Last night Thom and I drove to Union Station to pick up Sonal, who is in town this weekend. We had a nice long dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Arlington. I had the pasta with pesto, chicken, and mushrooms–a serving which really could’ve fed two or three people easily. Thom and Sonal each had salads which were also pretty huge. Mmm.
Today the weather is gorgeous. Early this afternoon the three of us met up with Sonal’s brother and his wife at Lauriol Plaza, a Mexican restaurant in Dupont on 18th Street. I hadn’t eaten there before (though I’ve passed by its distinctive building several times), and boy, it was a treat. The atmosphere was leisurely, and the food was delicious–I had the pollo toluca (chicken topped with scallops, shrimp, and bell peppers). It was a fun time. As I often say, I’m always thankful for good food and good friends. (Sonal told us beforehand that her brother and his wife had seen and loved Avenue Q, so of course we knew we’d be simpatico.) After lunch, she had the excellent suggestion of going to Teaism, so we walked towards the Circle, and stopped in for some refreshments. I had my usual, a mango lassi. We sat and talked in the dining area upstairs, overlooking R Street. (Thom remarked that it’s times like these that he misses living downtown, and I agreed, though technically, on paper, I still do live around there.) Time flies when you’re having fun, and before we knew it, it was already 5 p.m., and the others had to head out to another engagement, so we said our goodbyes.
Left to our own devices, Thom and I did some strolling around. We stopped at a store that used to be The Left Bank (what’s it called now?), which carried unique toys and travel photography; it still does, but emphasis is more on the photos now, with only a few shelves of those quirky Accoutrements action figures (e.g., librarian with “shushing action!”), among other amusements. We also stopped at the little houseware store next to it. They stock every gadget you’d ever need for your kitchen, and other unexpected items, like clever cards from Knock Knock, which I’ve mentioned here before. At Lambda Rising, I bought a few books from the bargain shelves: Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred Douglas by Douglas Murray, André & Oscar: The Literary Friendship of André Gide and Oscar Wilde by Jonathan Fryer, and Pictures and Passions: A History of Homosexuality in the Visual Arts by James S. Saslow. (Apparently the title-colon-subtitle formula is alive and well.) Thom bought Michael Chabon’s Summerland, which I hope to get around to reading as well.
Definitely a lovely day all around.