Cashion's Eat Place

Cashion's Eat Place, while no longer affiliated with James Beard winning chef/owner Ann Cashion, makes a good case for being the best restaurant in Adams Morgan. The brunch features inventive New American dishes that are a few steps above the other restaurants in the area without being more expensive. The food along with its casually elegant setting make it a must-visit Adams Morgan brunch location.

The best dish is their bison burger, which is topped with a perfect poached egg and is accompanied by a side of breakfast potatoes and béarnaise sauce. This dish is rightly considered one of the best burgers in the city, and perhaps the only one featured on a brunch menu. The buffalo meat is combined with fragrant herbs and comes out nice and juicy -- no small feat considering buffalo's penchant for being dry due to its leanness. The béarnaise is placed in a small saucer on the plate, which is ideal for dipping, but certainly takes away from the overall presentation of the dish.

Another highlight is the pork hash with onions, scallions, cilantro, green chilies, and a poached egg. This was an inventive dish, as you don't normally see pork hash combined with cilantro and green chilies, but the dish worked well and had a nice kick. A light sauce could have made it even better since it's a little dry, and they overdo it with the gigantic dollop of sour cream.

Their one omelet is filled with, spinach, grueyere, and mushrooms, and is topped with a tomato coulis. It's served unfolded, reminiscent of a thin frittata. The eggs are fluffy and the ingredients are fresh. It's a nice preparation but doesn't stand out above the other dishes.

Cashion's also offers a rare commodity: a complementary bread basket, which is an excellent addition to the brunch experience. It was also important here because the service was unfortunately fairly slow, as we've come to expect here in D.C. Nonetheless, Cashion's inventive and delicious dishes rank it among the top Adams Morgan establishments.

Contact information after the jump. Continue reading.



Cashion's Eat Place
1819 Columbia Road NW
Washington D.C. 20009
(202) 797-1819


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Napoleon Bistro

I have displayed a fondness for French restaurants here at Brunch DC, and Napoleon Bistro is no exception. Complete with waitresses with (possibly fake) French accents, a large menu of generally delicious French brunch dishes, and a charming French bistro atmosphere and decor (including an outdoor seating area), Napoleon is an excellent choice.

The menu comes with a variety of omelets, crepes, salads, and other brunch entrees. They also have a large assortment of coffee-based beverages and the brunch-associated alcoholic choices like the bloody mary and the mimosa. While the food is good, whoever wrote the menu perhaps thought a little too much about their creations. The "Da Vinci" omelet of ham and cheese is labeled "A dream come true" while the Michelangelo omelet of salmon, scallions, and cream cheese, is modestly described as "A Masterpiece."

For starters, they offer an interesting bread basket for $5. While this should be free, it does contain a pretty interesting and extensive assortment of breads with jam and butter. The walnut raisin and the Pain au levain (a sourdough French bread) were the highlights. The jam was not homemade, but was a decent variety. Ideally, this would be free, but I suppose $5 is not too much for very good bread.

On the omelet side, the "Rembrandt" of brie, fresh parsley and sun dried tomatoes is a highlight. Even though it apparently does not warrant an over-the-top epthitet on the menu like some of the other omelets, it stands out nonetheless. The omelet itself is perfectly done without any imperfections or burn marks. The cheese is nice and creamy, and the vegetables are fresh. It also comes with a side of potatoes and a skewer of fresh fruit (an interesting presentation).

The crepes are also good choices. Incidently, one of the better ones is far more an Italian dish than a French one -- the Florentine, consisting of roma tomatoes, ricotta cheese, pine nuts, and basil in a roasted garlic pesto sauce. The soft cheese complements the toasted pine nuts well. And they don't stiff you on the portion size either, as this dish comes with two side-by-side crepes. The other crepe highlight is the "Lisbon" which had smoked salmon, red onions, dill and cream cheese. This crepe was cut into four triangular pieces and was a very pleasant and refreshing dish -- much better than other crepe with salmon, the "Bolivar" (salmon, scrambled eggs, with a citrus-caper sour cream sause), which was too heavy.

