Politics & Prose, Modern Times Coffeehouse: Cleveland Park

For me and many, the worst part about graduating college is leaving the campus coffee shop. It was a little dingy, yet eclectic, and best of all you could sit there for hours reading, writing, and getting wired. It’s hard to replicate this environment in the “real world” because people don’t seem to have five consecutive hours to sit and think about Machiavelli, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. But if you’re looking for a grown-up coffee shop with a college-like atmosphere, Modern Times Coffeehouse in Politics and Prose is your best bet.

One of my favorite parts about writing this blog is taking photos for it, so I get all sad when I leave my camera at home and have to resort to the iPhone. That happened yesterday at Modern Times so as a special little treat, I figured I would Instagram EVERYTHING!

When you enter the book store directly in front of you is a set of stairs. Before head down to the cafe, make sure to take a good look around! There are lots of interesting books ranging from everything between, well, politics and prose.

Grab something that looks interesting and head to the basement cafe. Book prices are great AND you'll be supporting a local small business. Once in the cafe, it took us a while to find an empty table. We went on a Sunday afternoon and it was extremely crowded, but not in a bad way. Waiting for a table isn't grueling either because while waiting you can browse all the books. After a while a table opened and we scooped it up. Walking to our table it seemed like everyone was 1. drinking coffee (as expected in a coffeehouse...) and 2. eating grilled cheese sandwiches (somewhat unexpected). They looked so yummy! So when Alexis and I went up to order our cappuccinos, we decided to split a grilled cheese and kale and white bean soup.

Not many coffee shops serve such hardy food. It was yummmmyyy. They also had cookies and croissants, but that's more typical of a coffee shop.

As I mentioned, Modern Times is in the basement of Politics and Prose. There are some small windows that let in natural sunlight, but it very much feels like a basement cafe. Again, not in a bad way.

Alexis, that little girl up there munching the grilled cheese, ordered a small cappuccino and I ordered a classic  cappuccino. What's the difference? A small cappuccino is one shot of espresso in an 8oz cup topped with steamed milk. A classic cappuccino is two shots of espresso in a 6oz cup, so the flavor of the coffee is stronger seeing how it's more concentrated.

Being more concentrated, I would have expected more of a bite when I sipped it, but it wasn't quite there. Now it depends on who you ask, but I like my coffee slightly bitter. The flavor that is typically described as bitter comes from roasting the beans for a longer amount of time. The longer you roast, the more distinct flavor that I love and some hate.

Smile for the camera!

Though this cappuccino won't receive my top marks, it may be better for someone who likes a slightly smoother, nutty finish. It did have a lot of foam though! Which I adore, though I do prefer my foam a little thicker. See all the big bubbles in the photo above? That's a visual way of telling if foam is thick or not. The smaller the bubbles, the creamer the texture.

Next time you're in the need for a good book, go look around a grab a cup!