Doubles — Restaurant in Washington

January 9, 2020 Capital One Cafe --- Chinatown Washington, District of Columbia

First, I loved the Colony Club on Georgia Boulevard the first moment I saw the two story vintage brick building from across the street. The windows glowed with amber light and the flat white painted brick suggested the age of the building as older than the twentieth century. I walked into the interior, hearing French music and walking through a candlelit interior.

Lamps provided the light and yet the interior felt candlelit. I walked all the way through to the back and out into the garden, lit up with strings of white bulbs. No snow and a clement night made it almost possible to sit outside in the garden, enjoy a drink, gather a circle of friends. Maybe if the house built a fire pit and filled the pit with hot, burning season oak.

The meeting with the Democratic Socialists of America required the room upstairs, a smaller chamber than the long room downstairs. The tall whitewashed bricks walls and the plank floors could have hosted political meetings in the days of Eugene V. Debs.

We numbered thirty people, half well meaning men and half idealistic women. Most looked like young adults I came up with, but I could tell their sense of humor had been raised on Comedy Central and Stephen Colbert. As the film screened, they laughed derisively at the words of management from the day of the railroad. He knew how to make the men of money sound presumptuous. As for the socialists, I took a liking to all of them instantly.

At the time of the film, Bernie lived in a rural Vermont and made a living writing radical scripts and working as a carpenter, something he picked up in Brooklyn. How like Jesus, that fairly Socialist messiah? He started his Vermont life in Stannard, Vermont, a church town that counted less than one hundred residents and a single church when he lived there. After growing up in populous Brooklyn, the Berne fell in love with small town life and learned how to live there.

The documentary followed the radicalization of Eugene V. Debs, who started life as a hard working railroad man who could have lived a happy life as a Democratic politician. He won a seat in the Indiana Assembly, and probably could have moved on up. Instead, he began leading successful strikes and organizing more unions, helping to establish the International Workers of the World, called the Wobblies even to the day. One speech, advocating against involvement in World War I, landed him in prison, found guilty of sedition. Debs had no instinct for playing it safe.

Bernie Sanders read the speeches and quotations of Debs, and I took delight in hearing him speak. His voice has grown more gravely since 1979. He spoke Debs parts with the voice of a much younger man, a man of thirty-nine.

Two years later, he would make a successful run for the mayor's office of Burlington and serve eight years in that post. Soon, he moved up to the House of Representatives and then won a seat in the Senate after sixteen years as a congressman. Bernie, luckily, lived in a time when whole legions of lawyers passionately protect free speech and political organizing. I wanted to ask the audience, “Do you feel safer being a socialist”? The answer has to be yes. I didn’t see a single brown shirted conservative waiting downstairs with...

Outstanding coffee shop with unmatched vibes! Doubles is a cozy little cafe in Park View serving up fantastic coffee and drool-worthy sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. I first visited while on a walk in the area on a crisp, fall Saturday afternoon and had to make a stop when I realized they not only served coffee, but also doubled as a ping pong club. As I stepped inside, I was eagerly greeted by two of the friendliest baristas I've ever met, who proceeded to ask me about my day and answer a slew of questions on their fun selection of seasonal / specialty drinks. After a brief back and forth, I decided to lean into the crisp autumn weather and try out their maple cardamom latte. I admit that I usually prefer the unflavored espresso classics, but I was so intrigued by all their unique combos that I had to give it a shot. The latte was absolutely worth the risk -- it had a ton of cardamom flavor, and it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet (especially since they had kindly offered to reduce the sugar level for me when I asked about how sweet each of their drinks were). I, tragically, wasn't super hungry when I dropped by, but the focaccia looked incredible, and I can't wait to make another visit to try it out with one of their iconic breakfast sandwiches.

What truly makes Doubles special, though, is the vibes. It's such a chill and relaxed space, with ample seating both inside and in their lovely covered patio. The ambient, but upbeat music and dull buzz of conversation and the occasional thunk of a ping pong ball create the perfect environment to read, work, or just hang out. And if you want to continue soaking in the vibes after they close at 5 PM, they leave the back patio open for people to stay, which is...

there’s a magic to doubles that i can’t articulate. i truly love this place and i’m here a ton, so much so that someone assumed i worked here — nope just obsessed with their chai and brown butter chocolate chip cookie.

it’s everything you want in a coffee shop: charming and cute atmosphere, easily accessible location, and most importantly a warm and welcoming community of regulars. as someone raised in dc (25+ years) doubles has quickly become one of my favorite places ever.

and honestly , many coffee shops have all the above… great drinks, cute vibes, and a good location but what set doubles apart is the people that work here — every single one of them is amazing and will always greet you with a smile and a conversation. thank you ari, arika, dk, grayson, sam, and tierney! yall have turned what i once thought was just another cookie cutter gentrifying coffee shop into something more real. what i love most is how you treat people, not just the regulars or the weekend rush— you treat everyone who walks through the door, including the houseless folks in the neighborhood with kindness and respect in a way that stands out, in a way that people notice.

thank you again 🙂‍↕️

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