Pullout - Voracious Dining Guide 2013 by Sound Publishing

OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

VORACIOUS S E A T T L E W E E K LY. C O M / V O R A C I O U S

DIGEST

S E A T T LEW E E K L Y ’ S

2 0 1 3 D I N I NG GU I D E

OPEN DAILY

PIKE PLACE

at 7a.m.

in Seattle

3 Floors of Panoramic Waterfront Views Serving Pacific Northwest & All-American Meals for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner And, the Friendliest Bar in Seattle

1519 Pike Place Market, Seattle 206-622-2036 View menus at www.eatatlowells.com

DIGEST OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

Our dining guide is an annual tradition, but we don't think about our favorite restaurants just once a year. Our insatiable crew of blog contributors is constantly eating, drinking, and thinking about which venues stand out in a city blessed with wonderful restaurants, shellfish bars, cocktail dens, microbreweries, cafes, burger joints, sandwich shops, noodle houses, food trucks, lunch counters, and bakeries. Ever y day on Voracious, they share the results of their hard work, introducing readers to their favorite finds. Now we're taking the opportunity to introduce them. You'll find in this guide dozens of places featured in Voracious columns over the past year. It's a terrifically diverse set, including a sushi truck, a Vietnamese crawfish specialist, a Latin-themed coffeehouse, and one of the city's fanciest steakhouses. But our bloggers' list of favorites is constantly evolving: We hope you'll soon join us at Voracious to gather more recommendations from our resident experts in coffee, booze, noodles, dumplings, vegetables, and more.

Americano Dream (coffee)............................................ 7 Greasy Swoon (brunch) ................................................ 11 Truck Stop (food trucks) .............................................. 17 Monday Night Lights (what’s open on Mondays) ...... 21 The Mein Man (noodles) .............................................. 26 Small Fries (dining with kids) ..................................... 33 Beet Street (vegetarian dining) .................................. 37 Happy Hours . . . . ............................................................. 47 PLUS fancy joints p.11, small plates p.17, sandwiches p.23, hotel bars p.37, brewpubs p.43

NEIGHBORHOOD INDEX NORTH OF 50TH

Ampersand Pantry & Cafe, Greenwood, 7 Antojitos Poblanos el Sapo, Shoreline, 21 Beth’s Cafe, Green Lake, 11 Cake Envy, Green Lake, 49 Chocolat Vitale, Phinney Ridge, 9 Chef at Wok, Broadview, 23 The Everest Kitchen, Shoreline, 26 Gainsbourg, Greenwood, 13 Grinders Hot Sandwiches, Shoreline, 23 Jebena Cafe, Northgate, 25 Joy Teriyaki, Lake City, 26 Luisa’s Mexican Grill, Greenwood, 33 Naked City Taphouse, Greenwood, 43 Ridge Pizza, Phinney Ridge, 35 Traditional Korean Beef Soup, Edmonds, 25 Tropicos Breeze, Greenwood, 25 Tubs Gourmet Subs, Lake City, 23

QUEEN ANNE/LAKE UNION Bamboo Garden, Lower Queen Anne, 39 Blind Pig Bistro, Eastlake, 17 Boat Street Cafe and Kitchen, Lower Queen Anne, 11 Caffé Fiore, Queen Anne, 7 Canlis, Queen Anne, 11 La Toscanella Bakery & Paninoteca, South Lake Union, 9 LloydMartin, Upper Queen Anne, 51 SkyCity at the Needle, Queen Anne, 11 Twirl Cafe, Queen Anne, 37 DOWNTOWN

Bernard’s on Seneca, Downtown, 37 BOKA Kitchen and Bar, Downtown, 37 The Brooklyn, Downtown, 47 Cyber-Dogs Internet Cafe, Downtown, 43 Delicatus, Pioneer Square, 23 F.X. McRory’s, Pioneer Square, 49 FREMONT/U DISTRICT/ The Hunt Club, First Hill, 37 WALLINGFORD Marché, Downtown, 51 Agua Verde, U District, 39 Metropolitan Grill, Downtown, 11 Art of the Table, Wallingford, 17 Big Time Brewing and Alehouse, U District, 43 Oliver’s Lounge, Downtown, 37 Polar Bar, Downtown, 37 Fremont Brewing, Fremont, 43 Salumi, Pioneer Square, 23 Pair, U District, 17 Sazerac, Downtown, 37 Paseo Caribbean Restaurant, Fremont, 23 Serious Pie, Belltown, 53 Portage Bay Cafe, U District, 33 Shiro’s, Belltown, 11 U:Don, U District, 37 67 Lounge, Downtown, 37 Tat’s Delicatessen, Pioneer Square, 23 BALLARD Tavolàta, Belltown, 47 Anchored Ship Coffee Bar, 7 The Terrace, Downtown, 37 Ballard Pizza Company, 33 Three Girls Bakery, Downtown, 35 The Fat Hen, 13 Trace Bar, Downtown, 37 Jolly Roger Taproom, 43 Tulio Ristorante, Downtown, 37 Ocho, 45 The Other Coast Cafe, 23 INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT Pestle Rock, 25 Crawfish King, 23 Portalis Wines, 53 Huong Binh, 26 Ridgeback Cafe, 35 King Noodle, 26 Wild Mountain Cafe, 15 Ping’s Dumpling House, 25 Pho So 1, 31 CAPITOL HILL Sub Sand, 33 Ba Bar, 7 Ballet, 39 SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN Boom Noodle, 26 Fonda La Catrina, Georgetown, 13 Café Presse, 13 Geraldine’s Counter, Columbia City, 23 Canon, 23 La Medusa, Columbia City, 45 Cupcake Royale, 9 Spice Room, Columbia City, 31 Healeo, 45 Square Knot Diner, Georgetown, 15 The Honey Hole, 23 Two Beers Brewing Company, SoDo, 43 Lark, 17 Pettirosso, 9 WEST SEATTLE Regent Bakery and Cafe, 31 Abbondanza Pizzeria, Gatewood, 33 Buddha Ruksa, West Seattle, 43 MADISON PARK/MADRONA/ Chaco Canyon, West Seattle, 43 CENTRAL DISTRICT Meander’s Kitchen, West Seattle, 15 Cafe Flora, Madison Park, 47 Crush, Central District, 11 THE OUTSKIRTS Harvest Vine, Central District, 17 Cafe Juanita, Kirkland, 11 Hi Spot Café, Madrona, 13 The Herbfarm, Woodinville, 11 Tougo Coffee, Central District, 35 John Howie Steak, Bellevue, 11 The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, 11

COVER & INTRO ILLUSTRATIONS BY BENJAMIN VOLDMAN

VORACIOUS 2013 •• Seattle Seattle Weekly Weekly VORACIOUS DINING DINING GUIDE GUIDE 2012

PRESENT THIS AD FOR A

AMERICANO DREAM by Chelsea Lin

A job opportunity brought me to Seattle, but it’s the coffee that keeps me here, and I don’t say that just because I’m officially and unabashedly hooked on caffeine. But it’s more than just the importance of that first morning sip—it’s coffee’s ritual, its culture, the people who grow, roast, and serve it. I’m just lucky I get to write about coffee as a cover for my personal addiction. Ampersand Pantry & Cafe,

424 N. 85th St., Suite 1, 257-5671 Ampersand is exactly the sort of corner store you wish was in your ’hood; rather, it’s exactly the sort of corner store I wish was in my ’hood, since I’d love to have a place that stocks cake flour, clarified butter, bananas, jars of spices, Mama Lil’s peppers, and cans of Two Beers’ IPA within walking distance. The limited selection of specialty goods caters to the eccentric, but that’s OK in my book. Most important, Ampersand sells good coffee: Keala’s Hawaiian Coffee, roasted in small batches at Seven Coffee Roasters in Ballard. They’ve got beans by the bag—a must for any grocer—but the cafe section sells cups of the Na Pali blend, as well as lattes, mochas, and other typical cafe fare. If you think it a little strange for a Seattle cafe to use Hawaiian beans, it’s not coincidental: Marisa Tanji (who owns the place with husband Daryl Waits, whom you may recognize as the owner of the Alki pizzeria Slices) was born and raised there, and she wanted to bring some of the island’s familiar flavors. $

Anchored Ship Coffee Bar,

5306 Ballard Ave. N.W., 484-5143 Though the owners haven’t changed and there was hardly a blink between closing and opening, Anchored Ship is a testament to how a few key changes can turn a tired business into a worthy new destination. Dotting the windowsills—and hanging from the banister that leads to a cozy loft upstairs—are succulents and air plants, bringing the green of outdoors into the lightfilled shop. Herkimer beans are available by the bag, but the best way to have them is prepared by the friendly baristas. The espresso drinks are all served with double

Ampersand Pantry & Cafe.

ristretto shots, perfect and short, with bold flavor and a smooth finish. Pour-over coffee is available if you want to try single-origin beans from Brazil, Guatemala, Ethiopia, or El Salvador. And while they aren’t baking their own goodies, Macrina provides morning-appropriate pastries like seeded onion bialys and buttery raisin brioche slices, and sweet bites come from local businesses like Street Treats. When Caffé Fiore is too busy and Ballard Coffee Works seems too far, try Anchored Ship—it’s just right. $

COMPLIMENTARY MARGHERITA PIZZA

Ba Bar, 550 12th Ave., 328-2030

If you’ve never had a ca phe sua da—and I can’t imagine this could be true in a city with as many great pho joints as Seattle has—it’s a tooth-achingly sweet beverage that combines very-dark-roast coffee, brewed extra-strong, with a nearly equal amount of sweetened condensed milk, poured over a glass full to the brim with ice. While I’ve had many serviceable versions at restaurants around the city, I went searching for one using locally roasted beans: a Seattle twist on a Vietnamese classic. I found my holy grail at Capitol Hill’s Ba Bar, where you can get a Vietnamese iced coffee made with Caffé Vita beans. Traditionally, the brew used is a coarsely ground French roast that imparts a bold flavor (win) and burnt finish (lose). While the sweetened condensed milk covers a lot of imperfections, the result, generally, is still an initial sugar shock followed by a bit of an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. Ba Bar’s version, however, is strong and smooth in all the right ways, balanced in its sweetness, and without that lingering smack of too-dark coffee. Enjoy this delight to go from the walk-up espresso counter just inside the front door, or order it with your bahn cuon, delicious steamed rolls of rice noodles filled with ground pork, mushrooms, and shallots. The food here is hugely underrated and totally awesome. $$

Caffè Fiore, 224 W. Galer St., 282-1441,

and other locations Dear Caffè Fiore: It was nearly three years ago, on a typical drizzly Seattle day, when a friend brought me to your Queen Anne shop during a visit from San Francisco. I’d spent the weekend gallivanting around the Emerald City, soaking in the sights, sounds, and flavors, deeply contemplating a move north. Your Sevilla mocha sealed the deal. I am not generally a mocha drinker. I like my coffee dark and strong, my espresso drinks unsweetened. My friend—so wise!—insisted I order the Sevilla: a masterful creation of espresso, milk, dark chocolate, and a simple curl of orange zest. I’d formerly thought the combination of orange and chocolate should be reserved for those plastic-like candy balls grandmas give clueless kids at Christmas, but you convinced me otherwise. It’s my favorite, and I’m not alone. Iced, the drink’s dangerously smooth, with the organic chocolate’s bittersweet undertones, a hint of orange, and just a slight acidic reminder that it packs a double-shot punch. Being able to enjoy such a beverage within a short walk’s

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VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2012 2013 •• Seattle Seattle Weekly Weekly

THE SMOOTHNESS TO BLEND IN. THE BACKBONE TO STAND OUT. sailor Jerry’s blend of Caribbean rums lays down a

smooth-as-hell base for any drink. Meanwhile, its bold spiced character stands out, so even fancyass cocktails taste better.

distance of Kerry Park and its view of the stunning Seattle skyline—well, let’s just say that as a Seattle resident, it’s an experience I now insist my visitors try as well. With love and jitters, your humble (if overly caffeinated) servant $ Chocolat Vitale, 6257 Third Ave. N.W., 297-0863 An unassuming little shop that sits on a corner at the base of that wicked hill that takes you from far-eastern Ballard up to Phinney Ridge. Because of that hill, it’s not a shop you’ll likely just walk by—its only neighbors are a trailer selling vintage boots and multicolored petticoats, a violin-repair shop, and a charming antique store—but it’s worth a visit, if only for the availability of Velton’s Coffee. Velton’s award-winning Bonsai Blend is the espresso served at Chocolat, and you can try it straight—in all its smooth, distinctive perfection—or have it with milk in a latte or hot water in an Americano. But you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not try the mocha on your first visit, since Chocolat Vitale’s specialty is a houseblended drinking chocolate that pairs beautifully with Velton’s thick, caramel-like espresso. You can have your mocha made with the sweeter, milkier European Classic or the Venezuelan Black, a 65-percent dark chocolate that truly lets the espresso sing. Ask them to go easy on the chocolate so it doesn’t overwhelm the drink’s enjoyable essence of coffee. $ Cupcake Royale, 108 Pine St., 883-7656,

and other locations What’s more awesome than coffee ice cream? The cold brew float at Cupcake Royale. (Backstory: The cupcake empire recently launched a line of ice creams— some featuring their cake bits mixed right in, others labeled as “bakeshopinspired”—with the help of Portland’s Salt & Straw creamery.) Think of this off-menu delight as a more-drinkable homage to the affogato, which you can also get. They start with cold-brewed Stumptown coffee. In goes a scoop of your choice—I strongly recommend their coffee flavor, made

with Stumptown’s Hair Bender blend and swirled with a dark-chocolate ribbon. The resulting cup is perhaps the perfect summer dessert. On its own, the coffee is balanced and fruity, with a bit of a caramellike finish. If you enjoy your float quickly, you can sip the coffee alternately with bites of the sweet, smooth, delicately chocolaty ice cream. But if you linger a bit, enjoying the company of a friend in one of Cupcake Royale’s six cafes, the cream melts into the coffee to form one cohesively sweet and milky beverage that’s more nuanced, and more decadent, than your standard cold brew with cream and sugar. It’s a grown-up take on a childhood favorite—one I’ll be enjoying many more times this summer. $ La Toscanella Bakery & Paninoteca,

www.cantinettarestaurant.com

116 Westlake Ave. N., 682-1044 In a city full of French and Japanese bakeries, La Toscanella promises an Italian experience, complete with handmade pastas, breakfast skillets with focaccia, and a beautiful array of sweets. And the cafe excels where it counts: The coffee and pastries are both delightful. You may recognize La Toscanella’s pastries from other cafes—the owners’ wholesale bakery services some 50 spots around the city. And while the panna cotta, tiramisu, true Italian cannoli, and apple fagottino are standouts on their own, they’re best paired with the top-notch espresso preparations using Stumptown beans. My macchiato—an espresso marked lightly with milk foam—had a tangy, front-of-mouth bite followed by a smooth, chocolaty finish. Worth noting, too, is that the language of the kitchen here actually is Italian; you can hear its musical notes wafting through the dining room because the La Marzocco espresso machine is virtually silent. For a nostalgic taste of Italy, La Toscanella will definitely do. $

Pettirosso, 1101 E. Pike St., 324-2233

Pettirosso occupies a piece of prime Capitol Hill real estate near the corner of 11th Avenue and East Pike Street, but is the very definition of hidden gem. Even if you know Capitol Hill, chances are you’ve walked by

JENNY JIMENEZ

Caffé Fiore.

