It's Coming!

Seattle Restaurant Week is one of my favorite times of the year. The agreed upon pricing that each restaurant charges for the lunch and dinner menu make many out-of-reach locales affordable for all. Restaurants such as Dahlia Lounge, Barking Frog, and Purple Café and Wine Bar all charge a flat fee of $28 for a 3-course dinner. Lunches are even more affordable at just $15. Prices do not include beverages, tax, or gratuity, but even with those expenses added in, this is a great deal! Over 150 restaurants are participating over a period of ten days – October 16th through the 20th and October 23rd through the 27th (Fridays and Saturdays are excluded). Most of the restaurants are located in Seattle or Bellevue, though I was excited to see that Renton and Des Moines both made the list this year!

Last year, Sean and I went down to Salty’s at Alki to take advantage of their 3-course dinner. Because we were patrons of the restaurant we were provided free parking, which allowed us to walk along the waterfront as we waited for our reservation. It had been a beautiful day and allowing ourselves ample time to mosey around extended our evening and really set the tone for a leisurely, romantic dinner. Our total meal, drinks included, came in well under $100. Regardless of which restaurant you choose, I recommend finding ways to extend the date – pair it with a movie, walk along the Seattle waterfront, or have drinks at a nearby bar before your reservation. This will create a more satisfying date experience, rather than making it feel like you just ran out for a meal (something Sean and I have fallen victim to a few times).

This year, Sean and I are planning on visiting a few different restaurants over the ten days. Up first – dinner at The Keg in Renton (the featured menu looks delicious!) and an afternoon movie at East Valley Theater. For those who haven’t heard of East Valley, it’s a theater that plays movies that have already been in and out of most other theaters, but generally before they are out on DVD. It’s perfect for catching those movies you missed, but still want to see on the big screen. Plus, the best part – it’s only $3 a movie (this is a great example of dating on a dime)! Dinner at The Keg will easily come in under $100 (that’s factoring in drinks, tax, and gratuity) and then a movie will only cost an additional $6 for both of us. If we are feeling really crazy that day, we might even see two of them. For 3-4 hours of entertainment, that’s not a bad deal. Plus, if it happens to be a nice fall day, we can easily spend a few hours walking around Gene Coulon Park or The Renton Landing before our dinner reservations.

There are so many date options available with Seattle Restaurant Week that you definitely don’t want to miss out! Below are some ideas for planning a day around a meal – a talent you have to acquire to really get the most bang for your buck!

• Venture to Issaquah and have dinner at Sip at the Wine Bar & Restaurant, then stroll around Gilman Village, which is a lot of fun this time of year as the shops set up for the holidays. Who knows, you may even sneak in a bit of early Christmas shopping!
• Drive to West Seattle (or take the water taxi!) and choose from a selection of restaurants including Cactus Alki Beach, Salty’s on Alki, Spring Hill, Blackboard Bistro, and Fresh Bistro. If you go on a Sunday, you can spend the morning at the West Seattle Farmer’s Market perusing the fresh produce, or window shop in the West Seattle Junction. Of course, if it’s a nice day, there’s no better place to be than down on Alki.
• If you’re up for a longer drive, spend a Sunday visiting Woodinville before having lunch or dinner at the Barking Frog. Many of the wineries offer very affordable wine tastings and tours, including Chateau Ste Michelle and Columbia Winery. Ste Michelle offers a complimentary 35 minute tour providing information on winemaking and the history of the Columbia Valley. After the tour, they offer a sampling of their Columbia Valley wines – for free! Columbia charges a small fee ($5 per person) for a tasting of five wines.
• Feeling a bit more adventurous? Explore the two acre park surrounding Snoqualmie Falls, snap some photos from the observation deck, visit the candy factory, or look around the gift shop. Once the hiking trail opens again in 2013, you can work up an appetite before indulging in a meal at Salish Lodge.

Regardless of which restaurant you choose to visit, a little creativity goes a long way in making an ordinary meal a truly delightful day – so why not make it a date?

