Illustration by Molly Jacques for Oh So Beautiful Paper

So now you know where we like to go out to dinner and have a great cocktail, but there are still two very important food-related topics to cover – brunch and sweets!  These are two things very near and dear to my heart; brunch is my favorite meal of the week (along with what seems like most of DC) and I have a ridiculous sweet tooth.  There are tons of great brunch spots in DC and more cupcakeries than you can shake a stick at, but today I thought I’d highlight just a few personal favorites…

Brunch

Photo Credits: Ted’s Bulletin

Belga Cafe  A Belgian restaurant in the middle of Capitol Hill, Belga offers a super-yummy European-inspired brunch with everything from thick Belgian waffles (of course) to crepes to omelettes.  It’s one of the most popular brunch spots on the Hill, so be prepared to wait (even if you have a reservation), but it’s so worth it.

Ted’s Bulletin  Located right across the street from Belga Cafe on Capitol Hill’s Barracks Row, Ted’s Bulletin really couldn’t be much different in terms of style and menu.  Ted’s is all about old school diner food – greasy burgers, delicious sandwiches, seriously amazing milkshakes, not to mention the homemade pop tarts – and they serve breakfast all day long!  We love the pancakes and omelettes, but T.U.B.S. – Ted’s Ultimate Breakfast Sammy – really should be experienced at least once.

Rosemary’s Thyme  Tucked away between Dupont Circle and Adam’s Morgan, Rosemary’s Thyme is such a little hidden gem of a restaurant, particularly when it comes to brunch.  The restaurant describes itself as a “Mediterranean kitchen” and there are lots of Turkish culinary influences on the menu.  With plenty of both indoor and outdoor seating (at least on nice days) and a family-friendly vibe, it’s one of my favorite brunch spots in all of DC.

Founding Farmers Founding Farmers is all about quality ingredients sourced from sustainable family-owned farms.  Brunch at Founding Farmers is still actually on our must-try list, but I’ve heard such good things that I had to include it here.  I was lucky enough to eat lunch here a while back and can’t wait to see what they offer for my favorite meal of the week.  I’ll come back with my report once we’ve had a chance to visit!

Sweets

Baked + Wired cupcakes (left) and Sweet Lobby macarons (right), both via my Instagram

The Sweet Lobby  I could not have been more thrilled when this adorable shop opened up on Barracks Row last year.  The Sweet Lobby offers cupcakes, macarons, and a variety of cookies.  Everything is fantastic, but I’m stuck on the macarons, which come in a rotating variety of amazing flavors (rose, orange cardamom, chocolate passionfruit, salted praline!) that change on a daily basis.

Baked + Wired  With some, ahem, rather famous cupcakeries in town, it’s almost controversial to ask a DC resident who makes the best cupcakes – I’ve personally been involved in heated discussions that mirror political debates!  With that said, no one else in DC comes close to the cupcakes at Baked + Wired.  Dense, sweet but not too sweet, with just the right balance between cake and frosting, and some seriously awesome flavor options.  My favorite (so far) is the carrot cake cupcake with cream cheese frosting!

Dolcezza Gelato  With multiple locations around DC, Dolcezza is hands down our favorite gelateria in the District.  The gelato and sorbetto are made fresh every morning using high quality (and mostly local) ingredients, and we love some of the more exotic flavors, like quince, lime-cilantro, thai coconut, and orange-honey-cardamom.