Today dawned on Seattle with high blustery winds, freezing, piercing rain, and shiver-inducing temps. Not like any of that was going to keep M and I from seeing more sights and tromping about in the outdoors. But I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t super cold. My poor ears were constantly and painfully reminding me that they were being rained on and they did NOT like it.

M’s plans had us hoofing it down to Pioneer Square despite the harsh elements because we are hardcore like that. As we searched for a place to have lunch, I spotted a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and hustled my wet, soggy butt straight in. 

I look so happy.

This was before the $18 bill for two caramel sea salt squares, a peanut butter chocolate, a peanut cluster, a s’mores marshmallow on a stick, and a brownie pop. My eyebrows nearly brushed my hairline when I saw that I had paid $7 for a brownie dipped in chocolate and stabbed by a popsicle stick. This better be the best brownie I’ve ever eaten.

Finally, after nearly giving up and settling for some taco place to lunch at (it seems as if Seattle does not have a bustling Sunday brunch culture), M spotted an Italian eatery that had just opened. He seriously eagle-eyed that place from about a block and a half away. I think it must’ve been fear that sharpened his normally already 20/20 gaze. I was fast falling down the angry, cranky, I-will-kill-you, hungry hole.

Cafe Bengodi is small, kind of dingy really, but definitely one of those places where it’s a huge hit or miss. Today, we hit it out of the ballpark. Since we were just a little hungry, we accidentally ordered an extravagant amount of food.

The bruschetta was hearty and creamy from the mozzarella, a little different from the way I’m used to having it, but terrific. The margherita pizza was huge and done pretty well. I got a flatbread with asparagus, mushroom, and tomato while M got a broccoli, meatball and marinara sandwich. Both eminently edible. We took out a huge to-go box though. There was no way we could even make half of a real dent in the pizza.

For dessert, I pulled out that damn brownie pop. What you see below is the face of someone who realizes she has been deceived. Not happy anymore.

Just down the street was the Underground Tour meeting place. We had a delightful guide named Dan who took us through underground tunnels of the original Seattle, a Seattle that was built on sawdust and mud before burning down in 1889. The humorous tour lampooned Seattle’s rival city Tacoma, touched upon the intricacies of then-cutting-edge plumbing and waste systems, and enjoyed ribald retellings of the single women who made terrific livings as “seamstresses” for the pioneer men back in the frontier days – all without owning a single sewing machine.

It was pretty cool. But after standing out in the rain and trudging around in the wet, M and I were frozen. We needed drinks asap so we went to Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, a much-lauded bar by M’s coworkers at Google. It did not disappoint. I had my new favorite drink there – a dry white port on rocks with a spritz of soda water. Slightly sweet, citrusy from the peel, amazing.

After a few glasses of wine to warm our chilled bones, we barely made it in time to see a bit of Seattle’s art museum. But we did and we mightily regretted having more than one drink at Purple Cafe because it meant we only had 15 minutes to run around madly and try to see as much as possible. This dress made out of dog tags was pretty impressive.

I made reservations at Restaurant Zoe tonight, but honestly, after fighting out way back to the hotel tipsy and tired from the drinks we’d had, M and I both took a long nap. And then decided to get Subway and watch the Oscars instead.

Tomorrow morning we fly back to San Francisco and reality. It was the best birthday yet. Thank you so much M for planning such a great weekend.

xoxo,

Jenn