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tsgalexandriavirginia · 5 years ago

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Support Your Local Businesses in Alexandria - They Need You Now More Than Ever

At The Scout Guide, it’s our mission to support small, locally owned business. We dedicate ourselves daily to discovering, sharing and supporting the talented individuals who make up our community. Now more than ever, we need to ban together to support these business owners, even if we are doing it from home.

Small businesses are the heart of this community and even though we may not be able to visit them physically, there are many ways that we can do our part to help while safely social distancing. If you love your community and would like to help, here are some ideas listed below. Any support you can give is much appreciated and will not go unnoticed.

Ways You Can Help:

-Buy A Giftcard From A Local Shop For A Gift Or For Future Use

-Purchase Something On Instagram or by Calling Their Stores

-Order Takeout From Your Favorite Restaurants

-Take A Virtual Fitness Class

-Share Your Favorite Small Business On Social Media

-Reach Out And Tell Them You Are Thinking About Them

Restaurants - You can still enjoy most of your favorite restaurants by ordering takeout! Find some great options below.

Cedar Knoll: Call For Takeout 703-780-3665 Menu

Stomping Ground: Order Carry Out Online

Grateful Kitchen: Buy a Giftcard

Eco Caters: Order Meals For Delivery Take 10% off with code: "SOCIAL10" and will donate a meal (#mealmatch) for those in need Aslin Brewery: Order beer or a family style dinner online

Lost Boy Cider: Order Cider Online and Pick Up

Toastique: Order Carry Out Online

Chop Shop: Order Online or Purchase a Gift Card

Urbano 116: Order Carry Out Online

People's Drug: Order Carry Out Online

Hummingbird: Order Carry Out Online or Buy A Gift Card

St. Elmo's Cafe: Buy A Gift Card

Dairy God Mother: Open for Carry Out-noon to 8pm; order at front door

Holy Cow: Order Online - Curbside Pickup Available

Los Tios: Call for Carry Out 703-299-9290, 10% off pick up and free delivery and a free dessert

Del Ray Cafe: Purchase over the phone 703-717-9151

Lena's Pizza: Buy A Gift Card

Cafe Pizziolo: Buy A Gift Card

Chadwicks: Order A Gift Card or Dinner To Go

Bagel Uprising: Order Online Pickup In Store

Evening Star: Buy A Gift Card or Order On Doordash

The Rub Chicken & Beer: Order Online Pickup in Store - Free TP with Order!

Junction: Order Delivery Via UberEats Purchase over the phone (703) 436-0025

Del Ray Beer Garden: Buy A Gift Card

Hops N Shine: Buy A Gift Card

Cheestique: Purchase an $100 Gift Card, receive $10 bonus Gift Card

Taquiera Poblano: Online Order for Curbside pickup 11am-8pm or call 703-548-8226 to order - margaritas to-go!

Live Oak Restaurant: Buy A Gift Card

Del Ray Pizza: Order Online or Call (703) 549-2999 for Carry Out from 4:30-9:00pm Landini Brothers: Buy Gift Cards

Mia's: Buy Gift Card

Virtue: Buy Gift Card

Momo Sushi: Call For Carry Out 703. 299. 9092

Firehook Bakery: Order and Have Bread Delivered

Sweet Fire Donna’s: Email For GC order [email protected]

Tequila & Tacos: Email For GC order [email protected]

Pork Barrel: Email For GC order [email protected]

Sushi Bar Del Ray: Email For GC order [email protected]

Retail - Update your spring wardrobe from the comfort of your couch. Most of these stores are offering curbside pick-up and delivery! You can also purchase a gift card for future shopping use!

