Seattle Weekend Date Ideas: Splurge Vs. Steal

SPLURGE VS. STEAL!

It's the week of Thanksgiving! Which means so many things to me: food, family, fun, friends, time off work, and FOOD! It also means, it's OFFICIALLY the holiday season, which means, if you know me, it is the happiest time of my life. I love love LOVE Christmas. Really, i love all of December. There is something MAGICAL that happens to people this time of year. Togetherness. A time for happy. And sharing. And giving. and LOVE.

What better time to take your sweetie out and show him or her that you care? And with Seattle's holiday festivities kicking off the Friday after Thanksgiving, there are plenty of things happening in the city that you can take advantage of. With that, I give you (an early installment) of this week's Splurge vs. Steal!

SPLURGE!

What better way to kick off the holiday season than with the most famous and beloved Christmas tale, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It's playing at the ACT Theater (700 Union Street) through December 27th, and is a must-see!

Brett took me last year and we had an amazing time. The ACT Theater is a unique one, with Colosseum-type seating and the stage set in the center, so every seat in the house is the best seat in the house!

According to their website, this is the ACT Theater's 34th annual production of Dickens' classic tale of grouchy 19th century tightwad Ebenezer Scrooge, who is reminded of the true meaning of Christmas – and life – with the help of three spectral guides. Since the play's debut at ACT in 1976, more than 600,000 people have joined Scrooge on his journey. Join in for this delightful downtown holiday tradition!

Tickets are $32/each and can be purchased online. Leave an hour or so early and grab a bite to eat at Ethan Stowell's UNION Restaurant. You won't be disappointed!

Complete the evening with a stay at Hotel Max, Seattle’s the Most Artistic Downtown Hotel (620 Stewart Street)! The Hotel Max offers an artistic setting for both business and pleasure, and provides the platform for both emerging and established Seattle artists and photographers. Follow them on Twitter for discounts, deals, and a special Twitter rate!

STEAL!

This year's Tree Lighting Celebration & Holiday Parade is happening this Friday, November 27, at Westlake Center in Downtown Seattle.

This holiday tradition is held in downtown Seattle every year, and gets crazier and crazier every year! It features a full-day of Holiday Fun, including the Downtown Holiday Parade beginning at 8:45 AM, then the official lighting of Westlake Center's Holiday Tree and Macy's Star at 5 PM... all in conjunction with a really spectacular fireworks display.

Start the night off with some appetizers at Icon Grill! On the Friday of the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Icon Grill hosts its Christmas kick-off (2-5pm) and transforms itself into a unique yuletide experience filled with Christmas spirit. The restaurant is adorned with lushly decorated trees festooned with ornaments, garlands, wreaths and lights, and wrapped presents heaved beneath them. The holiday menu will also be available!

The Grinch’s Roast Beef ($20.95)
Marinated roast beef served with “Who” holiday potato smash and jus
Holiday Wreath Salad ($14.95)
Smoked chicken, toasted hazelnuts, dried cranberries, blue cheese & apples in pomegranate vinaigrette
Partridge in a Pear Tree ($19.95)
Game hen with ginger-cranberry glaze, winter root puree & roasted pears
Candy Cane Cake ($8.95)
Layers of red velvet & white chocolate cakes with Rumplemintz & white chocolate icing
“Build Your Own” Holiday Cookie Plate ($7.95)
Sugar cookies & gingerbread men with tasty toppings

After the tree lighting, fight your way through the crowd over to Pacific Place for a bit of shopping (don't forget Barnes and Noble!), then continue the night with a Neapolitan at Von's, and finish with an evening ride on the downtown Carousel!

Cheers, Happy Holidays, and Happy Dating!

xo,
B&M

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xo,

B&M

Date Night con Serafina!

November 19, 2009:
Serafina on Eastlake

She Said: One of Brett's and my favorite restaurants in Seattle is the quaint little Italian joint on Eastlake, Serafina!(2043 Eastlake Ave E, (206) 323-0807).

