Farewell Lunch in DC with Wessel de Jong

Over the past 3 years he has spent much time at our kitchen table: Wessel de Jong, correspondent for the Dutch broadcasting company NOS in DC, but most of all a good friend. He recently moved back to the Netherlands, but before he did he took me to his favorite places to eat and drink, all close to his office on M Street. One last time a ‘Half and Half’ at Bread & Brew, a cappuccino grande at the little Illy Coffee Shop located in a fancy hotel, and a massive cheesecake at Kramerbooks & Afterwords. Places where he and colleagues often met.

Bread & Brew
Wessel is a regular at Bread & Brew. The people behind the counter often know what he is about to order: a half & half, which is a combination of their soups, salads, and sandwiches. The little restaurant around the corner of Wessel’s office is a real hang-out for foreign journalists, he almost always meets someone he knows. It’s not hip whatsoever, moreover very American: huge portions, American fare. Nevertheless the dishes are made with as much local and organic ingredients as possible. Wessel admits he has a sweet tooth, so he regularly enjoys a piece of homemade pie as well.

Wessel B&B Bread pudding-1834
Illy Café
‘This is one of the best places for coffee.’ And yet again the barristas at Illy Café recognize Wessel. The tiny coffee shop is located in the lounge of the fancy Renaissance Hotel. ‘A good location to have a coffee and meet guests’.

Wessel koffie-1860-2
Kramerbooks & Afterwords
This bookstore annex café on Dupont Circle seems to have been around forever. And actually it has: it opened its doors in 1976 and is still as popular as ever. It’s absolutely one of Wessel’s favorites. The number of books that he must have bought here! He often invited colleagues and guests for lunch to the restaurant behind the bookstore. Or he came here to indulge himself on their infamous cheesecake. ‘A meal in itself, but irresistible.’ Good to know: Kramerbooks & Afterwords is open daily until 1 am.

Wessel Kramerbooks-1895Wessel taart kramerbooks-1906Wessel studio-1875

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5 Comments on Farewell Lunch in DC with Wessel de Jong

  1. Ingrid
    September 12, 2014 at 8:32 pm (10 years ago)

    As one of Wessels former interns and his colleague in the Netherlands I am happy he and his colleagues showed me the same places! Although the cheesecake at Kramerbooks was definitely too big for me haha! Good luck with your blog: ik lees hem graag!

  2. Tal Maes
    September 13, 2014 at 3:36 pm (10 years ago)

    Leuk om te horen Ingrid! Mijn god, ja die cheesecake…!Heavy stuff. Prachtige blog heb jij trouwens. Heerlijke recepten. We zouden het leuk vinden om ook jou een keer als Kitchen Table Friend te hebben. Veel van jouw inspiratiebronnen zijn ook die van ons zagen we.

  3. Ingrid
    September 14, 2014 at 10:34 pm (10 years ago)

    Dankjewel wat aardig! Ja jullie blog is ook echt de stijl die mij heel erg aantrekt in veel Scandinavische en Amerikaanse blogs. Ik hoop volgend jaar naar DC te gaan, dan zou ik graag langskomen. Berlijn staat nog niet in de planning al kan dat natuurlijk snel veranderen omdat het zo heerlijk dichtbij is!

  4. Petra De Hamer
    September 15, 2014 at 12:02 pm (10 years ago)

    Zeker doen Ingrid (naar DC én naar Berlijn). Als je tegen die tijd meer tips wilt voor Berlijn, laat maar weten: ik (P) heb veel meer adressen dan ik hier heb geplaatst. En dat geldt voor Tal waarschijnlijk ook!

  5. Ingrid
    September 15, 2014 at 2:19 pm (10 years ago)

    Haha wat aardig, dank je! Ik zal me tzt zeker melden!

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