Sarah E. Moffett

Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday. But then Café 8 isn’t your everyday restaurant. It’s you’re any day restaurant.

Thursday night I arrived at its doors destitute and hungry. In other words, lawyered-out. Café 8 posted week day hours until 10 p.m. We walked in at 9:30 p.m. They happily seated us by a roaring fireplace in the warm color infused back room and then proceeded to take my worries away with their cigar borek via the chef’s mixed appetizer plate, a Mediterranean Pide, and life changing Baklava that takes years off your heart and adds light to your world.

Somewhere in the midst of my feast, two of the three restaurant partners introduced themselves, asked what we thought, and shared their hopes for the restaurant. One of which personally took us behind the bar to show us his carefully selected ice maker. “I got the one that made the biggest ice cubes I could find, you know, so the drinks stay cold without becoming watered down.” And that’s the kind of attention to detail that let’s someone whom is culinary clueless know that she’s in the right place. Campaign is in the air, but these guys made it feel like talking to neighbors. Neighbors that include restaurateur Tombel’s financial backing, a former Zatinya sous chef, and Café Diva veteran Hamza Celik. The compilation of their efforts is authentic and innovative without being presumptuous and overpriced.

Culinary pedigree aside, Café 8 has one of I Street’s best kept secrets—Francis the Bar Man. His honey infused Athens martini made going to work exceedingly difficult the next day. Or maybe it was that free shot. The point is, the place was warm, inviting, and fun. And entertaining. Ever seen white guys try to move to Indian music? It was like watching twenty and thirty somethings get a vibe from the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack.

8th and I Street is becoming the SE Georgetown with its eclectic array of pubs and restaurants in close proximity to the Nat’s new stadium. It’ll have arrived when its moniker isn’t derivative of its north east predecessor, but with places like Café 8 on the roster, it shouldn’t be long before soon.

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