WASHINGTON 鈥� It鈥檚 hard to miss the rows of wire baskets getting dunked into boiling liquid on the line at Jos茅 Andr茅s鈥� fast-casual concept .
But unlike other quick-serve restaurants, these baskets don鈥檛 take a bath in hot oil. Instead, the vegetable-filled containers are plunged into a tub of salted, boiling water 鈥� a cooking technique known as blanching 鈥� before they鈥檙e mixed into build-your-own bowls.
Why? Bennett Haynes, chief of produce for Beefsteak鈥檚 parent company, , said blanching helps the vegetables taste more like, well, vegetables. And showcasing the flavors of plants is what Beefsteak is all about.
鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 the most pure, simple way to cook a vegetable 鈥� and it brings out that exact flavor in a floret of broccoli, or the sweetness of a carrot, the earthiness of sweet potatoes,鈥� Haynes said.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to mask the flavors in salt and chili or vinegar.鈥�
Beefsteak opened its first location three years ago in D.C.s Foggy Bottom neighborhood on George Washington University鈥檚 campus. Now, it has a total of five locations, and along with its physical expansion, Haynes said the brand鈥檚 target demographic has also grown.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want it to be a restaurant that appeals only to millennials, or appeals only to vegetarians or health-focused folks,鈥� he said.
These days, a big part of Beefsteak鈥檚 focus is on kids: Its goal is to prove vegetables can be delicious on their own, and not just when blended into baked goods or hidden under layers of melted cheese.
Earlier this year, Beefsteak launched its Little Sprouts program, which offers free junior-sized veggie bowls to customers 10 and under on Wednesdays, with the purchase of a regular bowl.
For the deal, kids can choose from a base of two vegetables, plus a grain (rice, quinoa, lentils), fresh veggie toppings (cucumber salad, cherry tomatoes, etc.), sauces (garlic yogurt and spicy tomato are two of the more popular options), and something crunchy (the corn nuts are a personal favorite of Andr茅s).
Haynes said the vegetables Beefsteak offers aren鈥檛 too exotic 鈥� they鈥檙e 鈥渕ore or less your supermarket-type vegetables鈥� 鈥� and the familiarity of what鈥檚 on display at the store helps make the greens more approachable to kids. (Broccoli is a favorite among the pint-size crowd. Haynes said sugar-snap peas are also popular.)
On Saturday, Sept. 22, families can head to Beefsteak鈥檚 Tenleytown location for a three-hour, kid-friendly celebration featuring coloring activities, raffles and samples from the restaurant鈥檚 menu.
There will also be an opportunity for little ones to get their hands dirty.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do some little seedlings in pots that everyone can take home and plant in their home garden for the fall,鈥� Haynes said.
Saturday鈥檚 Little Sprouts celebration at Beefsteak is free; you can register and find more information on the .
