If you cruise along Connecticut Avenue from the heart of the District and drive through the city traffic, past residential areas, and then through Silver Spring, Md., you get to the bland strip malls of Wheaton. There's not much pedestrian traffic along Wheaton's main drags of Connecticut and Georgia Avenues, but if you pull over, park the car and explore the dozens of small stores and restaurants, you and your stomach will be richly rewarded.
2621 University Blvd. West
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: (240) 290-9988
Unassuming from the outside, Hollywood East Cafe has some of the best dim sum in the Washington, D.C. area. We recommend the steamed roast pork buns and steamed vegetable buns. If you like a little bit of spice, ask for the red chili sauce. The combination of sweet and spicy is perfection. The waiters may not always offer the dim sum menu, which is a separate sheet from the main menu, so be sure to ask. The fried taro cakes, the vegetable dumplings and the crystal dumplings are also delicious. But the steamed roast pork buns definitely take the prize.
12015 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20902
Phone: (301) 942-5071
H Mart is a massive Korean grocery store, patronized by Koreans and non-Koreans alike. The produce section is among the most comprehensive and intriguing we've ever seen, with everything from banana flowers to chayote, fuzzy melon to baby bok choi with flowers still on it. There's an enormous section of snacks and chips from Korea and other Asian countries, a huge tea aisle, a mind-bogglingly big noodle selection and a wider variety of tofu than we knew existed. The store also has a large fresh and frozen fish section, and in the front of the store, a small lunch counter serving Korean dishes. For homesick Koreans and people who love fermented cabbage, there's a selection of kimchi to rival any Korean supermarket.
Little Bitts. Photo by Kat AaronThe Little Bitts Shop.11246 Triangle Lane
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: (301) 933-2733
Looking for goldfish-shaped sprinkles? Look no further. The Little Bitts Shop has all of your baking needs covered, including an extensive selection of edible sugar flowers and figurines for cake decorating, from dogwoods to cacti to ducks with bows. The store also has cake pans and cookie cutters in every shape imaginable. Friendly shop owners will help you make those critical cupcake decisions.
11425 Grandview Ave
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: (301) 942-8412
Like many of Wheaton's hidden gems, the Brazilian Market doesn't look like much from the outside. But step inside and belly up to the coffee bar, where they make a mean cappucino and espresso. It's a great way to cap off a meal at Hollywood East, or, if you go by the Market on the weekend, you can sample their homemade feijoada, a quintessentially Brazilian stew of beans, pork, and beef.
Brazilian Market. Photo by Kat AaronBrazilian Market
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