The Last Weekend (of 2013)

Sunday, December 29, 2013 – The Last Weekend (of 2013)

The last weekend of the year was filled with a variety of activities.  To take advantage of Saturday’s sunshine and pleasant (50s) temperatures, my friend Cheri and I went for a long, long walk up 14^th Street in Northwest DC, from 14^th and I (Eye), through the Logan Circle neighborhood, all the way up past W Street and back to the McPherson Metro station.  We walked a couple of miles, but we weren’t walking solely for exercise.  We chose this particular route because 14^th Street currently boasts a tremendous concentration of interesting shops and exciting new restaurants.  Soon after we exited from the Metro at McPherson station, we noticed the crepe makers busy at work through the windows of Point Chaud.  But we decided to postpone snacking, knowing that the majority of eating establishments could be found north of Thomas Circle. 

Sure enough, as soon as we crossed P Street, we spotted Estadio, a Spanish restaurant featuring the cuisine of the Basque and Catalan regions.  It was only 11:30 in the morning, but Cheri hadn’t eaten any breakfast.  That was a good enough excuse to go inside for a mini-brunch:  an egg tortilla with jamon, green beans, alioli and Mahon cheese (from the island of Minorca); and seared sablefish filet over exquisitely seasoned lentils and Catalan greens with currants and pine nuts.  The portions were perfectly sized for tasting, while leaving room for another snack or two later in the day.   

Estadio on 14th Street

Sablefish at Estadio

 Afterwards, we browsed in clothing consignments shops and stores selling high-end contemporary furnishings.  Of course, we couldn’t walk past Miss Pixie’s without going inside to wander through their quirky collection of second-hand furniture, housewares, and bric-a-brac.  I nearly bought a lovely silver serving fork, but self-restraint prevailed.  

  

Unfortunately, our appetites hadn’t recovered enough to eat again when we reached Pearl Dive Oyster Palace or Rice (a Thai restaurant.  In fact, we weren’t even hungry when we got all the way up past W Street.  I was hoping to try a sandwich at G by Mike Isabella (of Iron Chef fame).  All of those establishments will have to wait for another day. 

We took a slight detour down U Street, so I could get a look at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a DC landmark.  Their famous half-smokes didn’t tempt me, but I wouldn’t mind going back some other time to sample their veggie burger and to say I’ve eaten at Ben’s.  

The famous Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street

 The strong midday sunshine and some more shopping helped us develop a thirst, if not a major hunger, as we were walking back down 14^th Street.   It just so happened that we were approaching Le Diplomate, at the corner of 14^th and Q.  Le Diplomate is a French restaurant and, according to Washingtonian magazine, “the hottest new restaurant of the year.”  I certainly wasn’t planning to eat there on Saturday.  Reservations are difficult to get, and I wasn’t in the market for an expensive meal.  But we noticed people sitting at outside tables and, on impulse, decided to see if we could just get coffee.  We ended up sitting outdoors at a small café table, sharing a demi-carafe of red wine, a platter of three French cheeses (Valencay, Brillat Savarin, and Fourme d’ambert) and some of the best bread I’ve ever eaten.  We stayed until the sun dipped low and shadows crept across our table before resuming our walk back to the Metro. 

Enjoying wine and cheese at Le Diplomate

 Sunday started with heavy rain, but at least there was no snow.  Elliott has been researching stoves that burn wood pellets and we went to a fireplace shop to look at a few models.  Since he was feeling good, he also joined me for an afternoon at the movies.  We saw Saving Mr. Banks, with Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks.  The film recounts Walt Disney’s efforts to turn the Mary Poppins book into a movie.  It was sweet, loving, beautifully acted – and ever since we got back home, we’ve been singing “Let’s Go Fly A Kite.”