see my Georgetown field report
As you work your way down Wisconsin Avenue toward the Potomac, just after crossing the C&O Canal there will be a narrow little one-way street on your right. On that street you will find a small food hall hidden in an 80s era commercial townhouse. It’s not easy, but you should try to find your way there, because one of the stands in the hall is occupied by Grace Street Coffee.
Continue readingupdate 8/9/2021: Georgetown location now closed; five other outlets open in DC
see my Georgetown field report
Just below the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Georgetown’s commercial ground zero, you’ll find a handsome spot serving delicious coffee. This old brick building, originally a firehouse, is the home of the Georgetown outlet of Bluestone Lane, a New York coffee roaster and cafe operator which seeks to replicate the coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia. Bluestone Lane can be found in New York, Philadelphia, California, and DC.
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see my Georgetown field report
updated 9/22/19: Corridor Coffee has closed permanently as of today’s close of business
Corridor Coffee sits behind an unassuming exterior, located up the hill from Georgetown’s retail center of gravity. The name is quite fitting, given it is sited in one of the neighborhood’s narrow old townhouses.
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Closed in August 2019
see my Georgetown field report
Oh, did this one break my heart. I so wanted to love it, everything looked so promising.
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I wanted to do a deep dive on third wave coffee shops in a DC neighborhood, so I picked Georgetown. I didn’t need provisions or a boarding pass for this one, as I can leave home and be at any of these places within 20 minutes. That is, depending on traffic, which is a big caveat.
Continue readingMy KeepCup must have been resting at the wrong angle as it dried on the dish rack this afternoon, for I later opened the refrigerator door only to hear a most sickening sound of destruction.
I hope that second and a half of free flight was exhilarating.
Continue readingupdate 5/30/2021: now permanently closed
Kensington, Maryland, is a small town just outside the Washington, DC Beltway. It’s best known for antique shops, a lovely older section of graceful old Victorian homes, having the misfortune of being one of the first areas hit by the DC Sniper attacks, and getting a lot of car traffic.
If you’re driving through, as many people do every day, on a particularly busy stretch of Connecticut Avenue you’ll find this:
I heard this wonderful bit of 90s goodness playing in my favorite coffee shop the other day and now I want to listen to it 21x in a row.
this is the original 2018 version; also see my 2019 holiday gift guide
You can do better than a Starbucks gift card.
Here are a few suggestions for showing a little holiday love to the coffee drinker in your life. Prices are as of this date and, like much in life, subject to change. Shop around for best deals.
Continue readingStepping away from the espresso for a moment, here’s a timely bit of learning. I’ve followed this method for years and it never fails. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
NY Times video from 2007 showing how to carve and present a turkey.
Updated version with the same guy from 2013, it’s not as thorough but you get a few additional tips.