Birthday Weekend - Lots of Good food and Fun

 What a nice birthday I had this year, the beginning of my last year before becoming an octogenarian!  

From Friday evening until just now, on Sunday afternoon, we've had a good time with sweet cards and gifts and messages from Facebook friends plus a two-day conversation with Debra from GA.  I'm not sure we got around to all we needed to say, but maybe we won't wait a year next time.

Today is fresh on my mind, since I just got home, but I'll have to rave about a wonderful new-to-me place that Noreen took me.  

It's called The Freestone and is a cute little unassuming place right in the middle of Railroad Avenue in Old Snoqualmie - across from the Railroad Museum.  With such a beautiful day and rain expected next week, it looked like everybody in the area was outside.  

Having had a delicious Mexican dinner Friday night and a spicy Thai lunch yesterday, I was ready for something fresh and not so filling.  After looking at the menu, I could tell I would find something there.

Just walking into the place was Heavenly with the smell of freshly-baked bread and coffee and pizza.  We noticed two small tables outside and a little place for maybe 3 people to sit inside.  The main tables are upstairs, so we read the menu and placed our orders and then looked at the gift and prepared foods section.  I wish I had taken pictures downstairs, but it was a little busy and crowded.  

There were jars of condiments for sale along with coffee and bread, casseroles and quiches, little pots of succulents - perfect for a little gift when you don't know what to give!  Cakes, pies, cookies, biscotti, freshly milled flour, cat and dog biscuits!  It's such a different concept that I'm just now reading their website and realizing what they offer - sort of a community-involved deal where guest chefs prepare foods and conduct cooking classes.  There are Community Pizza Nights, Holiday Menus, and a featured fresh bread every day.  I need to get some notifications so I see what's going on and when.

Noreen and I each got a different sandwich so we could exchange halves and try both.  These were our three finalists:

TURKEY & BACON Roasted Turkey Breast, Fall City Meats Bacon, Swiss, Mayo, Avocado, Heirloom Tomato & Greens on Housemade Focaccia $16.95

 HAM & FIG - MISS FIGGY Shaved Ham, Fig Mostarda, Gouda, Dijonnaise, and Pickled Red Onions with Arugula on Housemade Focaccia. $16.95 

VEGGIE - LADY BABA Olive Tapenade, Baba Ganoush, Heirloom Tomato, Cucumber, Ferndale Mozzarella, Fresh Arugula on Housemade Glass Bread $15.95 **We love to add Wilde Roots Shiitake Bakin’

We picked Ham & Fig and Turkey and Bacon and saved the Veggie one for another time.  I ate my Ham and Fig half first, and it was one of the best sandwiches I've had.  I was afraid it was going to be a little sweet, but it was just perfect with fig mustard and pickled onions along with a very generous serving of ham and thick focaccia!  

I had one bite of the turkey sandwich and realized I was just too full to eat that and saved it for later.  Noreen said it was delicious, so I can't wait to try it.  That third one, the veggie, Lady Baba - sounds very tempting, and I'll try to get back and order that next time.

Since the tables were full, we took our coffee upstairs, and they brought the sandwiches when they were ready.  We had the whole room to ourselves almost the whole time, and it was so nice.  No one checked on us and just let us relax with our coffee and food and talk as long as we wanted to.  

These are both sandwiches side by side, and they looked and tasted a lot better than these pictures.  Homemade fries too.  I can see getting soup and a half sandwich on a cold rainy day and one of their delicious coffees.  Or quiche.  Or Pizza.  Or just a chocolate cherry scone.  

Overall, a pleasant afternoon.  We drove around the back streets for a bit and saw the renovations to the park by the river and some of the cute little houses there before going home.  

I love outings where everything goes smoothy as planned, the weather is nice, and the food is good.  We've tended when we go out to just walk down to the nearest restaurants and not be too adventurous.  The Infusion Bar and Grill, which is the restaurant a couple of blocks away that we tend to gravitate to  has closed.  I didn't even know it.  I have never lived here when it hasn't been on that corner.

I'll talk about the Win-Bin prepared fish tacos and more that we had Friday when I have more time.  Yum.  Such a happy night.  Now I have to go play with my big gift - my very own set of Mah Jongg tiles and racks and a pretty mat.  I'm working on getting everyone interested enough to learn and give me someone to play with.