Miscellaneous

GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!!

WINNERS!!

*Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

-Jimena Pena-Garza

Submitted on 2013/04/29 at 7:43 am
I make a killer Apple cake. Cake, not pie. So yum. Gooey oatmeal rasin ookies are a close second. I need to be more brave and try new sweets (a tangerine mixer would put me over that ‘legit baker’ threshold)
P.S. Already following you on Facebook, and Pinterest. CROSSING MY FINGERS SO HARD!!

*Enameled Cast Iron Skillet

1)
-jessica w
Submitted on 2013/05/01 at 10:24 am
I LOVE chicken salad sandwiches on all types of breads!

2)
-SALLY Tews
Submitted on 2013/05/06 at 12:08 pm
good pulled pork with slaw.

*Cuisinart Food Processor

-Kim W
Submitted on 2013/05/05 at 8:37 pm
Favorite pizza topping~spinach, feta cheese, red onion and kalamata olives. Yum!

*Ninja Blender:

-Jessica L.

Submitted on 2013/05/02 at 7:45 am
I love any strong cocktail with a good whiskey in it :)

Heather Christo’s Generous Table: Easy and Elegant Recipes through the Seasons

Today is a very special day for me.

It is the official release date of my new book Heather Christo’s Generous Table, Easy and Elegant Recipes through the Seasons.

It is a book filled with love and it was written just for you.

I chronicled a year in the life of our young family and all of the reasons that we have family and friends over to eat, (I organized it by season, because that is really how we eat) and then I bundled them up in this book!

105 recipes, and tons of photographs.

I also threw in some of my signature entertaining tidbits,

And lots of fun drinks!

But really, it is mostly about the mouthwatering recipes, and the love.

The entire book is about sharing the love of food with friends and family and I hope more than anything you enjoy it.

You can find it at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon and pretty much at all your local bookstores. You can also check your local Costco! Please grab one for yourself, but they would also make a great mothers day gift!! Wink, wink.

To celebrate this exciting day, I thought about what great thing I would love to give away that had to do with the book. I already have a shiny kitchen aid mixer and a gorgeous enameled skillet up for grabs, but you know what else you need??

A food processor. They make the crust on my books Leek, Ham and Gruyere Quiche come together in a snap. The Lemon Tart with an Almond Shortbread Crust is extra tender after a whirl in the food processor. And it makes the dough for the Lemon Raspberry Scones so simple and the Spicy Olive Tapenade a snap. I love my food processor. I really do, so today I am going to put one up for grabs for you guys too.

This Cuisinart 9 cup Food Processor comes in Blue, Red, Purple and Stainless (your choice!) It is a $270 value and it is awesome!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

If you would like to win this food processor just please leave me a comment below about telling me about your very favorite pizza topping!

If you would like another chance to win this food processor you can do any of the following for an extra chance! (Just leave a separate comment for EACH the following to win additional chances-up to 4 of them!)

1) Subscribe to HeatherChristo.com so you don’t miss any posts!
2) Follow me on pinterest
3) Follow me on twitter
4) Follow me on facebook

This contest will wrap up on Sunday, May 5th at 9pm PT. It is open to continental US residents only please. Winner will be chosen at random! Please leave your correct email address so that I can get in touch with the winner or check back here on Monday. If the winner does not respond in 48 hours I will choose a new winner. Good Luck!!

*Oh, this is NOT SPONSORED! This is just because I want to.

All of the Lifestyle photography in the book (and in this post) comes from the wonderful Jim Henkens!

Rescue My Renovation, episode 3!

Ok ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow, Wednesday the 20th marks my 3rd episode of “Rescue My Renovation” !

Here is a blurry photo of me and the crew. Blurry and sweaty. It was so hot.

While all of the families that we worked with were wonderful, Tim and Kathy Burden really captured my heart. Have you ever met those special people in life that are almost surreal they are so kind and generous and brimming with love of life? Sparkly even? That is the Burdens for you. We never spent a day in that home that Tim wasn’t fixing everyone coffee, (or green tea or decaf, or whatever obscure drink he would remember each crew member preferred) and that Kathy had not made some homemade pasta dish or rustled up some fresh donuts and a fruit salad. They make other people feel special. We were all prepared to move in with them.

