In Which I Double My Posts This Year

I find myself weighing five pounds more than the last time I got on a scale, a distressing mere three weeks ago. I know this not because I am particularly weight-conscious, this post notwithstanding, but because that was the last time I was at a home with a scale. (N.B.: If you own a scale and I've been in your house, odds are that I've used your scale -- except your high-tech one, Susan, which was unnecessarily complicated and forced me to abandon my weigh-in for fear of breaking your fancy machine.)

Aside from the sad reality of my metabolism slowing down (trump card fail me not), what makes the five-and-counting extra pounds distressing is the fact that I haven't consumed much this year that has been particularly noteworthy due to (1) moving cities and (2) moving down several tax brackets.

I did have two outstanding meals this year, though neither was in D.C. One was at the amazingly affordable and appealing Bianca in SoHo, where we treated ourselves to fried squash blossoms, chewy pappardelle with a rich wild mushroom sauce, and simple, fresh spaghettini al pomodoro that was simply perfect. It was the kind of neighborhood place that you want to adopt as your own, except I no longer lived in the neighborhood (and no, naysayers, nor did I live in SoHo even when I lived in NY, but it was certainly easier to get to then, wasn't it?). Bianca is cash-only and very popular, so plan accordingly. The second was at Bakesale Betty in Oakland, where I happily fell in line with Bay Area gourmands (I wouldn't dream of hurling an insult like "foodie") for the expertly fried chicken sandwich topped with a cool, tangy coleslaw, so good I had it as a appetizer of sorts before heading into SF for dim sum.

This is not to say that I didn't have a single good meal in D.C. all year. Pete's is always terrific for pizza and antipasti. And the truffled cheeseburger at Palena may be the best burger I've ever eaten. In life. Incredibly, it tastes even better when accompanied by the fry plate -- a delectable collection of shoestring and dauphine potatoes, onion rings, and fried lemon wedges (to cut through the grease, obvs).

So ok, perhaps it's not my declining metabolism that is to blame for the extra weight. In theory this should encourage me to exercise...restraint, that is, not actual exercise itself, silly.