Beefsteak

Inside the wide, window-wrapped, street-level corner room of George Washington University’s Engineering Building is another José Andrés culinary revelation, this one serving cheap, freshly made-to-order, vegetable dish assemblages. If you’ve ever been to a Chipotle, you’ll have an idea how it works. You step up to the counter and order one of four suggested favorites or else give instructions to the line cooks to create your own. First you choose your desired veggies from a wide assortment, then your grain (bulgur, quinoa, or rice), then your sauce (black bean, cilantro, garlic yogurt, or lemon honey), and finally, your crunchy toppings, everything from toasted almonds to chopped scallions. The counter staff flash-cook the vegetables and assemble all of your ingredients in a recyclable container to eat there in the sunny room or take out. (Beefsteak does offer a couple of “meaty” add-ons, such as chicken sausage and salt-cured salmon, for those who simply can’t do without.) Overwhelmed by choices, on my last visit I opted for the Eden, which combined quinoa, snap peas, edamame, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cilantro, garlic yogurt sauce, romaine, scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lemon honey dressing. A second Beefsteak is located at 1528 Connecticut Ave. NW (tel. 202/986-7597), in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.