In uncertain times, it’s hard to know what to do or how to feel. One thing you can know is you’re not alone. Now is a time to reach out to the people around you — your neighbors, your community, your city, your region. We can still choose compassion, and keep choosing it. We can still choose goodness, and keep choosing it.
At Uprise, celebrating the incredible people who make up our local community is important to us. We’re lucky to be based in a vibrant city and region and to call this place home. So today, we want to honor and celebrate fellow local businesses who contribute to making this area a great place to work and live.
Immigrant Food
Immigrant Food opened in 2019, just down the street from the White House. On their website, they say their dishes “reflect how we see America at its core: diverse, nourishing and welcoming.” Plus, they open their doors to organizations who need spaces to hold legal clinics and workshops, teach English, and provide job search services. (You can learn more here.) Besides their Pennsylvania Avenue location, they have restaurants in Union Market, Planet Word, and at the Nature Conservancy headquarters in Ballston.
Pie Gourmet
This Black-owned small business has been around since 1987 in Vienna, Virginia. Pie Gourmet hand makes their pies and baked goods from scratch with fresh local produce. We’re talking classic pies like apple or cherry, as well as creative flavors like raspberry peach or chocolate pecan. Plus savory dinner pies like chicken curry, veggie, or spicy chicken, and quiches like crab & mushroom or broccoli-cauliflower. You’re set for dinner and dessert.
Rose Ave
Asian- and women-owned Rose Ave serves inventive pastries like passion fruit donuts, ube cheese kouign amanns, Saigon cinnamon banana cookies, or garlic scallion buns, to name just a very few! Founder Rosie Nguyen was a pediatric nurse at Children’s National Medical Center for 10 years before teaching herself how to bake and ultimately launching “DC’s first modern Asian American bakery,” per their website. Go to their Woodley Park location early or you’ll be waiting in line — we’re not the only ones who have fallen in love with this bakery! (Although Rose Ave’s food and drinks are worth the wait!)
Community Bookstores
We are incredibly lucky in the DMV to have so many wonderful independent bookstores! Just a few of our favorites: woman-owned Bards Alley in Vienna, Virginia; Black-owned Mahogany Books in National Harbor, Maryland; Black-, queer-, and Asian-owned Loyalty Bookstores in Petworth and Silver Spring, Maryland; woman-owned East City Bookshop near Eastern Market; or woman-owned Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia. We’re frankly spoiled for choices for fantastic, diverse local bookstores in this area!
Haydee’s
Haydee’s, started by a husband and wife team from El Salvador, serves El Salvador’s national dish, pupusas, as well as quesadillas, fajitas, plátanos fritos, margaritas, and more. Plus they offer karaoke nights and host live bands. They’ve been part of the community since 1988, and their daughter became an owner this year as well. Haydee’s has two locations: Mount Pleasant/Columbia Heights and Georgia Avenue/Brightwood.
Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen
How could we write this list without including Ethiopian food? Immigrant-owned Elsa Ethiopian Kitchen is one of our local favorites. Chef Elsabete Yirge, along with her husband and business partner Beniam Belay, is all about providing authentic, not Americanized, Ethiopian food. They offer dishes like kitfo and doro wat at their Woodley Park location. Be sure to start with lentil sambusas!
Miss Pixie’s
You’ll find fun used furnishings at queer- and woman-owned Miss Pixie’s. From farm tables to garden furniture to original artwork, you’ll be able to buy something unique here. Miss Pixie’s buys all their items within a one hundred mile radius, and describe their findings as “Victorian to yesterday with a bit of midcentury and shabby chic thrown in.” A longtime 14th St NW staple, Miss Pixie’s is now located in Adams Morgan.
Republic Restoratives
Queer- and woman-owned Republic Restoratives is a crowdfunded distillery and craft cocktail bar in Ivy City. Their spirits, aptly named for their location in the nation’s capital, include Civic Vodka, Assembly Gin, and Dissent Gin. They’ve also distilled spirits honoring women politicians, including Rodham Rye and Madam, which commemorated Kamala Harris’ inauguration as the first Black, Southeast Asian, and woman vice president.
Capital Candy Jar
Queer-owned Capital Candy Jar, located in Hill East, is known for beautiful small-batch sweet treats featuring the DC flag, American flag, capital landmarks, and political party symbols. Owner Dave Burton fell in love with the city the first time he visited in the 90s, and started his candy store in 2014, with the goal of supporting DC’s local economy and sharing his passion for confections.
Falafel Inc.
Arab American-owned Falafel Inc. serves up super affordable, tasty falafel (think a $4 sandwich or $5 bowl — and definitely don’t miss the $4 za’atar fries). Founder Ahmad Ashkar aimed to start, in his words, “a badass falafel shop” that employed and gave back to refugees. Falafel Inc. has partnered with the World Food Programme, the United Nations’ humanitarian organization, to deliver aid to refugees. The first Falafel Inc. location opened in Georgetown in 2017, and the restaurant now has locations all around the DMV, in Western Market, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Tysons, College Park, and on the Wharf.
Of course, if we were to list all the amazing small and local businesses in the DMV, this list would go on and on. Support your neighborhood favorites. Try new ones.
On a final note this week, check in with each other. Support each other. And we want to thank you for being part of our community here at Uprise Solar.