Welcome to My Midlife Crisis

On April 21, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, Seattle Day Trips, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Oh hello Sexy Beast Yes, that is the name I’m giving my Midlife Crisis and it materialized in the form of a sleek black BMW Z4 Roadster. I haven’t even LIKED driving since the Subaru was totaled a few years ago. And spending my hard-earned money impulsively when my motto is: Save ’till It Hurts? No. Way. Then my totally impractical and beautiful Sexy Beast appeared on the Sell/Buy company internal site and I was a goner. SOLD!

And for those smart asses that might be thinking “She’s a little past the midlife stage” may I remind you that the women in my family live a very, very long life. Grandma Hannah was 99 and still living on her own and my mom is kicking it strong at soon-to-be 91 so, yes, I’m still somewhat midlife right now. In my mind. Shut up.

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Why a midlife crisis now? Over the long winter months, I started a new job, which I love but, let’s face it, all new jobs are stressful. Health issues challenged me from a freaky frozen shoulder that has lasted now almost a year and shingles on my head which, believe me, was just as awful as you would think that would be. Getting old SUCKS. Totally. After years of not even knowing what my natural hair color was other than I knew I had skunk-like streaks of white (thanks Mom!) and dark (thanks Dad!), I ripped off the band aid so to speak after a strong Old Fashioned cocktail and took my still recovering head to the barber and told him to shave (#4) it off. Every follicle on my head hurt from the shingles and there was absolutely no way I was going to layer toxic chemicals on top of it so off it went onto the floor and I’ll be going au natural from now on. Ahhhh….relief. After the initial shock, I’m now liking it. I’ve been told it looks badass, sassy and fierce. Yep, that’s me. And-bonus-it only costs $10 for a buzz cut. Now I can afford gas, a parking space and insurance. Winning! Melinda [77532]

Now, let the fun begin. The shoulder is slowly but surely unfreezing and the shingles, after two rounds of meds, have healed. Time to hit the road and see the Pacific Northwest in our Sexy Beast!

In the three days we have owned SB, the weather has been amazing and we have visited new pockets of Seattle including the largest beach we have ever seen in Seattle just north of Ballard, Golden Gardens. There were THOUSANDS of people there on a abnormally warm and sunny Monday evening. Who knew? I can’t wait to take Mia there and let her run in the sand. Next night we roared around the curves in Magnolia admiring the fancy view homes and then swung downtown to walk Pier 66 where we happened upon the Clipper Round The World racing yachts. The Danang Vietnam boat had just docked after 35 days at sea where they suffered severe damage. We welcomed the crew gathered on the dock to Seattle and can’t wait to tour their boat when it opens to the public on Saturday. WP_20160420_19_48_50_Pro 1

Next, it was off to Madison Park to watch the moon rise over the Eastside and chill with the geese on the beach. Mia will enjoy the park there that is just made for 2-year olds with slides and swings galore. Such great restaurants and bars there with lots of outdoor seating just made for warm summer nights. The ride over Capital Hill to get there was fast and furious with Thom at the wheel. I’m betting a speeding ticket is in his future. He is loving this car and is so supportive of my midlife crisis, which is much easier to support when it includes a sporty two-seater. YOLO!

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Seattle Sunshine

On April 3, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

The sun shone brightly on Friday as all of Seattle rushed outside in anticipation of the first warm sunny weekend this year. Then, the phone rang and I heard my sister telling me that mom was going into the ER and then a short time later, emergency surgery. Pause. V__8ECE [77531]

Shaken and waiting to hear the outcome of the surgery, I needed Happy Hour. Bad. We sat outside in Belltown at Bell and Whete and tried to enjoy nibbles while I nursed a stiff Old Fashioned. One moment of levity came when the manager, whom I had seen flitting around, came by our table and reached for our credit card and bill to cash us out. Thom, who hadn’t seen him before, immediately jerked it out of his hand and asked who the hell he was, distrustful New Yorker that he is and always will be. The manager just laughed and introduced himself and I vouched for him. Oh Thom!