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

Your table awaits Inspired by the LEED and Green Seal Gold certified building in which we are housed. Urbane strives to bring you the best of the Northwest’s harvest prepared in an urban setting. Working with growers, artisians, and wineries of the Pacific Northwest, our menu changes seasonally to focus on freshness and local authenticity. Located a block from the Paramount and Nordstrom, Urbane is well situated to be the prelude and finale to your shopping or theater experience. Stop by today for a true taste of the Northwest.

MANHATTAN A Casual Steakhouse with a Southern Flair

HAPPY HOUR DAILY

Lunch 11am – 3pm M-F Brunch 10am – 2pm on Weekends Dinner 3pm – 2am Daily 1419 12 Ave – Capitol Hill

206-325-6574

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

CAPITOL HILL’S STEAKHOUSE Manhattan is a casual steakhouse with a variety of seating options for groups of all sizes, from cozy couples to large parties. Manhattan’s interior is comfy and chic. Vintage urban photography is projected into gold frames on the north wall, surrounded by a unique damask by designer Barneby Gates. Our bar is a reclaimed and refurbished apothecary shelf, and looking over it is an iconic ram sculpture by artist Peter Gronquist.

it without noticing. I have. And though I’d heard Pettirosso mentioned and have been eyeing the progress on its remodel, I clearly hadn’t been paying close enough attention. See, I heard “cafe” and planned to find the sort of coffee-centric place that dots nearly every street corner in the city. Instead, I found one that actually reads more like a bistro, where the coffee is great but plays second fiddle to the impressive array of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. If you want a serious cup of coffee, you can find that at Pettirosso: Lighthouse Roasters is brewed, and the folks behind the espresso machine know how to make a proper cappuccino. There’s a tiny walk-up counter right as you enter where you can pick up a to-go cup and something from the pastry case’s stunning assortment of buttery goodies (with even a few vegan ones), like cinnamon-swirled banana bread, miniature pumpkin pies with brûléed marshmallows, chocolate-covered eclairs, and biscotti. In this way, Pettirosso is very like the cafe I expected. But look beyond the espresso machine and pastry case and you’ll see a full bar—the kind with alcohol!—and a beautifully if sparsely decorated dining room. Choose to stay and order off the menu, and you’ll get table service and a top-notch meal. $

GREASY SWOON

by Ma’Chell Duma LaVassar

Brunch is the meal that provides for the best people-watching and eavesdropping in Seattle. Though it’s a seemingly simple skill, the ability to poach an egg as requested proved indicative of the overall breakfast experience at every joint I’ve visited and enjoyed while writing Greasy Swoon.

Beth’s Cafe, 7311 Aurora Ave. N., 782-5588 Down-home, done down and dirty. Hope you’re wearing your eatin’ pants, because this joint uses so much grease that Waffle House is embarrassed for them. With crayons for the table and walls filled with patrons’ art, everyone feels like a kid at Beth’s. It is a bit bright and busy for hungover dining, but the grub is absolutely made for it. You’ll feel like Lily Tomlin’s Edith Ann when they set that ginormous platter in front of your face. The country Benedict (a split biscuit topped with a patty and scrambled eggs, smothered in country gravy and served with hash browns) is so lubricious your chest will ache—especially when that first bite reveals a pool of butter shimmering underneath the hash browns already sopping in gravy. I’m not a “girly” eater by any means, yet I could only make it a quarter of the way through mine, and ate nothing else the rest of the day. Maybe if you spend 48 hours on a juice cleanse and smoke an entire blunt an hour before you show up, you might be able to get half of it

10 RESTAURANTS WE LOVE WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING Crush, 2319 E. Madison St., 302-7874 Jason and Nicole Wilson’s Madison Valley restaurant is becoming like a nirvana for a certain class of local grubniks—a white-on-white temple to chef Jason Wilson’s James Beard Award–winning modernist’s take on Pacific Northwest cuisine. The Willows Inn on Lummi Island, 2579 W. Shore Dr., Lummi Island, 360-758-2620 As surely as Willows Inn’s close-to-the-earth cuisine bewitches taste buds, it spins heads and stunts conversation. By the second or third course, most guests are reduced to monosyllabic exchanges meant to determine whether or not they’re enjoying the best meal of their lives. Shiro’s, 2401 Second Ave., 443-9844 To watch Shiro Kashiba at work is an integral part of the sushi dining experience, but you must be there as soon as the doors open to secure a seat at his bar—because like most rock stars, Shiro’s got groupies. SkyCity at the Needle, 400 Broad St., 905-2100 The prices are sky-high at the Space Needle’s revolving restaurant. But suck it up and plunk down some plastic, because there’s no more iconic landmark dining room in Seattle. John Howie Steak, 11111 N.E. Eighth St., #125, Bellevue, 425-440-0880 John Howie once offered a New Year’s meal for two for $2,011, but their nonholiday menu offers a range of mesquite-grilled steaks with your choice of five different sauces.

“Northwest and European flavors in an elegant old world style space on Capitol Hill with handcrafted cocktails, plus brunch on weekends.”

New Hours: Kitchen opens Tuesday through Saturday: 5pm to 11pm and Sunday 5pm to 10pm

Brunch available Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm. 1802 Bellevue Avenue (at Howell) • 206-329-4047 • www.labeteseattle.com

Metropolitan Grill, 820 Second Ave., 624-3287 You can walk into the Met in the standard Seattle work uniform of plaid shirt, jeans, and dark tennis shoes and shout at the TV screen. The steaks are, however, the dry-aged, Nebraskaraised (or wagyu) kind. Cafe Juanita, 9702 N.E. 120th Pl., Kirkland, 425823-1505 It’s easy to forget you’re in suburbia while sipping an aperitif and stuffing your face with lardo. There’s no going wrong anywhere on the menu; the biggest challenge is to not go overboard and order too much at this romantic restaurant. Canlis, 2576 Aurora Ave. N., 283-3313 Don’t be scared off by Canlis’ fine-dining reputation: The staff is young, the menu is exciting, and Walt the piano man knows his way around a Lady Gaga tune or three. The Herbfarm, 14590 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, 425-485-5300 The impeccable wine pairings are only one element of a four-to-five-hour sensory journey. Dining here is an event, patience is a virtue, and the virtuous are rewarded. Boat Street Cafe and Kitchen, 3131 Western Ave., #301, 632-4602 Erickson’s Boat Street Cafe manages to summon a summery French vibe in an unexpected basement location. The ambience is eclipsed only by the food, which is reliably excellent. Y

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2012 2013 •• Seattle Weekly

3 11

marche bistro ¦ wine bar

Chef Daisley Gordon presents the bounty of the Pacific NW in the spirit of France Happy Hour, Brunch, & Dinner

www.marcheseattle.com 206.728.2800

Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

the heart of France, from the heart of Pike Place Market

Happy Hour, Brunch, Lunch & Dinner

www.cafecampagne.com 206.728.2233

down. Beth’s also does some nice in-house baked goods (cinnamon rolls, muffins, and Amish friendship bread) that make great a la carte options when you aren’t prepared for a meal that requires an elastic waistband and Lipitor. $ Café Presse, 1117 12th Ave., 709-7674

Whether you’re at the front of the house, at the quaint bar, or in the industrial-chic back dining room, you’ll not want for ambience in this eatery/newsstand/weekend soccer destination. Children pepper this establishment, but don’t kill the mood. There is bar service for hungover dining, and it’s a perfect spot to bring a hookup for whom your intentions are romantic: The food’s so dreamy your date could easily misconstrue your feelings about the Café Presse experience as feelings for her. The menu expands over the course of the day, starting with the early morning petit dejeuner, which features the delicious pain au chocolat à l’ancienne. By 9 a.m., the full menu kicks in and the famous croque monsieur is available. If you forgo sauces, the eggs broiled with ham and Gruyère or omelette au choix will do you right. $

The Fat Hen, 1418 N.W. 70th St., 782-5422

This tiny little nook located in a quaint pocket business district in Ballard approaches Italian breakfast like Café Presse approaches French fare: simply and slowly with tons of attention to detail. This is where you bring a hookup with whom you’re comfortable languishing—as everything at the Fat Hen, from the food to the seating, is a European exercise in patience. You’ll have plenty of time to contemplate the menu: The Benedicts, baked eggs, Dutch babies, and homemade yogurt rival the antipasti, salads, and higher-end dishes such as a breaded veal cutlet. One taste of the alla Boscaiola (two eggs baked, sausage, mushrooms, mozzarella, and tomato), however, and you won’t regret your time investment. The Speck Benedict and Eggs Florentine boast a blissfully lemony and obviously made-to-order hollandaise. The patate al cartoccio are some of the finest breakfast potatoes the city has to offer. And be sure to sample the plum compote served with the baguette and yogurt, a lovely blend of sweet and tart that will stay with you long after you’ve flown the coop. $$

Cocktails

Gainsbourg, 8550 Greenwood Ave. N., 783-4004 The only thing Gainsbourg doesn’t have going for it is proximity to downtown. If this place were on Capitol Hill or Ballard Avenue, its swanky, sexy goodness would demand a reservation.The bubbles here are as lovely as you’d expect at a French-style eatery. The coffee is Stumptown, brought in an über-classy ceramic service. But the custom bloody Marys are the things to write home about. With 35 options—from Sriracha to smoked duck to pickled asparagus—presented on a sushistyle ordering form, you’re free to choose your juice, level and type of heat (wasabi to chipotle), two garnishes, and quality of vodka or tequila (if you favor Mary’s south-of-the-border cousin Maria), for a perfectly personalized drink. Forgoing the crepes served at every other Frenchinspired spot, “Le G” gives you pain perdu (bread, black-rum custard, brown-butter bananas, syrup, and bacon) and beignets— not the chewy New Orleans style you might be familiar with, but with a more delicate, crispier shell. The confit duck is as greasily satisfying as any chicken-fried steak, and the house veggie scramble is one of the most savory vegetarian breakfast items I’ve ever had the pleasure to taste. $$ Hi Spot Café, 1410 34th Ave., 325-7905

Madrona is an uptown breeder retreat. Though the neighborhood may have a quaint and cozy feel, 34th Avenue is practically a Rodeo Drive of strollers that cost as much as a month’s rent. If your hangovers are the kind that leads you to enjoy a

Stone Way

4411 Stone Way N., Seattle, 206.633.3800

Trace Bar: one of the hotel bars we love, p. 37.

Join us for our handmade craft cocktails. First recognized with a Crystal Beverage Award in 2007 our list continues to evolve. You’ll appreciate our courageous use of Italian elixirs, organic herbs, and freshly squeezed juices. DAVID NEWALL

Fonda La Catrina, 5905 Airport Way S., 767-2787 For a traditional Mexi-breakfast uptown, Fonda is the perfect mix of cool Georgetown industrial and warm Latin influences. The coffee is Caffè Umbria, and while it’s delicious, it’s also a little steep at $3 a cup. You can get both bloodies and mimosas, but I’d skip the standards and head straight to the brunch cocktail menu, which boasts 11 selections of tequila-based drinks, all of which deliver a serious morning buzz. Bar seating and wi-fi are available for solo and/ or hungover dining. Kids are welcome, and a cheese tamale and some seasonal fresh fruit will do them right. If you’re up for it, brave the menudo (St. Helen’s tripe braised in guajillo & arbor: $9) or the less-risky

Craft

pozole (Carlton Farms pork in red chile broth with hominy and all the trimmings). The pan dulce will satisfy your sweet tooth, and—if the audible responses of the gentleman enjoying it two tables away were any indication—costillas en pasilla (two eggs, pork ribs, pasilla sauce, beans, onions, cilantro, and tortillas), the house favorite, is well worth the drive south. $$

tuttaBella.Com/menu VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

joint full of cheery, indulged children and bright-as-the-day-will-allow lighting, then this is the spot for you, freak. The Hi Spot caters to its ’hood, and is as good as classy family breakfast dining gets. I would suggest ordering some of the outstanding in-house pastries pre-meal for younger kids, because the food’s not fast. There are eggs, including a breakfast burrito (three eggs scrambled with black beans and cheddar, wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with fresh salsa and sour cream, and served with home fries) and a Bengal Benedict (poached eggs and ham on an English muffin with curry sauce, served with home fries). But even older brunchers may opt to stick with those baked goods: Once you’ve sampled the Hi Spot’s moist and delicate take on a scone, you will forever look in terror at those horrid dry lumps in other breakfast cases. $ Meander’s Kitchen, 9635 16th Ave. S.W., White Center The departure of Meander’s from California Avenue to its new locale has left West Seattle residents feeling as though our favorite little indie band, the Buttery Biscuits, just got really famous and now we have to drive to the frickin’ Tacoma Dome and wait in line just to see them play. I made three trips there opening week before I was sat in under 90 minutes. And yes, if you’re wondering, Meander’s is that good. Directly across from Meander’s is the Northwest Cannabis Market. At noon on a Saturday, if conditions are just right, you will smell bacon, fresh, buttery waffles, and the most exquisite marijuana the region has to offer—a scent that if bottled could be sold as Jerry Garcia’s Last Breath. It’s impossible to talk about Meander’s Kitchen and not talk about butter—the burgeoning franchise is built on the stuff. If butter doesn’t float your boat, the gravy, with its silver-dollar-size chunks of tasty sausage, will. Wait times require patience here, but the heavenly little beignets are turned out quickly and made only better with a dollop of the house marionberry jam. $

The Square Knot Diner, 6015 Airport Way S., 762-9764 The Square Knot resides in the most punk-rock pocket of Seattle, Georgetown. With its eclectic mix of residents and industrial-but-cozy feel reminiscent of parts of London (or Williamsburg before the great douche explosion of ’02), it serves as the perfect spot to take a kid named Strummer for pancakes. The food is here is just plain great. There is no pretentiousness or fancy plating, and the price point is astounding. I have never had a Benedict so well-prepared for under $10. They were generous with the tasty, fresh hollandaise—there was plenty to slather on the hash browns, crisp perfection on their own. The eggs were precisely poached and the ham tasted off-the-bone. For my little guy, I a-la-carted a short stack of pancakes and a side of sausage, which turned out to be enough to feed two kids his age. $ Wild Mountain Cafe,

1408 N.W. 85th St., 297-9453 Located in a converted residence, Wild Mountain Cafe’s nooks and crannies provide a fair amount of seating without giving up any cozy Grandma’s-house vibe. The coffee is delicious Herkimer, and there’s real cream. The bubbles are nice, and the juice is freshly squeezed. There is a full bar, so whether you prefer a Bloody Mary or Maria, you are covered. And gluten gluttons get ready: The fresh baked goods here will blow your mind. The irresistible cinnamon rolls have a simple, traditional glaze and are irresistible. The coffee cake is magical, boasting layers of fresh berries and toasted nuts, moist and spicy. The Wild Mountain’s Benedicts rank among the city’s top five. The B.A.T. Bennie is fantastic, with eggs so perfectly poached that whoever’s responsible for them should be teaching a class. For a more regional breakfast, try the Piper’s Creek: eggs scrambled with cold-smoked lox, chopped tomatoes, capers, and cream cheese, which comes with a heaping helping of sides—two roasted-garlic potato cakes and your choice of Dave’s organic killer multigrain, sourdough, or rye toast. $

JOSHUA HUSTON

Be sure to sample the plum compote at The Fat Hen, p. 13.