The wait staff was unfortunately fairly pushy, particularly with the bloody marys and mimosas. They also have (possibly fake?) French accents -- maybe I'm completely off-base here and if so I apologize -- but they sounded fake. The coffee, whose awesomeness was heavily touted on the menu, was merely mediocre and not hot enough. Other than these small imperfections, Napoleon Bistro is a solid choice.

Contact information after the jump. Continue reading.


Napoleon Bistro
1847 Columbia Road NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
(202) 299-9630
http://www.napoleondc.com/ (N.B. An annoyingly animated website)


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Brunch-Hating Reporter at Washington City Paper

I have just become aware of this brunch-hating screed published in the Washington City Paper this past October. City Desk reporter Jule Banville complains that she doesn't like brunch because she doesn't want to get dressed in the morning to "sit for hours over breakfast." The other main points of her diatribe are:

(1) She doesn't want to go outside with a "put-together outfit" as is supposedly required.

(2) She doesn't want to be tempted to drink "eight cups of coffee just because it’s there."

(3) She doesn't want to "listen to you and people I don’t know gab on about politics because it bores me."

(4) She doesn't want to "pay $20 for pancakes."

(5) She'd "prefer not to drink Champagne unless someone I know is celebrating something more significant than eggs"; as for bloody marys, they are "gross."

Finally, Jule concludes that "I must admit I don’t get brunch."

Well you know what, Jule, brunch doesn't get you either. First of all, it's D.C. not New York. You don't need to "shower" and put on a nice outfit to go out to brunch in this city (though it is preferable.) Nonetheless that complaint makes it seems like you just don't want to leave your house, it has nothing to do with brunch. You don't want to drink eight cups of coffee because they keep refilling your cup, and then be jittery? Amazingly there is an easy solution to that. Don't order coffee! Incredibly you also complain about listening to people in Washington, D.C. talking about politics. Again, nothing to do with brunch. That is all people in Washington talk about. Don't like politics, don't live in D.C. Sure, this supposedly $20 pancakes is probably a rip off. Order something else. There are plenty of reasonably priced and excellent brunch places. Like my top brunch list and brunch awards. Can't help you if you don't like mimosas or bloody marys. Obviously you've never taken advantage of their hangover-curing properties and, of course, their inherent deliciousness.

Though at the end of the diatribe, Jule finally reveals her true reason for hating brunch. Her "go-to is The Diner" in Adams Morgan but she can't get a table because it's too crowded. As I've repeatedly maintained, the Diner doesn't have very good food. Obviously her brunch tastes aren't up to par. Go somewhere else in Adams Morgan like the excellent La Fourchette, Bourbon, or L'Enfant.

D.C. Brunch Culture: It Sucks [Washington City Paper].

A Year of Brunch: Brunch Awards of 2008

Best Deals

(1) Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW, (202) 332-9463, Menu.
Vinoteca wins the award for best brunch deal of 2008. Their $1 sparkling wine drinks (made with Jacob's Creek brut) -- mimosas, kir royales, and bellinis -- are excellent, particularly the mimosas which is made with fresh-squeezed juice. This deal, unfortunately, ended on December 31. The brunch itself was notable for its deliciously excessive Monte Cristo, a towering sandwich of French toast, proscuito, gruyere, bacon, and eggs. Like its $1 drinks, however, the Monte Cristo has fallen victim to recent downsizing, which management has not commented upon by post-time. That and their often slow service has unfortunately dropped Vinoteca from my best brunch choices. Nonetheless, their omelets and crepes are solid choices and Vinoteca remains a decent brunch option even without the deal.

Update, 1/12/09: Vinoteca has extended their $1 sparkling wine drinks until April 1.

(2) Café Tropé, 2100 P St. NW, (202) 223-9335, Menu (incomplete).
Café Tropé serves very good eclectic French-Caribbean food in an attractive setting. Most dishes are moderately priced, from $10 omelets to $12 coconut french toast or $14 salmon eggs benedict. All of its brunch offerings come with a class of champagne and delicious warm crusty rolls served with a garlic and artichoke tapenade. The best dishes are the benedict, which is served with a Caribbean sauce instead of traditional Hollandaise, and the French toast, which is excellent though a little sweet. A great Dupont circle staple and an overall excellent deal.

Best French Toast

(1) La Fourchette, 2429 18th St NW, (202) 332-3077, Menu.

