Happy Hour

2020 ~ What Happened?

/ dkaltenb / Leave a comment

So, 2020 wasn’t what most of us had hoped for or planned. With COVID-19 restrictions, your well-thought plans were more than derailed. A goal at the beginning of the year was to do something notable every month of the year. That’s didn’t happen but I suppose that was by choice.

Did you attempt to experience nature, the beauty of the pacific northwest?

Did you get out and about to support your local businesses?

At some point, most of us were asked to stay at home. I was one of those… working longer hours and spent much of the time in our household bubble. And then for a few gatherings with friends and family, stayed six feet apart #wearamask. Throughout this post, you’ll see words or hashtags in bold that may have described 2020. The Tag section for others that may seem familiar. 20 highlights for 2020 were:

  1. Caribbean Cruise and trip to Florida
  2. Cielo Cucina Mexicana in Bellevue, WA – Yum!
  3. Canlis Restaurant. Celebrated 10th wedding anniversary
  4. Some personal training happened (but the results were soon lost), donated blood
  5. Virtual NFL Draft and Disco Inferno, All In WA, re-watched Hamilton, Cirque du Soleil, Les Miserables in Concert – The 25th Anniversary production – amazing!
  6. Snoqualmie Falls and Salish Lodge. Shop. View. Hike. Picnicked, celebrated my birthday with a cake from Salish Lodge, champagne
  7. #BLM
  8. Monday’s on the deck with Metallica Monday’s
  9. Experienced the Seattle Mariners home games this season with cutouts – that’s the spirit!
  10. Outdoors at Canlis Restaurant – Crab Shack. What a treat!
  11. La Conner. Walked the town. Pumpkins. Hellams Vineyard
  12. Meet up with neighbors for street side happy hour, Zoom calls, Facetime with friends, entertaining outdoors for 2, takeout (or pickup) Smoking Monkey Pizza, Go Hawks!
  13. Wine tasting in Woodinville
  14. A walk on the Cedar River Trail; a week of haze/smoke
  15. Restaurant Homer in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The most fabulous meal of the year.
  16. Board games, online shopping. If you like soft pretzels, check out Eastern Provisions Pretzels
  17. Vote! #RBG
  18. Pike Place Market. Viewed market charm. Picked up Panettone (3) from DeLaurenti’s Food & Wine. And couldn’t pass up a Hom Bow (and more) at Mee Sum Bakery
  19. Snoqualmie Winter Lights and Snoqualmie Brewery
  20. Almost finished outstanding photo albums using Shutterfly

Maybe there are a few listed here that can brighten your 2021. Where will we go then?

May we continue to acknowledge those that we’ve lost this year.

Pizzeria Pulcinella…and other dining experiences in May

/ dkaltenb / Leave a comment

May (as it is my birthday month) caters to going out more often.   And yes, I had others to share in the variety of selections noted below.  The #1 choice this month was Pizzeria Pulcinella in Seattle, WA (southend of Rainier Ave).  Great for a date night!  It has an ambiance and a feeling as if you are in a local pizzeria in Italy.  The centerpiece of the pizzeria is the Valoriani wood fire oven from Italy.  The oven design allows the pizza to be baked in about 90 seconds at a temperature of 800 -900 degrees, which is a key element of authentic Neapolitan pizza.  We enjoyed a caesar salad, the Vesuvio pizza, and cream puffs for dessert.  Bridgette J. has been our server on different occasions…and is wonderful!  Rated best wood-fired pizza in Seattle in Seattle Magazine’s 2009 Best Restaurants issue.  http://www.pulcinellapizza.com/index.htm 

An overview of some of the others:

The Pumphouse – http://www.pumphousebellevue.com/ Bellevue, WA.  A Bellevue landmark since 1978.  A great selection of brews, some of the best hamburgers around (in my opinion), and a great place to gather to watch your favorite sporting event.

Brix Wine Cafe – http://www.brixwinecafe.com/  Kirkland (Juanita area) WA.  Happy Hour is served daily throughout the entire cafe 4-6 pm and the last hour.  Good to meet up with friends or co-workers.  Sangria.  Parking is limited.  A variety was sampled:  Truffle Fries, Chipolte Hummus & Grilled Flatbread, Brix Mac & Cheese, Prosciutto & Arugula Flatbread Pizza, Pesto Chicken Flatbread Pizza.

Chandler’s Crabhouse – http://www.schwartzbros.com/chandlers.cfm  Located in Seattle on Lake Union.  Deck with views.  Generous Happy Hour 3:30 – 6:30 pm and 9-11 pm nightly…selections tried were the Brie Wedge, Tempura Prawns & Asparagus, Colorado Lamb Riblettes, Crab & Artichoke Dip, and the Sliced Sirloin Slider.  Good size bar area.  Ira the manager on duty and the staff are top notch.

Matt’s in the Market – http://www.mattsinthemarket.com/  Pike Place Market, Seattle.  A charming, intimate setting with views of Elliott Bay and the hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market below.  Although we were able to be seated upon arrival, reservations are recommended as this hotspot fills up quickly.  Lunch included Seared halibut fishwich with a cup of Seafood chowder, simple green salad (which includes bleu cheese, pumpkin seeds, roasted garlic dressing), chips & dip, and a custard style chocolate dessert.  This was my first time at Matt’s (after all these years in the Seattle area), and will definitely return.

The Red House – http://www.redhousebeerandwine.com/default.asp  Renton, WA.  Tapas are the specialty of this local establishment with an extensive selection of wine and beer for both in-house and retail purchase.  Wednesdays offer wine tasting and food from 6-8 pm for $20 per person with a different selection of wineries each week.

The Met Coffee & Wine Bar – http://www.themetwinebar.com/ Renton, WA.  Located in the heart of downtown Renton, WA, the Met Coffee and Wine Bar specializes in Northwest wines (plus a number of others thrown in) by the glass or bottle.  Constantly rotating specialty draft beer selections…so, stop in to see what is on tap this week!  The coffee is top notch in this Wi-Fi hotspot.   Relax in the large armchairs and sofa in front of the cozy fireplace or gather with friends at a number of tables (that promote gathering).  Sample some light fare and on Tuesdays during the summer/Renton Farmers Market, join Mike, the owner for a barbeque out on the patio.  Join the wine club!  Every Thursday, join the loyal following for wine tasting from 5-7 pm.  Cheers!