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I would love it if every time I went out to eat, the chef could personally deliver each plate and tell me all about it. This is not feasible for the vast majority of restaurants, but at a truck, there is a good chance the owner or the chef is inside, with nowhere to hide! You can just yell questions through the kitchen window while they prep your grub. Here’s to the antifussiness food movement, where you’ll find the hardest-working people in the industry.

Caravan Crepes, caravanseattle.com.

Crepes served from a truck or outdoor stand are not new to the Seattle food scene. Anita’s Crepes debuted at the Fremont Sunday Market back in 2004, and the two fresh-faced dudes of Crisp Creperie are also making the rounds. But Seattle native Brooke Sumner’s new truck is differentiating itself from the rest by creating anything but your run-of-the-mill French crepe. The Crescent, with French lentils, mozzarella, and pesto, catches my eye until I land on the Shorty’s. The combination of charmoula chicken, sweet corn, spinach, and manchego transports me somewhere between Spain and Morocco. Another crowd-pleaser is the Wedge. Brie and Zoe’s bacon meet a healthy dose of local peaches and onion chutney. After devouring the whole crepe, I am forced to admit Sumner knows her shiz. Once your sweet tooth kicks in, head for the Maui cane sugar that comes equipped with a refreshing lime zing. And if gluten is your nemesis, do not despair: All crepes can be made with a teff-based batter that even gluten gluttons may prefer over regular wheat-based flour. $

Garden Sushi, gardensushiseattle.com.

There’s something original, adventurous, and all-around wacky about eating sushi from a food truck, especially one parked by a gas station. It would be a mistake for this truck’s location to deter you from experiencing Tsering (Leon) Lama’s Japanese creations. Once you step into Garden Sushi’s covered tent, with fresh roses, hanging flowerpots, Asian murals, and faint music playing in the background, you will be rewarded with a restaurant-like dining experience. As at a traditional sushi restaurant, the 30-yearold chef starts by running through the list of what’s über-fresh that day. After ordering all his recommendations, I supplement it with an eel roll (chef Lama barbecues it on the spot for you) and a $1 cup of miso soup. The food is a serious hit. My favorite is the salmon and avocado roll, topped with an edible flower made from cucumber slices and ginger, although long, generous slabs of bright-colored maguro quickly make their way into my belly. The eel is spot-on, with a

soy-based sauce that’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. $ I Love My GFF, 265-1798, ilovemygff.com. This fledgling food cart more resembles a hot-dog stand than a bona fide food enterprise. But this cute cart could not be any more different from a hot-dog stand. I Love My Gluten Free Food serves homies who have always felt disrespected in the carbcentric burger-and-sandwich-lovin’ foodtruck scene. GFF’s specialty is sprouted quinoa bowls topped with veggies and/or cubes of Draper Valley Farm’s chicken. The two-bowl menu allows you to reserve your decision-making skills for bigger things. The fiesta bowl comes with a cilantro-lime sauce with pepitas, red peppers, avocado, and more, while the Sunshine bowl, also loaded with veggies, has a lemon-basil undertone. Skipping the chicken puts you $7.50 in the hole, while $9.50 will land you el pollo. For dessert, try a homemade chocolate-chip cookie made with almond flour and coconut flour. $ Jemil’s Big Easy, 930-8915,

jemilsbigeasy.com. As Jemil hands me a big ol’ portion of catfish and chips with a big ol’ grin, the first thing he says is, “Now don’t go on sharing.” Chef Jemil Aziz Johnson has been wowing food-truck eaters with his New Orleans/

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Y 5 SMALL PLATES WE LOVE Art of the Table, 1054 N. 39th St., 282-0942 Passionate word-of-mouth turned this unlikely location into a cult favorite. The chef does his own shopping, churns his own ice cream, grows his own herbs, and, yes, washes his own dishes. Check artofthetable.net to see what he’s serving today. Pair, 5501 30th Ave. N.E., 526-7655 Pair isn’t reinventing cuisine, except insofar as it renews your appreciation of things like grape leaves, beef brisket, and potato-leek gratin. It’s too elegant and subtle to be simple comfort food, too restrained and soulful to be haute. Lark, 926 12th Ave., 323-5275 James Beard Award– winning chef John Sundstrom’s food, served as a swarm of small, composed plates, inspires customers to twirl each bite around the plate to catch the right amount of sauce, breathing in while they graze to catch all the aromatic nuances. Harvest Vine, 2701 E. Madison St., 320-9771 Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez’s small, Spanish-inspired plates guarantee you don’t get sated too soon— plus, many of them are meant to be consumed hand-to-mouth. Blind Pig Bistro, 2238 Eastlake Ave., 329-2744 Guests here can large-plate their way through dinner if they so choose, lining up an appetizer and an entrée, but the best way to experience Blind Pig’s brilliance is to stick to the small portions and order everything on the menu. Y

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

Southern fare since he rolled onto the scene nearly a year ago. With some of the fastest fulfillment times on Seattle’s streets, the crew pumps out po’boys at a pace matching champion eater Kobayashi’s hot-dog ingestion rate. Jemil’s offers oyster, blackened shrimp, chicken, and roast beef po’boys, but Johnson also likes to keep things interesting: He’s been known to bust out alligator sausage on a stick and, at the Fremont Sunday Market, fried frog legs. My favorite is Jemil’s flavorful gumbo, loaded with so much smoky sausage a cup of it will sate you at least until next snacktime. On a lucky day, you might drop in when the yellow truck is popping out warm peach cobbler. Tip: Word on the street is Jemil also makes a mighty fine fried-chicken special, and the South Lake Union crowd raves about the fried mac-and-cheese with crawfish sauce. $ Pinky’s Kitchen, 210 N.E. 45th St., 257-5483, facebook.com/pinkyskitchen. When one of the town’s most talented chefs tells me to eat here, it’s clear this truck is onto something. Over a glass of wine and slices of mortadella, Art of the Table chef/ owner Dustin Ronspies instructs me to check out Pinky’s, a joint venture between Andrew Bray, former proprietor of Bizarro, and Freddy Rivas, one of the owners of Rancho Bravo. As I approach the window, 10 college-aged guys in basketball shorts and hoodies sitting in Pinky’s covered seating area confidently suggest the brisket. Apparently they stumbled on Pinky’s one day while looking for a budget-friendly yet satisfying alternative to the long lines at Dick’s. They haven’t been back to Dick’s since. The beef packs huge flavor, paired with the crispy onions, ruffage, and compelling sauces. All sliders are reasonably priced at $3.15, just 45 cents more than a skinny Deluxe burger at Dick’s. If pork is calling you, try a sloppy Joe with American cheese or a pulled-pork slider. The sloppy Joe is classic American, but the pork slider is an up-market standout. Instead of the usual pork shreds, this piggie is loaded with slabs of meat smoked just right. Bonus: Pinky’s is open late night and credit card–friendly,

and the covered tent is equipped with speakers to kick out the jams. $ Santi’s Kitchen, 6185 Fourth Ave. S.,

253-298-1722, santiskitchen.com. The lovely chef Santi Hammie is cooking eats inspired by her childhood in a small village in Indonesia. She has been in the States since arriving in 1979 at age 16. Prior to Seattle, Santi’s Kitchen was stationed on the Yale campus, catering to college students, and the majority of the dishes, priced at $8, are designed for youthful appetites. So which enormous dish to order? When the Indonesian truck rolls to West Seattle, the residents seem to favor the green curry, while the popular dish in SoDo is a toss-up between the chicken woku (chicken and veggies heavy on the flavor with Indonesian spices and lemon juice) and the organic tofu with veggies. But it was the nasi kuning, a dish commonly eaten at breakfast time in East Borneo, which made me want to book a ticket to Southeast Asia. The tender chicken with a big ol’ serving of yellow turmeric coconut rice mixed with a spicy orange-red sauce is a winner. I massacred my dish, leaving only the hard-boiled egg as a witness. If you are looking for a massive load of Indo’, try the chef’s smoked-paprika fried rice with ground beef and spices and topped with chicken. Hammie proudly touts that she doesn’t add MSG or lard to any of her made-to-order dishes. She will even substitute canola oil for olive oil for an additional 75 cents. If you snoop around her truck, you will notice organic sugar, organic Northwest tofu, and other goodies hanging around her kitchen. Tip: If you are in a rush, order the special of the day. It comes out lightning-fast. $

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You will most likely see a long queue as you approach Lee Scott’s prominent black truck with a red insignia. Cruising in several Westside locations, the career chef combines Cuban food with South Carolina influences. The truck’s Seattle Cuban ($8) is a pressed sandwich a little larger than Paseo’s version. Upon unwrapping, it appears Snout’s version can be eaten without end-

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SCRATCH BAKED ing up looking like a mayonnaise truck crashed into your face. We are talking thick slabs of garlic- and citrus-marinated pork accompanied by a chimichurri sauce that one employee loves so much she’d drink it straight from a nipple if she could. The regular Cuban, flush with ham, mustard, and pickles, teeters more on the side of a conventional sandwich, but is equally fulfilling. Although a lot of dudes gravitate to the meat-in-bread format, the real sleepers are the Cuban bowl ($8.50) and the vegetarian burger, overflowing with beets, quinoa, and water chestnuts mixed with arugula, havarti, and onion relish. One thing everyone can agree on: If Snout rolled into the lot next to Paseo, there would be a righteous Cuban Thunderdome. $ Taqueria Guadalajara,

2421 148th Ave. N.E., Bellevue. The age-old question of where to get authentic Mexican food has me rounding up pocket change to make the trek over the 520 toll bridge. On a tip from two serious food connoisseurs, I check out the 14-year-old truck, run by a husband and wife, that has become a staple at a 76 gas-station parking lot. “Get the torta,” my Guadalajaran-born informants insist. The Mexican sandwich loaded with ham, sour cream, jalapeños, cilantro, onions, cheese, and pork is “what we all eat after hitting up the bars in Mexico,” they say. They also send me off with strict instructions not to leave without trying the tacos made with handmade tortillas. The torta, the menu’s most expensive item at a whopping $5.50, is a flavor explosion: Filled with flavor from a sauce which starts mild then builds in heat, it provides the satisfaction of a hearty Cuban sandwich, but spicier. The meat in both the beef taco and the chicken taco is impeccably seasoned to jive with the cilantro, lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, and lime. One torta and two tacos set me back $7.75. Add the round-trip toll fare of $4.52 and my value meal has a little less value, but the torta is worth the drive. $ Xplosive Mobile Food Truck,

xplosivemobilefoodtruck.com. Cathy and Romano Basilio’s Xplosive made its debut at last year’s Mobile Food Rodeo, attracting some of the event’s longest lines

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While many restaurants go dark at the beginning of the work week, it seems cruel that anyone with a case of the Mondays should also have to come up with dinner. In my own personal quest to avoid that task, I take it as my duty to keep everyone informed of good eating options where the lights stay on Monday nights. Antojitos Poblanos el Sapo,

14018 Aurora Ave. N., 501-9115 It is a crime against great food that tacos arabes, a specialty of Mexico’s Puebla region, are not more common. But Antojitos Poblanos el Sapo, hidden in the back of a Mexican market on Aurora, offers the pillowy-soft dish along with a patchwork of

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with a novel hybrid of Filipino and Vietnamese food. A banh mi is traditionally served with pork, but Xplosive lets you opt for the Filipino chicken adobo rendition which greets you with tender shredded chicken cooked in vinegar and soy sauce. Loaded with vegetables and encased in an über-long baguette, the combination is spot-on. The menu lineup has a creative spin: Grenade banh mi sliders, Filipino beef steak tacos, and Xplosive chicken adobo fried rice make it hard to decide what to get. If you don’t like to deviate from the norm, the Basilios will hook up you and your safety blanket with traditional banh mi sandwiches and rice-noodle vermicelli bowls. I hear Vietnamese pancakes, one of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes, are also in the works. The standout? I elatedly consumed everything they offer: tacos, a vermicelli rice bowl, and a banh mi. But if you threatened to cut off my fingers if I didn’t name my favorite, I would declare the pork taco the winner, then flip you off while running away with both my middle fingers still intact. Take that, you creep. $

