Jessica and I recently returned home from a great trip to Seattle. This was our first visit back to the Seattle area since moving away exactly one year earlier. We chose this week because the kids were on their annual Summer RV trip with Grandma and Grandpa Martin. While the kids explored parks and canyons in Utah, Jessica and I were able to visit several friends and family members. Of course, you’re never able to see everyone in one trip, and if we didn’t see you, I apologize. We’re just thankful for all the hugs, conversations, and quality visits we could have in those few days we were in town.
Getting to Seattle
I have to admit that the trip started off a little rocky. First, our flight was delayed, then we arrived in Seattle and had to sit on the runway for another 20 minutes or so. It was literally 50 degrees colder than what we had just left in Vegas, but worse than that; it was very cloudy and rainy.
We didn’t check a bag at the airport and just had our carryons with us, but at the gate, before boarding the plane, they asked passengers to gate-check their bags due to limited overhead space. We have done this in the past, but we always received our gate-checked bags on the other end at the gate. Maybe that was related to us having a stroller at the time, but either way, we volunteered to gate-check these bags, and it turned into a major mistake.
Instead of picking up our bags at the SeaTac airport gate, our bags were sent to baggage claim. Long story short, it took about an hour and 20 minutes to get our two bags at baggage claim. I was so salty waiting for those bags and swore never to gate-check anything again. Some woman from our flight came to me asking if I knew where the bags were, but I glared at her until she walked away. This was precisely why we didn’t want to check any bags. Even people working at the airport spoke about how much of a joke SeaTac airport can be.
Getting the rental car was also a surprisingly slow process, but eventually, we were on the road heading for Bellevue. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard, which is something we haven’t seen in Southern Nevada since last Fall. We stopped for food at Taco Time, which has always been a favorite of ours, then met up with Kallan at the Bellevue house.
A night out in Bellevue with Kallan
I knew my salty mood would disappear as soon as I started seeing people we were there to see. Kallan had just finished a hectic week at work (he joined T-Mobile as a Software Engineer about a year ago), so we all decided to head out to downtown Bellevue for food and drinks. We hung out for quite a while, bouncing around to different places. I couldn’t believe how cold and wet it was! Seattle has had an epically bad Spring in terms of weather, so everyone was hoping for some sun to come out during the trip.
We ended up getting some more quality time with Kallan throughout the trip. He took us on his neighborhood walk and pointed out all the interesting real estate facts about properties in the area. We were both really impressed with how grown up he is and how his career is starting out. I’ve always been very close with Kallan and am so proud of him.
Saturday Night in Seattle
The daytime on Saturday was the only quiet time we had during the trip. Jessica drove by our old Bellevue house, which is the one we first moved into when coming back from San Diego. It was Saturday night, however, that turned into one of the highlights of the trip.
We headed to downtown Seattle, eager to have dinner at our friend Michael’s restaurant, 84 Yesler. But before dinner, we had to stop by and see the new El Gaucho. The old location on 1st and Wall was very special to us, playing a significant role in our lives for many years, so seeing the new one was a must.
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with big hugs from old friends. We weren’t sure how many of our friends from the old location would still be working at the new one. We hadn’t seen any of these people since before the pandemic, so it was a lovely surprise to see so many familiar faces.
I immediately saw my old buddy Luca, who came over and gave me the biggest hug. He gave me a tour and took me back into the kitchen. I couldn’t believe what an upgrade everything was! Not that there was anything wrong with the old place, but they had clearly done several things to upgrade.
We ended up hanging out for about an hour, just catching up with old friends and telling stories. We shared a bowl of truffle soup, which was delicious, but there wasn’t a whole lot else we could eat. Jessica was able to get together with a couple of our Gaucho friends for lunch once more during the trip, while I was at the office, but this was my only opportunity to connect with Gaucho friends.
I always consider my first few years at El Gaucho to be my glory days. Some of my closest friends to this day are people I met during that time. Luca, who I mentioned above, was there, and so was my friend Leon, who is bringing his wife and son to stay with us in Henderson next week. Michael Don Rico, who was my best man at our wedding, was also there, and it was his restaurant we were off to next.