And Tim and Kathy are smiling and celebrating every day despite a really rough hand. Kathy had breast cancer and Tim was diagnosed with ALS.

When they retired to their dream home in Toms River, NJ, years ago, they envisioned great times with family and friends and endless fishing (Tim’s favorite!)! They knew that they would have to do some work to their home to make it handicap friendly for the years ahead, (although I don’t see them slowing down yet!)

They hired a contractor who gutted their first floor. He installed a staircase wrong, put in a rough shell of the master bathroom and then took off with their entire life savings. He was never really held accountable and the Burdens were left with nothing.

I know. I can’t even talk about it. I had to repress bawling every time I thought about it.

They didn’t even have floors. The neighbors had to come in and lay plywood down. They had no bathroom downstairs. I could go on and on, but inspired by the Burdens, I will focus on the positive!

John and his crew were able to come in and completely replace the staircase.
BEFORE:

Which gave them more of an entry
AFTER:

(These are antique fishing lures we put in Ikea shadowboxes on the tall wall)

I got to give Kathy a dining room back, and I tried to make it a little bit glamorous.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

And then we got to give them a fully handicap accessible master bathroom that was huge and featured a “roll-in” shower, “roll up to” double sink on a single slab of quartz, and like 1 million little glass tiles the color of the Caribbean Sea…

Please tune in to DIY at 9ET Wednesday the 20th to meet the Burdens and see way better pictures (that didn’t come from my I-phone) of the transformation!

Love you Tim and Kathy- hope you are enjoying the projects that I worked on ☺

Heather Christo Book Tour!!!

I hope that you all know how much I love you.

I care so much, that I wrote this book for you.

And now as I get ready to dive into one of the most exciting (and scary!) adventures of my life, (um, the part where you guys actually SEE the book) all I can think about is how I might get to meet some of you on my book tour, and It helps to put my nerves at ease a little bit. A little bit ☺

I am posting below how some of the events on my tour are shaping up, but we are not half done yet!! So if you would like to see me in your city, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know!!!!!! (Oh my gosh- please somebody say they want me to come or I will be really embarrassed!)

I will update this calendar as I make changes or book new cities.

I wanted to make sure that I posted the “book trailer” for you. You can catch a few glimpses of my little munchkins Pia and Coco. (You will be able to tell which child was VERY interested in being a “star” in the “movie”) The crew who filmed this also managed to catch what my friends and family call my signature “cackle.” It’s abnormally loud. I think this trailer catches a tiny sliver of the chaos that is normal in our house, and it shows a couple of my favorite recipes from the book – I hope you enjoy it!

XOXO, Heather

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

APRIL:
April 18th: “GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!” in Seattle, at 1000 Spirits in Downtown Seattle 6pm. Bring your girlfriends and come on down and have cocktails with all my girlfriends and family as we celebrate! Appetizers provided, Books for sale (I will be signing!)

Click here to see details

If you do not have a facebook event- just leave an RSVP in the comments or surprise me night of!

April 24-25: Palm Spring, details to follow

April 26-28: The Great Big Food Blogger Potluck, Temecula, CA

May 16th: Bellevue, WA, UW Bookstore, details to follow

May 18th: Seattle, WA, Stulhbergs, (Queen Anne), 10:30 AM

May 19-27th, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, details to follow

May 28th: Lake Forrest Park, WA, Third Place Books, details to follow
June 5-6th Dallas, TX, details to follow

June 7-8th Austin, TX, details to follow

June 9-12th Chicago, IL, details to follow

June 13-14th, Minneapolis, MN

Now don’t forget!! I have lots more room to add your city- just let me know if you want to see me there!

THANK YOU!!!!! XO, H

Rescue my Renovation.

Did you know that it is national procrastination week. Yesterday I heard that and snorted, thinking “I wish I could just shove everything off for weeks or months, HA!”

Then I sat down to write this post and started laughing, thinking, “oh, I have been meaning to do this for like a year!”

Last February I let you know that I was flying back to New York where I was going to be working on one episode of a new DIY TV show. Then it turned into lots of episodes. And lots of flying back and forth from Seattle to the East coast. For lots of months. Doing Design work. (Did you see that part coming?)