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle and the big city buildings, it maintains an urban feel but also transports you to another place and time as you walk through the door. With a quaint European courtyard in the back yard (perfect for summer dining), live music on special occasions, and a crowded and closely seated dining room (again, feels very European), Serafina boasts its unique mystique that simply cannot be replicated at any other Seattle restaurant. At least not one that we've ever been to. These reasons together are why it is one of our favorite dining spots in this city.

Last night was Brett's turn to plan Date Night, and he decided to take me here. We had a lot to celebrate, and felt this was a great place to do it! Also, Serafina is participating in Seattle's Dine around Seattle promotion, so we thought we could take advantage of a $30 three-course meal! Another reason to celebrate!

We were seated immediately (Brett called ahead for reservations, since it's such a small seating area--reservations recommended!) in this cute little nook by the front door. At first, we were put off having to sit right by the hostess table, people walking past us left and right, but after a few minutes of fabulous people watching, we quickly decided this was the best seat in the house! Looking over the Dine Around Seattle Menu, we decided to go off the standard menu after seeing a couple selections we could not pass up.

Our waitress was outstanding! We were about to order the salume appetizer ($12.95) when Brett and I both saw the mussels listed (same price) ... the waitress immediately recommended the mussels and proceeded to tell us why... and she was SO right. When they arrived, Brett and i literally inhaled them. They were gone even before our waitress brought us extra bread! (yes, extra bread -- and it comes with a beautiful garlic-infused olive-oil that is to DIE for!)

After inhaling the mussels (and both our wines), we decided to order a couple beers and our mains -- Brett ordered the flat iron steak, potatoes, and roasted veggies that was on the special menu (they print a new menu each night featuring 3 special dishes!) for about $32, and I ordered the Cappe Sante ai Sanguinaccio (Seared sea scallops with baby turnips, roasted cauliflower, golden raisins and pine nuts; finished with a citrus vinaigrette, $26.95).

They came relatively quickly and were both AMAZING!

We ate until our bellies were full, as our waitress came by frequently to check in on us. Not too intrusive, but just enough to know that she was looking after us.

All in all, was an amazing night of great food, great drink, great atmosphere, great service, great celebrating, and best of all, great company. If you haven't yet been to Serafina, go immediately. And there is no better time than now, with the Dine Around Seattle promotion! Tell them Brett and Mandy sent you! Salute!

RATINGS:

Romance: 5

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 5

All Around Service: 5

Cost: Entrees from $22+

Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! And can we come with you?

Seattle Weekend Date Ideas: Splurge Vs. Steal

SPLURGE VS. STEAL!

Well, it's Thursday. Which means I'm probably not the only one who is in desperate need of the Weekend. And a drink. Which happens to be the theme of this week's installment of Splurge vs. Steal!

SPLURGE!

Now, you all know that Brett and I love us some beer. But we also love wine! Really, we're alcoholics we don't discriminate when it comes to booze.

So, we thought we'd alert our fabulous fellow wine-o readers of this weekend's fabulous wine event, happening November 21st, 2009 at Fremont Studios : Seattle's hottest wine event returns this fall! Featuring more than 75 of the hottest Washington winemakers pouring their $30 and under favorites (2 pours from each), and the trendiest up-and-coming chefs from 15 restaurants serving delicious culinary treats. It's designed to be an unintimidating and fun night where winemakers mingle with the crowd. Plus, there's a DJ, which means: DANCING!!

Of course, the 35 and under “at heart” are welcome as well. ;)

Tickets on sale now! $50 Single, $90 Pair HOURS: 6 - 10p.m.

STEAL!

Love wine but the above event isn't quite your thing? Why not play the Wine Game with your special someone?

"What in the world is the Wine Game, Brett and Mandy??"

I'm glad you asked: Get together with your sweetie for a night in. Each of you provides one (or two, or three) bottles of wine (as cheap as $2.95 each at your friendly Trader Joe's!), but first, cover the label with paper so your honey can't see what type of wine it is.

Next, you open the first bottle and have a sip. Or a glass. Or several glasses.

