June 12, 2008
Cafe Collage Returns to T Street
It's not easy being an independent coffee shop in D.C. While Starbucks and other conglomerates continue to bloom like mushrooms on virtually every block of downtown, several local favorites have closed their doors in the past year. Sparky's Cafe abruptly shut down; Murky Coffee was seized by the D.C. government for failing to pay taxes; and 14U closed in April with plans to reopen as a handbag boutique/cafe hybrid.
However, one indie coffee house is reversing the trend. Cafe Collage, located at 14th and T Streets NW, reopened this spring. The small Ethiopian cafe was shuttered for several years because of a fire code violation. Neighborhood opposition to the cafe's liquor license application may have also exacerbated the situation, and the business closed down in order to raise money to build a fire escape.
Today, you can enjoy the view of Cafe Collage's shiny black fire escape while sipping on a mug of rich Ethiopian coffee. The cafe has a cozy sitting area on the first floor, with overstuffed chairs and an exposed brick fireplace. Cafe Collage also doubles as an art gallery of sorts: Paintings of impossibly long-legged women adorn the tropical yellow and orange walls, lit from above with modern track lighting. The basement level resembles someone's living room, scattered with a mishmash of couches, chairs, tables, magazines and books. The service is casual and friendly. Between the intimate atmosphere and the free wifi, it is easy to imagine spending many a leisurely afternoon in this relaxing space.
Oh, and the coffee is excellent. Cafe Collage serves the standard lattes and cappuccinos, along with Ethiopian coffee and tea. They also perform the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which involves roasting the beans over a brazier and then boiling the ground beans in a jebena. The resulting liquid is dark chocolate brown and deeply flavored. The taste is bright, nutty and a little metallic, with an acidic finish.
Cafe Collage also serves pastries and sandwiches. Most of these are standard American fare (blueberry muffin, turkey sandwich, etc.), along with a handful of Ethiopian items. Unfortunately, the food is hit or miss. The bagel and egg sandwich was flavorless and had a spongy texture. However, the sambussa (an Ethiopian pastry) was flaky, meaty, and very satisfying. You can probably get a better blueberry muffin at Starbucks, but this is the only coffee shop that will serve you a delicious meat pie for breakfast.
After savoring my mug from Cafe Collage, I walked to the nearest Starbucks (there are two within a 4 block radius) and bought a cup of their new Pike Place roast for comparison. While my hopes were not especially high, I didn't expect the coffee to be that bad. Little did I know just how much Starbucks would disappoint me; I actually recoiled after the first mouthful. The Pike Place roast was watery, bland, and burnt tasting. After my Ethiopian coffee, Starbucks tasted like dirty dishwater. I threw it away after two sips. While the U Street neighborhood has seen its fair share of coffee shop closures recently, let's hope Cafe Collage can stay open for good.
Cafe Collage
1346 T Street NW
Metro: U Street (green/yellow)
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I have tried going there three times. Each time, the place was dead, the food display case was nearly barren, and the store just had a depressing aura about it. Trust me, I'm all for indy coffee shops, but this place has zero vibe to it. 14U, a block away, had terrible service and mediocre food, but there was certainly character to the place.
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Never went to 14U, but that would explain the sign in the window about new management or something like that.
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Yea..14U was a disaster. It had comfortable seating (very comfortable), really had a cool wacky atmosphere, but the service was just bad. Apparently, they are re-opening as a clothing boutique that also sells coffee.
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14U and Sparky's both had horrible HORRIBLE coffee. I never really understood the whole draw to Sparky's ... unless you liked sipping luke warm, watery coffee in a filthy location.
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Apparently, they are re-opening as a clothing boutique that also sells coffee.
Now that's hilarious. So if I spill by coffee on it, I have to buy it?
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my ... not by
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They will also be selling red wine, chocolate ice cream, and hot dogs with extra mustard. In the jewelry section, large overstuffed backpacks will be available to borrow.
