WASHINGTON -- Named after a popular saying -- Call Your Mother deli on Georgia Avenue takes a new spin on traditional Jewish cuisine.
Andrew Dana, the deli’s half-Jewish owner tells us they take pride in putting the “ish” in Jew-ish, which basically means you can enjoy traditional Jewish food with a slight twist. So you can get a pastrami sandwich on a bagel or a white fish croquette.
The bagels at Call Your Mother are unlike any other bagels we’ve seen. The shop specializes in making a unique blend of New York-style bagels (soft and chewy dough) and Montreal-style (sweeter, thicker) to create the perfect treat.
Dana says these bagels are extremely popular judging by the long lines outside the shop every weekend.
We decided to try the unusual creations for ourselves to see just what the hype was all about.
First up was “The Shyne” bagel: Bacon, a bodega-style egg, spicy honey, American and cheddar cheese on an everything bagel. Of all the deli’s creations, this one most closely resembled your everyday breakfast bagel -- simple and basic in design but absolutely delicious nonetheless.
Next we tried “The Craig D” bagel: Strawberry cream cheese, strawberries, bacon, jalapenos and plain potato chips on a plain bagel. In theory, this is the kind of snack a first-grader would go nuts over, we, however, were a little on the hesitant side. Surprisingly, the combination of the jalapenos with the strawberry flavor tasted like heaven on Earth.
Even if you aren’t a bagel lover, you can try other Jew-ish stuff on the menu like Pastrami Fried Rice, Jew-ish tacos (with brisket, pastrami, jalapenos and more) and even The Trotter, a wood-fired turkey cheesesteak-style sandwich on a Challah roll. The choice is yours.
If you thought the menu was full of flavor, the shop is even more colorful. The communal dining area is full of pastel pink, green and yellow color pops.
The best part? A collection of framed photos of rapper Drake who is also half-Jewish like Dana.
Call Your Mother is open Tuesday through Sunday at 3301 Georgia Ave from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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