It may seem pretty random to you, and guess what- it seemed kind of random to me too at first. Except that in lots of ways it wasn’t.

I am not a trained designer. (But I do have very strong opinions!)

I am not a trained TV personality. (But I do talk a lot)

What I am: A trained Chef, non-stop home cook and mommy. So I know what a lady wants in a kitchen to accommodate herself and her kids! And I know how to put it all together. At least, I think I do…

Tomorrow night’s episode of “Rescue my Renovation” features a lovely, sweet woman Roxanne Dunn, a single mother (and former Miss New Jersey!!)

I can’t even begin to tell you what we walked in on, and the way this family was having to live.

OK. As if that was not bad enough (and, um, that is REALLY BAD.)

I can’t even begin to tell you what we walked in on, and the way this family was having to live–it was SO BAD.

.For the last SIX years, Roxanne had nothing but a microwave, a hot plate, and a little plastic table to eat off of inside a rotting, molding water-damaged box. They were literally cooking in the equivalent of a camping kitchen set up. Six years. It was CRAZY. Why? Because she got completely scammed and ripped off by a crooked contractor who took all of her money and ran. She hired the guy because her original kitchen had burned to the ground. It was time to rebuild, and she thought she would add an addition while she was at it. That crooked contractor took off just before the poorly constructed roof on the addition CAVED IN!! She, her mother and children were left with nothing but a terrible mess. Again, Six years. It was truly CRAZY

But here comes the great part.

Contractor John DeSilvia and his awesome team gutted the kitchen and fixed the roof and I got to redesign the interior for Roxanne and her family!!!!

Roxanne was super happy which is all that mattered to me at the end of this process.

So please, please tune in! John DeSilvia is the coolest, most natural and talented guy. I was really excited and honored to be working with him and his team. Be patient with me guys. This was freakishly outside my comfort zone and a true challenge for me. But the good news is that I like to push myself to try new things and to channel my energy into projects. And this was project has the most wonderful spirit of generosity and community behind it, and I felt very proud to be a part of helping this family not only get their home back, but a normal life back too.

I am so excited that this episode winds up marking the first of quite a few episodes where I got to do the design work and help make families dreams come true. I hope that you will watch as I make my debut on a real show (EEK!! Can you believe it!!??) with a great cause behind it.

XOXO, Heather

The Generous Table

The Generous Table: Sharing the Love of Food with Friends and Family.

OMG. It’s actually my birthday today, and I just got the greatest gift ever. EVER.

My book is up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for pre-order. Seriously.

I might have shed a tear when I saw it. I am just so happy!! It blinded me from the fact that I woke up all chubby from Christmas cookies and brie cheese this morning. It soothed my wrinkly winter skin and too dry hands. It made me believe my skinny jeans looked alright even when they didn’t really zip all the way. It is a miraculous beacon of light on the darkest day of the year (by the way of course I was born on the darkest day of the year.)

The “Generous Table” is 208 pages filled with 115 recipes, tons of beautiful pictures and tips, tricks and ideas for sharing the love of delicious food with your friends and family! Oh, it is also a total reflection of family and friends for me, and was a complete labor of love.

Please consider pre-ordering for your girlfriends or your mom or sister for Christmas! (um, makes a nice stocking stuffer?!) It won’t be on your doorstep for a few months, but it will make for a nice treat when it comes!

Again, I wanted to thank you so much for all of your love and support- I wrote this book for you, and I can’t wait for you to see it.

XOXO, Heather

July Obsession List

Oh My goodness. It is the end of July and I felt super obligated to sneak in my “July Obsession List” at the last second!

Everything here is just stuff I am obsessed with right now, and no one asked me to talk about it- just sharing the info!

Replenix SPF 45 Sunscreen/Moisturizer:
This is the perfect face and neck sunscreen. It has the lightest tint you have ever seen and works for all skin colors. Unlike other sunscreens, this won’t make your skin break out, get greasy or ball your makeup up. I love it, and at 28$ and a long life (it takes about 6-8 weeks for me to run through this huge container) it is much more affordable than other comparable products.

The Olympics:
Like I need to even explain myself- you guys all understand right? Pia is kind of catching the Olympics fever with me. Obviously she is really into the women’s gymnastics, the women’s diving and the men’s swimming. This is what we did for the opening ceremonies.

