When she and husband, Brad, both were economically downturned out of gainful employment, Lisa Havens, 43, said the couple traveled almost 2,000 miles on their tandem bicycle built for two.

“We rode around thinking, ‘What are we going to do, what are we going to do?'” Havens said.

Brad, 50, had spent 30 years in the restaurant business, either as a chef or working with a restaurant supplier. As the unemployed couple pedaled around the area, Lisa said their bike came to rest at a lot of wineries and other local shops, farmers markets and so on. They both loved entertaining, having guests over. Stir all the above-mentioned factors together and you get Tandem: A Wine and Cheese Bar — actually what Lisa called a full-service restaurant — that opened just about a month ago at 10123 Main St. in Bothell.

The pair also launched The Loft, a bed and breakfast over the top of the restaurant a few months earlier.

Inside the restaurant, the subdued lighting is enough to show off wine racks, wooden tables and various Americana-style decorations from vintage wooden skis to, of course, a large vintage bicycle.

“I hand-selected each piece,” reported Lisa, who said she was definitely going for a homey feel both in the restaurant and in the bed and breakfast.

The latter features a large bed, claw-foot tub and numerous other, possibly surprising and welcoming touches.

“I always wanted to do something small and intimate,” said Brad regarding the restaurant and talking as he finished creating a plate of the risotto of the day.

Besides that daily risotto, the Tandem menu also includes appetizers, “signature” macaroni and cheese, seasonal quiche, four types of salads, nightly dinner specials and desserts. There is also, naturally, an extensive list of about 30 wines and several craft beers. The couple even arranged to have their own roasted coffee.

“Everything is fresh and organic,” Lisa said.

“From our cheese to our produce to our meats, nothing is here more than two or three days,” Brad said, joking that added freshness is a bonus of not having an excess of storage space.

The dinner specials have ranged from skirt steak and garlic mashed potatoes to salmon. The Havens also offer picnic baskets and to-go orders with a bit of a twist. At Tandem, customers’ to-go meals won’t see the inside of a cardboard box. Instead, said meals make their way to heated plates — the same plates used in the restaurant, but wrapped up for traveling. Customers can bring the plates back when they get the chance, Lisa said.

According to Brad, the Havens’ approach is working.

“We’ve been hitting our projections right out of the gate and we’ve been exceeding our projections on some nights,” he said.

“I love that this place is here,” said Carole Sosehea, who runs Salon Rouge next door. “It just feels like home.”

Both the Havens and Sosehea talked about wanting to attract more people into the core of downtown Bothell. With that in mind, the Havens have organized a Saturday farmers market in the parking lot near Tandem. Running through early October, Lisa said the market features the wares of many of the artisans whose work the couple discovered on those bike tours, as well as plenty of local growers and farmers.

The couple talks about music being a big part of the restaurant. Brad has an electronic keyboard he likes to play and sing along with when he has the opportunity. They hosted a jazz quartet during Bothell’s recent RiverFest. And Brad mentioned an informal gathering for a number of local musicians who just wanted to stop by.

“It’s all fun,” Lisa said.

“We just want people to feel comfortable,” Brad finished.

The restaurant is open from noon to 10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. For more information, visit Tandem’s Web site.