Bishop Boutique: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside, Buy A Gift Card

Kiskadee: Purchase on the Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside

Tsalt: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside

The Hive/Shoe Hive: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside

Boxwood: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside, Gift Card

AR Workshop: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside, Gift Card

Patina Polished Living: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Pick Up Curbside

Periwinkle: Buy Online, over Phone or on IG and Pick Up Curbside, Gift Card

Tulusa: Shop Online

Seyyah: Shop Online

Mystique: Buy Online, Phone or on IG,

LH Calligraphy: Shop Online

ALX & Co: Shop Online and support COVID 19 response fund

Nourish & Refine: Shop Online or Buy A Gift Card

Shes Unique: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside, Gift Card

Tsalt: Buy Online, Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside

Mint Condition: Call To Order or Shop on IG

529 Kids Consign: Call To Order or Shop on IG

Monday's Child: Buy Online, over Phone or on IG, Delivery or Pick Up Curbside, Gift Card

Twist Boutique: Buy A Gift Card

Comfort One Shoes: Shop Online

BellaCara: Call To Order And Pick Up Curbside 703.299.9652

Penny Post: Call To Make An Appointment To Shop 703 888 1515

Red Barn: Call To Make An Appointment To Shop 703 888 1515

The Hour Shop: Buy A Gift Card

Home On Cameron: Email Todd@homeoncameron to order GC

Goldfinch: Buy A Gift Card

Secretly Gifting: Buy A Gift Card

Alma Moda: Shop Online

Wylie Grey: Shop Online

Fitness - Take a virtual class led by one of your favorite local instructors. You can also sign up for virtual memberships to keep sweating with them during quarantine.

Mind the Mat: Buy A Weekly Membership To Stream Live Classes

Xtend Barre: Buy a Class Pack and Stream Live Workouts

Zweet Sport: Buy A Giftcard

Ascend Cycle: Buy A Class Pack and Stream Live Workouts

Scupld: Buy a Class Pack and Stream Virtual Workouts

Orange Theory: Buy A Class Pack and Stream Workouts

Barre 3: Buy A Class Pack and Stream Live Videos

Row House: Buy A Gift Card

Beauty/Wellness - Stay connected with your healthcare professionals because staying healthy is more important than ever.

Sarah Akram Skincare: Book A Virtual Facial or Buy A Gift Card

Salon Dezen: Buy A Gift Card or Order Products

Back To Health: Book An Appointment

Meraki: Book A Future Appointment

Izalias Laser Spa: Book A Future Appointment

Skin DC: Book An Appointment

Dental Bar: Book A Future Appointment

Hazel O Salon: Book An Appointment

Wink Lashes: Book An Appointment

Eleven 11 Studios: Book A Lash Appointment

Cynthia Santana Hair Studio: Book An Appointment

Goodbrows: Book A Service

Sugar House Day Spa: Book A Future Service

Mindful Junkie: Tune In For Virtual Meditation

Cera Wax Studio: Book A Future Appointment Or Shop Retail

Brighten Someone’s Day - We all need a pick me up at this point. Why not send a friend, family member or work colleague a bouquet of flowers. It’s sure to brighten their day.

Helen Olivia: Order Fresh Flowers For Yourself or A Friend

Enchanted Florist: Order Fresh Flowers For Yourself or A Friend

Fabulous Flourish: Order Fresh Flowers

Blueprint Chocolate: Send A Loved One A Gift Box

The Birchmere: Buy tickets in advance for shows in the future

Kilwin's: Order A Gift Card For A Friend Or Send A Giftbox

Meg Biram Art: Buy A Painting For Yourself Or Your Friend

Nicole Seifert Art: Buy A Painting For Yourself Or Your Friend

Home - Don’t Neglect Your Home During This Time. Plan Your Next Remodel, Get Your Landscaping Done or Start Your New Home Search!

Green Blades: Book An Appointment For Landscaping

St. Clair Kitchens: Book An Consultation For A Future Date

Braemar Kitchen & Bath: Book An Consultation For A Future Date

Mark Woods Construction: Book A VIRTUAL Consultation For A Future Date

Patterson Group Real Estate: Start A Conversation Over Email

McEnearney Associates: Start A Conversation Over Email

Kristen Jones - McEnearney: Start A Conversation Over Email

Babs Beckwith: Start A Conversation Over Email

Bernuy Contracting: Fix Things Up Around The House

Cline Rose Interiors: Redesign a Room

Casey Sanford Interior Design: Redesign a Room

Ivy Lane Living: Redesign a Room

Pets - Can’t Forget Our Four Legged Friends!

