Gourmet & Healthy in College Park

The celebrated smokery's owners Barbara Lahnstein and son Dorian Brown keep their focus on beautiful presentation and culinary delights made from fresh, local, all-natural, and never-canned-from-leftover-space-missions ingredients. During the week, stop by Easton Market Square and prep for Thanksgiving parties by picking up a smoked salmon fillet party platter ($25 per pound, plus $20 plattering fee) or a smoked and glazed whole duck ($40) brandied with fresh chutney from the seasonal catering menu. Otherwise, grab a quick bite from the plentiful lunch menu, which has more options than a chimney has chimney sweeps trapped inside. The salmon BLT ($9.95 whole, $5.50 half) stacks freshly smoked salmon, free-range bacon, tomato, and field greens with honey dijon dressing betwixt slices of sunflower-flaxseed bread. If seafood isn't your cup of sports drink, try the organic cherrywood-smoked pork loin sandwich ($8.95 whole, $5 half) crowned with fresh goat cheese, house-made tomato jam, red onions, and field greens or the vegetarian sampling ($9.25)—a variety show of smoked hummus, tofu, olives, and seasonal vegetables. Recuperating revelers, meanwhile, can wander into the Belvedere location during the weekend (from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for brunch eats not usually found in the average diner or pancake bungalow, such as the smoked salmon crepe ($10) a deep-sea rollup of hot smoked salmon, mashed potatoes and garlic spinach stuffed inside a tumeric crepe.

Springfield Butcher has been filling bellies and empty barbecue pits with fresh, hand-cut steaks and seafood for more than 30 years. Prime cuts of beef range from filet mignon and Prime rib roast to flank steak, cube steak, and fun-size steaks perfect for trick-or-treaters. Other protein options run the gamut from Danish-style pork ribs to a variety of game meats including buffalo, venison leg steaks, and wild boar.

Sausages made in-house are available smoked or un-smoked, and bacon wraps its smoky flavor around scallops, which—like the rest of the shop's seafood offerings—are delivered fresh every day, except Sunday. Those looking to go from stove to table as quickly as possible can opt for oven-ready entrees such as chicken cordon bleu or pork chops with onion stuffing, and local deer hunters may find their freezers get filled faster after enlisting the help of Springfield Butcher's venison-processing services.

À la Carte Catering and Event Design shoulders the entire burden of event planning, from the food and wait staff to flowers and decorations to entertainment and lighting. Hosts just meet with an event specialist to describe the basics behind their dream party, and À la Carte hammers out the kinks to make it a reality. The company's executive chef draws on his training in France, New Orleans, and the Caribbean to craft elegant and casual menus, and partner vendors manage other accoutrements, such as coat checks, valet parking, or live musicians. Civilians get a glimpse inside the trade at cooking classes with À la Carte’s chefs during interactive demonstrations that cover professional techniques for butchering meat, cooking pasta, or licking brownie batter off of a spatula.

Supper Thyme's goal is to de-stress the breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours by inviting visitors to craft hearty and nutritious meals beforehand. After perusing the monthly rotating menu, customers can select an assortment of calorie-conscious, family-friendly, or organically inspired dishes and schedule an appointment to come in and assemble the ingredients. Staff members then gather all of the necessary ingredients and utensils, ensuring that each meal can be assembled in as few as 10 minutes. In between portioning out servings, visitors can enjoy a snack while listening to music or chatting with fellow attendees in the shop’s casual, low-stress kitchen environment. The meals can remain safely frozen in homes' freezers, with easy-to-follow cooking instructions allowing customers to quickly thaw and cook entrees whenever they might need to feed families, guests, or a lost restaurant reviewer.

The Velleggia family first laid their roots in Little Italy in 1970, establishing a specialty grocery store where they began to sell a combination of imported and housemade Italian foods. Relying on time-tested traditions and natural ingredients, they continue their culinary venture in much the same manner today. The highlight at Casa di Pasta is the store's homemade and hand-cut pastas, from gnocchi and tortellini to 26 kinds of ravioli stuffed with the likes of butternut squash, lobster, or smoked mozzarella and mushroom. Premade pans of lasagna and frozen italian sausages round out the selection of homemade goods that customers can pick up for nightly dinners or to feed groups at parties. Coolers and shelves also brim with olive oils, vinegars, breads, sweets, and cheeses imported directly from the Old World.

Running every Saturday in 2012 from May through November, the Briggs Chaney-Greencastle Farmers' Market seeks to provide Silver Springs residents with increased access to fresh and healthy foods. In addition to a selection of local produce, meat, eggs, and cheese, the free-to-enter market hosts a variety of vendors, such as artists, jewelers, and bakers, as well as local chefs who demonstrate simple recipes using local produce and monosyllabic buzz words. To encourage visitors to purchase healthier food, the non-profit farmer's market matches WIC payments dollar-for-dollar, accepts SNAP payments, and matches a portion of Independence card benefits.

The market welcomes children as well, with a range of activities for young ones in its Kids’ Tent. Children can take part in a number of interactive showcases throughout the summer, such as a Railroad Exhibit from the Riverdale Railroad club, puppet theater stories from former Moscow Puppet Theater member Irena Kholodnov, and martial arts demonstrations by the Virginia Kenshinkai School of Budokai. A chess tent lets kids and adults unwind while playing the classic game against friends, family, and Bobby Fischer in disguise. Families may also enjoy live stage music in an audience seating area and feast on their fresh food purchases in a nearby dining tent.