La Fourchette's French toast, made with fresh baguettes wins the award for best French toast. This large portion is fresh and spongy with real maple syrup and a little powdered sugar. No accompaniment required.

(2)Mezè, 2437 18th St. NW, 202-797-0017, Menu.

The best item on the brunch menu at Mezè is the French toast, which you might not expect from a Turkish restaurant. It is prepared with homemade cinnamon bread topped with a generous amount of fresh fruit. The bread is thick, soft, and spongy and the complement of cinnamon with sweet fruit and maple syrup presents an ambrosial combination. If you've never been to Mezè before for brunch, there's no reason to order anything else.

Best Bloody Mary

(1) L'Enfant Cafe, 2000 18th St NW, (202) 319-1800

L'Enfant has exceptional bloody marys. These homemade brunch libations are thick, well-seasoned, and spicy, but not too spicy. The best I've had in D.C. so far.

(2) Logan @ The Heights, 3115 14th St. NW, (202) 797-7227, Menu[PDF], Bloody Mary menu[PDF].

The Heights has an extensive, and complicated, bloody mary menu that allows you to pick one of many varieties of alcohol (vodka and gin), adjustable spicyness, additives such as lime juice or clam juice (recommended), and then a choice of up to three vegetables.


Best Beyond the Beltway
(1) Essex, 120 Essex Street, New York, NY 10002, (212) 533-9616, Menu [PDF].

Essex, set in an austere lofty space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is a New York culinary institution specializing in "drunk brunch" -- a $16 prix fixe meal that includes (at least) three bloody marys, mimosas, or screwdrivers. The food is a creative Jewish-Latin mix that includes food you don't tend to find in D.C., such as bialys, matro brie, a Latin twist on the latke, etc. A must-visit location for trips up north.

After the jump, the worst brunches of 2008.

Continue Reading.


Worst Brunch

Worst Food
Mixtec, 1792 Columbia Road N.W., 202-332-1011, Menu.

This overpriced Mexican restaurant attempts to distinguish itself with various creative regional Mexican dishes. Unfortunately, they miss the mark. The food is overcooked and underspiced -- bland Mexican food just doesn't go very far. And at $11 or more per dish, this place is not worth it. Their strange refusal or inability to make poached eggs is a further detraction.

Worst Service
Utopia, 1418 U St NW, (202) 483-7669, Menu.
Utopia Grill has respectable brunch food and an aesthetic decor consisting of exposed brick walls, chandeliers, and original artwork. The service, however, is awful. It appeared that there was only one waitress for the entire restaurant. We waited at least 20 minutes before she took our order and at least another 15 minutes before we got our drinks. She also did not bring our second round of drinks. It took an equally long time before our food arrive. This was a serious problem and hampered our brunch enjoyment and almost ruined what is respectable food. Utopia needs to improve its service before I can recommend that people go.

Most Overrated
The Diner, 2453 18th St. NW, 202-232-8800, Menu.
It always amazes me to see the lines out the door on Sunday mornings. The Diner serves average, reasonably priced food. There's nothing that is particularly great. It is open 24 hours a day so I can understand going for a late-night/early morning brunch meal. However, I see no reason to go during the traditional brunch hours when there are much better places just down the street such as La Fourchette or Bourbon. So why is there a wait to get in almost every Sunday? Is it herding? Hype? Lack of brunch knowledge among the D.C. populace? I wish someone would fill me in.

A Year of Brunch: Best of 2008

Here are my recommendations for the best brunch in Washington, D.C.

(1) Tabard Inn, 1739 N St. NW, (202) 833-2668, Menu.

The Tabard Inn is one of D.C.'s oldest and most historic hotels and it wins the honor of the best brunch in the city for 2008. There are a lot of great dishes at the Tabard Inn but they are best known for their homemade donuts, which are warm, cakey, and delicious; at $1.50 a piece, no Tabard Inn brunch is complete without a few donuts for the table. Their extensive menu changes seasonally. The best dishes are the smoked fish plate, which comes with a large portion of house-smoked salmon and bluefish, with frisée, caper berries, crostini, and homemade crème fraîche; and the lobster and brie omelet, which was prepared in a trifold design, reminiscent of classic French preparation with large pieces of lobster, and exuding soft melted brie cheese, which provided a nice complement to the lobster. The homemade bread and biscuits are also superb. There is no better place for brunch in D.C. than the Tabard Inn.

