This is the sixth post in the new series about my recent trip to Washington DC right on Julia Child's 100th birthday (Series overview: Happy Birthday Julia Child): Other posts in this series include Wolfgang Puck's The Source, Ben's Chili Bowl - an Inside Perspective, Exploring Little Ethiopia, Jaleo, and The Federalist.
Oh coffee, how I tried so hard not to become an addict.
Strangely, even though I have been drinking some version of coffee since I was pretty young (my mom used to give me tastes of the free coffee from our local grocery store, diluted with TONS of cream, hot water, and sugar, of course), I was never addicted to coffee.
Throughout college, as other students at the 'Tute (affection way by which we refer to MIT) lived off of intravenous coffee drips into the week hours of the night with their problem sets, I never needed it. Sure, I drank my frappuccinos "socially", but it was never a daily occurrence.
It was the free, available coffee at work that did me in.
For years, I only drank coffee in the afternoon, convinced that I "wasn't really addicted" since I didn't need it in the morning to wake up. It wasn't until I noticed this dull, throbbing coffee headache whenever I skipped my afternoon cup, that I realized just how physically addicted I was.
So what did I do? Embrace the addiction, of course!
Now I drink a lovely cup of cappuccino that I make at home every morning. After lunch, I brew yet another cup at work. Yes, I have a coffee maker in my office so I can make a fresh cup (even though there's free coffee in the kitchen). Yes, I'm a wee bit obsessive.
While in DC on this food trip, we soon found out there were several members in our group who were just as addicted as I was to coffee. We all politely requested (or more like begged) that a coffee shop be our first stop.
Our host, Katie, couldn't have picked a better place in DC for us to try.
Peregrine has definitely received its share of accolades. In 2009 Bon Appetit named Peregrine one of the 10 best boutique coffee shops in America. Their founder/barista Ryan Jensen won the Southeast Regional Barista Competiton in 2005. It's constantly being named "Best coffee in DC" on numerous lists. Clearly, it has a strong following here in DC.
Those who are willing to wait a few minutes for great coffee can order a gravity drip "microbrew" pourover coffee, where you can slowly watch your coffee being extracted right in front of you. The menu has many unusual and exotic choices, including a rotating variety of single-origin coffees.
Of course, if you're in a huge rush, you can still grab a piping hot cup of their "macrobrew" single origin coffee, although it is only available in the morning (when there are enough people to ensure that the coffee remains as fresh as possible).
You can order a cappuccino and enjoy some gorgeous latte art (see top picture). It was tough to choose between them, but eventually I opted for the cappuccino, which was awesome.
Thanks Kate for taking care of our coffee-deprived bodies that first morning in DC. I can't imagine a better way to start in the morning.
Peregrine Espresso
660 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
Disclaimer
This trip was part of a media tour of Washington DC paid for by Destination DC, a non-profit organization that supports the DC travel and tourism sector.
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