My usual coffee routine is this:

During the week, iced venti lattes at Starbucks.

On weekends, too-small but delicious iced lattes at local coffee shops like Toby’s Estate.

Last week, I made a quick business trip to Washington, DC. Instead of frequenting the local Starbucks, each morning I visited a wonderful new-ish coffee shop near my hotel* called Slipstream.

I liked the friendly servers and the food I sampled – thick toast with crème fraîche and house-made jam – was delicious.

Most importantly, the coffee was extraordinary. I don’t have the coffee geek vocabulary to describe it. Just know that my drinks were spectacular and I’ll be racing back to Slipstream next time I’m in DC.

I also had some items from Del Campo’s bar menu which I’d absolutely return for. Sweet corn croquettes and Peruvian chicken salad sliders were my favorites.

*Hotel Helix, a Kimpton property but alas, looking more shabby than chic these days.