Can Two Vegans Playing Hooky Find Food in Bethesda?

Answer: Yes, they can, and pretty darn good food at that.

After a grueling stretch at work, with a short lull that required nothing but a 30 minute conference call, decided to play hooky today, go with Awesome Wife to run some errands, and see Potter.  We were in Bethesda at lunch time, and decided to grab some lunch.  We did a thorough scouting of the area, and decided after much deliberation (AW would probably say a little too much deliberation on my part) to try Jaleo.

We've eaten at the Jaleo in Crystal City, and thought it was a bit inconsistent, but I was feeling reckless, and in we walked.  We explained to the waiter that we were vegans, and he was well prepared, offering to check if we could order off the Restaurant Week menu (we didn't but nice of him to ask), offering vegan suggestions, and accommodating our non-cheese preferences.  We ended up going with the "sandwich and either 1/2 soup or 1/2 salad" combo.

We started off with some tasty bread, served with some olive oil with garlic and rosemary.  It was fine, nothing to write home about.  AW opted for a roasted beet salad, and I (keep in mind that I was a little off the reservation today) went with the gazpacho, a food I have never eaten before. I always thought that cold soup sounded a little lame, but this was really good, with tomato, bread, onion and garlic sprinkled throughout.  AW raved about her beet salad as well, but she has a personal affinity with the beets.

Our sandwiches were asparagus, carmalized onions, arugula, and roasted peppers, served on ciabatta bread.  Alongside it was a dollop of tasty Romesco sauce.  The sandwich was very flavorful, and filling. I ate it all, and it was probably 1/4 too much for my taste.

All in all, this was a pleasant surprise.  Our previous experiences had been up-and-down, and generally very salty.  This one was a keeper.  By the way, Harry Potter was a very good movie, and since I quit after the first four books, it was all news to me!