“Where should we eat tonight?” is the standard way Priya and I begin start planning our girlfriends’ date nights.  “How about I meet you at Madrona and we’ll explore the neighborhood,” I answered innocently enough.  And that’s what we did.

We started the tour of the neighborhood with a stop at Glassbaby.  This particular location had a glass blowing studio behind the shop.  We watched the “babies” being made.  Quite amazing!

Which colors would you choose?  I clearly would have gone for a combination of turquoise and orange.  Because each “baby” is made by hand, every one is slightly different.

We strolled up the street and came across The Bottlehouse.  We happened to be there in the middle of their happy hour, so we grabbed a seat outside and waited to order.

Before we had a chance to order, the Seattle windy evening kicked into gear and we swiftly moved inside the Bottlehouse.

For snacks, we ordered a bowl of castelvetrano olives and a selection of cheese with crackers.

I was intent to photograph the food, as per usual.  Photo courtesy of Priya.  I do hope you notice that I’m wearing my favorite Allrecipes color – orange!  In fact, this top was what I wore for my job interview.

Back to the wine, I sipped a glass of rose and Priya cheered to our date with a glass of non-oaked Chardonnay.  Salute!

We left Bottlehouse and headed to Bistro Turkuaz for authentic Turkish food.  I only wish we were more hungry or had more people with us so that we could try a few more dishes on the menu.

For the appetizer, we shared Acuka – a spread made with roasted red peppers, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.  It came with triangles of warm pita bread and one olive.  Oh the spread!  It must have been pureed until perfectly smooth first and then folded pieces of toasted walnuts.  Interestingly enough, Priya and I made a similar spread months ago – check out our recipe.

I couldn’t stay away from lamb, so naturally, I ordered a grilled lamb kabob with a side of tabouli and a green salad.  The tabouli was definitely the star of the plate.  Earthy, chewy to the tooth and flavor-packed with parsley and lemon.  The side salad was dressed (slightly heavily) with pomegranate molasses and olive oil. I should have saved half for lunch.

We resisted a slice of baklava and headed out.  What a fantastic night, filled with the glow of candles illuminated by Glassybaby.  We noticed that many of the stores and restaurants in the neighborhoods were decorated with these, supporting one another and promoting the business.

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