Old Market Adventure

• Author: Levi Hackwith
• Posted On: Monday April 21st, 2008

Weekends are funny things. I work all week in anticipation of said event and yet seem to do very little with it when it finally arrives. Because of this, weekends often feel more like a wasted opportunity than two days away from the grind. However, I've realized that with the right company, the right location, and a willingness to let go of whatever happened the week before, I really can have a great time.

Today, Bryan and I decided (rather randomly) to head down to the Old Market for dinner, dessert, and a little exploration. Our adventure began at a little Persian joint called Ahmad's. I first learned of Ahmad's while attending a lunch meeting for a client just last week. Now, when I first mention “Persian food” to most people I get anything from a patronizing smile to a genuine grimace, after which I remind them “no, that's Indian food.” Seriously though, you need to check this place out.

The first thing I noticed notice when entering Ahmad's is the stunning blue walls enveloping the intimate dinning space (read: small). Despite it's size, the restaurant offers a cozy experience coupled with awesome food and a wait staff who knows what they love on the menu.

I ordered the salmon and Bryan had the lamb shank, both with basmati rice, carrots and banana slices; both meals fell apart at the touch of a fork. On top of the great food and service, Ahmad, the owner, came out and personally asked us if we'd enjoyed our meal (our empty plates made testament). After dinner, we were seduced into ordering dessert which comprised a cup of Turkish coffee (a strong, sweet coffee with an earthy tone) and a slice of triple chocolate cheese cake.

With dinner concluded, we decided to head toward the fountain on the ConAgra campus. Sadly it wasn't on but the view of the lake and the trees was worth the walk. I found the wide open spaces and budding trees offered cover from the evening winds and a reminder of the gorgeous evenings soon to come. On our way back we passed the Union Pacific dispatch center. The building consists of an old warehouse, overlooked by the modern, towering skyscrapers off in the horizon.

As the sun set and our adventure came to a close, we swung by Big Brain Productions (I was so elated that they put in a curb cut that I had to stop by), and finished our evening with a quick trip to Ted and Wally's for a Dutch and German chocolate ice cream cone.

As Bryan and I drove down 13th on the way back to Bellevue, we both realized that it really doesn't take much to make a weekend interesting. All you need is good weather, good food, good company; German chocolate doesn't hurt either.

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