Each of you has to write down FIVE DESCRIPTIVE WORDS that you think will show up on the label somewhere (no cheating in using words like 'wine' or 'alcohol content' -- think up creative words like 'fruity' or 'nutty' or 'earthy' or 'sexy' or 'flabberghastingly good' ... which is my favorite.) Write them down, then once you have both completed your lists, compare with the wine label and see who is closest!

With each round, you can think up a new 'punishment' for the loser, or 'reward' for the winner. Email us if you need suggestions.

Why not put in a good movie as background noise? Here is a list of the Top Ten Wine Movies of all time. And yes, Sideways is one of them!

(This couple has the right idea! not sure if Brett and I are good enough to guess the BRAND, but hey, we'll keep practicing!)

Cheers, and Happy Dating!

xo,
B&M

Seattle Date Night: Noodles and Pinball!

October 1, 2009:
Noodle Ranch and Shorty's

He Said: Belltown and quality are synonyms. Arguably the capital of Seattle’s restaurant scene, the place is full of varied and wonderful restaurants. With that, the age old saying “you get what you pay for” is definitely the norm.

It categorically draws a different crowd compared to other Seattle burrows. Check out my Big Picture post for a definition on "wankers"!

I digress. One Belltown restaurant very must against the norm mentioned above is the Noodle Ranch on 2nd and Bell. Bringing together a flavorful and fresh menu at a price that doesn’t require your last three pay slips and pre approval, the Noodle Ranch is conveniently located in the heart of Second Ave’s restaurant and bar cluster.

I got to know it well when I first moved here on a night the lads and I invented called “Suicide Wednesday”. I highly recommend this for people new to the area. Basically it involved going out on the lash on Wednesday nights ultimately with one person "committing suicide" by not turning up to work the next day. Bloody ripper of a night! Anyways, we’d always kick off in this area.

[Me and Mandy at Noodle Ranch!]

For my meal, I enjoyed the lemongrass chicken ($9) and Mandy had the Vermicelli noodles with chicken ($9). Both fresh, flavorful and filling. Back that up with a couple of great beers on tap and you’ll enjoy a 5 star meal all round.

[Vermicelli Noodles/Lemongrass Chicken]

After tea, we headed right next door to a bar call Shorty's. Shorty’s stands out from the crowd due to its extensive array of pin ball machines! With a room dedicated to the classic entertainment device, they have machines dating from way back when they were first invented through to the modern marvels with all of bells and whistles. The last time I played a pin ball machine was the Top Gun machine at our local fish n' chip shop back in '85, so it was a nice piece of nostalgia. A nice way to round out a tame (and inexpensive!) datenight.

Lastly I want to give a shout out to my good mate Will who suggested this datenight. Ask for him at the Noodle Ranch and he’ll look after you.

Cheers, Brett

**Shorty's is cash only, so be sure to bring some! They have a change machine, too, so you can snag quarters to play all night long!

RATINGS:

Romance: 3: Not the most "romantic", per se, but VERY fun and different! Great unique interior at both locations!

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 4 (see above)

All Around Service: 4 Noodle Ranch was great! Shorty's isn't known for their customer service...

Cost: $$ = entrees from $8 - 13

Would we recommend it? 4: ABSOLUTELY! It's a fun and affordable evening, and if you're left with extra quarters, perfect for weekend laundry!

Sunday Night Date Idea

Chowder and charity? Sounds like a great combo! Where can we find that? Why, at the Chowder Cook-Off November 15 at Union, Benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Ethan Stowell's 2009 cook-off series comes to an end with a Chowder Smackdown. Participants just announced - chefs include: Ethan Stowell, Heather Earnhardt and David Howe (Volunteer Park Cafe), Dan Braun (Oliver's Twist), Brain Cartenuto (Cantinetta), Vuong Loc (Portage), and Craig Hetherington (TASTE). The lone food enthusiast battling against the chefs is Darren "always in the top three" Vengroff.

Stowell has rounded up a savvy group of chowder enthusiasts, and the competition promises to be stiff. With all the chowder options available, New England, Manhattan, Salmon, Corn, and anything else this talented crew dreams up, this is sure to be a delicious event!

