Food and Drink, The Daily Feed

Chinatown Coffee Co. + Food Trucks Happy Hours


Courtesy of Bravery Corporation

The scene: you work in the no-man’s land for food trucks. You watch with envy as all your friends get to take advantage of the food that’s rolling about, tweeting up and down about the latest and greatest dish they’ve gotten from a truck, while you’re stuck with a frozen TV dinner at the office. Whine no more. This spring is your chance to try the trucks you’ve been craving during this year’s “Food Truck Thursdays.”

In a friendly showing of brick and mortar restaurant and food truck collaboration, Chinatown Coffee Co. is hosting a happy hour series from 6:30 – 8:30 PM starting at the end of March. Each week a different food truck will serve outside, and you’ll be able to take advantage of $3 beer specials, wine and absinthe from Chinatown Coffee Co. No need to scope out a park bench–patrons are welcome to bring food from the trucks into the coffee shop.

Here’s the schedule for Food Truck Thursdays, though more trucks will be  added to the calendar for the summer:

March 31: Takorean
April 7: Red Hook Lobster Pound
April 14: Fojol Bros.
April 21: DC Empanadas
April 28: Big Cheese
May 5: Sabor’a Street
May 12: Eat Wonky
May 19: CapMac
May 26: DC Slices
June 2: PORC

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks

We Love Drinks: Chinatown Coffee Company

Photo courtesy of
‘Mocha, Chinatown Coffee Company’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

I have a confession. I can’t make a cup of coffee to save my life. In fact, I make really horrible coffee, sludge coffee, gritty coffee. I make worse espresso. Crema? Ha! You’d be lucky.

That must be why I love baristas so much. I watch them like some people watch priests turning water into wine. Hushed, respectful, full of wonder. And I love a hot tattoo. Plus an extra shot of sass with my caffeine always helps.

Which brings us to Chinatown Coffee Company

“I’ll have a mocha, I think,” I blearily requested one Monday morning.

“I would never have guessed,” the barista coldly replied. I looked up, blinking in surprise. He held his deadpan for what seemed like an eternity and then cracked a wide smile.

“It’s Mocha Mondays, girl!” he laughed, pointing at the blackboard where the notice danced in happy pastel chalk.

Just like that, I fell in love.

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News, The Daily Feed

Coffee Maven Cho Faces 40 Years in Prison

Photo courtesy of
‘razor’
courtesy of ‘Skelekitten’

Nick Cho, famous for his work as a barista and coffee-shop owner, today surrendered himself to arrest and booking on 82 counts of tax fraud related to the tax debt that shuttered Capitol Hill’s Murky Coffee in 2008. According to the release from the OCFO, posted in full below the cut, he’s facing 180 days in jail for each count, if convicted, along with a $5k fine, and full restitution if convicted. That would be $410,000 in fines, plus restitution for the amounts not filed with the District in 2006 and 2007, as well as 41 years in jail.

The amount specified by the OCFO for delinquent taxes is over $100,000, which would be compounded with penalties, interest and additional fines.

Chinatown Coffee Company, where Cho currently consults on the coffee operation, did not have a comment this afternoon when reached by telephone. Cho was released this afternoon following the booking. City Paper’s Jason Cherkis has a bit of the backstory here as well. Cherkis has now also spoken with the owners at Chinatown Coffee.

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