Thai and oysters, oh my

It wasn’t Paris, Florence, Ghent, or Berlin. It wasn’t even Sonoma County. But it was an adventure!

Last week Big Ring and I went on our very first vacation with Little Ring. This was a huge deal for us. We had no idea how Little Ring would fare away from his regular routine, or for that matter how WE would cope. And as much as I had longed for Europe, tried my best to convince the more financially sound person in this marriage (take note, it’s not me) that a trip to London, the Amalfi Coast, and Amsterdam would be the best thing we could do, even manipulating Christmas into a travel theme (guess who got a new suitcase, fancy leather  ID tag, passport holder and travel books under the tree!) But alas, with me on a maternity leave pittance, that just wasn’t in the cards for us this year. Instead, we opted for Seattle.

I’ve never really viewed Seattle as a getaway, not with it being just a few hours drive away. But, I tell you, this trip changed my mind. Seattle is chock-a-block full of cute neighbourhoods, unique alleyways, great boutiques, and a spectacular waterfront that had me feeling like we really were on a proper vacation. Plus, it’s also home to the flagship REI store, which was pretty awesome!

And just like seemingly all our other trips, this one also had us discovering new cuisines. In Paris, we discovered a chorizo sausage and chicken pasta that makes for a great winter meal; in Florence, it was Margarita pizza, and a Mediterranean meal of chicken with rosemary and a side of angel hair pasta with a sprinkling of olive oil and Parmesan that has become my regular dinner before a long run meal. In Barcelona, it was paella. And in Berlin, for me, it was Bratwurst. Eating is a HUGE part of our travel adventures!

130524travelfoodFrom right to left: Paella in Barcelona; Cheesecake at Versailles; Funghi pizza in Florence.

Just a block away from our hotel (The Maxwell Hotel, which, for a hotel, was super cute… almost as good as the Inn at Northrup Station in Portland) there was a Thai restaurant that had the most succulent smells wafting out its doors every time we passed. There was just no way we could walk away.

Not knowing anything about Thai, I asked the server what he would recommend. And unfortunately, he confused me more than anything. Every question I asked, he’d throw a question back at me. Seriously, my head was spinning with confusion. Out of desperation, I opted for a red curry dish with pumpkin and chicken. I figured I liked pumpkin, so why not go for it. He told me medium heat wasn’t hot at all; he lied. My eyes were burning, my nose was dripping, but other than that, ohmygawd, it was freaking amazing! Seriously, I kept thinking about it for days after!!!

The next day, I ticked oysters off my to-try list. I don’t know what got into me, but I swear, almost as soon as we arrived in Seattle, I had a hankering that just would not go away. And so, we hit up an oyster bar at happy hour, and while Big Ring was more conservative with his choice of calamari, I went all out with oyster shots.

130524oystersOysters slithering down my throat one by raw one.

They were good, but, I don’t know, I didn’t see the greatness in them, they weren’t something I would dream of, or for that matter go out of my way to try again. If they were in front of me, sure I’d suck them back, but to order them again, nah, there’s far better things I’d much rather eat.

And so, there you go, another tasty vacation on the books 😀

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