Posted Wed Feb 29, 2012, 6:46pm Subject: Coffee in DC?
I know about Baked and Wired which I will definitely check out but I'm staying at a hotel in Dupont Circle and am hoping to find a nice coffee shop I can roll out of bed into. Any recommendations?
DCcoffeeman Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 47 Location: Maryland Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: MyPressi Twist, Bialetti... Grinder: Baratza Virtuoso, Zassenhaus Vac Pot: French press Drip: Melitta manual Roaster: Hot air popper
Posted Thu Mar 1, 2012, 7:21am Subject: Re: Coffee in DC?
Swing's Coffee (17th & G Streets, NW)is a great coffee bar. Most of the customers are serious coffee drinkers who work at the nearby World Bank and IMF. It's probably a mile or so south of Dupont Circle, but the walk is pleasant (you'll walk by the White House). Swing's roasts their own coffee offsite. If you want to hop on the Metro and take a ride, Peregrine Coffee on Capitol Hill (7th & Pennsylvannia Ave., SE) is not to be missed. Again really serious coffee drinkers go here.
Posted Thu Mar 1, 2012, 8:34pm Subject: Re: Coffee in DC?
Filter Coffeehouse at 1726 20th St. NW I think has the best espresso in Dupont. I also go to Yola at 1323 Connecticut Ave. NW, but mainly because it's closer to where I work. Swing's is great, but it's something of a hike from Dupont.
Oh yeah -- you might find the following story interesting. Both Filter and Yola use Counter Culture.
I would say that ME Swings suffers from the same problem as Bocatto in Arlington & Alexandria: inconsistent training / barista capability. I've had good and iffy espresso at Swings, never as bad as Misha's though, nor as good as Bocatto (when they are "in the zone").
I wonder how his visit went. You notice how people rarely followup to tell us where they went or how they like it after asking for suggestions??
Bocatto in Old Town now has a small Yama vac pot and a large Yama iced drip coffee maker. I tried an iced Brazilian (Stumptown) last weekend and it was amazing. They were running an Ethiopian through it at the time. I should have gone back!
Here I am. I stayed in two hotels, one right down the street from Baked and Wired and the other a few blocks from Filters. They both made good espresso, the likes of which I'd happily drink anytime. I found the format of Baked and Wired pretty annoying though. In addition to coffee they make and sell a wide assortment of cupcakes. Cupcakes aren't really my thing but that's okay. THe trouble is that you can't simply pay for your coffee in the coffee line. Rather, you have to get your coffee and then stand in the cupcake line to pay for your it! How stupid is that?
@Bushrod, What time do you hit Bocatto? I asked someone whether they were using the vac pot and dripper last week and she told me she "didn't think so." there is a chap there who seems to be working the coffee program, but I don't know his name. Do you?
@DanH, Yes, B&W is a bit non-standard. I prefer to think of it as "eclectic" rather than stupid. I think they make most of their money on the baked side. The barista doesn't have to deal with a register and where would they put it anyway? I applaud any place with a good coffee program--they are few and far between. I am happy to endure their odd setup for an excellent cortado.
Incidentally, you might see lines of people waiting for a blessed "Georgetown Cupcake" of TV fame, only a few blocks away. Baked and Wired blows them out of the water. B&W were making best cupcakes anywhere around here before cupcakes were trendy, and they still are.
Well JD2020, you're definitely a more generous spirit than I am. Cupcakes really do seem to be the rage in those parts these days. I lived in Boston during the Steve's Ice Cream-inspired ice cream boom of the 70's. Then it was cookies. Now it is cupcakes. How do you eat one without getting icing all over your nose?
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