Where to Eat: Gobble

I love turkey and mashed potatoes. It's one of those classic home-cooked meals that warms your soul as it fills your belly. And yet, it seems we only have the full-blown turkey dinner a few times a year on holidays, most likely because of all of the work involved.
A few months ago, a friend of mine told me about a small restaurant in Woodinville - Gobble - that served delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings. As I looked up the menu online, I saw they also offered lighter options like turkey sandwiches (leftover-style of course), pot pie and several other items that had my mouth watering. I had to give it a try. Last week, as Ella and I met my husband for lunch, we picked this spot. Between the three of us, we were all super impressed with the quality of food and the exceptional service. We're already planning a return visit!

The Breakdown
Location: 13300 NE 175th St Woodinville WA 98072
Must-eat: Turkey platter with stuffing and potatoes - get the smaller portion unless you're starving
Dress code: Casual
Ambiance: Home-style cozy
Price: About $10 per person

I loved how cozy the inside seating area was. There was even a fire-burning stove in the corner with antique signs and decorations. Drinks are served in adorable mason jars. There are even shelves of books and games to keep little ones entertained while they eat.

The turkey was absolutely delicious, the potatoes tasted completely homemade, not resembling a cafeteria in any way, and that stuffing! I had to show how deliciously textured and flavorful it was. Even the pot pie was completely hand-crafted to perfection.

If you live in the Seattle area or are planning a trip, add this one to your list to try!

Park City

Utah's Provo canyon is an outdoor paradise. Whether its mountains, lakes, rivers or valleys you're in to, they can all be found within a thirty minute drive in this area. When my husband and I lived here, my husband would frequently get dropped off at one end of the canyon to fish and longboard down back to the other end. We loved hiking, taking Sunday drives and just admiring the beauty of this place. It's one of the reasons I love driving up to Park City any time we visit Utah.

Because the town is largely known for it's skiing, the main street has a resort-feel with lots of little shops and restaurants.

The city hosts the annual Sundance Film Festival. I used to love coming up in the winter to do a bit of celebrity searching. Rarely did we have much luck, but it was always a good time anyway.

The weather was still pretty chilly when we went up, but this year has had a shockingly low amount of snow. With the sun shining, it reminded us more of summertime when you can ride the Alpine Slide, rather than being typical ski season.

One of our favorite places to eat along main street is Red Banjo Pizza. It's kid-friendly but still has a fun vibe for people looking for good food at a reasonable price. In the summertime, you can eat outside on the porch and people watch.

In the winter, you can admire the eclectic decorations inside, including lots of Olympic memorabilia. There are even arcade games downstairs to keep you busy while you wait for your pizza to cook. There used to be a tradition where patrons would sign a napkin or draw a picture to tack up on their wall, but they seem to have upgraded to having people sign dollar bills to put up instead. Those banjos must be getting pricey!

Whether it's chilly or warm out, Park City is always a fun place to visit. There's something for everyone, be it shopping, skiing, or mountain biking. It was great to spend the day there visiting family.

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.

Where to Eat: Molly Moon's

Ice cream. There's nothing like a delicious, creamy scoop in a fresh waffle cone. Now, I know you're thinking it's a bit unorthodox to be talking about a frozen treat in the middle of January, but bear with me here. The unique flavors, nostalgic ice cream shop environment and generous portions (more dessert!) make Molly Moon's a must-visit, even in the winter.

There are six Molly Moon locations around Seattle. I like to visit the U Village location because of the convenient parking. (And because I love to pair one of my favorite restaurants with a trip for ice cream.) The company uses fresh, local ingredients in their ice cream where possible and partners with organic, fair trade suppliers when products can't be sourced nearby.

I love this sign hanging on the wall. "Sundae night, every night." Amen to that. The shop sells yummy toppings and pints of their ice cream to keep the ice cream party going at home.

There are about ten classic flavors that can be found year-round. Then four more flavors are added seasonally to keep you coming in for more. At least one flavor is always vegan which is great for people who have dietary restrictions or allergies.

I like to get a waffle cone with a single scoop. You can ask to have your single scoop split into a couple of flavors (yes, please!) since the amount of ice cream you get is plentiful. My go-to flavors are scout mint (sweet mint ice cream with pieces of Thin Mint cookies) or salted caramel. Last summer one of the seasonal flavors was a toasted marshmallow which I'm praying returns later this year.

A couple of the seasonal flavors coming up looked too good not to share. Check them out next time you have a craving for something sweet!

