- Salt, Pepper, Oregano, Olive Oil and Lemon: Key ingredients at Cava Grill
Today marks the opening of Cava Grill in Bethesda. Last night I had the chance to preview the menu and not shockingly, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. The team behind Cava Mezze has done it again but this time with a more casual dining option.
Walking into Cava’s new space immediately made me think… Chipotle. No one panic, this is not necessarily a bad thing. As someone who works in Bethesda, I really like the idea of having somewhere to get a quick, healthy but still interesting lunch. Cava appears to deliver on all of these fronts. Speaking with business partner Brett Schulman, it was clear that was their vision too. He said they wanted to provide the ability to have options without overwhelming diners. It also doesn’t hurt that nothing on the menu is over $7.50.
Once inside, you start off your ordering at the counter in a “build your own” format. You can choose from a full-sized pita, 3 mini pitas, a bowl or salad. I went with the mini pitas (1 chicken, 1 lamb, 1 sausage) with the harissa, tzatziki and crazy feta sauce. I topped it all off with the feta, pickled cabbage slaw and tomato and onion salad. The combination was delicious! I loved being able to have three different dishes all in one and I’m fairly sure it was a healthy dinner. Apparently the nutrition facts will be listed on the site. Rich had the large lamb pita and claimed he wouldn’t be needing any other options, he was sold on the lamb.
After a delightful dinner I can pretty much guarantee Cava will be a hit for the office crowd and locals in Bethesda. In other exciting news, Brett divulged some of their development plans which will include 2-3 new Cava Grills opening in DC over the next six months and of course, the opening of Cava Mezze in Clarendon. The Clarendon location will be a full service restaurant modeled after the Capitol Hill and Rockville locations. Can’t wait for that!
Cava Grill
4382 Bethesda Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20814
240-221-0887
www.cavagrill.com