Head To Tail Dog Spa: Book An Appointment For Grooming

Wholistic Hound Dog Academy: Sign Your Dog Up For Training

Old Town School For Dogs: Call to Order or Sign Your Dog Up For Training

Paw Inclusive: Book A Dog Walking Service

Other Ways To Fill Your Time And Support Local

Passport Auto: Book a Test Drive - They Will Come To You

Franklin Capital Strategy: Get Your Finances In Order

Narratio Vitae: Trace Your Family History

Holden Insurance: Get Your Insurance In Order

Hosted Events: Start Planning A Future Party

Sarah Marcella Creative: Book A Photoshoot

Confetti Teepees: Book a future slumber party or buy a gift card! Now offering bachelorette parties too!

If you have a business you would like to add to the list, please email [email protected] . Stay healthy and safe, friends!

-Your TSG Alexandria Team

#covid19 #Alexandria VA #smallbusiness #supportlocal #local #communitysupport

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acornrising · 7 years ago

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The Man in the Mountain

Spend months clawing out a story paragraph by paragraph, take a break, work on something else, spit out five pages in a day and change.

Frinzy had been told that an oracle lived on the mountain. The information had come from what was rapidly starting to be the lifeblood of her clan- travellers wandering through the desert, coming to rest in their slipshod, still half-a-shanty-town refuge of a clan, bringing with them gossip and information and, most importantly, money. The vast, empty wastes of Dragonhome offered few other options and few places of rest to begin with, so any travelling dragons seemed to inevitably stop in ‘New Underclan’, though the name felt a little ironic now. Very few of them were comfortable living underground anymore.

News of an oracle was interesting, certainly, but no one in the clan seemed particularly interested in visiting them. There were trees to plant, crops to grow, water to re-direct and altogether too much work to be done if they were going to bully an oasis out of the desert they’d found themselves in. Besides, most everyone was too busy grappling with the recent past to worry much about the future.

The Earthshaker’s landkeepers had set them in a valley between two nameless mountains. Most things, it seemed, in Dragonhome were nameless, not because no one had bothered to name them or because the flight had an allergic aversion to moniker, but because there was simply no one out here to bother. The next nearest clan was more than a week’s march away, maybe half that if you flew and the winds were kind, and there were easier ways around the mountain range. Frinzy had to wonder how anyone had heard of the oracle in the first place.

They had been in New Underclan a year when she finally decided to make her way up to visit them herself. She packed a sheaf of dried grass and a basket of strawberries (More than one traveller, on return, had mentioned them as favorites of the oracle. Since then, the clan had made a killing on forcing them to grow here.).

It wasn’t a steep path, but it wasn’t always a clear one, either. No professional had cut these roads, and there were points when Frinzy had to stop and decipher what was a foot path, and what was just abnormally smooth stone and dirt. As a result, it took her two days to find the cave, and even that was an accident.

It didn’t look like a place anyone would live willingly, least of all an oracle. Not that Frinzy had ever met an oracle, but she had always envisioned them as being extravagant, fussy things prone to melodrama. Curtains and cushions and beads and candles and all sorts of fanciful props to make themselves comfortable and bolster their mystique. The cave was dry and dusty and dark. You might find a bear in it, but Frinzy couldn’t imagine much else.

Which is why she let out an ungodly screech when someone cleared their throat behind her.

“Are you going to sit by the door all night?”

He didn’t seem phased at all by her screaming, or by her instinctively bared teeth or stretched claws. Instead he just watched her, eyes half lidded, as if bored or half asleep, lantern hanging idly by his side. It was hard to tell what he was, exactly, in this shape-shifted form, never mind under the layers and bundles of fabric.

