Date Night

Date Night: Burger Bistro

04.11.15

UGH.  I got home yesterday and COMPLETELY forgot to post this!

womp womp womp….

so who wants to talk about date night on a Saturday morning?!  Deff me.  Frankies swweeeping next to me and I'm trying to be nice and not WAKE him up like I like to do.  he's a lucky guy.  I don't think he knows.  

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anyway, we've already talked about how last weekend frankie moved all his shhhtuff in on Saturday!  But(!) I don't think I mentioned that on the day he brought all his things here and left them in the middle of my livingroom… his family was coming into the city to see the apartment.  His dad was visiting from North Carolina and his sister was home from URI, so we definitely wanted them to come see the place!  like for sure.  obviously when frankie shows up with a car PACKED with crap I'm like AW HELL NAH, YOU BETTER PUT THIS AWAY BEFORE THEY GET HERE.

Did he?  No.  Was I stressed about it?  Yes.  Did it ruin the night?  Absolutely not.

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We had his mom, dad, brother, and sister over and we had some drankkksss.  They mostly drank beer, but me?  I had one of these puppies.  WINNING.

We played games and hung out until around 7:30 when we decided we were hungry.  I tasked Frankie with finding a place to go for dinner and we headed out. When we got to the original place he was thinking it was a bar.  So we quickly looked around and saw a couple cool looking burger places.  We ultimately decided on Burger Bistro just across the street!

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| Date: | 4/5/2015

| Time: | 7:51 pm

| Place: | Burger Bistro, UES

| Food: | American/Burgers

| Drinks: | (2) house Red Sangrias [ash] + (2) Beers – not sure what kind [Frankie]

| Appetizers: | Bistro Chips (homemade chips + bacon + feta) [to share] + Deep Fried Corn on the Cob (topped with what I think was the chipotle mayo) [to share]

| Dinner: | Beef Burger (medium with bacon + lettuce + onion) & Frizzled Onions [ash] + Beef Burger (medium well with cheese + lettuce + bacon) [Frankie]

| Dessert: | none (I KNOW, I KNOW.  CRAZY.  we went back to the apartment and had some more DRANKKKSS and Frankie asked me to make the pretzel dip for his fambam (WHO LOVED IT, BTW). 

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SO.  Burger Bistro.  It reminds me of the meatball shop with how you mark what you're ordering on a sheet.  I like that style, I like knowing they're not going to get it wrong because I have CLEARLY not marked cheese so they won't put it on.   

everything was really good.  I was honestly surprised because it was an off the whim choice, but i probably shouldn't have been because those are the ones that end up being the best.

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I CLEARLY ordered the sangria because it was, um, their special for the weekend! it's like they knew me.  like they were saying ASH COME DRINK OUR DELICIOUS JUICE AND MAYBE YOU'LL GET DRUNK.  who knows, maybe they knew i was in the market for a good glass of sangria.  I do think that they make the sangria as you order it and not in big batches because I ordered two and they tasted COMPLETELY different.  i wasn't mad about it though, my first one was delicious and my second was more like a glass of red.  who am I to complain?  Frankie had a beer.  so BOORRRING.  just kidding, half of our group had beer so I can't judge.  

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Our appetizers were the bistro chips and the fried corn.  um.  the chips were DEFF homemade and they were delicious.  i ate around the cheese, but it looked like feta(?).  You KNOW i was all about that bacon though.  why have I not been eating my chips with bacon everyday?  life. changed.  and haiiiii that fried corn?  it was super spicy, but I love that kind of thing.  the sauce on top was the bees kneez (this is the second time in two days i've said that… someone send halpppp).  i'm a big lover of roasted corn, wasn't sure how i'd feel about fried corn. but YUM.  i was a fan.  

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as for main dish stuff, I ordered frizzled onions on the side of mine because they sounded like they were going to be thin and super crispy just the way I like them…. and they were.

also side note: I obviously realized I could get a side for like $3 more than “adding” them to my burger for $1.25.  so i killed two birds with one stone and put some of my SIDE onions ON MY BURGER.  i'm totes the coolest.  

