Last Friday marked our 11th anniversary, which seems absolutely crazy. Since we got married in October, we like to escape the L.A. heat and celebrate somewhere with seasons. This year, Seattle won the draw.

We each had our own reasons for wanting Seattle. My husband’s was business related. And mine was food (duh). First on the list was a restaurant called Manolin, recently named by Bon Appetit magazine as one of the ’10 Best New Restaurants in America.’ Sign. Me. Up. Though, I couldn’t sign up because they don’t take reservations like so many restaurants in Seattle (I’m still baffled), so we decided to wing our anniversary dinner and show up unannounced on a Friday evening. Terrifying.

We got all dolled up in our first fall outfit of the season (yay) and walked to Pike Place Market at sunset for a little pre-dinner stroll.

Arriving on the early side, we managed to avoid the dinner rush and were escorted to the patio to peruse the menu and order cocktails by a fire on a perfect autumn evening.

Manolin wasn’t any of the things I would normally expect from a “Best Restaurant” winner—impossible to get in, overpriced, fussy. Instead, it was laid back, reasonable and though there was a wait, there weren’t lines around the block. Maybe there is something to this no reservations thing.

We waited only about 20 minutes before seated inside, but because we were sipping gorgeous cocktails, we hardly noticed a wait at all. Their seafood menu isn’t large, but very well thought out and we loved every single morsel.

I highly recommend the Treviso & Burrata Salad

And the Rockfish Ceviche

And one of the best desserts ever…chocolate cake with pumpkin spice smothered in whipped sour cream. My only complaint was that it wasn’t big enough ;).

Cheers to another year with my love. He got me the best gift I could have ever asked for…little embossed cards that say “STOP TALKING” that I can hand over to him whenever the mood strikes. LOL

If you visit any of the other restaurants on that list, let me know what you think. I noticed one of them isn’t far from where I’m from —Kindred in Davidson, NC! (Mom, if you’re reading this, how about getting us a reservation next time I’m home! 😉

Manolin. 3621 Stone Way N. Seattle, WA. 206-294-3331

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