“I’m, um. I’m looking for the oracle?” It wasn’t a question, but she said it like one, as she relaxed her shoulders and tried to calm her heart.

The man gave her a lazy, resigned smile and opened his arms wide. “You found me.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to say to that. It occurred to her that she hadn’t actually planned this far ahead. She knew what her question was- just not how to broach the subject. “I um. I brought strawberries.”

“Wonderful.” There was no note of joy or surprise or even annoyance in his voice as he turned away. “Come in. It’s going to rain soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“You think you know better than an oracle?”

She bit her lip as she gathered her things. “No, no, I’m sorry.”

The cavern was deeper than it appeared, sloping gently downward as they pushed onward. The oracle didn’t say a word until the darkness started getting lighter, and he lead her into a much cozier section of the cave, with a cheery fire and a screaming tea kettle. “Sit wherever.” He waved his hand without looking at her, dousing the lantern and reaching for a firehook.

While it was homier than the mouth of the cave would suggest, it still did not reach the levels of comfort Frinzy would have imagined. There were a number of cushions, yes, thick and plush but made of coarse fabric. There were woven rugs made of hemp and wool with simple patterns spread strategically over the dirt, a rumple of blankets shoved in the corner that might have been a bed, and various baskets and baubles shoved carelessly into odd corners. Chaotic, but no more so than any other dragon’s hovel.

Frinzy awkwardly curled onto a broad hempen pillow and stared at her host as he retrieved the hanging tea kettle and began to pour. He wordlessly held up a cup and cocked his head at her. Wordlessly, she accepted it. It was hotter than she would have preferred, but she forced herself to hold it, out of politeness’ sake.

They sat in silence for some time. The oracle stared into the fire, pouring himself several cups of tea and downing them in rapid, throat-scalding fashion. Somewhere, from the entrance of the cave, Frinzy heard the echo of rain.

“Is um. Is that what you do? Predict the weather?”

He let out something that was either a cough or a chuckle. “No. I’m from the Sea, we always know when the rain is coming.”

They fell silent again. There was a distant rumble of thunder, and suddenly, Frinzy felt the homesickness creep in. Not for the ramshackle little village they’d made between the mountains, but for green leaves and vines and the distant shriek of beasts and clans. The bustle of the Labyrinth, where it rained almost nightly.

“It doesn’t rain here often, does it?”

“No.”

It was at this point she remembered the strawberries. Awkwardly, she patted the ground around her for the basket, then held it out to him. “For you.”

He took them graciously, trying one then offering her the basket again. She took one, and they passed it back and forth in silence, until it was half-empty.

“I had a question.” she finally said.

At this, the oracle sighed heavily. “And here we were having such a nice conversation.”

He shifted his position, from the leisurely, lounging lean on his elbows to a more formal position on his knees. He set the basket aside and beckoned her toward him. “I can’t guarantee I’ll answer it, but I can try.”

“Aren’t you an oracle?”

“I am- but it doesn’t work like that. Not always. What do you want to know?”

“Are my-” She swallowed as she leaned forward, her throat suddenly very dry. “Did any of my brothers make it out? Are any of them alive?”

The oracle sighed again. “That’s a hard one to answer- it’s easier if it’s about yourself. We’ll see what I see. Give me your hand.” She scooted closer to him, holding out a forepaw that was disorientingly large against his delicately crafted hands. He turned the palm upward, pressed one hand to it and closed his eyes. “Can you describe any of them to me? I won’t be able to recognize them otherwise.”

“There’s um. There’s Rok, he… he’s big, really big, and he’s brown, mostly, but last I saw him he had a lot of leaves and algae growing on him. He might be green now, he just. Just um, started doing that, I guess, just growing plants in his fur. There’s Vadrien, he’s very small, and pink, like me but paler. That’s all, just small and pink and quiet. There’s Shigon, he was gray, soft gray, needed glasses, um. He was big too, not Rok-big, but still. He’d probably be with a large gray snapper, if he’s with anyone at all. Is that… do you need more?”