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other Poblano specialties, including cemitas, molotes, and tlacoyos. As is often the case, that zealousness means not everything is perfect: The meat in the tacos arabes isn’t spit-roasted, though it has the expected herb-infused, flame-kissed flavor. The tortillas are not as thick as the almost pita-like flatbreads you’d find in Puebla, but the chipotle salsas in squirt bottles were dead-on. The complimentary chips are some of the best in the city—you can see the server walk out of the kitchen with the fryer basket (the salsa they come with is nearly as fresh, too)—and the menu is full of options you won’t find elsewhere, such as champurrado, a Mexican hominy-based hot chocolate, that will warm any chills. $$ Canon, 928 12th Ave., 552-9755

Cocktails are the focus and prowess of Canon; the name alone says it all: Whiskey and Bitters Emporium. What’s amazing is that people don’t seem to notice the great food. It was not forgotten in the creation of the bar, only overshadowed; it’s treated with just enough care to keep it top-notch without detracting from the drinks. The pork-belly buns, their signature item, is bar food at its most essential: salty, bready, meaty, with just enough apple slaw to cut the strong flavors. On a Monday, time slows at Canon—there’s no line and no rush. There’s a delicate pace to a Monday night, and it deserves Canon’s delicate miso cod. It’s hard to fathom that a place where the cocktails are more expensive than the dinner menu would have food that not only would you want to order, but would make it destination-worthy. While I don’t propose waiting in a Friday-night line just to get a plate, on a Monday, when Canon is calm, you could do a heck of a lot worse. $$

Chef at Wok,

Y 10 SANDWICHES WE LOVE Delicatus, 103 First Ave. S., 623-3780 An easy-tomiss hole-in-the-wall in Pioneer Square with an upscale interior and Eurocentric m.o., Delicatus groups its sandwiches into two categories: “The Traditionalists” and “The Progressives.” You can’t go wrong with either. Paseo Caribbean Restaurant, 6226 Seaview Ave. N.W., 789-3100, and 4225 Fremont Ave. N., 545-7440 There are few things this town is as passionate about as the Cuban roast-pork sandwich at Paseo. Die-hard Cuban-sandwich aficionados will tell you this isn’t a true specimen, but legit or not, it’s delicious—a drip-down your forearm creation. Tubs Gourmet Subs, 11064 Lake City Way N.E., 3611621 Long before Quiznos spread across the city like a rash, Tubs was serving sandwiches on toasted baguettes to hungry car dealers and high-school students. Bread is delivered daily, sliced open, and topped with meat, cheese, and sauce, then sent through the salamander. Grinders Hot Sandwiches, 19811 Aurora Ave. N., Shoreline, 542-0627 The sandwiches aren’t cheap— most are between $10 and $12—but they’re enough for a hearty meal plus leftovers, or for two people to share. Try The Dipper, packed with roast beef made in-house, portobello mushrooms, and caramelized onions. Geraldine’s Counter, 4872 Rainier Ave. S., 723-2080 This sunny, upscale diner has earned a place in our heart for one reason: its unparalleled BLT. Actually, make that a BAAT, because you’re offered the option of adding avocado, and instead of lettuce there’s arugula.

There’s a hokiness to the concept here, with a ridiculous interior decorated with remnants of what looks like a fishing boat that crashed into a T.G.I. Friday’s. But if all this and the life-size scuba diver hanging from the ceiling still don’t get you smiling,

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Live like a Parisian in the heart of Capitol Hill

Tat’s Delicatessen, 159 Yesler Way, 264-TATS The Cheez Whiz–slathered Philly cheesesteaks at Tat’s Deli are so tasty, cheap, and authentic that lunch-hour lines regularly stretch out the door. The restaurant’s website (tatsdeli.com) even has a “line cam” so customers will know how long they should expect to wait.

12427 Greenwood Ave. N., 362-0139 Chef at Wok does not offer the best Chinese food in town. But amend that title to the best American Chinese food, and it’s a contender. Modify that further with “that deliv- The Honey Hole, 703 E. Pike St., 709-1399 The Honey ers to my doorstep,” and it’s a surefire winHole always has a draft-beer special, usually ner. Chef at Wok’s Crispy Eggplant in Tangy something like a Manny’s, which happens to be the Hot Glaze, catchy name aside, illustrates perfect accompaniment to their savory, melty-hot the key characteristics of American Chinese sandwiches. cuisine, painting a clear picture in orangyred and sticky-sweet. Beneath the sauce is a Armandino’s Salumi, 309 Third Ave. S., 621-8772 vegetable, yes, but barely identifiable within Dining at Salumi is all about planning. Slump in withits thick deep-fried breading. It’s the trifecta out preparation and you’re liable to stand in the cold of American Chinese: familiar food encased for an hour. Armandino Batali’s cured meats in overin batter, dipped in hot oil, and smothered stuffed sandwiches at reasonable prices (hovering in a sugar-spiked sauce. Even (especially) around $10 a sammy) are worth the wait. on a calm, quiet Monday, the motivation to get up and drag oneself out the door for The Other Coast Cafe, 5315 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789dinner can be difficult to muster. For those 0936 The Other Coast Cafe serves big, messy deli of us in Seattle’s Northwest quadrant, there sandwiches. Huge chunks of meat and cheese are few delivery options, but Chef at Wok are for sale in the shop, just in case you think you is good enough that there’s no need to look can match its sandwich-making abilities at home. further. $ Chances are you can’t.

Crawfish King, 725 Lane St., 623-3622

an italian café bar

Distinct espresso and coffee drinks plus a selection of wine, beer, and light fare.

Where Ya At Matt, whereyatmatt.com Matt Lewis’ sandwiches, served from his roving food truck, bring a taste of the South to the Seattle sandwich scene. Po’boys overflow with lightly breaded seafood, and the Peacemaker throws in bacon, pickled hot peppers, and cheddar. Y

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www.pariseastside.com www.facebook.com/ParisEastside 816 East Pike, Seattle, WA 98122 | 206-452-3622 VORACIOUS VORACIOUS DINING DINING GUIDE GUIDE 2012 2013• •Seattle SeattleWeekly Weekly

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

here’s something that will: a Wine Slushy Margarita. It tastes about as weird as you’d expect, a Mexican cocktail given a Southern vibe by a Vietnamese-owned restaurant. It is, though, like everything else on the menu, worth trying. The menu standout is obviously the crawfish, always brought in fresh, but this place knows its audience and caters to the shyer palate. With the seafood options all customizable as to species and spice level and the sweet-tooth-satisfying beignets, it’s rather fun to be the group that laughs the loudest at the silly sayings on Crawfish King’s walls. $$ Jebena Cafe, 1510 N.E. 117th St., 365-0757

The food at Jebena Cafe sets it above some of its Ethiopian-restaurant competition, but the service and atmosphere set it apart from almost any restaurant in the city. It’s unclear which was more surprising: that this sleepy Pinehurst spot has a line out the door on a Monday night, or that a loyal customer was apologizing to waiting patrons as she helped the server by clearing her own table. This respect, the patron’s for the restaurant and the staff’s for the diners, was present in every aspect of the meal: respect for great ingredients in the freshness and care in cooking, respect for customers’ dietary needs in offering gluten-free injera, and respect for the diner with excellent service. The bright green of the spinach highlighted the difference between Jebena and other Ethiopian joints, just as the light hint of crunch left in the cabbage and in the beef’s peppers served as a textural reminder. $$

Pestle Rock, 2305 N.W. Market St., 466-6671

Those who don’t abandon Pestle Rock upon sight of its $15 entrées will be pleasantly rewarded for their time and money. This nicely decorated restaurant takes sourcing seriously, and you can taste the high quality—the rich pig flavor in the muu yang, or grilled wild-boar collar, for instance. The same care that goes into the sourcing goes into the cooking; the Dungeness crab fried rice includes plenty of crab bits. And then there’s the kao soi—the only kao soi around that’s true to the dish’s authentic best. It’s a soup so thick it’s almost a stew, topped with an almost unnoticed yet completely essen-

tial sprinkle of pickled mustard greens. Visitors to northern Thailand return dreaming of kao soi; now Pestle Rock, in addition to serving very good upscale Thai food alongside IPA on draft, can cure that craving. $$ Ping’s Dumpling House, 508 S. King St., 623-6764 Those who shopped at Ping’s Market when it was twice as large are unlikely to be sad that the space has been halved, because most shoppers were raiding the freezers lining the back wall for the more than 20 different kinds of handmade dumplings, which they then had to bring home and cook. The morphing of half the store into a dumpling cafe eliminates that final step; it serves those dumplings along with other family recipes from Qingdao, Ping’s home province. Ping’s dumplings are soft and subtle, barely holding together for the length of time necessary to get them from plate to lips, ideally with a stop in the bowl of sharp garlic sauce. The dumplings fall apart in the mouth, melting away, sending meaty flavors and doughy chew all over, then slipping out as quickly as they came. $ Traditional Korean Beef Soup,

22929 Hwy. 99, Edmonds, 425-977-2929 When Monday night is all about recovery, Traditional Korean Beef Soup is the place to go. The soup and the dishes served with it instantly evoke healthfulness and the kind of comfort that my kind more readily attributes to chicken broth with matzoh balls. This place is all about the beef soup, offered in a handful of varieties. The broth itself is rich but plain in color and flavor, letting the diner customize each bowl with the side dishes. With each side dish, excitement for the main event grows. The kimchi and the radish both appear rustic in a way that shows care through its lack of perfection. Likewise, the care that goes into the crafting of each dumpling is instantly apparent. The food’s homespun style is a relaxing retreat from a weekend’s craziness—like heading to Grandma’s house for a meal. $ Tropicos Breeze,

9710 Aurora Ave. N., 524-3046 Salvadoran cuisine is rarely recognized

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beyond the pupusa, a deservedly wellknown stuffed corn cake. Tropicos Breeze works to correct that with a menu that fills bellies and pleases tastebuds, from the enormous steak-based molcateje to the tiny empanada-like pastelitas. Tropicos Breeze’s relaxed atmosphere and friendly service make it an ideal place to explore El Salvador’s regional foods, bringing in everyone from curious neighbors to Salvadorans from all over town. The entrées are generous; the signature molcateje can easily feed two. Just steak, cactus leaves, and vegetables in a sauce, it’s simple, as are many of the dishes here, and as is the restaurant itself. The focus is on turning out good-tasting food for all kinds of people: children chew happily on pupusas, a grandma talks the ears off a couple on a romantic date, and groups of young people chow down on the dishes of their homeland. $

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While Seattle’s got a terrifically diverse and thriving restaurant scene (including many fine-dining options), at the end of the day, I constantly crave Asian noodles—also known as mein in Chinese. They’re great stir-fried or swimming in broth, and I especially enjoy the interactivity of the ingredients. From ramen to pho to hand-shaved Chinese noodles, mein is my main comfort food.

Huong Binh, 1207 S. Jackson St., 720-4907 The noodles for Huong Binh’s banh hoi thit nuong are made by a very intricate process and served cold, per the menu, in “intricate bundles.” They’re very thin, and therefore interesting for their texture. A friend got the banh uot, which is essentially the same but made with thin, steamed rice-flour crepes that are cut into wide noodles. The ground shrimp atop the noodles are a fascinating orange color. There are five options in the banh hoi section of the menu. The thit nuong is delicious. The caramelized pork deserves the accolades it receives. Also available are grilled pork meatballs, grilled shrimp, ground shrimp wrapped around sugar cane, and a special platter with one of each protein. Whether you get the banh hoi or the banh uot, you’ll enjoy the interactive eating, as you can play with amounts of ingredients or even the way you eat them. And the lettuce and herbs bring a freshness to the meal that’s enhanced by the quality of the restaurant’s nuoc cham. $

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Vu gentlemen’s club. When the showgirls get hungry, thukpa could be a perfect meal for them. This is no ordinary soup. While I’ve heard of thukpas with clear broth, this one is red in color and bold in flavor. I eventually spoke with the owner about the seasoning, and he said the flavor comes from onion, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, and something he called “corn pepper.” He explained that while you can find this pepper, which looks like black pepper (perhaps it’s simply peppercorns?), in the International District, it will have no flavor. Better to get it directly, harvested from the jungles of Nepal. No one could explain the type of noodles in the thukpa; as best as I could determine, they are dried, spaghetti-like noodles, cooked to a soft texture in the soup. $$

2675 N.E. Village Lane, 525-2675 “Tokyo ramen” is the reimagined name for shoyu ramen on Boom’s menu, reflecting its region of popularity. Boom Noodle sells all the “big four” varieties of ramen—shoyu, tonkotsu (pork bone), shio (salt), and miso—pulling out the fullest flavors without using MSG. You’ll also find other types of ramen here, including spicy lemon (yuzu) chicken and spicy pork. Boom Noodle’s ramen has evolved over the years. The slightly wavy noodles are better than before, the chashu is a thickness I like with decent fat content, and the broth is meaty without being heavy. I wish the egg was soft-cooked to the right runniness; then again, I haven’t found such an egg at any of Seattle’s “dedicated” ramen places, though Spring Hill’s saimin and Revel’s ramen get it right. $$

The Everest Kitchen,

14561 Bothell Way N.E., 440-0321 The Everest Kitchen serves “foods from the top of the world”—specifically India, Nepal, and Tibet. I know where those countries are, but I’m not really sure where The Everest Kitchen is located. The official address says Seattle, but some references show Shoreline. Two things are for sure: It’s on Bothell Way, north of Lake City, and it’s across from a Déjà

It gets cold in Mongolia. Animal meat and fats, along with dairy, are a primary part of Mongolian cuisine. So when I learned that Joy Teriyaki is perhaps the only place in the area to find Mongolian food, I knew I was in for rustic food featuring lots of carbohydrates and fat. The tsuivan is a stew made with simple, hand-shaved noodles. Speaking as someone who likes long, thick noodles, these are unfortunately in small pieces, perhaps broken during the cooking process. A sprinkling of vegetables is included, and beef substitutes for the mutton that you usually find in Mongolian dishes. The seasoning is very mild, typical of Northern cuisine. It wasn’t long before I started eyeing the condiment cart and squirting Sriracha on the noodles. I can’t say that I loved the tsuivan. They were just so-so, but the workers were nice and proud of their food, and I do love that there’s at least the option of Mongolian food in Seattle. $

King Noodle, 615 S. King St., 748-9168

At King Noodle, you’re in control, which is part of the fun. First, there’s an interesting assortment of six soup bases: chicken broth, original fish soup, hot spicy, Szechuan spicy, sour and hot, and Thai tom yum goong. Next, six noodle choices: (rice) vermi-