After hearing that mom came through with flying colors and was already charming the nursing staff, we were able to enjoy a perfect Saturday in Seattle. After a lazy morning, we took off downtown to the waterfront to get in our 10,000+ steps on our FitBits. Sitting in my happy place, Sculpture Park, high above the water, we decided to hit the ferry and take it for a ride to Bainbridge Island just for the heck of it. What fun for only $16 for both tickets! With the chllly breeze blowing us around, we enjoyed the company of a couple of parrots on their way back home after seeing the vet and took in the view from the ferry we see every day from our window crossing Elliott Bay.

Sunday morning means volunteering at Shared Breakfast where my son joined us for the first time, after missing last week when he overslept. After a few hours serving 275+ folks in need a hot breakfast, he retired for a nap and we took off to enjoy the Fremont Street Market. A great mix of food, arts & crafts and unique junk finds, we could have bought too much but we abstained and decided to travel light. Good thing we did because we just kept on walking the path by the canal, ending up several miles later in Ballard.

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Now, we’re watching the Mets and I’m listening to explicit language I haven’t heard since the World Series. Play ball! Listen up Mets–please start winning so Thom doesn’t have a heart attack. Ahhh Spring Time in the George household. F*@king Mets, hit the f&%cking ball! Oh Thom…watch that NY mouth of yours and take a sedative. The season has just begun.

Melinda [77532] — Enjoying the sunshine by the canal on the trail from Fremont to Ballard

Me-Host with the Least

On March 19, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Family vacation, Uncategorized, vacation1 Comment

I realized this weekend that I am most definitely NOT the perfect host. Actually, far from it. As our hosts in LA anticipated and provided everything we could want and more, it became clear to me that, as I judged myself by comparison, I have been the host with the least in the past. So here is my public apology to all our past guests. Positive intent but bad execution. I’m a sort of “take care of yourself” person. I don’t expect anyone to take care of me, being fiercely independent and all. When we have guests visit us, I have always told them to make themselves at home and just assume they will. Who am I to hover when I’ve told them that what I have is theirs?

WP_20160317_15_53_30_Pro — The Endeavor-an awesome sight and story to experience in person at California Science Center in LA

This self-revelation came when we visited Thom’s brother Jimmy and his wife, Shari, to attend a Bruce Springsteen concert at LA Sports Arena. Worried about that pesky LA traffic, I suggested we take public transportation vs. driving, even though we didn’t expect the concert to be over until very late. WHAT WAS I THINKING?? Finally, after much conversation and hearing Shari’s concerns about the walking involved and train service limitations, I accepted that we should drive and, boy, was I glad that we did. Not only do I need to be a better host but I need to be a better guest too. First lesson-listen to your hosts! With Bruce playing his heart out for nearly 4 hours, we were able to quickly exit and jump in the car to hit the highway and get home by midnight. Arriving earlier in the day we got to check out the space shuttle Endeavor prior to the concert. So fun! Thom declared it a perfect day-experiencing the space shuttle simulator and dancing to Bruce and the E Street Band. I may not be a good hostess but I do good at birthday presents for my hubby!

But back to being spoiled rotten. Not wanting to put anyone out, I think I was rude in denying Jimmy and Shari the right to take care of us at the level they wanted to. I don’t really eat breakfast so no need to cook, right? But here came a lovely fruit plate and breakfast wrap our first morning. Instead of being nice and eating it, I declined and that was probably rude. Shari is from Hong Kong and embodies the Chinese culture that we saw when we lived there. Food is important and when family comes together, sharing a meal is significant. Shame on me! Lesson learned.

I’m the one, who in the past for work events, did not order enough food when in charge of picking the menu because I didn’t want to waste food and liked to save money. I learned quickly from my boss in China that he expected that to never happen and I had better forget the budget and order the damn food and lots of it. To the point that I knew to also order takeaway boxes so everyone at the meeting could take home leftovers. Okay. Good reminder for family gatherings as well.

As we drove to dinner Friday night in LA traffic, I was thinking to myself, aren’t there restaurants closer to home? But no, on we went until we reached an adorably charming town where an old lemon factory had been converted into shops and restaurants and I bought some handmade jewelry from a friendly artist. We ended up eating outside under the stars and, with Jimmy ordering LOTS of delicious food, we had a night to remember. Had I been in charge, we would have schlepped to the closest place and probably gone home hungry.

