I was in the mood for a good bagel sandwich, and I knew exactly where I could it: Buffalo & Bergen, located in Union Market. Buffalo & Bergen opened in 2012 by Gina Chersevani (of PS7 and Hank’s Oyster Bar). Named after two streets in Brooklyn where her mother grew up, this spot is inspired by old timey soda shops. Egg creams, homemade fountain sodas and malts are included on the drink menu, while the food menu has bagels, sandwiches and knishes.

Since I did not want to deal with the guilt that occasionally follows my carb-binge eating sessions, I figured I should squeeze in a long run beforehand. So on a beautiful Saturday morning, after 11 hours of sleep (credit goes partly to the extremely strong dirty martini from Poste), I headed for a pre-bagel workout. Ten minutes into my run, I realized that “beautiful” Saturday morning means one thing when I am looking out of my window at the sun from my bed, and it has a whole different meaning when I am running up the steep 13th street hill in 90 degree, humid weather. By the end, I was so sweaty that bugs were literally drowning as soon as they hit my sticky skin. It was definitely time to replenish my body with some nourishment. I met up with my friend/ex-bf, Ben, outside of Union Market and despite the crowds, managed to snag two seats at the counter of Buffalo & Bergen.

Ben loves a basic breakfast sandwich, so he ordered bacon, egg and American cheese on a wheat everything bagel. I was absolute starving, and went with smoked salmon, egg, onions, capers and avocado on a wheat everything bagel. Look at this beauty:

This massive sandwich along with coffee (free refills at the bar) was exactly what I needed. The smokey salmon and creamy avocado make a great combination with the perfectly cooked eggs, sharp onions and tangy capers. The bagels here are a little on the denser, but I didn’t mind the chewiness since it held up well despite the heavy sandwich toppings. It was a great way to reward myself after a long run, and I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for a satisfying load of carbs. While we were sitting, we noticed a few people ordering the Lox’d & Loaded, a spicy Bloody Mary topped with a fresh-baked bagel and smoked salmon. It looked absolutely amazing, but I had hit my carb limit for the meal and wanted enough space in my belly for some ice cream. Unfortunately, the line for Trickling Springs stretched all the way around the corner of Union Market so we decided to skip the sweets (for now). After catching up with a few friends drinking outside at Surburbia, Ben and I decided to continue our daytime activities at the 3 Stars Brewery.

While I love 3 Stars beer, I had never been to the brewery. Since Ben currently can’t drink, he offered to be my responsible DD, which he probably immediately regretted as I blasted Carly Rae Jepsen the entire drive to Takoma Park. 3 Stars first started in 2009 as a homebrewing operation from Dave Coleman and Mike McGarvey, and it is amazing to see how far they have come today. The Takoma Park brewery opened in 2012, and has expanded production by an insane amount since then. We got to the brewery, located in an industrial brick building, around 3pm and found it relatively crowded. After some samples in the tasting room, I ordered the Citra & Lemon Peel Saison from the main bar. This light, summery beer is so refreshing and has just the perfect hint of tartness. Although it is inside, there is no AC in the brewery, so I continued to sweat an incredibly inappropriate amount which I think led to a quicker buzz. My chaperone drove us know back to Union Market, where we both inhaled some Trickling Springs soft serve and I decided to invite myself back to Ben’s place because I just didn’t want to deal with my post-break-up blues just yet and there is a certain comfort in spending time with someone who has seen you at your worst and still laughs at your jokes.

So we spent some time of his roof which has probably the best view of 14th street, and I felt so grateful to have a friend in my life who I spend a consecutive 12 hours with, even if I still smell like smoked salmon and my face is bright red from booze (thanks Asian glow).