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celli, flat rice noodles, QQ noodles, udon, instant noodles (!), and wonton noodles. Then a choice of two of the four vegetable “garnish” toppings: bean sprouts, cabbage, leeks (Chinese chives), and mushrooms. Finally, there are 16 regular toppings. Most are proteins, from BBQ duck to cuttlefish balls, but there are also vegetarian options like seaweed and pumpkin. “Fungus trip” and “Luncheon” remain mysteries for now. While the broths could have been spicier for my taste, the QQ noodles were similar in size to fettucine, my “garnishes” were leek and mushroom (unfortunately they were button mushrooms instead of shiitake, which would be much better), and, as I can’t resist offal and there are numerous choices, I went with beef tripe and pork kidney. The tripe portion was skimpy, but the pork kidney was fine. Overall it was a satisfying bowl of soup; staring at the menu, I kept considering what the other combinations would be like. $ Pho So 1, 1207 S Jackson St., 860-2824 Part of pho’s appeal is speed. Order and it comes quickly, as the broth has been simmering for a long time and the thin-sliced meat in your customized order cooks almost instantly. Another thing I love about pho is the interactivity—you can change the flavor by altering the acidity, spice level, etc. with garnishes and sauces. And there are so many variations on pho bowls: Pho So 1 has 20 types. Most are pho bo, the beef variety, with a wide combination of cuts. I generally choose the one with the most meats (excluding the meatball, whose taste and texture I find unappealing). I especially love the tendon for its fattiness and the tripe for its chewiness. (It’s hard to find these two items at pho restaurants in America’s heartland.) And each slurp and spoonful offers something different. Pho So 1 serves some of the best “low-cost” (cheap Vietnamese joint) pho I’ve had in Seattle. The broth is flavorful and tastes fresh, with a depth of beefiness and spices. $

Spice Room, 4909 Rainier Ave. S., 725-7090 I first came to Spice Room with a large group, and we asked the server for suggestions. After we steered away from all of them (including the ever-safe pad Thai), he declared us the best group he’s ever had for trying more adventurous dishes. In fact, there’s a menu section called “The Adventurous,” and there you’ll find two very interesting noodle options. The kao soy is good, its pickled mustard greens the star, but I especially like the guay tiow nua nom tok. “Nua” indicates beef. So far we’ve got beef rice noodles. “Nom tok” (or nam tok) means waterfall, and in this case refers to the bloody liquid that falls from grilling meat. At Spice Room, pork blood is added to the broth, giving it depth and a slightly minerally, earthy taste. Dried rice noodles (as used in pad Thai) become the vehicle to sop

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Regent Bakery and Cafe, 1404 E. Pine St., 743-8866 I love wide noodles, which always draws me to chow fun—“chow” meaning stir-fry and “fun” meaning rice noodles. At Regent, you can choose from several types of beef chow fun. For dry beef chow fun, the noodles are stir-fried with a little soy sauce, but otherwise cooked “dry” to bring out the wok hei smokiness. Beef chow fun with sauce is wet-fried, so it comes with more of a gravy. A fan of fermented black beans, I went with the black-bean sauce beef chow fun, as it offers the stronger flavor. Black beans give this dish a pungent appeal, the sauce coating the slippery noodles. They’re soft with the slightest chew, the bell peppers offering a contrasting texture. There’s a generous amount of beef on the plate, and I detected underlying flavors of garlic, ginger, and, I’d guess, sesame oil (traditional chow fun ingredients). As Regent is an American-style Chinese restaurant, you’ll find other “American” dishes in the menu’s noodle section (Singapore rice noodles and chow mein) and in the non-noodle sections (including, yes, General Tso’s chicken). $

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

up the delicious, bloody broth. This is a very pleasant Thai restaurant with tables against a banquette along one wall, and four-tops divided by sheer fabric (my preferred seating) along the other wall. It has probably the best atmosphere of any Thai restaurant in Seattle, with perhaps the best food. $ Sub Sand, 416 Sixth Ave. S., 682-1267 Sub Sand is a friendly little restaurant where the owner is quite happy to explain any of the dishes on the menu. The “bamboo shot duck noodle soup” has a simple and comforting chicken-broth flavor, the noodles soft and slurpable. Fried shallots and peanuts add crunch, and the basil boosts the broth with welcome herbal notes. My favorite part, though, are the bamboo shoots. The recipe calls for dried bamboo, which has more complex flavor and a chewy texture. I especially like the bamboo-shoot duck noodle soup because of the side salad. The duck, which the owner says is steamed, is somewhat fatty, which lends flavor. And the ginger fish sauce is superb, the ginger rounding out and slightly rising above the sauce’s sweet, salty, spicy, and sour aspects. It’s perfect on both meat and vegetables. I did notice that I was thirsty after the meal, so I suspect there’s MSG in the food. If it wasn’t in the duck soup, it might have been in my partner’s “Crab Past Noodle Soup,” which isn’t something from history, but instead made with crab paste. $

SMALL FRIES by Sara Billups

If you parent any of the 100,000 or so kids in the Seattle area, you probably said goodbye to leisurely weekend brunches and regularly scheduled Fridaynight happy hours a long time ago. But chances are you relish little luxuries now, like finding a great new cafe you like as much as your children do. Each week, Small Fries goes beyond grilled cheese and chicken strips to bring word of local restaurants serving fresh food that might just expand your kid’s palate.

Abbondanza Pizzeria,

6503 California Ave. S.W., 935-8989 With new eateries in Ballard and Capitol Hill hogging the spotlight, it’s easy to pass over mom-and-pop restaurants, out-ofthe-way restaurants, or restaurants that are light on atmosphere. Opened about a decade ago, West Seattle’s Abbondanza Pizzeria fits all these criteria. It’s family-run, sits south of the main strip on California Avenue, and has an Ikea-meets-New Jersey aesthetic. So why waste your dime here? Besides the fact that its ethos is nostalgia for now-defunct Italian restaurants where grandmothers make up the waitstaff, I’ll

give you two words: Homemade gnocchi. Abbondanza’s outstanding gnocchi are plump, beautifully irregular, and kidapproved. A serving big enough to split is a more-than-reasonable $11. Hungry kids will be appeased by the bread basket brought out just after ordering. Adults will be moderately happy with a green salad topped with a few fresh veggies and dressing. But everybody will shut up and eat when a couple of huge plates of gnocchi make their appearance, then fast disappearance. $ Ballard Pizza Company,

5107 Ballard Ave. N.W., 659-6033 A blessing and a curse of living in Seattle is that, while fresh food is bountiful, if you want to eat at restaurants using real, quality ingredients, it’s going to cost more. The newish Ballard Pizza Company from Ethan Stowell’s Grubb Brothers Productions is a welcome exception, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. A short walk from the splash pad at Ballard Commons Park, Ballard Pizza Company lines out premade pies for a few bucks per wide slice. On a recent trip, one pizza covered with broccoli and whole roasted garlic cloves sat next to a meatier option topped with tiny seasoned rounds of pepperoni and a simple sauceand-cheese pie. For a few dollars more, order the chickpea, sweet raisin, and celery salad. $

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Luisa’s Mexican Grill,

9776 Holman Rd. N.W., 784-4132 Luisa’s, a freestanding Mexican place in Crown Hill, is a hungry child’s dream. As you enter, the restaurant readily hands out warm housemade corn tortillas with a pat of butter and salsa from a station near the door. Small plates are anything but, with a ladle of refried beans, Spanish rice, and slaw arranged next to a single flauta, taco, or tamale. The enchilada verde is stuffed with shredded white-meat chicken and topped with a perfectly sour and sharp green tomatillo sauce. Kids will do well with beans and rice or a single taco or burrito. If they’re especially picky, there are always “Platos Americanos”: a burger or frozen fish sticks and a mound of fries. The menu contains few surprises, with the exception of a $3 virgin margarita. Sure, it’s sans the strong stuff, but the cheapo faux cocktail is a true elixir for any pregnant woman dreaming of limey booze. $

Portage Bay Cafe, 4130 Roosevelt Way N.E.,

547-8230, and other locations Some parents are so stealthy about hiding fruit, greens, and ancient grains in their kid’s food that they might as well put on a creepy McDonald’s Hamburglar mask and cape and tiptoe around the kitchen. Other parents take the opposite stance, saying kids will learn to eat well if the food tastes good. The menu at this brunch and lunch spot satisfies both camps. The white-bean garden burger is a hearty patty of veggies, emmer faro, and cannellini beans slid into an innocuous brioche roll. Organic buckwheat pancakes are filled with extra protein and potassium, but when they’re topped with copious amounts of fresh strawberries

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ACCOLADES

Best Italian Restaurant - Seattle Magazine Zagat “Top Restaurants in the United States” Wine Spectator Award of Excellence: 2005 - 2012 Best Italian - Seattle Citysearch Editors Choice Best New Restaurant - Seattle Magazine Best Outdoor Dining - Seattle Citysearch Best Chef Inspired Restaurant - Seattle Metropolitan Magazine

Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

Lamb Meat Balls (Polpettine D’Angello con Zucca) House made lamb meatballs with roasted spaghetti squash, goat cheese cream and topped with Calabrian chiles and Italian green olive relish Homemade “Little Bite” Selection (Antipasti Assortiti) Daily selection of Chef Don’s seasonal antipasti items, price per person Mussels and Sausage (Cozze e Salsiccia) Mussels and house made Italian sausage steamed in a spicy tomato sauce; served with roasted garlic bruschetta Polenta and Wild Mushrooms (Polenta con Funghi) Fontina filled polenta custard with a truffle scented wild mushroom ragu

Salads

(Insalati) House Salad (Insalatina della Casa) Baby arugula, shaved fennel and Parmigiano Reg giano tossed in Chianti vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh chives Italian Chicory and White Anchovy (Alici Marinato con Cicoria) Wilted Italian chicory and marinated white anchovy fillets with lemon vinaigrette, friend capers and parsley

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad (Insalata di Bietole) Roasted organic beets, baby arugula, and toasted walnuts tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and topped with aged Asiago cheese

Noodles and Rice

(Pasta e Risotto)

Sausage and Borlotti Bean Risotto (Risotto alla Panissa) Carnaroli rice simmered with house made sausage, pancetta, Cranberry beans, plum tomatoes and topped with Pecorino Toscano Roasted Eggplant Pouches (Agnolotti di Melanzane) House made organic egg pasta filled with roasted eggplant, ricotta salata, roasted garlic, and basil tossed in a spicy tomato ragu and topped with Sicilian pecorino pepato Pork Jowls and Wild Mushrooms (Tagliolini con Guanciale e Funghi Selvatici) House made organic egg pasta tossed with house cured smoked pork jowls, locally harvested wild mushrooms, truffle butter and organic parmigiano reggiano Dungeness Crab Ravioli (Ravioli coi Granchi) House made organic egg pasta filled with Dungeness crab and mascarpone tossed in a light tomato cream topped with baby mache

Entrees

(Piatti Forti) Crispy Herb Chicken (Pollo alla Diavola) Boneless organic half chicken marinated in fresh herbs and seared to a crispy golden

brown; served with Volterra mashed potatoes and seasonal market vegetables (Cook Time 25 Minutes) *Beef Tenderloin Medallion (Filetto di Manzo) Grilled natural beef tenderloin draped in housemade lardo, and topped with a rosemary, garlic, Chianti, and demi-glaze sauce; served with Volterra mashed potatoes, and seasonal market vegetables Piedmontese Beef Tenderloin (Filetto di Manzo Tartufata) Grilled beef tenderloin topped with a truffle scented Prosciutto di Parma, wild mushrooms, and demi glaze sauce served with Volterra masked potatoes and seasonal market vegetabless Braised Lamb Shank (Coscie d’ Agnello) Anderson Valley Lamb Shank braised with rosemary and green olives, served with creamy buckwheat polenta and dusted with olive caper gremolata Seafood Stew (Zuppa di Pesce) Manila clams, mussels, prawns and the day’s fresh fish in a saffron scented tomato broth with toasted almonds, fresh fennel; served with toasted Tuscan bread and saffron aioli Herb Marinated Pork Ribeye (Costoletto di Maiale) Grilled pork ribeye with Cranberry beans, cauliflower, smoked tomatoes, and topped with goat cheese cream sauce

from the cafe’s famed berry bar, kids won’t think twice about eating a “weird-sounding” flour. $$

young diners. There’s also a mildly sad but nonetheless time-consuming basket of toys near the door for kids to dig through. $

Ridge Pizza, 7217 Greenwood Ave. N., 687-7621 You’ll be hard-pressed to find another restaurant in Seattle proper that’s full of kids without looking (or sounding) like it. Ridge Pizza’s light wooden interior features a large front room with booths and tables on one side and the bar on the other. There’s also a long back “family room” with additional seating, shuffleboard, and a handful of video games. On a recent Sunday night, five out of six occupied tables contained at least one minor, but with the space’s smart layout, you wouldn’t have known it. Service is exceptionally friendly, with a waitstaff that promptly delivers crayons and dares to stay and work up a conversation with adults and kids—a real rarity in Seattle. Pizzas like the classic pepperoni True Value arrive with heaping helpings of toothy red sauce. The crust is pillowy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and just thick enough to manage the weight of copious amounts of cheese and toppings. The spinach salad with tomato, crumbled bacon, and fresh mushrooms is tossed with a simple vinaigrette. It’s nothing more than a nice way to balance forthcoming pizza-dough carbs, and that’s fine. $$

Three Girls Bakery, 1514 Pike Place,

Ridgeback Cafe, 500 N.W. 65th St, 783-4073

The savory crepes here are an exception to the typical limp varieties smeared with cheese or sprinkled with arugula. Situated on a strip of 65th Street at the base of Phinney Ridge, the Ridgeback is a kid-friendly neighborhood spot. Perfectly crisp on the outside, “The Phinney” crepe is loaded with several strips of crumbled apple-smoked bacon, ripe red peppers and tomatoes, egg, mozzarella, and about a pound of fresh spinach. Besides crepes, the Ridgeback prepares waffles topped with lemon panna cotta or brie, basil, and bacon. There are also sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner crowds. The kid’s menu includes waffles and raspberry-jam crepes for $4. Expect friendly servers to chat up

622-1045 Thank you, Mrs. Jones, for opening this venerable bakery with two friends in Pike Place Market in 1912. A walk-up counter serves molasses cookies, challah, and other shareable pastries near Post Alley, but the real action happens around the corner at the shop’s small sandwich counter. While Three Girls has been open for a century, it’s not clear for how many of those years there’s been a meatloaf sandwich on the menu, though it’s obvious the recipe was perfected a good while back. Reminiscent of Bakeman’s Restaurant’s famed version, thick slices of fresh loaf are dressed to order and laid to rest on hearty white bread. Kids might prefer the lighter hummus or sweeter turkey cranberry. Note that the counter houses only a handful of stools and closes at 6 p.m., so plan on ordering to go and eating lunch or an early dinner down by the water. $

Real Mex!

