Phish Tea Cafe - Calumet-Norvelt

This trendy new cafe/bar/restaurant is a nice addition to the resurrection of H St. NE. Based on the area's reputation, you might not want to venture out there, but it is well worth a visit. This may also explain why I was the only guest on the evening I was there. In addition to various cabaret style events and a Caribbean style restaurant, this venue offers a very pleasant meal for a reasonable price. The atmosphere is cozy (like a tea room). The cabaret is downstairs, though I understand that live music is provided upstairs on some evenings. The young owner is clearly concerned that you are happy with your meal. I had an excellent mango salad to start off with (probably one of the best I've had in a long time). Then on to a typically Caribbean fish curry. My disappointment was that the curry spice itself seems to have been waived over the dish rather than used to make it what one would expect. It was accompanied by some excellent greens and rice--and the price was right. I understand that Brunch is a real occasion. So I might check that out in the near future.

Really, really bad.