Local Favorites: Chez Hareg

If you have visited Washington, DC before and looked around for vegan food, you are probably well aware that we are not in short supply by any means. There are so many terrific places to eat, that it's hard to name them all off at once. Many people have probably heard of Sticky Fingers. After their two Cupcake Wars wins, they have hit a level of notoriety that makes it sometimes hard to get a table in the tiny shop. What you probably haven't heard of is Chez Hareg. The shop is located on 4th St NE. It might be easy to miss, but you would definitely be mistaken if you didn't enter. Their counters are full of vegan tea cookies. The sable roule is my personal favorite. It's a crisp cookie with edges coated in sugar. The palmier is a close second. The linzer and spicy flax cookies are also worth a try. At a whopping 50 cents a cookie, it's easy to walk away with an overflowing box. Their biscotti were not my favorite, but I might still get a few in my next box.


What you really can't miss out on is the vegan napoleon. I am not sure what their cream is made from, but it's a little mind boggling. The cream piled between crisp layers of pastry and topped with powdered sugar is worth any drive. It's my favorite dessert in the city. If you can't make it to their store front to try the napoleon, you might still be able to try their cookies. Whole Foods recently signed a contract with them, and you can find boxes of their cookies in most stores in the Mid-Atlantic.
Is there a bakery near you that goes under-appreciated? I would love to hear what your favorite shops are!