Dinner at 84 Yesler
84 Yesler is not only the restaurant’s name but also its address. Michael has been a managing partner for several years, but this was our first opportunity to dine there. Before I get into the dining experience, I will just say that it’s always very special to me whenever Michael and I get to spend time together.
Once upon a time, MDR introduced me to the city of Seattle. He was, and probably still is, the most well-known guy in the entire Seattle dining scene. Every door was open, and every bar stayed open late. When we first started hanging out, I wasn’t even old enough to drink, but it didn’t matter when I was with him. We had some of the most epic experiences of my lifetime, and it all comes back instantly whenever we get together.
Outside of my long-standing friendship with Michael, Jessica also has her own. She worked with him at Branzino for several years, right around the time we got married, and they became close. As mentioned, he was the best man at our wedding, so there was no way we were coming to Seattle and not seeing him.
As luck would have it, the same night we were having dinner at 84 Yesler, so was Michael’s fiance Kirsten, who was there with her Mom and brother in celebration of her Mom’s birthday. Kirsten and I also go way back, more than 20 years, because we became friends while working at El Gaucho. She and Michael plan on getting married in Italy next year, and we will be there once the date is set. I hadn’t seen Kirsten in so long, and it was such an unexpected surprise getting to catch up with her.
There were also two of our old Gaucho friends working at 84 Yesler. Victoria, a wine captain, worked with me at El Gaucho for years and took me under her wing to teach me the restaurant business when I was young. Justin, our server, also worked at El Gaucho for years while Jessica was there. So everything comes back to El Gaucho for us.
Everything about our meal at 84 Yesler was exquisite. The service is top-notch, the food was unbelievable, and the professionalism with how that restaurant is run, both in the front of the house as well as the kitchen, was a sight to see. We have never seen such a calm and well-run kitchen in all our years of restaurant work.
The chef stood there silently, observing each cook in the kitchen meticulously crafting their dishes. The food coming out looked like art on a plate, yet the flavor profiles were so rich. They modified several menu items to become vegetarian for us, and we were simply blown away by each course.
The homemade pasta was especially delicious, and the tomato gnocchi was unlike anything we’d had before. Each piece of gnocchi tasted like tomato soup. The cauliflower steak had the char and grill markings of a beef steak, and the puffs of olive oil beneath our sorbet made me feel like we were in Willy Wonka’s candy factory. I love it when food can be playful and unique. We also love being exposed to new flavor profiles or new ways of presenting classic dishes.
I really can’t speak highly enough about 84 Yesler. This is the place to go if you’re looking for an outstanding dining experience in Seattle.
Father’s Day
Sunday was Father’s Day, and although I was a little bummed not to be spending the day with our kids, I was very happy to be able to resume our Father’s Day tradition with Jim, Brenda, Kristy, Tito, and Madi, at the car show in Burien. Tito wasn’t able to join us this year at the car show due to work, but we were still able to visit with him later that day.
We have done this car show on Father’s Day for many years, but the pandemic broke the streak, so it was really special for everyone to be able to do it again this year. Going to car shows with Jim and Brenda was a big part of my teenage years, and to this day, there is no one beside them who I’d rather go look at classic cars with.
Camaros and Chevelles tend to be our favorites, but as always, we loved walking all around and seeing this year’s variety. One thing we had never seen before was a McClaren. This was a 2014 McClaren MP4, and it was incredible. Living in Vegas, we get spoiled by supercars. Seeing Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, and Bentley’s is practically a daily occurrence, but not so with McClaren’s. Those are like another level of supercar, and seeing one parked with the doors wide open was pretty impressive.
After walking around the car show for a bit, we all sat down at a nice little Italian restaurant for lunch. I knew Jim and Brenda would be heading home after that, so it was great to sit down for a meal together. After lunch, Jessica and I headed south to meet Kristy and Madi at their new home in Federal Way. They purchased the home almost the same time we bought our new house last Summer, so we were excited to finally see it in person.
