Well, Bitches, it’s been quite a year. Since we launched in March, we’ve brunched at 58 restaurants in D.C. and brought the Bitching to Prague, Berlin, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami, Austin, New York, and other places around the globe. To celebrate, we thought we’d recap some of our favorite (and least favorite) brunches from 2010, and bring you the complete list, from A to Z, so you can relive your favorite Bitching and plan away for 2011. Tomorrow, we’ll be bringing you a wrap-up of Best Brunch Bites from 2010.
The Best
Overall: Which restaurants got an A+ for brunch this year? Only five, surprisingly: Acadiana, Ulah Bistro, POV, Birch & Barley, and Masa 14.
Brunch menu: From toffee-bacon donuts to Grand Marnier French toast, the brunch menu at Birch & Barley is innovative and interesting.
Brunch deal: We swear the brunch deal at Masa 14 is too good to last. $35 for unlimited anything on the menu, plus bottomless drinks. Plan on spending hours there.
Buffet: The buffet at POV on the roof of the the W Hotel is well thought-out and deliciously gourmet.
Jazz brunch: A three-piece jazz band—with a husband and wife taking turns crooning away—serenades the dining room during brunch at Georgia Brown’s.
Place for groups: Chef Geoff’s fit our huge brunch party (of 16!) in with no problem, and there was still room.
Outdoor brunch (patio): We love sitting under the big umbrellas on the patio at Peacock Cafe in Georgetown. It’s just so D.C.
Hole-in-the-wall brunch: Walking into Granville Moore’s is like walking into a underground European pub. We love the atmosphere: Brick walls, exposed ceilings, and the occasional beer ad on the wall. The tables are low, the lighting dim, and the brunch crowd pretty scarce.
Best view: You can’t beat the view from POV. I mean, you’re peering down to the snipers perched on the roof of the White House. You’re watching the tourists congregate like ants around the Washington Monument. You can see Lincoln peeking out from his Memorial just over the trees. Quite simply, it’s phenomenal.
Bottomless mimosas: The pros at Vinoteca skip the champagne flutes and serve the bubbly in big ol’ wine glasses. We like.
Posh ambiance: We were totally swept away by the swank at Acadiana, not to mention the food and service.
Cozy ambiance: We were charmed by brunch at the lesser-known U Street gem, Ulah Bistro, which was served in a relaxed and cozy setting.
Decor: The interior at Estadio is all Catalonia romance: heavy iron chandeliers, wood paneling, Spanish tile, terra cotta everything.
The Worst
Overall: Bistro Bistro (the horrors). Other low grades were The Beacon and Farmers & Fishers.
Brunch deal: Poste has lots of hype, costs lots of $$, but the food is … meh … not so great.
Buffet: Sorry, but we think the buffet at The Beacon is barely edible. We circled. And circled some more.
Outdoors brunch (patio): Montmarte is a lovely restaurant, but it has limited outdoor space, uncomfortable seating, and a long wait.
Bottomless brunch: The pours were stingy at Levantes and they cut you off after three. What the hell?
Ambiance: The atmosphere at the Pienza Italian Market at the Gaylord Hotel was so cheesy and contrived, we felt like we were in a bad Vegas hotel.
Decor: The problem with the decor at Point Chaud is that they couldn’t decide between a sparse modern look and charming French bistro. Either their decorator is bipolar, or they didn’t have one.
Bathrooms: While the brunch menu is fab at Level One, the bathrooms made us gag.
