There are some secret L Street eats that aren’t easy to find, and sometimes they aren’t easy to get to either.
L Street stretches from Covell Boulevard down to Second Street. It’s one of those streets so inconveniently out of the way that most people don’t bother with it. Here, you can find great eats such as Taqueria Davis, Fat Face and Let Them Eat Cake.
Davis Taqueria, as it is sometimes affectionately known, is owned by a husband and wife team who are the nicest people you will ever meet. My friend EmDub is a loyal customer and introduced me to the place a few months back. She’s always greeted by a “Hey, hon” from the wife, and talks about her life with the owners. It is EmDub’s regular hang out, and she will never love another taqueria as much as she loves this one. Here, you’ll find your tacos and burritos made with care, so check this place out.
Fat Face and Let Them Eat Cake are located in an area where you will never find convenient parking – the clump of buildings on L Street between Third and Fourth Streets. My only advice is to look for signs. Just a warning: be prepared to walk at least a block and around the corner. Also, both places only accept cash, so be sure you have your ones and fives before you walk inside.
Fat Face is open Wednesday through Friday at different hours, so be sure to catch them when they’re open. Also, if you want to know their menu for the day, look at their website for a list of all their popsicles ($2.50), soups, drinks ($1.50 to 2.50) and “sammiches” ($7) for the day.
Let Them Eat Cake, opened last year by a mom and her two daughters who attend UCD, sells the best cupcakes you will ever eat. I (and I really shouldn’t say this) hate cake and cupcakes. I can’t stand them. How did I even survive all those birthday cakes when I was growing up? It was a miracle. Anyway, I went with my friend Aubrey a couple months back to Let Them Eat Cake, and it was the best cupcake I think I have had and will ever have to date. Their rotating weekly menu has cupcakes selling for $2.75 apiece.
And for all of you vegans out there, they have an option just for you so you won’t have to worry about dairy products. Lucky you.
Now for the food tip of the week!
Having trouble deciding if the better deal is at Save Mart or Safeway? I don’t blame you. The two have very similar prices that might differ from 10 to 50 cents, but their prices go back and forth all the time. So what do you look for when you try to find the best deal?
Well, one dear reader of mine, Joy, wrote to me about her opinion on the value of food, and her words ring true: It’s not only about price, but also about energy and nutritional value. Take this for example: You could spend $6 on a burrito at Chipotle, which would possibly last you one meal. But for a better deal, you could spend about $20 or less (depends where you shop) on an onion, tomatoes, cilantro, tortillas, beans, cheese and rice, and make yourself a veggie burrito (my dear cousin’s creation).
Heat up the tortilla, beans and cheese in a pan, and put all the veggies in afterwards. The ingredients last you more than a week and will give you your needed nutrients. The produce ingredients for the veggie burrito can also be interchangeable for a salad or to bake with lemon-pepper chicken (my dear friend Fifty’s specialty). You’ll get a lot of healthy uses for your $20, whereas $20 at Chipotle won’t last you nearly as long. Fancy that.
JENNIFER RICHWOOD is anticipating the new Harry Potter release as well as her new healthy diet. Tell her how exciting it all is at jcrichwood@ucdavis.edu.
