Check it Out: Bread N Brew

Walking home from work, an interesting if not contradictory sign caught my attention: "Bread and Brew: cafe, coffeehouse, cocktails." I stood contemplating the odd conglomeration of coffee, pastries, and alcohol and decided that I could find nothing to object to. Walking in, the main floor looks like a traditional coffee house. Earthy and warm, it invites you to grab a latte, catch up on some reading, or simply relax for a bit. The room is fairly quiet, with only a few other patrons. Whether this is normal or simply because this is a new establishment, I can't say. The staff is as warm and friendly as the decor. While they are certainly not in any rush, you don't feel you need to be either. Though I only sat down to have a coffee, I ended up enticed by the fresh and scrumptious looking food at the cafe.

The menu is a tribute to local, fresh, organic produce. They offer a number of fantastic looking sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, along with a few entrees that change daily. I opted for a Squash and Goat Cheese Quiche. The $7 price-tag wasn't the cheapest but the slice was very generous and came along with a heaping and delicious organic salad. The quiche was completely home-made with a delicious fluffy pie crust. The spinach and cheese tasted as if it had been painstakingly prepared by some rustic Spanish woman, rather than a pleasant Washingtonian titled Chef Eugene. Downstairs at the bar they offer an interesting selection of wines accompanied by a number of small bar plates. While I did not have the opportunity to sample from the wine list, I will most certainly be making a return trip to do so.

Cab Savvy

It seems as long as there have been humans, there has been wine. Archaeologists have found remnants of wine in clay jars dating back to 6000 BC. Our oldest and most beloved works of literature all contain references to its luscious taste and intoxicating effects. The Bible tells us of how Noah planted a vineyard and frequently enjoyed the crushed and fermented fruits of his labor. In Homer’s Aeneid and Odyssey, characters frequently consume hearty glasses of wine. Shakespeare’s Brutus eased his conscience after the murder of Caesar and Othello brooded over his wife’s supposed infidelity with glass-in-hand. We have been drinking wine since we were able to drink. Yet for many in our generation, wine has become something elitist and inaccessible. Our parents drink it, many even have collections of it, and yet we stick to beer and the hard stuff. I’ve heard many people say that they simply don’t like the taste of wine, that they’re not “wine people.” Sillyness I say. Mankind has quite obviously been “wine people” since we figured out how to make the stuff.

A number of misconceptions exist about wine, which together may be a major reason that young people don’t drink more of it. First off, the taste issue. Wine, especially big reds (Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot), has a strong, dark, complex taste. It is not something you will love the first time you try it. It is likely not something you will love the second time you try it. So rather than just giving up, keep trying it. If you didn’t like Pinot Noir, try something different. There’s not one variety of grape that is somehow better than another. A Merlot is not always better than a Shiraz, is not always better than Malbec, is not always better than Chardonnay. Just like everything else in life, people can have different opinions and tastes. Anyone who tells you differently is trying to sell you something. Try whites, try reds, heck try roses if you so choose. Drink a glass of wine while eating dinner. Read the back of the bottle to get an idea for the flavor and eat foods that it would seem to suggest. Have a green apple with honey while drinking Chardonnay, eat some cheese with a glass of Rioja, have a piece of dark chocolate with a Shiraz. Eating will help you bring out the flavors in the wine. Serve wine at its proper temperature (room temp for reds, slighlty chilled for whites). If it’s a red, open it well before drinking it (30 minutes to an hour depending on the varietal). The major issue with reds is that overwhelming tannin taste of many. More oxygen can greatly reduce it. When drinking it try letting it sit on your tongue and inhaling over it. If you try these things and try as many bottles as you can I guarantee that you will find something you like and you may even become a “wine person.” To help you in your new quest to enjoy wine, this column will review a bottle or two of wine every week. You will never find a bottle for more than $15 dollars on this column. You do not need to spend more than that to enjoy a good bottle. If you want to blow $75, you certainly can have an extraordinary bottle. But for those of us who still have young palettes the noticeable differences would be marginal anyways.


I purchase most of my wine from Best Cellars DuPont. It is a wine chain in New York, DC, and Boston that has a fantastic selection at a reasonable price. You really have to try there to find something more expensive than $15. Their staff is excellent and very knowledgeable. Their website also has a fantastic online quiz to help you determine what basic wines you should start with. So until next week, buy some glasses and get ready to love wine. Heck, if you really can’t wait go out and pick up a bottle.

Check it Out: Zorba's Cafe

You have to admit, living in the District on a budget is not the easiest thing to do and at time can even feel utterly impossible. With all of the fabulous gourmet restaurants serving up all the finest dishes their James Beard award-winning chefs can divvy up, it can be hard to find a restaurant that will serve up a hot plate of deliciousness that won't leave your wallet dumbfounded, wondering what just hit it. However, tucked away throughout this city are a number of gems offering great food at reasonable prices. This week, the Dupont gem that is Zorba's Café.