Margarita Monday

All signature margaritas $5 all night including our famous Avocado Margarita!

Happy Hour daily

4pm-6pm & 10pm-12am Featuring $2.50 Tecates $5 House Wines and our favorite Tex-Mex Apps for $4-6

Seattle’S BeSt late nigHt KitcHen

Food till 12am and 1am on Fri. & Sat.

555 Aloha St. Seattle, WA

Tougo Coffee, 1410 18th Ave., 860-3518

206.218.1040

With perks for all ages, this CD spot deserves a lot more attention. The space goes out of its way to welcome kids while maintaining a warm environment for hipsters, seniors, and dudes working on laptops. Several tables line the front of the space, and a large play area with a train table, bookshelf, and play kitchen hides in back. Should every cafe have a play area? No way. But a lot more could take cues from neighborhood-centric shops like Tougo that are mindful of the reality that some people have kids, some don’t, and we all need coffee. Tougo serves a rotating list of coffee from a curated selection of roasters, and is the only shop in Washington serving beans from L.A.’s excellent Handsome Coffee Roasters. And for the many pregnant women (and other people) with good reasons for drinking caffeine-free coffee, Tougo happily offers beans with and without the boost. $

www.laredosgrill.com

and

Schnitzel House

Warm European Hospitality Serving traditional Hungarian and German food “Kindness, good cheer, and faraway flavors…I'll be back more than once.” – H R,  

DAVID NEWALL

Salumi: a sandwich to plan for, p. 23.

  , ,   .. / ..  -   

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

Twirl Cafe, 2111 Queen Anne Ave. N., 283-4552 At Twirl Cafe, parents pay for coffee and food, then plop down a few more bucks to gain their offspring entrance into a walled-off play zone. In a way, it’s another sad example of how some parents eagerly opt out of patronizing quality restaurants and succumb to another blasé pizza night fighting waves of amped-up youth. But on the other hand, places like Twirl are a godsend, because the prospect of dealing with especially wild children is enough to keep a parent and youngsters home for the afternoon. The cafe uses organic ingredients and still manages to keep prices reasonably low. Several sandwiches, including the Galer with bacon, turkey, cheddar, and fixings, are served hot with a mound of fresh greens. At Twirl and its sibling kid cafes, it’s obvious that the pint-sized set drives the menu and rules the roost. But hey, that’s smart business. $ U:Don, 4515 University Way N.E., 453-3788

When eating out with children, you’re lucky if you can find a restaurant offering even one of the following: a) cheap, b) fast, c) (moderately) healthy. A few places around town hit the trifecta, among them the U District’s U:Don. The serve-yourself, cafeteria-style setup means that by the time you grab a tray, order noodles, top them with extras like free tenkasu (tempura flakes), and add items from the tempura bar, dinner is ready. Kids requiring roomtemperature food will do well with chilled instead of broth-based menu items. Fresh scallions and ginger can be added from a side dish when you order the zaru udon; toppings and sauce rest next to a mound of foot-long noodles. For kids, the meal becomes a time-consuming game of cutting, dipping, and slurping. The health factor of broccoli may be canceled out when it’s dipped in tempura and fried, but it’s still satisfying to watch your kid gnaw on two or three pieces of battered vegetables that would normally rest limply next to a plate of pasta or mac and cheese. $

OPEN FROM 9AM-2AM

Y 10 HOTEL BARS WE LOVE

TUESDAY-SUNDAY, CLOSED MONDAYS

HAPPY HOUR TUESDAY-FRIDAY 4-7

Sazerac, Hotel Monaco, 1101 Fourth Ave., 624-7755 It’s the Monday–Saturday happy hour, not the potential for A-list encounters, that draws so many downtown drinkers here after work. The house wine-and-beer list drops to $3. Gussied-up comfort food is priced at $4 and under.

ALL NIGHT ON SUNDAYS 6-CLOSE KITCHEN OPEN FROM 9AM-10PM BRUNCH SERVED TUES-FRI 9-2 SAT AND SUNDAY 9-3

67 Lounge, Edgewater Hotel, 2411 Alaskan Way, 728-7000 Looking out over Puget Sound, 67 Lounge is adorned with decorative trees, dim lighting, and walls graced with projected images of burlesque dancers. Beer is available, but you’re more likely to feel in tune with your surroundings by ordering a glass of wine. Tulio Ristorante, Hotel Vintage Park, 1100 Fifth Ave., 624-5500 A fedora wouldn’t look out of place in Tulio’s handsome 1920s-era dining room. The food is far more contemporary, Italian fare even society matrons would unclench their jaws for.

Independently owned and operated

LUSCIOUS

Lemon Meringue Pie DON’T MISS APRIL’S CUPCAKE OF THE MONTH!

BOKA Kitchen and Bar, Hotel 1000, 1010 First Ave., 357-9000 Downtown’s BOKA is a restaurant so L.A. you can almost smell the smog. The kitchen puts out playful, precious food to match, like Dungeness-crab cupcakes crowned in a pouf of crème fraîche icing. Bernard’s on Seneca, Hotel Seattle, 315 Seneca St., 623-5110 Two things make for a pleasurable hotel experience: a great basement bar and ghosts. The Hotel Seattle has both. Well, allegedly.

T R O P H YC U P CA K E S . C O M

2 0 6 . 6 3 2 .7 0 2 0

WALLINGFO R D | U. VILLAGE | THE B RAV E RN | PACIFIC P LACE | CE N T URY LIN K

Polar Bar, The Arctic Club, 700 Third Ave., 340-0340 Set up by an understated marble portico and a front desk filled with vintage photographs of original members in bowler hats and starched collars, the Polar Bar makes you want to be a better drinker. The Terrace, Fairmont Olympic, 411 University St., 621-1700 Sundays through Thursdays, business travelers, newlyweds, socialites, and even their teacup Yorkies gather in the Fairmont Olympic’s lobby for hors d’oeuvres and martinis. The $12 “endless starters” plate is sure to draw envious stares from the social elite. Trace Bar, W Seattle, 1112 Fourth Ave., 264-6000 If you want 25-cent wings, this isn’t the place for you. But you will have a lovely evening and possibly score a number from a George Clooney lookalike. Better still, he’ll be staying just upstairs. The Hunt Club, Sorrento Hotel, 900 Madison St., 343-6156 Surrounding yourself with the Hunt Club’s old-school opulence and $10 worth of happy-hour food and pistachios can make you feel like at least a hundred bucks.

GARRETT MUKAI

A temple to modernist cuisine, p. 11

Oliver’s Lounge, Mayflower Park Hotel, 405 Olive Way, 623-8700 The bartenders here know their stuff so well that they won’t bat an eye if a businessman comes in for a discreet cocktail before noon. The menu focuses on martinis and a couple of absinthe-infused cocktails. Y

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2012 2013 •• Seattle Weekly

37 15

Less a glass, more Less a glass, more Less a glass, more adisplay display cabinet. aadisplay cabinet. cabinet.

Always Enjoy Responsibly. ©2013 Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer, njoy Responsibly. Imported by Import Brands Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer,Alliance, St. Louis, MO Responsibly. d byAlways ImportEnjoy Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO ©2013 Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A., Stella Artois® Beer, Imported by Import Brands Alliance, St. Louis, MO

BEET STREET by Gwendolyn Elliott

In recent years, Seattle has cultivated a flourishing vegetarian dining scene whose reach goes well beyond restaurants with strictly plantbased menus. While the beloved kitchens of Carmelita and Cafe Flora will always warm a grass-eater’s heart, Sea-Town boasts some of the most veg-friendly joints around—like Tilth, where you can enjoy a five-course vegan tasting menu while the next table over noshes on pork belly and duck confit. Every week in Beet Street, along with my eager dining companion Toby, I report on what Seattle’s vibrant food culture is bringing to the table—with the herbivore in mind. Agua Verde, 1303 N.E. Boat St., 545-8570

Agua Verde perfectly captures Seattle weird: It just has that casual-Mexicanrestaurant/spirit-of-the-U District/ kayaks-and-paddleboards-for-rent/ stunning-lake-view-at-down-to-earthprices thing down pat. It may not hit all the right notes, but for freewheeling folks—vegetarian and beyond—on a budget, there’s nothing like it. With a focus on natural, sustainable, locally sourced foods, it’s easy to get behind. In addition to a pick of side dishes, veggies have abounding options for dinner—many dishes, like the quesadillas, nachos, salads, and soups, are made vegetarian but chicken, pork, fish, or steak can be added for an additional charge. The Burrito Vegetariano is a mild mix of yams, onions, peppers, rice, pinto beans, and jack cheese swaddled in a spinach wrap. Served with a side of lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream, it was a little bland but exceptionally filling; an extra slathering of salsa and guacamole peppers upped the flavor profile nicely. $

• It’s Where to Wind Up •

Ballet, 914 E. Pike St., 328-7983 With more and more upscale bistros moving in to the ’hood, humble Ballet, next to its scrappy neighbor the Comet Tavern, is not much to look at. But, along with places like Charlie’s and Glo’s, joints like Ballet still carry a torch for the days when Capitol Hill was more grunge than glossy, and it keeps its prices in line with its looks. Ballet serves traditional Vietnamese fare, and nearly everything can be made vegetarian. Bowls of piping-hot, delicately spiced vegetarian pho (the pho chay combo, with mock beef and chicken, tofu, vegetarian meatballs, and veggies, is the way to go) and three kinds of veggie bahn mi are on offer, no order going over $6.95. Entrées top out at $8.95—for cashew stir-fry—but that’s a pauper’s price compared to other options nearby (Quinn’s, Oddfellows), especially since the portions are so big you’ll have to take leftovers home. Cheerful, speedy servers in street clothes make the experience far more functional than fancy, but the requisite fortune cookie always ends things on a sweet note. $ Bamboo Garden, 364 Roy St., 282-6616

This Lower Queen Anne Asian eatery is famous for its bounty of fake meat: Soy chicken, mock beef, and all kinds of gluteny pork are featured in classic Chinese dishes like egg rolls, Mandarin chicken, and Mongolian beef. The interior’s a bit shabby, but the pros far outweigh the ambience: The food is reliably consistent, the location is ideal (there’s even a parking lot), and a full bar offers wine and beer—even a Manhattan, if you like—to accompany your meal. The General Tso’s chicken here is so freaking good it’s hard not to be disappointed when you order the cashew chicken or Mongolian beef and your companion orders it: a pile of glistening soy-gluten balls battered in a sweet coating, fried crisp, smothered in Tso’s sauce (with spice levels modified to your taste), and garnished with steamed broccoli and carrots. The Mongolian beef is tasty with a savory gravy-like sauce, but its crunchy noodles take away from its appeal. Likewise, the cashew chicken is good, but its perfectly diced vegetables look more Bird’s Eye than fresh. In my experience at Bamboo Garden, flavors are always good, but appearances and textures can vary. If you can’t decide among their many options, order the General Tso’s. $

Serving delicious, complete meals in a unique setting with unbeatable prices since 1969! Each entree includes soup or salad, hot fresh bread, milk, coffee or tea, and spumoni ice cream for dessert. Lunch & Dinner available 7 days a week! With four convenient locations: Seattle • Tacoma • Lynnwood • Southcenter JOSHUA HUSTON

Stick to small portions at Blind Pig Bistro, p. 17.

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STOPS FRESH FOOD & BREW Made and Served Right Here in BALLARD! 1111 NW Ballard Way • 206.782.6181

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2011

for

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THE THE DUBLINER

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A KaraoKe on tues. ar nIgHt tHurs. n & IrIsH

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LUNCH AND DINNER DAILY • 1415 5TH AVE IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE • 206-624-9977

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Mulitple Big Screen TVs

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Every Day Twice a Day 3-6 & 10-Close $1 OFF ALL WINES BY THE GLASS 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE $1 OFF WELL DRINKS $1 OFF DRAUGHT BEERS $5 HAPPY HOUR APPETIZERS Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2011

stoorps f HOPS

OPEN AT 11AM MON-FRIDAY

OPEN AT 9AM SAT SUN

HAPPY HOUR 4-6 MON-FRI (206) 789-2000 5100 BALLARD AVE NW SEATTLE, WA 98107

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SPOKANE’S ECO-FRIENDLY GASTROPUB 50 Craft & Import Beers on Tap Northwest Wines and Spirits • Scratch-Made Food

509.279.2671

3011 S. Grand Blvd, Spokane, WA 99203

www.manitotaphouse.com

$4.50 For a Pint, Or $16 Per Pitcher! Daily Happy Hour 3-7. $4 micros, $3 Rainer and Oly, $3 wells. House Smoked Ribs, Brisket and Pulled Pork. Taco Tuesdays! Triva Mon., Open Mic Tues, Karaoke and Live Music Sat.

Get in here and get to know us! Craft Beers and locally-sourced pub food. Stunning Mt. Hood views from our Deck. Open 11:30 til close Tuesday through Sunday 509.637.2774

151 E. Jewett Blvd. White Salmon, WA everybodysbrewing.com

Tasting Room Hours: Mon. - Wed. 2pm-6pm • Thurs. - Sat. 2pm-9pm Now open Sundays - Noon to 7pm 650 NW Bovela Ln, Suite #3, Poulsbo, WA 98370 360.930.8696 • www.soundbrewery.com

Celebrating 30 years of brewing! Stop in to the Pub and enjoy specials all year long as we mark this milestone.

Est.

