Living Like a Local. by violet

There’s nothing that makes you feel more like a local like have people come to town. This past weekend JP’s aunt and uncle came to visit from California and along with JP’s sister Liz we have the pleasure of playing tour guide.

Since this is JP’s family the trip centered on food – Friday night was a trip to one of my favorite Seattle restaurants Matt’s in the Market. What I love about Matt’s is that it is so very Seattle. It is literally a part of the Pike Place Market; the large windows look out to the Market’s famous sign with the Puget Sound in the background. In addition, that’s where most of the food is from – meaning that it’s local and fresh – two very Seattle qualities. On this stormy fall evening it was a warm respite from the wet streets below. In the summer they throw open the windows and let in the breeze off the water.

Before we could dig in to the culinary treats Matt had to offer, we had drinks next door at Chez Shea, an elegant French Bistro right next door.

where Liz introduced me to a French 75 which now tops the list of my favorite cocktails.

Matt’s, didn’t disappoint. My oxtail gnocchi was delicious but I was pretty jealous of the lamb that Nida ordered.

The next day we stopped at Red Hook for lunch. Honestly, I was pretty wrapped up in the Oregon v Washington game and didn’t notice much else. JP successfully prevented me from getting into a fight so I would say lunch was good.

We headed over to Chateau Ste Michelle for wine tasting which we somehow managed to miss during our last trip out to WA wine country. The grounds at St. Michele are beautiful. The grey skies served as wonderful background for the changing fall leaves. And as the Ducks pulled away from the Huskies I very much enjoyed our tasting.

We headed back for naps before our dinner at La Spiga. The rain was in full effect by then, so there was no wandering around the neighborhood beforehand.

La Spiga was hopping that night – full of mid-thirties power couples and a parade of gorgeous fall boots. Since the weather had been so crummy, I was in the mood for some down-home comfort food. The classic Tagliatelle with beef ragu delivered just that. I polished it off feeling very much warmed from the inside out. Though I was pretty jealous of the lasagnas at the table. Maybe I’ll get that next time.

Continuing on our theme of quintessential Seattle, we took our out-of-towners to the Ballard Farmer’s Market on Sunday morning, where the sun came out

The Ballard Farmer’s Market is overwhelming to the senses - children and dogs running around, fruits and veggies spilling onto tables, the scent of mini donuts in the air. There’s almost too much to choose from. But clearly the mini donuts were not to be missed.


Thanks to Rob and Nida for the lovely weekend, we hope Seattle treated you well.

Violet in Born black boots

Cin Cin. By Violet

So we are getting down to it with the weddings this year. I’ll tell you all about number four of six as soon as I can. But before that could happen we needed to celebrate Kenz saying good-bye to her singlehood.

When I checked in with the bride about planning her bachelorette party wasn’t too keen on the idea of hitting the clubs and dancing until dawn. So her amazing maid of honor and I planned a day of wine tasting instead.

Lucky for me, a co-worker of mine who knows Woodinville wineries like nobody’s business laid out a plan of attack for us. Even our lovely driver was impressed with our picks – thanks so much Shelby!

Speaking of our driver, as with these kinds of events, the driver can make or break your experience luckily Butler took care of us.

We started the day with brunch at my place – you need a good breakfast in you to get through a day of wine tasting. Then we were off to JM Cellars.

I’m pretty sure that if John at JM ever wanted to leave his wife, he’d have our whole van full of ladies waiting to be next in line. Not only was he an Oregon alumni rocking Duck gear in preparation for the game later that day but he also gave us a few barrel tastings and told us the story of how he started the winery.

Clearly, I had to support my fellow duck by purchasing a bottle of wine so a bottle of the 2004 Syrah came home with me. We probably could have stayed there all day but there were other wineries to visit.

Next up was Januik and Novelty Hill. It had a much different vibe than the more quaint JM Cellars. With the modern décor and packed tasting room – it felt a little cold in comparison. But the wine was still good.

Next stop was the decidedly much smaller Brian Carter. It was basically a trailer but luckily there was a lovely patio and the weather cooperated for an outdoor tasting.

Our last stop was a converted warehouse – Efeste. I’m just going to be honest, by this point I would have had a good time anywhere. But as luck would have it the guy pouring the wine was very nice and answered all of my questions. So a bottle of the bold Final-Final red blend was added to my collection.

Overall, it was a great alternative to your typical bachelorette party.

Violet in Born black boots