Cameo
1401 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.
Sunday, Nov. 14, afternoon
Conditions: A little breezy

Food halls are a big thing in cities these days. They’re essentially food courts, but not usually attached to anything else of interest and priced for yuppies. But I’d heard there was one over near Potomac Ave. with a coffeehouse in it (as opposed to the one six blocks from me that doesn’t have one), and I convinced Rudi we could combine leaf peeping, Christmas shopping, returning a library book, and Coffeeneuring all in one trip.

So, we took the long way to the Hill, ran our errands and then found ourselves at The Roost, the aforementioned fancy food court. They’ve got at least a handful of bike racks, so there was easy parking, and you could sit outside if the person you’re with doesn’t complain that he can no longer feel his fingers. Cameo shares its space with Shop Made in D.C., so you can browse while waiting for your order to come up. Or, wander to the pizza slice place 50 feet away and get some food.

I ordered a hot chocolate and we added chocolate croissants (baked by Pluma, a 2019 Coffeeneuring stop) to our order, too. They were both … fine. But the problem is when a place charges you $5 for cocoa, you kind of want more than fine. Or, at least, some whipped cream or marshmallows on top.

So, I don’t think I’ll be back unless specifically invited. But it was good to check it out if only so I don’t have to imagine a cozy shop where I wanted to spend hours anymore.

Total mileage: Rudi tells me it was nearly 14. I’ll update to an exact number sometime when he’s awake.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday from That Artsy Reader Girl asks us to share recommendations. In keeping with Nonfiction November, I’ve opted for the top ten books I’d share with someone who loves memoirs:

1. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
2. March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell
3. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
4. Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations by Mira Jacobs
5. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
6. Becoming by Michelle Obama
7. My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall
8. No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox
9. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
10. Becoming Duchess Goldblatt by Anonymous

How about you? What memoirs have you enjoyed?

Who wears it better, Rudi or these maples?

We got in some leaf peeping today around the District, as well as trips to the garden and farmers market. We checked out a new coffee place this weekend, talked with my family, did some Christmas shopping, and got pizza, which we ate while watching the new Gal Gadot-Ryan Reynolds-The Rock movie on Netflix. I slept in yesterday and spent plenty of time outside today.

How was your weekend?

I stayed up late to finish a book and I have no regrets. (But, also, now I’m going to bed.)

It’s a quiet weekend ahead. Here’s what I’m hoping it includes:

• Knitting
• Reading
• Leaf peeping, since it’s peak foliage season in the District
• Christmas shopping (including at some craft fairs)
• Spending some time on the bike
• Maybe visiting a museum for the first time since the pandemic
• Poaching the quince (didn’t get to that last weekend)
• Doing laundry
• Hanging up art
• Watching the new movie with Gal Gadot and the Rock

What’s on your to-do list this weekend?

Three beautiful things from my past week:

1. I had today off, so we headed to Delaware to the beach. Although the forecast predicted cloud cover by mid-afternoon, we had a partly sunny day and a gorgeous sunset to boot. The air and water were both in the 60s, which means that it was perfectly pleasant to wade in the water … in November! For being fully dressed, I got myself very wet!

2. My volleyball teammates reassured me after someone said hurtful things last week (not at our game, but in another sphere of my life). One was downright angry that I’d been mischaracterized.

3. A couple had brought their 10-week old Australian shepherd on an outing to the yuppie grocery store/bar. “He’s getting cranky,” the woman said, as they swaddled him to take him home.

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