98103 Afghan Cuisine

At 2301 N 45th St. you will find the restaurant Kabul Afghan Cuisine.  They serve traditional Afghan food.  They have lamb kabobs, eggplant, bolani, and more.  They have a great variety of things to try.  Each of you choose two different dishes so you can share.

Try their homemade pistachio rosewater ice cream for dessert.

Qorma-i Tarkari

Many times we do not take the time to think about our marriages.  We take each other for granted and go through the motions we need to do to get through the day.  Tonight it is time to spend some time deliberately thinking of your marriage.  How is family life going?  Anything you want to do or change?  Take the time to discuss with each other.

98109 Swedish Cultural Center

Swedish Pannkakor with lingonberries.

The Swedish Cultural Center is located at 1920 Dexter Ave N.  They hold a Swedish pancake breakfast on the first Sunday of the month.  For $9 you get 3 pancakes with lingonberries and, a slice of ham- for round one.  For the second round (included in the $9) you get 2 more pancakes.  They also have live music playing which adds to the charm.  This is a fun breakfast to enjoy together.

On Fridays they serve lunch and they have traditional Swedish cuisine.  One of Sweden's traditional desserts is the Princess Cake.  Layers of cake, jam, and cream with a fondant layer cover on top- it is a must try!

While you are enjoying this very creative treat talk about your kiddos.  I know, I know no talking about kids on a date, but for this one it is okay.  Ask the following questions: 

        In your opinion, what makes a great parent?

What are five essential values we want our children to embrace above all others?

Then discuss each of your children and what is going on in their lives, what can you as parents do to help them?

98122 Polish Food

The Polish Platter

Polish Home Association is located at 1714 18th Ave.  The restaurant is only open Friday evenings.  They will sometimes have entertainment during dinner.  They serve pierogi, sausages, and cabbage rolls to name a few of their dishes.  This is a unique experience you must try!

While you are enjoying your meal talk about how to make each other your #1 priority.  In what ways can you focus on your marriage?  What re some ways you can divorce proof your marriage?

98108 Texas Style

Oxbow Park (6430 Corson Ave) is a funky park.  There is a 44 foot wide cowboy hat and a pair of 22 foot high cowboy boots.  These were made for a gas station originally, but is now part of the park and an important part of the locale.  The locals love their "Hat n' Boots."

To continue the Texas theme head over to Pig Iron BBQ.  They are located at 5602 1st Ave S. and they serve  some yummy BBQ including pulled pork and pulled chicken.  

During dinner talk about some of the weirdest or strangest things that you have seen or have been apart of.  Make sure you take some pictures of Hat n' Boots and each of you; it will be a fun memento to have.

98177 At the Beach

Carkeek Park (950 NW Carkeek Rd) is over 220 acres of trees, waterfront, creeks, and meadows.  This is a perfect place to have  picnic on the beach together.  

Ancho Pulled Pork Sandwich

Hills Neighborhood Restaurant is located at 1843 NW 195th St.  They have pulled pork sandwiches, fish and chips, chowder, and more, plus they offer take out!  Their cobblers are very popular too!  Head over there and order take out before you go to the beach.  Don't forget napkins and  blanket.

While you are enjoying your date, tell your spouse all of the things you are thankful for that he/she does.  Sometimes we forget to thank out spouse for things and we tart to take/her for granted.  We all need to feel appreciated.

98119 Photographers for the Day

Kerry Park is located at 211 W. Highland Dr. and has amazing views of the city.  The park is also open 24 hours a day.

Bring your camera and take various pictures: of each other or the view.  Pose each other in fun poses, set up a tripod and take some together.  Offer to take other people's pictures for them so they can all get in the shot (with their camera).  When you have worked up an appetite lay out a blanket and enjoy your lunch.

Macrina Bakery (615 W. McGraw St.) has delectable desserts and fresh made sandwiches with their in store made breads.  Their Mexican Mocha is a customer favorite.  Stop by here first and get lunch to go (don't forget dessert!).

When you get home decide which pictures to print and design an album with your favorite pictures in it.  Make sure you make a caption for each one.  This will be a great memory of the day for you.

98104 Cambodian Cuisine & Tea

Luc Lak (Cubed Beef)

Come and immerse yourself in Cambodian culture.  Phnom Penh Noodle House (660 S King St) offers traditional Cambodian cuisine.  The Phom Penh Noodles is a house favorite.  They have soups and vegetarian dishes too.

Just around the corner is New Century Tea Gallery (416 Maynard St).  It is a quaint little tea store offering everything you would want to make tea.  Go in and browse all of their offerings.  They have various teas from black to herbal for you to choose from.

