Quantum of Solace and Locolat

I’m amazed at who saw the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, as soon as it came out. It’s hard to believe I myself went to see this movie last week because the last movie I saw was Ironman (June 2008) for my cousin-in-law’s birthday. For the last couple of months since, I’ve been an avid Redbox renter, watching flicks as soon as they come out on DVD. However, maybe I was compelled to watch this movie based on the good reviews and the fact that my husband wanted to watch an action flick to take his mind off his work for a couple of hours.

Upon returning to work on Monday, I was pleasantly surprised that two of my female co-workers had also viewed the movie as soon as it was released and had very strong feedback on the plot, the action and the characters. We all liked the movie but thought it could have been improved in various ways, by incorporating more cutting-edge technology used by Bond, deeper portrayal of Bond’s inner turmoil, more sophisticated (as opposed to brutal) fighting scenes, more car chases with more expensive cars, and a villain that we love to hate (this one was alittle too likable for our taste). All of this conversation going on while we’re eating delicious desserts and sipping European coffee at Locolat, a gourmet dessert cafe in the Adam’s Morgan/Dupont area. Locolat also serves light sandwiches and quiches in case folks are looking for a more substantive meal.

Opened for months now, Locolat is owned by a young couple with the most adorable baby girl. The husband makes all the decadent desserts, ranging from mousses, truffles, cakes, among various other desserts. His wife and the baby usually interfaces with the customers up front by the cash register. They all make a charming team, very warm and inviting. At least I always feel welcomed everytime I drop by the shop.

In the past few months, I’ve tried the decaf caffe latte and the tropical iced tea. The latte is always full of flavor and pairs perfectly with a sweet pastry or dessert, which for me is always something chocolate-y, such as a cholocate chip muffin or a chocolate mousse cake. The last time I stopped by, I sampled the chocolate chip waffle which was not at all like any waffle I’ve ever tried. This one was alittle dry with a thicker consistency. Very different, indeed. I can’t say that I liked it better than the usual buttermilk waffles that I’m used to as this was the first time I’ve tried the liege-style waffle. I think I’ll stick to the other Locolat desserts in the future though.

Georgetown Cupcakes * Georgetown

Taken from my blog entry on typepad:

Mmmm, the smell right outside Georgetown Cupcake (georgetowncupcake.com, 1209 Potomac St NW) tempts anyone passing by to stop in and have a look. Cupcakes galore are on display but are not usually for purchase. They’re just for the customer’s delight and thrown out daily; new cupcakes are made fresh daily. The ones for purchase are usually out back.

The cupcake flavors for the day are listed on a board making it easier to order the one you want. It’s definitely a tough decision having to choose from so many flavors especially with them prettily on display not too far away which was why I ended up buying a half dozen cupcakes (lemon blossom, 2 vanillas, chocolate^3, chocolate ganache, and lava fudge) some of which I happily shared. The cute pink boxes that the cupcakes come in only enhances my attraction to Georgetown Cupcake. It’s such cute packaging that you almost don’t want to put it in a paper handle bag to carry out (and in fact, several people don’t get bags).

Now for the best part, the tasting! The buttercream flavors on several of the cupcakes are to-die-for and extremely decadent. Some of the cupcakes are moist (such as the chocolate) and others (the vanilla and lemon blossom) are so-so. However, you really can’t go wrong with any cupcake you go with because of the buttercream or topping is oh-so-delicious. I highly recommend this shop for cakelovers or cupcakelovers out there. Try it out.