Adams Morgan and U Street have received some special exploring attention now that my boyfriend has moved there. He showed me this sweet spot with ratings out of four.
Location-4.75 (ThreeFifty Bakery and Coffee Bar is located on U Street and 16th. It is a prime location, right below the heart of Adam’s Morgan and to the West of trendy 14th Street. The bakery is tucked under an apartment building amongst other houses giving it an intimate charm. At ThreeFifty you are in a residential haven in the city. Coming from Chicago, I sometimes miss the neighborhood feel of local shops and cafes so ThreeFifty sits perfectly outside the busy main streets of Adam’s Morgan and Logan Circle. The only thing that would make ThreeFifty the ultimate spot is if it were a tad closer to a metro stop, then again, it could loose its charm).
Barista Cuteness-4.0(Forget barista cuteness and let’s talk about patron cuteness. No, I am not biased because I went there with my boyfriend, he is not counting in this scenario. There were so many peacoat adorned dapper gentlemen in and out of the coffee shop on my few visits. In addition, I sat next to an exceptionally attractive and friendly Kate Hudson look-a-like on my first visit. Pivoting back to the Baristas, they are sweet and come off as very humble, a quality I don’t often see).
Coffee Knowledge/Expertise-3.5(The baristas at ThreeFifty are seem knowledgable and know their coffee stuff. The bad is the coffee stuff itself. ThreeFifty serves Illy coffee and espresso which is received better by some more than others. For me, Illy is far too bitter. Illy coffee is imported from Italy and is straight up coffee. No-nonsense, not too many flavor notes, very dark. After having a cappuccino and an ice coffee I needed to switch it up so I ordered a London Fog. A London Fog is Early Grey tea with steamed milk and a drizzle of honey. The two London Fogs I have had at the coffee bar are the best I have ever had. They serve a very high quality French Early Grey tea with the perfect ratio of hot water to milk. The Jasmine tea is also smooth and lovely, so I would recommend the tea side of things).
Ambiance-5.0(The ambiance of ThreeFifty is in line with it’t neighborhood feel . The decor is rustic and simple. The wood floors make the small space all the more cozy and warm. The prime seating is at the huge bay window in the front where light pours in on you as you do work. The first time I was there, I was sitting in the window as flakes of snow danced about, it was utterly fantastic. The amount of seats is very small, but people move in and out fairly quickly. The patrons of the cafe are very local, as one has to be to find such a tiny spot).
Food/Pastry Selection-4.75(ThreeFifty’s claim to fame, or at least to my high rating and four visits in two weeks, is definitely their bakery. I first had the ricotta muffin from the bakery and it was amazing. I typically despise muffins, agreeing with those who call them bald cupcakes but not this muffin. The creamy ricotta on the inside was a fresh bite that added flavor, moisture and texture to the wonderful muffin. Other pastries that I have consumed include a ginger scone and blueberry lemon pound cake. Both had very subtle flavors from their main ingredients but were perfectly balanced. My boyfriend has also ordered two of ThreeFifty’s quiches. The savory side of the bakery has also had great results. The crusts of the quiches have constantly been buttery and flakey. The mini quiches also pack in quite a lot of ingredients into each little bite, more filling then their size would indicate. The only reason why I marked the bakery down a quarter of a point was due to the fact that they were out of my precious ricotta muffin not once, but twice! Oh the horror! I suppose it did force me to review other treats, however it was still upsetting).
Overall Rating: 4.4
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