As an Alabamian, I’m picky about biscuits, and I can say that chef Greg Lloyd’s flaky recipe at Poppyseed Rye passes muster—whether you eat one plain ($3), smothered with sausage gravy ($12), or as a breakfast sandwich stuffed with pork belly, a fried egg and cheddar cheese ($10). It comes as no surprise that one pound of butter goes into every eight of his buttermilk biscuits.
Lloyd was formerly executive chef at Le Diplomate in D.C. from 2016 until the summer of 2022. He signed on as chef and operating partner of the Ballston sandwich and flower shop in August, where his all-day breakfast program also includes a brioche breakfast sandwich; an egg white, spinach and goat cheese panini; and quiche of the day. The biggest seller is a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, black beans, pepper jack cheese and salsa verde.Â
Standouts from the lunch menu include the roast pork, broccoli raab and aged provolone sandwich; the Rachel (smoked turkey, coleslaw, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese on rye); and mozzarella and roasted vegetable panini.