News & Politics

5 Best Eye-Openers: Best of Breakfast and Brunch 2012

Hair of the dog never tasted so good.

Like your Bloody Mary’s extra-spicy—or extra-bacony? Make your own at Poste. Photographs by Jeff Elkins

Bloody Mary Bar

Poste

555 Eighth St., NW; 202-783-6060

The make-your-own experience at this Penn Quarter brasserie begins with a base spirit—plain vodka or a house infusion with fresh horseradish and spicy chilies (our favorite) or bacon. Then you’re off to a fixings bar, where jars of tomato juice, pickles, fresh vegetables, spices, and hot sauces inspire creative concocting.

Champagne Crusta

Bistro Bohem

600 Florida Ave., NW; 202-735-5895

This Eastern European cafe’s refreshing take on a crusta, a
150-year-old brandy drink, combines Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice in
a glass with a sugared rim, topped off with Russkoe Igristoe—a Polish
semisweet sparkling wine—and a lemon twist.

Mimosa Flight

Cork Wine Bar

1720 14th St., NW; 202-265-2675

Mimosas have be-come a brunch cliché, but Cork takes an
original approach with flights of three glasses, each featuring a
different juice. A recent favorite showcased grapefruit, orange, and blood
orange.

The Hemingway

Brasserie Beck

1101 K St., NW.; 202-408-1717

With grapefruit and lime, maraschino liqueur, and a healthy
dose of rum, this easygoing daiquiri is a perfect pick-me-up. The Belgian
spot—typically more attuned to beer—turns out a flawless rendition in a
martini glass with a lime twist.

The Titanic

Trummer’s on Main

7134 Main St., Clifton, Va.; 703-266-1623

No matter when you’re dining at this elegant destination, the
cocktail to order is the house specialty, a bracing mix of vodka,
sparkling wine, and slushy elderflower sorbet. We also like the mellow
Sage, with Plymouth gin, elderflower liqueur, and fresh herbs.

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.