Valentine's at The Snug

I grew up in a large city so when we moved to our small rural town, I had a bit of a culture shock.  Suddenly my shopping and eating options were drastically reduced.  However, there are a lot of advantages to small town life.  A lot of interesting experiences can be had in a small town.  Our Valentine's date is the perfect example.. 

This is The Snug Cafe

    It is a small diner in our town that has been around since 1927.  You know the kind of place with paper placements and furnishings that haven't changed over the decades.  It is a landmark in our town.

    The Snug seats about 50 with booths on one side and a counter on the other.  It is open for breakfast and lunch.  This is the kind of diner where the majority of customers are regulars and call each other by name.  The staff are like family and the food is like your grandma used to make.
    Last year The Snug changed hands and the new owners decided to start a new tradition.  They opened the restaurant for Valentine's dinner.  Reservations were required and seating was limited.  When we arrived, this is what greeted us.

    That is one of the owners.  The booths were draped in linens.  Everyday glasses were joined by fine stemware.  Lighted candles gave a romantic glow.

  We were then served a five course meal.  We started out with bruschetta.  That was followed by roasted eggplant soup.  Our salad course was accompanied by a loaf of nutty homemade bread (my Valentine was sweet enough to give me the bigger half because he knows I could love on bread alone.)  Our entree was a baked potato, asparagus, filet migon and lobster tail.  For dessert we had a choice of cheesecake or creme brulee.  Everything was homemade right there in this tiny diner.  It was so yummy. 
   The owner kicked off the night by introducing everyone right down to the dish washer.  The chef and the owner mingled with us constantly checking to see how we were enjoying our food,  To top off the night, each lady was presented with a rose.  It was so fun and unexpected.
   You know there are wonderful four star restaurants in the "big city" that have classically trained chefs with menus written in a language I couldn't pronounce let alone read.  I am sure their food is sublime and romance abounds.  But give me The Snug any day.  Laughing with my sweetie over a great meal surrounded by friends wins out every time.

Hope you has an equally fun Valentine's Day!

Mama Thrift

Simple Valentine Display

   I have to admit, I am not a fan of those  holiday garlands or bunting.  It is just to crafty crafty for me.  Plus you have to cut out and glue all those little pieces.  Too tedious.  Thrift Chick, however, likes them.  She has been after me to do one.  She suggested a Valentine display.  I knew if I was going to do a display, it was going to have to be simple without a lot of cutting and gluing.  Enter playing cards, shipping labels,  and gumdrops.

    The garland is hearts from a deck of cards.  I printed the letters on shipping labels and cut them out.  Notice I used the word love instead of Happy Valentine's....a lot less cutting!

    Red and white gumdrops....I couldn't find valentine ones so I picked just the red and whites one out of a large bag of spice drops.  The lengths we go to for holiday decor.

   Kitschy vintage valentines....so fun...so fake.  I printed off vintage valentine graphics on cardstock and cut them out.  They look pretty good don't they?  My mother has a framed collection of valentines from the early 1900's.  My grandmother taught school before she was married and they are from her students.  Thrift Chick and I salivate over them every time we visit.

    My favorite silver trumpet vase.  I found it at an antique store marked $14.  The store owner thought that was too high and gave it to me for $4.  She thought it was too tarnished and worn to charge full price.  One person's trash, anther's treasure.

  A little vintage, a little kitsch in just a little bit of time...my kind of DYI decor.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Mama Thrift

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