Nibble and Sips – Georgetown Safeway

Jordan Wright
May 2010

Georgetown’s “New” Social Safeway is a Lollapalooza!

Georgetown’s “Social” Safeway celebrated its grand opening with a gala celebration. The store, which has been sorely missed by its neighbors ever since it was shuttered for the rebuilding, has returned in breathtaking splendor. Now patrons can revel in its many new specialty departments.

Here are some neat things about this 71,067 square-foot “Grocery Store for the 21st Century”:

* It’s open 24 hours a day and has a 24-hour pharmacy. (Things could get a lot more “social” after the bars close.) It is the first LEED-certified grocery store in the District, and Safeway’s second LEED-certified store (the other is in Santa Cruz, Calif.). It features include a sit-down sushi bar, an Italian-style gelato bar; pizza oven and an open-flame hearth oven where European style Artisan breads are baked fresh daily.

* There is a flower market to rival any high-end florist. I spotted dozens of orchids, stalks of exotic ginger, pink and yellow cymbidiums, white hydrangeas, brilliant red anthuriums, kangaroo paws and huge modernist palm fronds, elephant ears, and of course, the usual posies. Many arrangements are gift-ready and echo the lavish displays seen in our poshest hotel lobbies.

* A “Nut Bar”, reminiscent of an old-fashioned candy store, offers a large selection of warm, ready-to-eat nuts that can be flavored with chocolate or ground to make spreads and butters.

* A vast greengrocer section featuring some very exotic fruits and the city’s largest selection of fresh organic produce.

* A deluxe version Starbucks coffee bar serving until midnight.

* An indoor/outdoor seating area with fireplace, HD televisions, complimentary WiFi, and open balcony overlooking Wisconsin Avenue.

* Ongoing events, such as cooking demos by local chefs, and wine and cheese tastings are held every Thursday. And in a lavishly appointed wood-paneled and temperature-controlled wine room that rivals any purveyor in town, their wine (and beer) selection purports to be the largest of any retailer in the District.

Bonus: All parking is now underground, making for pleasant shopping come rain or shine!