Seattle Restaurant Week: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/seattlerestaurantweek/

Laugh Out Loud

This morning as I was checking out my list of usual suspects (ie daily deals), I came across a great offer from Laugh's Comedy Spot in Kirkland. There are three options to choose from, depending on the type of date you want. For a romantic evening with your significant other, Laugh's offers a $27 option that includes 2 tickets and a $30 voucher for food and drink. However, for those who like to travel in packs, Laugh's also offers a $54 option that snags you 4 tickets and a $70 food and beverage voucher. That's only $27 per couple and you each get $35 towards food and drinks, which means more money for that extra beer you want to enjoy. With the weather quickly turning, what better way to spend an evening than with a few laughs, some good friends, and an array of tasty beverages! These deals don't expire until March 26, 2012, but the offer itself is only available until midnight tomorrow.

For those who miss out on the above mentioned deal, Laugh's still makes a great date spot for well under $100. On the weekends, tickets cost approximately $15 a piece, and there is a two order minimum per person (though I've never seen this enforced). Menu items range in price from $5 - $10 and drinks will set you back no more than $11 unless you order a bottle of wine. On Thursdays, tickets are only $5. If you have your Tuesday evenings available, definitely check out Open Mic Night which is free - and nothing is cheaper than free! This is the best deal of the week as Bud Lights are only $2, Hefs $3, and the club offers a $2 starving artist menu.

Laugh's Comedy Spot is a date night I strongly encourage you to try. The venue is small and classy with a very comfortable feel. I have yet to visit and see a comedian that didn't make me laugh, and the waitresses always contribute to the atmosphere with their good sense of humor and friendly attitude. Sean and I have gone on many double dates there and we always have a blast! The drinks are strong and the food is tasty - my favorites are the piled high nachos and for my sweet tooth, the Totem Lake Pie (delicious!). The Liquid Lime, right across the parking lot, also makes for a great hang out before or after the show. So grab some friends, your better half, and head out for a night of fun!

Laughs Comedy Spot: http://www.laughscomedy.com/

The Great Outdoors

This isn't in reference to the movie - and this wasn't my idea, it was Sean's (so I can't take credit for creativity on this one). That said, while I'm not normally a huge fan of camping, this date idea turned out to be a lot of fun.

Yesterday morning, I woke up to find a tent in our backyard and our fire pit pulled out of storage. Some might think this a bit odd, but I knew what Sean had in mind. Last weekend we tried camping at a local campground and it turned out to be a disaster (go figure that we would pick the one rainy weekend in September). Offhandedly I told him we should have just pitched a tent in our own backyard - at least then we could have come inside when it rained! Clearly he took my idea to heart, so we spent a night camping in the backyard.

While the idea might sound a tad odd, it turned out to be a lot of fun, and oddly enough, rather romantic. To start the evening, Sean barbequed up some hamburgers and white corn for dinner. It made for a good meal, but for those wanting a more traditional approach to camping, you could always roast hot dogs over the fire instead. After dinner, Sean built a fire and we spent an hour or so talking and roasting marshmallows for s’mores (calories don’t count when you’re camping). On Friday nights I always get tired early from the long work week, so around 9 pm we retired to the tent. Sean brought out his laptop and we watched a movie for the next few hours, before turning in for the night. Because we were at home and had access to a few more luxuries, we were able to use the air mattress rather than sleep on the hard ground of our backyard. This morning I woke up well rested and nestled quite comfortably into my sleeping bag – this will definitely be a repeat date in the future!

Please note, however, that this date does require camping equipment and a backyard. Should you not have camping equipment, this could turn out to be a very expensive date as tents, sleeping bags, and the like all add up very quickly. However, if you know someone who has equipment they wouldn't mind lending you, this date can practically cost nothing. If you don't have any access to a tent, you can always sleep under the stars in just a sleeping bag, which is equally romantic (just make sure you’re okay with waking up to some morning dew on your sleeping bag).

In the winter, once the rain becomes a more common occurrence, this date could easily be replicated by pitching a tent in your living room and roasting s’mores over the oven. In fact, Sean and I may need to try that at some point this winter. Or, if putting up a tent inside seems like too much work, you could always revert back to your childhood days and build a fort out of blankets – now that would be fun!

For those who don’t have a backyard, most local campgrounds aren't that expensive, costing about $20 a night or you can use the winter date variation and camp inside.