LA 2 — Dinner under the stars with an old fashioned to sip and awesome family time.

Today, we had barely gotten back from a huge dim sum feast today after our foot massages (heaven!) when Jimmy was pre-ordering pizzas for dinner and concerned that he get everyone their favorite toppings. This morning when the power was out at the house, he was up early to run to Starbucks because he knew we loved our caffeine fix. By the time he got back with venti Americanos for all, the power was already back on but, just in case it wasn’t, his guests were prepared to start the day right. Jimmy and Shari ARE the perfect hosts. Me, not so much. The first step is admitting it.

Go Hillary Go!

On March 13, 2016March 13, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Go Hillary Go! Please just win this thing and let’s be done with all the drama and stress and childish behavior. It’s frightening me. Seriously. I have nightmares about Trump leading our nation. What an embarrassment! There is no telling what the hell he would do but there is NO WAY it would be good for us. He is promoting violence, racism and truly resembles the rise of Hitler. What are the people that support him thinking? I understand there are masses of uneducated voters but do these people not have any heart or soul? Why can’t we just love all humans regardless of race or religion? So, so sad.

WP_20160308_18_16_35_Pro — Too bad I live in a high-rise or I would have taken one of these home with me!

Anyway, enough of my Trump rant. I’m seriously trying to stay away from the news because it is so disturbing and the media just allows him so much air time to promote his hateful ideology because it drives up their ratings. I will do what I can to support Hillary including making calls to voters, donating money and praying. A lot.

The night her headquarters opened up in Seattle, I was there dialing up caucus support on an ancient flip phone provided by the young lady running the volunteers. She was truly dedicated and passionate. She quit her job and has been moving all over the country to work for Hillary. Oh to be young and such a direct contrast to the age of the voters I was dialing with an average age of 70. I did have a few great conversations convincing folks to go to the caucus on May 26th and have their vote count for Hillary. I worry that these “seasoned” folks won’t understand the importance of everyone showing up because the college crowd will be there in spades. And not for Hillary. The “feel the Bern” is strong here with even my son supporting him–promises of free college tuition and waiving college debt are speaking loudly to these students’ empty bank accounts. How you goin’ pay for it all, Bern? Nice dream but get real and stop smoking that weed, dude!

WP_20160308_18_20_17_Pro — Opening night at Hillary’s headquarters in Seattle.

November can’t come soon enough for me. I can only pray that folks here come to their senses and vote someone into the Presidency that won’t ruin our economy, start a race riot or piss off other countries who want to kill us now when we are friendly let alone when we are saying and doing crazy stuff. God help us! Go Hillary Go!

WP_20160308_18_21_45_Pro — Cupcakes not violence is my motto!

Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic at SAM

On February 21, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Beijing, Museum, New York City, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

On a beautiful sunny Seattle day, we were lucky enough to use our SAM membership to check out the new exhibit: Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic. WOW. DAMN. If you are lucky enough to live in Seattle, go check it out. I am totally impressed with this artist’s vast talent. Not only can he paint scenes that you can’t help but stare at in awe and examine up close to ponder how he can paint so realistically but his sculpture and stained glass pieces of art are equally fantastic. WP_20160220_11_02_54_Pro

Unfortunately, we missed Kehinde in person at the opening event but we did watch the documentary on his “An Economy of Grace” paintings last night after seeing his work. The story as told on this PBS video really brings to life the paintings on display and I would suggest you take the time to view it either before or after you visit the SAM. Kehinde works in both New York and Beijing. In the documentary, we loved seeing how his artists help with the background work in his Beijing warehouse, the trip that the art took to get from China to the first showing in NYC and how he recruits his street models. You don’t realize how much work goes into prepping the space to showcase the art–the right wall color, the right frame, etc. WOW.

