The other day I was rummaging around in the crisper drawer of my refrigerator and what I found was anything but crisp. About a month ago I had purchased two heads of cabbage and I used most of it to make kim chi, a Korean-style sauerkraut, which sits quietly bubbling on my counter as I type these words. The remainder (about one third of a head) I put in the crisper drawer for future use, possibly a stir-fry or soup.

It’s late summer and I am hoping for many more evenings of dinners on patios. And just a few more stolen afternoons on the beach. In Buffalo, the collective psyche draws a line in the sand on Labor Day and begins a descent into fall. I hope to make this transition to winter a slow one. Here are some ways to cope with the oncoming dark and cold.

If you’re in the mood for a glass of wine after work or looking to invest in a bottle, consider The Wine Thief, on the corner of Bryant and Elmwood (431 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, 332-2929). The former Solid Grounds coffee shop is hardly recognizable, thanks to a major renovation that turned the premise into a sophisticated Napa-style wine bar.