Sometimes it is good for us to get our of our comfort zone and try something new- like Cambodian food.  It is also good to get out of our comfort zone with our marriage as well.  Doing the same thing for date night gets old and boring pretty fast.  Put some effort and thought into your dates to keep things new and exciting.  What are some other things in your marriage that needs refreshing?

98101 Turkish Delight

Waterfront Park (1301 Alaskan Way )comprises the are between Piers 57-59.  They have a water sculpture, benches, coin operated telescopes, and two viewing platforms.  Seals have been known to be seen from the platforms.  Spend some time here enjoying the view and being together.  

For a fun treat head over to Turkish Delight (1930 Pike Place).  They have yummy handmade Baklava and Turkish delight- in several flavors.  They also serve meals as well so if you are hungry you can stay for lunch.

Ask each other the following questions during your date:

What do you want to be like when you are 80?

You’re painting a picture. What is the subject of that picture? 

Patience is the theme for the day. How do you live it out?

What day in your life would you like to live over again?

You find a treasure box. What’s in it?

98118 Ethiopian Food

Meat & Veggie Combo

Have you ever tried Ethiopian food?  Does it sound like a fun thing to try together?  Then go to Cafe Selem located at 2715 E Cherry St. Ste. B and have an Ethiopian feast with your spouse.  They have lots of different dishes to choose from, including vegetarian ones.  There are many different new flavors to try here.  This would be a great new restaurant to try with your spouse.  It is fun to try new things and it is even better with the one you love!

While dining have a conversation about new things you want to try in your marriage.  Make some goals on what you want to do and make a plan of how and when you want to accomplish them.  It could be going out on dates more, change in your intimacy, or a class you want to take together.

98118 Farmer's Market

Columbia City Farmer's Market (37th Ave S. and S. Edmunds St) is open on Wednesdays 3-7 pm May through October.  You will find many vendors selling fruits & vegetables, meats, food vendors, and more!  Walk hand in hand through the market and look at all of the stalls.  Choose a few things to buy and take home.  Also, find a couple of vendors to choose for lunch and share your choices with one another.

During lunch discuss the following questions:

What are some things that have been hard for your marriage?  Is marriage harder or easier than you thought it would be?  What is your favorite thing about being married?  What has been your least favorite?

98101 Lunch Date

Sometimes you only have a small window for a date, when that happens do not give up on the date just do a quick lunch box.  Umma's Lunchbox (Ranier Square, 1301 5th Ave #7) is a very unique place to go for lunch.  They have different sized containers which you can fill for a certain amount- it is not weighed, it goes by size of container!  Bring back your container next time and get $1 off.

They have all kinds of Korean dishes including noodles, veggies, Korean sushi, and meats.  Umma's Lunchbox is a bit hard to find, it is downstairs (see picture above).

While you are enjoying your food ask each other the following questions:

What is one of the most adventurous things you've ever done?

If you could store up only one hour's worth of memory in your mind, which hour of our marriage would you want to remember?

If we could just drop what we're doing and go do something fun, what would it be?

98109 Cooking Class

Hipcooks (217 Yale Ave.) offers various kinds of cooking classes.  Some they have offered in the past were sushi making, romantic dinner for two, and a pasta making class.  Check out their schedule for the class choices being offered currently.  Be aware you do not eat until after all food is cooked- pretty late- so make sure you eat before so you will not be starving.  This will be a great bonding experience for you and your spouse.  You will have fun, learn something new together and have fun!

During dinner or on your way home discuss your experience.  Is this something you would like to do again?  What did you learn about your marriage through cooking together?

98107 Picnic & Sunset

Chicken Enchiladas

Sunset Hill Park is located at 7531 34th Ave NW.  You can see the bay from the park so you will see a beautiful sunset reflecting off of the water.  Bring a blanket and your dinner, sit together and watch the sunset together.  Make sure you feed each other your dinner, hold hands, and kiss.

Senor Moose Cafe (5242 Leary Ave. NW) offers their delicious food as take out, so you can order your dinner and take it with you to the park.  Their red salsa is a customer favorite.  So whether you are in the mood for tacos, enchiladas, or another Mexican favorite you will find something on their menu you will like.

During the sunset talk about the wonderful times you have had together through your time together.  Whisper sweet nothings in each other's ears and enjoy the sunset together.  

98103 Workout

Do you and your spouse workout together? If you don't why not give it a try?  If you do, try something new.  Go swimming, running, walking, or stretch together.  You can also go for a bike ride or see who can do the most sit ups.  What ever you choose you will be doing something together as well as getting healthy.  

