Logan Circle’s spot for coffee, cocktails, fancy toast, and camping out with your laptop is expanding. After two years in business, the married co-owners behind Slipstream, Ryan Fleming and Miranda Mirabella, are bringing their concept to the ORE 82 apartment building (82 I St. SE) in southeast D.C. Fleming says they were approached with at least eight other opportunities, but ultimately decided on a quieter section of Navy Yard away from the hustle.
“We were looking for a spot that wanted us as much as we wanted them,” Fleming says. “It’s a cool opportunity because they’re creating this community from scratch, so the ability to be there from the inception point of this neighborhood is really cool.”
Fleming cautions that this second Slipstream location scheduled to open in Spring 2017 is not the start of a major expansion. “We want to be a place where we are a part of the community. We don’t want to have 10 locations in D.C. and be on every corner. Maybe two or three at most.”
Before the second location opens, Fleming says he’d like to get service in top form. It’s been a challenge, only because of the various way the space is used. “We want to focus on coffee, cocktails, and food,” he says. “Doing all of those things requires different types of service at different parts of the day and learning how to do that is kind of a challenge. That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
Current Chef Sarah Cotton will oversee the kitchen (best known for its avocado toast) at both locations. She found her way to the culinary scene in a non-traditional way. While working in an administrative role in Georgetown, Cotton was dating a Slipstream barista. Soon enough, she was helping out on the line at brunch, and her baking prowess was quickly discovered. She started as the pastry chef and worked her way up to the head chef gig.
Fleming says he admires her passion and the scientific way she goes about things in the kitchen. “She’ll make a dozen versions of something and continue to tweak it,” he says. Cotton’s currently working on adding more entrees to the dinner menu.
Expect the new Slipstream to have a similar light and bright feel. The design is in the hands of 3877, whose work you’ve seen at Momofuku CCDC, Glen’s Garden Market in The Shay, and 3 Stars Brewing Company. The space will be slightly smaller, with about 45 seats.