chowdahhead's Profile
Best Croissants?
Hey y'all,
Was curious where to find the best plain, buttery croissants in town?
Best I've had so far has been from Quack's Bakery in Hyde Park (purchased at Medici). Boîte was recommended but underwhelmed. Where else should I check out?
Anniversary Weekend in San Antonio
We have made reservations for Boudro's based on Ms. Ghost's recommendations, other reviews we have read and its close proximity to our hotel.
Any particular suggestions of what to make sure we get there or perhaps any recs for coffee places or lunch the next day?
Anniversary Weekend in San Antonio
Hey All,
My wife and I just moved to Austin from Seattle and are celebrating our first wedding anniversary on July 4th in San Antonio.
We are staying at a nice hotel on the Riverwalk and are looking for recommendations for a nice dinner (good food, a little romantic, but hopefully not breaking the bank!) Thinking about Brasserie Pavil, but aren't necessarily excited about the half hour drive each way.
Any suggestions for something closer to, or on the Riverwalk that might fit the bill? Or must eats for breakfast/lunch the next day?
Also, what should we expect with the July 4th holiday? Will San Antonio and the riverwalk be a scene?
We really appreciate your help!
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Brasserie Pavil
1818 N. Loop 1604 West Suite 101, San Antonio, TX 78248
Anyone been to Bamboo Garden since it reopened?
Anyone been? I can't say I was surprised that there were health code violations here, but am curious if anyone has been back since they reopened on the 11th?
http://seattlest.com/2010/02/10/bamboo_garden_shut_down.php
What to eat at Joule?
Thanks for your suggestions Patricia and Hova... We went last night and it was awesome. Definitely had alot of things I had not ever had before and we were very pleased with just about everything.
Think I'm going to write a big review on here, we were so impressed.
What to eat at Joule?
My wife and I have reservations at Joule tomorrow night to celebrate my birthday. We have seen it consistently mentioned as one of the best restaurants in Seattle, yet looking at the menu nothing is jumping off the page as sounding amazing.
Any recommendations for what not to miss?
http://www.joulerestaurant.com/dinner.html
We appreciate any suggestions!
Hidden Gems in and around Seattle?
What are your favorite places in and around Seattle that you don't think most people know about? Not just CHs but for regular folks, too. Places like Bamboo Garden and maybe John's PFI, that most people have driven by a million times, yet don't take the time to explore.
I know some of you don't want to give up your goldmines, but I am looking to get a little bit deeper into our food scene! Thanks
Seattle Help - I've done my homework first, just needs refining
I have found most of the Piroshkies at Piroshky Piroshky to be hit or miss, except for the Smoked Salmon Pate variety. It always hits the spot, especially if you get there early in the morning or happen to luck out when they are fresh from the oven during the rest of the day. If not, aks them to nuke it for 15 seconds and it is almost as good!
One of my quintessential Seattle experiences is taking in the views from Victor Steinbrueck Park (once you get through all the sketchies) while eating a hot Smoked Salmon Piroshky and drinking an espresso from the original Starbucks. Enjoy!
Eastside Restaurant with good wine list and private dining room
Might want to check out bin on the lake http://www.thewoodmark.com/index-binonthelake.php
*Check out my new blog called Eastside Eats focusing on the food scene on the Eastside.
http://eastsideats.blogspot.com/
Eastside Restaurant with good wine list and private dining room
Might want to check out bin on the lake http://www.thewoodmark.com/index-binonthelake.php
*Check out my new blog called Eastside Eats focusing on the food scene on the Eastside.
http://eastsideats.blogspot.com/
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Bin Vivant
1200 Carillon Point, Kirkland, WA 98033
Fresh, Live Lobsters in Seattle or Eastside?
In lieu of turkey this year, my wife and I are hoping to splurge and cook some lobsters. We know we are going to have to pay through the nose for them (I am originally from Boston where they are currently 3.99/lb!!!), but I have not been able to find a good place to get them? I only recall seeing frozen tails at Pike's.
Anyone have any suggestions preferably on the Eastside?
Thanks?
recent winners from a boston transplant
That's the funny thing Steve!