Dal Baht (Veggie)

After your workout head over to Himalayan Sherpa House (2227 N. 56th Ave) for lunch.  The feature Himalayan cuisine made by a chef who has climbed Mt. Everest.  

During dinner discuss your workout.  Do you like to workout together?  Is this going to be a new routine or something you will do once in awhile?  What some things you might want to do together during your next workout?

98133 Dream Home

Salvadorian Plate 

Have you ever talked about what your dream house might look like?  Spend some time designing your perfect house.  This is a great date idea; it helps you get to know each others likes and dislikes.  It is fun to dream and design together.  Include flooring choices and paint colors.

After your dream home is designed head over to Tiko Riko for a yummy Salvadoran feast.  If you get the Salvadorian Plate you will will be able to try a little bit of all of their specialties.  Tiko Riko is located at 10410 Greenwood Ave. N Suite B. 

98104 Japanese Date

Have you ever wanted to visit a new country?  Well here is your chance and you do not have to leave Seattle to do it!  Seattle had  little place called Japan Town.  It is found in the International District near 6th and S. Main.  Daiso (710th 6th Ave.) is similar to a dollar store, only with items from Japan.  Most items are around $1.50.  This is a fun store to browse and search for new items.  Make sure you stop in here as you stroll along Japan Town.  

Maneki, 304 6th Ave. serves traditional Japanese cuisine.  You will find some yummy dishes as well as some new flavors for you to try.  It is time to be adventurous and try something new.  This is the perfect place to end your Japanese day.  Their black cod collar is one of their most popular dishes.

Is there a place you and your spouse would like to travel?  Share with each other where you would most like to visit and why.  What are some of the sights you want to see?  Foods you want to try?

98109 Indoor cycling

Flywheel Sports has some of the best indoor cycling classes in Seattle.  They are located at 224 Westlake Ave N. #100.  They have several class times and different instructors to meet your needs. So check out their website for the schedule.  So grab your spouse and head over for a cycling class. 

Custom Smoothie is located down the street at 428 Westlake Ave N.  They have all different kinds of smoothies from pre-workout ones to post workout ones, sugar free, fruit, and low carb.  You will find something tempting to try.  So plan on stopping in after a class and have  smoothie.

According to author Gina Parris, "Planning a date says to your spouse, 'You matter to me and our relationship is worth effort.'"

Schedule now your date for next week and plan what you will do.

98105 Dollar Store Date

Each of you get $5 to spend at the dollar store.  Try Dollar Tree located at 4535 University Way NE.  Here are the rules:

1.  You must pick out items you think your spouse would like.
2.  Your spouse must not see you pick out your items.
3.  You must not see the items your spouse is picking out for you.
4.  Set a certain amount of time to choose the items.  (15 minutes or so).

                              Hide your bag until you get to the restaurant.  Head over to Morsel.

Morsel (4754 University Way NE.)  specializes in biscuits.  They have sweet and savory biscuits with all the fixings.  From jam to biscuit sandwiches they have it all!  They also have specialty coffees as well.  The maple butter is one of the favorite fixings.

After ordering share with each other your purchases.  Tell each other why you chose each item.  Did your spouse pick items you would have picked for yourself?  Why or Why not?

98133 Disc Golf

Mineral Springs Park is located at 1500 N. 105th St.  This park is only one of two disc golf parks in Seattle.  They also have a strolling path with artwork to see.  Bring your discs and prepare for a day of friendly competition.  Don't forget your water bottles.

Meatball 

Grinders Hot Sands (19811 Aurora Ave N.) offers some yummy sandwiches.  You are bound to get hungry after playing, so head over to Grinders Hot Sands and choose from one of their superb sandwiches.  They make their own meatballs in house for their meatball subs.  Two other customer favorites re the Po Boy with their creamy coleslaw, and the chicken pesto with caramelized onions. 

While you are enjoying your food at the park set some goals for your marriage you want to complete in the next 6 months or so.  Try one from each of the following categories: Intimacy, Financial, Spiritual, Intellectual, and/or Family.  Make sure you write them down and place them in a well seen place like the bathroom mirror.  Talk about what steps you need to take to accomplish your goals.design a schedule of when you want each step accomplished.

98112 Yoga

The Grinning Yogi (345 15th Ave. E.) is a warm vinyasa yoga studio.  They offer classes and workshops for everyone and every skill level. You are sure to find a time that works for both of you. 

