Cafe au Lait

Styled by Victoria Corkhill
Photography by Victoria Corkhill

Last week I had a quick meeting at Filter, a local DC coffee shop that might just have the Best Coffee in DC. This kind of statement is controversial, I know. There are many local contenders very nearby, such as the delicious Dolcezza, but they're already known for their amazing gelattos made from locally grown ingredients. When it comes to coffee, Filter is da bomb. Can I still say that? I'm saying it.

Here is why Filter is da bomb:

1. They are a local, small business with 2 locations in DC
2. They have really yummy pastries.
3. All of their coffee is roasted locally by a place called Ceremony in Annapolis, MD

While their beans might not all have the "fair trade" certification, both Filter and Ceremony know exactly where each one came from. Ceremony has a relationship with each grower and usually buys through direct trade instead of going through a middle man. I called to learn more about this, and Andy at Ceremony explained that due to their commitment to finding the best quality beans grown just so, they often pay the farmers prices that are much higher than fair trade standards, and everyone gets a better deal because there are no middle men. A member of Ceremony's staff will visit the farm, sit down to table with the owner, and shake hands in person on a deal. That sounds like a fair trade to me.

Tune in this weekend to see how to get this look fairly. There's still time to wear those summer whites, friends!

P.S. The scarf is from another one of my local faves: Secondi!