Bar Cantinetta

It's been awhile since I did a food post! But with Valentine's this past weekend, Michael and I couldn't help but head into the city for a delicious meal.

I was really craving Italian so Michael and I made reservations at Bar Cantinetta in Madison Park. The place is small, but cozy, and the atmosphere intimate.

To start we had the wild boar polpette with endives and pomegranates, and baked cedar plank, pecorino, with truffle honey. This we paired with prosecco.

Both dishes were amazing, I'm still drooling over it.

For our mains I chose the raviolo di mare with scallops, prawns, saffron, and butter. It was so pillowy and sweet, I thought I'd happily drowned in a warm ocean. Michael stuck to the land animals, and had the roasted organic chicken breast with romesco, which was equally delicious. Both went well with our bottle of vermintino.

For dessert, we had nutella stuffed donuts sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. It was nice and hot, fluffy, chocolate, and sweet. Probably one of my top desserts in the city for sure!

Oh food, how I love thee. Let me count the ways... Kidding, but not kidding.

But that was basically our Valentine's. Always gives us an excuse to go out and splurge. The rest of the weekend I spent eating chocolate, drinking coffee, and reading (my other loves).

What do you normally do for Valentine's? Do you hang out with your friends? Watch rom coms? Or do you (like me) use it as an excuse to indulge? ;)

A Date Night: Walrus and the Carpenter

I can't believe it's the middle of October. Really guys, where did the time go? I cannot believe the agent round of Pitch Wars is three weeks away. Excuse me a moment while I hyperventilate.

Last week, I agonized over my pitch, query, synopsis, and first 250 words of my manuscript. Honestly, I think I'm overthinking it, but that didn't stop me from having a panic attack on Friday and texting my mentor about my insecurities. Brianna, as always, was encouraging and offered to help, which really calmed me down.

That night, I hung out with my writer friend Lisa over happy hour and dinner which also helped. It's nice to talk to someone who 'gets' it, someone who's on the same (though different) journey. It also made me see just how lucky I am to get the opportunity to work with someone already in the industry (thank you Brenda Drake for creating this fabulous contest). I ended the night by hanging out with Michael and his co-workers a little calmer than I felt all week.

On Saturday morning I woke up to the first 100 pages of line-edits from Brianna. Just glimpsing at the track changes overwhelmed me. I'm a REALLY anxious person so I took the day to absorb it. The day turned out pretty awesome despite the rainstorm. Michael took me out to Walrus and the Carpenter (one of our favorite restaurants) for a date night and it was amazing. I love eating sea creatures ;)

Oysters with a beautifully paired wine = heaven. I still can't get believe that I get to spend the rest of my life with this handsome fella! My stomach does flips just thinking about all the future date nights we'll get to have.

After oysters we moved on to octopus! Sliced so thin with a zesty marinade, it was absolutely divine on the taste buds. After having it this way, I rather have my octopus sliced thinly all the time thank you very much.

This was my fave dish of the night. A savory crawfish instead of the spicy creole style crawfish is normally served in, I gobbled this up and licked my fingers with no shame. Crawfish, like quail and crab, remind me of my childhood, so dishes like these always make me happy.

 

I've said this many times, but I'll say it again. This maple bread pudding is the best dessert in Seattle.

 

After this meal, you bet I woke up the next morning and worked all day on my line-edits. Delicious food is the cure for anxiety ;) Ha! At least that's what I tell myself!

 

How was your weekend?



Family visit weekend.

September has been ridiculously busy! But sometimes it's good to be busy, if being busy includes a visit from my family! This was the first time my mom and my sister who had just moved back from NY came to visit. We did all the touristy things. I think I've been on the Space Needle about 5 times now? And it will definitely be my last (I hope). Now that everyone has visited, I've made it pretty clear that I am done with all things touristy!

 



 

The weekend was really a great one though. I haven't seen my mom much this year. Even when I visit home, she has to work a lot, so it was just nice to have her vacationing up here. She's the one thing I miss most about California. (I am, and will always be, a mama's girl) ut she's very happy for me and has given me her blessings to pursue love and to reach for my dreams. Which I am beyond thankful for. She is the fuel to my fire when I write, the reason to keep on going when I feel like I can't go any longer. She is my muse, she is everything I am. I miss her already. If you are blessed to see your parents on a daily basis. Be grateful. We never know how much time we have left to spend with our loved ones.

 

Chicago Series: Cloud Gate, Buckingham Fountain, Deep Dish

 

Day 3 of our Chicago trip, I saw the bean! It reminded me of an alien egg dropped in the middle of the city. It was actually cool to see despite it being ridiculously crowded.