The oracle nodded slowly. “That’s fine…” he started humming to himself, not a song or a tune, but the soft, nearly monotone hum of someone thinking. Finally, he took in a sharp breath. “You’ll go back to the forest one day. Not soon, I don’t think. You’ll be a good bit older. But when you’re there, you will meet a dragon. They are large, for your breed. You’ll know them. But they won’t know you. Their arms are wrapped in thorns, they’ll have… a small tree, I think, or a bush, growing around their shoulders. That might be your brother.” he released her hand. “That’s the best I can give you.”

“What about the others?”

“I didn’t see them.”

“Oh.” She sat back down on the cushion and stared at the fire. Uncomfortably, the oracle poured another cup of tea and set it in front of her. She ignored it.

“One out of three isn’t so bad.” he said softly. “It’s better than none isn’t it?”

“I suppose.”

He poured his own cup and sat turning it between his palms, looking awkwardly about the cave at anything but his guest. “Just because I didn’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t alive. Maybe you just… don’t see them again.”

Frinzy lay her head on the floor and put her paws over her head.

“That’s… worse, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know… I don’t know if it is or it isn’t.”

“I see.” Though it was clear by his voice he didn’t. “You should drink your tea.”

She did. It was a bitter green tea, good for you, supposedly, but not particularly tasty. Especially not now. She drank it anyway. The Oracle continued to roll his own cup in his hands.

“My name is Themisto.” he offered.

“Frinzy.”

“I know.” She gave him an odd look. “You introduced yourself. In the um. In the future I saw. To the dragon that may or may not be your brother.”

“It is.” she said softly. “I’d bet anything it is.”

“Oh. Okay.” He coughed, apparently more to fill the silence than any need to clear his lungs. “So… have you um. Been here long?”

“You’re awfully chatty all of a sudden.”

“I…” He looked off to the side, at a particularly uninteresting pot. “I thought maybe you’d… you’d want a distraction.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.”

“It’s not fine, but it’s not your problem.” Frinzy conceded.

Themisto was silent for a while, then sighed. “No, I’d suppose not.” He sourly poured what was left of his tea onto the ground and stood up. “You’re welcome to stay until the rain stops.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

He waved his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Frinzy.” With that, he stalked to the back of his cave, to that pile of blankets Frinzy suspected may have been a bed, and burrowed into it, wrapping himself in fabric like a cocoon.

It was hours until the rain passed.

#Flight Rising #FR #storypost #lorepost #Tales from the Underclan #c: Frinzy #c: Themisto #I don't have a real title for this tbh

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emerygoat26-blog · 5 years ago

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Author Nathan Englander Gets His Syrup in New Hampshire - Grub Street

At Mike’s Coffee Shop in Clinton Hill. Photo: Christian Rodriguez

At 30, Nathan Englander was the youngest ever recipient of the PEN award for “excellence in the art of the short story,” and this week he published his fifth book, the comically probing kaddish.com. His writing has been called “genre-hopping” and several variations on “playful,” descriptions that might also apply to his relationship with eating. Like many food lovers, Englander can appreciate a great restaurant as much as he can a well-written recipe — but he also isn’t above eating his daughter’s leftovers. “My wife can’t believe it,” he says. “I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I am definitely more than happy to find myself eating the kid food.’” Over the past week, he also had time to eat stoop pizza, consider the qualities that make a neighborhood diner great, and think, wistfully, about bagels. Read all about it in this week’s Grub Street Diet.

Thursday, March 21 I wish this had started Wednesday night. My wife and I actually got a babysitter, and went to a grown-up restaurant with another couple. One half of that couple was our friend JJ, who writes cookbooks, and when you go to restaurants with him, things you didn’t order just appear — “lamb chops, compliments of the food mafia!” — and I think that would have been a fun meal to share. But my Grub Street Diet started this morning! And I was doing drop-off, and was late getting our 4-year-old daughter to preschool — as I am every day.

