wawinelover's Profile
New Year's Eve Celebration
We've gone to Salty's on Alki the past couple years for New Year's Eve. They have a special multi-course dinner that's nothing gourmet but pretty darn good (mmm I'm remembering Lobster Bisque from last year....). It's not a party but I do think they do a champagne toast if you are there at midnight (we are usually home by then). And if the weather is good, you have a great view of the Seattle skyline. I imagine it's probably more difficult to get seating if you plan on being there at midnight to see the fireworks from the Space Needle.
Any suggestions for a good restaurant near Seatac
I'd definitely do the "13 Coins" - haven't found any restaurants that compare around the airport area or around Westfield Mall.
Best Bets between Woodinville & Snoqualmie
I love Pomegranate Bistro - actually more Redmond than Woodinville, but maybe hit it on your way in or out of Woodinville. In North Bend there is a place called the RiverBend Cafe that is suppose to be really good. I haven't made it there myself yet but plan on it next time I'm out that way. Both places are very casual. Have fun!
Romantic Seattle/Eastside 25th Anniversary Dinner???
We've been to the Herbfarm three times. The first time, many years ago when it was still in Fall City, it was fantastic. Then we went for Valentines while it was temporarily located at the Hedges tasting room in Issaquah. It was good, but not nearly as good as before. So we figured we better give them a try at their Woodinville location. Mistake! We were sorely disappointed - the food was good but definitely not worth the ridiculous prices they were charging. And no where near as good as the French Laundry, which I took my husband to for his 50th birthday 10 years ago this month. Our visit was before Traunfield left so I was curious when some friends of ours (the husband is a restaurant chef) went to check out the new chef. They said it was not good so now I have no desire to return to the Herbfarm. My recommendations for a special place - Cafe Juanita and Canlis. Canlis actually has a small, romantic room for 2 that you can rent - a beautiful view to go along with the great food. I've never had anything but wonderful meals at Cafe Juanita (my favorite is the rabbit) and their wine list is great as well. It's been a few years since I've done Rovers or Chez Shea, both enjoyable, but I prefer the atmosphere and food better at Cafe Juanita or Canlis. Welcome to the Pacific Northwest and enjoy whereever you go.
Visiting Seattle - Looking for Bakeries
I'm not sure if you want to venture over the bridge but Belle Pastry (on Main in old town Bellevue) is worth the trip. Best croissants this side of Paris and wonderful pastries.
Walla Walla Restaurants
Just returned from a wine run in Walla Walla. Had a wonderful dinner at Creektown Cafe! The last few times I have been a little dissapointed with them but we couldn't get in anywhere else on Bastille Day so we went there and were definitely not dissapointed this time. Yummy! We ate lunch at Brasserie Four and it was very good although our quiches were barely warm (ones that should be hot). However, I'm going to give them another try for dinner on the next trip. Ate at Whitehouse Crawford our last night and had the Kobe steak. It tasted perfect but it was awfully small (waiter said 6 oz, but I would believe maybe 4 oz) for the high price (I think it was $39 and just came with fries). The service was not as good as I remembered and it wasn't that busy. I think for the price, we'll skip them next time.
Matt's in the Market (SEA)
I couldn't agree more about the service - I took some out of towner's there for lunch last week and even though it was packed, service was right on and the food was as awesome as always! I had the spicy ahi sandwhich and one of my cousins had the Lamb burger and then we each split it. Both were wonderful! We also had the apple-raspberry mimosas which I have been trying to re-create ever since. Yummy!
Lewiston, ID
Is there anything good to eat in Lewiston, Idaho? I'm heading there in a couple weeks for just one night and would like a decent dinner. We're driving alot the day of and day after so I'd rather not drive too far for dinner that night. Thanks!
Would you buy a fish at Pike Place Market
I've had good luck and not so great luck at the Market.... Today I bought scallops and when I got home found that not only did they stink to high heaven but when we cooked them there was so much water coming out of them that we are sure they had preservative in them. Last time I was there I had one of the worst Steelheads ever - could barely eat it. But I've also had some of the best salmon and halibut ever there. Personally, I have much better luck buying seafood at Whole Foods in Bellevue.
Yakima Valley...really so bad???
Hi-
Yea, it's pretty bad in the Yakima Valley. But before you walk away totally discouraged, I have some late, breaking news. Just this evening I was reading the latest (July 31, 09) Wine Spectator and they have a report on the Washington Wine Country. They are recommending two places to eat in Prosser. One is Picazo 7Seventeen (which you have on your list) and the other is a new place called Wine O'Clock Wine Bar. Spectator says the pizza at Wine O'Clock is good so I plan on trying it when I head over to Walla Walla in a couple weeks. Hope you have a good trip and post here if anything was good!
