Tag: washington

Start Your Sunrise at Washington, DC’s Newest Coffee Roastery: The Roasted Boon Co.

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The coffee is fantastic at The Roasted Boon Co., a brand new coffee shop and roastery in Shaw, DC. The roastery just opened it’s doors on July 20th and opens every day at 6 am, so if you are comfortable enough to grab takeaway during the pandemic, there is the advantage that you can arrive early and beat the crowds. (We were the only ones in the shop besides the baristas this week. Note that The Roasted Boon Co. is the only coffee shop we’re aware of that opens at 6 am in DC right now.) Plus, the cleanliness of the store seems top notch; each employee at The Roasted Boon Co. wears a mask, there is a Plexiglas pane in front of the register, and ample hand sanitizer for your use. You can also order things online, according to their store signage. As always, please trust your own judgement.

The Roasted Boon Co. Coffee Shop Interior
Image © time cupsoul. The interior of the Roasted Boon Co. roastery in Shaw, DC is decorated with a white Diedrich coffee roaster and colorful splashes and nods to the Eritrean “boon,” or coffee-making ceremony.

The coffee at the Roasted Boon Co is as we said — truly fantastic. We didn’t know what to expect of the new roastery, but the small latte that we got was honestly wonderful. An Ethiopian and Brazilian blend of beans, the espresso tasted rich, full-bodied and delicious. Having the option to get a “small” latte also added to our happiness; a latte with too much milk is never fun on a sweltering DC summer morning. The iced latte was the perfect size and had the optimal amount of ice.

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Baked & Wired: Adventures in Georgetown

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THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED in 2014 AND WAS UPDATED IN JULY 2020.

It’s been named one of the top ten bakeries in the United States by Fodor’s Travel, and it’s easily one of the most talked about coffee shop locations in the area.  Do not miss Baked & Wired, just next to Georgetown’s historic C&O canal.

Baked & Wired came backed with a lot of hype and praise; people have been telling us to go there for years. Somehow, we never got around to it. There’s something about actively avoiding that which is so coveted. Just because everyone loves it, does not mean that you would or should. Enter Saturday morning. Sunshine streaming through the windows, summer air beckoning nature into the light.  Everyone was outside enjoying the weather and it was time to finally visit Baked & Wired. (When this article was first published, we wrote: “I got on a crowded bus and happily listened to my iPod to get down to M Street.” Oh, nostalgia during COVID-19! Oh nostalgia for iPods!)

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Top Ten Places to Find Delicious Hot Chocolate Drinks in Washington, DC

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The cherry blossoms may be on their way, but there’s still time to grab a delicious hot chocolate in the District.  There are numerous articles online that list top hot chocolate spots in DC, but none of them match up with this list!

  1. Buttercream Bakeshop‘s Hazelnut Praline Hot Chocolate — If you haven’t been to Buttercream Bakeshop, first of all, do yourself a favor, please go. It’s one of Time Cupsoul’s favorite bakeries in all of DC (try a Queen Bee or a unicorn bar or a muffin) and this particular hot chocolate is absolutely unbelievable; it’s like drinking a Ferrero Rocher. Hazelnut heaven. 1250 9th Street NW.
  2. The Royal‘s Spice Hot Chocolate — The Royal team is super creative, constantly innovating for holidays. Did you see their White Chocolate Latte for Valentine’s Day? Have you tried their Honey Bourbon Latte? Time Cupsoul is semi-obsessed with The Royal in general. There’s a mega crush going on here. Don’t miss their Spice Hot Cocoa that comes with brûléed marshmallows and yes, jalapeño. You’ll feel like you’re in a scene of Chocolat. 501 Florida Avenue NW.
  3. Dolcezza‘s Askinosie Hot Chocolate — When you need a classic hot chocolate fix, this is your go-to. Journey to one of Dolcezza’s DC locations and cozy up to the Askinosie hot cocoa; it’s bright and full-bodied and has natural notes of spice and caramel. Dolcezza just knows what she’s doing, gelato, chocolate and all. Various locations.
  4. Bourbon Coffee‘s Hot Chocolate — Another perfect location for a classic hot chocolate fix. Bourbon has a few different hot chocolate recipes for you to try. One of Time Cupsoul’s favorite coffee locales in DC, give their cocoa a chance! Various locations.
  5. Little Red Fox‘s Hot Cocoa — This little gem of a shop uses DC’s own Harper Macaw chocolate in their hot cocoa. Go to Little Red Fox (or The Den) on a weekend to enjoy the ambiance and be sure to pick up some of the market and food items. 5035 Connecticut Avenue NW.
  6. Cafe Chocolat‘s Hot (Milk) Chocolate — The new kid on the block has some great hot chocolate offerings to keep you cozy as winter melts into spring. Be sure to pick up one of the many craft chocolate bars that the shop has for sale while you’re in town. Cafe Chocolat also has a new iced hot chocolate — hello, springtime! 1423 H Street NW.
  7. Emissary‘s Hot Chocolate — Time Cupsoul seriously can’t believe that more folks aren’t talking about Emissary’s coffee (roaster: Counter Culture, same as The Royal), and not to mention food! Give not only Emissary’s hot cocoa a try, but literally everything else. And yes, they have avocado toast that’s Instagram-worthy. The dining area is also unique; you will find a lively energy to inevitably boost your day. A great option. 2032 P Street NW.
  8. The Coupe/Tryst/Open City‘s Lavender Hot Chocolate — This hot chocolate is for the more adventurous, fantastical type. Who knew that lavender could taste so good with chocolate? This drink is unique and it will simultaneously trial and test your taste buds while also calming your mind. Try it out. Time Cupsoul loves this restaurant group! Various locations (The Coupe, Tryst, Open City).
  9. Colada Shop‘s Chocolate de la Abuela & Churros con Chocolate — The atmosphere at Colada shop is simply unbeatable. The Latin music and Cuban charm will get your blood pumping. Enjoy their thick drinking chocolate with some freshly baked cinnamon churros. Colada also offers hot cocoa de la abuela/grandma’s hot chocolate (“classic Cuban hot chocolate”) that’s delicious. You can’t go wrong. ¡Viva el chocolate! 1405 T Street NW.
  10. We used to have RareSweets on this list but they are no longer in City Center, so until we’re able to taste more hot cocoa’s ourselves and then update this page, we “softly recommend” hot cocoa at The Wydown or Un Je Ne Sais Quoi! 🙂