 

 

 

Up close, it actually had some scratches along the surfacee that I wondered how in the world do they clean it? Up above, I'm sure it would make great target practice for the birds.

 



 

 

That day we had a late start so we skipped breakfast altogether and went to Remington's for lunch. Please don't judge us, but it was a bad eating day. And when I say bad, I mean full of guilty pleasures. Mac n' cheese is my weakness and I wanted to see how the mid west did it. Creamy cheese, with texture on the top, but the noodles were a bit mushy. I need my noodles chewy. It was great to try though.

 

 

Michael ended up with the lobster roll/sandwich. It was pretty big. The portion sizes on this side of the country is nuts!

 

 

After, we walked along Millennium park until we reached the Art Institute. It's a pretty large museum with a lot to see. We ended up staying there for over two hours, but still hadn't seen everything. My aching legs won out though so we left to see the Buckingham Fountain.

 



 

After we went back to The Gage for a pick me up. Mussels and drinks! Yum.

 



 

After, we went back to the hotel to freshen up before going out to get deep dish pizza. It was cool to try, but I don't see the hype in it at all! It was monstrous, and shouldn't even be called a pizza. The cheese was rubbery and the meat probably not a high grade. The only good thing was the crust, but even that was too buttery at times. Can someone explain to me the hype? Am I just not getting it?

 



 

After that we went to get a night cap before heading to the Navy Pier for the summertime fireworks. It was another great day despite the let down of the pizza.

 

Chicago Series: Poetry Foundation, Chicago Style Hot Dog, and the Architecture Tour

Day two of Chicago was sunny and cool. We started with grabbing a quick lunch and walked along the Magnificent Mile.

 

 

Halfway through we took a left to cut through the north loop of town to see the Poetry Foundation Building which houses a complete library of poems.

 

 

The space was beautifully designed and the performance room's acoustic was right on.

 

 

It was neat going through the books as I found some poetry books from my professors at UC Davis here. We spent an hour or so reading.

 

 

Emily Dickinson is my favorite poet, so I couldn't help but take a photo of a few of my favorites.

 

 

 

By the time we were done, we were pretty hungry so we walked to Portillo's for Chicago-style dogs. I'm not a hot dog fan, but I actually thought they tasted pretty good.

 

 

After we went to this cute tea shop to rest up our legs. Next door was a Patisserie so I grabbed a few macaroons to go with our tea.

 

 

 

 

We continued our walk up the Magnificent Mile until we reached Oak Street Beach, which had a pretty cool vibe nestled just out of the hustle and bustle of all the stores. 

From there we biked along Lakeshore using city bikes, which really are the worst because I'm so tiny and can hardly fit them. I almost got into a collision with another biker within 5 minutes. From Michael's point of view, it was highly entertaining. I rolled my eyes and continued on the bike. In the end it was a cool thing to do, but it really sucks to be so short in this scenario.

 

 

For dinner we went to Union Sushi, recommended by my sister, and it did not disappoint. I loved the drinks, east coast oysters, beef skewers, and black rice sushi! The fusion vibe really worked in the restaurant's favor so I can see the appeal.

 

 

 

My picture of our dessert doesn't do it justice, but this was a mocha pumpkin cake and it was gooey, soft, and so moist packed with flavor.

 

 

To end the night we did the twilight hour of the Architecture cruise. If you are ever in Chicago, this is something to put on your must-do list. It was really fun to learn about the buildings and the city. The sights were also nice on the eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the night with a nightcap at The Gage. All in all, another great day in Chicago. Such a fun city to visit for sure!

Alinea Anniversary

September 3rd is my favorite day. In 2012 it was the day Michael and I met. Every year after on this day we usually go out for a nice dinner and celebrate. In 2013 and 2014 we explored some French restaurants in Seattle (Le Pichet and Café Campagne). But this year Michael got us tickets to Alinea. Let me repeat, because this is insane: Alinea. One of the most decorated restaurants in the world.

To quote Wikipedia:

"It currently holds the highest rating of three stars from the Michelin Guide. It has received the AAA Five Diamond Award, the highest level of recognition given by the AAA, in consecutive years from 2007 to 2014. It also ranked No. 9 on the S. Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants List, second only to Eleven Madison Park in the U.S. As of 2014, Alinea is one of two Michelin 3-star restaurants in Chicago."

Now, don't go thinking Michael and I eat this way often, because we don't. It's actually a once and a lifetime thing and it was the best meal of our lives.

