Shemali's*

Shemali's is a Lebanese delicatessen that has suffered, along with the Cleveland Park neighborhood around Wisconsin Ave, from the ditherings and delays in redevelopment of the Giant. It used to have a store in the parking lot of the supermarket large enough to run a lunch counter that served the best bargain in sharwama and the best lentil soup in the District. But when Giant - around 5 years ago - closed down all the premises it leased out to increase its size, Shemali's disappeared to the medical building at 3301 New Mexico Ave NW. It's there you'll find all the Middle East goodies of its previous location. But no lunch counter. Don't despair, though. Gretta and Joseph Chemali (no, that's not a spelling mistake) can sell you a whole stuffed lamb...

The Chemalis may have lost their lunch counter. But in 2007 they opened a large space in Rockville to do catering. So you can still get your lentil soup - and dishes for feasting on - from there, from platters of vine leaves to lamb stews, roast meats, rice dishes and more. At the delicatessen in the Foxhall Medical Building you'll find home-made kibbeh, meat pies, spinach and cheese pies, as well as tubs of home-made humous, pickles, stuffed grape leaves and baklava. In the freezer are artichoke bottoms, fava beans, spice mixes of fresh coriander with garlic, kebbe trays, home-made falafel pastes, kataifi and phyllo dough. In the dairy cabinet are a small range of olives and four different kinds of feta.

As to the spelling of the family name? Gretta says that when they spelled their name as it should be, customers pronounced their market with a hard 'Ch', as in 'chemistry'. So they switched the 'C' for an 'S'.

Shemali's, Foxhall Medical Building, 3301 New Mexico Ave NW, 202 686 7070

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