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/
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