Why Coffee Is Better Than...

From the Java City menu in Bangalore, India:

Why coffee is better than women:

• You can make coffee as sweet as you want.
• Coffee is cheaper.
• You can take black coffee home to meet your parents.
• If you put chocolate in your coffee, it doesn't put on weight.
• Coffee doesn't care what kind of mood you're in.
• Your coffee doesn't talk to you, and doesn't ask you to talk either.
• Coffee is good when its cold too.
• Coffee never runs out.
• You can warm it up.

Why coffee is better than men:

• A cup of coffee looks good in the morning.
• Coffee is out of your system by the morning.
• Coffee smells and tastes good.
• You can always ditch a bad cup of coffee.
• No matter how ugly you are, you can always get a cup of coffee.
• A big cup or small cup? It doesn't matter.
• Coffee is ready in 15 minutes or less.
• Never says "I have a headache."

Thanks to RYG for dispatching this post from the field. Keep 'em coming!

This is not a paper cup.

Mugs w/ the coffeehouse and bookstore logos are now on sale for 14.00 USD plus tax. They come in matte black or glossy periwinkle (I prefer to call it wisteria.)

Your first beverage is free and every time that you bring in your mug afterwards you'll get 50 cents off of your drink purchase. Good for the environment and your wallet!

New Art Exhibit, Reception on Sat the 13th

sandwiches

SANDWICHES

served with a pickle spear. sorry, no substitutions.

*cold sandwiches available only during lunch from 11:30AM to 3:00PM

Vegetable & White Bean Hummus Wrap* raw spinach, carrots, and housemade white bean salad rolled in a flour tortilla.

Tuna Salad* light tuna blended w/ celery, onion, and mayo on 7-grain bread with spinach leaves and pickle.

Turkey, Swiss & Cranberry* sliced turkey breast and swiss cheese w/ cranberry-beet dressing and greens on 7-grain bread.

Turkey, Apple & Brie sliced turkey breast, Granny Smith apple, brie, and honey mustard on baguette. served warm.

Prosciutto, Basil & Mozzarella Panino prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and olive oil on mini-ciabatta loaf. served warm.

Kale, Sundried Tomato & Mozzarella Panino garlic sauteed kale, sundried tomato pesto, and fresh mozzarella on mini-ciabatta loaf. served warm.

Classic Grilled Cheese cheddar on thick-sliced white bread.

Grilled Feta, Spinach, & Red Onion feta cheese, spinach, and pickled red onion on 7-grain bread.

Hot Reuben pastrami, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing on rye bread. served w/ a side of sauerkraut.

Cuban Sandwich thin sliced ham and pork, swiss cheese, pickle, mayo and mustard on pressed ciabatta. served warm.

soup and salads

SALADS

Garden Salad spinach w/ cucumber, red pepper, carrot. balsamic mustard vinaigrette on the side. small or large available.

Tuna Salad garden salad topped w/ tuna salad. balsamic mustard vinaigrette on the side. small or large available.

Quinoa Salad quinoa w/ shaved carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted cashews, in light balsamic dressing.

Black Bean Salad black beans with corn, red pepper, onion, and cilantro in a lime cumin dressing.

SOUP

seasonal offerings, available by the bowl or in a combo w/ a salad or sandwich. served with bread.

winter soups in rotation: tomato, pumpkin-corn, lentil, tomato-quinoa, carrot ginger, white bean-kale

breakfast and baked goods

we are proud to feature sweet pastries and savory focaccia baked on-site by our experienced baker. the rest of our baked goods come from local businesses including Pollystyle, Sweet Rose Bakery, Heller's Bakery, Georgetown Bagelry, and Lyon Bakery.


BREAKFAST MENU

Bagel w/ butter, jam, cream cheese, peanut butter

Oatmeal plain or w/ raisins

Polly’s Granola w/ milk or yogurt

Toast w/ butter and/or jam

Breakfast Sandwich brioche roll w/ ham and swiss cheese

PASTRIES AND BAKED GOODS (subject to sell-out)

• Donuts
• Muffins
• Baklava
• House-made Plain Croissants, Pain Au Chocolat
• House-made Focaccia
• House-made Danish
• Biscotti (Hazelnut-Chocolate, Almond-Anise, Pistachio-Cranberry)
• Cookies (Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Cranberry, or Peanut Butter)
• Pies (Seasonal fillings)
• Cake (from Pollystyle)
• Rugelach, graham crackers, shortbread, and crispy rice treats (from Pollystyle)

drink menu

our coffees are roasted by Premier Coffee Roasters using Righteous Bean coffees which are organic and fair trade certified.

our looseleaf teas are cupped to order, from SerendipiTea, and are organic and/or fair trade certified.

we offer whole, skim, and soy milk for beverages and carry white sugar, raw sugar, honey, and Splenda as sweeteners on the side. all drinks are served unsweetened except where noted.