Bev Gannon taking over Seawatch. Plus a few Maui dining question.
A Pacific Cafe has been gone for years from both Kihea and their Kauai location. Too bad as it was pretty good. We visit Maui every year (in March) and also stay in Wailea. This time we didn't even drive in to Laihaina - there's plenty of good restaurants right there in the Wailea/Kihei area. But if you do go to Lahaina, have you tried Longhi's? We love it there (much better than the Longhi's in Wailea). In Wailea we had a different experience than the other two reviewers - we actually thought Spago was better than before and one of our better meals! Also, Sarento's is always good and love the atmosphere. Our best meal however was at Ko at the Kea Lani. It's a pretty casual outdoor dining space but the food was awesome! I do love Mamas although we usually go there for lunch now instead of driving that far for dinner. Good to hear that Bev Gannon is going to take over Seawatch - it was awful this year even though we've always enjoyed it before. We're not crazy about Joe's but love Hali'mali for lunch. We never made reservations more than a few days in advance and didn't have any problem getting in.
Enjoy your trip!
Funky WA and OR Restaurants Outside Big Cities (Zillah, Yakima, Bend)?
I don't know how "funky" you might call it, but how about The Valley Cafe in Ellensburg, WA? It's an old diner from the 20's with original bar (beautiful) and stools and lots of Art Deco. It's also good food, good service and features alot of good Washington wines (food and wine reasonably priced).
In Walla Walla, you might want to check out the Whitehouse-Crawford. It's more of an upscale place but it's in a 100 year old mill and is beautiful (also good food & wine).
Have fun on your trip!
Best Happy Hours on the Eastside (SEA)
Ruth's Chris at Bellevue Square. It's more like dinner than happy hour at unbelievable prices (and the food's good). 1/4 lb cheeseburgers with fries only $3.95 or seared ahi for only $4.95. Much more, but those are my two favorites that stick out in my mind at the moment.
Seattle - very special birthday dinner
Hi-
My husband has a special birthday approaching (I won't tell you the number!) and I want to take him somewhere very special and private/romantic. I've thought about the small private dining room at Canlis but not sure I want to spend an extra $150 on top of the already very high wine prices there (and food's not too cheap, either). Any other suggestions?? Thanks!
Help choosing restaurants in Seattle?
Rovers is good, but I'd pick Juanita Cafe over them myself. Sounds like you are looking for a special occassion type place (i.e. limitless budget, beautiful decor) in addition to the great food and service. Given that, I don't think Black Bottle or Cafe Flora fits the bill. In addition to Juanita Cafe and Rovers, I'd also suggest Canlis. I'm pretty sure they have a vegetarian selection, as well as wonderful steaks. Another nicer place I've always enjoyed (although I admit it's been a while!) is Ponti's Seafood Grill.
Enjoy your stay!
Local's Favs in Bellevue Washington?
I agree with some of the other posts - Bis on Main and Seastar for seafood. Since you will be on the eastside, I highly recommend you drive a little further north one night (15 minutes?) and go to the highly acclained Juanita Cafe. One of my favorite restaurants in all Seattle. The rabbit is to die for in my opinion! If you want Italian in Bellevue proper, then I'd suggest Luciano's.
Enjoy your trip to the Pacific Northwest!
Kauai - spring 2009 update
Thanks for your clarifications. I figured since the brewpub would be named something else by the time most people read this that I wouldn't name it. We've been going there for years (since they first opened) and use to get pretty good food there, so I guess it's a matter of opinion. Also, I didn't want to confuse the Dukes restaurant upstairs with the bar downstairs that we ate at. I believe the bar is actually called the "Barefoot Bar"? Anyway, it's a good place to sit and look out at the water but the fish taco's weren't what we remembered from last year.
Kauai - spring 2009 update
Hi-
We just spent a month on Kauai and returned home 2 days ago so thought I'd give an update. If you don't know Kauai, let me warn you that it is NOT a foodies paradise. So I'll first start out by telling you about some good places. Unfortunately, the majority of places we went to were disappointing. Our place is in Kapaa so you'll see mostly places from the east side of the island, although we ventured north and south a few times....
Eastside Restaurant (Kapaa) - this was our absolute favorite place. It's new (about 7 months old) and the first week we were there they had just gotten their liquor license and had a limited bar and wine menu. When we went back last week, they had additional wines (although still limited) and new things on the menu. Our waiter said they are experimenting with new things all the time. This is a nice restaurant with good service and nightly music at 7pm. The appetizers and dinners are great, I'd skip the desserts. I would call them a seafood place with asian influence, although they also had chicken, steak, ribs and vegetarian dishes on the menu. I won't go in to everything we tried here, but I must say the mahi-mahi wrapped in a thin-crusted potato wrapper with curry pesto was SO yummy!! I only hope they will still be in business next March when we go back but I think they are feeling the economy big time in Kauai.