Dinner
Hamburger Patties: $5.99
Hamburger Buns: $.99
Pack of White Corn: $2.49

S'mores
Graham Crackers: $2.09
2 Chocolate Bars: $1.99
Marshmallows: $3.39

Total Date Cost: $16.94

Let's Make a Deal

This morning I received a special newsletter from Travel Zoo featuring current deals in the area. This is one of those times I would definitely recommend taking a look and buying a few of the deals to save for a rainy day. For those who don't know, Travel Zoo is a site that focuses on travel specials, but also features local restaurant and tour deals. They have a weekly newsletter that they send out featuring their top 20 deals of the week. It is a great newsletter and worth signing up to receive. Below are the top deals, but if you're interested make sure you buy them quickly, as they are likely to sell out or expire.

4 Course Dinner at Perche No Pasta & Vino in Seattle: $49 for 2
This is a total steal of a deal. I've already told Sean we are buying this one so we can give it a try. Start with a shared Caesar salad and the signature antipasti dish. Then, choose two of the following entrees: spaghetti bolognese, rigatoni gorgonzola, pizza margherita, or chicken picatta. End your meal with pere gelato, poached pear in Barbaresco wine with Italian ice cream and tiramisu. This deal also includes a bottle of red or white wine, and coffee for two. This deal is available for purchase for the next two days and the voucher itself expires December 26, 2011.

Seattle Mariner's Tickets: $10 each
This deal is good for one ticket to one of the Mariner's last games of the season against the Oakland A's at Safeco Field. Choose from the View Reserved seats (the $10 deal) or upgrade to the Terrace Club Outfield seats for $30. This deal is available for purchase for one more day and the voucher itself is good from September 26th through September 28th.

Seattle Mariner's Tickets, Hot Dog, and Pepsi: $14 each
For those wanting a double date idea, this is the deal for you! To take advantage of the deal you must purchase between 4-12 tickets, so it's the perfect opportunity to grab some friends and enjoy a day at the ball park. This deal is good for Wednesday, September 28th and must be purchased prior to game day.

Comedy Club Night at The Parlor: $39 for 2
This deal would definitely make for a fun night out. It includes 2 premium tickets to any comedy show at The Parlor in Bellevue. A bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries are also part of the package. This deal is available for purchase for the next six days and the voucher itself is good until March 17, 2012.

There are a few other deals available, but the ones mentioned above really stood out as the highlights. Whether you choose to take advantage of the deal alone, or add on other events, you are bound to have a fun and eventful date.

Xperience Seattle

Xperience Days is one of my all-time favorite websites. It is a gift card site of “experience” activities, searchable by city. Of course, just because it is a gift card site doesn’t mean you have to give the experience away. Before discovering this site, I had no idea all that was available in the Seattle area. There are numerous options available in the Puget Sound region, many of them under $100 for two people. There are also many over $100, for those times when you really want to splurge and try something unique (such as riding in a hot air balloon, paragliding over Seattle, or taking a day trip to Victoria).

Below are a few of the “under $100” ideas that I have been wanting to try. In some cases I have created my own variation of the tour that Sean and I have done on our own, which I'll feature in a later blog post.

Seattle Brunch Cruise ($98 for two people)
This is a two hour sightseeing cruise of Elliott Bay and Puget Sound aboard the Royal Argosy. The brunch buffet consists of many items such as cinnamon swirl French toast, fresh pastries, a ham carving station, and much more. Sounds like a fun way to start the day!

Seattle Lunch Cruise ($98 for two people)
This is another Royal Argosy sightseeing cruise of Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. This is a two and a half hour cruise and includes a three course seated lunch at your own private table. The three course menu includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. There are many delicious items on the menu, such as roasted butternut squash soup, barbecue prawns, teriyaki flank steak skewers, and tiramisu – yum!

Seattle Locks Sightseeing Cruise ($90 for two people)
This is a two and a half hour sightseeing Harbor Cruise of the Seattle Locks, Lake Union, Puget Sound, and the Lake Washington Ship Canal aboard the Goodtime III. The cruise provides a narration of Seattle’s history while exploring Seattle’s coastline. Tour highlights include the University of Washington Husky Stadium and for those Sleepless in Seattle fans, Seattle’s Historic Houseboat Community which was featured in the movie.

Pike Place Culinary Market Tour ($86 for two people)
This is a two hour walking food tour through the famous Pike Place Market. What better way to enjoy Seattle than to eat your way through it? While on the tour, you will get to sample alderwood smoked salmon (yum!), America’s best clam chowder (I’ve tried this, it really is America’s best), artisan handmade cheese, fresh and exotic seasonal fruits, piroshky pastries (I have yet to try these, but they always smell delicious!) and many other items. I salivate just thinking about this tour.

