If I am going to walk through a torrential downpour for a cup of coffee, it better be good. Luckily, wading my way down U Street one Sunday afternoon to Blind Dog Cafe was well worth the wet shoes.

 

The outside of the cafe is bland, reminiscent of a speakeasy with nothing to denote what's inside besides the small fold-up sign in front.  Its simple facade perfectly complements the interior space and the vibe the cafe works to create.  Inside, big red light fixtures cast a quiet light over the scattered tables and ottomans, creating the perfect environment for reading a book by yourself in the evening or gathering for a lazy Sunday lunch with friends.

 

After putting down my umbrella and shaking myself like a puppy trying to dry off, (dogs shake of 70% off water on their fur in 4 seconds) I went up to the counter to order my drink.  The baristas at Blind Dog were extraordinarily friendly and easy to talk to.  I instantly felt comfortable asking questions to understand what the cafe is all about. 

 

I saw a single origin pour-over on the menu and the barista explained that while their regular house coffee is a mixture of coffee grounds, single origin means the coffee grounds are all of the same type.  The coffee is then brewed using a chemex, which works by placing a filter in the top cone, wetting it, placing grounds in the presoaked filter, and then adding small amounts of hot water.  After learning how the coffee is made, I ordered a cup of single origin.  They had two options for single origin coffee: Sumatra and Brazil.  I asked the barista which he preferred and ended up with a perfectly brewed cup of Sumatra coffee to sit with while reading my book.

 

Before I started drinking I added a bit of cream over at the serving cabinet, which was old and wooden and gave the whole place the vibe of an old, slightly haunted (in a beautiful way), southern home.  I sat and began to sip.  Rich and oily, I knew I made the right choice.  The taste was not overwhelming, but well balanced so that no one sensation or flavor-note overpowered the others.  Sumatra is a medium roast, which definitely came through.  It lacked the stringent, bitter qualities that many cringe at, but it did not lack any flavor.  

 

The coffee was served at the perfect temperature. I often complain that coffee is too hot and that when served near-boiling, it either burns your tongue or your taste buds become overwhelmed by the heat and cannot detect the subtle flavors in the coffee.  This cup was the perfect temperature and I could detect each characteristic the coffee allowed for.

 

Blind Dog also sells a variety of baked goods, sandwiches, and salads.  On Twitter, Blind Dog always tweets photos of scones that make me want to eat my computer screen, so I had to get one.  They only had one type sat the time and it was basil flavored.  The first thing I said when I took a bite, completely unfiltered, was "Oh yeah, that's strange."  But I said it with a smile because while it was odd tasting, it wasn't bad.  Just a very interesting flavor combination.

 

It was a bit too salty though and I think next time I'll have a chocolate chip cookie instead.