After what felt like a long work week, we declared Saturday a day of relaxation and indulgence. There are few things I love more than having the freedom to spend a Saturday any which way we please. And so indulgence number one came in the form of a latte and a pain au chocolat from Cafe Besalu – a small bakery/cafe in Ballard known for their deliciously buttery breakfast treats. I truly believe chocolate croissants are one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, and this one had to have been picked out especially for me from the Big Guy himself. So light and flaky, rich and buttery, perfectly…perfect. Yum.
Post-pastries, we hopped back in the car, and before Shane had even pulled away from the curb, I was thinking about how nice it would be to head home, get back into my pajamas, and spend the day cozied up on the couch. My husband, however, had other plans, and decided that since our breakfast mission had been completed, he was ready for lunch and wanted to swing by Safeco Field to check out ‘Mobile Food Chowdown’ – a one-day-only gathering of Seattle’s and Portland’s best food carts. In his defense, he had run 8 miles earlier that morning, so I obliged, thinking I could maybe make room in my stomach for a good taco or a small slice of pizza. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the scene, the lines were already unbearably long for several of the carts, but Shane scored a tasty little burger from Skillet, and I waited in line for 45 minutes for an order of fries from Portland’s ‘Potato Champion’. Yummy, but hardly worth the wait. Ah, well, it was still a good day to be outside, and I love Pioneer Square on a clear, crisp day.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at home, reading and watching movies, basking in the laziness that was bound to follow such a decadent morning. Then evening came, and wouldn’t you know it, Nancy, La V, and I had dinner reservations at Lark, which meant: more eating! Yay! We ordered plates of creamy cheeses, roasted duck leg, bacon-glazed kale, and ricotta gnudi, and ate ’till we could eat no more. There was a point in the evening – I think it was as I was dipping my spoon into the dark chocolate mousse, served with white chocolate sorbet – when I thought, “Hmmmm…will I regret this when I’m pulling out my swimsuit for our vacation to Mexico next month?” Then I tasted the cashew butter that had been spread on the plate right next to the chocolate, and I thought, “Nah. Totally worth it.” It was a perfect three-hour meal, full of good food that was only made better by the company of my lovely friends.
And so Saturday Splurge-Fest came to a close. And once again, all was right with the world.