“real life.”
pesto mashed potatoes; hearts of palm salad with peppers, celery, and herbs; honey dijon brussels sprouts; sautéed broccoli rabe with cherry tomatoes and parmesan.
My family uses a lot of endearing terms to describe our yearly August vacation. Heaven. Paradise. Dreamland. Perfection.
Taking a vacation, I think, is so important, and I will always believe in using the time I am allotted in order to refresh and recharge. But in my dad’s words, vacation can’t ever be an “escape.” You have to love your life, because the other 50 weeks of the year, your life is what you’re living.
Waking up Sunday morning in the city, I had earplugs in to drown out the conversations from the apartment upstairs as I slept. In my windowless bedroom, I woke up in darkness. Faced with an empty refrigerator, I walked a few blocks for some breakfast fruit, handing cash to the Asian grocer. I was home in New York, and like vacation was the dream it always seems to be, I dove back into my real life.
Yesterday, that meant catching up with my good friend Emily over a chilly beverage at The Summit, our very favorite East Village bar – loved for its relaxed yet refined atmosphere and brilliantly crafted list of not-at-all sweet cocktails. After draining our apertifs [mine: bourbon, lemon, peach apricot chipotle chili agave, shiso leaf, peach bitters], we made our way to Westville East to enjoy plates of perfect vegetables.
Westville is one of the few restaurants that I happily return to again and again: their market menu lets a vegetable fiend such as me create a dinner made entirely of green goodness. Every selection on that menu ranks high in flavor [the brussels sprouts might change your life]. It is a testament to the truth that healthy food never has to be bland or boring, which may be one of my personal mantras.
Our table last night was up against the open window, my seat a long ledge in front. On a Sunday evening, the restaurant was packed, the humidity was heavy, and I fell right back into summer in the city. No way do I want an escape from this life.
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Oh, back to reality. It seems like you’re sliding back into daily life quite smoothly! I’ve never been to Westville but always grab their take-out menu when I walk by and pore over it.