Bethesda
(Map,
News)
- When an Armenian acquaintance mentioned that an
Armenian restaurant named Lilit Café had opened in
Bethesda, I marked it down as a must-go. Rare in
Washington, Armenian food is an interesting
composite of Greek, Turkish and Persian influences,
resulting in sturdy, basic fare replete with grilled
meats, flat breads, yogurt, wheat and rice pilafs,
and loads of vegetables.
» The food and drink
As it turns out, Lilit Café does
not serve Armenian food at all; instead, an Armenian
owns the café-as-deli-as-wine bar, and what you find
is fine deli fixings turned into sandwiches,
paninis, pizzas, salads and, if you drop in early
morning, breakfast fare. Oh, and freshly made gelato
(cups small $2.50, medium $3, large $3.50) scooped
into tubs winks at you as you walk in, and is as
seductive as an ice bath in July.
» Breakfast in a deli
Lilit’s Café makes a good case for
starting the day off with more than coffee and a
doughnut. Although I haven’t tried them — since I
was thinking of enjoying an Armenian lunch here —
the smoothies ($4.95 each) and the improbable banana
splits ($5.50) appeal in their fruity, wholesome
goodness. Three of the four smoothies are thickened
with yogurt, though the Berry Bliss incorporates
lemon gelato, a fine way to get going in the
morning. You also get your choice of whole, reduced
fat or soy milk.
As for the banana splits, these
are not as icky as they sound, for instead of
super-fattening, whipped-cream-drenched desserts,
these splits are actually glorified bowls of cereal:
banana, granola, cottage cheese or yogurt, and
cut-up fresh fruit. What could be more nourishing,
except maybe a bowl of hot, old-fashioned oatmeal?
» For something heartier ...
Why not an egg sandwich ($3.50
each) with your choice of bacon or sausage and
cheese, or possibly a Greek or veggie omelet at
$5.95 each? It’s not clear whether you can order
breakfast all day, but if not, there’s plenty more
comfort food on the menu.
» What’s good?
The owner told me that the crab
cakes were house favorites. Available as an entrée
item or as a house sandwich ($7.99 each), the crab
cake, as it turns out, is not particularly firm, and
while meaty/crabby, does not have the crispy
exterior of a fine-dining cake. As a sandwich, the
crab cakes comes atop one slice of bread with a side
of shredded cabbage.
Since everything is prepared and
cooked to order, use your wait time to sample some
of the numerous gelato flavors: lemon, pineapple,
green mint, tiramisu, strawberry, and my favorite,
crème caramel. Management is quite generous with its
samples, so try them all out to find your best
taste.
» The last word
Perhaps it lacks the glamour and
fire of Thai cooking, but what could be more
appealing than a diet of no-frills Armenian food in
this health-conscious age? It’s the stuff of
Granny’s cooking, but with a different name.
If you go
» Lilit Café
7921 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m.
to 9 a.m.; Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.;
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
