Ave Michaels is an out-and-proud cynical romantic who never had her heart broken (considering she has to fall in love first.)
That is until, in order to get published, she has to prove she's a versatile writer by writing a romance novel.
Throw in a...
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"In Which Reality Resounds a Siren Call"
(Pt. 1)
· · ·
"Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences."
-
Emery Allen
· · ·
12: 35 AM
Encontrarse, Downtown Square
The comforting smell of freshly-baked apple buns and newly-brewed coffee wafts in the open air, welcoming me as I walk through the smooth glass doors of Encontrarse.
I breathe into the warm delicious aroma like it was the only type of oxygen I ever knew. My stomach makes a gurgling sound.
I look around the wide space, basking in its cozy and vibrant atmosphere that reminds me of salt air and white cottages near sandy beaches under a bright Andalusian* summer sun.
Bought and built a few generations back and now owned by Oscar Benvidez-slash-Tia's dad, Encontrarse is one of the most popular and reputable restaurants in Averill's downtown area.
Aside from serving good authentic Spanish cuisine, it boasts a cultural dive into the overall culinary experience.
The whole dimension of the place was shaped like a pentagon, occupying half the block. Inside, guests are greeted by a wall of beautiful mosaics illustrating geometric patterns and vintage graphic posters of famous Spanish films and singers on white exposed brick walls. Underneath them, lines of solid wooden shelves display an array of books, decorative plates, ceramic pots, and antique memorabilia.
If you look down, you'll notice the floors are covered with countless rows of pennies coated in resin. A wooden arabesque serves as a partition* between the bar and the dining area while a stage was set on the darker far right side of the room, slightly obscured from the entrance.
What I love about the whole design though, is the mix of installation art to the classic Andalusian decor.
The handmade incandescent pipe lights, with their mason jar-covered ends, hang by the wooden beams that shoot across the ceilings.
Curtains, made of colorful recycled plastic bottle caps, beads, and fairy lights hang by the ceiling, almost resembling intricate tapestries in rich jewel tones of pomegranate, teal, canary, and squash.