2010 Brunches
Acadiana
The Bitches say: A+
Chinatown
901 New York Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 408-8848
Ardeo
The Bitches say: B
Cleveland Park
3311 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 244-6750
Art and Soul
The Bitches say: A-
Union Station
415 New Jersey Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 393-7777
Austin Grill
The Bitches say: C+
Alexandria
801 King Street
Alexandria, VA
(703) 684-8969
Bar Pilar
The Bitches say: B+
U Street Corridor
1833 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 265-1751
The Beacon Bar & Grille
The Bitches say: D-
Downtown
1615 Rhode Island Avenue, Northwest
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-2100
Belga Café
The Bitches say: B+
Capitol Hill
514 8th St. S.E.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 544-0100
Birch & Barley
The Bitches say: A+
14th Street Corridor
1337 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 567-2576
Bistro Bistro
The Bitches Say: F-
Dupont
1727 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 328-1640
Bread & Chocolate
The Bitches say: B-
2301 M St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 833-8360
Café Atlantico
The Bitches say: B
Penn Quarter
405 8th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 393-0812
Café Saint-Ex
The Bitches say: B
U Street Corridor
1847 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 265-7839
Cashion’s Eat Place Brunch
The Bitches say: B+
Adams Morgan
1819 Columbia Road N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 797-1819
Cedar
The Bitches say: B
Metro Center
822 E St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 637-0012
The Cereal Bowl
The Bitches say: B
Cleveland Park
3420 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 244-4492
Chef Geoff’s
The Bitches say: B-
Downtown
13th Street, Between E & F St., NW,
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 464-4461
The Chesapeake Room
The Bitches say: B
501 8th St. S.E.
Washington D.C.
(202) 543-1445
CoCo Sala
The Bitches say: A
Metro Center
929 F St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 347-4265
Commonwealth
The Bitches say: B-
Columbia Heights
1400 Irving Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20010
(202) 265-1400
Cuba Libre
The Bitches say: C
Chinatown
801 9th St. NW, Ste A (Corner of 9th & H Streets)
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 535-0040
Darlington House
The Bitches say: C+
Dupont Circle
1610 20th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 332-3722
Eatonville
The Bitches say: B-
U Street Corridor
2121 14th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 332-9672
Estadio
The Bitches say: A
1520 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 319-1404
Evening Star Café
The Bitches say: A
Del Ray
2000 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
(703) 549-5051
Farmers & Fishers
The Bitches say: D
Georgetown Waterfront
3000 K St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 298-0003
Firefly
The Bitches say: B+
Dupont
1310 New Hampshire Ave N.W.
Washington, DC
(202) 861-1310
Georgia Brown’s
Bitches say: Solid A-
Downtown
950 15th Street, NW (between I and K Streets, NW)
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 393-4499
Granville Moore’s
The Bitches say: A
H Street Corridor
1238 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-399-2546
Hank’s Oyster Bar
The Bitches say: A
Dupont Circle
1624 Q St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 462-4265
Jackson 20
The Bitches say: B-
Old Town
480 King St.
Alexandria, V.A.
(703) 650-0317
J&G Steakhouse: Initial review; Fall 2010 brunch menu review
The Bitches say: A
The W Hotel
515 15th St. N.W.
Washington D.C.
(202) 661-2440
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The Bitches say: B+
Foggy Bottom
2700 F St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 416-8555
Matchbox
The Bitches say: C+
Matchbox Capitol Hill
521 8th St. S.E.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 548-0187
Matchbox Chinatown
713 H St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 289-1947
Montmarte
The Bitches say: B+
Eastern Market
327 7th St. S.E.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 544-1244
Kramerbooks
The Bitches say: A
Dupont Circle
1517 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 387-1462
Leopolds Kafe and Konditorei
The Bitches say: A
Georgetown
3315 M St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 965-6005
Levantes
The Bitches say: B-
Dupont Circle
1320 19th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 293-3244
Level One
The Bitches say: B-
Dupont Circle
1639 R St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 745-0025
The Liberty Tavern
The Bitches say: A
Clarendon
3195 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA
(703) 465-9360
The Liberty Tree
Bitches say: B-
H Street Corridor
1016 H Street NE
Washington, D.C. 20002
202.396.TREE
Marvin
The Bitches say: A
U Street Corridor
2007 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009-7562
(202) 797-7171
Masa 14
The Bitches say: A+
U Street Corridor
1825 14th Street Northwest
Washington D.C., DC 20009
(202) 328-1414
Napoleon Bistro & Lounge
The Bitches say: B
Adams Morgan
1847 Columbia Road N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 299-9630
Peacock Café
The Bitches say: A
Georgetown
3251 Prospect St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 625-2740
Pienza Italian Market at the Gaylord Hotel
The Bitches say: C
National Harbor
201 Waterfront St
Fort Washington, DC 20745
(301) 965-4000
Ping Pong Dim Sum
The Bitches say: A-
Chinatown
900 7th St. N.W.
