Dining Al Fresco in December

Sunday, December 22, 2013 – Dining Al Fresco in December

Like many in the mid-Atlantic region, I’m taking advantage of this unusual spell of warm weather.  We just reached the winter solstice, and the temperature yesterday was around 70 degrees!  Today was even warmer, and muggy like summertime.  And just when I was getting used to frizz-free hair.  I mustn’t complain, though.  Spring-like weather in December is a gift to be savored. 

On Saturday, I met up with my friend Michelle at the National Gallery.  After viewing a couple of exhibits, we sat outside in the sunshine at the Sculpture Garden Pavilion and sipped cappucino.  The printmaking show we saw featured the work produced at Crown Point Press by several contemporary artists.  The photography exhibit was devoted to the work of a single artist, Charles Marville, whose name was unknown to me until I read a review of the show.  Marville photographed Paris from the 1850s through 1870s, and captured the transformation of the city under the direction of Baron Haussmann during the Second Empire.  If you live in the New York City area, you will have a chance to see this fascinating show when it comes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in late January.  

at the Pavilion Cafe at the Sculpture Garden

 On Sunday, the sun was hiding behind a thick layer of clouds, but the morning temperature was already in the 70s.  Once again, I headed into the District, this time with my friend Cindy.  We started with a Mediterranean lunch at Agora:  warm pida bread, htipiti (a mixure of roasted red peppers, feta, thyme and olive oil), arugula salad, dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, tomatoes, and herbs), borulce fasulye (black-eyed peas, Swiss chard, olive oil, lemon juice, and crispy fried shallots), pistachio baklava, and Turkish tea.  Sitting at an outside table made our selection of mezze especially delicious.  

A selection of mezze at Agora

Agora's pistachio baklava

From Agora, it was just a short stroll over to Theatre J (at the DCJCC) for a performance of a new play called Our Suburb.  Inspired by Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, this drama is set in the Chicago suburb of Skokie in 1977.  The concept was interesting, and the play was extremely well-performed.  I know Elliott would have enjoyed the show, but he wisely chose to stay at home and take it easy. 

Alas, it seems that our brief escape from the reality of winter is coming to an end tomorrow.  But it was wonderful while it lasted.