Most of Washington D.C. doesn’t feel much like a city to me. My town is long avenues and parks and statues and domes. It lacks grit. But Adams Morgan is a bit different. It is not quite the same as it was when we were young and heading to Madam’s Organ. Expensive condos have taken a little of its edge. But it still has an urban vibe, and I like that about it.
My friend Cathy and I spent the morning there last Saturday. Cathy is moving soon and looking for ideas for her new house. She wanted to check out the Brass Knob, an architectural antique store, so we headed there first. The store was located behind the orchid painted facade of one the many brick buildings lining Eighteenth Street. True to its name, piles of doorknobs greeted us when we opened the door.
The store was lined with displaced doors, windows, light fixtures, mantels, and grilles. I mulled over a couple, thinking about converting a piece of old ironwork into a wall hanging. But I wasn’t sure my plaster walls would hold the weight without a lot of effort, and decided against. Cathy didn’t find any treasures either, so we decided to head out and find coffee.
We landed upon Tryst, a loungey, Friendsy cafe that instantly made me feel like a 1990s college girl again. It was packed, but Cathy spotted an ancient sunken sofa behind a giant coffee table, and we grabbed it.
We each ordered a big mug of coffee. It left a little be desired, like perhaps it had been sitting too long. If I went again, I would try an espresso. At the cheerful server’s recommendation, I ordered the fawaffel, which was made with a chickpea batter and topped with tomatoes, cucumber, and za’atar. It was delicious and made up for the coffee.
After brunch we drove north, fortified and ready to explore the antique stores of Kensington. No treasures found there either, but we’ll keep looking.