As usual, with our visit’s to Kristy’s house, we hung out the entire day. The weather was pretty nice that day, so we hung out in their backyard, playing with the dogs and grilling up all kinds of delicious veggie skewers and Beyond burgers. Tito got home from work in time for dinner, and I honestly couldn’t believe how much of our Vegas Showbiz video catalog he was familiar with.
I know my Mom, Jim and Brenda tend to watch all of our videos, but beyond that, I’m never sure who sees what. I know everyone is busy living their lives, so I don’t expect anyone to watch our stuff, and therefore was blown away when Tito started talking about all the things we’ve done in our videos. It was so cool and humbling to hear someone talking about how much they have enjoyed our content! I really appreciated it.
Getting to spend that afternoon at their new home was really special and exactly why we made the trip. We loved their new home and were thankful for the time spent together that day.
Working in the office
I decided before the trip that I would like to spend some time with my team in the office. Although half of my team is based in Canada, we recently got a new manager who works out of the Bellevue office in Lincoln Square, so I ended up working there Monday through Wednesday. A couple of other team members in the Bellevue area also came into the office, so for a minute there, it felt like the old days.
This was my first time working in an office building in more than two years! It was very quiet, with nowhere near the same number of people you would have seen pre-pandemic. I enjoyed being there, and it was great meeting my teammates in person, but the honest truth is that I work more hours when working from home. The hardest thing about working from home is knowing when to call it a day, but when you physically leave the office at a certain time, chances are your work day is then complete.
While I was working at the office, Jessica was able to meet up with several old friends. She even got to join her old workout group for a couple of classes. After work on Monday, I met up with my friend and old next-door neighbor Jim. We went out for Mexican food, and then he took me to the new home they purchased last November in Snohomish. It was beautiful, and I was so happy to see how things had worked out for them. Jessica, who was already in Snohomish with her friends, was able to pick me up and also see their new place.
On Tuesday, I was able to have lunch in Bellevue with my friend and old neighbor Erik. It was so nice catching up and hearing about the old hood. This was basically the theme for our entire trip; we know we left in a hurry last year so it was important to us to see everyone and catch up after the hectic move was well behind us.
Tuesday night at Julie and Bardi’s house
Tuesday evening was another highlight of the trip. This was our last night in town, and we went out in style! Our good friends Julie and Bardi live in a beautiful home directly on the water in Shoreline. It was the Summer Solstice, and Julie had prepared a delicious meal for us to enjoy out by the water.
Bardi broke out some of his fancy whiskey that he had been holding onto, and we had a beautiful evening sitting outside, telling stories, learning about nature’s kingdoms from professor Bardi, and watching the kids play. It’s these types of visits and experiences that we were hoping to have on our trip. Dinner on the water is so quintessentially Seattle, but doing so at your friend’s house is on another level.
Wrapping the trip up
Wednesday was the final day of our trip. Once again, I worked at the Bellevue office while Jessica visited with friends. She picked me up from work, and we walked around Bellevue for a bit before heading south to SeaTac.
We ended up having dinner at 13 Coins, which felt very fitting, then returned the car and headed to the plane. Once again, our flight was delayed, but we learned from our previous mistake and did not gate-check our bags.
Arriving home at 1:00 am, our cats Peach and Spencer were so happy to see us. A neighbor had been taking care of them while we were away, and they were all over us the minute we walked in the door. On Friday, Jessica and I drove to St. George, Utah, to meet Grandma Amy and the kids. They had been camping further North, making visits to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park.
Before heading back home, we hung out and had lunch at a really cool park in St. George. It’s about 2 hours each way, but you end up going through three states because 27 miles of that drive goes through the northeastern corner of Arizona. The canyons in that Arizona portion of the drive make it worth it, and Southern Utah is also very pretty.
Home Sweet Home
It’s great having everyone back home together. Summer is already nearly halfway over, and we haven’t even reached July! We’re looking forward to the 4th of July; then Miss Elise will be turning nine a little more than a week later. Grandma and Grandpa Rudd will be coming for a visit in mid-July, so we’re also looking forward to that.
Thanks for sticking with me on this long-winded post. I wanted to do our trip justice. If we recently saw you in Seattle, all I can say is thank you! We very much enjoyed the trip and look forward to doing it again. Hopefully with the kids next time.