We aren't talking about a Greek Pizza with Olives, Feta and tomatoes..... Greek Pizza from Boston is a different beast entirely... more a style of pizza, rather than a name of a particular pizza.
How I miss a nice, greasy, hamburg greek style pizza!!! Luckily, I am heading back to Boston this weekend!
recent winners from a boston transplant
I too am a Boston Transplant living in Seattle (2005) and experienced firsthand some of the exact things you mentioned. Hopefully I can help you with your list:
Burrito: My favorite burrito in town is the Super Prawn Burrito @ Tacqueria Guaymas in Fremont.
Greek: Consistently good falafel and gyro @ Mr. Gyro near 85th & Greenwood. Also check out Olive You in the same neighborhood. Sometimes tends to be hit-or-miss, but when its good their food can be great! - No Greek Style Pizza though, which I miss!!!
Indian: Is Chutney's high end?
bellevue/redmond espresso shop?
As long as you can handle a little new age hippy with your latte, the best coffee handsdown in the Redmond area is at Soulfood Books in the QFC plaza on Redmond Way next to Ben Franklin Crafts.
Bachelor Party Ideas Seattle/Eastside?
This board is always a good source of ideas and I am hoping that you can help me once again.
I am getting married in July and am having a very tough time finding a place to throw my bachelor party? I know it's technically not supposed to be the groom's job to throw the bachelor party, but all of my groomsmen are coming in from out of town and I want to give them some ideas.
I live in Redmond, and am looking for a fun place for around 20 guys (mixed ages) to spend the night either on the Eastside or in and around Seattle. Looked into the Parlor and Lucky Strike in Bellevue, but they just seem like horrible "meat-market" kind of places from everything I have heard and read. I am just looking for a laid-back place where we can go and hang out ( and definitely not interested in the usual strip club kinda party). Food, Drinks, some form of entertainment?
So far the best that I have come up with are The Garage on Broadway in Capitol Hill and the Snoqualmie Casino? Any other suggestions?
I really appreciate your help!
Thanks!
Meh! Experience @ Uchi!?
Thanks addle and Bat Guano. Those are exactly the kind of responses that I was hoping for. I did not know alot about Tyson Cole and was just really expecting to be wowed. Knowing that he can sometimes be hit or miss makes me feel better. The experience was very pleasant and nothing was "bad," but next time I go back I will have to keep my expectations in check.
Meh! Experience @ Uchi!?
My fiance and I just got back to Seattle from our long weekend in Austin. After reading gushing review after gushing review we were most excited about our Sunday reservation at Uchi. We both left feeling very unsatisfied, not really understanding what all the fuss is about.
Let me preface this review by saying that this restaurant is doing alot of things right as ambiance, design and customer service were all exceptional. Our expectations were definitely pretty high and we can be over-critical sometimes, but nothing even came close to wowing us the entire meal.
We ordered something from nearly every section of the menu:
- We started with a Sunomono seaweed salad that was lacking acid, but was overall very good.
- Next we had the Maguro Sashimi and Goat Cheese from the Cold Tastings. It was a well conceived dish, but the tuna was bland and everything was overpowered by the goat cheese.
- Next was the Omarru Ebi off of the daily specials menu with Lobster, Apricots, Garbanzo Beans and Basil. This dish first grabbed our attention because we love each of these ingredients separately and couldn't figure out how they would work together. The dish came out and absolutely nothing worked!!! Everything was thrown together on a plate with a red wine vinaigrette. The lobster was incredibly bland and watery and none of the flavors were harmonious. Not only was this dish a trainwreck, but it was way overpriced at $22 with 5 little pieces of clawmeat!
- Next up was the Avo Bake which was a surprising highlight of the meal despite the use of Krab. I realize we are crab-snobs from Seattle and that Texas is land locked , but I just don't understand why a restaurant of this caliber would resort to using fake crab. The flavors worked wonderfully though and we were both surprised by the creamy texture of the baked avocado.