Long Hair:
Because I butched my hair last November (and again even shorter in February) and I have hair that grows at the pace of a sloth, (probably slower) it just feels like it will never, ever grow out. I obsess about it daily. Why can’t it grow faster? Why can’t it look like the girls on pinterest that show you how to make fancy braids and stuff? Why is it stuck at the most awkward length ever? Why can’t I wear short shorts and skintight skinny jeans that don’t look like sausage casing? Oh wait- that is a different obsession…

Any home remedies for fast hair growth?

Zevia Cola:
Used to love diet pop. Like really love it. Then about a year ago I developed a rather severe allergy to chemical fake sugar in any form. (Blessing in disguise I’m sure). The thing is, sometimes I still want a cold diet pop- especially on a hot summer day in the late afternoon. This Zevia Cola totally hits the spot. It tastes almost like my old favorite, still has the caffeine I constantly crave and it is sweetened with natural stevia. Lately I have one every afternoon with a slice of lime. So good.

Basically Just All Things S’mores:
I love the graham, chocolate, marshmallow combo so incredibly much and they just scream “Summer!” I found a bunch of ways to enjoy them from around the web.

S’mores Brownies- Heather Christo Cooks

Bourbon Bacon S’mores- How Sweet Eats

S’more Bars- Endless SImmer

S’more Rice Krispies Treats- Glorious Treats

S’mores Cake- Heather Christo Cooks

Red Velvet Graham Crackers- I Am Baker

Ooey Gooey S’mores Cupcakes- Eat Live Run

S’mores Cookies- Heather Christo Cooks

Golden Grahams S’mores Bars- Two Peas and Their Pod

Coolest S’mores Cookies Ever- Sweet Sugar Belle

Whidbey Island

This is my super late post on our family trip to Whidbey Island on Fourth of July.

Our little clan, my parents and my brother and sister in law all went to stay with some family friends, Chuck and Sue Todd up on Whidbey Island. Pete has a soft spot for Whidbey since he and his family had a cabin up there the whole time he was growing up. For those of you not from the Northwest, Whidbey Island is about an hour away from Seattle. Half driving, Half ferry boat.

This is what the beaches look like there.

You can fish, crab for Dungeness, scavenge for mussels and oysters, dig for clams and geoducks in low tide.

This was the best day of Mason’s young life. He was deathly afraid of the water, but really enjoying eating kelp, rotten crabs and crunching seashells like potato chips.

That’s my dad walking him on the beach, where he sniffed lots of other dogs. Obviously heaven for dogs.

Then he got to run off leash on the beach. Do you like how a mastiffs skin flies around when they run?

Coco fished with her dad.

Watch her fight this fish and reel it in. That fish may have been a heavy piece of kelp- but she didn’t mind.

Uncle Jonny (my little brother) spent 30 minutes patiently teaching Pia (and Mason) how to cast.

Then she promptly and wildly threw the pole around, narrowly missing hooking him in the lip.

Dungeness Crab season started last weekend, and our gracious hosts had been busy catching the critters. Sue Todd made an amazing Crab Louis Salad for lunch. We washed it down with lots of rose wine.

Pia learned to throw a Frisbee.

Pia fulfilled her lifelong dream of flying a kite really high.

We saw a female elephant seal that was molting right in front of their house. This is very, very rare. For the last three years, she sits out on this beach for 6 weeks, and loses several hundred pounds as she regrows her fur. Mostly she sleeps or watches the passerby’s. If you are a stranger she barks at you showing her enormous teeth. If you are a local that she is familiar with, she will let you get really close. The locals that live on this stretch of beach call her Sammy.

This is her doing her “spa treatment” of flipping sand on her back. Otherwise she just goes down to the beach for a bath a couple times of day and that’s it.

Coco and Pia went on a boat ride with Chuck and my dad that lasted about 2 minutes until the boat motor promptly died.

Coco spent most of the day walking around in this outfit throwing rocks. In case you don’t know her personally, this is her personality to a tee.

Part of the day I spent walking the beach with the kids.

The other half was spent hiding from the sun.

We had a wonderful dinner of roasted salmon and pasta and salad with Marionberry Pie for dessert. Then Pete and I messed up on the ferry line, so we wound up watching the fireworks from the back of the car where we crouched with freaked out Mason and watched some of the “home shows” that were on the beach.

