Dolcezza - Dupont Circle

Everything feels good in the District. The weather is finally here and walking through Dupont this morning on my way to Dolcezza I was reminded why I love this city.

People often criticize D.C for lacking character; I couldn't disagree more. We may not all say wicked or y'all, but the folks who choose to come to D.C. and stay fit right in with the small-town vibe and old world charm.

The vibe inside Docezza is perfect and if my style were made into a cafe, this would be it. A backdrop of white-washed brick walls played the perfect foil to a solid dark brown wood table. The window frames turned menu added the perfect pop of color along with the one red-brick wall displaying rotating artwork. It was an aesthetic orgasm.

While ordering my cappuccino I saw something called a gibraltar on the menu. I asked what it was and the lady explained it's a smaller cappuccino that comes in a little glass cup, very similar to a cortado. Standing at the counter I tried to avoid looking at the stack of pastries, but I have never been one to exert much self control when it comes to croissants.

I am mildly obsessed with this photo.
I want to blow it up and hang it in my kitchen.

Turns out ordering that croissant was one of the best decisions I've ever made: perfectly buttery and flakey on the outside and half-baked doughy goodness on the inside. Not to mention, it was humongous. I haven't had a croissant that tasted quite like that since I made a trip to Paris eight years ago. It was so amazing that I found myself forgetting to drink my cappuccino because I was utterly preoccupied peeling apart the layers.

The croissant completed overshadowed the cappuccino. The presentation of the cappuccino was lovely, but the foam was too airy and deflated rather quickly. The cappuccino itself had soft vanilla undertones carried through a full bodied drink with a rather light flavor. I would have preferred something a bit more forceful.

Walking around the shop taking photos I started conversing with one of the men working. I was taking a photo of the espresso machine when he asked if I knew the brand of bean they were using to brew the espresso: Four Barrel.

He explained that it is roasted in San Francisco and mentioned that Dolcezza changes the beans they use in their espresso every month. This is actually wicked cool. As mentioned above, the cappuccino I had was rather light in flavor with sweet, soft undertones; I prefer coffee to have deeper earthy undertones. Since Dolcezza changes their espresso beans every month, I could come in tomorrow and it could have a completely different flavor.

For their coffees, they have different varieties you can choose from, but they always keep the same in stock.

Since Dolcezza is an artisan gelato shop, it would be poor form not to review the gelato too (and because like I said, I have a pretty big sweet tooth).

Last night I went to Dolcezza with a friend for gelato. I had heard they make a gelato flavor from DC Brau's Penn Quarter Porter. Well, Penn Quarter Porter is one of my favorite beers out there, so I had to try it.

I ordered two scoops: the Penn Quarter Porter and Valrhona Chocolate Amargo. I would have gotten a coffee flavored one, but they weren't making any at the time.

Much like Docezza changes its espresso beans month-to-month, they also change the gelato flavors depending on what is in season. Well, beer is always in season in my book, and there is nothing better than a heavy porter in the cold weather - even if it's in gelato form.

It was the perfect combination of flavors. The rich heavy chocolate paired with the icy light porter almost tops the croissant from this morning... almost.

Free Coffee!

A year and a half ago I traveled to Turkey and I fell in love with the country. The sites, the people, the food, and especially the coffee.

September is Turkish Cultural Heritage Month and to celebrate the coffee culture that plays such an important role in the Turkey, the lady who owns the Turkish coffee truck in DC (there is a food truck for everything, isn't there?) will be giving away free coffee through the end of September. The Turkish coffee lady hopes to to promote cultural awareness and introduce Americans to Turkish coffee and the culture that comes with drinking it, which is very different from the coffee culture found in modern day America.

Here is a list of where the truck will be through the end of the month! 

September 21

10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Georgetown (3051 M St. NW, near Bluemercury)

September 22

10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Textile Museum (2320 S St. NW)

September 23

11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Maryland Avenue between Third and Fourth streets SW)

September 25

10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Farragut North Metro (908 17th St. NW)

September 26

10 a.m.- 4 p.m. in Dupont Circle (in front of Axis Salon at 1509 Connecticut Ave. NW)

September 28

Noon-3 p.m. at the World Bank (1818 H St. NW)

September 29

10 a.m.-6 p.m. in Georgetown (3051 M St. NW, near Bluemercury)

September 30

11 a.m.-7 p.m. Turkish Festival (Pennsylvania Avenue)

Make sure to grab yourself a cup and ask about the differences in coffee culture, and make sure to check out m,y old post on Turkish coffee: http://samanthasbrewedawakening.blogspot.com/2012/02/cigdem-istanbul-to-agora-in-district.html.

Crumbs Bakeshop

Today is a Crumby day.

Last night I was out late at my favorite bluegrass bar in the area. It was the perfect night but it made waking up this morning the hardest thing in the world. When I finally rolled out of bed, I looked over at my desk and saw heaping piles of reading I had to do for grad classes. Looking at all my books, I knew I would need some coffee to help me along.