So why is his art so different? Kehinde picks people off the street to be his models, focusing on street culture, black masculinity and hip hop as portraits of these individuals set in historically famous poses of European works. The contrast between the Nike-wearing regular people in their lavish portrait settings is striking and stays with you long after you leave the gallery. WP_20160220_11_08_52_Pro

A self-identified gay man, Kehinde grew up in LA and began painting at an early age. As the SAM gallery guide explains, “He challenges long-held assumptions by opening new doors of perception, offering unprecedented interpretations and reimaging the black figure as subject, object and agent.” As I watched part of his documentary in the gallery, the large audience included a diverse crowd, including children learning about this interesting exhibition. Well done, Kehinde and SAM for a breathtaking experience. We plan on going back again to savor the creativity before this unique show moves on to the next lucky museum. WP_20160220_11_08_30_Pro

HAPPY YEAR OF THE MONKEY!

On February 14, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Chinese New Year, Seattle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Poor Damn Monkey-Chinatown was just not giving any love at all to the symbol of this New Year! When we were in China and it was Year of the Horse, there were ponies and stallions everywhere…big, small, red, gold, etc. decorating all the shops and homes. Horsey party to the extreme and very festive. So, we were missing the real Chinese New Year celebrations and decided to check out Seattle’s version this year. What a disappointment!

WP_20160213_11_50_11_Pro — Dragons and firecrackers welcome the Year of the Monkey!

Now, true the egg tarts always delight from the Chinese bakery there, but the first weekend we went, right before the official 2/8 holiday, there was nothing going on at all. Boring. We went back this weekend and finally, there were some dancing dragons and firecrackers going off to a small degree to welcome the New Year and the gods of wealth.

But really the crowd was there to feast on the $3 bargain food offer where you could stand in line to get select bites at the various food places. Not really our cup of tea and not a cultural event but it seemed popular with the gorging masses. Meh.

Still, I was really seeking out even a few crazy looking monkey decorative items in the shops. Can an expat get a little selection of monkey-themed decals or anything really to celebrate??? After shopping at the local grocery, Uwajimaya, for some salmon for our Valentine’s dinner, we grabbed our egg tarts and headed home, monkey-less.

Now, in Shanghai, I hear that having monkeys as your in-home pet is all the rage. Illegal, of course, but it’s probably not enforced and I’ve seen articles where folks are putting leashes on their monkeys and taking to the streets for a stroll. We saw a few monkey pets on the streets while they were there and they did turn heads. I’m sure in this Year of the Monkey, it’s very high status to actually own one. I am the Year of the Rat-wonder if the Chinese locals will leash up their rats and parade them around too? We didn’t really see rats over there too much-any small creature like that is considered food and served up as a lunch protein selection. Yum!

Booze and smoky butter!

On February 2, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Cocktails, Nightlife, Seattle, Seattle NightlifeLeave a comment

Canon, a self-described whiskey and bitters emporium, is definitely deserving of all the buzz and accolades it has earned, including being named one of the best bars in the world by Drinks International in 2014. Even at 5 p.m. on a Monday night, within minutes after opening, the intimate charming bar was packed with booze lovers. Count me in! Perched at the corner of the bar to closely watch the bartenders in action, they did not disappoint and treated us to a show indeed. Boasting the largest spirit collection in the western hemisphere at 3,500 labels and counting, I just had to ask Hailey, our bartender, how on earth they kept track of where each bottle went. Out came the iPad with a library of all their spirits by shelf. Spirit search time!

Canon's wall of booze — Canon’s wall of booze

I was overwhelmed with the huge “lavish libations” menu and had to take some time to choose what to try. My friends had been to Canon before so went right after some favorites-the “Campfire in Georgia” and the Truffle Old Fashioned. After lighting up some cinnamon French oak on the plate with a mini-blow torch, Hailey dropped the glass cover over the drink concoction of mescal, peach-habanero shrub and fresh oj to infuse the cocktail with smokiness galore. Quite the production:

The smokiness theme continued with the Khaleesi Cocktail that features “dragon’s blood smoke” (not kidding!) which is blown into a glass skull and then transferred into a mix of canon high west rye, bourbon, punt e mes, strawberry, and tonka bean. WTF! Exotic ingredients that added up to a tasty cocktail for my friend that I got to taste. Thanks K!

