Cosi

[Swankalicious]

What is the allure of this place?

I made the mistake of ordering a sandwich there. Not only was the bread stale and freezing cold, the service was abhorrent.

I was wearing a baggy shirt, and the guy behind the counter asked me when my baby was due!

I'm not pregnant.

Needless to say, I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.

[DonRocks]

All women are like that. (*)

The allure of places such as this always rests with a great individual, in this case, Mark Kitting.

(*) Cosi fan tutte.

[JPW]

What is the allure of this place?

1) It's not Starbucks

2) The sandwiches that I've had there have always been acceptable. YOu can't get anything at that other coffee chain beyond scones that are more appropriate for use as door stops.

3) It's not Starbucks

4) If you go at night you can get a drink

5) It's not Starbucks

6) I think that their coffee is better than that other coffee shop.

7) It's not Starbucks

8) They don't try to shill all of their overpriced mugs/CDs/ other crap like that other coffee shop

And have I mentioned that it's appealing because it isn't Starbucks?

[DCMark]

Their Squalgels are excellent.

Their Barista in Dupont speaks French.

They are not Starbucks.

[babka]

free hot "bread."

Edited June 15, 2004 by babka (log)

[squids]

...and salads made-to-order.

[pastramionrye]

the sandwiches are overpriced garbage and i would never order anything called a squagle (even if daniel boulud or thomas keller was serving it to me)...

[JPW]

the sandwiches are overpriced garbage and i would never order anything called a squagle (even if daniel boulud or thomas keller was serving it to me)...

overpriced I will indeed give you.

Garbage? As opposed to what? McD's?

I don't eat Cosi too often, but in a pinch it'll do.

Did I mention that it is not Starbucks?

[morela]

I think Rico, the Border Collie, would be a better barista than they ones at the Cosi on 15th and K. I mean, dogs wag their tails and aim to please. That bread, which I used to like, has been tainted by the bad service. It smells just like Subway's now...

[Tweaked]

Their "Tandoori Chicken" sandwich with roasted red peppers and the vinegrette is pretty good. And I like the oatmeal raisin cookies...and when taken to Dupont Circle it makes for a plesent lunch.

But I agree, about a year or so ago, I noticed a drop in the quality of their sandwiches...just seemed like things were being made with less care and less quality ingredients.

[akur23]

The smores thing is also good (if shared, once I did try to eat it all myself)

and, nobody has mentioned yet that it is not Starbucks.

[phaelon56]

I love the bread when it's fresh baked and still warm with that sheen of oil and a bit of coarse salt on it. I never found the sandwiches to be revolting but IMHO grossly overpriced. Coffee and espresso I do know - their coffee tends to be better than Starbucks and their espresso drinks about the same or not quite as good. It's not high praise but it's still better than average, especially for a chain.

The fact that one can go in the evening and some folks may order drinks while others get okay coffee drinks (espresso drinks better than any typical restaurant or bar serves) is very cool. I"m surprised that hasn't caught on in more places outside of the big cities as there is definitely a market for it. Some of us got all our drinking done in the first half of our lives but have friends who still imbibe - nice to have a place we can go to together.

Haven't tried the 'smores but it's a cool idea and fun to watch. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Cosi's locations vary widly in terms of consistency.

[Swankalicious]

But the point is, servers shouldn't go around asking customers if they're pregnant!

[DonRocks]

But the point is, servers shouldn't go around asking customers if they're pregnant!

He didn't.

Cosi is Italian, so was the server. He was simply trying to lend an air of authenticity to the moment.

"Prego," he said.

[JPW]

But the point is, servers shouldn't go around asking customers if they're pregnant!

Agree with you.

But I get it the other way. Whenever Mrs JPW asks about verboten ingredients in food, people look at her and exclaim "But you can't be pregnant!!!!"

Next time I think we may have to pull out the sonogram. And then proceed to use it to inflict a dozen or so very nasty paper cuts on their fingers before stuffing their hands into a vat of tomato sauce!

Simple solution is to tell the manager.

[morela]

The important thing is that we know Cosi cares about us and our little ones. They're looking out for the children at Cosi, they really are...

Edited June 15, 2004 by morela (log)

[tommy]

But the point is, servers shouldn't go around asking customers if they're pregnant! 

no one should. but people do. this one just happened to be working at Cosi.

the cosi bread always seemed stale to me. i stopped going after the initial novelty wore off.

Edited June 15, 2004 by tommy (log)

[eunny jang]

I used to really like Xando for coffee and studying at night, but am pretty meh about Cosi. Their sandwiches are outrageously priced, and everything on the little line always seems to be held at a temperature that approaches absolute zero. And the chairs where there's outdoor seating are really uncomfortable.

The coffee is still decent though.

[Minister of Drink]

I think Rico, the Border Collie, would be a better barista than they ones at the Cosi on 15th and K. I mean, dogs wag their tails and aim to please. That bread, which I used to like, has been tainted by the bad service. It smells just like Subway's now...

I know my Border Collie would!!!!

[sextons]

I tried to eat at Cosi once (only get to DC every couple of months and usually go to the same places ... ) but I was so put off by the hostess we left. As we had never been there when we walked in it looked like an order-at-the-counter kind of joint. So we slowly started towards the counter when this woman runs up, swings her host stand around to block our route, and points to the sign hanging off of it "Please Wait to Be Seated." As I said, she swung the stand around, so it hadn't been at an angle for us to see the sign or note that it was indeed a hostess stand. I had scanned the menu outside and it just didn't seem worth it after that incident ....

[jhlurie]

We've had a few reactions to Cosi in other regions:

New Jersey.

Illinois.

I think the consensus is that they are a rip-off, in all regions.

[phaelon56]

But the point is, servers shouldn't go around asking customers if they're pregnant! 

He didn't.

Cosi is Italian, so was the server. He was simply trying to lend an air of authenticity to the moment.

"Prego," he said.

Next time I think we may have to pull out the sonogram. And then proceed to use it to inflict a dozen or so very nasty paper cuts on their fingers before stuffing their hands into a vat of tomato sauce!

Let's give the poor guy the benfit of the doubt (not!) When he said "Prego" it was most likely in response to brand of tomato sauce contained in the aforementioned vat (not!).

[dcfoodie]

Where else are you gonna get a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, as good as you can get here, as quick as you can here? I'm not saying it is the best you can get anywhere, but given the choice between Micky D's and Cosi, I choose Cosi.

Plus - Smores. They're awesome!

[DonRocks]

Where else are you gonna get a tomato and mozzarella sandwich, as good as you can get here, as quick as you can here?

Breadline (a sin to mention in the same post as Cosi)

Marcella's (Chevy Chase)

Woodmoor Deli (Four Corners)

Dean & DeLuca

There must surely be fifty others, but these four came to mind in the blink of an eye.

[jmc8y]

i think it's pretty overpriced.