Peregrine's Progress

Ever since Murky Coffee fought the law on Capitol Hill, there has been no reason to leave my apartment for a cup of my favorite dark liquid. Murky still exists across the river in Arlington, but one of my wife’s own hand-crafted espresso with a touch of cinnamon renders the Metro ride to our southern neighbor that much more unappealing.

Don’t get me wrong, there are several decent coffee shops on the Hill, with nice places to sit and lose yourself in conversation or in the New Yorker. But the coffee all across the board is sub-par, even when it is organically grown, fair trade or supporting Christian relief efforts. Generally speaking, the quality of coffee in the district has been disappointing since I moved here. I am not enough of a coffee snob to abstain from the corporate chains or the (blessedly) free coffee I drink at work to feed my caffeine addiction. But considering the significant Ethiopian minority in the District, you would think there would be tastier options. (As an aside, I could simply be on the wrong neighborhood. The Northwest does seem like a better place for a coffee culture, and I know of a genuine bean roaster who goes to our sister church).

Murky was, as they said it, “the best damn coffee in Washington D.C.” Until, of course, the taxman came to the door with a bill to hefty to keep the shop open. It was good coffee, run by genuine coffee snobs who wanted you to love coffee as much as they do.

This weekend, Murky’s long awaited replacement has arrived. I won’t go into the details with their story, but I encourage you to read about Peregrine Espresso on their blog. Coffee snobs have returned to Capitol Hill, in the same cramped strip on Eastern Market. Since Justin is home in Michigan, I thought I’d pinch hit and write a (much wordier) review.

My wife and I missed the opening festivities, but we took time this Saturday come on by. Peregrine means pilgrim, which is appropriate, since we have been waiting with religious fervor for the place to open. As I write this review, however, I cannot escape comparing it to its predecessor.

I have mixed feelings about the atmosphere. Murky had a disorganized since of freedom that the best college roasters have. The workers were a colorful crew of funny, young coffee snobs. Chairs and tables were less uniform. Rilo Kiley (along with an assortment of music that the kind of people who like Rilo Kiley would listen to) would add to the noise of coffee orders and banter, yet would not distract you from your reading. There was the eclectic mix of people that made Capitol Hill on a weekend beautiful.

Peregrine in contrast is rather uniform. The mugs and furniture seemed all selected from the same catalogue. It was generally less colorful, and if there was music playing, I don’t remember. My wife prefers it that way. It has Ordnung. But I enjoy the colorful craziness. That being said, they owners say there is more decorating to be done.

Of course, the disorganization led to drawbacks. Half the time at Murky, I could not find a seat. Peregrine’s use of space was much more efficient and therefore more comfortable. There was room to breathe, room to sit. Hopefully, this noticeable step towards organization will mean all the bills will be paid, and that they will be on Capitol Hill a long time.

Of course, all of this is just window-dressing. What truly matters is the coffee. I regret to say that I was so craving the soy macchiato (my regular drink at Murky) that I forgot my normal litmus test for a coffee shop: a regular cup of black coffee. If they do that right, they will do other things right. I will have to report on this later. In the meantime, the macchiato was superb. My wife loved her cappuccino. It was worth leaving my apartment for.