My Name is Emily, and I Really Dislike Coffee

I am not a coffee drinker. I have much to say about this traditional caffeinated beverage, most of which can be summed up in the following bullet points:

• I don't need coffee to wake up (I do, however, require a full 9 hours of sleep a night).
• In addition to coffee, I am not really so into most hot beverages. I have a fire in my belly already. (The exception is hot chocolate...)
  
• I think coffee tastes like erasers. My worst nightmare is a morning flight sitting next to someone sipping cup after styrofoam cup of coffee. Not good for the earth or W and CP.
  
• Don't try to fool me with coffee flavored ice cream or tiramisu or a mocha something. The coffee comes through loud and clear. (Rebecca G. and I have been having this conversation since I was 15... I give her points for persistence, though.)
  

Now that you know where I'm coming from, you can sympathize with the fact that I often have trouble ordering when "out for coffee." And most coffee shops that do coffee really well, often don't do much else well. Worse things have happened, of course. This isn't really a complaint, but rather a unique predicament I often find myself in.

I've come to terms with my dislike of morning joe, and apparently make this fact well known. I ran into a friend at Starbucks yesterday and she proclaimed, "Hey! So fun to see you... WAIT, what are you going to order? You hate coffee!" True that, Shannon S. And the answer: an iced green tea, that's what.

So when I tell you that I've found a coffee shop that I love, you will appreciate that this comes from a very unique perspective. I've never tried the coffee (nor will I ever), but I am told it isn't bad. Alas, I am judging Filter on other things...

Like the jaunty coffee cup shaped bike racks outside. And their savvy use of orange accents. And, most importantly, the simple syrup available for those of us that are looking to feed our sugar habits but don't usually drink hot bevs. (Have you ever run into this problem? You have an iced tea in your hand and want to sweeten it up a bit, but you'd rather not use something from a packet... so what's a gal to do? Simple syrup is the best answer but most coffee establishments never have it on the condiment bar.)

I fully embrace the fact that Filter is also trying to be cool. This would usually be a turnoff (as you know, I am so not cool). But for some reason, Filter makes it work. Sometimes I saunter there for a change of scenery when editing photos. Other times, I stop in for an iced tea or hot chocolate and sit in their little outside sitting area to people watch or put the finishing touches on my plan to become a local celebrity (you see, I am learning the art of nothing... and one thing I've learned is that it is easier to do nothing when you're not in your house).

Filter is located just North of DuPont Circle on a delightful little stretch of 20th street with not much else on it. Stop by, then let me know what you think. Don't forget to check out the bike racks.