Lunch Date, Sticky Fingers

Ever since we had J, it had been very difficult for hubby and I to have some quality time, let alone a romantic evening out. I'm sure most parents out there would concur. When we lived in the Bay Area, California, we were only six and half miles from my parents. Every weekend, we'd go over for one day, and they'd come by for the other. I didn't realize what a luxury it was until we moved back to Seattle. Man, I should have taken more advantage of the situation! I could have gone to so many nice restaurants and events if I wanted to. What a bummer! Oh well, enough about the past, we have to make do with our current circumstance. Now that both of the kids are out all day, we can at least have a lunch date once in awhile, except I just realized as I'm typing that we never did that until today that is.

Today, I picked up hubby around noon and drove over to Redmond Town Center to dine at Meritage in Marriott (heehee, I love saying "to dine", it feels so sophisticated). The setting was classy. Hubby got the Marriott Burger with Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato on a Sesame Seed Bun along with some Fries ($12), I got the Dungeness Crab cake sandwich with lettuce, tomato, lemon aioli on a toasted sesame seed bun with fresh fruit ($13). If this is your first date, or you are just a very neat eater, don't order either of these. The burger was juicy, the sandwich was saucy. I had so much trickling down my fingers, if you saw me like that, and we weren't super tight, I'd have to kill you. ;) The portion was huge. Both hubby and I were brought up to never waste any food, and finish everything on the plate. The second part might be a little difficult sometimes, but we definitely got the first part down pat. If we couldn't finish, we'd doggy bag it, I wouldn't waste even one grain (OK, that might be a bit of exaggeration, but you got the drift). There were so many fries, they almost ended up in a doggy bag. Hubby thought the burger was really good. The fresh fruit was indeed fresh and generous. I assume the selection is seasonal. For today, there were huge chunks of cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, and pineapple. My sandwich had tons of crab meat in it. My only complaint would be that the chef had a heavy hand on salt today, both the sandwich and the fries were a bit over seasoned. However, consider the nice setting, friendly waitress, and everything else, we'd definitely be back.

Meritage Restaurant and Wine Bar
7401 164th Avenue NE (Marriott), Redmond, WA 98052
(425)498-4002