1983

Supergoose IPA Kolsch Pale Ale Red Menace Mongoose Troll Porter El Jefe Cream Ale and many many more

30th Anniversary

Brewery & Pub 4

Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2011

4301 Leary Way NW ~ Ballard

Buddha Ruksa, 3520 S.W. Genesee St.,

937-7676 You’ll not often find an oasis of Zen-like calm across from a busy intersection and a Taco Time, but West Seattle’s Buddha Ruksa makes a fitting home there, just as Buddha did under the tree where he attained enlight enlightenment. Inside, subtle lighting, elegant Thai decor, and pleasant servers—all female—create a tranquil dining atmosphere. The spring rolls are firm and fresh, fortified with an extra rice-paper wrapper, fragrant basil, and thick peanut sauce on the side. Entrées are satisfying, family-sized portions, served quick and hot. My Rama noodle was drowning in peanut sauce, and its wide, soft noodles were loaded with crunchy broccoli, Napa cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini. With generous chunks of fresh tofu, it was a perfect vegetarian delight. I sampled a taste of my boyfriend’s spicy eggplant—he ordered it hot, their four-star level—and the flavor was excellent, with a rich, garlicky broth, but wowee zowee, too hot for me. $ Chaco Canyon West Seattle,

3770 S.W. Alaska St., 937-8732 I’m compiling a list of Seattle’s best veggie burgers, and Chaco’s lentil burger is near the top—a densely satisfying creation, a whopping bean patty served on an organic toasted roll with tangy veganaise-based dressing and crunchy sprouts. It’s one of the items I return time and again for—in addition to the zesty zip of the artichoke melt; the Zen Dream juice (apple, spinach, orange, mint); a chewy chocolate-chip cookie (the Cowboy) so good you could fool anyone into thinking it contains only animal products; the simple goodness of the Hippie Bowl (a grain bowl with garlic tahini dressing, baked tofu, quinoa, and veggies); and the subtle flavors of the African lentil soup. Chaco Canyon West Seattle is baby sister to the U District’s flag flagship “raw temple,” but here things run on a different pace. Where the U District location buzzes with students, in West Seattle, nothing stops you from cozying up in a chair, at a table, or at the counterside bar, grabbing a copy of the Weekly, and staying a while. $

5 BREWPUBS WE LOVE

Two Beers Brewing Company, 4700 Ohio Ave. S., 762-0490 This was the first craft brewery in Washington State to release its ales in 12-ounce cans, but you might as well go for the full pints— they’re only $3, and you’ll want to sample as many of the unique varieties as you can manage. Naked City Taphouse, 8564 Greenwood Ave. N., 838-6299 Naked City looks like a man’s bar on the inside: Steel casks of beer sit on the bar, blown-up photos of scantily clad women straddling kegs adorn the walls. But the inviting space and the frequent special events, like new-brew release parties, signal fun for groups of any gender. Jolly Roger Taproom, 1111 N.W. Ballard Way, 7826181 The home pub of Maritime Pacific Brewing, the Jolly Roger has two standout qualities. One is its floor, intricately painted to look like an aged treasure map. The other is the fresh beer brewed in the same building. Fremont Brewing, 3409 Woodland Park Ave. N., 420-2407 Fremont Brewing Company makes small-batch artisan beers, with barley from the Okanogan, hops from the Yakima Valley, and water from the Cedar River watershed. Their best is their first, Universale Ale, a hop-rich pale ale. Big Time Brewery and Alehouse, 4133 University Way N.E., 545-4509 While it might not be the most popular bar among The Ave’s student patrons, Big Time has the longevity (20-plus years and counting) and knowledge to lure in any beer enthusiast.

Our low prices and selection will be the key ingredient to your success.

Cyber-Dogs Internet Cafe,

909 Pike St., 405-3647 Scoff if you will, ye Oscar Meyer diehards, but a good veggie dog is hard to find, and we vegetarians want one. Though there are ways to satisfy the craving (make a deluxe dog at home with all the fixings, or wait until you’re good and sauced and hit up a veg-friendly street vendor), few of them carry the flavor-packed zing of the missiles hawked at Cyber-Dogs. What’s more, few things offer such delights in a small space (a

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VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

Petra

Lucky Palate

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Gluten free meals available.

Check what guests say about us on line at YELP and beyond Voted Best Hummus in Seattle by the SeattleWeekly Best of Seattle 2010

307 W. McGraw St. Seattle, Wa

2501 4th. Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 www.petrabistro.com 206-728-5389

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Voted Best BBQ by Seattle Weekly readers 2011 and 2012 Featured on Food Network’s BBQ with Bobby Flay 3810 S. Ferdinand Street Columbia City • 20 6-7 2 2-441 4 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!

Thank you Seattle for five great burger flipping years!

Ayutthaya (prenounced ah-you-tai-yah) Thai Restaurant & Bar has been a family owned and operated restaurant serving the Capitol Hill and Seattle community since 1985. Now, also have a new fabulous Happy Hour menu. HAPPY HOUR 4pm - 6pm | 9 - CLOSE

open daily

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8AM-10PM sunday 11AM-8PM

206-763-1347 9614 14th AVE SW just south of Roxbury in White Center aka RAT CiTy

www.zippysgiantburgers.com 44

Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

727 East Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122 | 206.324.8833 www.ayutthayathai.com

Healeo, 1520 15th Ave., 453-5066 Curbside, Healeo’s always seemed cold and vacuous, and its midcentury-modern, all-white tables and chairs and meticulously organized vitamin and supplement shelving made it look more sterile than a hospital laboratory. (It’s since had a face lift incorporating wood furniture, and now

looks and feels warmer.) And vegan hemp soft-serve? I may be vegetarian, but nothing about those four words strung together sounds appealing in the slightest. But upon the advice of a new friend, I bucked up and entered Healeo to find a casual, friendly vibe, with folks quietly mingling in groups at tables and single patrons immersed in work or a book. And the food? Made with maca, coconut milk, cacao, cocoa nibs, mesquite, dates, and agave, the Cacao Pow smoothie tastes like a healthy chocolate shake and was slightly nutty. After a long walk up Madison Street, it’s refreshing and ultimately filling. In fact, you could have one alone for dinner—one can only imagine its calorie count with so many nutrientloaded ingredients packed in. But I carried on with the gluten-free yam, kale, and caramelized-onion pizza—and sweet mama, my new friend was dead-on. $

DINNER AND COCKTAILS NIGHTLY HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 3-6PM WEEKDAY

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La Medusa, 4857 Rainier Ave S., 723-2192 In the heart of Columbia City, this 15-yearold restaurant sets a charming scene in a cozy, rustic room filled with farmhousestyle tables and chairs. If their reputation for amazing hand-formed meatballs hasn’t already given them away, La Medusa is definitely not a vegetarian restaurant, but its genuine hospitality, hearty portions, and down-to-earth prices won me over by

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renovated Convention Center closet) whose decor is an eclectic bouquet of rock memorabilia, novelty lights, customer photos, gig posters, Internet terminals, and the gushing hospitality served up by owner Tatiana Harrison, who runs the restaurant with help from her mother Fania and her daughter Isa. These are not yer average ballpark franks: If you’re dining in, dogs are served with a knife and fork and are best eaten sitting down. They’re saucy things, and there’s a lengthy menu, all vegetarian, and vegan on request. The “Doga Lisa” is a tender soy frank housed in a soft wheat bun, blasted with pesto, tomatoes, and lots of Parmesan, and baked to cheesy, gooey perfection. The “Mama Tatiana” is similar, but features a zesty Tofurky Italian sausage and is served with a side of “vitamins,” aka your choice of Emergen-C flavor. The whimsical menu, eclectic space, and vivacious charms have a way of brightening the line between valued customers and cherished family members. $

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

meal’s end. The arancini, fried saffron-rice balls stuffed with mozzarella, is hearty and generously portioned—at two for $8, I expected something like a croquette, but these are true orange-sized balls (arància means orange in Italian). The saffron has a subtle flavor, but the balls are fried to a perfect crisp. The cauliflower gratin with golden raisins, pine nuts, and spicy butter is delicious—the vegetables have a great, fresh snap and is balanced with sweet, spicy flavors. The campanelle with taleggio cheese and asparagus is the perfect taste of spring. Creamy and al dente, the asparagus adds just the right amount of green, and the stinky taleggio mingles superbly with its vegetal aromatics. $$ Ocho, 2325 N.W. Market St., 784-0699

Ocho is an apt name for this shoebox-sized room in Ballard that contains approximately that number of (tiny) tables. But, impressively, four adults can easily share multiple courses alongside cocktails without feeling crowded. Small, shareable plates are the thing here, and vegetarians have a variety available on the passed menu and the daily chalkboard. Green sides like the broccoli with escarole, garlic, and pine nuts or the setas de jerez (olive-oil toast with sherried mushrooms and arugula) are simple, savory bets. The toast was perfectly crunchy (as opposed to dreadfully soggy), as were the crispy goat-cheese croquettes (croquetas borrachas) with romesco— don’t miss those. The lovely gartinado (a farro-style risotto with beech mushrooms in a rosemary cream) and patatas bravas (fried potatoes) with a zippy artichoke aioli rounded out my party’s shared meal. At a cool $30 for my portion—including two cocktails—rest assured I’ll be back for another round. $$ Tavolàta, 2323 Second Ave., 838-8008 The bar at this low-lit Belltown hideaway is a great place for a craft cocktail (and its multiple mirrors make for surreptitious people-watching), but if you’re in for a meal, forgo dining and the long communal table for a cozy wood booth along the wall, if you can get one. Tavolàta’s menu changes frequently, but on a recent visit a nice selection of small plates, salads, and soups were available as vegetarian starters. We shared the burrata (hand-spun mozzarella stuffed with curd) for a first course; its accompaniments—grilled bread, arugula, and taggiasca olives—added great texture and elements of brine and pepper to its fresh, milky profile. (But then again, show me a person who doesn’t like mozzarella—vegans don’t count—and I’ll show you a flying pig.) For pasta, the bigoli—a pile of thick, spaghettilike whole-wheat noodles, black pepper, and a heap of feathery pecorino—is hearty and satisfying, with a perfectly al dente bite. The butternut-squash ravioli, served in a rich sage butter and scattered with walnuts, is the taste of autumn—the filling was fluffy and sweet, and the sage and walnuts rounded things out with nutty, aromatic notes. $$

HAPPY HOURS by Kyle Houk

Happy hours bring the decadence and delights of those once-everyfive-years restaurants within the working man’s range, usually five times per week. They also make the workaday Joe’s typical haunts even more affordable. And folks, we live in a city that’s among the best in the world for happy hours. We have a myriad of restaurants owned by people with good taste who love fine food and drink, and just for us, a few hours a day, they put it all on sale. Cheers. The Brooklyn, 1212 Second Ave., 224-7000

The Brooklyn has an oyster-bar vibe with a slightly more brasserie-esque look. Its front section is dedicated to what it’s become best known for—its bar. Here you can grab one of the couple-dozen stools circling the bar’s beating heart. Oystershuckers unhinge briny bivalves on one side, while bartenders shake and stir on the other. Tile floors echo the click-clack of heels as Benaroya Hall patrons catch a preshow bite; afternoon light streams in from windows high above; and a chattering after-work crowd packs the place on weekdays. Chilled, freshly shucked oysters are $1.50; if you’re in the mood for something more substantial, there’s a selection of small plates for $5–$6. Meat options include banh mi sliders, a “drive-in cheeseburger” that’s only slightly larger, and steak bites; seafood lovers have mussels, shrimp cocktails, and mini-crab cakes. The friedfood group is well represented by calamari, fried artichoke hearts, and fish and chips (with more chips than fish), and vegetarian options include truffled mac ’n’ cheese and bruschetta. The Brooklyn has happy down to a science: Offer the deal every day, during the hours patrons need it most. Don’t completely cheap out on booze, so you still attract a sophisticated crowd. And offer enough food, and enough variety, for people to make a meal of—or just use as a booze sponge for soaking up all those cheap drinks.

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Cafe Flora, 2901 E. Madison St., 325-9100

For vegetarians who have long since tired of the token hummus platter and uninspired piles of cheese at other happy hours, Cafe Flora’s h.h. is a gold mine. Their generous bucket of yam fries, with housemade cayenne aioli (not too spicy), are floppy little sticks of yammy flavor, and at $2.25, they’re a better deal—in both value and quality— than a large order of Mickey D’s golden rods of gutrot. Flora’s signature quesadilla verde—a roasted-yam/pumpkin-seed/cilantro/scallion spread on a pepper-jack-filled corn tortilla, served with a spicy salsa and lime crème fraîche—is small, but hearty and robust ($3.50). And nothing’s off the menu for veggies here, so while there’s not too

VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2012 2013 •• Seattle Weekly

19 47

much variety—four items on my last visit— vegetarians can feel like queens or kings on a pauper’s budget. Poor, meat-loving friends unwillingly dragged along should remember that Cafe Flora’s artisanal, mostly organic, scratch-made offerings are far healthier than the buffalo wings you’d be gobbling elsewhere, so please shut up. Cake Envy, 7900 E. Green Lake Dr. N., Suite 106, 453-3337 Behind an inviting display case that showcases this Green Lake cupcakery’s sugary wares, an open kitchen reveals the hustle and bustle of a bakery that churns out not only cupcakes, but cake pops, giant custom orders, and stunning tiered wedding cakes, too. There are a dozen or so flavors to choose from each day; the selection changes, but always includes something whimsical and fancy like matcha or crème brûlée; standards like red velvet or vanilla with sprinkles; and at least one vegan and gluten-free option. It may be a bit cold inside, but smart people aren’t sitting indoors anyway; Cake Envy sits a stone’s throw from Green Lake and shares enough patio tables with Ben & Jerry’s next door that you’re not likely to want for al fresco seating. But curmudgeons beware: Squirmy kids amped up on too

much sugar regularly have the run of the place, both inside and out. Every day from 4 to 7 p.m. Cake Envy offers a sweet deal on cupcakes: buy two (either regular-sized or an adorably miniature version) and get one free. More important than the free cupcake, particularly for parents run ragged after a day chasing toddlers, is that the shop gloriously sells beer, red and white wine, and bubbles, all half-off during happy hour. Oddly, the deal is dine-in only, meaning you need three people to achieve a proper personto-cupcake ratio.

