Luc {Closing Night}

When Christian found out that Luc, his favorite restaurant in Seattle, was closing for good he was crushed.  Where would he be able to get his beloved boeuf bourguignon now?!?  We waited way too late to make reservations for their final days but Friday afternoon while randomly perusing Open Table I saw they had an opening for 2 for Saturday night, their final night of service.  I quickly made the reservation {to also serve as a belated anniversary dinner} so Saturday night we headed over to Madison Valley for one final meal with The Chef in the Hat.  Luckily we were seated outside {the weather was perfect} and after a first round of bubbles {me} and a cocktail {him} we finally placed our order of some of our favorites.  Everything was delicious, albeit incredibly slow {we didn't even get to order a second glass of wine until our main courses were already finished, though they kindly comped us each half a glass for the wait}, and we were able to watch as Thierry himself made the rounds to say a last goodbye to all of his regulars.  As we walked out of the restaurant and ran into Chef himself, we thanked him for the food and wished him the best of luck in retirement.  Though the service was slow and it was after dark by the time we left, I'm so happy we got to try this place one last time and most importantly, celebrate 4 years of being together!  Cheers to that!

{burrata salad with tomatoes and nectarines & smoked salmon croquettes}

{steak frites}

{boeuf bourguignon}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{rooftop happy hour}

{the best reuben in the city}

{afternoon reading in the sun}

{walking up the steps to rei always feels like another world}

{can you spot the space needle?}

{strolling through volunteer park before dinner}

{avocado toast}

{the best boyfriend}

{sunday night refrigerator clean out}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Birthday Traditions

Can you believe it's the last weekend in August?!?  Where did the summer go?!?!?  While I still need to tackle a few things on my Summer To Do List, one thing I'm so thankful for is being able to see some friends and family, albeit more distantly than I had previously hoped for at the beginning of summer {stupid Delta}.  One such date was with Erika a few weeks back where she generously brought Revel takeout to eat on my back patio and celebrate my birthday {in lieu of our traditional restaurant birthday outings}!  Even though we've decided to forego the hugs for now in light of everything going on, it was great to sit outside, eat some great food, and catch up like we used to.  I plan on taking advantage of the nice weather to do exactly that for as long as possible!  

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Afternoon at the Ballpark

A few weeks back, Dad jokingly mentioned that the Mariner's had a day game coming up later that week.  When I looked at my work schedule and realized I had the afternoon free, I called and told him that even though he was joking, I'd much rather spend the afternoon at the ballpark than working, so the morning of the game he picked me up and we headed down to the stadium!  We were nervous about the heat {it was one of the 95 degree days} but the man at the box office graciously showed us a map of the "shaded seats" so we picked some awesome spots in the 300 level right on the railing above home plate.  Luckily there weren't very many fans in attendance so we were able to easily spread out and social distance from the few people around us, and the game was so good {and FAST!} that we ended up staying put the entire 2 hours enjoying burgers and beers instead of walking around the stadium.  The M's ended up winning {and Marco pitched all 9 innings!} and I like to think it had something to do with the father-daughter duo behind home plate :)  Thanks for an awesome day, Dad!

the new edgar statue unveiled the day before

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Simple Cauliflower Tacos

I found this recipe for Simple Cauliflower Tacos on Smitten Kitchen back in the spring when I was looking for something easy to make us for dinner and have since made it several times because it is that good and that easy.  It requires only a few key ingredients but is so full of flavor {do not skip those pickled red onions!} that I find myself coming back to it time and time again.  It makes excellent leftovers for days and I highly suggest giving this one a chance the next time you're looking for something delicious, hearty, and meat-free!

Simple Cauliflower Tacos

Ingredients

2 Tblsp red wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tblsp cold water

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

3 Tblsp olive oil

1 large {3 lbs} head cauliflower, trimmed, chopped small {including core}

Red Pepper Flakes

1 heaped tsp cumin

1 lime, halved

1-15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed

12 small corn {or flour} tortillas

Avocado

Crumbled cotija or feta

Chopped fresh cilantro

Hot sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Pickle onions.  Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in a small bowl.  Add onion and toss to coat.  Set aside until needed.

3. Coat large baking sheet with olive oil.  Add cauliflower to pan, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt, red pepper flakes {to taste}, and cumin and toss to combine, adding more oil if needed.  Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing pieces at the 15 minute mark so they take on a deep brown crisp on as many sides as possible.

4. Remove from oven and immediately squeeze juice of half a lime over the tray.  Add black beans to pan so they warm a bit before serving.

5. Heat tortillas.  Wrap tightly in foil and place in oven about 5 minutes.

6. To assemble, add cauliflower/bean mixture to tortillas.  Top with avocado, pickled red onion, cheese, cilantro, and hot sauce {to taste}.  Serve with a side of lime wedges for topping.

Serves 4

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Urban Hiking {Ballard Bridge & Beer}

Sunday morning we wanted to get out and about so we headed north towards Ballard for some lunch and a beer.  This 4.5 mile roundtrip urban hike took us along the northside of Queen Anne and across the Ballard bridge where we ended up at Peddler Brewing, one of our favorite breweries in town.  They have a great covered outdoor area that's easy for social distancing and they're connected to Mean Sandwich, a small but delicious sandwich shop where you can pick up to go orders to enjoy at the brewery.  While the sun never really came out for the majority of the day, it felt nice to get out and move and have a day date with my honey.  I'm so happy he's back!

hard to tell from this picture but these see through stairs to get off the bridge were truly frightening

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{waving bye bye to "tephie"}

{christian is home and yummy weekend breakfasts are back}

{as is saturday happy hour at home}

{getting creative with fresh tomatoes}

{avocado toast}

{lazy sunday morning}

{rooftop relaxing after a long walk}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Happy Friday!

Happy happy Friday!  What are you up to this weekend?  I'm excited to spend time with my honey who is finally home after 18 days away - I'm thinking lots of homecooked meals {like the pan con tomate we made last night from the Farmer's Market}, Netflix, and walks around the 'hood!  Hope you have a great weekend!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Mini Golf Afternoon

One of the things on my Summer To Do list that I haven't done in years was to play mini golf at Interbay, which I drive by every time I go to or from Christian's but rarely stop at.  It seemed like a fun activity to do with C's sister and bro in law so a week before he headed to Sweden we all gathered for a fun and impromptu game.  It was hot out but there was a nice breeze and plenty of shady spots to hide in to make the pandemic-friendly activity super enjoyable.  While I wasn't quite sure what everyone would think of the outing, all ended up loving it and having a great time - and I even got a hole in one!!  It's an easy {and affordable} way to have fun with friends while staying socially distanced from those outside your group and I'm hoping to get back out there again before the weather turns.  Gotta love these summer days!

guess who got a hole in one?!?

xoxo,

stephanie marie