Review - Little Fountain Cafe

It's often the best restaurants that hook you even before the first course is served. In the case of Little Fountain Cafe in Adams Morgan, I was hooked even before I took my coat off.



Little Fountain is towards the end of the Adams Morgan strip, and unless you're looking for it, you won't see it (honestly, even if you are looking for it it's still a bit hidden). Walking downstairs into the small dining room is like taking a step out of Washington DC and into (insert small town here). If you were simply implant me into the dining room and ask me where I was, I'd guess Homestead, Florida or Northampton, Mass before I'd get DC.

I can't tell you why this is so important, or why this made such an impression on me - maybe the cold weather brings out some sort of small town sentiment in me, but everything about the atmosphere screamed comfortable.

Luckily, the food, while not perfect, is good enough to complete the experience.

I started off with a potato and leek soup that, other than being a bit too peppery, was a great addition to the menu on a cold and rainy night.

I followed that up with a nice light salad with mixed greens, goat cheese, walnuts and beets. I don't know why, but beets are my new favorite thing - and this is probably one of the best uses of them I've had - it was so simple, but also so good.

My dining partners also had an overall positive experience. Steve's roasted chicken was cooked perfectly, but Agatha's vegetable lasagna left a little to be desired (Ags wasn't a big fan of the noodles - feeling they were a bit too thickly cut).

Leaving Little Fountain and walking up onto 18th St. was like waking up from a nice pleasant dream and realizing it was just that. Luckily, unlike most dreams, I know how to get there again.