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Um. I ordered my burger on garlic bread.  why has this not been a thing all my life?  From here on out i'm only eating chips with bacon and burgers on garlic bread.  the end.  

I do feel the need to let you know that for a burger place I didn't think it was anything crazy special.  Don't get me wrong, it was good.  I liked my burger for sure, but i feel like when burgers are all you make you really have to go all out.  That being said: I did order your standard beef burger AND i didn't get any of their crazy sauces.. so maybe that's why?  I don't know.  I still feel like if burgers are really the only thing you offer, I should be able to order a normal burger and be amazed.  

but to each their own.  I'll probably go back with people and order crazy things on my burger.  I was eyeing the grilled pineapple coupled with bacon!  nom. 

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like I said before, we didn't order dessert!  GAH(!) maybe we were waiting for all that easter candy??  I don't know, but we ended up heading back to the apartment to hang out and play games and all that jazz.  Frankie's brother and sister ended up sleeping over and it was adorable.  But I HAD to go to bed at midnight.  i passed out while we were watching a movie.  i'm so bizzare.  

oy vey.

ANYWAY.  that was our date night, tell me about yours!! where have you guys been dating lately?

Appetizer / Recipes / Sides

Yellow Tomato Pico de Gallo

04.08.15

Pico

um. i think this is the last of my Seattle archives!  I don't think I have any more recipes photographed from my time there.  

I do have a KILLER banana bread coming your way soon, but I didn't think it would be appropriate after talking about the BEST CAKE EVER last week… seriously the cake does things to people.

How does one top that?  You can't.  You just can't.  

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UNLESS!  You switch genres completely.  Genres?  Flavors?  Food types? WHATEVER!  We're going mexican!

Because you can't possibly compare the two.  stop thinking about it.  cilantro and caramel just don't mix.  STOP.

I'm so sorry I've done this to you.

YellowPico Can I make it up to you?  HOW ABOUT SOME CHIPS AND PICOOOO?  because really my pico is salsa.  what is the difference between the two?  EDUMACATE ME.

nevermind, I googled it.  they're basically the same thing but pico is more solid.  so i win.

although, i do love a good restaurant salsa.  chili's FTW.  

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The other good news is! um! GARLIC and CILANTRO!!

my faves.  have we talked about this?  we've talked about this.  i'm sorry.  i'm so sorry.

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You should make this and put it on these.  NOM.

Make nachos!  

Make burritos!

Make… like a target shopper and buy a bag of the super thin restaurant style tortilla chips to scoop it with.

Pico-5 I'm really bad at analogies.  

but good at mexican.

I'm sure none of this makes sense because I'm trying to write through my boyfriend yelling at me that it's past my 9pm bedtime (it's 10:56)!  He's very disturbed that I get in bed at 10pm every night.  for someone who falls asleep anywhere you'd think he'd be more understanding.

such is life.  let's get to the good stuff!

Pico-7

Print

Yellow Tomato Pico De Gallo

  • Author: Ashley Renee
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 yellow heirloom tomato
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 1/2 jalepeño pepper
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 cilantro sprigs
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • pepper, garlic, onion salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Dice the tomato, onion, and pepper (I aim to dice the onion and pepper finer than the tomato).
  2. Mince the garlic and cilantro.
  3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix lightly with a fork.
  4. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2
  • Calories: 37
  • Sugar: 2
  • Sodium: 106
  • Fat: 0
  • Saturated Fat: 0
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 8
  • Protein: 2
  • Cholesterol: 0

 if you need me, i'll be by the chips… and the margs. okay fine i'm hiding in the corner with chips and tequila.  WHATEVER.

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Make it? Lemme see it! Hashtag it: #thepikeplacekitchen

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Toppings

Sunday Sprinkles

04.05.15

 1. UM. HELLO. WHAT EVEN IS LIFE?  we all know where my easter basket peeps are going…

2. I'm starting the k2movement tomorrow… um SCARY.  I made it through the 4 weeks of “pre-training” and wanted to die soooo the actual guides will go well I'm sure.  