Bonus: Pineapple and Pearls‘ hot chocolate — another delectable option to warm your spirit! We’ve also heard that Bayou Bakery in VA has amazing hot cocoa.

Which hot chocolate on the list is your favorite? What did we miss? Please comment below. Happy sipping!

Image credit, clockwise: "CostaRica_20161107_067" by QuiRag is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0, "Brunch at Le Zinc, Noe Valley" by tastingsf is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, "Hot Cocoa Foam November 22, 2011 1" by stevendepolo is licensed under CC BY 2.0, "Hot chocolate" by Taku is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Bayou Bakery: The Cafe that Created a Time Cupsoul Award

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Bayou Bakery

Memorial Day Weekend started off excellent. Completely dazed after seeing X-Men Days of Future Past, my friends and I exited the theater completely riveted and starving. Go see X-Men right now. And then, like I did, go to New Orleans. You don’t need a plane because you have Bayou Bakery.

Stepping inside of Bayou Bakery really was like walking into Louisiana. It was an instant…vacation. The decorations in this bakery and coffee shop are superb. Absolutely as if you’re in the Bayou. I hold some legitimacy here because I have been to New Orleans with my sister.

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La Colombe: The Platform 9 3/4 Experience

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Time Cupsoul @ La Colombe
Time Cupsoul @ La Colombe

To begin, this particular DC La Colombe coffee shop is in an alley. A legitimate alley, okay? It’s on their address. Blagden Alley.  When Time Cupsoul first read the address, we thought of Harry Potter.

Finding the alley made us feel like part of some secret club, or as if we finally had received a letter to Hogwarts and were now finding Platform 9 3/4. Once you know where La Colombe is, you definitely have your ticket on Hogwarts Express…

First drinking coffee at La Colombe’s location in Philadelphia, Time Cupsoul had extremely high expectations for DC’s newest coffee shop. In Philly, La Colombe sits right on the Rittenhouse Square, buttressing the city hall. The open space and wooden tables were so gorgeous, La Colombe at Rittenhouse Square stayed in our minds for years. Though we don’t currently have pictures of that location, the wooden interior design was superb. That coffee shop is basically why Time Cupsoul fell in love with coffee shops all over again after living in Argentina.

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Peet’s Coffee & Tea: Grand Opening on 17th Street

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Peet's Coffee & Tea

This morning marks the grand opening of Peet’s Coffee & Tea on 17th Street, downtown Washington, DC.  I’ve been excited about this addition to the city ever since I saw its sign go up on the corner.  Peet’s is locally described as the “West Coast Starbucks.”  Given that Starbucks also started on the West Coast, I think people mean Peet’s was formerly a West Coast chain while Starbucks dominated the East Coast — that is, until now.

Well, I think Starbucks has some competition!  I tried a vanilla latte this morning, and it…is delicious. The vanilla flavor isn’t as strong as Starbucks’ and the coffee notes came through nicely, adding to the flavor. Peets’ vanilla latte has a very smooth taste.

The baristas made a point to ask everyone in line (within my earshot) what kind of milk they preferred, which is something that not every coffee shop does. Listing all of the types of cow’s milk and soy and almond, the options were plentiful.  Starbucks does not offer almond milk, so that sets Peet’s apart.

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