It was a great, great day.

June: I’m Obsessed List

Fresh Lip Gloss

I know this is another lip product- but it is for a totally different feel. I have been obsessed with Fresh lip gloss for years and years, but it inevitably takes a hiatus in the cooler weather and somewhere around June I seem to gravitate back to this gorgeous gloss. It is not sticky and moisturizes well with the perfect amount of color and a touch of shimmer. Shag is a great sheer red color and Pin-up is a coral/tangerine color, and they both have a lemon- sugar scent that is lovely.

Fresh lip gloss in Pin up and Shag, $18, Sephora.com
 

Gardening

I’m totally obsessed. I am out dead heading roses in the garden at 10 PM, and sometimes at 4:30 AM. Yes, I realize that means I have issues. But I do have to admit I really feel so proud of the yard right now and the insane amount of hours I have spent in the last month working on it. (I will post a garden update asap to show you what I am talking about!)

Just wanted to share some of my very favorite tools that I have been using every day! Pruning Shears, and pruning snippers as well as these Bog Gloves. They are dipped in latex so that fir snuggly without lots of extra fabric while still protecting and staying water resistant. Plus they come in cute colors, and I need all the help I can get- you should see what I look like out there. It’s not pretty.

Fiskars 9124 Professional Bypass Pruning Shears $12
Fiskars 9921 Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip $9
Bog Gardening Gloves $9

 
Tangerine Colored Lipstick
OBSESSED. I am wearing this all the freaking time. I can’t get enough. It feels so summery and cool. It reminds me of my Grandma Grace who rocked porcelain skin, black hair and coral lipstick. Classic, but also on trend right now. This one has worked really well, it is easy to find and is a great price- plus the packaging is fantastic!

 Sephora “Color of the Year” Crème Lipstick Tangerine Tango Cream, $13, Sephora.com

 

Chives

Like every single savory dish for the next three months is going to have chives in it. I can’t help it. Greens, lavender chive blossoms, all of it- I can’t get enough!

 
These are just a few recent chive filled recipes:

Chive and Bacon Dip

Chive Cream Cheese

Artichoke Pasta with Butter, Lemon and Garlic

Carrot Risotto with Chives and Mint
  

Strawberry Water

My husband and I went to the spa on our anniversary a few weeks ago. There happened to be a big dispenser of Ice water that anyone could help themselves from- only with an unusual addition. Strawberries. Now we have all seen lemon slices, and cucumbers are fairly common too, but strawberries? Never seen it. There were only maybe 4-5 whole strawberries in the whole huge canister, so I couldn’t really imagine that there could be any taste from it- but I was wrong. The water was incredibly flavorful with a sweet, warm strawberry flavor. I could not get over it. So now I am making it at home- like every single day. Get a large pitcher of ice water and just toss a couple whole strawberries in it with the green leaves cut off. Let steep about 30 minutes and experience the refreshing joy.

St Tropez Self Tanner

Anyone who knows me well knows That my genuine hue resembles the belly fat of a dead cod.

That is to say that I am sickly white with a blue hue. I am terrified of sun and have never tanned a day in my life. I burn exclusively, which I prefer to avoid.

Despite the fact that I can’t and won’t tan, I tend to enjoy a golden look this time of year. So basically I wear zinc and chose to make friends with self-tanner at a very early age, and I border on expert (self proclaimed).

In my vast experimentation with brand self applied vs spray machines and airbrushing, I have a favorite brand that is FAR AND AWAY my favorite.

St Tropez Self Tanning Foam is the perfect non-orange shade. It almost smells nice- definitely doesn’t stink. The trick is to also buy the foam mitt to apply it. I get a flawless tan that is brown and lasts like 6 days and fades evenly. This is my most essential summer product period. 

St Tropez Self Tanning Mousse and Mitt, $6- $40, sttropeztan.com

My Favorite Seattle Restaurants

My Favorite Seattle Restaurants:

Please let me preface this post with the fact that this is not labeled BEST Seattle Restaurant’s or anything like that. This is just a list of the places that me and my family and friends are really into right now.