3. This is actually my life.  especially number 5… every. damn. day.

4. FRANKIE IS FINALLY MOVED IN…. and by that I mean his crap is all over the place (BUT ITS ALL HERE!!!).  

5. This nailed my sense of humor on the head.

6. I think i might just not be able to hang any more… I legit fall asleep before midnight on weekends.  I can't stay up.  it's just too hard.  am I a grandma?  I don't understand.  Frankie's brother and sister spent the night at the apartment on Saturday and we were playing games and then decided to watch a movie at 12 and they were like what do you want to watch and I had to be like “honestly guys, don't ask me I'm just going to fall asleep and not pay attention anyway.”  what?  why?  WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME.

7. I did some catching up!  Not all the shows, but i'm up to date on my two favorites: | Scandal | HOOOKAY. I KNEW I could count on Jake not to have turned into a bad guy.  I JUST KNEW IT.  and WHAT THE HELL OLIVIA AND YOUR RING.  when did we decide you love fitz again??? WHEN??? and I just knew sleeping with that dude was going to get you in trouble.  honestly… what were you thinking?  ugh.  | Secrets and Lies | this is still a top contender in my book.  I feel like I've been watching FOREVER.  frankie threw out a new theory when we were catching up today: maybe it's the “client” that the wife keeps having meetings with.  I can get on board with that.  I could see it for sure.  but i still think the youngest daughter knows something crucial… but i could be completely off base here.  ALSO. THE REPORTER DUDE IS GOING AFTER CORNELL?  WHAT?!

8. Frankie is in HEAVEN playing Fifa while I write this post… naturally.  instead of unpacking…

9. did you guys play any april fools' jokes?? I need to know.  My mom put nutella on the toilet seat at our best friends' house.  it was epic.  

10. It's also FINALLY ICED COFFEE SEASON.  I've been getting rocky road iced coffee with cream and no sugar.  it totally reminds me of Mary Lou's. nom.        Insty | Twittah | Lovingzeblogs | Pinnypins 

Toppings

Sunday Sprinkles

03.29.15

 1. I think I might be THE WORST girl ever.  this week I ripped through like 8 pairs of tights.  just kidding more like 3, BUT STILL.  can I be less classy?  no.  the answer is no.  Also, what even ARE heels?  I've been trying to wear them because, you know, I'm twenty-four years old and think it MIGHT be time to learn how to walk in them but… why?

2. I went to bingo with my grandma this weekend, but we didn't win anything… super big bummer I know.

3. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

4. so I've been in a super weird mood all weekend and I think it might have something to do with the lack of workouts I've been completing.  which sounds CRAZY.  but I skipped my kayla's workouts this week because it just was too crazy and now I'm like all over the place. I need to get back on track asap.  aka tomorrow.  oh and my skipping the last week in pre-training means my post about it will probably be postponed till next week!

5. oh jesus.  I watched the glee finale.  I haven't watching in FOREVER, but I'd heard good things about the finale and how it could be therapeutic and oh. my. god.  I cried through pretty much the entire two hours.  it was so awful.  I was sitting there just bursting into tears at every mention of finn and every time they'd sing and DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON DONT STOP BELIEVING.  who said that was okay?! WHO?!  I couldn't even.  I still can't even.  my boyfriend thinks I'm insane… obvi.

6. in case YOU think I'm insane over glee just like skip to number one on this list.  argument over.

7. um.  are you going to freak out if I say I HAVENT WATCHED ANY OF MY SHOWS?  you should.  I am.  Frankie watched without me.  what even is that?  its not a thing.  i didn't go back to New York this weekend so we didn't get to have our Friday night catch up session on the couch and I feel slightly betrayed?  I don't know how to feel.  DONT TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THE SHOWSS.

8. instead of doing a date night post this week, I'm thinking of just listing out some of my favorite MUST eat at places in RI.  what do you thinkkkk? 

9. real life: Frankie and i wore matching outfits today on accident.  he showed up wearing a navy shirt and black pants… which literally happened to be the ONLY clean clothes i had left in my suitcase….

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