Soldier Gets Anniversary Surprise at Seattle Restaurant

Next time I’m in Seattle, here’s a restaurant I’ll definitely patronize.  From the Seattle Times:

When Chris Yanez wanted to take his girlfriend out for a special dinner to
celebrate their one-year anniversary, he chose the venerable restaurant Canlis,
perched high above Lake Union.

Yanez, a soldier returning from Iraq, knew the dinner would be pricey. What
he didn’t expect is that it would be free. And he also didn’t expect that when
he walked out, the place would be in tears.

*  *  *

. . . By the end of the night several patrons had, unknown to Yanez, offered
to pay for the young couple’s meal. With Canlis also sharing the costs, the $150
bill evaporated.

Yanez and Coleman were sharing a peach-cobbler dessert when Canlis walked up
with a piece of molten chocolate lava cake.

"There’s folks in this restaurant who don’t think you should have to share a
dessert," Canlis told the couple. "And they don’t think you should pay the
bill."

*  *  *

Yanez, 20, a student from Renton, said he was stunned by the gesture.

"I knew Canlis was expensive, but this is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and this
was a special occasion," he said. "It was the greatest thing ever. It makes me
feel like people appreciate the troops and they care about people in the
community. I was in shock and my girlfriend started to cry. It was really
emotional."

Canlis said his grandfather, who spent 39 years in the Marines, once told him
that he should never let a soldier in uniform into his restaurant without being
taken care of.

Read it all.  (Hat tip:  TitusOneNine.)

Comments

One response to “Soldier Gets Anniversary Surprise at Seattle Restaurant”

  1. currahee Avatar

    Canlis is one of the most renowned restaurants in Seattle.
    I am pleased that a soldier in uniform can feel welcome in one the most famously left-wing cities in America.

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