Northside Social Coffee and Wine

3211 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA
Medium cappuccino $3.50 (actually a "small", but larger than many other shops' medium)

Northside has become our standard as we've returned at least 3 times per month over the past year. So far no other coffee establishment in the DC metro area has been able to exceed Northside's consistently excellent cappuccinos.

I've always said that the best food is simple and composed only of high-quality ingredients. Each layer of any coffee beverage from Northside is been perfected. The espresso, from Counterculture beans, is round and complex with nutty/caramel/cocoa/citrus overtones. Acid is well-balanced. It stands well above the milk, but at the same time, the milk complements the coffee and grants it an attractive mouthfeel. Milk is sourced from a small dairy in PA and not ultrapasteurized! Oh man, that milk tastes like real milk. The baristas steam the milk just enough to fluff it softly, then pour over the espresso to make the pretty leaf/fan design.

I have a habit of sprinkling just a bit of raw sugar over the top so I can have micro crunchies when I finally reach the bottom of the cup. Little girl loves to scoop as much white foam as she can get (though it does dissolve into the coffee relatively quickly -- I'm perfectly ok with that).

The food is always quite good, though heavily salted. Breakfast sandwiches are spot-on (Polyfarm eggs), but prepare yourself for a small serving for the price. Bacon and sausage are both housemade.

I'm trying to remember entering Northside and instantly spotting an available table. Maybe once or twice, but certainly not on a weekend. I find myself sliding into a seat just as someone else is leaving ("doing the hover"), and nearly always very close to other patrons. Oh well, the eavesdropping is much more interesting at Northside than at many other places.

Northside is owned by same owners as Libery Tavern across the street. A good synergy.