Now, for my cocktail selection, I decided on a slut theme, starting first with the aged cocktail list offering of the “Hanky Panky” made up of gin, sweet vermouth, fernet branca, orange zest and aged in the cutest little bottle for three years. Yes, you swig the Hanky straight from the bottle! That went down just fine and I followed it with The Tramp consisting of Plymouth sloe gin, giffard apricot, fresh lime juice and dry sparking wine. Less serious but highly entertaining sipping out of a glass this time. Classy.

With all that alcohol, either load up on some carbs before you go or, better yet, order a basket of bread with smoked butter. DAMN. The booze was awesome but the smoked butter was heaven on a baguette. They have other nibbles including smoked salmon, squash, beef, etc. Needing something other than bread, I ordered the bourbon nuts. With one bite of warm caramel corn/pretzel/bourbon smoky nuts, my taste buds swooned again. I loved their warning on the food menu:

“Alcohol, eggs, sex, undercooked foods and most enjoyable things in life can and will kill you if you give them enough time. Live life to the fullest until then.” Amen, Canon. I’ll be back.

Open 5 p.m.-2 a.m. daily, visit Canon, 928 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Be prepared to pay $25 in advance to get a reservation. Don’t worry-it’s pricey so that $25 will go towards the many cocktails and nibbles you will enjoy. Life is short. Cheers!

The Tarot Cards Don’t Lie!

On January 30, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

As the intriguing images were dealt and my Tarot Card story unfolded, I was shocked at the narrative I was hearing. “You have a new job that is energizing and has far less drama than your old one.” Yep. “You have a very good marriage.” Totally. “You will write a book.” Coming soon to Amazon.

DAMN. She was good. Now, I’m not saying I’m a true believer. I’m just open to lots of things that can’t be proven. I’ve had my palms read in a back alley in Hong Kong and wasn’t all that impressed. This gal, Eugenia Van Vliet, at the Pink Door in Seattle has been doing this forever. I believe that she probably is a great observer of people and is a storyteller who loves telling the history of each card. If nothing else, it was an enjoyable way to spend time on a cold winter evening in Seattle with a friend while drinking a delicious cinnamon Old Fashioned to warm me up.

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The first card dealt, the 4 of Wands, which is the “Lord of the Perfected Work” and is the card of the professionals was followed by the O The Fool card which speaks to a new beginning. Combo these two up and you have me starting my new job and loving it. As the cards continued to flow after I shuffled them, the O The Fool came up again and signified that the dog shown on the card was keeping me safe from falling over the cliff with mistakes in this new path. Cool-I need a four legged sidekick to keep me in check. Too bad I can’t bring mine to work with me! The Ace of Pentacles predicted a financial change for the better–does that mean the stock market will recover? I liked the message of the 5 of Swords-success can be achieved but only through relentless hard work. That’s always been my motto-I may not be the smartest but I surely will work the hardest.

We primarily talked about my new work gig but touched briefly on the family as well. The card signifying a great relationship came up twice so we discussed Thom. A few more cards after and she could tell that he was the creative, sensitive one in our marriage (yes, he cries more it’s true) and would be seeking an artistic outlet soon. Hmmmm……Thom has been working hard on our book covering our adventures in China. She even knew that, after seeing the card with an ancient scroll. How random that this would come up in the course of the reading. It certainly gave me reason to pause.

I was super happy to hear the prediction that I would be living abroad for work in either London or Dublin in 2-3 years. Score! Since we are already planning a trip to Dublin in the fall, I’ll start scouting out neighborhoods. You just never know with us! James will be out of law school and living on his own again so it might be time for another adventure abroad. WP_20160128_18_19_07_Pro 1

If you want to know what your future holds, check out Eugenia in the bar at the Pink Door, Sunday-Thursday from 5-7 p.m. Interesting stuff!

