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La Colombe

There is a new coffee shop in town.

And they know what they're doing.

La Colombe Coffee Roasters is a name well known in the coffee community. After opening shop in Philadelphia in 1994, La Colombe's reputation for ethics, goodwill, and good coffee has spread world-wide with shops in Philly, NYC, Chicago, Seoul, and now finally DC. The shop opened its doors in DC about two weeks ago and while Washingtonians buzzed with anticipation, it was entirely worth the wait.

The first thing you have to know if visiting La Colombe DC is that it's not on any main drag of the city; it's in an alley. Blagden Alley, just a few blocks west of the convention center. If you didn't know this ahead of time, you may easily miss the unmarked street and wind up coffee-less and confused. Luckily, I'm here to keep your coffee compass in working order and below I've included a photo of Blagden Alley's south entrance so you'll know what to look for.

I visited La Colombe the day after its big opening and the place was packed. While space was limited during the major rush, I was pleasantly surprised with how neighborly and welcoming the staff was as dozens of customers flocked in. They chatted with each and every person, making it feel as if this coffee shop had been in the neighborhood for years and I had visited every day. It is exactly how a coffee shop should be and it made me smile ear-to-ear.

I started with a cappuccino, and I'm glad I did because it was the best looking cappuccino I've ever seen. Usually, foam is made to look like a leaf or some sort of heart, and I've never been a fan of the dainty and symmetrical. Too frilly. It's something that may have never even crossed your mind when drinking a cup of coffee, but I am a firm believer that aesthetics can overpower any situation, subliminally or not, and they make up half of whatever it may be you're experiencing. For me, aesthetics are huge, and La Colombe contrived a perfect flow from the unknown alley, to the red brick facade and painted signage, to the industrial inside contrasted against the detailed hand-painted coffee cups, and ending only with the presentation of the coffee. From the time I turned down the alley until I sat down to take a seat with my cappuccino, it was like a perfectly executed performance, but retold for every customer entering in her own time. It's not something most people even consider when drinking a cup, but for a girl who lives for visual stimulation, La Colombe is a dream come true.

The taste of the cappuccino foam weighed in just as nicely as its presentation. Foam is a major component of any cappuccino, so I often dedicate space to it. Usually you'll hear me rave about the espresso-filled foam, while I barely ever touch on the white milked portion. That's about to change because this was the best tasting white foam I've ever had and I would order a cup of foam for desert if I could. If that wasn't weird. 

After I finished my cappuccino, I noticed the baristas using a machine that had either been a prop in Mars Attacks or was transported back from the future by Dr. Emmett Brown. It had two large siphons pulling boiling water up clear vats until it was dyed brown and ejected into the pretty little coffee cup. I began chatting with the baristas and was told the machine is called a steampunk. We laughed at the name and then he explained how it brews coffee in a fashion similar to a French press, but unlike a French press, it allows the process to be repeated almost exactly with every cup. 

The great guys at La Colombe soon had a cup of steampunk-brewed Ethiopian coffee for me to taste. When I say I have never had a cup off coffee like this, I mean that I have never had a cup of coffee come even remotely close to tasting this fresh, fragrant, bright, and overall amazing. I could actually taste berries and smell a bouquet of fruit with every sip I took.

I've always made it clear in this blog that I write more for my experiences than for the critiquing of the subtle flavors and brewing methods of a cup of coffee. While I've tried them all, I rarely taste a difference in flavor as much as I detected in this cup. It was phenomenal and for coffee snobs and casual drinkers alike, it is a cup of coffee worth your time and taste buds.

Public Service Announcement

OPEN:
Baked and Wired (updated post in the works)
Bayou Bakery
Big Bear Cafe
Blind Dog Cafe
Buzz Bakery (Ballston and Slaters)
Chinatown Coffee Company
Dolcezza
Ebenezers
Filter (Dupont)
Killer ESP (I have a review write-up in process)
Palena
Peregrine Espresso (all lotions - review in the works)
Pleasant Pops
Politics and Prose
Pound the Hill (opening at noon)
Qualia Coffee
TCB: The Coffee Bar
Ted's Bulletin (review in the works - sorry guys, I got too busy to keep up!)
The Wydown (brick & mortar location)
Tryst
My french press...