- Next up was some sushi, a couple pieces of Unagi and the Zero Sen roll with yellowtail, avocado, crispy shallots, yuzu, roe and cilantro. Once again this roll contained some of our favorite ingredients, but was just so "middle of the road" void of any flavors that popped or even stood out. The unagi was fine, but was served with this balsamic glaze that just overpowered the eel completely.
- Throughout the meal, our waitress asked us how each dish was and we were honest with her saying many of the same things I mentioned above. When she arrived with the dessert menus she said that she was very sorry that we did not have a fantastic experience and that dessert was on them. We thought this was a very nice gesture and the cracked black pepper sorbet with fresh strawberries piqued our attention. The strawberries were delicious, but the sorbet misfired on a few points. The consistency was very grainy and we could barely taste the pepper. We understand that pepper needs to be used delicately, but it barely showed up. We also wish we could have gotten some of that balsamic glaze back from the unagi as it would have worked wonders to bring this dish together a little bit.
The bill came and we respectfully paid our $100 + tax and tip and left. As we were leaving, one of the managers stopped us and asked if we were the couple from Seattle who weren't impressed with our dining experience. We told him our thoughts and he said he was sorry and offered us a $25 gift certificate to come back next time we were in town.
We were very pleased with the exceptionally high level of customer service, but did we just come on a bad night or are we missing what all the buzz is about? Our meal was on Sunday night, which I know is notoriously the worse day to eat sushi, but we were expecting alot more.
To people that have eaten here before and rave about it: What happened here? Are we just over-critical snobs or was it an off night? We appreciate your feedback!
Road Trip up the Coast! Need recs, please!
My fiance and I (both adventurous foodies from Seattle) are embarking on a 10 day road trip up the California coast beginning July 4th weekend. We would really love some recommendations from real people as all of the tour books seem to discuss the same tourist traps over and over again. We love seafood, farm-to-table cuisine, burritos, beer and breweries and the off-the-beaten path cheap eats.
- 4 Days in San Diego
- 1 night in Santa Barbara
- 2 nights in SLO (1 day in Paso Robles)
- 1 night in Big Sur
- 1 night in Santa Cruz
Also, any recommendations for must-see things to do in these areas would also be really appreciated.
Thanks so much!
Dave
Vancouver Recs needed for NYE?
My girlfriend and I just made reservations to spend New Years up in Vancouver (we're from Seattle). We are staying at the Landmark Hotel on Robson and were disallusioned to read that they are having a special NYE celebration in their rotating restaurant that costs over $100/a piece.
We are looking to find a nice place for dinner, hopefully under $100 total. We love most everything and would like to have a nice experience without the hassle and costs of typically overpriced NYE dinners!
Also, I have had two really good meals at the Sandbar on Granville Island, but have not seen any mention of it on CH. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much!
Dave
Anniversary Weekend in San Fran
My girlfriend and I are heading down to the Bay Area from Seattle to celebrate our anniversary. We are looking for suggestions of exciting (yet, somewhat value oriented) places to eat and maybe some recommendations for fun places to explore. I have been a few times, but it is my girl's first time and I would love to give her a true San Francisco experience!
We love all kinds of cuisine but would specifically like suggestions for:
Best Mission Burrito
Best Dim Sum
Best Brewery (any beer a la cuisine restaurants?)
Best Thai
We are going to a concert at the Greek, so any Berkeley suggestion close by would be appreciated as well!
Also, are the Muir Woods worth the trip? Any other fun little side trips within an hour-or so drives? What about best views of the city?
We appreciate all of your help!!! Thanks
Salt Lake City Recommendations?
I am heading out to Salt Lake City for an extended business trip (11 days) and am hoping you guys will be able to recommend some cool places to check out? I will be on a relatively tight budget but would love to splurge for a few higher-end meals. I'm coming from Seattle and love beer, seafood and all ethnic foods.
Also, looking for ideas for a weekend roadtrip driving distance to/from SLC.
Really appreciate any insight as I've never been there before.
Dave
Looking for V-day suggestions???? - SEA
Any suggestions of hidden finds that are big on experience and quality food, yet will not kill my budget for weeks to come? We both work in Seattle, so hopefully some place in or around the city.
Any recommendations would be much appreciated!!!!!!