Maybe it's just me, but between the tall blue and white building and the Greek melodies that play on outside speakers that hypnotize and conjure up nostalgia of munching on pita smothered with tzatziki, I just plain can't resist Zorba's Café. And based on observation, I am not the only one who gets lured in. Located about a block and a half North of Dupont Circle on 20th Street at Connecticut Ave., Zorba's is a no-fuss, quick service, get there early so you have a place to sit, kind of place. Don't hold it against the cooks whose native language is definitely Spanish, not Greek; they really know what they are doing. Having been there several times, I have always favored their superb Yero (also known as Gyro) Sandwich for $7.95(Opt for the sandwich instead of the plate and save $3.55!). There is just something about their light, fluffy, and almost sweet pita bread that induces massive cravings that have me coming back sooner rather than later. Wash it down with a surprisingly not bad Mythos Hellenic Lager Beer for $4.35, and you have just fed yourself an entire meal for under $15!


Cafeteria-style service means feeling like you are back in high school with blue trays AND no tips! BONUS!

Directions to Zorba's Café

The Sunday Dinner: Tortellini, It's Whats For Dinner

There are few things in life more enjoyable than a delicious home-cooked meal shared amongst friends, but as I'm sure many of you are aware this is often easier said than done. Between selecting a menu, procuring the ingredients, and then actually preparing the food, the prospect of such a meal becomes considerably less attractive. Even more so after a long day of work. As such, every Sunday we here at Eat The District will try to take the guesswork out of dining in by constructing a two course meal of simple, delicious and above all easy to make food complete with recipes and even a nice bottle of vino to compliment the evening. Tonight, instead of eating out or ordering in, invite a few friends, throw on the aprons and sit down for a meal thats good, not just for the body, but for the soul.

The Menu:


The Starter - Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta


The Entre - Tortellini with Brown Butter and Sage

For those of age, a bottle of Goats do Roam White 2008 from the South African vineyard of the same name will compliment the tortellini well.

Check It Out: O'Sullivan's Irish Pub

Entering February, we may seem that much closer to emerging from the depths of the DC winter, but as anyone who has lived in the district can tell you the dreary cold and driving wind have a knack for hanging around well past their welcome. While unpleasant weather is often the perfect excuse to stay in and defer to delivery, there is also something to be said for delicious, filling food and a cozy atmosphere on a cold evening. To that end, I present O'Sullivan's Irish Pub.


Located about a block from the Clarendon metro stop in the Commonwealth of Virginia, O'Sullivan's compliments a terrific selection standard Irish standards with a solid selection of beer on tap, but its the warm, local-bar ambiance that really sets this one apart. The prices aren't bad either, fifteen bucks and change will get you a pint of something tasty and a bowl of their peerless beef and Guinness stew.


Aside from doing the food thing, O'Sullivan's hosts pretty good live shows on the weekends right in the dining area, so next time you're reaching for the phone to call the pizza guy head on over to O'Sullivan's. You won't be disappointed.


Directions to O'Sullivans

Check It Out: Ching Ching Cha

In the world of hot beverages, it is a well-known fact that there are coffees and then there are coffees. The ninety-nine cent cup of joe you pick up from the local deli is a very different breed than some haute organic kona blend served in only the finest of coffee houses. This is the case with tea as well, and the unique blends offered at Ching Ching Cha are firmly in the latter category.

Tucked into the row houses just up the hill from the Georgetown waterfront for just over a decade, Ching Ching Cha is a traditional Chinese style teahouse offering over seventy varieties of the finest tea the world has to offer. They are so dedicated to delivering only the best quality product, that the store’s owner, Ching Ching, spends several months out of each year traveling through the tea growing regions of the far east in search of only the best quality teas to bring back home to Washington.


The tranquil ambiance inside is a welcome contrast to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding Georgetown streets, and can provide the perfect quiet corner to enjoy a cuppa free from the concerns of the day There is a small menu of quality tea snacks that compliment the beverages well, but they take a backseat to the tea itself, so don’t sit down looking for a filling meal.

If it’s a little peace and quiet you are looking for, or just a hot cup on a cold day, Ching Ching Cha is worth checking out, and be sure not to miss the terrific selection of tea-related miscellany available for purchase scattered about the shop.

Directions to Ching Ching Cha

Check It Out: Chop't

If day in and day out, lunchtime finds you heading back to the same old sandwich joints, there is a good chance that you are missing out on one of the best mid-day meals that Foggy Bottom has to offer. Chop't, located on 19th between L and M, is to salads what Chipotle is to burritos: fresh, filling, and totally customizable.

The DC / NYC chain offers a staggering number of options as far as what you want in and on your salad, so between all the meats, cheeses, dressings, and veggies, there is a pretty good chance that you are going to be able to find exactly the salad that you are looking for. My personal favorite, is romaine with celery, asian noodles, granny smith apples, parmesian flakes, and grilled chicken, all under a white balsamic dressing, and it has never failed to hit the spot. If you are not feeling too creative, Chop't also offers all the standards, as well as some interesting creations of their own design. All very good, but the make-your-own option is really where the place shines. Not a salad person? the fine folks at Chop't will gladly throw it all in a wrap for a more mobile meal. Salads and wraps start at around $6, but end up around $10 if you opt for meat and what not.