CLOSED:
Buzz Bakery (Navy Yard)
Cups and Co.
Curbside Cafe
Filter (Foggy Bottom)
H Street Coffee
M.E. Swing’s (all locations)
The Wydown (pop-up)

UNSURE:
Bourbon
Columbia Heights Coffee
Heller's Bakery and Cafe
Misha's
Pitango
Sip of Seattle
The Coupe

Dunkin' Donuts Begins Reward Program

Dunkin' Donuts his finally offering rewards to loyal coffee drinkers & doughnut eaters to stay competitive with Starbucks. I like rewards. And I like doughnuts. I REALLY like coffee. Seems like a winning combination!

GET SIGNED UP!

American Coffee in Cairo, Egypt

I’m in the process of planning what is sure to be an amazing trip to Mozambique, Africa. All my research has made me nostalgic for other amazing places I have been in this world. In college, when I was studying abroad in Rome, I went to visit a friend living in Cairo, Egypt.

At the time, I thought I would experience immense culture shock when I arrived. While customs and daily life in Egypt are far removed from American ways, there are certain aspects of Cairo that made me feel like I was back in the States more-so than I felt during my entire stay in Italy. For instance, in Italy, there are almost no American products for sale. They do not eat the cereals we eat and finding a jar of peanut butter is next to impossible.

Having gotten used to these differences while living in Italy, I was certainly surprised to see Nature Valley granola bars and Fruit Loops stocked high on the market shelves in Cairo.

Needless to say, the biggest difference while in Italy was the coffee. American cafes and Italian cafes couldn't be more distinct. Feeling far-removed from American coffee culture during my stay in Italy, right before heading back to Europe I stopped in at a very American-looking cafe that I had to try, mostly because I had been craving a mocha frappuccino for months.

The coffee shop was called Costa Coffee. It is a chain, and the location I visited was in Zamalek where I was staying. While making a stop here was far from experiencing historic Egyptian coffee culture, it is interesting non-the-less to see shops like these begin to plague the region. I have no recollection of how the drink tasted, and no pictures of the coffee shop to even show you. But I do remember feeling like I was in a Starbucks in the middle of an ancient city in the middle of a desert, which is to say it felt odd, but American for a moment.

Just last year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported “the Australian cafe chain The Coffee Club planned its assault on the Egyptian market … and less than a year after selling a licence [sic] to an Egyptian franchisee, The Coffee Club opened its first cafe on Egypt's north coast.”

While Italy is working hard to prevent chain shops from dominating the coffee scene, developing countries like Egypt welcome them with open arms. That is not to say that there isn't a place for traditional ahawi (coffeehouse). As the Daily News Egypt put it, “Ahawi have existed for centuries. They are places where commoners (particularly men) meet to spend their leisure time after a long day. Men at the ahawi would listen to a singer, play backgammon and dominos, and discuss life. They are known to be cheap (a cup of tea or coffee goes for as little as a pound), provide open air seating and give a taste of the authentic Egyptian spirit. In short, they were the place to go to socialize [sic] and relax.” And they still are to a large degree.

The influx of modern cafes may even be a good thing for the region, as they welcome female customers while many ahawi still cater mostly to men.

Curbside Cafe

This morning I woke up to pouring rain and little interest to leave my bed. But soon enough, my desire for a morning cup of coffee took over, so I put on my boots and walked down the street to Curbside Cafe.

You may recognize the little cupcake-on-wheels logo from the Curbside Cupcake truck driving around town. The truck was so successful that the owners decided to create a brick-and-mortar location to bake all the tiny cakes and to keep up with demand. On the first floor of the shop you'll find a quaint cafe, while downstairs is where all the baking is done.

I heard that Curbside made in-house poptarts, like Ted's Bulletin, and have been dying to try them out to compare. As I walked in, the lady behind the counter greeted me simply and seemed very down-to-earth. In cities, cafes often take themselves (and their coffee) a bit too seriously, and forget that an important part of any neighborhood coffee shop is a friendly and welcoming face. I felt very-much at home at Curbside.

I immediately started snapping pictures while deciding what kind of poptart to try (for sweet, they had strawberry, apple crisp, and Nutella, while for savory they had spinach and gruyere, two different pizza flavored selections, PB&J, and bacon, egg, and cheese) obviously I ended up trying one savory and one sweet.

While I was snapping pictures the woman said, "so, are you gonna make me famous?" We shared a laugh and then she asked if she could get a coffee started for me. I told her I was a coffee blogger of some sorts, and she began to tell me all about the beans they use, while whipping her bow joking that this time around she better make the best cappuccino she's ever made.



For the coffee, Curbside uses locally roasted beans from Vigilante Coffee based in Northeast DC. The woman mentioned that the roaster made a special blend for the shop which is supposed to be sweet enough to drink with a cupcake, without being too strong or harsh to overpower the pastry. She wanted a cup of coffee that was easy to drink every day. For the espresso beverages, however, Curbside uses another type of bean... but I forget what kind. Some coffee blogger I am.

