Date night

Date night with just the two of us--the first date night without Colin in well over two months. It felt weird walking with just myself and an actual purse, my hair is not in a ponytail, I have no emergency back-up outfit and underwear in a ziploc for Colin or snacks and juice bottle for him shoved into my purse. I love him with all my life, but I need some adult time and a break. Colin was in great hands with our babysitter who has come once before, Lauren, a pre-med Notre Dame alum who has been accepted to medical school in the US and Germany. Colin really likes her! A date night was a splurge, but totally worth it...we did it up right! Please follow along our evening in pictures. 

Scott and I met in front of the Glockenspiel at the Marianplatz in the center of the city. 

We decide to have sort of a "progressive dinner" date night, going to a few of the places we've wanted to eat and drink but just couldn't with Colin.

We are also a block or two away from Maxmillianstrasse, the Rodeo Drive of Munich. Designer shops line the streets and fancy cars, some with drivers, are parked along the front. The Muncheners have a word for this area and these folks: chic-y meeky. 

So, I really wanted a little chic-y meeky in my life for my date night out, since a stay-at-home, middle class, expat mommy of a preschooler rarely gets to get her chic-y meeky on! 

First up, some shopping around the corner from the Marianplatz at Alois Dallmayer, a 300+ year old fine food caterer to the king located right near the Residenz (palace, now museum). 

Check out the website to be dazzled, and order something to be sent to your door if you find yourself drooling after perusing these images. http://www.dallmayr.com/

An Oktoberfest display at Dallmayr...their window displays really are great.

The decor is very elegant, like a Bavarian Harrod's food hall if you've ever had the pleasure of visiting Harrod's of London. There are lots of tourists and internationals mixed in with the very chic-y meeky German crowd getting their dinner eats.

How many kinds of lox and gravlax and smoked salmon can you have? A lot...
And, there is not even a whiff of fish in the air. 

Steamed shrimp and whole lobster, anyone? Hors d'oeuvres, anyone?

Very tasteful Oktoberfest gingerbread hearts, bier, mustard, coffee cups, stuffed animals

Daddy, Mommy, and Baby Dom

The freshest of the freshest veggies

And you have your cured meats and wursts here

That is Bone Suckin' Sauce! From North Carolina! Yes, indeed, found on grocery store shelves all over the (Southern) USA, sold here for 7.50 Euro, or around $13!!

A very reasonably priced picnic cooler bag with logo.  Scott restrained me from buying one.

It's a wurst-a-palooza

The proscuitto hams just hangin' around waiting to be cut...

A Southern boy who knows his bacon and ham and pork products

I did not buy a thing, but I will be back to make a purchase...

Scott in the bier and spirits and liqueur section. 

Wow, the wines

Organized by country of origin

Coffee...or Kaffee

such pretty packaging and branding...guess you can get it right after 300+ years?

Caviar and pates

Somthing I've never seen before--sparkling vodka!?!

Beef Wellington, other mystery meats en croute, and jellied liver-y things...rich people food ;) 

This fountain has langostinos or other lobster-family creatures ready to pluck out and steam for your dining pleasure. 

More mini-jellied meats and things....and on that note, movin' on!

We head into another store next door, called Manufaktur. I would describe it like a retail meshing of Williams-Sonoma, Restoration Hardware (before it went all greige), Crate and Barrel, Smith & Hawken, and Brooks Brothers...and there's a bakery and cafe inside the door too! 

Dog in very nice store...here in Munich/Germany/Europe, not so uncommon--the dogs here are VERY well trained and behaved, not just the tiny "purse sized" ones, all of them. I couldn't imagine that in the states... Picturing taking our Woody in a store? Or much worse--imagine the craziness that would ensue if WalMart allowed dogs in? PUH-LEASE!

The sign of a good bakery--most all the bread is gone by the end of the day! Check out the cheese...

SERIOUS toasters and espresso/cappucino machines. 

Gardening supplies and tools, seed packets on the table. 

For the prices, you wouldn't want to get these tools dirty...

Not so great picture, but it's the only shot I have of a German BBQ grill they use for a "Grillparty"/cookout

The most expensive cleaning supplies you could purchase

Paper goods, stationary, desk sets, globes

Old school board games, chess, Swiss Army knives...

Upper left corner--badminton anyone? I really do see people playing in the parks here and they put up their own nets tied onto trees.

That's a pimped-out bicycle with a pimped out leather saddle bag you could put on it. 

Oh man oh man, I could take a lot of nice baths and get super clean in that awesome copper tub. I didn't even bring myself to look at the price.  

A proper shaving kit and manly man shaving supplies, soaps, etc. 

More proper manly man shaving accoutrements

The most tasteful cuckoo clock I've seen so far...nice!

I might camp out if I had a cot like this to sleep on!

Fine leather goods and shoes for the refined manly man. Not pictured but directly behind Scott, they sold Red Wing Shoes that you can find for MUCH less in the U.S. 

The "progressive dinner" portion of the date night begins with a slice of hammy, veggie quiche with a dollop of pesto cream and a glass of rhubarb sparkling water. Perfect! 

We share and down it and go...stores close here at 8 pm most nights and are closed on Sundays FYI.

Time is money when you have a babysitter you're paying 10 Euro/hour!

Second course was back around the corner at Ratzkeller Weinstub right under the Glockenspiel...been wanting and waiting to check this place out. We were not disappointed!

It's a wine bar specializing in local and regional wines...beer served too. 

I have a Crémant d'Alsace that is very sparkly and peachy...mmm, and we leave for Alsace the next day, so I'm even more excited and loving my drank.  

We should have ordered one for each of us because this little small plate was SOOO good. Tiny steak on toast with tomato confit something and basil oil....DE.LISH. We shared it too and scarfed it down.

We maybe should have eaten dinner here because the restaurant side was packed and it looked super cool...here's a few pics of the Ratzkeller Weinstub and Restaurant:

Ratzkeller

OK, so we hope the S train back to our 'hood and go to a highly recommended and also in our neighborhood Fusion Bavarian Sushi place called No Mi Ya. Yes, really...

This is what we walked in to find when we came to the place! A Bavarian brass band playing traditional music...right across from the sushi line!

It's a good night!

Miso soup and a sliced duck salad with sesame sauce...mmmm

Sushi with Bavarian Tegernsee Bier! Actually a fantastic combo!

We are full of sushi and had one bier, and any of you counting, that's actually just two alcoholic drinks so far. Sooo...we head to a COOL. LITTLE. BAR. We've been dying to go to this place but of course always had Colin with us. It's called Barroom. Around the corner from No Mi Ya...
http://www.barroom-muenchen.de/  It's like a speakeasy. Proper cocktails made with PRECISION. I really wanted to video this bar chef, but didn't want to make a scene. It's SMALL, really is a ROOM. They make all their own infusions and use the freshest fruits and herbs. Here is our bar chef at work.

Cool lighting...no detail of this bar is left untouched. 

Zum wohl! (Sounds like zum vool)! Salud! Cheers!
A blackberry gin fizz cocktail custom made for my tastebuds.

Scott has an Italian mojito with orange, mint, and Disaronno, custom made for his tastebuds.

And, our new American expat friends, Pamela and Michael Smochko, who just moved here for his BMW post for three years, met us for a late drink.

One more round, then home to relieve the babysitter so she can catch the S train before it only runs each hour after at midnight.

Guten Nacht! Auf Wiedersehen, Y'all!