Well, guys, I had some camera issues last night… which was especially a letdown because the restaurant that we dined at deserved some nice photos. My camera got dropped at the Santa Pub Crawl a few weeks ago, and it hasn’t been the same since, so I dropped it off at Best Buy yesterday morning to be fixed. I have an old camera that doesn’t take great quality pictures, but it works. However, I didn’t realize just how fuzzy and grainy the photos come out. I didn’t remember it being THAT bad! If I had realized this before we were out and about on our date, I would have taken our “fancy camera” instead. Oh well, not a big deal, right? I was planning to make the best of it until my camera battery died! GAH! Darn it! Luckily, Mal had his iPhone with him, so I used its camera to take the last few pictures of dinner. So, the whole point of me telling you guys all of this is because the photos in the post (and in the coming days) are less than stellar. Please bear with me! 
Date Night
“Date night is great night!” –Mal, last night at dinner
Our date night started with a leisurely stroll through Beacon Hill. The weather was chilly, so we popped into a bunch of cute, little boutiques and shops to stay warm. Our plan was to relax and chat over a cup of coffee before dinner, so we visited the Panificio Bakery & Cafe.
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At the cafe, I ordered a cafe au lait to which I added sugar and a sprinkle of chocolate powder. Mmmm… warm and delicious!
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We stayed at the cafe for about an hour before heading to Bin 26 for dinner. We stopped in a few more shops on the way, but it was just too cold for me! We ended up being an hour early for our reservation, so Mal and I sat at the bar and sipped wine.
The decor at Bin 26 was interesting, but in a fun way! It has a modern feel with funky wine-theme additions throughout the restaurant– from a wine cork coat rack to wine label wallpaper to the bathroom ceiling, which was completely covered with hanging, empty wine bottles. The low lighting was really cool too– perfect for a romantic “date night” or a special occasion.
Cork Coat Rack…
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Bathroom Ceiling…
Wine Label Wallpaper (in background) and lots of wine bottles…
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At the bar, Mal picked a small tasting of an Italian Pinot Noir for us (left photo). We liked it, but it didn’t knock our socks off. It was too “fruity” and sweet. I picked a French Grenache, which was divine (right photo)! It was dry, full-bodied, a tad spicy with hints of berry and chocolate. Mal and I shared a larger pour for this wine, which we later took with us to our table for dinner.
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With our wine (and as an appetizer), Mal and I ordered a couple of selections of cheese: Taleggio di Malgo and a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese, which was a lot like Manchego. Both were served with a fig chutney, whole walnuts, and red grapes. We liked them both, but the Spanish cheese was very strong-tasting (yum!), and especially delicious when paired with a full-bodied red wine.
With our cheese selections, we also snacked on some fresh French bread with olive oil.
Happy girl!! I look weird in this photo, but I wanted to show you guys my new top from Old Navy! I love bargains! 
After hanging out at the bar for over an hour, it was finally time for dinner. I was semi-full from cheese, bread, and wine, so I ordered a light appetizer for my entree: Roasted Golden and Red Beets and Endive Salad. I love beets, but they are such a pain to make, which is why I often order beet dishes from restaurants!
Surprisingly, I was on the fence about dessert last night. I wasn’t stuffed to the gills, but I was satisfied. A dessert special caught Mr. Mal’s attention, and I am not one to turn down dessert, so we shared an piece of almond cake with vanilla sorbet, and topped with candied figs, cranberries, and apricots. Unfortunately, the dessert was just okay. The cake was dry and bland… it reminded me of one of those flavorless Costo muffins. Ewwww! For this reason, I only ate a few bites.
Minus the dessert, the dining experience at Bin 26 was fantastic!!! Love this place! I know I will be back soon, but next time with my good camera!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like you had a great “Date night”. Dates are very important even when you are married or engaged! I love good cheese paired with fruit and a good wine.
The pics are fine. I don’t even have pics up on my blog. I can’t figure that all out just yet. lol
Date nights ARE great nights!
wow! what a cool place! I love places with good atmosphere like that.
Golden beets are one of my favorites, but I always have a hard time finding them. I love seeing married couples go out on dates – so important! Great Old Navy bargain. Happy Sunday Tina!
haha great night…I think the “fuzzy” or grainy camera pictures make the photos look good! At least with the lighting and stuff, it fits with the restaurant
Good luck with the camera!
Sorry to hear about your camera – the pics still look great though! Glad to hear date night was a blast
LOVE the top!
what a great night! have you seen the roasted beets at Trader Joes? They come in a vacuum sealed package in the refrigerated section. I’ve also seen them in regular grocery stores, too! Much easier to deal with!
Delightful, delectable date night!!
Sounds like you had a great time Tina! Sorry to hear about your camera….. maybe you should buy the canon rebel slr to replace it
What a fun sounding night, and that top is adorable!!!
Date night sounds like it was a lot of fun. Bin 26 looks amazing, I love all the little fun details.
fun date night!!
oh, to think back to date nights! glad you had a great time.
I love date nights…even after 9 years of marriage!
That looks like a fantastic restaurant. I’m with you on the beets. I wear surgical gloves to peel them so my hands don’t turn purple, but it is still a pain. I love the golden ones the best!
So sorry to hear about your camera – but these pics aren’t too bad! I still got the gist of your night out with Mal
I love that cork coat rack…. I looked at that picture for a good long while. I always want to make things with cork but never do… I should make a coat rack or something!
I have a date night next weekend and I’m so excited I hope mine is as much fun as it seems you 2 had!
Wow what a fabulous restaurant!
Sorry about the camera problems. I hate when gadgets go wonky!
Angela
http://www.ohsheglows.com
That’s too bad about the camera issues! You still managed to get some nice photos though and the entire experience looks like it was so fun and fancy. You guys are too darn cute, I love your date nights.
looks like such a cool fun place!
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