Dine Around Seattle

Have you ever participated in Dine Around Seattle? Restaurants offer special items for the entire month of March. The courses are for a set price, and it includes over 60 restaurants in the area. Keep reading, and you can learn more about Dine Around Seattle at Komonews.


March is my favorite month for two reasons: it's my birthday month, and it's Dine Around Seattle month.

Almost like a little birthday present especially for me, Dine Around Seattleis back all month long - and has expanded to 63 restaurants.

New to DAS? Here's the skinny:
Restaurants who are participating offer a special Dine Around Seattle Menu of their choosing for the entire month (March 1-31).
Three courses are offered for $33 for dinner, $18 for lunch
Every week DAS is served Sundays through Thursdays

New restaurants this go-round are Marjorie, RAVISH, Lucia Italian Kitchen,HECHO, Place Pigalle, Pomerol andTrellis.

But don't worry, oldies like Restaurant Zoe, Local 360, Tray Kitchen, Flying Fish, Poppy, Barking Frog,Preservation Kitchen, Stumbling Goat Bistro,Tango, Volterra, Monsoon, Cafe Lago, and Ponti Seafood are still there too.

Check out the full list online, and book your rezzie (or two, or three, or four) ASAP. The menus are offered Sunday through Thursdays, depending on the restaurant.

Enjoy!

Food Truck Park Coming to Seattle

Food trucks are the newest craze across the United States.   Tacos, burgers, and even pasta trucks are in cities across the United States.  However, Steve Katsandres of Seattle is trying to open a beer garden mated with a food truck pot.  There will be seating, drinks, varieties of food, and public bathrooms.  Keep reading to learn more about this new Seattle location. You can learn more at Seattle Met. 

In 1995, Steve Katsandres opened Bad Albert's Tap and Grill, named for his portly feline, on a then-sleepy Ballard Ave. He went on to a variety of food and management roles around town but now, 20 years later, Katsandres and a few partners (all Ballard natives) are bringing something entirely new to the neighborhood.

Ballard Bites and Brew is essentially a beer garden mated with a food truck pod. Katsandres is transforming a vacant lot at 1502 NW 50th Street (in the thick of Ballard's brewery zone) into a parklike space where local drafts will flow and food trucks will take up regular positions—four at a time, rotating in and out by day and night.

Currently Seattle food trucks set up camp in pods (variety, but no seating) or outside a specific establishment, like a brewery (seating and beer, but just one truck at a time). Theoretically the Bites and Brew setup fuses the best of these two worlds: ample seating, beer, variety...and bathrooms. A building dubbed the "draft shack" will house eight taps and a variety of canned beers, while the other side of the building will dispense drive-thru espresso and breakfast sandwiches in the morning. There will be a stage for live music; Katsandres uses the term "park" to describe his creation because he wants it to have a family friendly, neighborhood vibe to it.

Opening something heretofore nonexistent in Seattle can make for some adventures in permitting, but Katsandres and partners hope Ballard Bites and Brew will be open by April. Keep an eye on its Facebook page for updates.

The Perfect Seattle Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day weekend is quickly approaching.  Seattle is one of the best places to live to celebrate this holiday.  The city had some of the best top Diamond-rated hotels from AAA.  Do not forget about the amazing spa packages you can get for a loved one in the city.  Keep reading this blog and learn more about your Valentine's Day options here.

Looking for a local getaway to celebrate this Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re seeking a romantic night away or planning an adventure with friends, cruise the list of AAA’s top Diamond-rated hotels and restaurants for a memorable experience.

Two hotels in Washington were recently added to the list of local AAA Four Diamond properties: The Davenport Tower (Spokane) and Cameo Heights Mansion Bed & Breakfast (Touchet). The Vine, an on-site chef’s table style restaurant at Cameo Heights Mansion Bed & Breakfast, also earned a AAA Four Diamond award for the first time, the only new restaurant added to the list in Washington for 2015.

For those looking for a little more relaxation during their stay, the Salish Lodge and Spa (Snoqualmie) andWoodmark Hotel and Still Spa (Kirkland) offer massages, facials, body therapy treatments and more. Both recently celebrated 25 years as AAA Four Diamond lodging.

“These establishments set the standard for exceptional hospitality and attention to detail.” said Jennifer Cook, AAA Washington’s senior manager of corporate communications. “Whether you’re looking to celebrate with someone special or plan to treat yourself, these locations consistently deliver high quality service and strive to create memorable experiences for their guests.”

The Westin Seattle Hotel remains the longest running AAA Four Diamond establishment in Washington, celebrating 34 consecutive years. The Herbfarm Restaurant (Woodinville) has earned a coveted AAA Five Diamond rating for 13 consecutive years and remains the only Five Diamond establishment in the Pacific Northwest. However, known for its lavish nine-course dinners and impressive wine pairings, the Herbfarm is sure to book up quickly.

“As with any holiday, we recommend making reservations in advance, especially if you intend to dine out,” said Cook. “Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so if you want a table, plan ahead, especially since it lands on a long weekend in recognition of President’s Day.”

What does it take to make it as a respected AAA Diamond rated establishment? AAA inspectors collectively visit 58,000 hotels and restaurants throughout the year to conduct physical, on-site evaluations. Celebrating 79 years of the AAA Diamond rating program, inspectors are able to distinguish emerging trends within the hospitality industry and identify new approaches to enhance guest comfort and satisfaction.

Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Do you feel trapped in your home this winter? No matter what age you are these creative ideas will let you have some fun on the snowy nights of February. Take a peak at these three easy DIY Projects. If you want more ideas for the winter blues, check out Apartment Therapy

Around this time of year, cold nights and inclement weather mean lots of nights spent at home. If you're growing a little fatigued with Netflix marathons, we've got a few ideas for fun, easy projects that are sure to drive the winter blues away.

This clementine candle DIY is an Apartment Therapy classic. All you need to make it is an orange, a knife, and a little oil. These little guys are cute as a button, will make your home feel warmer and smell great, and you can even float them in the bathtub.


Flower pounding is a fun, novel way to create art for your home, or just while away a winter evening. The video suggests gathering flowers around your home, which may not be a possibility around this time of year, but you can always pick up a bouquet at the florist or grocery store, and use the flowers that don't get pounded to brighten up your home.

The jitterbug will provide hours of entertainment and is a fun little toy to make, even if you don't have a lot of (or any) experience with electronics. You can even make a couple and have jitterbug battles. You may ever want to leave home ever again.