COFFEE/ESPRESSO
Drip Coffee (French Roast, Medium Roast/Single Origin), Café Au Lait, Espresso, Americano, Cappuccino, Latte

TEA
Yerba Mate, Chamomile Lavender, Gunpowder Green w/ Mint, Ban Cha (Chinese Green Sencha), Jasmine Green, Rooibos, Mint, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Spiced Chai

COLD DRINKS

Iced Tea, Lemonade, Orange Juice, Apple Cider

SPECIALITY DRINKS

Vanilla Steamer Steamed milk and vanilla syrup

Hot Chocolate Housemade dark chocolate base (contains dairy) with steamed milk

Macchiato Espresso "marked" with frothed milk, served in a demitasse

Classic Cappuccino Two shots of espresso with 4 oz. of milk

Cafe Mocha Housemade dark chocolate base (contains dairy), espresso, and steamed milk

Chai Latte Housemade spiced chai with fresh ginger, mixed with steamed milk

London Fog Earl Grey tea w/ steamed soy milk and honey.

Yerba Mate Latte Yerba Mate tea w/ steamed soy milk and honey.

Hot Apple Cider No sugar added.

Iced Mint-Green Tea Sweetened with honey.

Arnold Palmer 1/2 unsweetened iced tea + 1/2 lemonade

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee Single Origin Regular or Decaf.

Iced Latte or Iced Mocha Freshly pulled espresso and cold milk poured over ice. With or w/o housemade chocolate.

Iced Chai Latte Housemade spiced chai w/ fresh ginger, mixed with cold milk.

BOTTLED DRINKS

We also serve a variety of bottled drinks including sparkling fruit juices, cane sugar sodas, and water.

directions

We are located on the ground level of 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW DC. Enter through the bookstore on the front street level and come downstairs, or you can enter directly into the coffeehouse through the parking lot at back of the building. Please note that if you want to come in at 8AM when we open you must use the back entrance.

METRO - Red Line to Van Ness/UDC and either walk north on Connecticut about 7 blocks (15 minutes) or transfer to the L1/L2 bus going up Connecticut. From the Tenleytown stop walk east on Albemarle 1 block and left on Nebraska 7 blocks to Connecticut Ave. 

BUS -  L1/L2 towards Chevy Chase. Request stop at Nebraska Ave.

CAR - We are 1/2 block south of the intersection of Connecticut and Nebraska in upper NW DC, north of Van Ness and south of Chevy Chase Circle. There's a free parking lot behind the store, but beware it can be crowded on weekends.

BIKE - There are a couple bike racks in the front of the building on the sidewalk and a bike rack at the back of the building in the parking lot.

frequently asked questions

do you have free wi-fi?

we have a network available to patrons with any purchase. please ask for a receipt at the time of purchase and the WEP is printed on the bottom. you will be asked to sign on and agree to the terms and conditions of use. please note that our business is not responsible for any damage done to any electronics that you choose to use while eating and drinking in our establishment. occasionally we turn the wi-fi off if there is a special event in the coffeehouse or the bookstore.

what's the closest metro stop to you?

the redline van ness or redline tenleytown/AU stops are the closest. both are a 15 min. walk away. a better alternative is the L1/L2 bus headed up connecticut ave which stops right in front of the store.

can I use my giftcard from Politics & Prose for food/drink in the coffeehouse?

no, we cannot redeem bookstore giftcards for coffeehouse purchases, but we do offer our own gift certificates-- just ask at the counter.

do you book musicians to perform solo or group shows at the coffeehouse?

sometimes we hold shows with featured musicians in addition to our weekly open mic event. (sorry, but we don't typically book out of town people at this time.) check out our MySpace page for details and to get in touch. the best way to learn more about our space and music opportunities is to come visit us in person!

how can I show my art at the coffeehouse?

check out this link to guidelines for art exhibits at the shop. please note due to the volume of requests we cannot respond to all inquiries.

is your coffee fair trade certified and/or organic?

yes-- both.

about us

Modern Times Coffeehouse is located on the first floor of Politics & Prose Bookstore and operated by locally-owned Coup d'Etat Coffee Co. Since becoming caretakers in 2006 of the decade-old coffeehouse inside Politics & Prose, Coup d'Etat Coffee has revamped the menu, improved the interior, and introduced live performances and special events, creating a perfect environment for reading, studying, and especially conversation and discussion. The coffeehouse serves simple, delicious fare including a variety of housemade cold and hot sandwiches, salads, sides, vegetarian soups, and baked goods.

We spend a great deal of energy ensuring that our offerings bring small local producers and socially conscious products to market, as well as providing to our customers diversity in selection that they can't find anywhere else.

We focus especially on our espresso/coffee menu. Using only fair trade certified and organic coffees, our attention to detail in training and equipment takes into account all the variables that contribute to an immaculate espresso beverage. Our use of a traditional lever espresso machine that runs on pressure and temperature alone demands a great deal of knowledge and experience in espresso production. We've converted customers who thought they hated coffee, and attracted those with a discerning palate.

The coffeehouse offers its walls as an exhibition space for emerging and local artists working in a variety of media. We are always improving to make the space more amenable to the art community's needs.

Every Friday night, the coffeehouse hosts a free open mic event. All styles of music are welcome. Visit our MySpace page for more information.

We are happy to offer wireless internet to customers with any purchase.