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Folger Library’s New Quill & Crumb a CapHill Community HotSpot

The Folger Shakespeare Library’s Great Hall has recently completed its transformation from an exhibition space to a public gathering place.

The Hall is now home to the new Folger café, Quill & Crumb, which not only offers lunch, baked goods, grab-and-go options, and more but is the newest go-to community hangout of the Capitol Hill set.

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Image courtesy: Folger Shakespeare Library

The tall plaster strapwork ceiling and oak-paneled walls remain, and you’ll still find the coat of arms of Elizabeth I (Shakespeare’s queen) at the east end, but light now streams through the massive windows. Yes, the once moody den is now a bright space for dining and socializing right in the heart of the neighborhood.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer Quill & Crumb to guests of the Folger and to our neighbors on Capitol Hill as a place for good food and conviviality,” said Folger Director Farah Karim-Cooper. “We hope the café invites visitors to linger and encourages our community to gather at the Folger.”

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Image courtesy: Folger Shakespeare Library

And gather they are! From Hill staffers popping over for lunch, to students huddling over baked goods and snacks and friends catching up over savory bites with coffee and tea. There are bar offerings, too: beer, wine, local cider, and assorted seasonal cocktails. And Quill & Crumb is open to the public, so no timed-entry passes or event tickets are needed to visit the café.

“The café has been the missing piece in the story of the new Folger experience,” explained Chief Financial Officer Ruth Taylor Kidd, who oversaw the project of transforming Folger’s Great Hall. “Since we reopened the building in June, people have congregated in the Great Hall to work or meet with friends. We love seeing this, and we know the café will enhance how we welcome people to spend time at the Folger.”

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Image courtesy: Folger Shakespeare Library

Quill & Crumb keeps the same hours as the rest of the Folger Shakespeare Library, open on Tuesday-Sunday beginning at 11:00am. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, the café closes at 6pm. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday it stays open until 9pm. On evenings when there are performances in the theatre, the café stays open through intermission.

Among the menu items to try are these K Street Mag standouts:

  • English Waldorf Salad featuring gem lettuce, celery, candied walnuts, Honeycrisp apple, and Stilton with shallot vinaigrette
  • Salmon Gravlax on toasted brioche with herbed chèvre, cucumber, radish
  • A Shareable Personal Picnic with local cheese, Brightwood Bee Ranch honey, fresh berries, candied pecans, and a baguette
  • Pastries like Lavender Blackberry Financiers and Pain Au Chocolat
  • Custom Espresso Drinks featuring house-made syrups, including “Ophelia’s Bloom” – espresso with elderflower & lavender syrup and pistachio milk
  • Cadbury Hot Cocoa

Did you know? The Quill & Crumb was the name with the most votes in a crowdsourced effort to brand the café.