From our friends at Ambar...
This New Open-Face Sandwich Driven Lunch Menu Is a Healthier Choice for Guests, with Less Carbs, More Flavor and Gluten-Free Options and a Low Calorie Count
Beginning December 1st, Ambar, the nation’s capital’s first Balkan restaurant, located at 523 8th Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003, will add calorie counts to their healthy new lunch menu. Lunch debuted in late October, and features an array of soups, salads, and fifteen open face sandwiches served “European Style with a Balkan Twist” created by Chef Ivan Zivkovic.
“We noticed a trend of diners wanting to eat healthier, especially for lunch, so we made the decision to add the calorie count to our new lunch menu,” says Ambar Owner Ivan Iricanin. “This way customers can see how healthy our new lunch menu really is with less carbs, more flavor and gluten-free options. Adding the calorie count also provides our customers with the opportunity to step back and think about how much they are prepared to consume at any given meal.”
Examples off the new gluten-free sandwich menu include the Vienna Schnitzel with crispy veal, ajvar emulsion, frisee salad, tartar sauce and sundried tomatoes ($8, and 309 calories); Fried Chicken with almond, walnut and apple wasabi slaw, mescaline mix, lemon vinaigrette and celery ($6, and 341 calories); Smoked Salmon with aged kajmak spread, cucumber, capers, olive tapenade, red onion and dill ($8, and 258 calories); Smoked Trout with beet carpaccio, cucumber, dill, mayo and pickled jalapeño ($6, and 188 calories); Wild Forest Mushroom, with herb roasted mushrooms, baby arugula, horseradish dressing, hardboiled quail egg and red onion ($6, and 124 calories), and the Crispy Cheese of smoked gouda, organic slaw, tartar sauce and ajvar emulsion ($7, and 278 calories).
Signature salads at lunch round out the menu. Standouts include Spinach Salad with Fried Chicken, organic baby spinach, celery stalk, carrots, cherry tomato, horseradish dressing ($9, and 363 calories), and the Arugula Salad with Slow Cooked Steak, dried prunes, roasted sunflower seeds, cherry tomatoes and prune balsamic dressing ($11, and 347 calories).
Better yet, patrons can take advantage of Ambar’s Lunch Deals featuring a choice of any two sandwiches along with a glass of house wine, a beer or Ambar signature freshly-squeezed lemonade infused with rosemary, house-made soda of ginger beer or Concord grape with tarragon, for only $16 or enjoy one signature salad with a glass of house wine, a beer or lemonade for $13. Those with a heartier appetite can add a cup of soup and dessert for $5.
Savory seasonal soups include Veal Soup with root vegetables and crème fraiche (113 calories), and Zucchini Soup with potato and sundried tomato (116 calories), which sell for $3 for a cup or $5 for a bowl. For traditionalists, the lunch menu also includes an Ambar Burger, six-ounce ground beef and pork, urnebes spread, roasted peppers yogurt, iceberg lettuce, and tomato ($12 and 784 calories); Stuffed Sour Cabbage, pork belly, cabbage juice, jasmine rice, mashed potato and yogurt ($11, and 456 calories), and Baked Beans and Sausage, smoked pork sausage, roasted pepper, onion, paprika ($12 and 649 calories). Dessert options include the Capri Cake with fresh raspberries, vanilla pudding and Dolcela hit icing ($5 and 204 calories), and the Three Chocolate Cake, milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate with mascarpone and strawberry yogurt ($5 and 244 calories).
Ambar is located at 523 8th Street, SE. It's just steps from the Eastern Market Metro, accessible on the Orange, Silver and Blue Lines. Valet parking is available Wednesday through Saturday from 4 PM to close and is priced at $10 per car. The restaurant takes limited reservations and walk-ins are welcome. Ambar serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 2 PM, dinner Sunday through Thursday, from 4 PM to 10 PM, and Friday and Saturday, from 4 PM to 11 PM. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 AM to 3:30 PM. Happy hour specials are offered from 4 PM to 7 PM Monday through Friday. For additional information, please call (202) 813-3039 and/or visit www.ambarrestaurant.com.
