Date Night: First Date Repeat

Nine and a half years ago, a cute boy took me on a date. He had trouble finding my house (pre-phone GPS days...are we that old?!) and had me come outside while he honked the horn of his car to see how close he was. After the weirdest game of "hot or cold" ever, we set out on the last first date I would ever go on.

Matt took me to a yummy Italian restaurant (Mamma Melina) which used to be tucked behind a small theater in the U-District of Seattle. It was family owned and operated, had live entertainment, and was super romantic. While the location has changed, the same brothers continue to run the restaurant and have managed to maintain a cozy vibe with their sleek upgrades. We love to grab dinner here on a night without our kids, not only for nostalgia sake, but because the people and the food are top notch.

The bruschetta here is super yummy with grape tomatoes and a delicate olive oil dressing over the top. We like to start with that and a salad each.

The room is dimply lit with candles at each table. Perfect ambience for a date.

Most people are dressed business casual, but we went on a blue Friday so my husband still had to represent his team.

Several murals are attached to the ceiling as a modern twist on displaying artwork.

The lasagna is Matt's go-to, while I love the Fetuccini Bolognese. Sometimes we'll mix it up a little but you can't go wrong with these selections.

On our first date, we followed up dinner with an ice cream cone on the waterfront downtown. Last weekend was a bit too chilly for that, but we kept tradition with a trip to Molly Moon's.

I love dates down memory lane. Especially with this guy.