Drapes to Drink By Part 2

It's not like I haven't made drapes to drink by before. My first ones hang in Secco to this day, here.

This time they're for another soon-to-be-opened restaurant and today was the day to take them (and the matching pillows) there and see just how well they looked with the furniture and walls (magnificent, just saying).

But before we got that far, we crossed the river to eat at Parkside. I knew my restaurant-owner friend would want to check out the place, as much for its decor as its food.  And it's a cozy spot for a girls' lunch out.

Like me, she was charmed by what the owners have done with the space. The green walls and red upholstery, the gold-framed vintage prints and the beautiful tabletops are a very attractive combination.

But let's face it, we went to eat. Starting with some lovely peach aqua fresca (my first), we moved on to baked Virginia cheddar with apples, grapes, pickles and grilled bread.

The cheese was lovely, if small, but we didn't realize it came in phyllo dough, problematic for someone who can't eat gluten. She dug her cheese out trying to avoid the wrapper.

Part of the reason I'd suggested Parkside was because they have five meal-sized salads, which is more than most places, all creative and tasty-sounding.

And since we were both in the mood for salads, she tried the excellent baby spinach, shrimp, avocado and warm bacon vinaigrette version I'd had last time.

I got the baby lettuces with craisins, apple matchsticks, sunflower seeds, and bleu cheese in a poppyseed vinaigrette. It was a lovely combination of flavors and contrasting textures (and at a mere six bucks; a steal).

We bypassed dessert (she'd brought me a piece of five-layer coconut cake, one of my very favorite sweeties) to go assess the drapes that drinkers will soon be admiring as they enjoy their imbibing and dining.

Okay, so that's my personal delusion. It's enough that she was so happy with how they looked. From here on out (once they open) it's up to the kitchen and bar to carry the place.

Jackson Ward will once again be representing in another neighborhood. I've done my job.

Parkside Cafe: Closer Than I Thought

I am completely clueless when it comes to distance and navigation.

Because for the most part I limit myself to the city proper for, well, just about everything, I lose sight of what's just out of my usual range.

Like the new Parkside Cafe on Forest Hill Avenue. After a friend wrote "I realized I haven't seen you in ages. Lunch or drinks this week?" I suggested lunch at the month-old southside spot. I've heard nothing but good things about the food.

Turns out the place is 3.24 miles from my house. Crazy! I walk that far every morning of my life. Hell, next time I'll bike it since I enjoy the ride over that bridge so much. So I'll arrive with a sheen. Friends overlook such things.

But my friend was coming from the West End and, as we all know, you can't get there from here, so he ran a bit late (made all the more obvious for the large neon-rimmed clock on the wall).

It was only fifteen minutes and my rule of thumb is to wait 45 minutes for a tardy friend, so he was well within his limits.

Besides, I'd have just gone ahead and eaten without him, especially after looking at the well-priced and thoughtful menu (even the wine pricing: $5/glass. $24 bottles across the board).

As it was, the moment he walked in I ordered the potato and pea samosas with chutney and raita, knowing he'd eat them with me.

As I like to teasingly remind him, he is the only person I have ever seen order two sides of potato: fried and mashed. Oh, yes he did.

I should be ashamed to say how quickly we inhaled them after dredging them in chutney, but they were good, the crispy outside contrasting with the creamy potato and abundant peas inside.

He moved on to a light lunch, the seared meatloaf with horseradish cream, kale (they were out of collards)and mac and cheese. My two bites of his meatloaf were satisfyingly like Mom's and he praised the kale's flavor.

My baby spinach salad with shrimp, avocado and warm bacon vinaigrette may have been a tad overdressed, but the flavors were spot on. I especially enjoyed all the chunks of bacon in the vinaigrette, which were a tasty complement to the creamy avocado and of course the spinach.

We were busy catching up, commiserating about our under-employed statuses, but mostly talking travel and music since he's taking a road trip to Colorado soon and hoping to catch some music along the way. I know I would.

Of course, I would have also thought that Parkside was outside my eating radius and I would have been mistaken and missed terrific food in a clean-lined and cozy space.

This is why I need a navigator. I can come up with the ideas, I just need someone to help get me there...or tell me that they're not too far away.

Fact and metaphor.