Seattle Chocolate Tour ($108 for two people)
Okay, so this one is a little over $100, but for chocolate, isn’t it worth it? This is a two hour tour that I have been dying to try! Some of the tasty tidbits included on the tour include Tom Douglas’s famous triple coconut cream pie and chocolate chunk cookies, Columbian drinking chocolate, mini cupcakes, chocolate brownies, and a hand-crafted chocolate cocktail. Make sure you bring your sweet tooth!

Other tours available under $100: Seattle Sightseeing Walking Tour ($86 for two people), Seattle Lakes Scenic Tour Cruise ($70 for two people), Washington Lake Scenic Cruise ($65 for two people)

Make sure you check the site every once in a while as new tours are always being offered!

Xperience Days: http://www.xperiencedays.com/

The Classic: Dinner and a Movie

A few weeks ago, Sean took me out to dinner and a movie for my birthday. While dinner and a movie is a traditional date night idea (and not particularly unique), Sean put his own creative spin on it by taking me to The Big Picture, a cute movie theater in Seattle (though there is also a location in Redmond).

The Big Picture is a small theater that shows first run movies. So what makes it unique? The lounge outside the theater serves cocktails before the show and they allow you to continue indulging during the movie. Cocktails can be delivered to you at your seat during any time of your choosing. For those on a tighter budget, there is no bar minimum purchase required, though drinks are very reasonably priced. The Big Picture also features their award-winning white cheddar Champagne Popcorn, which is definitely worth the $6 price tag! For those who prefer not to have dinner before the show, they do have a limited dinner menu available that can also be delivered to you while you relax and take in the movie – talk about VIP treatment!

Words of Warning: The Big Picture is a one-room theater, so make sure you double check which movie is playing before you go. Also, only guests 21 and older are permitted in The Big Picture.

For dinner, Sean took me to Tavolata, one of Ethan Stowell’s restaurants (other restaurants include Anchovies & Olives, How to Cook a Wolf, and Staple & Fancy). Tavolata was only a few blocks from The Big Picture, so it was a great choice for the evening. Although we spent a little more than $100 for the entire date (in part because of Sean’s huge appetite), Tavolata has an amazing happy hour (every night from 5:00 – 7:00 pm) and can be done much more affordably by limiting the number of drinks consumed and by ordering off the happy hour menu, which I would highly recommend. For dinner, I ordered the Seared Scallops, which were set atop an eggplant caponata, basil, and saba. It was absolutely delicious! Sean ordered the spaghetti AND the Gnocchi alla Romana (pictured) off the happy hour menu and both were very generous portions (and very tasty as well).

Tavolata is a fun restaurant – while we chose to have a private table by the window, they have one long communal table in the middle of the restaurant if you want to make some new friends (they also have outside dining if the weather permits). The waiters and waitresses were all very friendly and made us feel like we were a part of their big Italian family. Overall, Tavolata and The Big Picture put a fun date spin on an old date favorite!

The Big Picture
2 Movie Tickets: $22.00 ($11.00 each)
Food (1 bucket of popcorn, 2 beers, 2 boxes of candy): $16.00

Tavolata
Dinner (3 entrees, 3 drinks, tax and gratuity): $71.40

Other Costs
Parking: $12.00

Total Date Cost: $121.40

The Big Picture: http://www.thebigpicture.net/
Tavolata: http://ethanstowellrestaurants.com/tavolata/

Deal Sites - Your New Best Friend!

One of the best ways to maintain a social life while respecting your wallet, regardless of the area in which you live, is to know which tools and resources are available to you. These days, deal sites are everywhere on the internet – deals that include discounts on restaurants, spa services, groceries, vacation packages, and so much more.

Oftentimes, movie tickets are on sale for half price, and these are definitely worth snatching up when you see them. With as often as it rains in the Seattle area, movies are a necessity for those winter dates. Currently, AMC is offering the following deals on movie tickets: $5 for one AMC Theatres Silver Experience Ticket (valued at $12), four AMC Gold Experience Tickets for $33 ($8.25 a ticket), or four AMC Silver Experience Tickets for $24 ($6 a ticket). Silver Experience tickets have some restrictions; they are valid only for movies that are two weeks out from their original release date. Gold Experience tickets have no restrictions. With movie tickets ranging anywhere from $10 – $15 each, these are all great deals!

