The streets of Northwest Washington are infested with chic and (very) expensive cafés. It's hard to find a cup of coffee under $3, let alone a place that's not too noisy while you're drinking expensive coffee.
Enter Bardia's New Orleans Café. This small gem of a restaurant in Adams Morgan provides a mellowness that is rare in a city fond of food trends. Though not strictly influenced by the French Quarter, the New Orleans-based cuisine is good enough to put the little café on "DCist's Favorite Breakfasts" list and garner four out of five forks in Washington City Paper's Restaurant Raters.
Imagine relaxing by a huge window at the front of a small restaurant, watching the bustle of 18th Street while sipping coffee. Few people pass through Bardia's doors during the day, making it a relaxing place for conversation or listening to old-school Billie Holiday or Frank Sinatra while eating jambalaya.
The menu is relatively small but consists of cheap, simple food that is perfect for a unique dining experience. Share a large plate of humbly spicy jambalaya - made with your choice of shrimp, chicken or French sausage - with a friend for $15. Enjoy a hearty po'boy sandwich that's sure to fill the gut for around $7. For breakfast, try the red bean and andouille sausage omelet, a delicacy that DCist calls "the best savory breakfast in town." Weekly specials include a hefty plateful of sweet potato fries sprinkled with Cajun spices and served with homemade mustard that will leave you screaming "wasabi." Don't leave Bardia's without trying his fresh beignets topped with powered sugar after a good meal.
Rarely does the owner of an establishment engage his or her customers, but Bardia Ferdousi makes it an art form. When not organizing the wine collection behind the counter, Bardia glides around the café settling customers into his world of Cajun dining. His helpfulness and quick service adds a warm touch to an already mellow place to eat.
Bardia's New Orleans Café is located on 18th Street in Adams Morgan. The closest Metrorail station is Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan on the red line.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com
