DC Day 3: Brunch at Co Co. Sala

Amuse of the Day:
chocolate fritter with salted caramel sauce and toasted macadamia nuts

For me, chocolate is not an every-once-in-a-while treat, it’s a daily necessity. I don’t need a lot of it, just a little nibble will do the trick, but it really is something I feel like I must have pretty much every day. Last week I tried to see how long I could go without a piece. I made it a whopping 36 hours.

So when Vivek, who used to live in D.C., suggested Co Co. Sala to me, it only took me reading the description “chocolate lounge specializing in desserts, coffee, pastries, gelato” for it to get added to the trip itinerary. Once I had a chance to look over the website more thoroughly and discovered the interesting brunch menu, I knew it was meant to be. While we already had a couple of fantastic dinners planned, we didn’t yet have a Sunday brunch spot. Done.

 

Aztec Cheese Enchilada
cheese enchilada, guava sauce, avocado, chipotle chocolate ganache, jalapeno jack cheese, shaved fennel and mache salad  with guava lime vinaigrette

Kandace and I decided to go all out and do the prix fixe menu option with three courses: an amuse, an entree, and a dessert. In addition we also added a side of chocolate bacon. I mean, really, how could we resist?

The meal started out with a bang as we cut into our fritters, and like a molten lava cake, warm chocolate poured out. Mixed with the rich salted caramel sauce, this luscious bite got me excited for what was still to come.

 

Breakfast Flatbread
cheddar hash browns, chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, roasted tomato, hollandaise sauce, pesto flatbread

While the enchilada I chose was insanely delicious, I’d say that Kandace won the ordering contest (not that we we actually having a competition). Her breakfast flatbread wasn’t just bursting with gorgeous colors, the flavors were lively and intense as well.  Thankfully the portion was also quite large, so she was happy to share with me.

 

PB Cheesecake
peanut butter cheesecake, milk chocolate ganache and peanut brittle crunch

To close out the meal, I chose the peanut butter cheesecake, a rich confection topped with chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of peanut brittle that gave it some nice texture. As is typical of me, my eyes were bigger than my belly and I was only able to eat about half of it.

Well, perhaps my reaching across the table a few times to steal bites of my companion’s dessert had a little something to do with that ….

 

Onyx
dark chocolate mousse, vanilla creme brulee, salted caramel, brownie and chocolate crispy pearls

Kandace was definitely winning on this one too. I had to take a picture of the interior once we’d started to devour it so you could see the layers of mousse, creme brulee, salted caramel and brownie. Pure genius to combine all of those divine treats together, and definitely one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long, long, long time.

 

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

But the star of the entire experience? The salted caramel hot chocolate. There is no way that I can adequately describe the look on Kandace’s face when she took her first sip of this hot chocolate. It makes me chuckle as I think of it now. That was some intense pleasure, and rightly so. This cup of heavenly liquid will forever be etched in our memories, making for a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend in  D.C.!

 

Co Co. Sala
929 F Street Northwest
Washington D.C., DC 20004-1405
(202) 347-4265

 

Interested in D.C. restaurants? Be sure to check out these posts too:

The Passenger and Rasika
Dinner at Zaytinya