(2) 2 Amys, 3715 Macomb St. NW, (202) 885-5700.

2 Amy's brunch consists solely of homemade bagels and bialys with house smoked salmon (along with their traditional menu of superb pizza) and they rightly take their place as the best in the city. These are not traditional New York-style bagels. Instead they are larger, crispier, sourdough rolls with a slightly tangy taste. The tangyness of the sourdough used to make them comes from using leftover whey (from their homemade cream cheese) instead of water. The homemade cream cheese is whipped so it's very soft and spreadable. A virtually perfect brunch experience.

(3) La Fourchette, 2429 18th St NW, (202) 332-3077, Menu.

This authentic Parisian cafe serves the best brunch on 18th street (so authentic it's closed for much of August in true Parisian form). It had a solid selection of exquisitely prepared dishes, is not particularly expensive, and provides excellent service and atmosphere. The best dishes include the omelet Provençal, which contains a variety of fresh herbs and is covered with a tomato sauce and a side of potatoes, which are crisp well-seasoned; and the French toast, which is made with fresh baguettes.

(4) Domku, 821 Upshur St. NW,(202) 722-7454, Menu.

Aside from the almost undrinkably spicy bloody mary, Domku, in Petworth, serves excellent Scandinavian and Eastern European cuisine. It has great originality and a welcoming environment. Dish highlights are the Norwegian pancakes that are thin and crepe-like and can be filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, and vegetables that are cooked into the pancake; and the Swedish waffle, prepared in an interesting heart-shaped waffle iron and topped with whipped cream and lingonberry preserves. The lightness of the waffle was an excellent complement with the heartiness of the preserves. Worth the trip.

L'Enfant

L'Enfant, situated on 18th and U Streets NW, in the nexus between Adams Morgan, Dupont, and the U Street corridor is a Parisian café that also has a solid selection of Belgian beers. Not surprisingly, their brunch menu (not online) consists mostly of what you'd find at a casual French café probably on the left bank of Paris. There's a wide selection of crepes -- both savory and sweet -- croissant sandwiches, tartines (open-faced sandwiches), and egg-based dishes. A lot of dishes include gruyere and French ham. They also have exceptional bloody marys. While I have in the past lamented at other establishments' thin bloody marys, those served at L'Enfant are nice and thick. Clearly it is not made from a store-bought mix and they rightly take pride in this brunch libation.

As for the food, we tried the ham and gruyere sandwich on a crossaint and a crepe with ham, cheese and eggs. They were served with potatoes dusted with rosemary and your choice of fruit; we opted for the cantelope. Both dishes were similar and very good. The croissant was buttery and flakey and the crepe was light but not insubstantial. The potatoes, unfortunately, were on the prosaic side and required a substantial amount of condiments, though fortunately they had very good dijon mustard. I have also had the cheese board on a prior occassion and it had a number of very good cheeses such as a soft blue cheese and a harder parmesan, but also had a merely average brie. The fruit and baguette accompanyments were excellent. As for the sweet crepes, I have sampled the Nutella and banana one, which met expectations.

L'Enfant is a particularly good place when the weather is nice. They have a substantial outdoor area right on 18th and U which is always good for people watching. I like the concept and the cuisine that L'Enfant offers. It is recommended.

Contact information after the jump. Continue reading.



Cafe L'Enfant
2000 18th St NW
Washington D.C. 20009
(202) 319-1800


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Brunch DC Reviews and Features

Here's a list of the restaurants I've reviewed and Brunch DC special features with links to the full posts. This page will continue to be updated as I review more restaurants and add more features to the site. If you have any suggestions for restaurants to review or special features to add, feel free to email me at brunchdc [at] gmail [dot] com.