Post Alley at Pike Place Market • Open 9 AM to 6pm serving breakfast all week long! • Tacos & Nachos • Fresh Made Tamales • Seasonal Ceviche • Gluten free options

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F.X. McRory’s,

419 Occidental Ave. S., 623-4800 Situated on the ground floor of a 106-year-old building, F.X. McRory’s Whiskey Bar is one of the city’s most beautiful drinking rooms, with towering ceilings, antique wooden barstools, a luxurious selection of liquor (the top shelf of which requires a ladder), and LeRoy Neiman paintings. Paradoxically, its patrons are often clothed in athletic jerseys, like a workaday pack of outboard anglers who’ve been given the keys to Sig Hansen’s trawler. Though McRory’s bills itself as a steak-and-oyster house, the steaks are merely passable, but the oysters are first-rate. So too are the french

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VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013 • Seattle Weekly

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

..with custom omelets made to order!

fries served with the cod sliders, direct replicas of McDonald’s’—skinny, salty, oily, and absolutely delicious. This style of fry— frites, really—is the best on the planet, and won’t spoil your dinner if enjoyed as a 3 p.m. snack. As for drink specials, you’ll be hard-pressed to find $8.75 pitchers of High Life at your neighborhood dive bar, and the $5 Old Forester Manhattan comes in a stemless glass (stems are for spilling) with an orange twist substituted for the standard cherry. (Our bartender noted that his mother is a Manhattan aficionado, and has always felt that a cherry made the classic drink too sweet. The orange, meanwhile, gets out of the bourbon’s way better.) After 35 years in a challenging location, Seattle’s most malleable bar must be doing something right. And that something might have a lot to do with owner Mick McHugh’s quarry-deep ties to Seattle’s athletic, political, and Catholic communities. LloydMartin, 1525 Queen Anne Ave. N., 420-7602 Atop Queen Anne Hill in the old Bricco space, former 5 Corner Market Kitchen & Bar chef Sam Crannell is a creative force, turning out praiseworthy food in a barely-there kitchen. The dimly lit space takes its cue from just about every other good wine bar in the city—thick with dark woods, flickering candles, and a large glass-encased wine cellar visible from every seat in the house. The only thing more beautiful in this small bistro is the smell of food wafting from the kitchen. As Crannell says, “With the constraints of what we have to do, it takes twice as long—or three times as long—to produce a product that, if we were in a conventional kitchen, would take an hour. We braise, we smoke, we cure. We have to rethink how we’re doing food.” During Social Hour, as it’s called, cocktails are $8, wines are $6, beers are $3, and the small plates (which aren’t so small) are $5. The food is simply some of the best happy-hour food you can get

Marché, 86 Pine St., 728-2800

We snagged one of the first seats when Marché launched what it calls the Green Hour—or l’heure verte if you want to get all fancy French about it—last May. Happy hour can be enjoyed in the quaint bar, which takes up about 40 percent of the restaurant, or in the dining room, which has some of the best views of the city. (Insider tip: Table 11 is known as the best seat in the house.) We suggest sticking to the bar. Back in the latter half of the 19th century, when absinthe became a big deal in France, cafes would pour the stuff freely starting at 5 p.m. In honor of this tradition, Marché offers several absinthe-based cocktails for $9 in addition to $5 glasses of red or white wine and $4 draft beers. As for food, there’s quite a unique spread. The market tarts are a pretty big deal. Anytime you see flatbread on a happy-hour menu, you’re inclined to order it because it really feels like you’re getting a screaming deal on a mini-pizza, right? But what we absolutely could not get enough of was the fried confit duck gizzards with lemon aioli ($5)—absolutely decadent, covered with what tasted like a hint of nutmeg or five-spice or something sweet, but the chef would only tell us it was a secret coating. That night we skipped the oysters, but having had them at Marché previously, we can tell you they’re wonderful. And only $2 each during happy hour.

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in Seattle: A freshly made raviolo bulging with egg yolk, ricotta, Parmesan, and creamed ramps was delicate, flavorful, and textural perfection; a tender chunk of smoky pork is served with baked beans and a side of slaw so good it could be a happy-hour selection on its own. Crannell says he wants to earn people’s trust in his food with Social Hour: “I know the heart is in it, I know the passion is in it, and I know that we’re excited about being here,” he says. This is the real deal. Why aren’t you excited to be here?

1629 Eastlake Avenue East | Seattle 206.322.6174 | www.siamthairestaurants.com VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2012 2013 •• Seattle Weekly

21 51

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Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

wherever books are sold

Portalis Wines, 5205 Ballard Ave. N.W., 783-2007 On Ballard Avenue, between the mayhem that is the Tractor Tavern and the cloud of cigarette smoke hanging perpetually near the door of the Lock & Keel, a little sign is lit in a window, reading simply “Wine Shop.” Pausing to step through the door, you will find yourself at the entrance to a room where warm lights cascading over aisles of wine draw you in. Portalis Wine Bar is first and foremost a wine shop, owned by importers Jens and Julie Strecker. There are no suits and ties here, no clichéd sommelier pretension: The gentleman is wearing a T-shirt and leaning casually into the counter. This is Ballard. And in Ballard, on Tuesdays at Portalis, happy hour is merely the kickoff for an entire night of wines, imported by J. Strecker Imports, by the (generous) $5 glass. But what a kickoff: Happy hour features $5 small plates such as a mini-goat cheese gratin, mac ’n’ cheese with prosciutto, and a house pâté with cherry mostarda. Service is remarkably attentive to a patron who may order only a glass of $5 wine . . . but good luck stopping there. I meant to, but after learning a wealth of information about wine regions and finding the concept of terroir so easily explained by bartender Travis Coletti, I found myself back out on Ballard Avenue a

good $15 lighter in the pocket and looking at the world through vaguely wine-colored glasses. Serious Pie, 316 Virginia St., 838-7388 A tiny slice of space on the corner of 4th and Virginia, directly across the street from another Tom Douglas restaurant, Lola, Serious Pie fills quickly with absolutely no room for those forced to wait for a table. The solution? Show up for happy hour. From 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays, the place is virtually empty until the clock creeps toward 5 and sneaky peeps begin to arrive to claim their spot for dinner. In the afternoon, Serious Pie breeds contentment, especially when you look to the other side of the room, behind the glass partition, and see the crew actually making your pizzas. Once you glance at the menu and see pies topped with cooked duck eggs, roasted hedgehog mushrooms, and sweet fennel sausage, and think, “Oh, are those $5 wines?”, the mood gets even lighter. The happy-hour pies ($6) are pretty much the same as the full-sized pies (which top out at $18), with the exception of the soft-cooked duck eggs, which on the cheaper pies are actually chicken eggs. But really, who cares? Both pizzas we ordered were fantastic. We left full and happy, but not as happy as the party that got to snag our window seat. E

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Y RestauRant advertiser Index BaLLaRD

DOWntOWn

MaDROna / LesCHI

Ballard Loft, Bar & Grill, 33

Blarney Stone, Irish Pub, 50

Catfish Corner, Southern, 47

Blue Glass, Global Comfort Food, 50

Dragonfish, Pan Asian, 3

Cupcake Royale, Sweets, 21

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43

FareStart, Varies by Chef , 31

sOutH LaKe unIOn / eastLaKe A Terrible Beauty, Irish Pub, 32 Lunchbox Laboratory, Burgers, 48

Cupcake Royale, Sweets, 21

GameWorks, Bar & Grill, 50

nORtH seattLe

El Camion, Mexican, 33

Hard Rock Café, Bar & Grill, 18

El Camion, Mexican, 33

The Berliner Döner Kebab, Kebab, 49

Plaka Estiatorio, Greek, 25

Lecosho, European & Northwest, 9

Family Time, Filipino, 49

Tutta Bella, Pizza, 13

Veraci Pizza, Pizza, 31

Nijo Sushi Bar & Grill, Sushi, 24

Indo Café, Indonesian, 49

Siam Thai Cuisine, Thai, 51

Volterra, Italian, 34

Old Spaghetti Factory, Italian, 39

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

BeLLeVue / MeRCeR IsLanD

Urbane, Modern Northwest, 10

PIKe PLaCe MaRKet

Serafina & Cicchetti, Italian, 12

unIVeRsItY / RaVenna

FReMOnt

Kells, Irish Pub, 20

Agua Verde, Mexican, 21

Cantinetta, Italian, 9

Norm’s Eatery and Alehouse, Bar & Grill, 50

Los Agaves, Mexican Street Food, 49

Peaks Frozen Custard, Sweets, 50 Trophy Cupcakes, Sweets, 37

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

Lowell’s Restaurant, Northwest, 2

Cupcake Royale, Sweets, 21

Ponti Seafood Grill, Seafood, 17

Marche / Café Campagne, French, 12

Lunchbox Laboratory, Burgers, 48

Via Tribunali, Pizza, 7

Roanoke Inn, American Pub, 53 Trophy Cupcakes, Sweets, 37 Uwajimaya, Grocery, 46

BeLLtOWn

GeORGetOWn

Maximilien in the Market, French, 12 Matt’s in the Market, New Northwest, 53

WaLLInGFORD Cantinetta, Italian, 9 Kabul, Afghan, 34

Stellar Pizza, Pizza, 19

PIOneeR sQuaRe

Trophy Cupcakes, Sweets, 37

Via Tribunali, Pizza, 7

Caffe Umbria, Italian Espresso Bar, 23

Tutta Bella, Pizza, 13

The Berliner Doner Kebab, Kebab, 49

Cyclops Café, New American, 45

GReen LaKe / PHInneY

Five Point Café, 24-Hr Diner / Dive Bar, 15

El Chupacabra, Mexican, 47

Mama’s Mexican Kitchen, Mexican, 19

Nell’s, New Northwest, 23

Laredos Grill, Tex Mex, 35

Bamboo Bar & Grill, Bar & Grill, 46

‘Ohana, Hawaiian / Japanese, 34

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

Seattle Center, Variety, 6

Cupcake Royale, Sweets, 21

Petra Mediterranean, Mediterranean, 44

Teatro Zinzanni, Dinner Theatre, 26

El Chupacabra, Mexican, 47

The Grill from Ipanema, Brazilian, 45

Via Tribunali, Pizza, 7

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

CaPItOL HILL 8 oz. Burger Bar, Burgers, 34 Ayutthaya Thai, Thai, 44

InteRnatIOnaL DIstRICt New Hong Kong, Chinese / Dim Sum, 24 Uwajimaya, Grocery, 46

Queen anne

ReDMOnD Agave Cocina & Tequilas, Mexican, 47

WHIte CenteR Caffé Delia, Coffee Shop, 46

Redmond’s Bar & Grill, Gastropub, 50

Proletariat Pizza, Pizza, 11

IssaQuaH

La Bete, Northwest, 11

Agave Cocina & Tequilas, Mexican, 47

Liberty, Sushi, 17

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

RentOn / tuKWILa

Lost Lake Café, 24-Hour Diner / Lounge, 4

Tutta Bella, Pizza, 13

A Terrible Beauty, Irish Pub, 32

Paris Eastside, Cooking School, 23

DaY tRIP

KIRKLanD

13moons, Steak & Seafood, 18

Old Spaghetti Factory, Italian, 39

Prima Bistro, French, 52

Uwajimaya, Grocery, 46

Pullman Chamber of Commerce,

Pettirosso Seattle, New American, 37

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51 Volterra, Italian, 34

The Grill on Broadway, Bar & Grill, 46

Wilde Rover, Irish Pub, 37

COLuMBIa CItY

Zippy’s Giant Burgers, Burgers, 44

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43

Poquitos, Mexican, 14 Via Tribunali, Pizza, 7

Stuffed Cakes, Sweets, 52

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

Cupcake Royale, Sweets, 21

Manhattan Restaurant, Steakhouse, 10

West seattLe A Terrible Beauty, Irish Pub, 32

LYnnWOOD / eDMOnDs Budapest Bistro, Hungarian, 35

Island Soul, Caribbean, 45

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43

Jones Barbeque, Barbeque, 44

Old Spaghetti Factory, Italian, 39

Tutta Bella, Pizza, 13

PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

seWaRD PaRK / RaInIeR

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43 Hong Kong Seafood, Chinese, 24 PCC Natural Markets, Grocery, 51

sODO

Cash & Carry, Grocery, 43 El Camion, Mexican, 33

Variety, 53

MORe Fun Dining Out For Life, April 25 Event, 43 Jemil’s Big Easy, Cajun Food Truck, 45 Lucky Palate, Vegetarian Meal

Delivery Service, 44 Skillet Cookbook, Sasquatch Books, 52

Y sPeCIaL sections nW BeeRs & BReWeRs 99 Bottles, Federal Way, 40 Big Al’s Brewing, White Center, 42 Big Time Brewing Co , University District, 41 Elephant & Castle Pub, Downtown, 41 Everybody’s Brewing, White Salmon, 42 Fiddler’s Inn, Wedgwood, 41 Fremont Brewing, Fremont, 40 Full Throttle Bottles, Georgetown, 40 Goodlife Brewing, Bend, OR, 42 Hales Ales , Fremont, 42 Hopvine Pub, Capitol Hill, 41

Icicle Brewing Co, Leavenworth, 40 Latona Pub, Green Lake, 41 Malt and Vine, Redmond, 42 Manito Taphouse, Spokane, 42 Maritime Pacific Brewing Co, Ballard, 40 McMenamins, Queen Anne, 40 McMenamins, Mill Creek, 40 Ninkasi Brewing, Eugene, OR, 40 Schooner Exact, Sodo, 41 Six Arms, Capitol Hill, 40 Sound Brewery, Poulsbo, 42 Tailgaters Sports, Ballard, 42

Seattle Weekly • VORACIOUS DINING GUIDE 2013

The Dubliner, Fremont, 41 The Lodge, Pioneer Square, 41 Tim’s Tavern, Greenwood, 42 Tug Inn, West Seattle, 41

nW DIstILLeRIes & MIXOLOGIsts Bainbridge Organic Distillers, Bainbridge Island, 16 Dry Fly Distilling, Spokane, 16 Rob Roy, Belltown, 16 Sound Spirits, Interbay, 16

nW WInes & WIne tastInG

Butler Transportation & Woodinville Wine Tours, Woodinville, 27-30 Capri Cellars, Issaquah, 22 Chandler Reach Winery, Benton City, 22 Convergence Zone, Woodinville, 22 Maryhill Winery, Goldendale, 22 Olympic Peninsula Wineries, Peninsula, 22 Treveri Cellars, Yakima, 22 Westport Winery, Aberdeen, 22 Willamette Valley Wineries, Willamette Valley, 22

SLEEK NEW LOOK, SAME WORLD-CLASS TASTE.

GLASSES UP TO RESPONSIBLE DRINKING.

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