We’ve been getting so much snow here in Seattle this week, and I’m completely loving it! Yesterday’s snowstorm thwarted our plans for dressing up and going out for our annual holiday cocktail - hiking boots, rather than high-heeled boots, were the order of the day around here. The snow does more than any winter cocktail ever could to put me in the holiday spirit so we ended up having a really special day anyway despite our holiday date being canceled. We also unintentionally wound up visiting three restaurants that I had never been to before making the day that much more memorable.
We left the house early yesterday morning and carefully navigated down the icy sidewalks to our first stop: Kaladi Brothers Coffee. Kaladi Brothers began as an espresso cart in Anchorage, Alaska; they now have twelve locations in Alaska and one in Seattle. Robert goes to Kaladi Brothers nearly every day since it is around the corner from his work, but this was my first time. The people working there are really friendly and the space is funky and comfortable (and warm!) Their coffee is delicious and, considering that it has felt like Alaska in Seattle all week, it seemed fitting to be frequenting an Alaska-born coffee shop. An interesting side note: Kaladi Brothers coffee is also used to make Cha Dao Black Tea & Coffee Drink which you can find in grocery stores all around Seattle (and it happens to be one of Robert’s favorite beverages.) After a hot cappuccino and a hearty slice of banana bread, we slip-slided our way downtown to finish up the last of our holiday shopping.
On the way home from shopping, we decided to swing by Oddfellows Cafe, the brand new restaurant from Linda Derschang (of Linda’s Tavern and Smith fame) and Erika Burke (of Volunteer Park Cafe.) It is a beautiful space; Linda somehow always manages to make her restaurants look like they have been around forever. This big, light, airy cafeteria will be serving up simple fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Not surprisingly, the menu has a lot in common with the menus at both Smith and Volunteer Park Cafe (lots of meaty comfort foods.) Things were a little hectic and disorganized while we were there but, considering that they just opened for business this week - the snowiest week in years - we were more than willing to be patient. I had a green salad and butternut squash soup which came with a hefty chunk of seeded baguette. Robert had the grilled BLT with avocado. Both were quite tasty. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it looks like Oddfellows will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
After stopping at home just long enough for me to make a batch of Mexican Wedding Cakes and for the next big blizzard to start up, we decided to head out for dinner. Hopvine Pub was slammed so we hiked across the street to check out Olympia Pizza & Pasta instead. Olympia is the sort of pizza place every neighborhood should have with old fashioned vinyl booths and a heavy dose of cheese. It’s also one of those places that I have walked by a millions times but, for whatever reason, never really noticed before. Its old school decor and menu full of comforting Italian-American classics made Olympia the perfect cozy retreat from the snow. Plus, we scored the best table in the house: window seat right next to the Christmas tree! I ordered a glass of sangiovese and the baked cheese manicotti which arrived at my table bubbling away. I lingered over my meal in a state of bliss, taking in all the little sentimental moments happening around me: a car driving by with a snow-dusted Christmas tree on top, a man scurrying home with the bare essentials (TP and a six pack of Jubelale,) a baby with a giant smile on its face upon seeing its very first decorated Christmas tree. It was like being in my very own holiday TV special. We wandered home in the snow full and happy - a perfect end to a perfect winter day!