I have marked all of the restaurants with (*), (**), (***), or (****) indicating my assessment of the quality of their brunch:

Brunch Reviews:

• Adams Morgan
• Bardia's New Orleans Cafe**
• Bourbon***
• Cashion's Eat Place***
• La Fourchette***
• L'Enfant **1/2
• Mezè**
• Mixtec*
• Napoleon Bistro **1/2
• The Diner*
• Bethesda
• Hinode*1/2
• Beyond the Beltway
• Barney Greengrass*** (New York City)
  
• Essex*** (New York City)
• Marathon Grill*1/2 (Philadelphia)
• Surf Club Ocean Grille* (Virginia Beach)
• White Dog Cafe*** (Philadelphia)
• Clarendon
• Liberty Tavern**1/2
• Cleveland Park
• 2 Amys***1/2
• Columbia Heights
• Logan @ The Heights*
• RedRocks**1/2
• Dupont Circle
• Afterwords Cafe*
• Darlington House**
• Levante's**
  
• Mezza Luna Lounge*
• Rosemary's Thyme**1/2
• Tabard Inn****
• Café Tropé*** (CLOSED)
• Eastern Market
• Montmartre***
• Mt. Pleasant
• Ercilia's**
• North Bethesda
  
• Meritage (n/a)
  
• Penn Quarter
• Cafe Atlantico***
• Poste**
  
• Petworth
• Domku***
• Shaw
• Florida Avenue Grill*1/2
• U Street Corridor
• Bar Pilar*
  
• Ben's Next Door**
• Creme Cafe**1/2
• Marvin***
• Ulah*1/2
• Utopia*1/2
• Tabaq**
• Vinoteca***

Special Features:

• A Year of Brunch
  • Best of 2008
  • Brunch Awards of 2008
  • Mailbag
    
• Brunch Historian
  • History of Brunch
  • The Bloody Mary

La Fourchette

La Fourchette is an authentic Parisian cafe on 18th street in Adams Morgan. It serves traditional (though slightly heavy) French food (so authentic that, in true Parisian form, the place is closed for much of August, much to my chagrin). It also has a very nice outdoor seating area. La Fourchette serves, in the humble opinion of Brunch DC, the best brunch on 18th street. It had a solid selection of exquisitely prepared dishes, is not particularly expensive, and provides excellent service and atmosphere.

The menu, which is not available online, has a selection of poached egg dishes, ranging from a classic Benedict to Florentine (spinach and mornay sauce) to Béarnaise with fresh artichokes. Both the Florentine and the Béarnaise are excellent. The eggs are properly poached and runny. Both have well-made sauces and are nicely presented.

They also have a variety of omelettes, all cooked in the French style, meaning that the fillings are integrated into the eggs. I tried the Provençal, which contains a variety of fresh herbs and is covered with a tomato sauce. It comes with a side of potatoes, which are crisp and not mushy (unlike some other places on 18th street). The French toast is made on baguettes. While not Challah, this is also a good dish and rivals Meze's French toast as the best in the area. As for drinks, the bloody mary is spicy, though slightly thin. The coffee -- which they refer to as "American coffee" -- is a rich French roast.

A great experience overall, especially when the weather is good outside.

P.S. Good dinner too, and you can BYO wine.

Contact information and an image of the menu after the jump. Continue reading.


Mornay sauce [Food Network]
Béarnaise sauce [UKTV Food]

La Fourchette
2429 18th St NW
Washington D.C. 20009
202-332-3077



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Bourbon

Bourbon is one of the more classy bar/restaurants on 18th street in Adams Morgan. It has a highly impressive array of upwards of 60 bourbons at any one time (recommendations (in order of preference): Black Maple Hill, W.L. Weller, Jefferson Reserve). Along with La Fourchette, Cashion's Eat Place (future post), Bourbon provides the best that Adams Morgan can offer for brunch. The menu serves a full assortment of tasty Kentucky-inspired food from corn beef hash to egg sandwiches, bourbon-flavored French toast, salads, and a variety of inventive sandwiches. Many of the dishes manage to use bourbon, and I commend Bourbon for sticking to their theme so well.

While not distinctly southern, the egg sandwiches are surprisingly good. There are a variety of options such as turkey, swiss, and avocado (my personal favorite), or you can create your own from an assortment of incredients. All of the egg sandwiches are served in bagels, which, defying the D.C. tradition, are actually pretty good. I'm not entirely sure where they get their bagels from, but they stack up favorably with the best bagels in the city (lest my readers get too excited or accuse me of forgetting my New York heritage, clearly, these are not New York bagels and shouldn't be compared to those).

