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— Third Place Blog —

08/31/2011

Rehydrate and cool off at Open City!

Rehydrate and cool off at Open City!
By Mick

From Chris H., an Open City manager

It might seem a little crazy to be outside in this nearly 100 degree weather. Some choose to stay indoors and venture out into the sun as little as possible during the record breaking heat we are currently experiencing in this city. Yet there are some for whom the heat fails to be a deterrent and others still who may even embrace it! Yes, we are referring to those crazy DC joggers that we see run by our giant windows every day—sometimes even during the worst midday heat. The importance of staying hydrated before, during and after these excursions cannot be overstated and at Open City we are here to help!

We participate in the TapIt water project, which is dedicated to “providing clean sustainable water on the go.”  You can find out more about some of the very cool stuff that they do by following their blog. http://www.tapitwater.com/blog At Open City, though, we not only provide clean filtered water, but we also make sure it is nice and cold, and of course, did we mention free? So come in anytime and refill your water bottles or just grab a glass from us and chug it down. On most weekends you don’t even have to come inside as we have a water station set up right out front.

Once you’ve recovered in that way, you might want to enjoy a cup of our delicious Counter Culture coffee or espresso drinks any of which can be iced. We also have several different kinds of flavored iced teas. If you’re curious as to different methods of iced coffees and teas there is some great information here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/cold-brewing-coffee-and-tea-the-curious-cook.html?_r=1 We brew our iced coffee using the “Japanese” method. Our iced espresso drinks are made differently depending on what you order, but especially great are our iced cappuccinos (pictured above), iced lattes or iced Cubans. Chances are that as soon as you step out of the door or out from beneath our beautifully shaded patio, you’re going to be tormented by the brutal heat again almost instantly, so it might not hurt to stay and try several.

By Mick | Posted in Coffee | Comments (2)

The tofu breakfast stir-fry, listed on the menu as “vegan,” is incongruously served with and a side of butter and conventional bread (made with milk, eggs, butter?).  And what are the hash browns fried in? (I had the grits, which I assumed weren’t cooked in milk).

Love Open City but maybe some parts of the menu aren’t entirely clear on the concept? “Vegan” means no animal products whatever.

Charles
10.01.2011 at 8:59hs

Charles,

Thanks for reading our blog!  I’m glad you reached out to us and I’m happy to provide some answers for you.

We at Open City take food sensitivities and dietary restrictions very seriously.  I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to try it, but we go so far as to even offer a completely separate gluten-free menu, and I assure you that our concern for those on vegan diets is just as strong.  All of our breads are completely vegan (with the exception of our brioche, which is only used in the non-vegan french toast).  The only oils we use in our kitchens are olive oil or a blend of soy and canola oils, and that is what our hashbrowns are cooked in.  Our grits are also vegan.

We’re lucky enough that many non-vegans do order our tofu scramble simply because they like the taste.  We serve all of our condiments on the side so those with dietary restrictions aren’t confronted with having to “out” themselves.  However, we have taken your comments to heart and are encouraging our servers to be more proactive about asking guests who order dietary-specific items additional questions so that you receive exactly what you need!

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at mick (at) opencitydc.com and I’ll be happy to reply further!

Mick
10.06.2011 at 5:24hs
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