friends in far away places

Julia Goldberg (you might recognize her from behind the counter - not only a great barista but also a talented artist) sadly left us earlier this week to go back to school. Joe Wills, builder, steel shaper, good guy, took this opportunity to leave his studio, located in the back of Comet Ping Pong, get behind a diesel powered machine and see some of the country.
Along with Julia's worldly possessions and her bird, Henry, Joe packed his motorcycle in the back of a U-Haul. Outfitted with electronic gadgets, a GPS device, several power sources, secret compartments and a can do attitude, Joe is making his way back to DC.
Modern Times Coffeehouse has decided to sponsor their alertness, and we wanted to share with you some of their updates from the road. We'll miss Julia and can 't wait to have Joe back. And remember, Modern Times can go with you wherever you go!

1st coffee break
Location: Rest area No.8-40, I-70W, just before Indiana

2nd break

Location: Last rest stop in Kansas, just outside of Colorado

"The blue dot is where the brewing of the coffee took place. Almost to CO!"

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

"All it takes to make great french press coffee on the road: some water, a Jetboil, a handsome mug, and of course the finest coffee DC has to offer."

"Despite the appearance of this photo, no sinister plots were perpetrated after the consumption of this coffee."
(captions are taken from Joe's Facebook album)

art reception

join us for a reception tuesday, aug 25th from 8pm-10pm in the coffeehouse. patrick donnelly's pieces will be on show for another month-- all are for sale and all are very affordable. enjoy free munchies, step away from the computer (the wi-fi will be shut off anyway), and stop by to chat about the art!

Mugs Redux

We've restocked the periwinkle and black MTC and P&P coffee mugs and want to remind you of the stellar deal and benefits of them. Upon purchase, you'll receive one FREE prepared drink in the mug-- hot or cold, espresso based or not. Every drink thereafter you order/use with the mug is 50 cents off. (Stay in OR carry out, exception is the 50 cent coffee refill). P.S. - coming soon - MTC t-shirts!

Farid Fellag, Artisanal Baker

As promised, an introduction to the hands that bring us such joy in the morning. Farid Fellag has worked tirelessly ever since moving into the kitchen at Buck's Fishing and Camping. I don't have to tell you how difficult it is to walk over from across the parking lot early in the morning with a sheet pan overflowing with freshly baked pastries and not be tempted to take a bite out of every one of his warm creations. Enjoying a pain au chocolat in the morning with my cappuccino is a definite joy, and a warm slice of focaccia in the afternoon has become a necessary pause during most of my afternoons.
Farid learned the art of baking in Parisian patisseries after moving from his native Algeria in 1988, where he had pursued a career in accounting. Abandoning the cold world of numbers for one of textures, flavors and shapes, he developed the basic techniques for creating simple, delicious pastries. He often wonders why it's so difficult to find quality baked goods in this city, to which he moved in 2001. To him, it's a simple process of combining basic ingredients, working with your hands and having patience, curiosity and creativity. He has taken the lessons and experiences working in Paris and improved upon the process, utilizing a technique requiring up to four days.

The butter is added to the dough only after it has rested for a day. He then shapes the pastries on the third day; finally, baking them the morning after. As you might have already noticed, his hand is visible in each of his creations: each unique in shape and form but all sharing an irresistible texture and richness (even though he has assured me he uses less butter than his french colleagues).
I feel fortunate to have met him and glad that he has joined our extended family. It's always a pleasure seeing him in the morning and sharing dreams and plans for a continued friendship and hopes for even greater things to come.

Exhibit Opening in August

Patrick Donnelly produces original silk screen prints blurring the lines between the digital arts and painterly process. The prints capture moments from his life, transcribed into stylized illustrations, then combined into a new compositions that captures the emotions of those events. Broadcasting personal keepsakes of his secrets, common occurrences, and daily enlightenments in combinations of codified and tactile forms.

His background is as integrative and juxtaposed as his compositions. Patrick graduated with an interdisciplinary degree in Chemistry and Art from Carnegie Mellon University, and is currently pursuing his MBA at The George Washington University. Patrick works professionally as a graphic designer.