Their non-breakfast sandwiches are also very good. All of the sandwiches are served with a side of bourbon baked beans that are covered in their BBQ sauce, which is made with (guess what) bourbon. Recently, I tried the "Bourbon Decker" -- sliced tenderloin marinated in Maker's Mark with smoke gouda, red onion, avocado, on grilled thick white bread. It was tender and the Maker's sauce was nicely tangy. The Bourbon chicken breast sandwich is also a solid choice, which makes more use of their bourbon-infused BBQ sauce.

The drinks they have are, unfortunately, fairly expensive as Adams Morgan goes. The bloody mary is eight dollars. Nonetheless, it is homemade and comes in a large glass with an exceptionally large celery stick. They are fairly proud of this drink, proclaiming on their menu that "written words just aren't enough" to describe it. Apparently, however, spoken words are since the waiter is happy to describe it, and also to bring it to you.

Contact information after the jump. Continue reading.



Bourbon
2321 18th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20009
(202) 332-0800

[N.B. They also have a location in Glover Park, but I have not been there.]


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Mixtec

Mixtec, on Columbia Road in Adams Morgan, serves what they refer to as "American-Mexican" brunch. They have a fairly extensive menu serving brunch dishes that you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant. Huevos Rancheros -- two tostadas topped with black beans, fried egg, and red Ranchero sauce -- for example, is something you'd find at most Mexican restaurants. It's fairly good, though I felt that the Ranchero sauce did not use enough poblano peppers, but I'm particular about my Ranchero sauce. In addition they have a number of uninspired omelettes. I tried the "Mexican," which consists of tomatoes, onions, jalepenos, and cilantro, thinking "how could you go wrong with that mix?" But, unfortunately, the eggs were overcooked and the jalapenos were surprisingly unspicy.

Most of the more unusual and therefore better dishes are filed under the "Regional Mexican" section of the menu. There they have dishes purporting to be from the Northern, Southern, Central, and "Mexican Caribbean" regions. The best one I had was the "Kulkulkan" from the Mexican Caribbean. It's a double-decker creation featuring two layers of crispy tostadas held together with refried black beans and topped with a fried egg along with peas and cubes of ham. The dish comes with fried plaintains and the same under-Poplano-ed red Ranchero sauce. This is a really interesting dish and the combination of crispy tostadas and soft refried beans is excellent. I'd recommend it if you want to get something a little out of the ordinary. However, the Kulkulkan comes in at $10.95 and, like most dishes at Mixtec, is about a dollar or two too expensive. The coffee is your average drip, but at $1.50 is, unlike their food, on the cheap side.

Strange note: They, for some reason, refuse to make poached eggs despite offering "eggs any style."

Mixtec
1792 Columbia Road N.W.
Washington D.C. 20009
202-332-1011

Brunch menu [Mixtec]


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Mezè

Mezè, which means "snack" or "taste" in Persian, is a Turkish/Mediterranean place on the east side of 18th street. Mezè is a three-dimensional enterprise: (1) it has a mediocre lunch and dinner menu consisting of Mediterranean tapas that are inferior to Zaytinya's and not much cheaper, if at all; (2) at night, like many other Adams Morgan establishments, it converts itself into a raucous and generally obnoxious lounge with a club on the top floor; and (3) surprisingly, it has solid brunch.

The brunch starts off with complimentary muffins. Any free food is good and these muffins are warm and tasty. The best item on the brunch menu is the French toast, which you might not expect from a Turkish restaurant. Of course, the quality of the bread is what makes a good French toast. While Mezè's is not made from challah -- our personal favorite -- it is prepared with homemade cinnamon bread topped with a generous amount of fresh fruit. The bread is thick, soft, and spongy and the complement of cinnamon with sweet fruit and maple syrup presents an ambrosial combination. If you've never been to Mezè before for brunch, there's no reason to order anything else.