While I packed her lunch, I ate a piece of wheat toast and drank a gallon of Kitten Coffee’s Tandem blend. I don’t like that super-black, melt-your-tongue coffee. I drink way too much coffee for that, and Kitten’s is just the perfect live-on-it-all-day roast. Also, I was once leaving the coffee shop on our corner, and the Kitten guy was delivering, and I screamed, “Hey, I love your coffee.” And he said, “Try this, I think you’ll like it,” and he threw me a pound of something new they were making, and I swooned with neighborhood good cheer.

So, my book was coming out on Tuesday and I was in prelaunch madness. I was stuck in the house, doing assignments, like 500 words on fingernails for Fingernail Digest, and I had a half-hour phone interview that somehow ran to an hour and a half and I was going to miss eating lunch. But JJ checked in, as he does about a million times a day. He was over on Henry Street, and he texted me a picture of the sandwiches chalked up on the board at Lillo, and offered to deliver. And, as with the Kitten coffee, it’s that kind of neighborly niceness that just kills me. He brought me the Mediterraneo, as ordered. It’s Italian tuna, arugula, sweet marinated onions, and tomato. It was delicious. (He also brought a couple of desserts, which I put aside.) And we both worked on our laptops at the table for a while.

Also, while I was waiting for JJ to show up, I ate the cold tortellini from Olivia’s dinner the night before. I’m all about the cold kid noodles from yesterday’s dinners. I enjoy that stuff. It’s not just that I’m eating it, I actually love it. I am definitely more than happy to find myself eating the properly aged fish sticks, and the apples with bites missing. I think that’s a big parent thing, to be like, “Now I’m going to have a second meal that I found on the counter.”

A friend I hadn’t seen in years was in town visiting, and she was coming by for dinner. So, at the end of the workday, I ran over to Mekelburg’s for a loaf of She Wolf sourdough (which we’re crazy for). I also got Firehook sea salt crackers, and some cheddar and manchego and our favorite cheese, Délice de Bourgogne, which is about one inch away from just eating butter with a spoon. I got olives and radishes, and I also got all the fixings for my red lentil soup. I served it over brown rice, and finished it off with wilted spinach and some Greek yogurt, as the recipe recommends. My wife, Rachel, made a butter lettuce, endive, and grapefruit salad.

Also, it was Purim, and Rach got some hamantaschen that we served along with the desserts that JJ had brought. One was a kind of Italian version of a Boston cream doughnut, and there was a blueberry tart with a lattice top.

Friday, March 22 I made Olivia French toast, which was not at all a weekday thing, but she asked for it, and getting to school on time, as I’ve said, is not my strong suit. I had Greek yogurt, banana, and honey. And coffee. And Rach had a version of the same.

It was Friday, which was a gym day. So we do speed things up as best we can. We’ve been working out at CrossFit South Brooklyn for years, even though it’s over in Gowanus. But we love it, and it feels like family now. And we’re pretty religious about our Monday-Wednesday-Friday class, which is a kind of body-weight-centric thing that we love.

When I need to do busywork before writing, I often head to Three’s Brewing, one street over from the gym. It’s not for a post-workout beer. The brewery is closed during the day, but they have a cozy little outpost of Ninth Street Espresso inside that uses the space during the daytime. I headed over and got a coffee and, to ruin any gym-related gains, a cheddar and chive scone (which is just to say, I should have had the French toast).

Let’s sing the praises of leftovers. I cook so much more lately,, and the more complicated or ridiculous, the better. That, is I like to make the things where people say, “Ummm, you know, they sell that at the grocery store. You can buy that a lot more easily than you can make that.” I was recently cooking Middle Eastern food and I was like, “Well, I should also make the pita,” and there were a million steps, and I was really proud, but, man, that dinner would have been a lot easier if I’d just run to Damascus Bakery, or, you know, any supermarket in the whole city. I think it ties in to the writer brain. If I need to fix something I’m writing, I will stay up all night, and I will do it again and again until it’s where it needs to be.