Want to grab a bite to eat before the movie? Visit www.restaurant.com for gift certificates to a variety of restaurants in the area. These gift certificates are always available at a discount. Most gift certificates are offered in three amounts: $10 ($5 purchase price), $25 ($10 purchase price), and $50 ($20 purchase price). Whichever amount you choose, there is generally a minimum purchase required and 18% gratuity is often added prior to the discount. Some restaurants have a few more stipulations, such as dine-in only or lunch/dinner only. Want to save even more? Restaurant.com is almost always offering further discounts - you just need to know where to find the discount codes. Often, a simple Google search will produce a legitimate code, but for an easier search, I use www.dealnews.com. In the search box in the upper right hand corner of the page, type in restaurant.com to find the most current discount offered. Coupon codes range from 50-80% off, sometimes reducing the amount of a $25 gift certificate to $2 – you definitely can’t beat that!

Deal News (www.dealnews.com) is another great resource for discounts. They highlight the best deals in the area on electronics, clothing, restaurants, travel packages, Groupon purchases, free Kindle downloads, etc. You can scroll down the page to see all deals, or use the menu features at the top of the page to search specific interests.

A site similar to deal news, but one that is more activity and services focused is Deal Surf (www.dealsurf.com). You can search Deal Surf by location and then filter by price, time left on the deal, popularity, or category. Just make sure you remove the “Show Past Deals” filter or you will see all the recently expired deals – deals that you can no longer purchase, and what’s the fun in that!

When I stumble across a deal that I can’t live without, I will often make the purchase even if I know that I won’t be using it immediately (it's always nice to have something to look forward to). Because deals generally have an expiration date, I keep a list of every purchase I make in an excel document with a link to the site and the expiration date listed. That way, I never forget a deal that I’ve purchased and I can make sure I use it before it expires – no sense in throwing money away!

For example, a few months ago I bought a great spa deal for $99. It included an hour long massage, an hour long facial, and my choice of a manicure or pedicure. I knew I wouldn’t be able to use it at the time I made the purchase, but what woman doesn’t love (and need) a spa day? I snatched it up while it was available, made a note on my deal tracking sheet, and am very much looking forward to my upcoming appointment (an appointment that is months after the actual purchase date). Keeping these deals on hand ensures that you will always have something fun to do at a reasonable price – just make sure you don’t let them go to waste!

Feeling a little more spontaneous? Groupon Now is a great resource - just type in your zip code, pick a category, and scroll through the deals that are available at that exact moment. There's no time like the present!

Other great deal sites:

http://www.groupon.com/seattle
http://livingsocial.com/seattle
http://tippr.com/seattle/
http://www.eversave.com/seattle
http://www.buywithme.com/
http://dealdigger.seattletimes.com/
http://local.amazon.com/seattle

You can subscribe to any or all of these sites if you want to receive a daily email with the newest deal available. If you’re not a fan of spam, choose the ones that you prefer and check them out occasionally. OR, Deal Surf often features all of these sites’ deals in one convenient location – talk about one stop shopping!

Welcome to Creative Dates on a Dime!

Welcome to Creative Dates on a Dime - a blog that features affordable date ideas in the Puget Sound area! Those living in the Pacific Northwest are blessed with numerous dating options – options that span from Seattle and its neighboring cities, to Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, to Mt. Rainier and the surrounding mountain ranges. All of this located within just a few hours of each other.

I will aim to keep most date ideas under $100, though occasionally if I feel an idea is worth it, the dates will exceed $100. However, more often than not, they will be significantly less, as I don’t like spending that much money on a regular basis and I know many others are in the same boat! All dates will be tested by me and my husband, Sean. After the date, I will provide a review, as well as a general cost estimate. Because Sean and I live in the south end of Puget Sound, most date suggestions will be south of Seattle. That said, we will try to make it to the north end every now and then to explore further territory.

So why am I doing this? For some reason, people come to me all the time for date ideas in the area. I have no idea when I became the dating event guru, but I figured it’s time I step up to the challenge. In addition to that, Sean and I are newlyweds, and what better way to spend our first year of marriage than to make dating a priority!