We have, however, sampled some of their other offerings. The two other highlights on the menu are the Eggs Florentine, a popular vegetarian alternative to Eggs Benedict of two poached eggs with tomatoes and fresh spinach on top of an English muffin with what appears to be homemade hollandaise sauce, and if you're adventurous, the "Bosphorous Breakfast" which they describe as a "traditional Turkish breakfast with pastrami and sausage, cigar borek, hard boiled eggs, assorted cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives" -- kind of like a Turkish antipasto. The coffee is also very good here, though it comes with those annoying one-serve half-and-half containers instead of a milk or cream saucer.

They also offer free belly dancing lessons.

Mezè
2437 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-797-0017

Brunch Menu [Mezè]


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Photo courtesy of mezedc.com

Bardia's New Orleans Cafe

Bardia's New Orleans Cafe is a small hole-in-the-wall on the west side of 18th street. While not a traditional brunch place, the Cafe does have an extensive and inexpensive New Orleans-style brunch. It has the staples like French Toast and omelettes with various fillings from the ordinary (ham and cheese) to the N'awlins, like crabmeat creole or andouille sausage. We'd recommend the more traditional New Orleans fare. The Eggs Baton Rouge -- two poached eggs on top of fried catfish bites topped with creole sauce (a mildly spicy tomato sauce) -- is a really interesting mix of flavors that we enjoyed thoroughly, though it could use more sauce. The Eggs New Orleans -- two poached eggs with crabmeat on top of a fried oyster -- is another gem. Most dishes come with potatoes and a biscuit, which is superior to the usual Popeyes variety.

As for sandwiches, the "River Catch," which consists of flash fried catfish with remoulade sauce shouldn't be missed; in fact, all of the catfish-based dishes are generally well-prepared. The other sandwiches are ordinary. Their chicken sandwich, the "The Plantation" is no better than what you'd get at any deli. For dessert they have "beignets," which are similar to funnel cakes and topped with powdered sugar.

The service could be improved. You often feel rushed and they're not very attentive with water or coffee. The New Orleans-themed decor with jazz-inspired paintings is a nice touch but we think that they should complement that with some big band music in the background. The tables in the front face large windows that look out onto 18th street for those interested in people-watching.


Bardia's New Orleans Cafe
2412 18th St NW
Washington D.C. 20009
202-234-0420

Menu [Menupages]


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The Diner

From the guys that brought you Tryst and Open City, The Diner is an Adams Morgan staple and is open 24 hours a day serving breakfast and something called "dinner" at all times. It's usually packed on Saturday and Sunday mornings, as local Adams Morgan residents and tourists flock to this place to recover from their hangovers often in the clothes they wore the previous night.

While there are many better brunch places along 18th street, this one is by far the most popular, probably because the food is competent, it's fairly inexpensive, and crowds inevitably draw more crowds (thanks behavioral economists). It has standard breakfast fare -- omelettes, pancakes, an obligatory Mexican dish, -- as well as sandwiches, salads, and larger "dinner" entrées that appear to be on the menu just for show. The "croques," French breakfast sandwiches, which consist of eggs, French bread, gruyere, béchamel sauce, and meat is a greasy highlight on the otherwise ordinary menu. The omelettes are fairly traditional and generally overcooked, but the Spanish Omelette, which is filled with pepperjack cheese and what appears to actually be homemade tomato salsa and is surprisingly flavorful. We'd generally stay away from the Eggs Benedict since they are fairly pricey here and the Diner chefs apparently haven't figured out how to poach an egg that doesn't come out watery and flat. The drinks are also ordinary except for the bloody mary, which comes in a large glass, is fairly spicy and alcoholic; an easy way to break a hangover.

Absurdly large desserts. Decent coffee.

The Diner
2453 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-232-8800

Website [The Diner]
Breakfast menu [The Diner]


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Welcome

Welcome to Brunch DC. This site is devoted to tracking down, reviewing, and compiling information on the best, and worst, places to get brunch in Washington D.C. We'll be focusing on the following areas:

Adams Morgan
Dupont Circle
Columbia Heights
U Street

and if we get around to it, maybe Georgetown and Capitol Hill (though why would you go over there?)

We'll also be compiling "best of" and "worst of" lists based on our extensive brunch experience.

If you have any comments, suggestions, additions, photos, videos, or request to take us out to brunch, feel free to send us an email at brunchdc [at] gmail.com