— a casual experiment partly inspired by the constraints of the pandemic. The bakery/cafe has since spawned a Georgetown sibling and grown up to become one of DC’s top dining destinations in its own right.“The whole idea was always to give the fine dining atmosphere to an approachable cafe,” Rafidi says. “It started during Covid as a way to create some kind of sunshine for people during a dark time. For me, it’s continuing to have that same mindset, keeping an inviting place open all day for DC.
“I started working on this project before Georgetown was even in the picture,” Rafidi says. “This project just took a lot longer than I thought.” Within a few months, Yellow Union Market will also open for dinner starting at 5 PM, serving a menu Rafidi calls “All the Kebabs.” Like the “ Pizza” evening menu at the Georgetown location, “All the Kebabs” is its own distinct concept, with table service and a separate menu focused on charcoal-grilled skewers: leg of lamb with dill-yogurt marinade, bavette steak with chermoula yogurt, grape leaf swordfish, amba chicken with fermented mango, and a variety of spreads and condiments.