By the time she told me all about this special Vigilante blend, I had already ordered a cappuccino, but you can bet next time I will definitely try the drip coffee. The cappuccino came out extra hot, but just cool enough not to burn your tongue, which is good because I can't stand when I burn my tongue on the first sip. The espresso flavor was easy and very present, though I wish the foam had been thicker and more defined. Hopefully that will come with time.

Now for the poptarts. It's almost hard to compare them to Ted's because they are honestly so different. I think Ted's grasps the traditional flavor and consistency of a dense, traditional poptart a bit more, while Curbside's are more like a filled puff pastry. I started off with the savory spinach, egg, and gruyere. I loved the puff pastry outside, but I wish it had a bit less egg and more spinach and cheese. It tasted very much like a quiche. Next time I'd ask for it heated, I think it would amp up the flavor a bit. I do love that Curbside offers savory poptart selections - something Ted's does not.

Moving onto the sweet pastry, it was yummy, but nothing to write home about. It was pretty standard, the jam inside felt flat and not very fresh (which actually gave the feeling of eating real store-bought poptart, for better or worse.)  Next time I visit, I think I will stick to the savory poptarts and maybe try a cupcake or chocolate croissant for something sweet!

Overall, Curbside Cafe is a wonderful edition to Southeast DC. It's simple, convenient, and has a wonderful down-to-earth vibe. It's a place to meet the neighbors or grab a bite to eat. I'm excited to go back again to try the Vigilante coffee and see how it compares!

The Wydown Coffee Bar

I've always wished for a day off when everyone else has to work. It would be different from a weekend, and not even Labor Day would be able to match the feeling. Ten free hours that seem like ten extra hours you wouldn't have had, stealing seconds and turning them into minutes. I've longed for these strung-out seconds so Friday, I took the day off, and with ten free hours to waste I made my way over to U Street for coffee at The Wydown.

I woke up early, went for a run, made the bed and a nice big breakfast, and headed to the metro just as everyone else was headed to the office. I got off on U Street and walked ten steps over to The Wydown. I've been wanting to try the coffee bar for quite some time, but with only two days in a weekend, mundane obligatory chores have kept me away until today.

Walking in, I instantly recognized that this wasn't a simple steep-and-pour cafe. The sophisticated menu and array of brewing gadgets made it clear that The Wydown takes brewing seriously. The labyrinth of equipment was showcased by the the simple interior, which created a stage out of the lone coffee bar in the center-back of the shop. The bar was decorated with a giant espresso machine and three dip-coffee stations that are used to brew your choice of coffee. Instead of a menu, The Wydown's walls are used as a chalkboard where all of the choices are spelled out. The beans used for coffee brewed to order rotate in and out and change depending on the season. As I sat in the shop I overheard many customers ordering the summer solstice blend by Intelligentsia. I didn't try it, but I definitely plan on making a trip back because it sounds so refreshing!

Sticking to my guns, I skipped the drip and ordered a cappuccino. I made it clear when I started this blog that I am no coffee expert. I simply enjoy the atmosphere cafes provide and coffee that doesn't taste like car oil. I have learned a lot from folks about the different subtleties in coffee flavor and how to enjoy drip coffee as if it's a glass of wine, but a cappuccino in a porcelain cup still excites me the most.

The Wydown's baristas were kind, welcoming, and happy to explain any item on the menu to whomever was at the counter ordering. Some specialty coffee shops brew some real snobs, Baked and Wired being the snobbiest of them all and Qualia Coffee following not far behind. At The Wydown you don't have to choose between friendly folks and good coffee, here you get them both.

I ordered my cappuccino and sat down. When it was made, the barista delivered the drink right to my seat! They do this for everyone sitting in the cafe and it is such a nice touch that goes to show how friendly and unpretentious these coffee enthusiasts are. The cappuccino was a perfectly traditional cappuccino. The espresso was smooth and robust without any bitter bites. The milk-to-espresso ratio was dead on too. Most places put too much milk in cappuccino, thinking it is just a latte with foam, but The Wydown did a perfect pour. If I had to point out an area for improvement I'd say the foam wasn't as creamy as it would be on my perfect cappuccino, but it was so nearly there that it didn't spoil the drink one bit.

