Ama
885 New Jersey Ave., SE
This Navy Yard newcomer is very mindful of its ingredients (just give its page-long mission statement a read), and its daytime cafe and walk-up counter is no different. Get your Italian coffee with hazelnut or cashew milk, and—instead of refined sugar—date syrup, raw honey, or sucanat. Alongside, there are options like a dandelion-and-onion frittata or chickpea pancake with tomato and basil.
Cucina Morini
902 Fourth St., NW
At night, this Mount Vernon Triangle Italian hotspot slings crisp dill-scented martinis. On weekends, there’s a morning version too, made with pesto, fermented-green-tomato juice, balsamic vinegar, and vodka (we also have our eye on the Cinnamon Toast Punch—cereal milk spiked with Courvoisier). Filled-to-order cornetti, bomboloni, prosciutto-and-honey sandwiches, and an array of toasts round out the menu.
Yellow Union Market
417 Morse St., SE
Albi chef/owner Michael Rafidi launched his most ambitious cafe yet last month, transforming a former meat market into a bright and spacious destination for labne-filled croissants, “Urfa-thing” bagels, shakshuka, and baklava lattes. It joins its comparatively snug—and always-packed—Georgetown sibling.
Fossette Focacceria
1250 Ninth St., NW
The All-Purpose crew recently took over the vacant space next door (formerly Buttercream Bakery) and launched this focaccia-obsessed sandwich shop, which opens at 8 AM Wednesday through Sunday. Give the olive-oily bread a try with its egg, fontina, and house-made bacon sandwich, or load up on pastries like mascarpone cinnamon buns. In Bethesda, sister restaurant Aventino launched brunch earlier this summer.
San Pancho
7056 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park
At this new burrito spot from the owners of Cielo Rojo, it’s all about the excellent flour tortillas, Sonoran-style and imported from Mexico. At breakfast—offered daily—they’re filled with crispy potatoes, eggs, rajas, and fillings like chorizo and barbacoa, and it’s worth adding on the tangy avocado salsa. The place makes a mean horchata too.
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.
