Persuaded by the sound of homemade poptarts and adult milkshakes, I ventured into Ted’s Bulletin. Located in the Capitol Hill/Southeast neighborhood in Washington, DC, Ted’s Bulletin was created by two brothers to honor their father, Ted. “You can call me anything, except late to dinner,” was something Ted often said; what a motto! On a recent trip to DC to visit my brother Nathaniel, we went to Ted’s for some breakfast, and of course, a mocha latte.
Taste: 4
If you can’t tell by looking at the photos, this mocha was very sweet! It was actually so sweet I could not finish the mocha, and exchanged sips of my mocha with sips of a regular coffee (with whole milk, no sugar). The 4 rating came primarily from:
1) Lots of steamed milk 2) Matching white cup and saucer 3) It came with a spoon! Much needed. 4) The aesthetic effort.
Appearance: 3
Nice try, Ted’s. I like the distinct separation between the mocha color on the perimeter and the crispness of the white steamed milk center. I can’t remember having seen this before, as most mochas have their milk, espresso, and cocoa evenly distributed on top. It would have looked much better sans chocolate syrup.
Ambiance: 6
Arrived around 830/9am and the place was already busy. Apparently if you get there much later than 9 you have to wait awhile. The only downside to coming in early, and subsequently leaving before 10am, is that you miss out on the adult milkshakes. They begin serving these mid-morning and sadly we didn’t stick around long enough to try one. On the menu during my time at Ted’s there were lots of American classics. We tried some of those homemade poptarts – we tried nutella, blueberry, and cherry I believe. The poptarts were great, but pastries aside, the food was slightly disappointing. The quality was average and the options were very easily recreated at home. The portions are quite large and decently priced; we split two breakfasts amongst four people and ended up taking the poptarts to go because we were so full. The diner atmosphere is a mix of modern and retro. It’s really quite playful with their creative menu and bathroom ideas. They play old movies on a big screen in the back dining room — Lawrence of Arabia was on! It’s a great place for people of all ages, a place for a family breakfast or a lunch with friends. I would not recommend heading to Ted’s for some solo studying time, as it is much too busy and too loud. Next time I’m in DC I think we’ll venture to Eastern Market and then head back here and try an adult milkshake… but I think I’ll pass on another mocha.
Del Mocha Vista 