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Yeah don't be so dramatic. There's still Mocha Hut, Java House, Tryst, Love Cafe, the newly opened Locolat etc. Only the strong survive!
Oh and Starbucks is hardly expanding at its old rate.
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Cough*Big Bear Cafe*cough.
Just sayin'...can we get a little love up in this piece?
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notoriousreg: sure, big bear is great! but it's over here in bloomingdale. i thought we were talking about coffee around 14th and u streets. are we talking about coffee all over the city now?
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IMGoph, I suppose so but for argument's sake the article did mention the now defunct Murky which was located waaaaayyyyyy down in Capitol Hill.
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There are hardly any good all-around coffee shops in admo/ustreet/logan/shaw/gentrifriedvilled:
-Mocha Hut: great food, but the service is incomprehensibly slow, the espresso drinks are not good (they are served too hot, which reduces the flavor), and the hours at which they open and stop serving food each day seems to be at the whim of whoever is working that day
-Tryst: again great food, but quite possibly the worst service of any such place in DC...I once waited 45 minutes for my grilled cheese
-Azi's: some of the best coffee drinks, the food selection could be more imaginative, and for god sakes, stay open past 7pm!
-Big bear: ok this place is really good-but im not gonna haul my big booty all the way down to bloomingdale for a latte
I pretty much do really like the AKCK or whatever its called next to the gay dirty underwear store on 14th street, though.
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Tryst has worse service than Busboys & Poets? Not sure about that...
As for you and where you haul your booty, I got nothing. I'd tell you that my lattes are worth the haul but honestly that just ain't true (but they are freakin good.)
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Cafe Collage is a very pleasant place and a nice alternative for those who want to do some serious reading or studying either online or reading an old-fashioned book as well as getting together with friends and having a conversation where you can actually hear each other talking over the loud and often not so pleasant "music" that is often played elsewhere. The cafe plays Ethiopian music as well as American jazz and occasionally just very soft piano music which is what they happen to be playing while I am writing these comments. For those who are willing to pay the price, they occasionally have some rather exceptional food. Because so many of the customers are used to paying such inexpensive prices for their coffee drinks, when they are told they have to pay $11.99 for lamb shanks with rice which are done by a professional chef, they may seem shocked because the price may seem a little bit of a contrast to their rather reasonably priced coffee prices. They also happen to have some custom made Middle Eastern style pastries from time to time as well.
But what makes the place so pleasant is not just the ambiance with the beautiful art work, but the pleasantness of the people who work there. I still enjoy Tryst whose lattes are unequaled, but as analternative I find Cafe Collage a very pleasant place just like I found 14U a nice alternative. I am sorry they closed. I can't say the same thing for Sparky's. I went there once. I am sorry for any business not to survive, because I like seeing any independent business make it and don't believe it has to be a matter of either or. For instance, Saint Ex will never be threatened by Cafe College even though Cafe Collage serves alcohol and from time to time some great food. It is just a different place.
All the problems Cafe Collage has had about being able to open up from the very beginning because of a handful of residents versus most of the neighbors as well as others who supported its existence in spite of the fact that it was zoned as a commercial zone, these handful of residents were allowed to force Cafe Collage to close its doors for technicalities for two years in order for it to make adjustments. Let's up this ongoing pettiness does not continue. I am sure if the owners were almost anything other than Ethiopian, they would not be getting the harassment from these handful of residents including one of the members of the ANC who should be slightly above this kind of behavior.
I just hope Councilman Graham intends to support this business because it has the potential to turn into something extraordinary. It is a very tasteful and pleasant place. For those who find it dull, consider the fact that it has just opened up and it has to be given some time before it is prejudged. I have seen a number of places in Adams-Morgan which took quite awhile before they were able to sustain themselves. They didn't open up and make a killing overnight. In fact, some of them are still having a hard time especially in this "economy" including those who have been on 18th Street for a very long time.