The classic New York City bodega is all things to all people: a one-stop shop for anyone looking for wares ranging from a bunch of bananas and a sandwich to a pack of smokes and a few cans of cat food. They’re also community beacons, drawing people from across a neighborhood together at any hour of the day to pick up their random assortments of provisions.
DC now has its own — admittedly rather more upscale — version, as Chicago-based Foxtrot Foxtrot Market has landed in Georgetown, with its sights set on Mount Vernon Triangle and multiple other locations around the District.
A new kind of convenience store, Foxtrot is full of curated products and brands, everyday essentials, and local must-haves, including goods from Ice Cream Jubilee, Vigilante Coffee, Mason Dixie, ANXO Cider and more. Their unique business model is also pretty pandemic-friendly, promising delivery in under an hour should you choose not to give the store an in-person visit.
“We call it a modern-day corner store,” says Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Mike LaVitola. “So, for us, what that means is curating a menu of stuff that fits into your everyday life. Thinking about what’s in a convenience store or corner store, you’ve got beer, wine, cheese, sandwiches, all that kind of fun stuff. What we do is go in each of those categories, find things that we love, and bring them all into one place, and we always want to be a platform or space for new and local brands to have the spot in retail.”
Foxtrot is also finding creative ways to support local business, like partnering up with DC culinary powerhouse Erik Bruner Yang to serve easy-to-grab dishes at their all-day café in Georgetown like mapo tofu bowls and pork and chili tacos. When they first opened at the start of March, donations were made on every delivery order to Bruner Yang’s Power of 10 Initiative, with its mission of bringing restaurant workers back to work and providing access to food for those who need it the most.
Prior to opening, Foxtrot even held an inaugural Up and Comers Small Makers Awards competition in their search for the best hyperlocal brands. Northern Virginia-based cookie company Surprisingly Baked took home the win, earning them $8,000 in marketing support and placement in Foxtrot’s DC stores.
So, for the hungry, the thirsty, or the curious, we’ve asked LaVitola to put together a list of some of the products he’s most excited about seeing stocked on their shelves in Georgetown right now. This is your sign to go grab your groceries for dinner tonight.
Foxtrot x Vigilante Coffee – Foxtrot AM Coffee Blend
Prior to their East Coast arrival, Foxtrot teamed up with local roaster Vigilante to create their very own AM Coffee Blend. Roasted and bagged in Maryland, it provides hints of orange marmalade and chocolate, with a toasty flavor upon brewing.
Surprisingly Baked – The OG Surprise
The winners of their Up and Comers Small Makers Awards competition, Surprisingly Baked is known for decadent cookies that aren’t always as they first appear. LaVitola’s favorite, the OG Surprise, looks like your typical chocolate chip cookie but reveals a double-stuffed Oreo once you bite into it.
Nomad Dumplings – Hunan Hottie
LaVitola is a big fan of this local and woman-owned dumpling company, which takes traditional Chinese recipes and puts a regional spin on them. Grab a bag of Hunan Hotties, inspired by street food in the region, if all-natural dumplings made with bok choy, chili, shiitake, and wood ear mushrooms sounds good to you.
The Andy Factory – Regular Mambo Sauce
Mambo, or mumbo, sauce is a DC must-have, and this one by the Andy Factory is the perfect bottle to have on your home shelf. The signature wing sauce from Uncle Dell’s, it’s “slightly spicy and tangy in just the right way.”
Aslin – Power Moves Hazy IPA
As the weather finally starts to warm, we all know that means an imminent start to IPA season. Kick it off with this Power Moves Hazy by local Alexandria brewer Aslin, an easy-drinking, low-ABV juice bomb.
Foxtrot x Eric Bruner Yang Chile and Pork Breakfast Taco
The best way to start your day is definitely with a breakfast taco in hand. This one — a collaboration between Foxtrot and Erik Bruner Yang — features locally-sourced scrambled eggs, Chinese roasted pork, chili crisp, and pickled cucumber aioli on a homemade flour tortilla.
Ice Cream Jubilee – Banana Bourbon Caramel Ice Cream
One thing DC definitely doesn’t lack is a wide selection of bangin’ local ice creams. Ice Cream Jubilee is known for its sort of wacky flavors that just work, like their Banana Bourbon Caramel.
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