Tartlets at Litestars in downtown Washington, D.C.

2 Great (and Healthy) Fast-Food Spots in Washington

For an on-the-go city with such a vibrant food scene, it’s almost criminal that Washington hasn’t completely found its way into solid quick-food fare.

Recently, though, a couple of passionate entrepreneurs have set their sights on healthy fast food that tastes good and is easy on the wallet, turning the tide toward the next wave of D.C.’s food culture.

And for Annie Leconte of LiteStars and Quaiser Kazmi (“Kaz”) of Merzi, it’s a full-on food revolution.

Leconte’s and Kaz’s restaurants are independent of each other, but they opened at about the same time last fall and have quickly become cornerstones of an alternative to typical fast food. The entrepreneurs offer dishes that are exactly what you’d find on the kitchen table at their homes.

The two cater to a growing demographic of diners who don’t want to be boxed into a corner with dull, lifeless meals—and that’s refreshing. It’s all about everyone having choices, whether you’re allergic to gluten or dairy, don’t eat meat or are simply in a hurry.

“The concept is to be healthy and have flavor,” says Kaz. “I want to get more involved in getting people to enjoy their food—but knowing that it doesn’t have to be fattening.”

His Indian-inspired menu includes low-in-fat baked samosas (there are no fryers in his establishment), “tandisserie” chicken that’s a tandoori-seasoned rotisserie-style chicken without the red food coloring, and a mango fantango, a twist on the mango lassi.

He’s thinking even bigger than cutting waistlines, though. Kaz’s extended mission is to educate people about Indian food and redefine it for the masses. “People are so worried about Indian food because of the curry and complexity of the ordering process,” he says.

So instead of set dishes like chicken tikka masala or aloo gobi, his menu is based on an assembly line of choices, where you can mix and match starch (naan, rice, chaat), protein, sauces and chutneys. (Yes, it’s a lot like Chipotle.)

Merzi, in fact, means “choice” in Urdu, Hindu and Punjabi.

“Indian has always been expensive, and you don’t get to choose what you want,” Kaz explains. “You never hear of butter shrimp or lamb tikka masala—it’s the whole customization thing, and the price points and the health factor.”

Across town at LiteStars, Leconte is equally as passionate about creating a space for diners to have healthy choices. Despite her French heritage, where butter and cream are the culinary king and queen, her menu is anchored by tartlets, “soupdrinks” and grain salads, all of which you can sample as you make your way down the cafeteria-style service counter.

The most important element in her healthy-living concept isn’t food, though. It’s nutritional cards. “It’s our raison d’être. I don’t want the customer to be fooled. I’ve been so trapped myself—picky about what to eat when I’m outside every day on the run,” she says.

Her mission is to go beyond nutrition and provide “functional foods.” “Foods are functional when they bring you more than nutrition. When you eat this kind of food, you feel good, you feel well. When you squeeze an orange, it’s pure vitamin C,” explains Leconte, who squeezes fresh orange juice every morning for a functional (and, let’s face it, tasty) hit of vitamin C.

She admits her kind of eating could require a palate adjustment for some of us. She doesn’t eat beef, white flour or butter, and there’s a low-sodium philosophy in each of her recipes. But she has an amazing bison tartlet and delish whole-wheat cookies.

Leconte also keeps a special blend of seasonings on each table as an alternative method for expanding flavor. It’s these alternatives that create choices. Leconte and Kaz know this and are setting a precedent we can all tip our hats to as bathing-suit season creeps up faster than you can say, “Hold the bread basket!”

LiteStars. 2101 L St., NW; 202/293-0281; litestars.com; breakfast, lunch, dinner, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.; weekends, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Merzi. 415 7th St., NW; 202/656-3794; merzi.com; daily lunch and dinner, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.