🚀 go-pugleaf

>Along the lines of the discussion about wine stores, does anyone know
>of particularly fine places to buy coffee and tea?
>Best prices and selection are of course the most important factors.
>But helpful staff, or other things that are worth mentioning should
>be mentioned.  Thanks
 
Here are a few good sources:
In Maryland, Sutton Place Gourmet on Old Georgetown at Democracy used to
have a big roaster at the entrance, and a good selection of fresh beans
(all three SPGs as well as the Gourmet and semi-G Giants have decent supplies).
Right across the street in the shopping center behind Hamburger Hamlet is a
coffee and tea store with good variety and quality. At White Flaunt Mall, the
Perfect Cup has fine coffee as well as serving a dozen or so, including Kona,
by the cup with pastries, etc.
In the district - IMHO, Calvert-Woodley's coffee is crap. The beans I've
bought there were old, and the selection is mostly flavored coffee beans.
Roasters on the Hill is new, already good and improving. The winner for me,
though, is M.E. Swings - on 14th St. (+/- 1 st), east side, first block north
of Pennsylvania. Coffee and tea store only, with good selection of very fresh
beans, nice teas - and even their own brand of tea bags: breakfast, Earl Grey,
etc. and the least expensive place I know of for either coffees or teas.
In Old Town Alexandria, there's a place on Union Street specializing in
coffees (200 block south) as well as SPG.
 
Anyone know of any better places in or near Alexandria?
--
Larry