I've posted about this before and this is a great event. Neighbors coming together over brunch and mochas to have an engaging and respectful dialogue on things important to our community.  There are a lot of ideas, perspectives and solutions. Come on down to Big Chair Coffee n' Grill this Saturday.  All are welcome - even if you don't live EotR.

Let's talk!

Go HERE to RSVP and invite friends on  Facebook.

Big "Kudos" to Kelsi B. for suggesting this great idea and putting it together!

Please join us. All are welcome!


Second Saturdays: Solutions
Saturday, April 10, 2010
10 am - 12 noon
Big Chair Coffee (2122 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE)

Topic: What do you do to help the children in Wards 7 & 8 become responsible and productive young adults?

Moderator: Antonio, Ward 8 resident

Why you should attend: To remark on the good occurring in Wards 7/8; To seek and share solutions that improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods; To support a local business; To meet a new neighbor.

Here's what other in the city are saying about Big Chair Coffee -
http://kayleighokeefe.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/adventures-in-anacostia-big-chair-coffee-grill/

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Kayleigh O'Keefe
Big Chair Coffee & Grill
2122 MLK Ave SE

The name Big Chair pays homage to the giant aluminum (originally African mahogany) chair that sits (pun intended) across the street. First built in 1959 and 19.5 feet high by Bassett Furniture Industries of Virginia, the chair is one of the area’s most notable landmarks.

Inside the shop, I fell in love with, well, the chairs! Layout, seating, ambiance—these are key components to a positive dining experience. The cozy, yet high-ceiling downstairs area boasted seating for any occasion:

A long counter top with ample seating and a view of the satellite TV, grill, and coffee machines. (Perhaps criticized for only tuning into CNN in an earlier review, Russia Today instead came through on the satellite TV.)

2 and 4-person tables to linger over lunch and lattes

High tables for a quick sip of coffee on the way to work

And upstairs, guests have the option to lounge on a big couch or dine at tables, all surrounded by painting and pictures created by local artists.

Don’t think I am dwelling on the “Big Chair” part of the name to avoid talking about the “Coffee and Grill” part. I ordered a large coffee and a veggie burger served with seasoned fries. That’s brunch for you! The coffee was smooth and stayed warm for an hour (Starbuck’s cups, take the hint!) I admired the uncommon shape of the cream dispensers as I added half-and-half, but no sugar, thank you. The veggie burger was unreal. It tasted like sweet potato tempura, and I only paused from eating it to savor the sizzling seasoned fries. Coffee, a veggie burger, and fries an uncommon combination? Sure, but at Big Chair Coffee & Grill, the perfect combination.

Big Chair Coffee & Grill reminds me a lot of my favorite Northeast haunt, Sidamo. Ethiopian families own both coffeehouses, so it’s no surprise that both places share familial warmth and good coffee imported from their homeland. At Sidamo young couples happily handover their infant children to the staff to hold and play with. A neighborhood man and his fat cat visit regularly; pictures of them in the store hang on the walls.

At Big Chair, Dave, one of the owners, invited us to come back and have a cup of coffee on the house. “Not bad.” Let me know if you’d like to join me next weekend to take him up on the offer!



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