I thought I would share some of these goodies as I know tons of fellow foodies are headed to Seattle right now for the Blogher Food Conference, and I have also gotten tons of email requests for readers who are planning a trip here this Summer.

Plus, I too am interested to hear about YOUR favorite Seattle eats! I never get out as much as I mean too, and would love to know what you think about the cities latest can’t miss places! So please leave comments and let everyone know what else I missed on my lists!

Breakfast:

Jade Garden:
After many years of eating my way through the International District, Jade Garden is superior in every way. Not greasy and perfectly hot and very fresh steamed dumplings make this place stand out for Dim Sum. You will find us here almost every Saturday.

Standouts: Steamed Dumplings such as shu mai and shrimp balls.

International District
424 7th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 622-8181

Portage Bay Café:
All organic and beautiful, fresh and flavorful breakfasts served in huge portions. We go here with Pete’s family all the time because they can easily seat 11 of us at once at their huge family style farm tables.

Standouts: Migas, and caramelized banana French toast. Also the berry bar for pancakes and waffles. Oh, and the raspberry apple juice!

University District
4130 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 547-8230

Senor Moose:
Mexican food for breakfast? Yes. And it is FANTASTIC!! Also- very strong, good coffee!

Standouts: Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs.

Ballard
5242 Leary Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-5568

CJ’s Eatery:
If you are craving a greasy diner breakfast- but better, this is your place. While this place is completely made for family’s, you will most often find me here if I have too many drinks. CJ’s is my hangover cure.

Standouts: Swedish style pancakes, House scrambles and crispy shredded hashbrowns (I always ask for mine extra crispy!)

Belltown
2619 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 728-1648

Café Besalu:
Known for their incredible ability to turn fresh house made puff pastry into an art form- this tiny bakery will have a line out the door every morning. Bet you can’t eat just one pastry.

Standouts: Anything puff pastry, from quiche crust to croissants- everything is flawless.

Ballard
5909 24th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 789-1463

Macrina:
Fresh breads and all manner of baked goods. They also have great sandwiches and salads to go as well as good coffee- I love their Vanilla scented sugar!

Standouts: Fruit muffins, pumpkin muffins and squash bread.

Belltown
2408 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 448-4032

Queen Anne
615 W McGraw St
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 283-5900

Lunch

Matt’s in the Market:
This restaurant is in Pike Place Market and is so romantic and a sentimental favorite. They serve an amazing dinner, but I like lunch even more. They have a rotating menu of Northwest influenced comfort food that is always fresh and delicious. They have a great wine list by the glass at lunch.

Standouts: The menu is always changing, but the sandwiches are fantastic

Downtown
94 Pike St
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-7909

Café Campagne:
This is a beautiful little French café in Pike Place Market that serves fantastic brunch and lunch. You get a little slice of Paris in Seattle with much of the charm and none of the travel. It is a reliable and delicious meal in the sea of tourists.

Standouts: I always order the Croque Savoyard, (extra crispy), and their freshly made soups. Also- a big bowl latte!
Downtown

1600 Post Alley
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 728-2233

Rn74:
Great lunch, great happy hour, great location if you are downtown, we go here often if I meet Pete for lunch or if we go for happy hour before a movie on the weekends.

Standouts: Maitake Mushroom Tempura and Tomato soup fondue

Downtown
1433 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 456-7474

Dots Delicatessen:
This place is tucked away in Fremont and sells the best pork chops I have ever had. Maybe the best sandwiches either. Um, that is really saying something. This is Pete’s heaven and he would go here once a week if he had the time to stock up on chops and other treats. Another friend also pointed out something brilliant- Single women looking to meet men should entertain the idea of heading down here for lunch. It is predominantly packed with men at all time.

Standout: Smoked pork chops and pork chop and greens sandwich.

Fremont
4262 Fremont Avenue
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 687-7446

The Volunteer Café:
Cute, cute, cute and charming and a cozy little retreat for sipping coffee and eating breakfast and lunch (I hear that dinner is wonderful too.) There will be a line too long to sit if you don’t get here well ahead of the rush at meal times, so get here early.