Pink Door

My Happy Places in Seattle

On January 24, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, bookstores, Seattle, TravelLeave a comment

Wandering around Seattle over the last two weeks, it struck me that I definitely have my favorite places that I gravitate to now when I want to have a great experience. Having a bad day? No problem-just check out these places and life will be good. Let’s just call these “happy places”. Honestly, doesn’t everyone need some happy places to get you through the sometimes cold and always rainy Seattle winters? Not everyone can run off to Hawaii, St. Maarten or Florida for a sunny/warm interlude (you know who you are and I’m damn jealous!) so without further ado, I thought I would share these happy places with you, whether you live here and need some new adventures or if you are crazy enough to plan a visit to Seattle during the long winter months. Here is the top 10 countdown of “can’t go wrong happy places” in Seattle:

Happy Place #10-Seattle Sunsets as seen across Elliott Bay. Check it out from any number of parks, restaurants and Pike Place Market on the waterfront. I’m lucky to see this nightly show from my balcony. Blessed!

WP_20130622_017 — Seattle sunsets are striking any time of the year!

Happy Place #9-Seattle sporting events. We enjoy the Mariners, Seahawks, Storm, and Reign but nothing beats the excitement of a Sounders game. You must get the start-to-finish experience beginning in Pioneer Square with the March to the Match and then wait after the game is over to see the players applaud their passionate fans.

WP_20130728_001 — Any Seattle sporting event is fun but Sounders game reign supreme!

Happy Place #8-Elliott Bay Book Co. on Capital Hill. From the friendly staff to the huge assortment with lots of staff recommendations pointing you to great reads, nothing beats a book store on a rainy Seattle day. They even have a great café for a bite to eat and coffee. Pres. Clinton even visited here recently on his whistle stop through town, taking in the neighborhood ambience.

WP_20160118_14_36_20_Pro — Elliott Bay Book Co. on Capital Hill has wall of recommended reads by staff members

Happy Place #7-Sculpture Park on Elliott Bay. Not only is there iconic public art but they have awesome concerts here in the summer. Not many tourists venture this far north of the market so it’s relatively quiet even on gorgeous summer days.

WP_20160123_14_18_49_Pro 1 — Sculpture Park is serene and beautiful.

Happy Place #6-Seattle Art Museum (SAM) is a gem with events and new exhibitions coming and going. We really enjoyed their Remix event, an after hours party with music, events, dancing, etc. that draws a huge crowd. We just became members so we can come and go frequently whenever we are in the mood.

WP_20160117_12_31_13_Pro 1 — Seattle Art Museum’s striking entry has now changed and the cars have been retired.

Happy Place #5-Chinatown, of course! We can’t wait to go celebrate Chinese New Year-Year of the Monkey on February 8th in our own Seattle Chinatown. There are several dim sum places that are excellent as well as the bakeries where I can get an egg tart. The Uwajimaya grocery has all our favorite snacks from China and always has cool stuff to buy.

Happy Place #4-Uptown Movie Theater. This totally charming old theater is a treasure and shows 3-4 movies, usually independent flicks, and is part of SIFF (Seattle International Film Festival). Best part-it is a block from our house and it serves lattes and wine.

WP_20141231_005 — The Uptown in Lower Queen Anne is a charmer!

Happy Place #3-The Seattle Center is more than the Space Needle. The lights twinkling in the trees at night while the fountain shoots its water bursts in time to the music make it a wondrous place. People think it is just for tourists but we walk our dogs there every day multiple times and enjoy it so much. WP_20150525_15_24_18_Pro

Seattle Center is our backyard with the fountain shooting high to the musical playlist.

Happy Place #2-Who isn’t happy shopping? In downtown Seattle, our favorite stores are John Fluevog for handcrafted shoes, Everyday Music (EM) for extensive vinyl assortment, Pike Place Market, of course, for leather slippers, lavender sachets and flowers/flowers/flowers, CostPlus World Market for coffee/tea/wine, and Nordstrom’s Rack for shoes and clothing with an onsite tailor. We can walk down and then take the fun Monorail home when we buy too much. Running since the 1962 World Fair, it’s only $2.25 one way for a quick trip from downtown to the Seattle Center. Super convenient for us!

WP_20150703_20_01_55_Pro — Yes, green boots for Thom. He is Irish after all.

