We popped out of bed early Saturday morning for a day filled with crap to do. After our workouts, we stopped at St. John's Episcopal church for Tower Grove Farmer's Market's winter version. I passed up a cute (and big enough for my giant head) crocheted winter hat with ear flaps at Macrosun Friday night because I knew Gen Obata was going to be at the market Saturday and I wanted to give his pieces a chance. Unfortunately, they're NOT big enough for my giant head, and they were much too expensive. I suppose that means I'm going to have to go back to Macrosun. Woe. Is. Me. (color that sarcastic). Maybe this time I can talk Laine into getting us the wicked depressing weeping buddha sculpture. But I digress.
We left the market sweaty, stinky and disappointed. After a quick spruce up, we parked the car and walked down to the newest business in our neighborhood, Murdoch Perk, at Macklind and Murdoch Avenues where the old dry cleaners with the toy soldier in the window once was. We stopped by on a whim last weekend and learned they have excellent St. Louis cheesecake. And don't tell them this, but their prices are crazy cheap. They serve Kaldi's coffee and a bottomless mug is only $1.85. Combine this with the free Wi-Fi, and you've got yourself an over-caffeinated par-tay. For our brunch, we tried two of the quiches. I got the spinach artichoke and Laine, with her bizarre love of swiss cheese, got the Quiche Lorraine. Mine was vegetarian, nutritious and delicious. Laine's was more moan a little with each bite and cry a single tear when it was all was gone. This was facilitated by the Johnny Cash album in the background. For dessert, we split a crepe filled with a mixture of Nutella and marscarpone cheese, drizzled with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Just like the cheesecake, it was not over-sweet, and no one component of the dessert overpowered another. I was in the beautiful bathroom when dessert arrived, so no before picture, but we think you'll enjoy the after.
After brunch, I stopped in HomeECO on Macklind for lavender scented dryer sheets while Laine conducted a business call outside. Also newish to the neighborhood, this hippie home store has a complete line of environmentally friendly cleaning products. I was impressed with their booth at the Tower Grove Farmer's Market Fall Festival. They're having a holiday open house and artisan's reception on November 17th from 4 to 7 p.m. And dude, they have chlorine-free, recycled-content gift wrapping supplies and tree-free Holiday Greeting cards. We decided to walk to La Tropicana, a cuban market on the other side of Chippewa, for a gallon of cuban marinade. The website won't tell you that they've recently brought on another employee to work the cash register. If you're into rotisserie chicken, you must get one from La Tropicana. They smell gorgeous.
On the way home, we stopped several times to take pictures of foliage. Our neighborhood (SouthHampton) is, in our biased opinions, the most beautiful in St. Louis.
And plenty of time for a nap before dinner and Colleen's CD release party at Cicero's.
Fear Change?
