Comfort

A. now lives in Mount Pleasant, but she left her heart in Bloomingdale, a leafy neighborhood near Howard University. Though the weather was not cooperating, I wanted to check out my friend's haunt, Big Bear Cafe, which is also lauded for its amazing lattes.

The cafe, on the corner of R and 1st street, NW, is the quintessential neighborhood coffee shop, complete with dancing-by-the-counter regulars, artwork on every available wall, staff that remembers your usual, and people deep in conversation nursing counter culture coffee or, thanks to a recently acquired license, a selection of funky beers. It takes a confident kitchen to have a single dinner option - Big Bear does sandwiches until 5 PM, but it's 8 PM closing time calls for a minimal dinner menu.

I got there a bit past 5.30 to find A. there, hard at work. Though the tables run small, there were plenty of people there with laptops. In the spirit of a true coffeehouse, the dim light and ambient music creates an atmosphere that lends itself more to chatting and people watching through its tall windows than anything else. A. had lured me there with the offer of chili and organic beer - two things that hit the spot on a frigid winter evening.

The chili - $8, including extra corn bread, is a lovely example of the possibilities of vegetarian food. Beans floating in soupy mix of spice (Chipotle) and acid (vinegar, and hints of lime), topped with a bit of sharp cheese and some cilantro. The corn bread is delicious, and I crumbled mine on the bowl for some extra texture. A. chose the porter and I had the Framboise, a Belgian raspberry beer that is refreshing and so aromatic it gave the chili a run for its money. At $9 it is the second most expensive on the menu, but the bottle is bigger than the $5 options. The chili was delicious but the size of the portion does not make for a hearty dinner.

While this is a coffeehouse that is very much embedded into its neighborhood, the quality of ingredients and the friendly service make it well worth the visit. For us interlopers, Big Bear Cafe is very easy to get to on the G2 bus, and on Sunday they are the anchor for the Bloomingdale Farmer's Market.


Big Bear Cafe
1700 1st St NW
Washington, DC 20001
www.bigbearcafe-dc.com

Pleasant Surprise

E. and I were making our way back to the Brookland Metro after a concert at the Franciscan Monastery when we both realized how very hungry we were. Unfamiliar with the area, we peeked into eatery windows, looking for a quick bite to tide us over until we got home.

E. pointed the sign out to me - Wine Tasting, 2.30 PM. Figuring we could get food regardless, we went in - the place was packed, the dining area with industrial-inspired furniture anchored by a bar. Our quick bite (a veggie burger with a touch of spice for me on a delicious vegan roll and a chicken-topped salad for E.) turned into a prolonged visit. The tasting featured white wines and sparkling wines, with unlimited tastings (and an option to have a full glass, once you've had enough). I was completely unprepared to do a proper write up on the wines, so E. and I just relaxed and enjoyed our detour, with D'Maz, the very enthusiastic and well-informed barman/Master of Ceremonies at the helm. Since Saturday afternoons are all about wine at Brookland Cafe, it was a fitting introduction.

The Brookland Cafe
3740 12th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
(202) 635 6307
www.thebrooklandcafe.com

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Axis Bar and Grill on U Street

Friends and I met for drinks and dinner at Axis Bar and Grill on U Street last night before heading to a party in the neighborhood. Axis has around 10 beers on tap as well as a full bar and a somewhat limited but really nice wine list. The ambiance is relaxed and neighborhoody but somehow classy too. The lighting is dim and the long, large bar features dark, oak-colored wood and has heavy mirrors behind it as well as two flat-screen tv's to keep patrons company as needed. Louise and I had their Pinot Grigio, which was crisp, light and refreshing. Tory had the Pinot Noir which was rich and purple in color and well-balanced and fruity to the palate. The food menu is well-rounded and included a nice selection of appetizers, meat and fish dishes and a bar menu with inexpensive smaller plates. We shared Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese. The mushrooms were delicious and the combination of the earthy mushrooms, tangy blue cheese and sweet caramelized onions is gorgeous. A side salad comes with the dish as well. Louise had the Chicken Wrap from the bar menu which is a real deal at $6. The flour tortilla wraps are large and are filled with chicken, lettuce, tomatoes and herbs, and are served with a nice side salad. I had the Caesar Salad which came with a nice amount of shaved Parmesan cheese and the dressing was nice and tangy. I think the croutons could have been a bit more hearty but otherwise the salad was really nice. Tory had the Duck which looked gorgeous and was served with a generous helping of the jus along side mashed potatoes and sauteed snow peas and carrots. More friends arrived throughout the evening and we enjoyed the wine, company and the pleasant and comfortable surroundings around us. Axis is a great neighborhood spot and one you are encouraged to relax a while and linger in. Added bonus, Rob the bartender will be sure you have a fun evening if he is around.

