Afterwords Cafe, Washington, D.C.

Went to brunch Sunday with my next door neighbor David, planning to have a little business meeting for a non-profit, but our third meal companion was a no-show. Alas. We'd picked the restaurant because it's near where he lives! But, I always enjoy going to Afterwords Cafe in the Kramerbooks bookstore on Dupont Circle, a place I've patronized now for nearly thirty years, and it's always fun dining with David.

Sunday brunch at Afterwords includes complimentary orange juice and ones choice of a bloody Mary, a mimosa, or a strawberry mimosa (second cocktails are just $1.50). I had a bloody. Our waiter, a cute jock boy with blond hair, ice blue eyes, a little turned up nose, and a very infectious smile, talked David into a bloody Mary, but David ended up not liking it (too spicy for him), so the waiter brought him a strawberry mimosa. We also got orange juice, and the juice was freshly squeezed.

David selected the crunchy Cajun catfish, something he'd had before as a dinner entree but not as a brunch item. It looked quite good. The very large piece of catfish was breaded in cornflakes, then fried. It looked nicely juicy on the inside. The fish rested on scrambled eggs, and all was garnished with a dollop of basil hollandaise. Also on the plate were diced potato home fries and wedges of orange and grapefruit.


I ordered one of their specialty eggs Benedict dishes, in my case, substituting the Canadian bacon for a tomato slice and avocado and using crostini instead of English muffins. My plate also had the potatoes and citrus. Twas yummy.