Cafe Flora (2901 E. Madison St.) is one of Seattle's best vegetarian & vegan restaurants.  They also have gluten free options as well.  Their menu changes with the seasons so make sure you watch the menu on their website.  The vegan cinnamon rolls is a huge customer favorite.  It comes with maple toasted pecans, cinnamon glaze, and vanilla icing.

What do you think your strengths are as a married couple?  What are your weaknesses?  How can you improve your weaknesses?  Discuss together what you need to work on as a couple and plan to work on some of the weaknesses in your marriage.

98103 Vintage Shopping

I don't know about you but my husband and I really like to go window shopping together.  It helps us know what each other's tastes are as well as having a great time.  Make sure you hold hands while walking.  One super place to go to find some older items is Freemont Vintage Mall. 

When you finally work up an appetite head over to Burgundian for some chicken & waffles.  Burgundian is located at 2253 N. 56th St.  Chicken & waffles is only one of their specialties another is their eggs Benedict.  They have lots of different yummy items on their menu so you will find something to satisfy you.  

During dinner ask your spouse out of everything they saw today what did they like the most and why?  If there was something there that you both liked decide together how you will budget for it.  If you did not find anything, what do you want to look for next time?

98115 Table Tennis (Ping Pong)

Green Lake Table Tennis Center (7201 E. Green Lake Dr. N) welcomes visitors to watch a game or to learn how to play!  Everyone is welcome no matter skill level.  They also offer punch cards for open play.

Sonic Burger & Garlic Fries

Rain City Burgers is one of the best burger places in Seattle.  In honor of Seattles' sports teams they have named several burgers after local teams.  The garlic fries are a must have- they are a customer favorite!

While you are enjoying your treats ask each other the following questions to get to know one another better and reconnect:

 If you didn’t have to worry about making a living, what would you most like to do for the rest of your life?

 If we could just drop what we’re doing and go do something fun, what would it be?

98144 Oberto Outlet

Do you like jerky?  If you do, or even if you don't, you need to check out the Oh Boy Oberto Outlet store.  Oh Boy! Oberto Outlet is located at 1715 Rainier Ave. S. They have  refrigerated case of links and a large selection of jerky.   The bacon one is a top favorite of their customers.

They have a little hot dog stand you can get a hot link and chips for lunch!  They have a couple of tables outside if you would like to sit and munch on your hot links out there. 

While eating your lunch discuss your budget together.  Finances are one of the leading cause of troubles in marriages.  Do you need to find a program to use?  Do both of you know how much is in the budget for each category?  As you better define your finances make sure you include a date category!

98115 Genealogy

Ever wondered about your family tree?  What about your spouse?  Seattle Genealogical Society offers programs, classes, and seminars.  Check their website to find something that will interest you in locating your family history.  They are located at 6200 Sandpoint Way NE.

After one of your classes head over to Mojito for some yummy Cuban food.  The Pabellon is one of their specialties.  They also have a good selection of drinks with the Mojito being their specialty drink. Mojito is located at 7545 Lake City Way NE.

During dinner discuss the following questions:

If you could live in any other time period, past or future, what period would you choose and why?

How d you think your ancestors felt about living during the time periid they did?

98103 Pie in the Park

Blueberry Hawaiian

A la Mode Pies (5821 Phinney Ave. N) offers whole pies, handpies, and pie by the slice, so no matter how big your stomach is you will find the right fit for you!  They have some unique varieties to try as well like their Blueberry Hawaiian and Mexican Chocolate Mousse Pie.  You can also get your pie a la mode as well! (that means with ice cream)

After you have picked up your pie, head over to Rose Garden at Woodland Park (750 N. 50th St), spread out a blanket and enjoy your pie! (don't forget the forks).  While you are enjoying your pie write each other a love note. Explain why you love him/her and why you married him/her.  Add some of their most favorite qualities. When you are both done read your notes to each other.  After you a finished with your treat walk around the garden and enjoy all of the roses.

98102 Local Getaway

If you are up for a little bit more expensive date and can get an overnight babysitter (if you have kiddos) then make a reservation for 11th Ave Bed & Breakfast.  They are a delightful bed and breakfast featuring in-room bathrooms and homemade breakfast. Sometimes it is nice to get away- even if it is in the same city.  Pretend you are tourists and go to a few places you have never ventured to before (or stay all day in bed).  This is your mini vacation- enjoy it and each other!

Capellini a Gamberi

While you are out and about try Pomodoro it is located at 2366 Eastlake Ave. E Suite 101.  Their specialty is Italian food and they have several choices to select from.

During dinner plan the date for your next mini getaway.  It does not matter where you go, just that you are spending time with each other.