H Street. Whole Foods. March 15th

Photo by Stephanie Unkel‎

Update: Full press release from Whole Foods:

“Whole Foods Market will open its newest Washington location on Wednesday, March 15, at 600 H St. NE. The store, designed to be the go-to destination for grocery shoppers east of the Capitol, will offer the highest quality natural and organic products, including fresh produce, meat, seafood and prepared foods.

“We’re thrilled to join the thriving H Street neighborhood,” said Donovan Morris, the store’s team leader and a 26-year Whole Foods Market veteran who most recently led the Foggy Bottom/GW store. “We’re offering a unique, exciting grocery shopping experience and a new destination for fast casual dining with gathering places for the community.”

Every item sold in the store meets Whole Foods Market’s rigorous quality standards and is free of artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, preservatives and hydrogenated fats.

The 40,000-square-foot store includes:

· The first expanded Paper Horse venue by Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, introducing a larger Chinese diner-style menu, featuring Asian comfort foods

· Collaborations with Atlas Brew Works, including a first-to-market “Home Rule” brew and baked-from-scratch breads made from recycled brewer’s grain

· Exclusive local products, including sauces and spice blends from Maketto, Cava restaurant sauces and D.C.-based Snacklins’ vegan “pork rinds”

· Extensive hot and cold prepared foods bars, using local, natural and organic ingredients and offering seasonal dishes, ethnic cuisine and comfort food

· An intimate mezzanine pub with 16 local beers on tap, wine by the glass and a gourmet hot dog cart

· H Street’s only outdoor patio

The store’s 150 team members include trained butchers, fishmongers, scratch bakers and a team of chefs. The community is invited to join store and company leaders for a traditional bread-breaking ceremony at 8:45 a.m. on March 15. Opening day shoppers will be greeted with door-buster deals and an array of product demonstrations and samples.”

And so it is written. Thanks to all who tweeted, emailed and facebooked us. Props to Vaughn Sterling and Kim Coates who were first on the draw. T-1 month. Standby for Navy Yard and Pleasant Plains/Shaw Whole Foods updates.

Photo by Timothy Johnson

6th and H Street, NE