That morning we flew into Chicago. After an hour of traffic we got to our hotel to freshen up, then headed for the restaurant. I would never guess it was a three-star restaurant looking at it from the outside. It was just a black door with an Alinea valet-sign on the sidewalk. But when the door opens, we were brought into this dimly lit hallway guided by lines of light along the floor leading us to an open foyer in front of stairs. To our right was the open kitchen basked in light and to the left a lounge area.

After giving the hostess our coats, we were led up the black stairs to the second floor where the restaurant was divided into three smaller spaces sectioned off by curtains. In each space the floor was carpeted, minimalizing any noise and the décor minimalistic, with great lighting that highlighted the dishes like a stage, and abstract art along the walls. The staff was all dressed in black suits with white shirts and were always attentive with a great sense of humor. The whole thing felt surreal.

In total we had 23 courses (bite size) with wine-pairings. I wish I could really give you a play by play, but no one else in the room seemed to be taking photos so I didn't think it'd be the appropriate place for that (though I did manage to sneak a few). What I will say is Alinea is worth saving up and flying out to because it wasn't just a meal. It was a whole sensory art performance. From presentation, to taste, to touch, to smell, to even sound, it delights in all the senses and something I've never experienced before. When it came to an end and we were led back the black hallway and through the double doors, I couldn't help but feel an immense sadness that it was over.

Graffiti

 

 

 

helium filled taffy balloon

 

tropical fruit and coconut ice cream

I know this night will be one I keep in my memory forever. I'll always remember our first night in Chicago like our evening in Paris: magical.

After dinner we went to 96th Floor Signature Lounge in the Hancock building for the drinks and awesome view.

view from the bathroom

 

 

the handsome fiancé

Afterwards, we were still a bit hungry since we had skipped lunch and only had a smoothie for breakfast before Alinea, so we ended the night with some pizza before heading back to the hotel.

Our first night in Chicago was so amazing, I wondered that night if the rest of our time here would be just as good.

We're engaged ♥

Dear family and friends,

 

After our amazing wine tour the previous day, I didn't think our weekend (or even life) could get any better this past Sunday. Glad to know I was wrong. I am so excited to officially announce that Michael and I are engaged!

 

What started out as just a normal day of wine tasting before making the drive back to Washington, will be a day we'll remember for the rest of our lives and I am so excited to share it with you.

 

At the recommendation of our guide Amy, we headed to the White Rose Estate, in the Dundee Hills. As we drove up we were greeted with rows upon rows of vines until we reached the landing surrounded by greenery, lavender, and the wonderful view.

 

 

From the very first taste, we knew this place was magical. The tasting room manager invited us along with a small group downstairs into the cellar where we were able to taste straight from the tanks and the barrels.

 

 

 

 

When we came back up, it started to sprinkle. Summer rain is always a rare thing that makes me pause and the scent of petrichor is one of Michael's favorites. Looking back, maybe I should have taken it as a sign that this wasn't just an ordinary day.

 

After Michael made purchases of our favorites (which we will now age and open yearly to celebrate this awesome day), we headed back to the car to put them away. Michael asked if I'd like to take a walk. This was something we always did when we stumbled upon a beautiful vineyard, so I accepted not thinking anything of it. But Michael took me down this row, my hand in his, and when we were one third in, he knelt down on one knee...

 



 

MT: *Eyes widen as he reaches into his pocket* Is this a joke? Are you joking?

MA: *Holds up beautiful ring, and I swear the clouds break and sunlight catches it making it sparkle even more* I love you now, I'll love you forever. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?

MT: OMG. *Starts sobbing like a baby, covering my face, while nodding erratically* Yes. Yes!

 



(obviously Michael is the more eloquent one in the relationship)

 

 

Everything after that was a blur. Lots of crying (well mostly on my end), hugging, kissing. Me saying 'oh my gosh' one too many times as we finished our walk and came out the other side, engaged!

 

It was absolutely perfect. No words--not even this post--can do this moment justice.

 

Now we can drop the F word whenever we want! And by that I mean fiancé/fiancée ;) Because Michael and I are getting married!!!

 

***FAQ***

When's the date?

No date yet:) Just enjoying the moment while we figure out the details.

How did you guys meet?

Paris, France, at Café Roussillon, September 3rd, 2012 in the evening.
Want more details? Check out my post, 'Love, in the City of Paris.'

Who designed the ring?

Michael

Do I love it?

YES:)

Did you know he was going to propose?

We talked about getting married for a while and I suspected it would be this summer. But at that exact moment, I was completely surprised (hence my dorky reaction). Nervously I had asked if it was a joke because it seemed so surreal that it was actually happening!

Would you like to hear Michael's side of the proposal?

Comment below if you do, and any questions you want to ask him, and maybe I can convince him to do a guest post ;)