Best of D.C. 2009

If you think pickles begin and end with cucumbers, you owe it to yourself to stop into Art & Soul. Their “Put Ups” include beets, watermelon rinds, green beans, and carrots, as well as cukes and onions. Try them in a salad, where pickled veggies circle a lettuce-and-herb mix tossed with buttermilk dressing, or in place of olives in a martini. Second-best honors go to In a Pickle, newly arrived on the farmers line at Eastern Market. In a Pickle features all of your favorites—from half-sours to kosher dills to full garlic sours—as well as a few creative variations (horseradish pickles anyone?). Throw in cured olives and an assortment of pickled vegetables, and you’ve got a crisp, salty buffet to take home.