DC summers may be busy, but you can wind down, catch up with friends and treat yourself at one of these brunch spots
By Brittni Guevara
Co Co. Sala "Stolen Heart" with white chocolate raspberry mousse and chocolate crispy pearls
Co Co. Sala: Chocolate lovers meet Brunch
Best known for its chocolate, Co Co. Sala, 929 F Street NW, offers more than just sweet treats. The chocolate lounge and boutique opens their doors for brunch every weekend from 11 AM- 3 PM. The prix fixe brunch menu, $26 per person, offers a main dish as well as a dessert. From the Crispy Creoloe Crabcake, that includes mango salsa and chipotle chocolate tomato glaze, to the French Toast S’mores topped with warm bananas and chocolate mousse, customers may be fully indulged by the end of the main dish. If you still have extra room, however, desserts like the Stolen Heart, a white chocolate and raspberry mousse creation, and the PB Cheesecake for peanut butter lovers, can satisfy your sweet tooth. For an additional $18 per person, bottomless brunch cocktails, which include several Bloody Mary drinks and “Coco-Pagne,” are also available.
Belga Café: Waffles, waffles, waffles
Put down the waffle maker and head over to Belga Café, 514 8th Street SE, for a Belgian brunch, specifically the waffles. The cafe’s Belgian waffles can be topped with a variety of items such as cinnamon and apples or goat cheese and red pepper coulis. For seafood lovers, Belga Café offers the Ommeletje Van Bart, a mix of baby shrimp, tomatoes and cheese cooked into an egg omelet. If you’re nutty about Nutella, the Crepe Aux Nutella topped with Nutella chocolate is the menu item for you. They say no Belgian waffle is made the same, so be creative and adventurous at Belga Café.
Acadiana brunch items like the Eggs Acadiana set the Mardi Gras mood. (photo courtesy of Simoneink LLC)
Acadiana: Mardi Gras in DC
There won’t be any bead throwing at this Mardi Gras, but every Sunday from 11 AM- 2:30 PM, Acadiana, 901 New York Avenue NW, brings New Orleans to the district. For the Mardi Gras brunch, Marshall Keyes and his band combine their vocals with the smooth sounds of jazz instruments to make diners feel right in Louisiana. The three-course prix fixe menu is $29 per person, but for an additional $9, an unlimited raw bar is available as well. Brunch meals start off with appetizers such as the Seafood Crepe Gratin, a mix of shrimp, lump crab cake and Louisiana crawfish. Brunch entrees like the Southern Shrimp and Grits, and Blackened Tilapia keep the Mardi Gras mood going. For dessert, customers can indulge in one of four dessert items, including the Warm Vanilla Bread Pudding. Drink specials include the Cajun Mary’s and Bloody Orange Mimosas for just $1.
P.O.V at the W: Get over that Hangover
If a hangover is what you’ve got, then the “Hangover Washington” is what you need. Every Sunday from noon to 5 pm, P.O.V at the W, 515 15th Street NW, offers one of the longest lasting brunch menus in the area. A prix-fixed menu at $29.99 per person includes items from breakfast favorites like Eggs Benedict to lunchtime items like the chicken sandwich with chipotle mayo. With the bottomless Bellini cocktails flowing and DJ Sounds supplying the latest hits, you may feel like you’re still at the club. Try to pace yourself; they don’t offer Hangover Washington on Mondays!
Chef Geoff: Sundays are Special
From cocktails to mocktails, bagels to burritos, Chef Geoff, 3201 New Mexico Avenue NW, offers a brunch menu suitable for a variety of tastes and ages. The Sunday Brunch menu includes entrees like the Brunch Burrito and Fried Chicken and Waffles, all of which start with a seasonal fruit and brunch bread plate. For $21.95, you can make brunch a little more special with Chef Geoff’s Sunday Special which includes any brunch entree with a seasonal fruit as well as a brunch bread plate, coffee and a choice of orange juice, mimosa or bloody mary. If you’ve got more of a taste for lunch, Chef Geoff offers a BBQ Brisket Burger and a Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Sandwich. Although there are five specialty cocktails available, if your looking for something without alcohol, then you can enjoy one of the four mocktails that Chef Geoff has to offer, including the Orange Julius, a blend of orange juice and zest mixed with vanilla syrup, orange bitters and egg white. The live jazz performers at Chef Geoff can also make your experience even more enjoyable.
Shrimp and Very Gouda Grits is one item on Chef Geoff's Brunch menu. (photo courtesy of Meghan McCourt, Chef Geoff's)
