CC: Sova Espresso & Wine

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Subject: Sova Espresso & Wine

Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



How far would you walk for amazing coffee? I would bank that on my daily routine, I would be ok with a ten block walk (with a block equaling on average of 271 ft) out of the way to grab good coffee and a 2 mile hike every once in a while.

In my past visit to DC, my one friend lamented that he found a truly excellent coffeehouse that was not only way out of his normal travels but was also a bit of a hike from the nearest metro stop (Union Station). This distant gem he called Sova and on on my latest visit, he insisted a stop.

Trusting my wise friend, we made our way to the Sova, a modest tan, brick store front accented with maroon. Inside, the place really opens up into an extremely gorgeous two-story cafe, complete with various arrays of really splendid furniture and decor (seriously one of the nicest layouts I've seen).

The coffee comes from Intelligentsia (not as common in DC, but still familiar). First on my order was an espresso that displayed condensed milk, hints of pear and lemonade as well as a speckling of nutmeg. As for their drip/pressed coffee, they were out of Intelly that day, but they served me up a delightful organic Ethiopian from Counter Culture that had a tart blueberry smash up front, with a balanced tea-like body and a beautiful smoothness. The tea is free leaf and they also have an extensive wine bar on the second floor.

After soaking the Sova experience in fully, I would definitely walk out of my way to stop in. If you're looking for an amazing coffeehouse and possibly a little exercise, than go to Sova.

Tokyo Aged Coffee

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Got a heads up from thinkmore on this interesting coffeehouse in Tokyo that serves coffee aged as long as thirty years (seems to be a trend gaining momentum, like aged liquor once did).

One Stellar Coffee Trip

In one of my blog readings, I stumbled across this website called the Cafe Circuit that is dedicated to a couple of baristas' western coffee pilgrimage via motorcycle posse.

The website is quite well-done and the reading well worth it. I have to say I wish I could fit a trip like that in while the weather is fine.

CC: Sidamo Coffee and Tea

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Sidamo Coffee and Tea

Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]



Ethiopia has always been a country that has interested me. One of the few African countries that never really endured colonial rule, Ethiopia has stood the test of time with thousands of years of rich history. Of that history, one topic of great interest to me is that Ethiopia is the championed birth place of coffee.

But alas, my low funds have kept me from a trip to Africa and so when I decided to make a stop in DC to visit a friend, I was intrigued when he suggested we visit an Ethiopian coffeehouse called Sidamo.

Located east of Union Station on H Street, Sidamo stands out with a huge ceramic pot jutting out over their open storefront windows. Inside, the cafe has a long layout with nice exposed brick, beautiful pieces of art and a gorgeous garden patio in the back.

The coffee is roasted in-house and all sourced from Ethiopia (at least that's what I interpreted). I had a decent cup of their Ethiopian Sidamo that demonstrated a bright cinnamon, cherry-esque coffee that was just a tad too dark and had minor hints of cardboard. The espresso faired decently as well, with a short pull producing hints of white chocolate, a buttery texture, fair crema and a bit of a bitter bite on the end. The tea is free leaf.

While I wasn't blown away, I really savored my experience at Sidamo. It's rare to find a coffeehouse based on one country's coffee and plus, the people there were super nice. Hopefully, the place keeps getting better as it seems to have a lot of potential.

If you happen to be around, give Sidamo a swirl.

CC: Caffe Pronto

Subject: Caffe Pronto
aka Ceremony Coffee's last vestige of it's old name
Location visited: Annapolis, MD
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


*UPDATED 02.10.14, at bottom*

While I've always wanted to visit the city of Annapolis to see the rich Chesapeake Bay history and Naval wonderment, time unfortunately held me to a short pit stop.

Wanting to utilize my time and cup of coffee wisely, I chose amongst several locations of a popular coffeehouse and roaster called Caffe Pronto. Having had several of their batches before at a couple different other coffee establishments, I have actually been aching to make a stop at one of their own stores to see how they wield their beans.

Based purely on geographical proximity to the highway, I made a beeline for their spot amidst the humongous Festival at Riva shopping megalopolis. Wading through the immense mall traffic, I finally landed outside the corner shop with its beautiful huge windows and bright brick shell.

In I walked into Caffe Pronto's open cafe, a very nice space with plenty of furniture and an overall very luminous atmosphere. As mentioned, they roast a mean batch of coffee and they brew their coffee by the cup via a pourover (aka manual drip). I ordered their Brazil Cerrado, a smooth earthy coffee with the sweetness of a pear, a touch of earl grey and a nice body; a pleasant coffee in totality. The espresso made for a pretty good cup, as the short/medium pull possessed decent crema and displayed a little like a chocolate-covered cherry with hints of dark bitterness. The tea is Revolution Tea.

Including a pleasant interchange with both baristas, I really found my stop at Caffe Pronto to be a gust of refreshment. If you happen to be near a Caffe Pronto or one of their purveyors, give them a slurp.

*Update 02/10/14*

Despite the image change to Ceremony Coffee Roasters, this lone vestige of Caffe Pronto remains. The shop has been updated (I love the birch trunks behind the wood booths) and the coffee has improved categorically (hence the update in rating).