Axis Bar and Grill

1340 U Street in NW DC

Etete

After watching some exciting March Madness action yesterday, we were more than a bit hungry and decided to do Ethiopian for dinner. I love Etete so we popped in to what was quite a bustling evening for the restaurant. There was a table of about 20 or so folks celebrating some sort of occasion, but were lucky and got the last available table right away. Etete actually has a cute albeit small wine list and we each ordered a glass of Pinot Noir. Perfect - light and fruity. We ordered one of the veggie platters (a must do when eating Ethiopian) which comes with Yemisir Wat (slit red lintel cooked in Ethiopian red pepper sauce, meten shiro, oil, onion sauteed together), Yeataklit Wat (fresh green, carrot, potato, green pepper and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomato), Yekik Alicha (a dip of delicately spiced cooked legumes), Gomen (fresh green, carrot, potatoe, green pepper and onion sauteed with garlic, ginger and tomato), Tegabino Shiro (Mitin Shiro, oil and onion sauteed together), and Azifa (choppen onion, green pepper, garlic, lentil, lemon juice mixed with Ethiopian mustard). We added Doro Wat (chicken leg seasoned with onion, garlic, fresh ginger, hot pepper, cooked and simmered with berbere sauce and served with hard boiled eggs) and Yefem Tibs (charcoal broiled sliced prime tender beef marinated in white wine and rosemary, with a touch of garlic and black pepper). Of course everything comes with injera as well. No need to add much more, but yum - what a perfect way to end a fun day. Definitely pop into Etete if you are curious about Ethiopian cuisine, or for no reason at all.

Etete

1942 9th Street in NW DC

www.eteterestaurant.com

Bistro du Coin

I really can't say enough about Bistro du Coin. This "corner bistro" is almost always hopping with energy and fun folks, and the food and drinks are consistent and fabulous. Friends and I visited on Tuesday evening, after a fun happy hour at David Greggory, and had a lovely evening. We started with two large orders of curried mussels, which are rich and delicious and come with a nice bowl of crispy and tasty fries on the side. Paul had the Steak Frites, always a winner, Ben had the Mahi Mahi which looked light and delicious, and I shared the Roast Chicken with a side of garlicky and yummy green beans with a friend. We all enjoyed a bottle of Cote du Rhone with the meal. Really, just a lovely and gastronomically fulfilling evening.

Bistro du Coin
1738 Connecticut Avenue in NW DC
www.bistroducoin.com

Tonic

I was at one of my new favorite places, Tonic in Mount Pleasant, on Tuesday with a few friends. It seemed the perfect place for a few of us who live in and around the neighborhood to catch up, and to watch the first game of March Madness. They do half-price burgers during happy hour until 7pm on Tuesdays, but we all didn't arrive until 7:30ish, but no matter, wasn't planning on doing a burger anyhow. For a neighborhood type bar, the menu actually is fairly extensive. I love that they have a cute little wine list as well as a Hummus Plate as an appetizer and sides that include Steamed Spinach, and when you order a burger or certain sandwhiches you have a choice of around eight cheeses including Brie and Gouda. I enjoyed the Tempranillo on offering by the glass, which was nice, Steph had a Woodchuck cider (not my favorite kind though - I only really enjoy the Granny Smith variety for its tartness), Amy had her usual light but tasty beer and others had other types of beer and soda. I ordered the Cobb Salad with the bleu cheese dressing on the side. The portion was large and the spinach and crisp Romaine lettuce was super fresh. It also came with bleu cheese crumbles, diced tomato, sliced red onion, chopped boiled egg and nice and large bacon bits. The grilled chicken was missing at first (and as a result I got my meal for free!), but when it did arrive it was a heaping plate of two huge breasts. It was a delicious and hearty yet light meal. One friend got the Portobello Sandwich which comes with Gouda cheese on wheat bread. It got raves. Everyone else got one of the variety of burgers which also come with Tater Tots that actually are not really greasy at all. After dining at Tonic I really do think it is a perfect little neighborhood bar.

