Some of my favorite local escapes
where I go in the DMV to feel like I'm not in the DMV--or the U.S. for that matter.
No matter where I live, I often find myself daydreaming of being somewhere else; something that I imagine simply must come with the territory of being a third culture and a fan of travel. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been grounded in DC in a way I’ve never been anywhere else I’ve lived in my adult life. And although I’ve lamented about the amount of time I’ve had to spend on the ground here, this time has also gifted me the great chance to discover the places that make me feel at ease.
Mikko. This is certainly one of my favorite spots in DC. Mikko is a Nordic café with a full day menu and a large variety of delicious pastries and smørrebrøds. I especially love their strawberry roll. It tastes like childhood to me. The fish soup is also not to miss. Dan and I sat here for a while this past Sunday after our weekly visit to the sauna. We had iced lattes that were served to us in short glasses, a shrimp salad smørrebrød, and a slice of Swedish Daim cake. And it was all heavenly. Mikko feels like sitting in a friend’s backyard, tucked away on a residential street. Most of my visits here are surrounded by the sound of foreign languages being spoken, and cheerful laughter. Something about all of these things makes me feel so at home.
Bistrot Du Coin. Entering Bistrot Du Coin feels like stepping back in time. Upon my first visit, this song played, and the interiors made me feel as though I had been whisked away to a provincial town in the middle of Europe. We had a very solid, very simple meal here. The food is nothing too impressive, but it felt as though I was a friend’s house sharing the kind of comforting meal that warms the belly from all sides. The ambience of Bistrot Du Coin alone brings me joy, but I also have a duty to return to try the Mont Blanc on the dessert menu. It’s one of my favorites, and something that I always order when I am in Paris.
The Mediterranean Bakery and Café. Located in the middle of a shopping plaza in Virginia, the Mediterranean Bakery has captured my heart and transports me straight to my grandmother’s house on a sleepy Saturday. They have every type of Middle Eastern spice and grain, a copious variety of olive oils [as it always should be], fresh labne and hummus, and at the back counter, you can order fresh manoushe [Arabic flatbread] smothered in good olive oil and loads of my favorite spice, za’atar. I always leave this store arms-full of my childhood favorites.
The Swiss Bakery. Also in a random shopping plaza in Virginia, this place is a total gem. The Swiss Bakery has all of the things that I love about Europe inside. Good crusty breads, delicious coffee [get the mocha noir and thank me later], and a huge variety of beautiful cookies that are packed up by weight and ready to be taken home to be enjoyed with afternoon tea.
Janti Cafe. Another place that reminds me of being in my grandparents’ home, I stock up on Turkish pickles and jellies here, and of course, Turkish coffee grounds to prepare in the cevze my parents brought back for me from Istanbul. I always get a Turkish coffee to sip on while visiting Janti. It’s especially great if you can take said coffee to stay and sit outside to people watch.
Bread Alley. This bakery has a recent store front, and stepping into this little shop in the back alley between 4th and 5th streets in the Union Market District feels like entering a bakery in La Marais. The shopkeeper listed the available bread loaves in his beautiful French-accent, and I left with a cranberry walnut bread tucked under my arm—the method I most enjoy for bread carrying.
Radici Market. Visit here to hear Italian being spoken, get a really good cup of coffee, and don’t forget a pignoli for something sweet.
Do you have a favorite place that transports you to a happy place? Share them with me!