10.28.2009

New local filmmaker screening series at the coffeeshop

We're very happy to announce that in January, the Coffeehouse will begin hosting a new film screening series, showcasing the work of local filmmakers. The series will offer an opportunity for filmmakers young and old, professional and amateur, to show and share their work in a creative, supportive and engaging environment. We're planning to make this a regular monthly or bi-weekly event, celebrating all the great independent film and video produced in DC, be it big or small projects.

So...that means we're on the lookout for films to build up our initial lineup!

Documentaries, shorts, animations, avant garde and narrative film are all welcome. Student filmmakers are strongly encouraged to submit too. If you're interested in submitting, contact:

Lance Kramer
Kramer.Lance@gmail.com
240-620-8189

Screenings will be advertised in local media, in the bookstore's E-newsletter, and on the Women in Film & Video DC website. Admission for viewers will be free, though we will suggest a donation to all who attend. Films will be projected on the wall of the coffeehouse. Stay tuned for more info on dates/times for our opening night — and spread the word to your friends!

10.20.2009

featured drinks for fall

here's some of our special cold weather drinks that will warm you up anytime of the day:

hot chocolate - made with our housemade chocolate sauce and steamed milk. the sauce is basically the concentrated base of a drinking chocolate: chopped imported dark bar chocolate that has been slow-cooked with a little cream, sugar, and butter. If it sounds too unhealthy for you, just order a small and think about all the antioxidants you're getting from the chocolate :)

classic cappuccino - the traditional way that a cappuccino is served pretty much everywhere else in the world besides american coffee chains. double shots of espresso combined with a little heavily steamed milk (no extra-hot requests please!), so that about the top third settles at the top of the 6 oz cup.

mocha - espresso, our housemade chocolate sauce, and "microfoamed" milk. very flavorful, and you get your caffeine/chocolate fix all in one.

the london fog - i'm not exactly sure who came up with the name, but it stuck and people like saying it. perfume-y earl grey tea, steeped in steamed soy milk and a drop of honey. fans of sweetened milky tea should try it.

yerba mate latte - another fun name to say. yerba mate, a staple beverage in many south american countries, tastes very grassy and has caffeine. we combine it with steamed soy milk and honey, which brings out the plant flavors.

note: if you don't partake in caffeine or dairy, we offer decaffeinated espresso and soy milk as options.

10.11.2009

Express Night Out - Best Indie Coffeeshop & Best Place to Get Work Done

Put us down as a write-in candidate for Best Indie Coffeeshop and then VOTE for P&P as Best Place to Get Work Done (don't know why we weren't the official candidate for that), Best Indie Bookstore, and Best Spot for Readings. Come on, let's sweep all four categories! Vote here until Oct 16. Here's a couple things we do here that makes us different from the other candidates:

1) We make our own chocolate syrup for hot chocolate: just cooked chocolate, cream, and sugar.
2) Our pastries are baked in a single batch, by hand, next door every morning. Just for you, and no one else.
3) Our coffee is sourced organic and fair-trade, and we use a small roaster in VA that produces the lovely espresso, dark roast, and single origin medium roast coffees that are sent to us fresh every few days.
4) the classic grilled cheese sandwich!
5) our awesome staff of tattooed, be-spectacled, hat-wearing, music-loving, droll-humored baristas.

10.08.2009

have you noticed anything different about the coffeehouse?

It's so amazing that this is happening right now! 1140p, an hour into phase 1 of the installation of a new counter. It felt so good to give that old counter a karate kick once the crew had cut it from the wall. I have never witnessed an actual work crew in here; so surreal to see plastic sheets covering furniture and uncovering parts of the floor untouched for I don't know how many years.
I mean, for those of you who have not been here for the last 3 1/2 years, this is huge! We came in here the day Sirius Coffee Co. ceased to exist, stayed up all night scrubbing and moving in our equipment and opened the next day. Not a seamless transition but nonetheless pretty close - we made it work. This is the first time any big structural changes have been made to the shop. The wood for the counter comes from a site Sandor Slager (Slager, Inc.), our designer/builder/contractor/long time customer/winner of the Murch School Auction year of free coffee/friend, is working on - old floor boards, I believe, from a property on Jenifer St. Thanks to him and his crew for making this happen.
The next phase will probably be the back wall, where the espresso machine sits, and finally the front counter. We believe it feels warmer and more inviting in here already.

10.05.2009

New Single Origin Coffee

The new single origin coffee that is brewing is Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. This washed-bean, fragrant coffee is known for clean, sweet acidity and berry tones. I think ours smells and tastes and a bit like jasmine tea. Enjoy!