Washington area restaurants and food markets increasingly cater to the organic, locavore and slow food movements

The Soupergirl storefront in Takoma Park (All photos by Karen Carstens)

Soupergirl is a superhero for the slow food, locavore and sustainable farming movements, bringing bowls of piping hot goodness to hungry Washingtonians who want to eat right, but do not always have enough time to whip up fresh, organic meals at home.



A family business that exemplifies the motto "doing good by doing well"

Soupergirl, a soup pick-up and delivery restaurant, is the brainchild of Sara Polon, a former tech executive, stand-up comedian and travel consultant.

Soupergirl's Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili

Together with her mother, Marilyn Polon, a.k.a. Soupermom - who develops vegan, kosher soup recipes using fresh ingredients from local farms - she is on a mission to sell good-for-you food and respect our planet.

Soupergirl's menu changes daily based on whatever is in season. All biodegradable scraps and compostable containers are deposited in compost bins at the conservation-minded building in Takoma Park where the store - opened in September 2011 - is located.

Recently I scarfed down a bowl of Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili there. I piled it high with toppings - croutons, herbs, almonds - and added a few dashes of hot sauce. It was hearty, filling - and downright delicious.

Healthy options used to be few and far between ...

But it has not always been easy to find such healthy dining options in the Washington Metropolitan Area, as graphic designer Amy Ver Hague, who commutes every weekday to downtown DC from Vienna, Va., has found in the past.

... but now there are more choices, from organic salad to vegan cupcakes

Graphic designer and DC commuter Amy Ver Hague

One way busy commuters like Amy can eat more sustainably - beyond packing a homemade, organic lunch, that is - is to seek out salad bars such as Sweetgreen or restaurants such as Founding Farmers.

Owned by a collective of American family farmers, Founding Farmers aims to "offer farm-inspired American true food and drink in a modern, casual and eco-friendly setting."

Unlike Soupergirl or the wildly popular vegan Sticky Fingers Bakery in Washington's Mount Pleasant neighborhood, however, meat is also on the menu here - having dined there carnivorously myself I can personally attest to its tastiness.

My friend Amy meanwhile has discovered a healthy, omnivorous, cafeteria-style lunch venue called Litestars, located on L Street just a few blocks from her office.



Like Soupergirl, Litestars is also a family business, run by Annie and Didier Leconte, along with their son Eric. The recipes at Litestars were crafted by Annie, a native of France, who "imagined creating a restaurant that would provide Americans with healthier alternatives," according to the Litestars Web site.

Farmers markets, CSA's are good ways to "eat local"

Going green inside the Soupergirl store

As consumers become more aware of how to shop, eat and dine out sustainably, organically, and locally, restaurants and food service providers appear to be adapting accordingly.

Clearly, this kind of food is here to stay.

A Google search for "Washington DC Organic Restaurants," for instance, yields an urbanspoon listing of more than 50 places.

Today's conscientious consumer can moreover shop for fresh produce at local farm markets or receive farm-fresh deliveries from a CSA.

FRESHFARM markets, for instance, represents 11 producer-only farmers markets in the Washington region.

If this is a response to globalization - even if eating 100 percent locally may not always be feasible in today's globalized world - then surely it is a positive one.

These local folks obviously favor the local food movement in this promotional spot for an Eat Local First campaign that included a "Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week" in July 2011:

You Tube Video: Eat Local First DC - do you eat local?