco] gives us exposure on the back side where all the students come in and out.” The indoor-outdoor venture will sling Asian fusion tacos and quirky items that harken back to the Chinese-American chef’s days running the menu at downtown’s progressive Eaton hotel. “One of my favorite things was its hidden [rooftop] taco bar at Wild Days,” he says. “I’m revisiting some of that stuff I did with the food program here.” One comeback vegan dish will unite Impossible chili with airy Snacklins crisps. For tacos, look for a Szechuan variety with chopped, all-natural chicken thighs rubbed with chili and peppercorn, roasted peppers, and salsa verde. A shaved bulgogi taco will feature sweet and salty Korean barbecue beef, scallion, radish, sesame seed. Hippo Taco’s menu, still in development, will loop in other local meats, expanded selection of globe-trotting taco fillings, and salads. Hippo Taco’s bar program will go heavy on Eastern shore favorites, like an orange crush and Maryland makers like RAR Brewing, to go along with summery frozen drinks, wines and cocktails on draft. A roll-up garage door will be worked into the brightly colored setup, with room for 30 during lunch through nighttime service. Hippo Taco will sit next to a public courtyard that hosts live music." - Tierney Plumb

"The highly anticipated, 12,300-square-foot food hall near George Washington University and the World Bank is rolling out its first vendors in fall 2021. That includes outposts of Capo Deli, which drew notice over the pandemic for its Fauci Pouchy to-go cocktails, along with Arepa Zone and fast-expanding hot chicken sandwich brand Roaming Rooster. Rawish, a juice bar from the owners of Maryland-based Gangster Vegan, will cater to vegan customers. Nim Ali is bringing along its loaded Guatemalan hot dogs. Farther out, the owners of essential all-day cafe Ellē will introduce a stall called Tigerella." - Kalina Newman, Eater Staff