Happy Place #1-MUSIC! I am constantly on the lookout for new and well-loved artists for us to check out in Seattle. Our favorite venues are The Paramount, The Moore, and the Triple Door though we often have to travel to Ballard to the Tractor Tavern to see folks we like. Last year we got to enjoy Eilen Jewell (coming again 2/25 to the Tractor Tavern-check her out!), Allen Stone, Glen Hansard, LeRoy Bell, Elvis Costello, David Bromberg, Florence & The Machine and wish we had seen Alabama Shakes live. I’m sure this year will be an even better year for concerts, though we had to plan a trip in March to LA to see Bruce Springsteen’s final concert on his tour since he snubbed Seattle. Come on, Bruce! Seattle IS the music place to be!

My current fav artist-Glen Hansard serenading us from the balcony at The Moore.

A Night of Cocktail Exploration

On January 3, 2016 By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Boise, Cocktails, Seattle, UncategorizedLeave a comment

After searching through Yelp for the craftiest cocktail place in downtown Boise, I decided to give the Press & Pony a try. Aided by my daughter and hubby as the designated driver, we passed through the velvet curtained entryway into a small speakeasy environment with a copper-topped bar and tin-tiled ceiling. Score-atmosphere galore where the bartenders were knowledgeable and downright hardcore in their stance to serve only the most unique craft cocktails to their customers.

boise 2 — Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.

Of course, after reviewing the menu of cocktails (no food here-serious drinking only), I interviewed the bartenders on their most popular drinks and ingredients. Boy did I get an earful of passionate discourse on the ingredients needed to create cocktail masterpieces. Settling on the classic Old Fashioned to try first, it did not disappoint. Eric the Bartender proclaimed their Old Fashioned to be the best in Boise and with the essence of lemon and orange mixed with simple syrup, bourbon and 8 dashes of two types of bitters served in a classic old fashioned tumbler with a big ass ice cube, the better not to melt and dilute the drink I was told, I contently sat back to sip and enjoy this masterpiece of alcohol. As I brought my nose to the glass, the lemon and orange oils diffused the smell of booze and lightened the bourbon taste. Delightful!

boise 3 — House-made tonics and sodas delight even the non-alcoholic sippers

boise 1 — Shots and Classic Cocktails with complex ingredients

Next up on the cocktail tasting menu for me was the Corpse Reviver No. 2 that combined gin, lillet blanc, Cointreau, lemon juice and an absinthe rinse for good measure. The name alone compelled me to give it a try plus I had never tried absinthe so the Corpse Reviver was perfect! Shaken not stirred, it arrived in a short goblet with tiny floats of ice on top. Delicious with a kick! Eric pointed out that absinthe is 53 proof and not to be trifled with. As Hannah put it so aptly when she tasted her Dark + Stormy (dark rum+ginger beer+lime juice) cocktail, “Oh Jesus!”

In asking Eric about the focused assortment of their liquors behind the bar, he expressed disdain for the standard popular brands like Maker’s Mark and Jack Daniels-not even available at their establishment, thank you very much. As he put it, if customers come in and ask for vodka or “regular” drinks like Jack & coke, he directs them to the “douche kiddie bars” down the street where it’s all about cheap booze vs. refined cocktails. Tell us how you really feel, Eric. I like a bartender with principles.

boise 6 — Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.

Next up on the cocktail research tour, we met up with our friend Ryan H. and walked quickly on this single digit frigid night to the Red Feather Lounge, a more mainstream alcohol emporium but with a late night happy hour (yes, we were out that late believe it or not) so we could enjoy hot beignets with warm butterscotch dipping sauce with our cocktails. Paired with a “Fever of the Mad” (Extra Dry Gin, Herbsaint Pastis, Fresh Lemon, Fee Bros. Peach Bitters, and Egg Whites) the beignets soaked up all the alcohol just fine. I had wanted to try a drink featuring egg whites as this is a hot trend now. The Fever was light, frothy and a perfect way to end a night of intensive cocktail research. Taking the Red Feather motto to heart, “A bar without bitters is like a kitchen without spice.”, it’s back to Seattle today to continue the research at Canon, one of the top cocktails bars in the nation. Watch out!

boise 4 — Absinthe anyone? Press & Pony has atmosphere galore plus well crafted cocktails in downtown Boise, Idaho.

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