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Washington DC Coffee House JourneyIn the spirit of political debate, I throw the following question out to the field: Are there good coffee options in the Washington, D.C. area? It is an issue upon which many in the area have tenacious opinions, be they Democrat, Republican, Green, or Libertarian. And like a politician on the campaign trail, I find it necessary to reach out to friends on either side of the aisle to conduct the necessary research into the coffee scene in and around D.C. Is it the best coffee town in the United States? Highly unlikely, but I sure had fun finding out. Do as Washingtonians DoMany a traveler suffers from Anti-Tourist Tourist Syndrome, an affliction causing the traveling victim to exhibit symptoms of extreme denial that he/she is indeed a tourist. Those afflicted will do anything to avoid looking like a tourist. They want for all the world to live like locals wherever they may roam. If you are an out-of-towner paying a visit to the U.S. capital, rest assured that good coffee spots are a stone's throw away from some of the city's primary tourist attractions. When in Washington, it is not difficult to do as Washingtonians do - even if you want to combine it with doing as tourists do. Those with connections in high places might take their coffee in the White House while our executive leader lends a sympathetic ear, but even we the coffee-drinking commoners have options aplenty in D.C.
If you are hoping to stress the independent coffeehouse experience, be forewarned that the Starbucks chain thrives every bit as much in downtown D.C. as it does nationwide in Suburbia. I share the mixed feelings that many coffee lovers have about this phenomenon - while habitually leery of McDonaldsesque chain franchising, I still think that Starbucks makes great coffee, and it bears all the privileges of its many prime locations around town. One of my favorite spots is within two blocks of the National Gallery of Art and National Archives. Right near the original U.S. Constitution, you may feel good in knowing that your right to drink good coffee shall not be infringed - so long as you're willing to pay Starbucks prices. Food courts may often be home to low-grade and overpriced food, but the one at Union Station isn't bad. Amid many touring school groups and other out-of-towners, real live Washingtonians actually patronize the food court. Trust me. Bucks County Coffee caters to a steady line of regulars each weekday morning, and has a sit-down bar for the patrons with a bit of time to linger. Queuing up here is an opportunity to rub elbows with mid-level executive government bureaucrats and Capitol Hill interns! Monica buffs should be forewarned that White House interns work across town and probably take their coffee elsewhere. If you can manage the six-block walk from the Capitol, walk on down to the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, where a quick left will bring you to Stompin' Grounds. It is at the edge of the Capitol Hill area of town, amid residential neighborhoods that seem worlds away from the political buildings just several blocks down the road. I commit the cardinal regional sin of going while the city's most beloved sports team, the football Redskins, are playing their conference rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. I belly up to the bar, and have company among the minority in town who opt not to watch the football game. Two women to my right talk excitedly in French, while a married couple to my left quietly read books. The manager charges out from behind the counter, down the sidewalk, then reappears a couple of minutes later announcing that the Redskins have just beaten Philadelphia. Coincidentally or not, a stream of patrons enters shortly afterward. Among them is a man who sports a Redskins jacket and cap, orders a large coffee, takes it to a corner table, and sits back contentedly reading the Sunday Washington Post. The cappuccino I am served here is the best of any place I visited. The 'Skins victory, even if I didn't see it, makes my drink all the sweeter.
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