The food court at National Place (13^th and F St. NW, right by the Metro Center station) has always had its fair share of cuisine, but for some reason, a coffee shop never seemed to be able to last.  That was until November 2010, when Esprinto Café opened in the spot that used to house Saxby’s Coffee.

From Day 1, I was hooked.  The coffee is fantastic, the staff is uber nice, and they sell BELGIAN WAFFLES COVERED IN NUTELLA.  Sure, you can get a plain waffle (delicious, but boring), or a waffle covered in fruit and whipped cream (delicious, but still not that exciting).  Not only is the smell of the waffle cooking heavenly, but the melty Nutella over a warm waffle, dusted with powdered sugar, is just about the best breakfast ever.  If you’re feeling really crazy, do the fruit and Nutella waffle.

Okay, back to the coffee.  I’ve never really considered myself a coffee snob.  It was tasty and helped me get through the day.  But here at Esprinto, the coffee is always piping hot, perfectly roasted, and just downright awesome.  You can even purchase bags of coffee and have them ground there.  The French Roast (an Ethiopian bean) is my favorite, but like I said before, the coffee overall is hella good.

In addition to waffles, they also have bagel sticks, which is just what you’d imagine- a bagel, but instead of in a round shape, formed into a stick shape.  They’re filled with either cream cheese, salmon, and basil, or cream cheese, tomato, and cucumber.  When these are lightly toasted, they make a fantastic lunch.  Sprinkle a little pepper on them and you’re set.  Delicious.  There are also over a dozen different kinds of low-fat muffins, ranging in flavor from carrot (I’m currently eating this one as I type this post… it’s fantastic, of course) to banana blueberry crumb to cappuccino chocolate chip.  Between the bagel sticks and muffins, I get at least one a week, and they’re well worth the time I have to spend working out (low-fat is still better than whole fat, but if I continued to eat all of this goodness and not work out, I’d be a whale!).  There are also giant cookies, chocolate filled croissants, blondie bars, and these ridiculous rocky road brownie things that look like a brownie covered in thick caramel, nuts, and more brownies.  Happiness Pie, indeed.  If you’re feeling healthy, they also have yogurt and fruit parfaits, fruit cups (not the dinky little ones filled with cantaloupe and honeydew, but with strawberries, kiwi, and oranges), fresh-squeezed OJ and smoothies.  Everything is super fresh, and you can definitely taste the difference.

Recently, they started selling soups, sandwiches, and salads.  My co-worker, and good friend, Jennifer, goes there at least once a day.  She was constantly raving about everything she ate, and since I knew how awesome the breakfast was, I knew the lunch items would be just as good.  The chicken pesto panini was by far, the best panini I’ve ever eaten.  The bread is toasted perfectly, the pesto sauce is garlicky and flavorful, and the chicken was nice and juicy.  It was dense and delicious.  Jennifer has had every soup and salad, and is always extremely happy with her purchases.  Her favorite salad is the Esprinto Salad, and her favorite soup is the Broccoli Cheese (it was a close match between that and the Chicken Noodle), which I might get on today, since it’s gloomsville outside, and cheese makes me happy.  And if Spring isn’t arriving quickly enough for you and you yearn for some summertime in a cup, try the lemonade with mint leaves inside; it will brighten the cloudiest of days!

If you work in the area, you have to check this place out.  The hours are 7am – 8pm Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 10am – 5pm.  Between the awesome staff, and the perfectly done coffee and food, I don’t know how they could ever go wrong.  When I was talking to the owner today, he said they were getting new and better stuff, so keep your eyes peeled and your stomachs readyJ

-JDS

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