Joon S.'s Profile

Please note, first, that the five-star rating should be interpreted in context.  As my previous reviews probably indicate, I'm a bit of a coffee snob, having been schooled in the cafe mecca of Berkeley, then spending many a weekend night in Silver Lake at Intelligentsia or La Mill.

Well, Toto: we're not in California anymore.

DC suffers from a dearth of original coffee shops.  Well--let me rephrase that: Foggy Bottom suffers from a dearth of original coffee shops.  The Java House in north Dupont is pretty good, though it's not exactly the most aesthetically-pleasing place.  Tryst in Adams Morgan is great, but it's the rare day I feel like walking 30 minutes for a cup of joe.

That leaves Starbucks.  And--thank God--Illy.

Illy is easy to overlook.  It's in the north corner of the Renaissance Hotel on the corner of New Hampshire and M.  I'm not really a fan of hotel shops, so I passed by Illy for my first month in DC.  But, a friend recommended we go there for a coffee date.

Again--thank God.

Their cappuccinos are wonderful little self-contained creations, a balance of natural sweetness from the roasted sugars of the beans and the foamed milk; the heaven of the cream swirling around and around over and in the warm earthiness of the coffee.  Their shakeratos (lattes that are shaken and served with ice) are one hundred percent better than anything Starbucks could concoct.

The place itself is straight out of Europe.  It plays Eurotrashy music and the baristas wear sassy little berets.  But, thank God for this little cafe and its wonderful coffee.  I expect to visit it frequently when the weather cools and the leaves start to fall.

After all is said and done, after I've done with my life everything I need to in order to get settled, after I've managed to pack away a little nest-egg, I will open a coffee shop.  This coffee shop will combine the best elements of all the coffee shops I've come to know and love over these years.  I will spend the rest of my days polishing the countertop, pulling perfect shots of espresso, and listening as the trees and neighborhood grow around me.

If there were a cafe I could take over--if the owner offered to sell it to me, and I had the means to do so--I would choose between three or four of my favorites.  I would love to run Caffe Strada (Berkeley, CA), which is situated in the best possible location on a street corner at the nexus of UC Berkeley and the city.  I would love to take over Buster's (South Pasadena, CA), hang-out for yuppies, families, and cycling clubs.  If I were an expat in Seoul, Korea, I would choose "Walk Slowly Cafe" (horrible translation of a great name), a lovely wood-and-steel establishment perched on a quiet corner near Dosan Park.

Or, I might choose Tryst, a funky cafe in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC, though this would first require my getting a nose or lip piercing.

This is not a coffee shop at which to study, though there are people scattered throughout trying to read a book or highlight a notepad.  However, it is probably THE BEST cafe for lounging, talking, and being generally indolent on a weekend.

The cafe most similar, in my mind, to Tryst would be the International House Cafe (Berkeley, CA).  Both sell coffee, food, and alcohol; both are less about studying than about being social.  However, Tryst is larger than the I-House Cafe, offers a larger selection of food, and offers a FULL BAR.  

When I was under-aged, I would go to the I-House and get overpriced pitchers of Heineken or Sierra Nevada, or terrible glasses of Salmon Creek merlot or cabernet.  Tryst offers tempranillo and gewurztraminer, and you can try a flight of scotch for $15.

There are couches, chairs, and tables galore, though it can be hard to find a place for a large group to sit.  Also, they only offer sit-down service, which is a change from the counter service I'm used to (jury's still out on this one).  But on a hot day it is nice and cool, and the front windows are open to the street.  It's almost everything I could ask from a cafe.