December 13, 2014

• A Hungry Business

  The annual Scotch Extravaganza in Seattle is one of Mike's favorite events so when his friend, Michael, invited us to come up for the weekend, we jumped at the chance.  Michael lives in a condo on the 18th floor of a luxury hotel in downtown Seattle where everything is just a short walk away from the hotel entrance.  Just the fact that it's only three blocks from the fabulous Seattle Main Library is enough to make my heart beat fast, that and the fact that walking those three blocks, one gains somewhere in the neighborhood of three hundred feet of elevation.

  Our flight got us into Seattle around 1:00 PM so we had the better part of the day to explore the city.  We went walkabout:  exchanged a pan lid that I'd bought at Sur Le Table in San Diego; stopped at Le Panier for coffee and croissants; enjoyed some world-class people watching; and then went back to the condo to prepare for the evening's festivities.

  The two Mikes cleaned up very nicely and looked quite dapper in their dress slacks and sports coats.  Michael's wife, Joyce, and I bid them a fond adieu and fortified ourselves for an evening of shopping with a nice bottle of chardonnay.  (I think this is what Queenie calls "drunk shopping") We ordered the courtesy car to drive us up to Macy's as  Joyce isn't quite as fond of walking up the steep streets of the city as I am, and truth be told, we were probably a bit too tipsy to be walking unescorted, even with her beautiful Belgian Sheep Dog, Lavender.

  Lavender is a certified service dog and as such is allowed to go into businesses including restaurants.  She has impeccable manners and is so remarkably beautiful that people everywhere stopped to admire her.

  Saturday morning, we took the ferry across the Sound to Bainbridge Island.  We went to Michael's house to pick up mail and I took the opportunity to admire the granny flat that Mike had spent two summers building.  The house is a work of art, worthy of the view lot that overlooks the Sound and the Seattle skyline beyond.  We went into town for lunch and some shoe shopping as the boots I'd worn turned out to be unsuitable for serious walking.

  We returned to Seattle for dinner at Al Boccalino (http://www.seattleslittleitaly.com/)   which was absolutely the highlight of the trip.  We were warmly greeted as Michael is a regular patron.  Our waiter asked a few questions about our tastes and then offered to serve us family style.  I eagerly agreed to allow him to surprise us while the two Mikes were a little more apprehensive.  The first course was a wonderful antipasto plate of cheeses, prosciutto, olives, and bread.  He selected a delightful, fruity, red wine from northern Italy that complimented the meal.  The entree consisted of a platter of a perfectly seasoned and grilled white fish, a pasta flavored with fresh rosemary, and pork chops smothered in a tangy fig sauce (with halved figs).  By the time we had cleaned the platter, we were satiated.  But no, the dessert plate arrived a few minutes later with cheese cake, tiramisu, and chocolate truffles.  Not a single bite remained on the plate.  It was one of those meals where one would be hard pressed to decide whether it was the food, the company, or the wine that made the evening so perfect.  Probably it was all of the above.

  As always, Lavender was the center of attention.  She sat unobtrusively beside Michael's chair, never begging for treats.  Naturally, the waiter could not resist bringing her a dog biscuit.  She politely took if from his hand and when he turned away, set it discretely at our feet.

  Sunday, we went walking again, this time up the hill to the financial district.  Michael's mother had recently moved into a retirement facility and her apartment, on the 16th floor has a splendid view of Mt. Rainier so we trekked up the hill to visit.  We passed the library but it wasn't open yet so we vowed to visit that on the way back down to First Street.  By the time we did the obligatory chat with the mother, we were all hungry.  Finding nothing interesting on the hill, we walked down to Cafe Bengodi for some more of Luigi De Nunzio's Italian food.  The cafe is not as upscale as Al Boccalino but the food is just as good.  We ordered a couple of pizzas, a spinach salad, a Caprese plate, a risotto, and a pasta dish.  This time we really were too full to eat dessert.  We never made it to the library.  Instead, we strolled back to the condo for a nap.

  Just before it was time to catch the light rail back to the airport, we made one last trip down to Le Panier to pick up some pastries for the flight home.  Two almondines, a Napoleon, a baguette sandwich, all were devoured before we landed.  Vacations are a hungry business.

  • 9:16 pm
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