Peregrine Espresso

I had been meaning to get to Peregrine Espresso for some time now and I happened to pick the coldest day of the year to do so.  This says a lot about me and my coffee, I’ll go through great lengths to find a great coffee shop and I think I’ve found it at 660 Pennsylvania Av SE in Washington DC, about a half block away from Eastern Market. 

It is small, but coffee shops are not meant to be Big Box Retail in my opinion either, it is green both in color and operation, and it has some of the best coffee you can find in DC.  Believe me, I’ve looked all over.  I know I’ll have some complaints or what I like to call suggestions, come one and come all with any suggestions and I’ll be happy to give them a try. 

Peregrine appears crowded at times but production is quick and painless.  The menu is simple and straight forward and the staff are very pleasant.  I truly believe they are doing what they love based on how they treat the process and the customer and the result is a wonderful cup of joy.  If you are not a coffee drinker, their Tea is served in a nice heavy pot and provides about a cup and a half.  If you are on Capitol Hill or at Eastern Market and want a great coffee, walk on over to Peregrine, you won’t be disappointed.

I have been wandering the earth for almost 40 years now and half that time has included the wonderful world of coffee.  I’ve made several visits to Baked Wired in Georgetown on Thomas Jefferson Street, just south of M St for 2 reasons, the coffee and the granola. By most accounts this is a small shop with two sides, baked goods on the one and coffee on the other.  The two go hand in hand IMO.  The barista makes a great espresso or any variation there of.  The granola is labeled “crack” because of its addictive nature and I have to agree.  The pic  shows individual cup cakes under the glass of what looks to be laboratory vessels but don’t be overwhelmed as the staff are most helpful in selecting delicious cakes for any craving you may be having.  Give Baked Wired a try, I promise you’ll enjoy the visit.

I had visited Alexandria’s Grape + Bean during their opening week and thought hmmmm, this may be OK.  Small place off the main Old Town path where you could get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.  It looked promising at the time.  That was some time ago and I’ve ventured in a few times here and there to grab a bottle of wine.  Yesterday I visited and wanted to give the “bean” portion of their name a try.  Unfortunately I was was disappointed by the lack of properly trained staff and the coffee itself.  I paid just under $5.00 for a 14oz cup of coffee that lacked any substance or unique flavor.  Throw an “organic” or “fair trade” label on something and double the price regardless of taste appears to be the motto here.  I make better single cup coffee at the PNC bank across the street using their Keurig machine.  For more than half the price, Starbucks provides a better more consistent cup of joe.  For an establishment that puts coffee at the top of their sales pitch, I would have hoped for better results. 

Tell me about your experiences at coffee shops around the world.

I love walking the streets of any town in the world and finding places that remind me of other cities and places I’ve visited over the years. The other day I was walking up Wisconsin Ave from M Street headed to the Georgetown Flea Market and walked by a place called Dolcezza Artisanal gelato and had to stop because of the big “Argentine” sign. If you ever go to Argentina, get the ice cream at any ice cream shop but my preference is Freddo and if you wonder what flavor to get, get dulce-de-leche. Unfortunately for me, Dolcezza did not make a batch of dulce-de-leche this day but my disappointment vanished once I started the tastings, starting with an avocado flavored ice cream which was smooth and not over powering. I love avocados! I moved on to ginger mint and was ready to order but decided to try one more, the lime and cilantro flavor and was immediately struck by the awesomeness of the lime and calmed by the soothing cilantro. I decided to go with both ginger and lime and enjoyed myself some great, made daily, gelato. Next time, I go for the coffee and I’ll write back.