Inspiration for Celebrating Date Night at Home for Valentine's Day

/
Inspiration for Celebrating Date Night at Home for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine’s weekend, friends! With days passing slowly, it’s hard to believe it’s already mid-February, isn’t it?

This time last year my husband booked a romantic getaway to the Kenwood Inn & Spa in the Sonoma Valley. We had been keeping an eye on the news and understood it might be our last getaway for awhile with the pandemic on the horizon. In some ways that made the trip all the more special and we savored the little details even more than usual. Little did we know how much ‘home time’ we would all have in the coming year.

Read More

The Fine Art of a Romantic Date Night at Home [Thanks to Bacio Catering]

/
The Fine Art of a Romantic Date Night at Home [Thanks to Bacio Catering]

The menu for the Valentine’s Day carry-out dinner was pure deliciousness . I pre-ordered the butternut squash lasagna and Scott ordered the steak medallions with red-wine reduction. Bacio clearly laid out all instructions for heating our meal and it came together in just a few minutes. There was plenty of time to enjoy sips of sparkling wine while preparing our courses.

Read More

5 Romantic Places to Dine Like Star-Crossed Lovers - Curated Travel

/
5 Romantic Places to Dine Like Star-Crossed Lovers - Curated Travel

Let’s face it, sometimes we all need a little inspiration to bring the romance back into life. It’s so easy to let day-to-day stresses zap the life blood out of a relationship. If you are needing a few ideas to enhance a date night, a couple of these romantic places to dine that might just set the stage.

Read More

Date Night: Dinner High on the Mountainside in Positano

/
Date Night: Dinner High on the Mountainside in Positano

Our new Italian friend and driver, Davide, recommended a family run trattoria for dinner “high on the mountainside” above Positano.  He knew we would love it. We agreed and Davide made all the arrangements. A van filled with several other hungry diners picked us up in front of our hotel and traversed the terraced roadway up, up, up near the top of the mountain.

Read More

In the Mood: Dine Al Fresco at Home

/
In the Mood: Dine Al Fresco at Home

Though I've enjoyed elaborate al fresco dining in the past, like this date night at home for Valentine's Day, a simple tapas menu is my favorite. It's easy to put together a platter of olives, nuts, crackers, cheeses, a bottle of chilled sauvignon blanc or rose', some pretty linen napkins and you have a perfect al fresco snack.

Read More

Date Night: Al Fresco Dinner At Home for Valentine's Day

/
Date Night: Al Fresco Dinner At Home for Valentine's Day

It was an unusually warm Valentine’s Day this year. Scott had the brilliant idea of ordering in from the Chico gold standard, Bacio Catering, so that we could thoroughly enjoy our evening. Turns out this was the perfect way to enjoy a stress free date night and an al fresco dinner at home.

 

Read More

The Fine Art of Romance (His+Her Perspective)

/
The Fine Art of Romance (His+Her Perspective)

For me, romance is not the sweeping gesture, the dripping of diamonds or the elaborate gifts. For me, time spent enjoying my loved one [Scott] and creating memories is the fine art of romance. I also love a hand-written sentiment, as Scott and I shared in

For me, time spent enjoying my loved one [Scott] and creating memories is the fine art of romance. I also love a hand-written sentiment, as Scott and I shared several years ago.

If I have my choice, travel is my go to for celebration or creating some romance.

Read More

Date Night: A Double Date and Meeting in the Middle

/

When Scott and I started seeing each other, I lived in the San Francisco bay area and he lived in Chico, about 2 hours away. One Tuesday he called me and said, "I can't wait until the weekend to see you. Let's meet in the middle for dinner tonight". To be honest, there is a whole lot of nothing in between, but we did some research and luckily we discovered Louis Cairo's Steakhouse in Williams, just off Interstate 5. With cheery red checked tablecloths, delicious pastas and steaks, and the GLOW of a new love, it was a memorable evening to say the least. As we walked away from our table that night, the gentleman sitting across from us said, "If you don't want her, I'll take her". To that I say, "Thank you sir!"  We not only had a full blown love affair going on but also a new spot for dinner right in the middle. Flash forward 17 years and now we make the drive to Louis Cairo's a few times a year to meet up with friends who live in the bay area.

The hour long drive is definitely worth it and you never know what you might see along the way. There must a a story behind this Porsche emblazoned with "Polizei" --German for police.

Welcome to Williams, California.

It's conveniently located just off Interstate 5.

I believe it's mandatory for a country town to have a water tower.

Williams has a water tower.

The main drag....

Tonight it's a double date...

and no, I don't own cowboy boots.

Neither does Scott...

but we are always warmly welcomed at Louis Cairos.

It is always so good to see our friends,

Dean and Kathryn

Suspenders are always a good option in town.

After a few minutes to catch up, we are seated in the dining room at Louis Cairo's. I don't see the red and white checked table cloths anymore and they've definitely zhushed the place up a bit over the last decade or so.

Lucky us, our warm and lovely server, Rita, took wonderful care of us all evening. Rita introduced us to Shed Horn Cellars wine.The cabernet sauvignon was lush and complex. We were saddened to hear that the winemaker/owners, Michael and Adawn Wood, had just lost their home and winery in the Middletown fire. Michael reported to the SF Chronicle that he was helping save other homes without realizing his own home was burning. He said fortunately they have good insurance and will be able to rebuild. They had completed most of the harvest for the season so the wine-making will continue.

As for the fare at Louis Cairo's--fresh salads, Italian pastas and extraordinary steaks are on the extensive menu. The Louis Bread is powerful--loaded with garlic. Let's just say it's best for all (or none) to partake. We always dive in! Care for a mint?

Louis Cairo's

A hidden gem right in the middle.

See you again in a couple of months Louis Cairos!!

Have you discovered any hidden gems lately?

 

 

Date Night: 15th Wedding Anniversary and a Sparkling Surprise!

/
Date Night: 15th Wedding Anniversary and a Sparkling Surprise!

Our 15th wedding anniversary started as a typical day around the house. A quick kiss for luck and we were off to work. Scott and I had celebrated our 15th a bit early with a swanky summer vacation to Riviera Maya, so we wanted to keep the actual day of our anniversary, September 10th, more low key.

Read More

Date Night: A Sunset Sail in a Tropical Paradise

/
Date Night: A Sunset Sail in a Tropical Paradise

For the final evening of our vacation in Riviera Maya, we chose a sunset sail at our resort, Zoetry Paraiso de la Bonita. The turquoise waters, gentle tropical breezes, friendly service, bubbly champagne and new friends made it the best way to usher in the evening.

Read More