Seattle Date Night: Noodles and Pinball!

October 1, 2009:
Noodle Ranch and Shorty's

He Said: Belltown and quality are synonyms. Arguably the capital of Seattle’s restaurant scene, the place is full of varied and wonderful restaurants. With that, the age old saying “you get what you pay for” is definitely the norm.

It categorically draws a different crowd compared to other Seattle burrows. Check out my Big Picture post for a definition on "wankers"!

I digress. One Belltown restaurant very must against the norm mentioned above is the Noodle Ranch on 2nd and Bell. Bringing together a flavorful and fresh menu at a price that doesn’t require your last three pay slips and pre approval, the Noodle Ranch is conveniently located in the heart of Second Ave’s restaurant and bar cluster.

I got to know it well when I first moved here on a night the lads and I invented called “Suicide Wednesday”. I highly recommend this for people new to the area. Basically it involved going out on the lash on Wednesday nights ultimately with one person "committing suicide" by not turning up to work the next day. Bloody ripper of a night! Anyways, we’d always kick off in this area.

[Me and Mandy at Noodle Ranch!]

For my meal, I enjoyed the lemongrass chicken ($9) and Mandy had the Vermicelli noodles with chicken ($9). Both fresh, flavorful and filling. Back that up with a couple of great beers on tap and you’ll enjoy a 5 star meal all round.

[Vermicelli Noodles/Lemongrass Chicken]

After tea, we headed right next door to a bar call Shorty's. Shorty’s stands out from the crowd due to its extensive array of pin ball machines! With a room dedicated to the classic entertainment device, they have machines dating from way back when they were first invented through to the modern marvels with all of bells and whistles. The last time I played a pin ball machine was the Top Gun machine at our local fish n' chip shop back in '85, so it was a nice piece of nostalgia. A nice way to round out a tame (and inexpensive!) datenight.

Lastly I want to give a shout out to my good mate Will who suggested this datenight. Ask for him at the Noodle Ranch and he’ll look after you.

Cheers, Brett

**Shorty's is cash only, so be sure to bring some! They have a change machine, too, so you can snag quarters to play all night long!

RATINGS:

Romance: 3: Not the most "romantic", per se, but VERY fun and different! Great unique interior at both locations!

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 4 (see above)

All Around Service: 4 Noodle Ranch was great! Shorty's isn't known for their customer service...

Cost: $$ = entrees from $8 - 13

Would we recommend it? 4: ABSOLUTELY! It's a fun and affordable evening, and if you're left with extra quarters, perfect for weekend laundry!

Busy week!

No scheduled date night this week, we just have TOO much going on!

Tomorrow night we head to my folks' house for Pictionary with my mom's old high school best friend who is in from Michigan; Wednesday Brett is in Boise for work; Thursday is my best friend Jenna's birthday at the Mariner's Game, and then Friday starts 2009 VEGAS (Mandy)/Camping (Brett) weekend extravaganza!!



Be sure to stay tuned next week for a new and exciting post! But in the meantime, i will leave you all with a photo from our ultra-fabulous weekend!

xo

About Us!

She Said:

About Brett: It’s tough to describe Brett in 200 words or less, but I’ll try. Born and raised just south of Sydney, Australia, this handsome hunk of a man moved to Seattle in 2007 to follow his dream of living and working abroad (but, let’s be honest, he really moved here to find me!). A financial controller for a medical technologies company, Brett has a knack for keeping things in order and telling it like it is. At work, at least.

In his personal life, he really loves to let loose with friends, whether it’s at a Hawks, Sounders, or Mariner’s game, snowboarding (or skiing… yes, he does both!) one of the 10+ mountain passes in the area, tasting new foods, beers, and wines, traveling to far off places, or exploring close neighborhood haunts, and getting in as much Americana as he can! Brett is kind, he is funny, he is smart; basically, he is all this girl could ever ask for. So, I encourage you to get to know him. You will not regret it! Screw Flanders! Bon Appetites!

He Said:

About Mandy: Mandy Hoover* – HOOVER! The name that got this adventure started! High school cheer leader, sorority champion, beautiful and blond, Mandy is the quintessential American girl next door. With a heart of gold, Mandy is always the life of the party. Funny, intelligent, crazy and gorgeous, she’ll sing your ear off and have you in fits of laughter all at the same time.

Working as a Project Manager at a Seattle ad agency, Mandy is creative and organized (compliments me perfectly as I’m the complete opposite!). Just check out this site! It’s all her handy work! Her weekends and free time are spent travelling; kicking it with her mates, heading to the mountains with me, keeping fit in the gym or setting up the greatest camp site going (among a million other things). There’s never a dull moment. She genuinely touches the heart and soul of all that are lucky enough to meet her. Oh, did I mention she’s a world class chef?!? Yeah, she goes alright!

Cheers!

*Hoover is now Robertson!! But that doesn't work with the story as well. :)