Peregrine Espresso Headed for 14th Street; Shake Shack to Dupont

Caffeine addicts, take note: you'll soon have another 14th Street option to get your fix. Capitol Hill-based Peregrine Espresso is opening up an outpost in Logan, at 1718 14th Street in the space formerly occupied by Flowers on Fourteenth (who moved a few doors down to the former Cafe Salsa location).


Peregrine has earned a rather significant following for the quality of their coffee, including from Mrs. 14thandyou's sister, who always makes certain to stop by when she is in town visiting. Peregrine joins an increasingly crowded field of upmarket caffeinated beverage purveyors along 14th Street, with the cozy Mid-City Caffe just a block away above Miss Pixies, and the soon-to-come Hilton Brothers-backed Blackbyrd Warehouse in the space next to Marvin, just north of U Street. (And, I feel compelled to mention, the good folks at Cork Market can also churn out a decent latte.)

No word on Peregrine's opening, which according to them is "months" away.

Suddenly, it feels like circa-1993 Seattle around here. Except hotter.

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Briefly in other restaurant news: in case you missed it, New York's finest urban park-based burger provider, Danny Meyer, is bringing his Madison Square Park outfit, Shake Shack, to the former Fuddrucker's location near Connecticut and 18th, just south of Dupont Circle.


Normally, this would fall a little bit outside of our purview, but since we've been known to take the occasional dig at Manhattan transplants, perhaps this will help them feel at home. Will it mimic Shake Shack's NYC location, and become DC's burger answer to Georgetown Cupcakes, which consistently features lines snaking around the block? One can only hope...

Nellie's Robbed at Gunpoint; Mid-City Caffe is Really Cool

It appears that Nellie's was robbed this afternoon at gunpoint; Borderstan has the scoop.

I can't tell you how upsetting it is to learn that businesses we love have been the victim of a violent crime. The Mrs. and I have watched more Capitals and Buckeyes games at Nellie's (and played a few rounds of Jenga) than we can count. Thankfully, no one was injured.

On another note, I wanted to pass along a positive story about one of our local businesses. Over the weekend, I inadvertently left my debit card in a local ATM. Aside from being risky to your bank account, it presents all kinds of headaches for your day-to-day activities--including paying for your morning coffee and bagel. I had to hang around the neighborhood a bit this morning in order to wait for the bank branch to open up so I could retrieve my card; while I did so, I decided to pop into the Mid-City Caffe for some breakfast and a coffee.

After placing my order, it immediately dawned on me that I had no cash to pay for it. Seeing my predicament, the guy working the counter said "no problem, just pay us the next time you're in," and promptly delivered my bagel and latte. Now, he certainly didn't have to do that...but it was really cool that he did. So, thank you Mid-City. You've certainly earned yourself a loyal customer.

Mid City Caffe: A First Look

This morning, the 14thandyous headed down the street to check out the neighborhood's latest venture, the Mid-City Caffe. The coffee shop's opening has been anticipated for a while now and, despite some setbacks, they were finally able to open their doors above Miss Pixie's to the public this morning.

The decor in the space is very much shabby-chic. They've kept the original flooring of the space, and built around it with warm colors that give the cafe a very relaxed feel. The view from the second story windows out onto 14th street is nice, and despite a relatively small space they've done a good job with the seating arrangements.

As far as the product goes, the latte that I had was prepared wonderfully--not acidic at all, but with a rich flavor nd jut the right amount of foam (in other words, not the dense, burnt-milk taste one frequently gets with Starbucks lattes). Mrs. 14thandyou enjoyed a cup of tea, and both of us also had a bagel with cream cheese.

As was expected, the service was a bit slow and haphazard, although things weren't that disjointed. There did seem to be some inventory issues (most of pastries appeared to be gone when we waltzed in around 11 AM), and we had to twice remind the kind people working behind the counter of our bagel orders.

The prices were a bit steep, although not outrageous: $3.75 for a latte, and an extra 95¢ for "extras" such as soy milk or vanilla shots. The bagels ran about $2 ea; cups of tea and French press coffee also came in around the $2. In other words, slightly hire than the prices at chain stores, but the quality of the drinks appears to be far better.

So, to others who have had a chance to stop in: what do you think? Our feelings are that, with a bit of time to iron out the kinks, Mid-City has the potential to be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Mid-City Caffe to Open This Saturday

This evening, we received word that the long-awaited Mid-City Caffe, located in a second floor space above Miss Pixies on 14th Street between Corcoran and R, will officially open for business this Saturday at 8:00 AM.

Mid-City is clearly attempting to put the focus on its product: the spot will serve only Counter Culture Coffee, using either a French press of pour-over brewing method. The cafe will also offer a selection of fresh pastries, cakes and breakfast items from local bakers.

There has also been a focus on the design of the space, which will also feature outdoor seating. According to the release, individuals visiting the cafe will encounter designer Mick Mier's "a cozy coffee house that draws upon art deco motifs and the vintage auto industry."

Mid-City Caffe will be open from 6a - 8p Monday-Friday, 8a - 8p on Saturday, and 8a - 7p on Sunday. More information can be found at their website, www.midcitycaffe.com.