Washington D.C.
(202) 506-3740
Point Chaud Café & Crepes
The Bitches say: A-
Downtown
1736 14th St. N.W.
Washington D.C.
(202) 588-8877
Poste Moderne Brasserie
The Bitches say: B
Chinatown/Penn Quarter
555 8th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 783-6060
POV
The Bitches say: A+
The W Hotel
515 15th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 661-2478
Red Rocks Pizzeria
The Bitches say: Solid B+
Columbia Heights
1036 Park Rd. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 506-1402
Hotel Tabard Inn
The Bitches say: A
Dupont Circle
1739 N St. N.W.
Washington D.C
(202) 331-8528
Tallula
The Bitches say: A
Clarendon
2761 Washington Blvd.
Arlington, V.A.
(703) 778-5051
Tryst
The Bitches say: B+
Adam’s Morgan
2459 18th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 232-5500
Ulah Bistro
The Bitches say: A+
1214 U Street N.W.
Washington, D.C.
(202) 234-0123
Urbana Restaurant & Wine Bar
The Bitches say: B+
Dupont Circle
2121 P St. N.W.
Washington D.C.
(202) 956-6650
Vinoteca
The Bitches say: A-
U Street Corridor
1940 11th St. NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 332-9463
Vacay Brunches
Austin, Texas: Zocalo Café
Asheville, North Carolina: Ello Café
Berlin, Germany: Schwartzes Café
Brooklyn, New York: Enid’s
Chicago, Illinois: Mercadito
Tampa, Florida: Oystercatchers
Las Vegas, Nevada: The Bellagio
Miami, Florida: News Café
Prague, Czech Republic: Cafe Imperial
[...] Most read post: 2010 Best Brunches [...]
This is going to sound like a biiit much, but I feel like your blog has transformed my life. Really. I have been a few BAD, overpriced brunches in DC, and literally spend days agonizing when I want to take guests out to the perfect brunch spot. Yelp just doesn’t cut it. Now that I’ve stumbled upon this blog, I feel empowered to choose the ideal spots for my parents/grandparents/bf’s family/crazy besties from college…on sunny days/hungover mornings and pretty any situation possible.
Please keep up the brunching. Cheers ladies!
POV brunch for 2011 was a major let down. The hours are now from 12pm-3pm, the raw bar and sushi options are now gone.
Hi Lindsey, we are so sorry to hear that. We’ve been hearing reports it’s gone down hill since we reviewed it. Such a shame, we really enjoyed it last summer!
I just found your website this week and I love it! Took the family to Masa 14 after the Army 10 miler this weekend due to your reviews and it was fabulous. My daughter has celiac disease and the chef was able to modify at least half the menu to be gluten free so that she could enjoy it as much as the rest of us.
The only thing I’d say is get there early so that they don’t run out of anything (they were out of the quiche, burger, and masa mimosa).
Thanks, ladies!! Keep up the good work!
[...] wasn’t too crazy about it (she even put it in the dreaded “worst brunch deal” category in the 2010 Best Brunch list). But while those Bitches don’t repeat-brunch often, I figured it was worth a second look after [...]
Hey Bitches – thanks for the great food reviews but because of your reviews on our bathrooms we’ve decided to renovate. Look for it to happen in the next 3 months. (we are currently renovating the upstairs bathroom) In addition we are bringing back DISCO attire on the staff since the heat wave is long over. Look for afros and hoops and bell bottoms and disco balls once again! OH – and a new manager starting next week who will blow you away! Peace and love bitches! Mark Rutstein GM – Level One at COBALT
[...] overall: Last year we gave out five A+; this year, there are four (clearly this statistic means we became more discerning Bitches in [...]
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