John L.
Yelp
Misha's opened in Old Town Alexandria in 1991. They have a second location near the water at 6 Prince Street. Misha is the high school nickname of the owner, Michael Von Elmendorf. They sell coffees (hot and cold), teas (hot and cold), hot cocoa, apple cider, Arnold Palmer drink, muffins, bagels, cakes, pies, brownies, quiche, sausage roll, and other food. The variety changes. There are always three varieties of coffee readily available, Caravan (a medium roast), Route 66 (a French roast), and Van Winkle decaf (a French roast). A different special coffee is featured regularly. They have 25 types of coffee beans of single origin, blends, or roasts. They have changed over time. They are displayed in huge glass jars. Any of the coffee can be prepared for you to drink using the "pour over" method or "French press" method. If you want coffee beans, they are priced per pound. The price is on the jar label. They can grind it for you.
This review lists the 23 coffees that my wife and I have tried according to bitterness and overall taste. The coffee bean jars have flavor descriptions on their labels. The single origin coffees have a label on back that has a lot of details about the coffee's origin. My food review follows the coffee review.
LEAST bitter to most bitter. Ranked
from 1 (least) to 4 (most). The order
also shows my preference by flavor.
The top ones are the best tasting.
French roasts are on the next list.
1) Caravan Blend
Earl's Private Stock (decaf)
Columbia El Camilo-Antioquia
Nicaragua Jinotega La Isabelia Honey
Peru Organic
Misha's Daily Blend
2) Sumatra Mandheling Double Picked
Java Estate Kayumas
Brazil Prima Qualita
Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
3) Kenya AA Select+ (citrusy)
Columbia La Candela-Antioquia
Colombia Los Rojas-Huil
Guatemala Antigua Santo Domingo
Tanzania Peaberry Northern Select +A
4) Mexico Organic Chiapas
FRENCH ROASTS
Least bitter to most bitter.
All have a burnt flavor.
1) Fair Trade Organic Honduras Capucas
Route 66 Blend
Van Winkle Blend (decaf)
2) Mocha Java
Costa Rica El Tigre
3) Yemen Mocca Sanani
4) Tanzania Peaberry Northern Select A+
All of their food comes from vendors. They are generally very good. We get the Smith Island cake because they change the flavors often. Variety is the spice of life, my friends! We have tried many flavors here, but I only took pictures of 2. They're so delicious, my wife starts eating it before I can take a picture. Here's the two that I got.
1) Cookies and cream
It had moist chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and oreo cookie frosting, topped with crushed Oreo cookies. Incredibly soft with smooth creamy layers. You can taste a hint of butter in the cream. Overall, it was moderately sweet with a good Oreo flavor throughout. It had 9 layers!
2) Carrot cake
It had 9 layers of moist carrot cake and vanilla buttercream frosting. They use real carrots and pineapple. The cake had a good cinnamon, carrot, nutmeg, and vanilla flavor. It was moderately sweet with a great buttercream. No cream cheese frosting. :( Oh, well. It's very good nonetheless!
Smith Island cake is the official dessert of Maryland. It was designated in 2008 by the Maryland legislature. Smith Island is the last inhabited island in Maryland. Access is by boat only. A ferry ride takes 50 minutes. You can tour the island on foot, by golf cart, or bicycle. It's only 9.18 square miles in size.
The service is always polite and helpful. They are relatively quick. The place is constantly busy like a McDonald's. They have all the reasonable coffee and tea fixings you could need. The dining areas and restrooms are clean. The front dining area is decorated with Harlequin artwork on the walls. It's a cool place to hang out. Love the variety of choices in drinks and food. We haven't had a problem after more than 10 visits. I highly recommend you give them a visit!