Tonic

3155 Mount Pleasant Street in NW DC

http://www.tonicrestaurant.com/

Napoleon and Cashion's

I met a friend for a fun evening out in Adams Morgan this past Thursday. He was quite accomodating and agreed to go to Cashion's for dinner, even though he has been many times. We were considering several other options as well, all of which I have already been to, and I have been wanting to check out Cashion's for a while now, so we decided on that. He lives in the neighborhood, and hadn't been to Napoleon yet, and so that we could both check out a new spot we met for some vino at Napoleon. We got a couple of cozy seats at the bar and settled into the delightful spot. From 4 to 7pm on weekdays, the wines by the glass and champagne cocktails are $2 off. I had a glass of Joseph Drouhin La Foret 2004 Pinot Noir, which was a typical and lovely French Pinot - well-balanced, and slightly tannic and fruity. He ordered a Chateau Haut-Surget Lalande de Pomerol 2003 Merlot, which he said was great but definitely probably a bit young to be enjoying now. I got the young part - the nose was quite alcoholic - but apparently 2003 is a great vintage, and I was happy to sample. We also tried the Maison Nicolas Reserve 2004 Syrah, which was actually delicious and much lighter than the Merlot. Fragrant aromas of the crepes, mussels, steak frites and other tasty Belgian fare on offering at Napoleon were enjoyable, but I was glad when it was time to head a few doors down to Cashion's. We ot a great window table, and ordered a Monthelie Cuvee Paul 2004 Pinot Noir, which wow, we both really loved. It was fruity and luscious and yummy. We shared PEI mussels with white wine, garlic, tomato and chili flake, and a Tritip appetizer with spiced couscous. I loved the mussels, but the Tritip was a bit tough and the portion was quite small. If you haven't had Tritip by the way, it usually is an absolutely tasty and tender cut of beef. I thought it was mainly a West Coast thing, but I increasingly have seen it locally. We shared Sunnyside Farms Aromatic Brined Chicken, which was served with a dollop of mashed sweet potatoes and chard sauteed with pearl onions and a honey-rosemary glaze. Good roast chicken is always amazing, and this was great. Juicy, flavorful, aromatic and just good homestyle food. We finished up with the cheese plate, which came with several soft and creamy offerings as well as a slice that looked and tasted like Manchego but was even creamier, and all in all the selection was lovely, and I think we both had a nice and certainly gastronomous evening.

Napoleon

1847 Columbia Road in NW DC

Cashion's Eat Place

1819 Columbia Road in NW DC

www.cashionseatplace.com

Two New Favorites

Last Saturday I met Amy for a drink at Rumberos in Columbia Heights. Really cute place with an interesting wine list - mostly offerings from Chile and Argentina - and a nice, relaxed vibe and interesting art all over the space. We had plans to try two spots in Mount Pleasant afterwards. Neither of us had eaten much all day, so we walked four or so blocks to Radius Pizza, excited about what would hopefully be a delicious meal upon arrival. You actually have to walk into the foyer of an apartment building to get to Radius, and we entered the small but comfortable space and snagged the last open table. The menu is fairly straightforward - standard apps such as calamari and cheese bread, as well as a nice selection of salads, pastas, pizzas, calzones and entrees - but certainly would satisfy almost anyone. I started with a Caesar Salad, which was super fresh and actually arrived with several anchovies, which I thought was a nice touch. I delicately removed them from my plate though - love the flavor, but they aren't very appealing in any other way really. The dressing was tangy and had a nice nutty and rich flavor. Being a pizza joint for the most part, I ordered a slice with broccoli rabe and mushrooms, and wow - what great pizza! It's authentic New York style, with a thin crust and nice charring here and there. The tomato sauce is absolutely perfect - tangy and flavorful but not overwhelming. I also like that you can order by the slice as well as by the pie. Amy got one of the specials, which was akin to a great Chicken Parmesan. The chicken was coated in polenta, which made for a delightfully crispy crust, and was served on fresh bread and smothered in the lovely tomato sauce and Provolone cheese. One bite was enough for me, definitely not a light dish, but yumo for sure. Amy enjoyed the Chianti on offering, and I paired my meal with a delicious Sangiovese. Afterwards, we headed next door to Tonic, one of the best neighborhood bars I have had the pleasure of visiting in a while. We met a couple of nice folks, watched some heated college basketball action, and enjoyed the rest of our evening in Mount Pleasant.

I actually ended up back at Radius last night by the way - had a Chopped Salad, which comes with fresh Iceberg lettuce, chopped cucumber and tomato and a creamy Ranch dressing - and shared a small pizza with a friend. We opted for broccoli rabe, mushrooms and basil as toppings. I actually prefer the pizza without basil, as it is a bit sweet for me, but it was absolutely delicious. Definitely can't wait for yet another visit - I think Tonic's tagline is appropriate for a visit to either place at any time - it hopefully will "cure what ails you."