Where to Eat: Din Tai Fung

The Breakdown
Locations: Bellevue and Seattle, WA; Arcadia and Glendale, CA; International
Must-eat: Juicy Pork Dumplings, Garlic String Beans; Spicy Pork Wontons; Chicken Fried Rice
Dress code: Casual
Ambiance: Modern ambiance with Asian flare
Price: Entrees between $8.50-12.00; Family-Style about $15 per person

There's really only one place in town that I will tolerate a two hour wait for dinner. That's right...two hours. The reason? Din Tai Fung. On a Friday or Saturday night, anything less than a 90 minute wait time is lucky. But people (myself included) wait because the food is that good. The Bellevue location opened in 2010 and with it's wild popularity, expanded to Seattle last year. Both are located with prime shopping nearby to help the wait go by a little faster. Because trust me...it's worth it.

Right next to the entrance is a window to the kitchen showing how the dumplings are made fresh.

Even the bar area has sleek, modern decor to keep a cool ambiance.

When we first started coming here, Blake was a baby and constantly broke their ceramic plates and spoons. Now, they've stocked cute plastic plates and bowls to be more kid-friendly. Drinks are even serves with cute and colorful curly straws.

These are some of the only green beans I can, not only stomach, but inhale like candy. Their crispness and delicious flavor make this something even my daughter will eat.

The vegetable and pork wontons in spicy sauce are a winning combination. As a bonus, try pouring some of the spicy sauce on fried rice. Yummy.

And these little juicy pork dumplings are as absolute must. The wrappers are the perfect thickness, and the flavor inside is terrifically tasty.

To eat these yummy morsels, pick up with chopsticks, dip in dumpling sauce, then place on the spoon. Bite a small hole in the wrapper to sip the broth outing cool the dumpling down a bit. Then, devour the rest.

If you're a seafood fan (which I am alone in my family as not being one), there are several shrimp options that are big crowd pleasers. My family loves these shrimp and pork shao mai dumplings that have the pork on bottom and minced shrimp nestled on top.

This food is lick-your-lips good! To avoid the crowds, try going in the afternoon (3pm-ish) or mid-week. They do also offer take-out but the food gets cold pretty quickly so be sure you'll be able to eat soon after pick-up if you go that route. If you live in the Seattle or LA area, put this one on your list to try soon!

Club 33: An Inside Look

What is it about exclusivity that makes something so much more appealing? The mystery, the notoriety and the excitement combine to create an unavoidable (yet seemingly unattainable) draw. The "secret" Club 33 at Disneyland is no exception. On our most recent trip to Disneyland, my mom and I had an opportunity to tag along with some friends to this members-only restaurant inside the park.

Upon arriving at the new door for the restaurant, we rang the buzzer and announced ourselves to be admitted. We were buzzed in and ushered into a beautiful courtyard with pomegranate infused water to sip as we waited to be seated upstairs. 

Knowing that there was a possibility of spotting some celebrities, I kept my eyes peeled for Ryan Gosling as we were seated at our table. No such luck this time, sadly. But the beautifully decorated dining room almost made up for it.

Yes, that's the hand-painted underside of a vintage piano

At the table, we each had a lovely china setting with the iconic 33 logo in silver on each plate. Of course, those only lasted as long as it took for us to order. Once placed, those settings were whisked away to make room for entirely new ones.

For lunch, we each had the option of creating our own three or four course menu. I wasn't too excited about any of the appetizers so i stuck with the three courses and ordered the apple lemonade with all natural apple straw to drink.

Salad: Wilted Kale with Tart Apples, Pecans, Bacon Vinaigrette and Biscuit Croutons
Main Course: Petit Filet Mignon, Tender Haricot Verts, Cabernet Jus
Dessert: Warm Honey Crisp Apple Pie with White Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream

The food was absolutely delicious (seriously...cheddar cheese ice cream?! I need to find this in a market nearby) and even served with these fancy dome lids to top it off. The service was top notch, going so far as to have one server per two people to place food at the exact same time for everyone at the table.

After we ate, we had to explore the restrooms. Inside were monogrammed paper towels, floss sticks, individual Club 33 mouthwashes, and beautiful decor.

Afterwards, we stepped out on to the balcony to catch the view above New Orleans Square. 

By the time we had finished, it was just starting to get dark making the walk down the courtyard stairs absolutely breathtaking.

And while we may not ever reach the top of the 8-12 year waiting list to have the privilege of $11,000/year membership fees and access on a regular basis, it was such a treat and we certainly hope to go back again someday!