There are a lot of foodies at the Pentagon, but up until recently they've all been on pretty grim rations. The concourse was closed for renovation and the remaining food courts were pretty dismal. However, things are looking up.
The Pentagon has a brand new Food Court and Dining Room, just opened a couple of weeks ago. It's part of the new Concourse. The Pentagon has an entire shopping mall within it; you can get a haircut, dental care, glasses, and a bank account, as well as many other sundry items. But the folks who work in the biggest office building on earth were most eager to see the new lunch offerings. There's a Market Basket store with an ample breakfast and lunch buffet. (We start out strong and healthy on the salad side and usually break down when we get to the lo mein, pork ribs and fried rice)
Downstairs is the food court proper. No photos in this post, because photography is not permitted in the Pentagon Reservation. I would love to provide photos of the new Food Court, since the ceiling soars at least thirty or forty feet -- very unusual in the Pentagon, which is normally cramped, low-ceilinged, and redolent of 40's ambience. Large oval columns are faced with woodgrained panels. The floors are tiled with composite that contains sparkling specks that reflect the bright lighting. But the offerings are basic fast food -- Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts. The longest line is always in front of Popeye's fried chicken. We're still waiting for the formal dining room to open -- that should be interesting, but not necessarily for the food. Pentagon food service, like all government services, is procured via contract bid, and the lowest bidder doesn't usually produce the best quality. Because the building is so big and hard to get in and out of, most of us usually eat here. There are a few decent restaurants about four blocks away at Pentagon Row, but we usually go to those only for special occasions.
Actually, the best place to eat is the Pentagon Conference Center snack bar. That guy makes some of the the best fries in Northern Virginia. My team and I would meet there weekly and we all craved those fries. Anyone else at the Pentagon?
Enlightening post, it's so interesting to see that Pentagon has a such arrangement of food.
Posted by: Term Papers | 02/01/2010 at 01:02 AM