Vancouver, WA

My husband and I rarely have an opportunity to go out to eat lately, so I took some money out of the bank and asked him out to dinner the following evening. I walked to the store in the morning and somehow lost half the money, but we decided to go out anyway. My husband, a spaghetti lover, picked the Old Spaghetti Factory. The first time we went to the restaurant it was located in downtown Vancouver at the Academy and we were glad to see it relocated to East Vancouver at 730 SE 160^th Avenue on Mill Plain Boulevard. 

It is now housed in a plain brick building but the minute you walk through the door you are transported back in time. The furniture, booths, tables and atmosphere remind me of the early to mid 1900’s. There is a small bar to the left and three large eating areas, which can be closed off for banquets or when business is lighter. We were seated in the middle section in a booth next to a stained glass window. Behind me, near the entry to this section, is what looked like a large train car with more booths in it: A collection of oddities that somehow comes across as elegant.     
                                   

 When we opened our menus; my husband took one look and informed me we did not have enough money. Determined that I was not going to get up and leave in front of a ton of people, I ignore him and calmly looked for something to offset the spaghetti he was looking at. I didn’t see a thing that would bring us in at just over $20. Our waitress, Mary Ann, approached as he said it again, loudly, thinking I hadn’t heard him the first time - I am partially deaf and getting more so all the time - which flustered me and I was half expecting someone to ask us to leave (not really, but a moment of panic can do weird things to your brain). So when Mary Ann and Ric suggested at the same time we share a meal it was very unexpected, and her suggestion so natural I could not help but admire her panache.

We ordered Italian sausage spaghetti, and for less than $5 upgraded it to get a larger meal, with a side dish of Italian sausage. Dinner also included a small loaf of bread, a salad and a dish of ice cream. He loved the spaghetti while I could have eaten the bread all by myself.

When we go out, our date nights usually consist of going to a place that offers drinks with your meal or a cocktail lounge where we can have a drink either before or after dinner. I wanted tonight to be a little different and when I suggest we walk to Target on the far corner of the strip mall, he agreed.

                              

There is something romantic about walking on a balmy evening, seeing others dining out of doors, and though a parking lot could be distracting, the trees which were planted throughout, gave it an air of tranquility. I felt as though I had been transported to a different area or time, seeing the sunset through different lenses.