I decided to head over to Crumbs Bakeshop. I remembered the awesome summer promotion they had going on: any sized iced coffee for $1. When I got there, I asked if the promo was still running, and the man at the shop (who was helpful as could be) told me nope. Now, $3 isn't that much more than $1, but when you're expecting to pay $1 the two extra bucks is really a low blow.

Luckily, there were free samples of mini cupcakes to help soften my disappointment. I ordered a hazelnut iced coffee and grabbed a mini s'more cupcake and went on my merry way.

From what I have heard through the grapevine, I was expecting Crumbs coffee to be pretty awful. And it very well may have been if I got regular coffee because I could tell that it was a little watered down for my liking, but the hazelnut did a good job of covering that up.

The hazelnut flavor was very good, roasted with the beans and not flavored by a syrup making up for whatever flavor the coffee itself lacked. If the coffee had only cost me a buck, I would say it was a steal, but since I had to pay regular price, I would give it a B/B+. Nothing necessarily wrong with it, just a weak, but tasty hazelnut coffee.

For those of you who like hazelnut flavored coffee, I would definitely suggest getting a glass and cupcake to go along with it.

Blind Dog Cafe: Florida Avenue near U Street

If I am going to walk through a torrential downpour for a cup of coffee, it better be good. Luckily, wading my way down U Street Sunday afternoon to make it to The Blind Dog Cafe was well worth the wet shoes.

The outside of the cafe is bland, reminiscent of a speakeasy with nothing to denote what's inside besides the small fold-up sign pictured above. While it may be lackluster, it perfectly compliments the interior space and the vibe the cafe works to create. Inside, big red light fixtures cast a quiet light over the tables and ottomans scattered throughout, creating the perfect environment for reading a book by yourself in the evening or gathering for Sunday lunch with friends.

After putting down my umbrella and shaking myself like a pup trying to dry, (fun fact: did you know dogs shake of 70% off water on their fur in 4 seconds? And here is a slow-mo video just to prove it!) I went up to the counter to order my drink. 

The baristas at Blind Dog were extraordinarily friendly and easy to talk to. I instantly felt comfortable asking questions to find out what the cafe is all about. The drink menu listed a single origin pour-over for $3; I inquired.

The barista told me that all of the coffee brewed at Blind Dog uses chemex brewing techniques. See that photo above? Wait, the photo above the one above... see the two hour-glass looking devices in the center? That is a chemex, which is used to brew coffee by (here is the simplified version) placing a filter in the top cone, wetting it, placing grounds in the presoaked filter, and then adding small amounts of hot water. While Blind Dog Cafe brews all their coffee in this "pour-over" fashion, it still didn't explain what "single origin" meant. The barista said that their regular house coffee is a mixture of coffee grounds, while a single origin pour means the coffee grounds are all of the same type. So that's what I ordered. They have two options for single origin coffee: Sumatra and Brazil. I asked the barista which he preferred and ended up with a perfectly brewed cup of Sumatra coffee to sit with while reading my book.

Rich and oily, I knew I made a perfect choice. The taste was not overwhelming, but well balanced so that one sensation or flavor-note didn't dominate. Sumatra is a medium brew and it definitely came through. It lacked the stringent, bitter qualities that many cringe at, but it did not lack any flavor. The coffee was served at the perfect temperature. I often complain that coffee is too hot and that when served near-boiling, it either burns your tongue, so you can't taste the drink, or your taste buds become overwhelmed by the heat and cannot detect the subtle flavors in the coffee. This cup was perfect and allowed each flavor to come through.

I added in a dollop of cream over at the serving cabinet, which was old and wooden and gave the whole place the vibe of an old, slightly haunted (in a beautiful way), southern home.

Blind Dog also sells a variety of baked goods, sandwiches, and salads. On Twitter, Blind Dog always tweets photos of scones that look so good and make me want to eat my computer screen. On Sunday, they only had one type of scone to try: basil. I had to get it. The first thing I said when I took a bite, completely unfiltered, was "Oh yeah... that's strange..." But I said it with a smile because, while it was odd tasting, it wasn't bad. Just a very interesting flavor combination.

It was a bit too salty though and I think next time I'll have one of these chocolate chip cookies instead, YUM!

LivingSocial + Starbucks

UPDATED at bottom

DC's very own non-political, non-government, non-non-governmental-organization LivingSocial is to partner with the word's leading coffee shop: Starbucks.

Coming later this week, LivingSocial will be offering a $5 deal for $10 worth of Starbucks.

Whether you:

• love Starbucks;
• hate Starbucks;
• love the coffee but hate buying from "The Man"; or,
• hate the coffee but love the convenience...

...this deal is for you.

Remember though, these national and popular daily deals sell out FAST. You may remember when LivingSocial partnered with Whole Foods? It was a $10 for $20 deal and sold out of 1 million deals in just a few hours.

Just make sure to read the small print. Often times, the deal has to be used in one sitting. So if you normally order a $2 coffee, then buying the $5 for $10 deal to Starbucks this week wouldn't be your best bet.

This deal just got much more awesome. The deal will be a $10 gift card, so it is not unnecessary to use all at once. Also, it is likely to be released TONIGHT. So make sure to keep tuned in to LivingSocial.com.

