shouk

GUES recently had the pleasure of dining at Shouk, one of Georgetown’s newest fast-casual eateries specializing in Tel Aviv cuisine. Our dinner group had the wonderful opportunity to spend the evening chatting with Shouk’s owner and founder, Ran Nussbacher.

To start off the evening, Ran treated us to an appetizer of hummus with warm pita and chips, while he recounted the restaurant's background and mission. To call his commitment to sustainability impressive is almost an understatement. There was a funny moment early on in the dinner when Ran mentioned that many restaurants overuse cheap plastic packaging, and all of our eyes looked down to the hummus container on the table, which – to us – appeared to be plastic. As it turns out, it’s an environmentally-friendly, plastic-free alternative! From using 100% wind-power to operate the restaurants to investing in sustainable packaging, the restaurant is truly setting a new standard for claims of eco-conscientious business. From investing in sustainable packaging to using 100% wind-power to operate the restaurants, Shouk is truly setting a new standard for claims of eco-conscientious business.

As for the food practices, we were happy to discover that Shouk prides itself on using only fresh ingredients. Whereas many restaurants import pre-chopped, pre-packaged produce, baskets of fresh vegetables arrive each day to Shouk to be washed and chopped in-house. They don’t even have a freezer!

Following our conversation with Ran, we headed inside to order our main courses, which included falafel, pita sandwiches, Shouk burgers, and grain bowls. Each dish was exceptional and full of flavor. It was clear that Ran and his team take great pride in their food and their commitment to sustainability – highly recommend visiting Shouk on your next Wisc. Avenue excursion!

- Emma Rose Wooten