Verde (Kapaa) - great fish tacos! This is in a place that kind of reminded me of a Taco Time (walk up counter with menu on overhead reader-board), however, the food was MUCH better, more expensive and they also serve margaritas (which were very weak and not good). They have take-out as well, which you may want to do since the place is small and packed. I'll go here again next year but probably for lunch and not dinner. Great fish-tacos!
Carrie Da Way (Kapaa) - this is a little food truck parked in a parking lot that has an outside dining room. It was kind of amazing all the different items on their menu, but we only had fish tacos for lunch one day and they were great.
Kintaro (Kapaa) - We've been going to Kintaro's for sushi for years and are never disappointed - until this time. Actually, we went twice and had our usual wonderful sushi but on our third visit it was only so-so. We had a tempura shrimp roll and the tempura was soggy and not cooked through. My guess is just a new chef in the back where they do the tempura and we'll definitely continue going to Kintaro. The trick is get there before they open at 5:30 or else plan on waiting for a table or to sit at the sushi bar. Our favorites are the Kilahuea Roll and the Soft Shelled crab with avacado (hand roll). Yummy!
Beachhouse (Poipu) - Another place we always go when on Kauai and we still love it. If you haven't been before, you must go, if nothing else just because of it's stunning location. If you can't get reservations for sunset then go sit in the bar. Chances are a table will open up and you can eat dinner in the bar watching the surfers and the sunset.
Plantation Gardens (Poipu) - Hadn't been before but checked it out after reading the reviews here on Chowhound. I had a pear/arugula/gorganzola salad that was very good. Unfortunately, my seared ahi selection came on a huge bowl of arugula also (it was a special and I must not have heard the waiter say that). So although it was very good, I was arugula-ed out!! My husband had mahi-mahi and he said it was good, but nothing wonderful.
Wahooo Seafood Restaurant (Kapaa) - First time there and I had a good piece of walu with macadamia nut mashed potatoes. Good, but nothing to write home about.
Brewpub @ Waimea Plantation Gardens (Waimea) - We use to like the food there but this time found out they are just weeks away from being taken over by new owners so it didn't seem like they were trying very hard. Food was just so-so and service was slow.
Lemongrass (Kapaa) - Forget it!!
Marriott (Lihue) - went to the bar for their Taco Tuesdays (fish taco's for $2.50). Use to be good but not this time.
Bullshed (Kapaa) - Hit & miss. They have a 10 oz. lobster tail for $29 (with salad bar) and it was really good. Rack of lamb is also very good at a good price. But another night we were there I had scallops (yuck) and my husband had a steak (also not good).
Banana Joes (on the way to Princeville)- previous posts talked about how great their frosties were. The day we were there they were out of banana's (Banana Joes out of bananas???) and the only frosties were pure pineapple. We didn't care for them.
Tropical Taco (Hanalei) - previous posts said they were good fish taco's - we found them lacking in any flavor at all (we had the fresh fish, not fried)
Brick Oven Pizza (Kapaa) - previous posts said it was the best pizza on the island. We're wondering if that means they are the only pizza on the island?? It tasted like frozen pizza to us. And who uses canned mushrooms on their pizza? Ick! And it's one thing to charge $8 for a glass of wine, but at least serve it in glass and not plastic!
Shrimp Station (Waimea) - previous posters liked it but we didn't.
Looking for the best Seattle (fried) calamari
If your willing to give up fried for sauteed, AND if you like spicy hot food, I would highly recommend the calamari at the Capitol Grill (downtown Seattle). We were there a couple weeks ago and it was the best calamari we'd ever had! Warning - it is served with jalapenos and red peppers and you will be breathing fire. But it was awesome!
