Location: 1700 N. Moore St., Level M2, Arlington, Va.
Go for: A work-from-home day.
After opening in March, Rosslyn’s Upside on Moore became the newest addition to the DMV food hall scene and part of a larger concerted effort to liven up the neighborhood. Located just down the street from the Rosslyn Metro station, on the second floor of the Rosslyn City Center building, Upside boasts eight mini-restaurants, two of which — Lightning Coffee Co. and Lili’s — are exclusive to the space. You’ll also recognize a handful of stalls from other locations: Trendy burger and sandwich joint Ghostburger’s original location is in Shaw, Mexican restaurant La Michoacana hails from Brentwood, Md., Hawaiian-Philippine fusion spot Kam and 46 was originally a cult-classic food truck, and both Stellina Pizzeria and Laoban Dumplings (which, this time, is fused with owner Tim Ma’s Arlington spot Lucky Dangr) have locations in Union Market.
Here, Kam and 46 is a highlight: Its Hawaiian loco moco, a sunny-side-up egg atop beef smothered with gravy, is available only at Upside and tastes as close as we’ve come thus far to the taste of Honolulu in the DMV. Its guava cake is also tasty — refreshing and sweet, grounded in the fruit’s floral notes.
At the far side of the space, decorated with tresses of faux leaves, is the Sophia bar, whose cocktails are crafted by Elli Benchimol, the mixologist behind the high-end French cafe-slash-restaurant Apéro in Georgetown. Sip your drink at the bar or at one of the many booths and tables bathed in pockets of sunlight by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sectioned off by glass partitions. Or, if it’s warm, step outside onto the patio overlooking the shiny glass high-rises of Moore Street.
As at its predecessor the Assembly, you can order from stalls via QR codes on each table. Upside also features touch-screen ordering stations: The central ones at designated islands allow you to order to-go meals from any stall, and the ones at the counters allow you to order only from the stall they operate next to. Upside aims to attract remote workers and keep them there after hours with a bevy of activities, like a weekly trivia night, with proceeds benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
Price range: $10 to $20 per meal, with exceptions at Lightning Coffee Co.
