Oh, October. It was a simpler time back then. I’ve gone back and forth over whether to keep doing these monthly recaps. I think I need more time to conceptualize what exactly I want these posts to be, but for now I’m going to attempt to be more succinct and stick to the highlights.
Notable Bites + Sips
Not everywhere we go ends up warranting a full post or review on the blog, but we stopped into a couple of great spots in October that are definitely worth mentioning.
Brunch at Romeo & Juliet
We started the month with a lovely brunch at Romeo & Juliet near Union Station. They have the cutest outdoor patio that we were happy to visit before the cooler weather set in.
The brunch menu doesn’t break any molds, but it’s solid and the dishes are dependable. The poached eggs with rustic bread, sautéed spinach, crispy bacon, feta cheese and roasted potatoes were hearty and delicious as was Tom’s sausage cassoulete. I definitely want to go back for dinner and drinks on the patio someday.
Drinks + Snacks at Mulebone
We stopped by Mulebone one evening after an event and had a wonderful time at the bar. I tried the Simms cocktail, which was delicious if you really like beets, while Tom went with beer. We shared the script board with Virginia ham, buttermilk biscuits, deviled egg, pickled vegetables, honey and pimento cheese. The biscuits may just be the best in town.
Late Night Eats at Half Smoke
We had one weekend last month where we tried to act like we were in our early/mid twenties again. It was very fun and very painful. We stopped by a party, got drinks with a friend in town from Denver and then went dancing. Naturally, a late night snack was in order, which gave us the perfect opportunity to stop by Half Smoke in Shaw.
So delicious. We were reasonable and split a traditional half smoke with cheese and chives. Tom even passed up the funnel cakes somehow. Looks like we’ve become wise in our thirties in spite of ourselves.
Celebratory Cocktails at Ocopa
We celebrated Tom’s promotion at work with cocktails at Ocopa later in the month. I had a chica sour, which was festive but perhaps a bit too sweet and Tom had another pisco cocktail the name of which escapes me at the moment.
We also had the same shrimp ceviche we enjoyed so much the last time we were there. It worries me that every time we go into Ocopa, we’re more or less the only patrons there, but I’m thinking we just tend to stop in at awkward times. For the record, the food is fresh and delicious and the drinks are great too. Check it out if you haven’t yet!
Life Updates
The majority of October was spent coming to terms with the fact that some life plans we’d constructed didn’t quite work out as we’d wanted. To keep it short, we had hoped to move close to my family for a few years but couldn’t get all the proper approvals to do so. I was really disappointed at first, but in the end I know things tend to work out as they should.
Instead of our original plan, we’ll aim to spend longer periods of time visiting family in Oklahoma and we’ll still get to spend plenty of time with our family here, and our baby niece of course. It’s a win win.
We’ll be looking for new apartments in the area in the coming months with the hopes of finding a little bit more space without a huge hike in rent – aka the pink unicorn of living situations in the district. It’s a toss-up between staying Navy Yard, moving back to our old neighborhood downtown or going completely new with somewhere in NoMa or Ivy City.
We’ve toured the Hecht Warehouse in Ivy City twice now and are obsessed with it, but haven’t found a floor plan that works perfectly yet.
The entire building is a work of art, and the amenities are unlike any I’ve seen in DC. It’s a definite contender.
We also looked at a place nearby we really like, closer to the Southwest Waterfront with a rooftop view I could certainly get used to looking at every day.
Only time will tell where we’ll end up, but until then we’ll be soaking up life in Navy Yard. I tend to get caught up in planning and figuring out the future to the point that I forget to enjoy life as it is in the moment.
I’ve been doing a lot of yoga lately, which always serves as a reminder to just be here now. I am going to work on staying in the present and focusing on the positive. Obviously, I have it pretty good considering how cute this little wiener was on Halloween.
Now we’re nearly halfway through November and the holidays are nearly upon us. The next two months will be hectic and fun with a trip to Dallas, my parents visiting after Thanksgiving, holiday parties and a long trip home for the holidays in December. All good things. All in good time. But I’m not going to rush it.
Be here now. Take care my friends!
Sorry to hear that you were unable to relocation approval to move back to Oklahoma. But like you said, things happen for a reason and you might surprise yourselves next year. Best of luck in the apartment search!