Tyber Creek changes it’s menu seasonally which makes it even more appealing. Change is good. Here’s a guide as to how to eat at Tyber Creek:

Step #1:

Start your evening off with a glass of bubbles (cava, preferably) and a bevy of appetizers. The tomato and halloumi salad is a riff on the usual tomato and mozzarella salad, and the halloumi adds a great chewy, salty element. Zucchini bread is dense and heavy, perfect for soaking up all the cava. Artichokes with a creamy dipping sauce were my favorite dish of the evening – why don’t more restaurants serve artichoke? Tearing off the leaves, dunking them in the sauce, and eating the fleshy artichoke hearts is fun and addictive.

Step #2:

Get a glass of Tyber Creek’s fragrant, refreshing French rosé on tap and order another course. The tomato and burrata flatbread, bejeweled with squash blossoms and herbs, is delicious, and the bibb lettuce salad, with avocado, radishes, and curry tofu, tossed in an earthy and creamy green goddess dressing is one of the best salads I have had in the city. And that comes from the girl who usually turns her nose up at salads. But this salad has all the elements of success: it’s meaty and satisfying from the avocado and tofu, and the dressing has a bold, robust flavor and texture.

Step #3:

Switch things up and get a red wine to have with your entrée at Tyber Creek. I loved the vegetarian entrée, lentil and quinoa stuffed poblano peppers, which is a REAL vegetarian entrée i.e. it’s not a salad, risotto or portobello mushroom. It’s actually super filling, so you may actually want to share. The peppers are smoky, the lentils are earthy, and the quinoa is nutty. The peppers come swimming in a pool of tomato sauce and topped with avocado crema and queso fresco.

Step #4:

I am a sucker for sweets. But I think anyone would agree that this dessert is one the main reasons to dine at Tyber Creek. Get another glass of bubbles and order their skillet cobbler or chocolate mousse.

The Verdict: Tyber Creek has all the food and all the wine, all day long.

Tyber Creek, 84 T St NW, Washington, DC; Website 

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The Scene:  As you enter the space, with its grapevines intertwining in the patio, you can immediately see this place is an oasis in the middle of the city.  Even in a hot muggy day,  you can catch people sitting on the patio catching up over coffees or beers. During the day, the cafe is filled with creatives typing away on the laptops and neighborhood folks coming in and out for coffee. However, there’s a time when the laptops are stowed, the baristas slow down, and food takes center stage:  dinner service.

The Food:  My breakfast favorite is a savory everything bagel with lox and cream cheese.  Their lunch menu changes often.  My favorite, the pastrami is no longer on the menu, but their grilled cheese is just as delicious.  This is the part of Big Bear Cafe that everybody knows.  That being said, I am going to move on to share our recent dinner experience there.

Although I lived around the corner of Big Bear Cafe for over two years and had countless bagels and sandwiches, I never tried their dinner menu.  It took to move a few neighborhoods over to try it.  The kitchen at the cafe is tiny and the daily, date stamped menu has limited items, which truly reflects the vision of using locally sourced products (I once spotted the chef at the farmer’s market buying the greens for the restaurant).

We started with soft shell crab and mussels, two of my favorite seafood items. The soft shell crab was the perfect consistency as you bit into the juicy and salty legs.  The mussels were large and plum and perfect with the accompanying bread.  The dishes were deliciously simple, devoid of any crazy garnishes or presentations.  The main courses were the stars of the dinner: a beautifully juicy pork chop sitting on top of potato puree, mushrooms, and asparagus.  The Dutchman raved about his free range chicken served with fresh sauteed greens and rice.

The verdict:  I believe Big Bear Cafe deliberately does not serve dessert because the main dishes speak for themselves.  All you need to conclude your evening is a nice macchiatto or an espresso and take a stroll on First Street to indulge in real estate porn.  As any special place, one has to share it with the masses.  The dinner service provides a more intimate setting for a date night or a catch up session with friends.  Whether you’re visiting DC or a local, this is a must-eat spot. Have you been to Big Bear Cafe? What’s your favorite time of the day to go? Tip: make reservations for dinner, you can do it via Open Table.

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