Last week I had jury duty for two days in downtown Seattle. Following the judges’ instruction I did now tweet, post or comment on social media about my days of service.  {Such a rule follower!}  One perk of jury duty is the hour and half lunch breaks.  On day 2 I ventured with a few of my fellow jurors to Pioneer Square for a bite to eat!  Lucky for us, we found Little Uncle.

I instantly fell in love with the space the moment I walked down the stairs.  The space was casually cool and very comfortable.  Tons of exposed brick, a library, and a sofa and coffee table.  For those of you who may have partied in Pioneer Square {years and years ago} it occupies the space that was once Marcus’ Martini Bar.  Only open for lunch, the menu is small but mighty!  I ordered the Phad Thai.  The portion size was perfect for lunch and came with individual packets of red chili flakes, sugar, and peanuts.  You could make your dish as spicy or as sweet as you liked!  The show stopper was the house made Hibiscus Lime Soda!  Seriously, amazing.

Little Uncle is certainly worth a trip at lunch time.  For those of you traveling to Seattle, it would be the perfect spot for lunch before or after the Underground Tour!

And a quick shot in the Halls of Justice.  The floors were spectacular.

Have a great weekend!  xoxo denise

On Sunday evening, Aaron and I had the chance to dine at The Herbfarm.  Located a short drive northeast of Seattle, it is quite the experience.  It was a gorgeous day and we were able to tour the herb gardens before dinner under blue skies.  The tour, given by one of the owners, was quite educational.  Did you know that tulip petals are edible?  Me either.  They taste a bit like spinach.

Seating was at 4:30 and so began our 9-course meal!  The theme for the evening was A Walk in the Woods-An Exploration of Foods and Flavors from the Early Spring Woods.  The chef and Sommelier gave us a detailed description of each course and its wine pairing.

I consider myself pretty adventurous with food, especially if I don’t have to cook it.  The beauty of The Herbfarm is that you make no decisions, so the adventure just comes to you!  The menu is set and the wine is chosen.  You just have to sit back and enjoy!  My favorites were the first two courses and the last (although the cod and a mini-grilled cheese were amazing as well!).  A deep-fried farm, fresh egg?  Uh, yes please!  Every dish was beautifully presented.   The variety of service ware was unbelievable.  Each dish or plate perfectly complimented the course being served.  {It’s all in the details.}  The meal lasts about 4 hours, so I took a half-time break and went out to feed The Herbfarm pigs.  It felt great to stretch my legs, walk a bit and catch the last moments of sunlight.

I wanted to take pictures of all the courses, but I got distracted.  And let’s be honest, iPhone photos of food in a dimly lit room are not always appetizing.  I had to include my snapshot of our last course {Roots and Twigs}, french pressed coffee, and the last glass of wine.  The color is off, but you get the idea.

Looking for a splurge?  Celebrating in a big way?  I am telling you, The Herbfarm is the place.  Or if you want to go on a random Sunday night for no reason at all…..that’s good too!

I am totally digging my new plan to meet up with friends.  I will call it my, “Let’s do breakfast.” plan.  Lunch is great, but it happens right in the middle of the day. [Funny how that works!].  With lots to do, meeting a friend right after I drop the kids off at school allows me ample time after to get sh*t done!  With a bit of rummaging, I have been finding some amazing places that serve mid-week breakfast.

I recently lingered over a breakfast at Oddfellows Cafe + Bar.  Exposed brick, repurposed furniture and fixtures, and tons of light make this Capitol Hill eatery comfortable and easy.  They are open 8am-late daily-with a full bar.  Breakfast was delicious, so I can only assume lunch and dinner would be too!  Oddfellows gains total bonus points being next door neighbors with Elliott Bay Book Co.  That is a perfect one, two punch!