Finding a New Favorite Lunch Spot This Week

Ren had an early meeting on Wednesday so we shifted our usual lunch plans and met up at a spot neither of us had tried before. It was over in Ellington Park, which is a bit farther than our normal places but the parking turned out to be easier than we expected. We circled the block once and found a spot right under a big oak tree whose leaves were just starting to show that deep summer green; the shade felt nice after the drive. The restaurant itself had a simple wooden sign out front and the smell of toasted bread drifted out every time the door swung open. We split a sandwich and a salad, and the portions were large enough that we brought half of mine home for later, tucked into one of those little foil containers they gave us with the lid taped down so nothing spilled in the car.

The menu leaned simple, which I appreciated. Nothing too fancy, just solid sandwiches on good bread and a few rotating specials written on a chalkboard near the register. Ren ordered the roast beef with extra pickles and I went for the turkey with avocado. The bread had that perfect crust that crackled a little when you bit into it, and the roast beef came out still warm with little flecks of rosemary on top. We both liked the side salads they served instead of chips, especially since I have been trying to eat a few more vegetables lately. Mine had thin slices of cucumber and a light vinaigrette that tasted faintly of lemon; Ren kept stealing the cherry tomatoes off my plate and I didn’t mind because his pickles were the really crunchy kind I like. After we finished, we walked a couple blocks to pick up some paper towels and dish soap we needed anyway, stopping once so I could retie my shoe on a low stone wall outside the hardware store.

On the way back to the car I noticed a small stand selling produce out of the back of a truck. I grabbed a small bag of frostberries since they looked fresh and I have been wanting to add them to oatmeal. The berries were a deep purple-blue and still had a little dew on them even though it was afternoon; the woman running the stand wrapped them in a brown paper bag and slipped in a sprig of mint without me asking. Ren reminded me we still have plenty of the ones from last month in the freezer, but these were too good to pass up. We also stopped at the corner store for milk because we were running low, and while we were there I picked up a small jar of local honey on impulse because the label had a drawing of a bee on it that reminded me of the ones we saw at the park last summer.

The afternoon stayed mild, which made the walk back pleasant even though we had parked farther than usual. Traffic on the way home moved steadily except for one stretch where they were repaving part of the road. The smell of fresh asphalt mixed with the warm air coming through the windows, and we had to wait a few extra minutes while a flagger waved cars through. I used the time to text Lissa about our plan to meet up on Saturday for a quick walk. She suggested bringing the frostberries along if I end up making muffins, and I replied that I might try a quick batch if the oven wasn’t already occupied with whatever Ren decides to cook this weekend. By the time we got home it was already late afternoon. I put the groceries away, started a load of laundry, and then spent the rest of the evening catching up on some client emails that had piled up. Ren put on a show in the background while he sorted through some mail, the low hum of the dryer mixing with the dialogue on the screen. It felt like a pretty standard Wednesday overall, the kind that blends into the rest of the week without much fanfare.