"Liberty Tree Tavern" | Post 22

"no one's gonna love like I do,

someone should have warned you."

Since my creative-cute-make-the-internet-jealous-and-not-nearly-as-great-as-me-ideas (only partially joking) for the husband + the house have been on strike this winter (I blame pregnancy, dreary un-inspiring coldness and coaching... but we all know this just happens in life.  Sometimes you're on your A-game, and sometimes you're not.  These days, I'm not.) I have to document our "One Year of Being Engaged Iversary" dinner!

Right before he presented me with a ring and a request at DisneyWorld, we ate dinner at my favorite Liberty Tree Tavern.   That dinner was the one where I talked all day about "THE GREEN BEANS!" but Caleb was too distracted to remember, the one where I cried and the waiter had to awkwardly stop pouring water mid-pour because I was so hysterical, the one where I caught Caleb up in the bathroom hallway talking to Lydia about photographing the impending proposal (but didn't think anything of it...?).  It was a good dinner.  I tried to re-create the menu to the best of my ability.   Caleb said my roast was better (Martha's version + one package of ranch seasoning), but their potatoes won.  Game on, potatoes.

The night we got engaged I ate three platefuls (not servings) of green beans, and asked for my own gravy boat.  I would eat their beans + gravy on a daily basis if possible.  

With some classical "Main Street" Disney music playing from the laptop, and a chocolate cake bought from Safeway waiting in the fridge, we dined like we were kids again.  (Full disclosure:  Caleb told me he'd be home at 6:00.  I cook a real-meal so rarely that it never really matters when he gets home, but he's always home when he says he'll be.  I didn't tell him about our dinner plans in the Magic Kingdom, and at 5:30 I got a text saying he wouldn't be home until 7:30.  Shoot.  I turned the oven and stove off, blew out the candles and waited until 7:00 to get things going again.  At 7:00 I turned everything back on... and he walked in the door.  My first response was "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Good to see you, too, sweet wife.  

I covered his eyes and made him sit on the stairs for half an hour hahah.  My sisters brought him his outfit - the same J. Crew button-up and khaki shorts he was wearing last year, and I rummaged through my closet to find my floral dress and blue cardigan and neon yellow purse. He changed, but still had sawdust in his hair from work.  

It was cheesy.  And us.  And it's always great fun to see his teary excited/blessed eyes.

After dinner he rubbed my back until I fell asleep and then he stayed up for two more hours drawing architecture plans for our roof while "The Mentalist" kept him company.  

Just an evening I want to remember. It was one of my favorites as a married person.

:)

Date Night Hot Spots | Latin | Post 12

The Post Where We Pretend We Are Foodies and Like Bethany Frankel

Caleb and I love our grub.  It's actually obsessive.  We are obsessed with food and we plan our dates around food, then budget.  Here are some local Mexican/Spanish/taco favorites (in our mouths AND our wallets) so far:

pc: p-dub

• TACO BAR // hands down best tacos I've had from a restaurant (also another FAVORITE soup comes from their kitchen.)  Don't be freaked out that it's located inside a gas station, inside a beer-and-wine store.  It's more magical like that!

• TORTACOS // They knew what they were doing when they put "tacos" in their name.  Sensational tacos!

• AY JALISCO // For their papusas and tortilla soup.  You'll think you're in Mami's casa in El Salvador.  Oh!  They have tremendous bean + cheese burritos as well.

• EL TEJANO // one of my favorite soups - big, well-cooked vegetables with a broth you'll crave later... they also have papusas worth getting fat over and Caleb's favorite margaritas.  

• RED, HOT & BLUE // Best Nachos In The Area.  Don't even get nachos somewhere else.

• ACAJUTLA // Other Best Nachos In The Area.  If you do go somewhere else for nachos, go here.  This version is a little more "authentic" than RH&B's more "American" version.

• JALEO // Expensive-ish and a tapas restaurant... I truly enjoyed everything I ordered (I know many people who haven't loved their Jaleo experience), but they best things on the menu were the surprising things:  like the duck risotto.  I've never fully recovered.

• JAZMIN CUISINE // These guys actually make the best quessadilla I've ever had (outside of my own house.  My mom's still trump.)

• FOUNDING FARMERS // A skirt-steak and enchilada fit for royalty

• CHIPOTLE // This is kind of a cop-out, but since it's so well-known and so good, I think it deserves to be on the list.  If you get a salad, make suresuresure you get the dressing and crunch chips on top to make it a "taco salad." 

• FOR A NIGHT IN // Southwestern Pulled Brisket Tacos I could eat these every single day.  And I also drink the juices from a cup when I finish eating. (And, the magic happens in a crock pot, so it's impossible to mess up.  Boo-rah.)

Maryland people!  Where do you like to get your ay-ai-AY! on?  Any other Latin/Spanish/Taco places we should check out?

Next up: pizza! PEETSA PEEEETSA!