Each cook will make a pot of chowder and bring it to Union to be eaten and judged. Guests will be given a scorecard, and then will proceed to enjoy beer as they taste and rate each bowl of chowder. After much bribery and deliberation, a winner will be declared. The winner of the Chowder Smackdown will receive dinner for six at Union, Tavolàta, How to Cook a Wolf, or Anchovies & Olives, and of course, bragging rights!

The Chowder Smackdown is Sunday, November 15 at Union. The fun begins at 6pm. The cost to attend is $50/person and includes all the chowder you can eat, green salad, crusty bread, and tap beer. All proceeds from the evening go to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Reservations are highly recommended, as past cook-offs have sold out. For reservations, call Union at (206) 838-8000.

Brett and I participate in the LLS's Annual Columbia Tower Climb, but won't be able to participate in 2010 due to a ski weekend away... perhaps we should take our entry fee and head to this instead! It is, after all, for a great cause!

xo,

B&M

Image of Ethan Stowell via.

Seattle Weekend Date Ideas: Splurge vs. Steal!

It's that time of the week again: Thursday! Which means in TWO DAYS Brett and I will be up at Crystal Mountain for our first run of the season (and my maiden voyage to Crystal - I'm so nervous!)!

That is, however, if Brett snaps out of this whole 'being sick' thing... he woke up this morning feeling like a truck hit him. Which, let me tell you, is not the BEST feeling in the world. This means that tonight's Date Night will consist of me in one of these:

Feeding him some of this:

While i do this (so i, too, don't get sick!):

And nurse him back to health so we can do this:

With that said, i will pass on to you my jewels of wisdom for the fun things happening this weekend. Yes, it's this week's installment of Splurge vs. Steal!

While my ULTIMATE Splurge date idea for you is to purchase a $500 - $900 season's pass at one of the 11 AMAZING mountain ski areas we are lucky enough to have within a 5 hour driving range of this city... that is just TOO expensive for a Date Night. (Although, definitely stay tuned for some snow-related Date Night posts in the future!)

So instead, I thought I'd share with you This Saturday's Wine Dinner at Volunteer Park Café. Saturday at 7pm, for $95, come and enjoy a multi-course meal paired with wine from Efeste Winery.

Wine dinners at the Volunteer Park Cafe are not your grandfather’s wine dinner — no white linen tablecloths, no intimidating line-up of crystal stemware, no uncomfortable silence while guests swirl, sniff, and sip. Volunteer Park Cafe wine dinners are much like the cafe itself — funky, casual, and tons of fun! Reservations are required and can be made by calling VPC at (206) 328-3155. For more information, click HERE! Cheers!

And, if $95/per person is a bit too steep for you, but you still want to do something fun and cultural... For only $7 per person, you can go and check out the Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra while they play at Town Hall this Saturday at 7.30.

This season-opener at Town Hall (1119 8th Ave, Seattle) will include Helios Overture, one of the most famous short orchestral works by Danish composer Carl Nielsen; Brahms’ Variation on a Theme by Haydn, first performed in 1873 by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Brahms’s baton; Wagner’s Prelude to Act I (from Lohengrin), marked by a grand, all-encompassing climax; and the dramatic one-movement Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber, the first American work performed at the Salzburg Festival.

Start the evening off three blocks west at Purple Cafe and Wine Bar (1225 4th Avenue (206) 829-2280‎)) where you can order a couple of inexpensive nibblies from the 'taste bar' ($3-$6/each) and a flight of wine (only $6 for white, $7 for red)!

Image via.

Thanks to @seattle_events for BOTH these great date ideas! Follow @seattle_events on Twitter for even more amazing ideas for great dates!

(Also deserving a mention, This weekend is Columbia Winery's Taste of Red! The winery's annual red wine event features barrel tasting, food vendors & music. Tickets are $10 for members, and $20 for the general public!)

Happy weekend, and Happy Dating!

xo,

B&M

Seattle Date Night: Oui, Oui, Ew Ew!

