This Weekend’s Splurge vs. Steal

Happy Thursday, dear readers! It’s time for our latest installment of Splurge vs. Steal!

As some of you are aware, Brett and i are obsessed with food shows. Top Chef Masters is no exception. So when I heard that this season features three Seattle chefs from restaurants that are on our List, i HAD to alert the masses!

The 22 new contestants include local chefs Maria Hines (Tilth), Thierry Rautureau (Rover’s) and Jerry Traunfeld (former chef at The Herbfarm, now Poppy in Capitol Hill).

So, why not make a Date Night in honor of one of these fine chefs?

Visit Capitol Hill's fabulously funky Poppy, for a true culinary adventure in your not-so-conventional setting, where Northwest meets South Asia in a daring and exciting menu.

Chef uses a unique serving tradition adopted from India called a thali (Hindu for 'tray'), where ten mini-dishes on one thali make for a unique and interesting tasting adventure!

Or, head to Wallingford’s hidden gem Tilth, where they feature New American cuisine prepared with certified-organic or wild ingredients sourced from as many local farmers they are able to support. Their executive chef and owner, Maria Hines, is a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef of the Northwest.

Finally, if Madison Park is more your area, head over to Rover’s, where Chef Rautureau’s vision is a warm, comfortable dining environment, similar to dining at a friend’s house. They use traditional French techniques to tease out the flavors of the region’s best ingredients, and pride themselves in sourcing ingredients that are local, sustainable, organic, and seasonal.

Finish at home with a TiVo of the Season Premier of Top Chef Masters – appropriately dubbed “First Date Dinner” – don’t you just love it?

Not a fine-dining fanatic? No problem! We have a great Date Idea for you!

Take your sweetie go see the movie with our namesake! Basically, they totally stole our idea… Well, not really, but we like to claim that it did. ;)

That’s right, there’s a movie out called DATE NIGHT!

Starring the very funny Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, it opens this Friday.

What’s it about? Glad you asked. Here’s IMDB’s synopsis:

In New York City, a case of mistaken identity turns a bored married couple's attempt at a glamorous and romantic evening into something more thrilling and dangerous.

Sounds SAUCY!

Happy Dating!

xo,

B&M