All pieces will be available for purchase.

District's Top Iced Coffee - get yours here!

Do you shy away from drinking cold coffee, thinking all it will taste like is the last third of your morning mug after it's been sitting on your desk for three hours?

The Washington Post Express daily wrote an article on the merits of cold-brewed coffee, naming ours one of the best places for the "District's Top Iced Coffee". Add in a nice quote from Javier, and bingo, we were asked by more than a large handful of customers today to take the challenge and try their first cold-brewed iced coffee. We use freshly ground Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans and make the concentrate every day. Steeping the coarse grounds slowly in cold water overnight reduces the acid and bitterness that is produced, allowing the wonderful chocolate and mild roasted flavors to shine through very strongly instead. I've seen many customers drink their iced coffee straight, no sweetener or milk is needed. Some add milk or cream and a small splash of simple syrup or vanilla syrup to make it a little more rich. We don't recommend adding sucralose or raw sugar-- all it does is clump up in the bottom and/or float around as gritty specks in the drink. I prefer lots of ice and a big splash of soy milk, which adds some nuttiness and slight sweetness. And for goodness sakes, no whipped cream or syrup dribbles on top. Save those for an ice cream sundae over at Comet.

UPDATE: for those that would like to try the cold-brewing method at home, check out this recent NYT article on the small wonders of iced coffee.

CityPaper review of our croissants & focaccia

although I'm not quite sure why we the writer said we were an "unlikely" source for good croissants, he nonetheless became enamored of them and the focaccia, two of our newest baked goods from our new pastry chef and friend, farid. he crafts them right next door, every day, just for you. more about farid in a later post, but in the meantime, treat yourself to what has become for me a 15-minute daily ritual-- one of his croissants, pain au chocolat, or a round cream danish, and a classic cappuccino. we would love to hear your reviews. the best time to get your soon-to-be buttery hands on these are at 8am-- as soon as they come out of the oven every day.

flower power

we've brought back iced hibiscus/ginger tea infusion for the summer. the hibiscus plant is known throughout tropical climates for its beautiful flowers and vitamin and medicinal properties. we steep the deep, deep red dried flowers with freshly grated ginger (also known for digestive properties) to create a juicy, somewhat tart, cranberry-flavored drink. try it as a healthy and caffeine-free alternative to iced coffee.

upcoming wireless changes

In a couple of weeks, we will be instituting a new wireless internet policy.

We will be shutting the router off between the hours of 1130a - 2p. The router will remain on the rest of the day, and free wireless will be provided for patrons of the coffeehouse. With purchase of an item, a password will also be provided to access this service, which will be reset every few days and will be printed on the bottom of your receipt.

It is something that we have tried before and believe it to be a good way of accommodating our diverse clientele. In fact, we have arrived at this compromise prompted by a request from Politics and Prose Bookstore's owners and management, who have found their own space compromised by the increased volume of laptop users - namely, folks sitting in the "Remainder Room," which primarily functions as a space for browsing large art books, book group meetings, and for author events, and, secondarily, as an overflow space for coffeehouse customers.

Of course, we are not robots behind the counter and feel that we can be flexible with the new policy. If we feel that we can have the router on during lunchtime then the service will be available without interruption.

Thanks and we welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.

New Exhibit, Opening Reception June 13

This month's featured artist is Matthew Davis. Check out some of his work here and save the date of June 13 for a fun and fabulous reception we're holding in the coffeehouse. You may know Matthew if you frequent the coffeehouse during the day on the weekdays-- he's often behind the counter.

Matthew is deeply influenced by his family, his spirituality, music, literature, and fine art; from Jack Kerouac and Richard Farina to M.C. Escher, Jim Dine, and the Renaissance style. His modern inspirations include Shepard Fairey, the guerilla art movement/philosophy and the conviction that drives the people of Washington, DC.

UPDATE: Several of you have asked about Matthew's work already. YES-- it is for sale, and you can pick up his card at the counter or stop by when he's working to inquire about prices.