November 7th, 2009:
Bodies Exhibit and Chez Shea

She Said:

So this weekend, Brett and I decided to take our own dating advice. We both love gross things. We both love bodies. We both love the show Grey's Anatomy. We both love downtown Seattle. We both love beef jerky. We both love Monster Trucks. SO, where can you find all of these things minus the Monster Trucks in one place? Why, the Bodies Exhibit of course!

Saturday night, we headed down to 5th and Pike Street (the old Adidas building across from Banana Republic) and, for $19/per person, gained access to some of the most gruesome and awesome sights of our lives.


We went into this exhibit with only minimal knowledge: We knew that it was a display of once-alive human bodies. We knew we would have access to sights that most people don't get to see without an MD... or jail time. We knew that there was some controversy surrounding the exhibit. Apart from that, we didn't know much. The space was small but held a ton of information. About 7 or 8 full human bodies posed in positions that showed how the muscles and bones and joints work... They had on display black lungs, a cirrhosis liver, a breast tumor, both sets of reproductive organs, gall stones... It had an entire section that showed the nervous system (no idea how they did this... was amazing) and of course, the famous 'body slice' guy...well, a couple of them.


WOW.

Was pretty amazing. VERY gross, but also pretty amazing to see the insides of my body. There was also a booth where you could go and actually FEEL some of the body parts. Yes, Brett and i held brains and liver. We immediately sanitized the bejeesus out of our hands...

...Before heading out to eat dinner!

Brett's original plan for dinner was Sushi. I however, had some apprehension on eating Sushi after seeing what we were going to see ... Once he'd been through the exhibition, Brett agreed. So instead, we decided to wander down Pike Street towards the Market.

We settled for French food at Chez Shea instead (thank GOD!).

We were able to snag the last table in the lounge (lucky... we didn't have reservations and it was 8.30 on a Saturday night!). Chez Shea is a cute little French bistro located above the Pike Place Market. It is small and cozy. The wait staff is super friendly.


We ordered a half-carafe of wine each (Brett the red, me the white) for only $5 per (they each hold about 2 glasses of wine). The white was beautiful! I ordered my meal from the special 2+1 for $25 menu, and got mussels, a crab salad, and small cheese plate. Brett ordered the rack of lamb ($29). Our bread and herb-infused oil arrived and we dug in.

We started to talk about the Bodies exhibit and how we thought it was strange that all the bodies were all clearly of Chinese descent. This of COURSE made Brett want to research it instantly, so he whipped out Wikipedia on his iPhone.

We soon learned that the Bodies exhibit that we had attended was one of two Bodies exhibits touring the world. One (Body World) used full-consenting donors for the bodies displays. The other (Bodies, the Exhibition... the one we went to) was rumored to have used bodies who were once Chinese prisoners that had been executed. And sold to the exhibit. Without consent. On the Black Market. For $300.

Brett and I were flabbergasted! We couldn't' believe what we were reading. It made the whole experience that we had just been through all that more creepy and gruesome!

Brett seriously couldn't shake the feeling. Until, of course our mussels arrived.

(Yes, i started making EXTREMELY crude jokes about 'mussels' ... and the bodies we had just seen... to where Brett almost punched me in the face across the table.)

But all jokes aside, the mussels were AMAZING. They were in a warm butter broth with chunks of chorrizo. The combination of the spicy chorrizo, the salty mussels and the rich broth worked magically together.

Brett's lamb arrived along with my crab salad. Neither of us were overly impressed. Brett was expecting more than just two small pieces of lamb for the $29. My crab salad was tiny and not very flavorful... and it took quite a while for us to get our food. The waitress (she was very sweet!) had to apologize twice for the wait. No matter, we weren't in a hurry. But just make note of that if you're headed to a show or a movie or Showgirls afterwards.

We finished the meal with a small cheese plate that was part of my 2+1 for $25 dish, and Brett had an espresso. We nibbled on 3 amazing cheeses and finished our wine. The bill came and there was a mistake on it (they had charged us for 2 of the 2+1 for $25 AND for Brett's lamb) so we alerted the waitress and she was mortified. Made the change immediately.

We left full and satisfied, and headed home after an interesting evening.