If you are looking for something fresh to spice up your lunchtime routine, look not further than Chop't: BIG portions + healthy ingredients = a no brainier.

Directions to Chopt

This Weekend Under $60: Ghana Cafe

At times life around Foggy Bottom can seem a bit sanitized. Aside from the usual shenanigans associated with such a close proximity to an undergraduate university, at times the night life here can feel tame, with parts of the neighborhood seeming just plain dead. This week's Weekend Under $60 gives you a taste of a slightly wilder night at Adams Morgan's Ghana Cafe.

Tucked away in this infamously wild neighborhood, Ghana cafe offers authentic (at least to this writer's tastes) West African food accompanied by regional beers. The few tables in the restaurant are picnic-style seating, and there's no real waiting staff so to speak. However, the waiter/bartender/host/perhaps even cook will happily accommodate any of your numerous questions concerning the menu. A variety of stews make up the menu, most served with some type of rice. You will find all of them hearty and delicious. It is one of a handful of restaurants in the area that proudly serves goat (which as it turns out isn't half bad). Order a side of kelewele, a traditional dish of spiced and diced plantains. If able, order one of their many African beers to compliment the meal (Tusker would be a personal favorite).

However, the true allure of Ghana Cafe has is not just the food. While tasty enough, and certainly an interesting enough experience, the live reggae band makes the evening memorable. Anytime between 9 and 10:30 on Friday and Saturday nights Qleen Cut, the house band, arrives and performs. The relatively small restaurant fills up quickly with a mix of humanity as diverse as the food. I was lucky enough to encounter an entire bridal party there upon my last visit. Upstairs, with an auxiliary bar and dance floor, a DJ starts playing Afro-pop. Choose your poison or mingle with both crowds, enjoying a truly diverse evening.

Jollof Rice w/ stew: $10.95
Kelewele: $6
Tusker Lager: $6
Cab ride home: $8

Total: $33 plus tax and tip

Directions: Orange line to Metro Center, Red Line to Adam's Morgan. Exit and head towards Calvert street, turn left and walk until Adams Mill Rd. Turn right and walk until 18th St.

This Weekend Under $100: Co Co. Sala

A successful date is generally not remembered for its first awkward moments, its sometimes broken conversations, or its stilted parting. It is more often reflected in a lingering feeling; a warmth much like the ebbing taste of a chocolaty dessert. With that in mind, this week's Weekend Under $100 takes you to Co Co. Sala, a self-described chocolate boutique and lounge just a few blocks from Metro Center. Make an evening reservation in this casual sharp locale as it tends to get rather crowded with the after-work professional throng.

The belief of the restaurant is that dessert (and by dessert they mean chocolate) should be the centerpiece of any meal. Perusing their menu you should be delighted to find that a three-course dessert menu takes the usual place of the entrees. Start off with the small plates section. This is the only place where you will find traditional 'dinner food.' Pick 4 or 5 plates to share between you and your date. The duck confit salad was superb. The blue cheese burger and tandoori chicken slider were also excellent, and don't feel too ashamed by the decor to select one of their fantastic macaroni and cheese dishes. Enjoy as many or as few of these tapas as you'd like, remembering of course to leave room for dessert.

The menu provides an option of four different themed three-course dessert menus. Do not get too overwhelmed. Any or all of these will certainly provide you with an unparalleled chocolate experience. I would recommend splitting one of these with your date, passing out from a chocolate overdose would probably hurt your chances of a repeat. Should you be of age, choose from one of their fantastic cocktails (all dessert themed of course) to accompany the meal. Wild Winter and Co Cojito are both delectable choices. If you are not yet able, choose from one of 6 gourmet hot chocolates. Co Co. Sala also has a fantastic selection of handmade artisanal chocolates. Should you have the interest and the money inquire with your server. Cap off a fantastic evening by unwinding on the couch with Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat available at HippoVideo for just a dollar. If there's no second date after this you must have some type of communicable disease.

Small plates: $7-9 each
Dessert Course: $20 each
Cocktails: $13 each or Cocoa: $6 each
DVD rental: $1.00

Total: $77 plus tax and tip

For reservations to Co Co. Sala

Directions: Orange/Blue line to Metro Center. Exit at 12th and F Street. Walk East on F Street towards 11th St. Restaurant on right.

Save the Date: February 2009 Schedule of Events

A new month means a slew of new food-related festivals, celebrations and classes. Here are the Washington area events that you should be paying attention to for the month of February. Be sure to look out for our Save The Date column at start of every month to keep in the know about DC's freshest foodie happenings.


February 7-8:
Chocolate Lovers Festival - Fairfax, VA

February 14-15:
Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival - Washington, DC

February 16-22:
DC Restaurant Week - Washington, DC

February 17:
St. Jude Gourmet Gala - Washington, DC

February 18:
Wine Class for Beginners - Washington, DC

February 19:
High End Beer Class and Tasting - Washington, DC

Sundays in February:
Dupont Circle Freshfarm Market - Washington, DC