Brussels Sprouts Worth a Dark and Soggy Walk {Dahlia Lounge}

B and I are traveling to Phoenix for a wedding on Thursday night so chances are we'll be eating airport food or whatever else we can get our hands on for dinner. Thus, this week, Thursday came on Tuesday. After having a lovely brunch at Seatown Seabar & Rotisserie two weekends in a row, we were in the mood for a Tom Douglas dinner. It's impossible to choose a favorite Tom Douglas restaurant, but we rotate most often between Dahlia Lounge, Palace Kitchen and Lola. Tonight we made the rainy walk to Dahlia.

Dahlia Lounge is one of our favorite restaurants in Seattle to have dinner at the bar. The first couple times it was a happy accident caused by a spontaneous decision to drop in after shopping downtown. Getting a table at most any Tom Douglas restaurant without enough foresight to make a reservation is tricky. Though there are new and amazing restaurants popping up all over Seattle weekly (or at least it seems that way), Tom and his team still seem to fill every seat in every one of their houses nightly. We made a reservation tonight, but considered trying to sit at the bar if there was space available when we arrived. Truthfully, I'm still battling this headache with its vice grip on my sinuses, so I was happy to have a quiet table and a nice dinner.

I love the decor at Dahlia. The deep red walls and seemingly endless paper lanterns (from those strung from the ceiling to their signature fish lanterns) go a long way toward creating a very comforting atmosphere.

I wasn't much in the mood for a drink, but Dahlia makes some of the best drinks in Seattle, so B had a Woodford Old Fashioned and I had a Prosecco cocktail. I normally order a Dahlia Martini, but tonight I thought something lighter might be a wise decision.

To start we ordered the side of fries with aioli and curry ketchup. We do this every time we visit Dahlia and always regret it. The portion of fries is enormous and twice as delicious so we always end up eating more than we should before our entrees even arrive. How can we resist, though?  Seriously, look at them!

Oh, and then there's the bread. I showed restraint. I only had one piece, but it took enough effort that I'm left feeling like I deserve some sort of formal reward. A cookie should do nicely.

For dinner, B had the Double "R" ranches signature beef ribeye steak, hash browned potato, dino kale, bacon~onion gravy and charred tomato. I had the wood grilled Carlton Farms pork loin, honey glazed brussels sprouts, buttered satina potatoes, cranberry conserves and spiced cashews. They were both incredible. I loved the Autumn feeling of my selection. It definitely showed shades of a sophisticated Thanksgiving dinner. Growing up, I don't think I was ever once asked to eat a brussels sprout. The first time I tasted one was in my twenties and I immediately felt a debt of gratitude to my parents for not forcing them on me as a child. The mention of brussels sprouts on the menu was almost enough to make me change my selection. I must say, though, not only were these brussel sprouts edible, they were delicious!

Have I mentioned before that B wasn't a dessert person when we met? Well, quickly approaching five years later, his feeble attempts at resisting dessert become more and more pathetic with each passing meal. Despite his protests that he couldn't possibly eat another bite, he caved at the site of the Chocolate Nemesis cake with gingerbread ice cream and smoked chocolate glaze. It's not my fault. I offered to have a single scoop of ginger ice cream alone and be happy with that. Technically, it was he who ordered the "Chocolate Evil cake" (as he called it). It was very good and I think I could have eaten an entire bowl of the gingerbread ice cream alone.

Everyone at Dahlia was wonderful, attentive and kind as they always are, especially our server, Ivy. This post really deserves more enthusiasm than I am affording it and in some strange way, that speaks volumes about Dahlia. I arrived not feeling well and were it not for NaBloPoMo, I probably would have saved this to write tomorrow and gone straight to bed upon arriving home, but for the time we were at dinner, I felt better. Headache and all, Tom's team at Dahlia served up a lovely and delicious evening.