Anyway, there was the leftover lentil soup and the cheese and that giant loaf from She Wolf waiting. And I had plans to meet my publicist, Jordan. We were both swamped, and so she swung by, and we set up shop at our dining room table (by which I mean, our only table), and we had a super nice lunch, but with screens out, typing away.

Rach and I are nutty for Ethiopian food. It’s a favorite. And, luckily, there’s a fantastic restaurant over on Fulton, across from Greenlight Bookstore, my local. It’s a big corner for me: books and Ethiopian food. The restaurant is called Bati. And the owner, Hibist, is an old friend. Back when I started writing and lived on the Upper West Side, I used to go do my work at the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I mean, I sat there all day, every day, and often closed the place down. And Hibist used to work behind the counter. And I love when a person’s dreams come true. That is, I remember Hibist pouring coffees in the ’90s and now she owns her own restaurant — and it’s the best. Also, they’re really nice to our daughter, who has gone from eating everything to a very beige-focused food phase (possibly inherited from my suburban, white-bread roots).

Anyway, we packed her a little dinner of her own as an emergency backup, which they were really nice about. And as for ordering at Bati, Rach and I haven’t touched a menu there in years. We always, always get a vegetarian combo for two — which had a bunch of things on it, gomen, and buticha, and key sir, and — what really matters to us — always lots of shiro. And, at Bati, I don’t even need JJ for special treatment. They always keep an eye on us and make sure there’s shiro on the tray.

Also, they were out of St. George beer that night, so I had a Walia, which was equally great.

Saturday, March 23 If I’m being honest here, this was a record amount of time for me not to have eaten a bagel. This diary should have already had five dozen or so in it. Anyway, I ate the She Wolf Sourdough toast, day 400 on that bread. If you amortize the initial investment, I was pretty much making money on that loaf.

After dance class (my daughter’s, not mine), we headed over to Tacombi with friends. It’s a great Mexican place with locations in Manhattan, but now we’ve got one across from BAM. I spotted one grown-up couple having beers in the main room when we got there, but otherwise there were lots of kids, and lots in tutus — it seemed to be the new post-dance hangout. We had a big order of kid-friendly plain versions of things, which the staff was really nice about (that is, quesadilla with nothing, rice and beans with nothing). As for this grown-up, I had the seared fish tacos and their Naranja, which is a papaya, carrot, pineapple, and orange juice.

So, it was the Montclair Literary Festival — go NJ! My event was near the end of the day, and, after it was over, I went straight into Joyce Carol Oates’s. Then there was a cocktail party for the festival, and I ate I don’t know what, some hummus and pita, and had a glass of white wine. And Joyce had invited me to dinner with friends, and we headed to a place called Scala del Nonna. The joint was jumping, it was packed out and loud and Saturday night-ish, and one table kept knocking over the wine bucket.

As for wine, apparently Montclair has some ancient liquor law thing, and the restaurant was dry. So my friend Julie ran out to the store next-door and bought a bottle of Gavi, and Joyce’s friend ordered porcini risotto with peas for the table. I got the branzino alla griglia, which was marinated sea bass lightly grilled with scarola Siciliana. And, well, if you replaced all the fish I ate this week with candy and bagels, once again, it would better represent my normal diet.

Sunday, March 24 The day was packed with playdates, which was lovely. My daughter and I headed over to a friend’s who has twins and lives right next to the bagel store — my chance to make a move. But when we got into their house, Melissa had already made a mountain of whole-grain silver dollar pancakes, and a fruit plate with strawberries, watermelon, and pear. And, as always, she put a cup of coffee right into my hand.

We all headed to the park. As the twins headed off, another friend of my daughter’s showed up with her dad. After another couple of hours of wildness, we took the girls for a slice of Luigi’s Pizza and sat on the stoop outside. My slice turns into two, and they keep their seltzers properly freezing in their fridge. Slices on a stoop make me extraordinarily happy in a New York way: I was being nostalgic while it was happening, like, “This is the life.”

