The biscuits were about to float away. No, the Florida Avenue Grill wasn’t flooding; that’s just how ethereal their biscuits were.
The unpretentious spot on the edge of downtown Washington, D.C., has been around since just after World War II. One look at the interior shows how popular it is with everyone from its working-folks neighbors to musicians, actors, athletes and — you knew this was coming – politicians. We were amused to see a photo of John Ashcroft hanging near the cash register; we’re not sure if he was keeping an eye on the cash, or if the person at the register was watching him.
No reservations, of course, but on a weekday morning, we walked right in. Service was swell, with a kind waitress who hit the sweet spot between too much attention because it was relatively quiet and too little. The menu is home cooking to the max, with some particular local specialties like country ham and half-smokes.
We trust you know country ham, rich and salty and chewier than the sissified stuff one usually finds. This close to Virginia, it was more than appropriate to find the real thing, and to realize how embarrassing it is that in Missouri, which produces some excellent country ham, the phrase is often applied to run-of-the cure meat.
A half-smoke, though is indigenous to DC. The size of a quarter-pound hot dog, with a finely-ground beef filling, the half smoke is more like a spicier Polish sausage, just the thing with a couple of carefully cooked over-easy eggs.
And then there were the potatoes. Like all the first-rate breakfast potatoes we’ve had, they looked a mess. But these were a holy mess, full of onions, lots of browned bits, and very well seasoned. Our biggest problem was whether to mop up egg yolk with potatoes or biscuits. (Clue: The biscuits are so tender they crumble at the least pressure.)
Under the "details" heading, we’d add that the coffee was better than we usually find in casual spots like this, and someone did a good job of scrubbing the coffee maker. There’s real half-and-half, not faux creamer but it’s not real butter for the biscuits, alas. The biscuits were so fab, though, we didn’t care, and the jelly packets included blackberry jam, always a plus.
Saturday and Sunday mornings are a madhouse, according to testimony from the employees, with a line stretching out the door. Plan accordingly.
Florida Avenue Grill
1100 Florida Ave., NW, Washington, D. C.
202-265-1586
Breakfast and Lunch Tues.-Sun, Dinner Tues.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: No
Smoking: No
Entrees: $5-$13