Radius Pizza

3155 Mount Pleasant Street in NW DC

www.radiusdc.com

Tonic

3155 Mount Pleasant Street in NW DC

www.tonicrestaurant.com

Les Frites

There actually is a bit of a lack of spots that do happy hour in the U Street neighborhood, so I find myself dropping into Saint Ex after work on a fairly regular basis. The bar area upstairs is and warm and cozy, I love the jazz usually playing in the background and the food and drinks are great. It can be a bit of an Adams Morgan like scene on weekends, but it usually is fairly mellow on weekdays, and a perfect spot to meet a friend or two to catch up. For drinks, I almost always go with the happy hour house red wine, which for the last month or so has been a delicious Pinot Noir. Thank you to my friend Patrick who I met there for drinks earlier this week, and who ordered Saint Ex's somewhat famous Fried Green Tomatoes BLT. Fried green tomatoes, cheddar cheese, lettuce and applewood smoked bacon arrive open-faced on thick, lightly toasted bread. On the side you have a choice of fries, sweet potato fries or a salad. He got sweet potato fries which were thick cut, crispy and salted with a fabulous coarse finishing salt that made the flavor pop in your mouth without tasting overly salty. I only had one or two fries but will remember the delicious flavor for a while, actually probably until I am at Saint Ex again and I can convince someone to order les frites.

Cafe Saint Ex
1847 14th Street in NW DC
www.saint-ex.com

Napoleon in Adams Morgan

On Saturday, my friend Amy and I popped into Napoleon, a really cute new spot on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan, on our way to a wine tasting nearby. The decor is somewhat minimalist and sparse, but the space feels cozy, with lots of candles, warm and rich off-white walls, and hues of deep, ruby red, black and gold. A hefty granite bar serves as an anchor of sorts in the middle of the venue. We only popped in for a glass of wine, but I can't wait to return and try the Caesar Salad and one of the savory crepes on the menu. Other offerings include mussels, a white bean dip served with crostini, grilled fish and meats and a variety of sweet crepes. The wine list is somewhat abbreviated, but I found a few varieties I wanted to try. I ordered a Lyeth Cabernet, which was somewhat sweet and had a velvety texture. I enjoyed it. Amy had a Da Vinci Chianti Classico. I thought it was ok although a bit too tannic for my taste. I don't usually enjoy Chiantis anyhow. Napoleon is just off the 18th Street strip which keeps it a bit quieter than other locations in the neighborhood, and it seems like a perfect place to relax with a nice bottle of wine and linger over a tasty meal.

Napoleon
1847 Columbia Road in NW DC

New Spot in the Neighborhood

I went to Whole Foods after work last night and walked most of the way home from there, but it was just too cold to finish the trip, so I stopped in for a second time at Axis Bar and Grill. It's a delightful new spot on U Street between 13th and 14th. It feels homey and neighborhoody and it seems to promote taking a load off and just hanging out. Axis is in a large renovated row house and the decor is simple and refined. When you walk in the long bar is in front of you and there is seating to your right, beyond the bar and on a second level. Lighting is dim and hues are of silver and dark wood. There are two flat-panel tv's above the bar which are perfect for watching newsy shows after work on a weekday, or sports on the weekends. I came in really just for a quick glass of wine, and opted to go with the house pinot noir. It was velvety, smooth and well-balanced. The wine list is well-thought out and not expensive. I noticed a Heron Syrah, which is a nice bottle, as well as an offering from Joel Gott, which is one of my favorite wineries. Rob, the bartender, is really friendly and sweet, and if you ask him for his opinion on the wine offerings he is happy to share. Axis also boats about 10 beers on tap. I wasn't interested in food last night, but thanks to new friend Gamal I got to try the calamari with lemon and olive strips which comes garnished with flat-leaf parsley. The calamari were firm and tender but not chewy, and the breading was really light so you actually got a nice taste of the squid. Gamal and his friend also shared a beef wrap which is beef, tomato, mushrooms and white sauce rolled in flatbread, and reviews were good. The roll is served with a small mixed green salad. The calamari and beef roll are on Axis' bar menu which is about seven items mostly priced around $5. The larger menu has a nice selection of salads, fish, and meats, including ribs and a nice selection of steaks. I promised to try food next time I stop in, and am looking forward to doing so and to having Axis in the neighborhood.

Axis Bar and Grill

1340 U Street in NW DC

Food and Dining on Public Television, and Neighborhood Eats

I recently saw three great documentaries on public television - "The Meaning of Food," "A Hot Dog Program" and "Hamburger America," which are about eating at various spots across the country and the related lore and history, as well as the way food plays a central role in our cultural, familial and everyday lives. If you are not able to find the shows on tv, you can rent the dvd's. I also recently came across a program regarding eating and drinking spots in the DC area, and it is quite well done. Check your local programming for air times, or you can view the entire program online via the link below. Venues include DC's Ben's Chili Bowl and Busboys and Poets, Rockville's Cuban Corner and Urban BBQ, Vienna's Sunflower Vegetarian, late night at Pizza Mart in Adams Morgan, Alexandria's The Evening Star Cafe, and Arlington's Lost Dog Cafe - it is really cute.

Neighborhood Eats
http://www.weta.org/tv/guide.php