For our third and final playdate of the day, we had another of our daughter’s friends over to the house, with her folks. I’d been wanting to make chili, and offered to do so, but — if I’m allowed to break the fourth wall — Oriana, the visiting mom, is a huge fan of this column. She said chili is boring. So we ordered in Vietnamese from Mekong Delta. The restaurant is in one of those neighborhood locations that never works out and keeps changing hands. But Mekong Delta seems to be doing great. We all shared a papaya salad, and I got chicken pho and shrimp summer rolls.

Monday, March 25 It felt like maybe it was one of the last cold mornings before spring kicked in, and even with the pancakes yesterday, I always need to make sure I’m getting enough maple syrup in my diet. Point is, I made oatmeal, and ate it with bananas and blueberries and maple syrup that we buy by the jug when we’re up at our friend’s farm in Sandwich, New Hampshire. So, yes, for the best maple syrup in the world, I’d head straight for the sugar shack at Booty Farm on Mt. Israel Road.

I really want to state again that my body mass is probably about 80 percent bagel. If you cut me in half, I imagine mostly sesame seeds would pour out — as that’s my bagel of choice. So I really can’t believe I haven’t had one since this diet started — it’s the longest stretch since we got back from a year in Malawi (where I broke down and made bagels from scratch).

It was the day before launch. I owed everybody a million things, and was sure I’d be working until the middle of the night. At 2 p.m., I ran over to Mike’s Coffee Shop to grab something. Mike’s has been our home diner since we moved to Brooklyn from Manhattan around a decade ago. And we love it. It’s super homey, and they’re super nice, and it has a proper diner-y, pressed-tin ceiling, and a proper neon sign in the window. You always bump into friends there, and the kids are often given lollipops when you pay, whether they need a lollipop or not. Also, the owners are really good about calmly managing the weekend waiting list when it’s chaos and the throngs of folks are roaming outside waiting on tables.

I sat in the last booth and I ordered a coffee and a tuna sandwich on wheat toast, with lettuce, tomato, and onion. And a pickle spear! If there’s a picture of me up above with a sandwich in front of me, that’s the one. If there’s a picture of me without it, it’s because it’s already in my belly.

The last supper. So, a friend was having a dinner party, and I did not go to that dinner party — though, again, I’d be killing it with the food over there. But, the next day was the launch event at Greenlight Bookstore, and I’d start traveling the morning after that, and except for a night here and there, well, I’ll be hawking books on the road like a brush salesman for the next few weeks. This was basically the last night I got to be home with my wife and daughter and Calli the dog until tour slows down. Also, I usually come home from tour looking like I’ve eaten a bag of salt. That is, I’m so thankful to get to do readings and meet readers and shepherd the novel out into the world, but I will be eating a lot from after-hours menus, and CIBO Express airport food, and the day was gray and cold and some comfort food at home sounded nice.

So Rachel started kid dinner, and my daughter and I ran out to the supermarket around the block. We love going to the supermarket, me and her. We were getting ingredients for my friend Kitty’s chili recipe. When my wife was in grad school (she’s a professor), we lived in Madison, Wisconsin for three years, and our friend Kitty gave us a little book of her very Wisconsin-style dishes, which are great for this kind of weather. At the store, we also got the stuff for a green salad, because it sounded nice and I also wanted to keep my heart from exploding on the road.

At home, while my daughter ate, I got the chili into a giant pot and let it simmer until — as happens in our building — the whole floor smelled like cayenne peppers and onion. For the salad, I just used lemon and olive oil and salt, which is my single favorite dressing. And after our daughter fell asleep, Rach emerged and served up the chili. I chopped up some cilantro and chives for toppings, and we sat down at the table and dug in, with the dog underneath the table at our feet, which is my kind of dinner.

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Source: http://www.grubstreet.com/2019/03/nathan-englander-grub-street-diet.html

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