Along with coffee, The Wydown prides itself in its from-scratch baked goods, and since this is a coffee blog, I figured I would test out the espresso chocolate-chip muffin. The muffin was loaded with delicious chocolate chips on top and only a few scattered throughout the muffin. This normally would have annoyed me, because I can never get enough chocolate, but it actually enhanced the taste of the muffin. Since you weren't overwhelmed with chocolate in every bite, you could really taste the espresso mixed into the batter. And I don't know what special chocolate chips they use, but I want to know where I can get some because they were the best chocolate chips I've ever tasted!

I sat in the cafe for four hours sipping, munching, and reading. I ended up ordering an iced coffee as a second drink, and unable to finish it before leaving I packed it up in my backpack to go, looking pretty strange walking down the street.

I was thoroughly impressed by my experience at The Wydown and will no doubt become a frequent visitor. It's a perfect place for coffee experts and casual drinkers alike - and a perfect place to spend stringed-seconds and hour long minutes.

Cups & Co. - Russell Senate Office Building

If you live and work in DC, it's likely you spend a lot time in the Capitol complex. During the work day, whether your busy working for a member or making a quick trip to the Hill, it's hard to find time to walk the half mile to Ebenezers or down Penn to Pound. And with so many options inside the building itself, why bother?

If you work on the Hill in one fashion or another, you have probably heard rumors that the best place to grab a cup of coffee is Cups & Co. in Russel Senate Office Building. It's so renowned that when I asked my buddy who works on the House side to grab coffee, he said, Yes! Let's head to Cups!

Not only agreeing, but suggesting making the trek from Rayburn to Russell just to grab a cup of coffee speaks to how loved this little cafe is. In fact, on Secretary John Kerry's last day in the Senate, he turned down the member's dining room for a trip to Cups.

Roll Call, The New York Times, and The Hill have all published articles on the little joint. The Times wrote, "There are two crown jewels in the Capitol culinary complex. One is Cups & Company, a New York Korean-deli-style joint in the Russell Senate Office Building, which has been operated by Charles and Kathy Chung for more than a dozen years. Their excellent coffee (a rare commodity here) and demonlike efficiency with their hot sandwiches are Washington’s most convincing arguments for private enterprise on government property. Secretary of State John Kerry, on his last day as a senator, stopped at Cups for lunch."

 

The best way to get to Cups if you're coming from the outside world and not from deep within the endless tunnels of brick and concrete, you'll want to go to the Delaware Ave and C Street entrance, it looks like this:

Once you make it through security, walk straight down the brick hall and it's the first entrance on the left.

 

You'll quickly see that it's like any normal, crappy cafe. It's certainly not posh, but it's all we got, and it's what we like.

Everyone always says how cheap Cups is compared to Starbucks and other coffee shops, but I think they just say that to make themselves feel better about buying eight cups of coffee a day. Prices are the same as anywhere else.

I ordered 16 oz (smallest size they offer for cold beverages) iced latte with 2% milk and my friend got a small skim latte with two shots of espresso and two packets of Splenda.

We sat down at a nearby table and before talking politics, policy, and catching up, we discussed more important issues: the taste of the coffee. I tried a sip of his, and while I never-ever put sugar in my coffee unless its a mocha latte, I must say it tasted pretty yummy. And for Hill staffers, the extra sugar packet paired with the caffeine is necessary for making it through the work day... which often lasts until 9:00 PM.

My latte was very, very milky. I loved it, but that's because I love milk. It tasted more like cold milk with a hint of coffee than a strong and potent iced latte. If you want a jolt or something distinctly coffee flavored, I would not recommend the iced latte. However, if you're looking for a treat and don't want to go full out for a milkshake, the iced latte is the way to go. It would have been the perfect compliment for a warm, gigantic chocolate-chip cookie.

We had to run before I had the chance to finish even half my drink. I tossed the rest of it out on my way to the Capitol Subway, which might have been a good thing since it was so heavy and had started to make my stomach ache.

Making my way over to the Capitol itself, I was left pondering why everyone on the Hill, myself included, thinks Cups & Co. is the best coffee. It's good, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I would make the trip from the House side to the Senate just for a cup.

I think that when staffers say that Cups is the best, they mean Cups is the best... option we have. It is certainly better than the coffee offered at the small joint in Cannon tucked away near the tunnel to Longworth, (though the Cannon cupcakes are pretty phenomenal.) Cups is also cherished because Hill folks love tradition. This little cafe has been a staple for so long that it's become part of what it is to work in the Senate. In a building where people are always dressed to the nines and the floors are always shined and pristine, this little, crappy cafe that serves drinkable coffee is exactly what members and staffers are looking for.