Rise and Shine, Breakfast is Here

From Aparna Krishnamoorthy. Email her at aparna[AT]borderstan.com. Follow her on Twitter @aparnakris.

Most days, breakfast consists of coffee and any fruit I can grab. If I have an extra five minutes, it’s a smoothie or a piece of toast before running out of the door.

But occasionally, I have one of those days when I roll myself out of bed especially early and am ready to take on a big breakfast by 8am. And for those days, an early meal can make or break my day. To save you the distress of a horrid start to the day, I’ve compiled a list of where to find breakfast in Borderstan without having to wait till 9 am, when the rest of the world decides to get going. And I’m not talking about grab and go places — these are full on sit-down, ready to crush the day breakfasts.

• Commissary – Love this neighborhood spot for their egg heavy breakfast and for early morning people-watching before heading to work.  It’s also awesome that they serve breakfast till 4 pm and massive mugs of coffee. Open Monday through Friday, 8 am;  Saturday and Sunday, 9 am.
• Luna Grill and Diner – Decent breakfast, decent service and decent prices. Location in Dupont makes it perfect for a quick breakfast if you work in the area. Opens every day at 8 am.
• Java House – A landamark in the area. Great coffee selection and wonderful service. From granola  to bagels. Check their menu online. Opens every day at 8 am.
• Kafe Bohem – Kafe Bohem has pretty much all the makings of a perfect neighborhood spot. Chicken schnitzel croissant sandwich plus coffee and you leave with a spring in your step. Nothing can screw up your day.  In addition to potato pancakes and lox, bratwurst and Czech toast (egg fried bread!), they have a daily selection of pastries. Check out their full menu here, and go there tomorrow morning. Opens Mon through Friday at 6 am; Saturday and Sunday at 8 am.
• Florida Avenue Grill – This place has been in the business of breakfast since its inception, and they do it right. A few months back, this made it to my list of DC institutions to try. Fellow contributor Ashley and I checked out their breakfast one morning. No frills diner breakfast, with friendly service and superb grits. Opens Tuesday through Sunday at 8 am.
• U Street Café -Gigantic waffles, free wifi and friendly service. Nice spot to get some work done with breakfast, or catcsh up on the morning news. Opens Mon through Friday at 7 am;  Saturday and Sunday at 8 am.
• Pica Taco -For those mornings when you know you need a breakfast burrito, this is where you go. Decent size, nice fillings and quick service. Perfect for the morning that you are regretting the fun you had on a school night. Opens Monday through friday at 8 am; Saturday and Sunday at 9 am.
• New Orleans Po Boy shop – I haven’t actually been here, but I hear they serve up a mean Andouille, egg and cheese poboy in the mornings.  Finish that off with freshly made beignets to satisfy any sweet cravings. Opens Mon through Friday at 7 am.

In addition to these, most hotel restaurants also have a fairly priced breakfast every morning – Firefly,  M Street Bar and Grill, Beacon Bar and Grill, Urbana, and Tabard Inn offer full breakfast every morning.

And of course, there is always Busboys and Poets, Kramerbooks and Afterwards and Le Pain Quotidien (love!) all in the neighborhood. So, for the next time you have those early morning cravings and some time, you know where to go!

What’s your early AM favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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