Stepping Out With Wylla Stout: The Pink Door

Wylla has done some restaurant dining on her travels, but we've never tried anything local, so when I heard my friend Shira was coming to Seattle for work and was hoping to meet Wylla while she was visiting, I had to do a little looking online to find us a pet-friendly spot to meet for a meal.   I was delighted to discover that The Pink Door, one of my favorite spots from my early Seattle days, allowed dogs on their patio. I emailed the office to see if a cat might be welcome, they said it would be fine, so I gave the front desk a call to make a reservation for our human/feline party of three.

It was a funny conversation.  

"A cat?" said the host.

"Yes, I would like to make a lunch reservation for two humans and a cat, on the patio," I explained.

"A cat? Could I put you on hold for one moment?" and while he did, I could hear a muffled conversation between the host and management.

He returned with a few questions, which I happily answered, and  I went on to share that this cat was no ordinary cat, and assured him it would be fine.

"She's had plenty of experience in restaurants,  is very relaxed, and is kind of internet famous,"  I explained.

The "internet famous" comment triggered an "OOOHHH" from the host, he disappeared briefly to have another muffled conversation, and when he returned, our reservation was booked.

I closed our conversation with "I know this is completely ridiculous," and he quickly responded, "that's fine, Ma'am, we'll see you on Monday".

I hung up the phone feeling  my crazy cat lady craziest.   But, hey!  We were going to lunch at The Pink Door!  The thought of this made giddy for days.

I had booked our reservation for 2:00 pm, hoping a later lunch would be a little more quiet, but the day was gorgeous, so the patio was hopping.  We tried to tuck ourselves out of the way while they figured out where to seat us, but with guests coming and going and waiters and waitresses rushing by,  it was a little chaotic.  I held Wylla close, because if she was going to get nervous at any point on the journey, this would be it, but she did great and waited patiently.



They gave us a nice table in a shadier part of the patio, helped us tuck our bags away (Wylla doesn't travel light) and Shira arrived.  Wylla settled quickly, curled up quietly on my lap, and stayed there through most the meal.  At one point she did get a little curious and climbed over my shoulder and onto a stack of menus on the table behind me,  but besides that, she was a very, very good kitten.  Most guests on the patio weren't even aware that there was a cat dining with them, unless they happened to catch a glimpse of her as they exited.

Lunch was delicious, and once plates were cleared, Wylla spent a little time on Shira's lap, and got a little love. They took some selfies together, and I took a few photos too, until the check arrived.


Wylla was The Pink Door's first ever feline diner, and hopefully she set a great example, and won't be their last!  A big thanks to everyone at The Pink Door for accommodating us.  It was a wonderful meal.

After our lunch,  I went and picked up Craig from work.  As we sat in afternoon traffic,  I shared the details of the day and rambled on for minutes on end about our experience.

"Did Wylla order the lobster?" was Craig's only question.




Here are a few photos from our delightful afternoon:



Could the pink door match Wylla any more perfectly?  



Shira was so happy to meet our wee girl. 



Such a good little Wylla, sitting on my lap while we lunched.  



Wylla doesn't travel light. That's the bag we carry for day trips. 



She was a calm kitty on Shira's lap, 



and was happy to receive a little love. 




Shira shoots a selfie with Wylla. 



Our tiny diner.