Best food of the best in Portland
I'm a Washingtonian who went down to Portland last weekend for the first time in a few years and were taking my elderly folks out for a nice dinner. After consulting this thread, we decided to go to Paley's (note: steep steps to walk up for elderly and we didn't see any ramp). Unfortunately, we had a waitress who was wearing too much perfume and sitting by a customer who had on too much after shave. Why oh why do people wear fragrance when they are going someplace where people will be eating food or drinking wine? It SO much ruins the experience. And any restaurant owner who doesn't stop his/her servers from wearing fragrance in my opinion doesn't get it. But I digress.... Anyway, when we sat down we were informed there was no seafood that night because the chef decided it wasn't up to his standard. I certainly appreciate a chef who won't serve something he doesn't believe is quality. But unfortunately, we found that without seafood, there wasn't alot on the menu that sounded very good to any of us. There was a basic steak, which none of us wanted since we'd had that the night before, and a few other dishes that were kind of out there. Three of us ended up with quail, which was very good and my husband ended up with a dish made out of grains that was kind of like a risotto. I tasted it and it was also very good, but definitely not very much for a grown man so ate half of mine. Also, in the dining room they were playing some rock & roll music which seemed out of place and too loud. So, bottom line - we enjoyed the food, the service was good (other than the perfume), but we probably wouldn't recommend or return.
Seeking wine shops/Seattle
If you don't mind crossing the bridge to the Eastside, I think Pete's is the best! I've found they have the hugest choice as well as the best prices. And they often order bottles for us if they don't have what we are looking for. We deal with Dale and think he's great!
Pike Place Market in March?
Anytime is a good time to come to Seattle!! And most of the Market is covered so even if it's raining you will enjoy. In addition to all the great suggestions above, you would also have a choice of some great restaurants to eat lunch or dinner (or both!). Place Pigalle, Matts, Maximilliens, Steelehead Diner....
Yakima Caterers? Picturesque Wineries?
We ate a few times at the restaurant he was the head chef of and it was always good (that's been quite a few years). Then a couple years ago we were at his house for a dinner (he does a special wine dinner at his house every Sunday I believe) and I remember the most amazing lamb chops bar-b-qued with rosemary. Prior to that I didn't even like lamb. I can't remember anything else specifically on the menu but it was good. We keep in contact with him a few times a year (as friends) and were going to have him cater a dinner at our house last year. He was willing to do just about anything - casual buffet to plated courses, cooking lesson with everyone being interactive, or whatever you want. Unfortunately, we had a crisis happen and couldn't have the dinner party. If I ever plan another one, though, he will be the chef. I live on the east side of the mountains and there aren't many people over here who can cook, so if you can get Big John, go for it. In addition to cooking and wine knowledge, he's great entertainment. Google "Big John Caudill" and you will come up with some information about the things he has done. Good luck!
Best eats outside the I-5 corridor
If you are heading east on I-90 and have time to stop in Ellensburg, I really like The Valley Cafe. Nice meals, reasonable prices, good wine list.
Yakima Caterers? Picturesque Wineries?
Hi-
You need to contact "Big John". He was a chef at a restaurant and then broke out into his own catering business. He then got into selling wine so I'm not sure if he is still doing the catering, but if he is, you won't be disappointed. If he doesn't do it anymore, he will know who does. He knows everyone in the Yakima Valley and could recommend wineries that might be appropriate for you as well. I can think of a couple but they are in Prosser and I'm not sure you want to go that far since you said Yakima. Anyway, email Big John at kingcrabclaw@aol.com and please tell him the Knott's sent you.
Valentine's Day Wine Dinner or ??? - Seattle
Have you checked out Kaspars? I haven't been there in years & years (since it was a real restaurant) but I'm going to their Washington wine dinner on Jan.30th and I see they have advertised a Valentine dinner as well. It doesn't mention wine, but I'm guessing they would be offering some matching wines for an additional price.
Baby Shower on the East Side
How many people you are talking about and how nice or casual do you want to be? A couple years ago I attended a nice luncheon at the Woodmark Hotel (Carillon Point/Kirkland). We had a private room and they brought in a lunch buffet for us. They also have a new restaurant at the hotel called Bin Vivant. I haven't been though so I can't say if it's good or not. Another place that will do private parties is Bis on Main in oldtown Bellevue. Haven't been there for a private party but the couple times I've had dinner there it's been pretty good. I don't think you'd want to go there unless you were getting the private dining room though because otherwise it's too small and crowded.
Nice lunch by Swedish in Seattle?
Other than The Hunt Club, does anyone know a nice restaurant for lunch on Pill Hill that will take reservations? We'll be pressed for time in between appointments. I searched the board and saw Cafe Presse and Baugette Box listed, but was hoping for something a little nicer (if there is anything). Thanks!
Walla Walla Restaurants
What do I expect? When a restaurant has a sign on their door that says they serve lunch until 2pm, then I expect they serve lunch until 2pm. Otherwise, they should have hung out the closed sign. As for seating ourselves - we stood there for 5 minutes waiting for someone to acknowledge us, which they didn't. There was no hostess stand or sign so we figured it must be seat yourself. I will give it a try again though since everyone says it's good.