September 2012

I. LOVE. FALL.

And while Fall may still feel far away here in DC, it was beginning to bloom while I was home in Massachusetts for the Labor Day weekend, which gave me hope for the District.

Before I moved to DC, the brisk air and dewy mornings of Fall began in September. The start of school meant the start of the Season. Well, I have been down here for a while now and the feeling of Fall doesn't truly come until the last few days of October, which also happens to be my BIRTHDAY so it works out quite nicely.

With all this uncertainty over when Fall starts, it's lucky we have big corporations and marketing experts to tell us when the start of Fall is and, according to Starbucks, Fall is NOW.

PUMPKIN. SPICE.

Pumpkin spice is back in action! You may remember one of my old posts about the salt-food-fad and my dislike for it, but pumpkin spice everything is something I can get behind one-hundred and ten percent.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Crepes

Pumpkin Kisses

 Pumpkin Cream Cheese 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin Biscottis

Pumpkin Gelato

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Bread

And last, but most certainly not least,

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

Heller's Bakery & Cafe: Mount Pleasant

Ice coffee is in season, and with it comes my quest for the best iced coffee in DC. Iced coffee is much harder to perfect than regular hot coffee. I don't know why, but no one can brew it up to my standards. One place that consistently has good, strong iced coffee is Starbucks, whether you love it or hate it. While I do enjoy Starbucks iced coffee, when you eat the same thing for dinner every night it quickly gets old and boring, and so does Starbucks's iced coffee. 

Today, I am pleased to announce that I have found a great alternative right here in the District! Heller's Bakery & Cafe in Mount Pleasant serves delicious iced coffee. The flavor is different from Starbucks, but equally as tasty. It is as fresh as can be, partly because they grind the beans right in the store, which is the best way to eliminate a burnt flavor from making its way into your cup.

I have been wanting to try out Heller's for a while, mostly because I love muffins! And they have muffins. This Sunday morning I was craving a muffin more than ever, so I walked my way over to Heller's and picked out a nice little bran muffin. It was dry for a muffin, about the same moistness level as a scone (which I prefer), bust still the consistency of a muffin. It was perfectly sized too, not one of those monstrous muffins that have a whole day's worth of calories. It was dainty and perfectly proportioned for a breakfast treat.

The inside of Heller's is modest and therefore practically perfect in every way. It's a small town eatery in a big city. No glitz, no glam, come as you are, roll out of bed, ride your bike and have breakfast with us.

There is a small section of tables in the front when you walk in, but I got mine to go. They also serve bagels, sandwiches, cookies and cakes. It's not some place I would come to study or read, and it doesn't try to be. It is a place for locals to grab a muffin on Sunday morning and spend some quality time with their family.
  

All photos taken on iPhone. Apologies for the quality.
I tried to bedazzle them up to make them interesting to look at instead of a pixelated overexposed mess.
Sometimes I just wish my Nikon could fit into my pocket.

Ebenezers Coffeehouse: F & 2nd NE

There are a few authentically DC coffee shops that I can't believe I haven't yet reviewed. One of them is Ebenezers Coffeehouse on the corner of F and 2nd NE, right next to the Securities Exchange Commission.

Situated near Union Station, Ebenezers sits atop a piece of land that housed a diner in the early 20th Century. The diner served "butter and eggs" to travelers coming to and from the train station. The completely renovated space no longer sells butter and eggs, but it a perfect place to stop for coffee if taking an early morning train in to or out of the city. Knowing this, I can now makes sense of the iconic train and coffee pot logo:

Ebenezers is owned and operated by National Community Church and all profits go to community outreach projects.  ll the coffee is fair trade, but coffee isn't all it has to offer. Ebenezers also serves an array of milk-based drinks like "cookies and cream" or "orange cream".

They also have cookies and bananas!

I walked a little over a mile to get from my apartment to Ebenezers on a hothothot Saturday afternoon. When I got there I ordered a iced coffee to help me cool down. 

The iced coffee tasted very similar to Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee, which isn't my favorite, but many people love it. The coffee was a little weak, more of a breakfast blend taste than my preferred dark and bold. However, it was refreshing, light, and easy to enjoy on a hot summer day.

The best part of Ebenezers is all the natural lighting! Perfect for a Saturday afternoon to sit and read. It was so bright and the big windows made it feel open and airy.

If you want to sit outside, there are two lovely patios for outdoor seating. 

Conversely, if you don't want to be in so much sunshine, there is a underground space that customers are welcome to meet in and relax. The underground space is often reserved for live shows and open mike nights. Take a look at upcoming performances:

During my trip to Ebenezers I sat in this little nook. I like it! There is so much natural light streaming in, high bar stools, a bit out of the main area, and perfect to sit and gossip with a friend or to do some work on your laptop. WHICH I will be doing a lot of come Fall since I will be starting grad school two blocks away. Coffee dates!? I think so.

I 'm excited to go back to Ebenezers to try a cappuccino or latte. Since espresso naturally has a more robust flavor, I am hoping that once I taste a stronger concoction I will be able to add Ebenezers to my list of top DC coffee shops, for taste as well as location and atmosphere.