I highly recommend seeing the Bodies Exhibit, even though it did leave both Brett and me feeling a bit dirty.

However, there isn't a lot of opportunity in life to see what we saw on Saturday night... we learned a lot, and i can say it is one of the most memorable Date Nights I've ever had!! (A tip, though -- do NOT go to Sushi for dinner afterwards!)

**Also of note! Chez Shea is participating in this month's Dine Around Seattle: 3 Course Meals for $30! Check out their offerings here!

RATINGS:

Romance: Bodies exhibit: 2/Chez Shea: 5

Cool Ambiance/Interior: Both: 4

All Around Service: Chez Shea: Slow service, but very friendly: 3

Cost: Bodies exhibit: $19ea/Chez Shea: ~$35ea

Would we recommend it? 4: Yes on both, but keep an open mind.

**Photography wasn't allowed inside the Bodies Exhibition, so photos via, and via. Chez Shea photos via and via.

Seattle Date Night: Viva La France!

November 5, 2009
French Night Date Night!

He Said:

Right, so this is a cracker of an idea. And before you scoff lads, I’m going to spell out clearly why it can be doubly good for you whether you plan it or whether your missus plans it.

French Night is a date that Mandy invented way back when we first started dating.

Mandy rehashed it last night with great successes.

Basically it’s dinner and a movie but as the name suggests, with a French theme.




With a date like this, you can make it as simple or as fancy as you like. You can go out to a French restaurant followed by the theatre or do what we did and prepare it all at home. I much prefer what we did and to make it simple for you guys I’m gunna give you a shopping list for all you need.

Shopping List:

- Camembert cheese
- Crackers
- Apple
- French wine
- Pre-prepared Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Salad to order
- French movie

Too easy.

All of the above can be found easily at any supermarket. As for the movie, I suggest ducking down to any Blockbuster. Most will have an international section that’ll source you all movies French. We watched Mandy’s all time favourite Amelie. A classic and quirky film that most will enjoy once you get over reading the subtitles.

Again lads I hear you scoff over the subtitles! To be honest I was the same way, way back when but here’s why it’s a winner.

Apparently all things French are romantic. If you pull off a date like this you’ll appear cultured, travelled, intelligent and romantic. Parts of this I don’t get as I haven’t met many intelligent Frenchmen but whatever.

It is unique. Organize a simple French date night on Thursday and you’ll get enough brownie points to last you the rest of the weekend of uninterrupted football and beer. Result.

Now for the next part, I’m gunna have to ask mum to run off and grab a coffee, put on home and away. Girls take special, SPECIAL note here.

This is for when you organize it and another thing to keep the men interested!

You see, Mandy is all about the details. That’s one thing I love about her. She does things properly.

And as we just had Halloween, what’s one outfit that comes to mind when you hear French?? Of course a French Maid.

Mandy was kind enough to don the full garb for our date last night. Tie back hat and all.

Enough said... and let me assure you, well worth the subtitles!

Cheers,

Brett

RATINGS:

Romance: 5

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 5

All Around Service: 5+++ when Mandy's in charge!

Cost:
My grocery list complete with wine was $50. I recommend spending an extra $30 on the costume! Your honey (unless he's a chump) will thank you for weeks! ;)

Seattle Weekend Date Ideas: Splurge Vs. Steal

SPLURGE VS. STEAL!

Hello, dear readers! With Halloween behind us, and Thanksgiving just around the corner, November is officially here, and with it, the crazy windy weather. What better reason to find some fun things to do INDOORS this weekend!

With that theme in mind, here is this week's installment of Splurge vs. Steal!

SPLURGE!

When the Bodies exhibit came to Seattle a few years ago, I kicked myself for not attending (perhaps i was just waiting for someone special to share the romantic experience with!). As contravercial as it is, this exhibit, which features actual human specimens--allows people of all ages access to sights and knowledge normally reserved only for medical professionals.

Take the opportunity to peer inside yourself, to better understand how your elaborate and fascinating body works, and how you can become a more informed participant in your own health care.

