First stop, the Joseph-Beth Booksellers at the Rookwood Pavilion on Madison Road. It's quite the massive place and, though this exterior shot shows no one, the place (and the parking lot) was absolutely packed. With just four shopping days left until Christmas, it was to be expected.
Just inside the front entrance, the cashiers were working non-stop with lines of book buyers.
We came to eat, however, and the attached Bronte Bistro was our target. They were, of course, as busy as the bookstore and we were told the wait for would be ten to fifteen minutes. Since we drove across town and because Tom was impressed by earlier visits to this bistro, we decided to wait.
They handed us this wireless device so we could shop in the bookstore. It both lights up and give a voice announcement when your table is ready. Our wait: no more than a mere ten minutes.
Lots of books attracted my attention but none so much as this one: The Beatles Invade Cincinnati by Scott Belmer with a forward by Dusty Rhodes. It was $25 which exceeded the cash I was carrying and I figured there was at least a chance our local library might carry it. The book covers the Beatles 1964 and 1966 concerts in Cincinnati. I attended the August 1966 concert at Crosley Field and there appear to be lots of pictures of that event in the book.
No more than ten minutes into our wait, we got the call to the bistro. There was only one two-person table available but other larger tables were open. In only a few minutes, they were filled, too.
The Bronte Bistro is a classy place. Our water arrived in a glass with a wedge of lemon on the side.
Tom's looking a bit like Ernest Hemingway in this shot, I think. He wore a tie-dye shirt he and Pam Beery made while still living in Findlay, Ohio in 1974. No one can say Tom doesn't get proper use out of his clothing! That's a 40 year old T-shirt, after all.
Tom and I both ordered the same thing: a broccoli quiche. They added a small amount of greens, a few grapes and three slices of cantaloupe. "Hey, I only got three grapes," Tom said to me when the waitress walked away. I found a fourth tucked under the edge of his quiche. But I gave him one of mine and we were even. The quiche, by the way, was perfect: the pie crust is the same as you'd expect on a nice homemade pie.
When we left we looked st this handbag exhibit because it's the brand Mom covets. Vera Bradley has always been a top choice for Mom. She's always on the lookout for a regular-sized handbag in shades of brown. We found none.
Then we jumped in the car and headed to a connected shopping area where there was a Yogoot store. Tom has also been here and suggested we stop there for dessert. This is also part of the Rookwood Commons area but is on Edmondson Road.
There's lots of great toppings ready to go. But we both opted for a small yogurt at $2.75, sans toppings.
I got one of their specialty flavors for December: White Chocolate Raspberry. It was truly delicious ... a tart/sweet flavor that I could have eaten twice as much of. It was a great end to a great meal.
I forget what flavor Tom had but it looks more red than mine. Strawberry? Tom can't escape eating without my camera in his face. Sorry, Tom. It's the hazard of "doing time" with me.
As we ate in the window area, I noticed a reflective chrome ball just above us. I raised the camera, zoomed in and shot us from above. You can see me holding the camera (top) and Tom trying to eat below.
Directly in front of us was the store's large display window with curved decorations on the glass. As you can see, the parking lot was full.
And so were we.
WONDERFUL DAY! :)
ReplyDelete