After reading last week that a new cafe had come to the old record store lounge space in Adams Morgan, I decided it needed to be a Coffeeneuring destination, and Saturday, when I had a little time between library-grocery store-garden run and video chat with friends, seemed like a good time. The cafe has a couple bike racks right outside, so it was easy to lock up right there.

The cafe’s menu skews Russian, with an emphasis on coffee-based drinks. They had matcha and some house-made herbal teas on their menu, so I asked the girl at the counter to recommend a tea.

She said that the pear-saffron was her personal favorite. I’m not usually a fan of herbal teas, but decided to give it a shot. Turns out, it was delicious. I’d absolutely get it again. I mean, look at what was left in the bottom of the cup when I was done:

I paired it with a croissant filled with bavarian cream and jam, which was also delicious.

The cafe’s interior is cute, but I’m not really down for eating inside just yet if I can avoid it. While they’re licensed to have streetery space, right now they’ve only got one table, which was taken. I took my repast down the street to the school to eat while reading a bit.

The cafe’s brunch menu looks good, so I’ll definitely be back, particularly once I’m feeling more comfortable with the idea of indoor eating.

Total miles: 3.51

Dawson’s Market
2001 20th St., N.W.
Sunday, Nov. 7, afternoon
Conditions: Clear, but rapidly cooling after sunset

I biked up to Adams Morgan to a friend’s apartment for a small gathering Saturday afternoon and, after it disbanded, I decided to continue on to a Coffeeneuring destination. But this was the first day of a return to Standard Time, and it was rapidly getting dark. While I had my lights, I wasn’t feeling especially trusting of drivers’ ability to look for me, and I decided just to stop locally, rather than pedaling over to Georgetown. Unfortunately, my first stop, Emissary had recently changed their weekend hours for the autumn, and had closed already. (Cafes have really dialed back their evening hours since the pandemic. I’m going to have to Coffeeneur earlier in the day… ) So I opted for Dawson’s Market, known familiarly as not-Glen’s, after the previous owner of the yuppie grocery/bar. They’ve got a couple bike racks curbside and are a regular favorite of cyclists.

While Glen’s served coffeehouse beverages until the pandemic shut down their bar and cafe, Dawson’s has been slow to add those amenities back in. But they’ve been advertising them recently, so I took my chances. The girl at the checkout was very kind and went and found me some black tea down in their storeroom, so I took my Earl Grey and my Bethlehem Bar (like a seven-layer bar) and sat out at the picnic table to read and knit until my tea was cold and I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore.

And then I pedaled the rest of the way home.

Total miles: 2.12 miles

Like all weekends, some plans worked out, while others fell through. Turns out, everyone in D.C. thought an Asian night market sounded like fun, so when reports of multiples of thousands of people waiting in line reached us, I decided I could give it a pass. And I utterly slept through the waffles event. Apparently, catching up on some sleep was more important. Sharing laundry facilities means you can only do laundry when your neighbors aren’t. My coffee table is still covered with stuff. And we still haven’t figured out what to do about our tree trimming party. I mean, does a week of open houses sound like a good idea?

But I spent time at the garden, stopped by the library (and got a book from another that Rudi picked up for me), visited the farmers market and went past the grocery store.

I started a new book and knit (a little). I biked and drank tea. We got pizza and watched some tv (and I may have watched some of a Christmas movie). I talked with friends in town and across the country. Some of our volleyball team got together for s’mores on a roofdeck. There’s applesauce on the stove. (I really need to figure out where the food mill is hiding.) And I’ve got a day off on Thursday to look forward to.

How was your weekend?

I spent a pleasant period of time in the garden this afternoon. Despite all the leaves on the ground, I still have lots growing. I’d been worried that the frost in other areas of the District earlier this week would bode poorly for my garden, which I’d left to battle the cold on its own. My garden is tucked alongside woods, which lead down to a creek, so it’s a little more insulated against the cold than other places.

As you can see, the garden held its own. The herbs my mother sent down last month to winter in warmer climes all survived, including the lavenders that were still in pots (I put the smaller one into the ground today) and the basil, which would have been the first to shrivel had winter’s tendrils wended its way into my plot.

There are still tomatoes and cayenne peppers on the vine, as well as one or two of the tiny second crop of tomatillos that grew started appearing in September.

I’ve also got some ground crops — kale and lettuce and sorrel, as well as my three-season rainbow chard.

And while many of my flowers are past, the pansies have rallied in amongst the strawberry plants to keep some color on that side of the garden, while the lantana has had at least three rounds of blooms since I planted it this summer.

It’s been a good year in the garden, and I’m hopeful I’ll get another few weeks out of it yet.

Category: garden. There is/are Comments Off on notes from the garden: november 2021.

It’s been a week, and the weekend could not get here fast enough. To prevent it slipping away, I’m going to try jamming it full of positive things:

• Reading (and visiting a library or two)
• Eating waffles (there’s a waffle-themed event; I just have to beat the college students to it)
• Knitting
• Spending time in the garden
• Chatting with our cross-country (and cross-town) friends
• Checking out a night market
• Getting an extra hour of sleep
• Poaching quince
• Doing laundry
• Baking
• Biking to some Coffeeneuring destinations
• Finding my coffee table (the Christmas cleaning needs to start somewhere small)
• Figuring out our Christmas party (we usually cram dozens of people into our small apartment, and while we both are nearly positive everyone we invite is vaccinated — if not already boostered — it feels risky to invite them all at once this year)

What are you hoping to do this weekend?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. We have a party of D.C.-area colleagues at our CEO’s house. It’s so good to see everyone in person after so long (and to meet colleagues for the first time whom I’ve only seen in little boxes).

2. The cider doughnuts from the new-to-us orchard an hour closer than the one Sarah and I usually go to are quite good. I suspect we’ll be back.

3. Rudi is home.

How about you? What’s been beautiful in your world lately?

Someday I’ll be done with this shawl. We’re now into shawl weather, so it makes it more likely, but I’m coming up on another two color rib section and that’s my least favorite part of this knitting project. Which way will the seesaw tilt?

I did finish The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, so I am not in stasis in all aspects of my life, which is good. It was a cute witch-themed romance, which asked absolutely nothing of me except to keep turning the pages. I don’t want all my reads to be like that (and the romances I’ve liked best the past couple years have mixed in weightier issues with the lovey-dovey stuff), but there are some weeks when that’s just what you need.