Standouts: Grilled sandwiches and Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

Capitol Hill
1501 17th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 328-3155

Vio’s Café:
One of the only places that my Greek husband will eat Greek food. That is meant as a compliment. It is incredibly family friendly which makes it so popular for young couples and moms juggling little ones. The food is always great and I love eat family style so that I can sample a variety of all of the side dishes that they rotate through.

Standouts: I usually get the chicken souvlaki and always order the dips and pita and Greek Salad.

Capitol Hill
903 19th Ave
Seattle WA, 98112
Phone: 329-3236

Dinner:

How to Cook a Wolf:
This is one of our date night regular stops. Owned by Seattle super-star Ethan Stowell, it is incredible food, that is consistently delicious. We always sit at the bar.

Standouts: The different preparations of crudo and the freshly made pastas.

Queen Anne
2208 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 838-8090

The Walrus and the Carpenter:
I am telling you- I don’t know what they do to the oysters here (their specialty!) but they are so freaking good. They just seem to be ice cold, perfectly plump and so unbelievably fresh that I could eat two dozen myself. They also have an ever rotating menu that is always inventive and delicious.

Standouts: Oysters!!!

Ballard
4743 Ballard Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 395-9227

Canlis:
Our very favorite special occasion restaurant. There is an old school glamour that is incredibly appealing, and the service is absolutely impeccable. I have never had a disappointing meal and always walk away feeling special. Lots of times Pete and I will just have a date night in the bar so that it is not such a big deal, yet we can still enjoy the great food and wine. A bonus is the incredible piano player that I have heard play everything from Katy Perry and Rihanna to Jay-Z, only in classical piano!

Standouts: Steak (obviously), twice baked potato, grand marnier soufflé.

Queen Anne
2576 Aurora Ave N.
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-3313

Crow:
Here is another date night place that we have been going to since Pete and I met. And we just keep on going back, because the food is always great. You can trot in here and get a seat early in the week for a quieter dinner, or come later on the weekend for more of a scene. When it is just the two of us, we like to sit at the kitchen bar and watch our food being prepared right in front of us!

Standouts: The crispy prosciutto wrapped chicken and the house lasagna.

Queen Anne
823 5th Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 283-8800

Palace Kitchen:
Pete and I have date night here probably 2-3 times a month. I love it. I really love it. We sit at the bar when t is just the two of us, but we also feel very comfortable when we bring the kids. I love it that this place is open super late by Seattle standards and even serves a special “late night breakfast” after midnight.

Standouts: While the menu is forever changing, the handful of staples are the dishes always go back for: Bloody Mary’s, giant crouton salad, grilled trout, the burger and fries, the goat cheese fondue and the pork and sage plin. Coconut Cream Pie for dessert, hands down.

Belltown
2030 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 448-2001

Mezcaleria Oaxaca:
Neighborhood Mexican restaurant serving small plates with an authentic Oaxacan edge. (read: no burritos here.) This is a very regular spot for us as a family, as well as with groups of friends for heavy margarita drinking and great food.

Standouts: Freshly fried tortilla chips, and anything in the mole de negro sauce

Queen Anne
2123 Queen Anne Ave N
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 216-4446

Café Lago:
This restaurant has been around for forever and it is not hard to understand why. Fantastic pizzas to share, and perfect pasta are served up along side the best Caesar salad in Seattle. Plus, I doodled Heather + Pete and my name as “Heather Christo” on these white paper tablecloths long before I was engaged. Wink, wink.

Standouts: Best Caesar salad and Spaghetti and Meatballs

Capitol Hill
2305 24th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 329-8005

Brave Horse Tavern:
Super fun! Shuffleboard, darts and all of the trappings of an old fashioned bar in the fantastic ambiance of this very cool joint. You can make a whole night out of going here with your friends, and the food is no afterthought. While it is casual and a smaller menu- everything I have had has had me thinking about it days later.

Standouts: The house made soft pretzels with mustard and the cheeseburgers.

South Lake Union
310 Terry Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 971-0717

Via Tribunali:
This is my children’s FAVORITE restaurant, but Pete and I never feel bad about going with them. They are serving up authentic wood-fired Neopolitan pizzas that are beyond thin and crispy and chewy and amazing.

Standouts: Pizza- clearly! Salami and Dante pizza’s are my favorite.

Capitol Hill
913 E Pike St
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 322-9234

Queen Anne
317 W Galer St
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 264-7768