Tickets are $19, and Bodies is open Sunday - Thursday : 10:00 am - 7:00 pm Friday - Saturday : 10:00 am - 10:00 pm (Last admission time is 1 hour before closing). 1501 5th Ave, Seattle (5th and Pike Street, downtown).

End the night with some cocktails at Suite 410 in Belltown, with plenty of stiff drinks and dark corners to set the scene for rehashing the evening's events... (if, that is, you still have an appetite, or the desire to abuse your liver!)

Suite 410: 410 Stewart St, (206) 624-9911

(thanks to @bmarr for the great Date Night idea!)

STEAL!

And now, for those of you who are less obsessed with death and the human body, and more obsessed with Art, why not head down to the Seattle Art Museum this Friday for REMIX?

Four Fridays a year, SAM Remix, a late-night event geared toward adults ages 18 and up, features Seattle's hottest DJs, films, performances, activities and My Favorite Things tours that together create a fun, engaging, social atmosphere.

This Friday's event features: * A talk by artist Heide Hinrichs at 8:30 pm* A temporary tattoo parlor featuring Michelangelo-inspired designs by artists Allison Manch and Ariana Page Russell* A reading by poet Melanie Noel in response to SAM Next: Heide Hinrichs* Mashups spun by Tigerbeat* Performances by Scratchmaster Joe and DJ Riz of KEXP in the Brotman Forum*Cellist Paul Rucker playing live in the galleries* Stilt dancer Janet Rayor in the Brotman Forum and so much more - all for only $10 bucks!

And, since it only happens four times a year, it's definitely worth checking out (if not just for the stilt dancers!!)

Grab a drink or a bite at Ethan Stowell's Union Restaurant beforehand (Happy Hour 5-7pm) to make a night out of it!

(Also deserving a mention, through the 15th of November, The Can Can presents Seattle's International Cabaret Festival! Click here for the schedule, with fun and colorful shows happening all througout downtown Seattle!)

Happy November, and Happy Dating!

xo,

B&M

Guest Date Night Blog: The Eastside's Best Steakhouse!

October 27th, 2009
Melrose Grill in Renton

She Said:

My husband and I have been dating now for 22 years! At times that takes quite a bit of creativity and planning. However, in the last year or so we have become one of a loyal following of people who have come to love the Melrose Grill in Renton as our own date night spot.

Fairwood is our little corner of suburbia in Renton. So, we travel down the hill in search of what's happening closer to town frequently. After many of our neighbors up here in the burbs had been raving about the Melrose Grill we had a chance to try it out last year and we have been going back as frequently as possible ever since.



When asked the other day to compare the Melrose Grill to another local spot in Renton, this was my response:

"In contrast to (unmentioned restaurant), the Melrose Grill has wisely learned that to offer a fantastic value in the experience of going out to eat, you don't have to offer a giant menu of options. Creating a smaller menu where everything you try is excellent will keep me coming back every time."
The Melrose Grill is small, cozy, and exceedingly friendly. They have a bartender who is witty and keeps us entertained if we have to wait a few minutes for a table. The wait staff is charming as are the owner and manager.

An excellent steak or seafood choice at the Melrose Grill, pre-dinner cocktail, and wine with dinner has consistently run a bill of about $130 for the two of us. Truly, a value when you consider the leftovers are to die for!

Having been in retail for over 25 years, I know and practice good "Nordstromesque" service and this place does it so nicely. Melrose Grill has successfully stolen our hearts away from a VERY high-end steak house with the value of the very best Rib Eye we have found nowhere else!

Come on down to Renton and have a fun Date Night!

xo,
Christina

Melrose Grill
www.melrosegrill.com

819 Houser Way S
Renton, WA 98057-2784
(425) 254-0759

About David and Christina:

David is project manager for a local software company by day but, is actually a rock star Bassist for a number of local area bands, such as www.TheAboutFaceBand.com,
Twitter: @Dave_Bassist

Christina is The Personal Garden Coach, a Horticultural Cheerleader, Designer, and Teacher. In her spare time, she is in the garden, at the nursery selling great plants or designing combo planters.
Twitter: @Arcadia1