ericlutzker's Profile
Ramen
aloha ramen on greenwood and 81st or so has excellent hawaiian style ramen, highly recommended. at least as good as the much touted hamura's saimin on kauai that i've been to several times (and is also excellent, just for comparison.) nb aloha is only open for dinner.
cardoons in seattle?
does anyone know where, at a farmers market or supermarket, anywhere i can get cardoons? i want to make bagna cauda. it is foggy fall after all. thanks in advance
Restaurant suggestions for a 2-3 day visit with a 4 year old
we have 5 1/2 year old twin boys, very active, and we find that seattle in general has restaurants that are tolerant of and provide a good experience for kids. it's a fairly informal place overall and there are tons of young families here. in particular i might recommend tutta bella for neapolitan pizza. that place is crawling with kids, they serve mighty quick, and they have a kids pizza that just a simple cheese pie that's as good as any of their special pies. other suggestions might depend on what part of town you're staying in. as for keeping the boy entertained i would definitely suggest you go to boeing's museum of flight, the science fiction museum/experience music project, the science center and children's museum, and aquarium are pretty good. and, though it's small, soundbridge, which is connected to the benaroya concert hall is pretty cool.
Sichuan in Seattle
slightly off topic but maybe you guys will know: does the dish i used to get at szechuan restaurants in the 70's as shrimp with chili sauce come under a different name now? i'm talking about the simple orange sauce slightly corn-starchy, heavy on ginger with garlic and chilis, only green onions for vegetable, often a little broccoli for garnish. best with lots of large prawns (though on east coast menus in my youth they were all called shrimp) a couple of restaurants in town that i have found carry it under the name i'm accustomed to (chiang's gourmet and chef liao) but they aren't quite how i remember it. hunan in portland makes a rendition that is spot on though. i know it's probably not authentically szechuan but it seems it used to be a standard on american-chinese menus that purported to specialize in szechuan and now isn't. any information you have to share would be appreciated. thanks.
Seattle vs. Boston?
just one note not hit upon much in the other replies. there are more and better ethiopian restaurants in seattle than any city in the us save perhaps dc (perhaps).
good french dip in Seattle?
yes do be forewarned of that since most of us are used to dipping our own, but at the risk of sounding snarky (i merely intend to be informative) the kitchen doing the dipping was the original meaning of the french dip where it was invented in la.
Orange Bitters in Seattle? Rye?
late to the party here but there are a bunch of boutique ryes worth trying and i think even the good ones don't get up in price the way boutique bourbon does. unfortunately most wa state liquor stores only carry old overholt and jim beam. rittenhouse is good and if you can find it pikesville rye is great and very cheap (like 15$/fifth) try the u village liquor store or the downtown ballard one. rittenhouse makes pikesville, which is an old classic maryland label (one of the original rye centers of production), to i believe its original specifications. last time i checked i was told that the distillery had run out of pikesville and it was unclear when it would be back. but keep your eyes open for it. there are other labels too. we use it for fresh squeezed whiskey sours. it's dandy.
Dungeness crab PDX
i grew up in baltimore but have lived in the pac nw for 25 years (both portland and seattle) and while i love dungeness i still believe it doesn't come anywhere near blue crab. native northwesterners will argue until they're blue in the face for dungeness as i will for...um blue. but i've made my peace (virtually every other factor of living in this region is superior so it's ultimately a small price to pay. particularly if you pony up to get blue shipped on rare occassion.)
the trick i think is to play to the stregths of dungeness in how you eat it. dungeness has a comparatively clean, bright flavor so it can't stand up to the very strong flavors in old bay as well as blue. i crack them and just eat them with drawn garlic butter and lemon. it's true the yield is pleasingly bountiful next to blue and when you cut your fingers on the carapace you dont immediately get the stinging old bay in there.
at the good chinese seafood restaurants here in seattle they serve whole dungeness in black bean sauce and szechuan sauce and some other ginger and scallion sauce. those work very well. they pull live dungeness out of the tank and cook them to order. i presume some of the chinese seafood restaraunts in portland must do that too. anyone?
i stay away from the classic northwest fancy restaurant dungeness crabcake with panko breading and some aioli or asian dipping sauce. again they just swamp the flavor of the crab. i think though that that era might be past thankfully. it used to be ubiquitous.
also, if you get a chance to try some fresh (never frozen) alaskan king crab it can be extremely sweet and wonderful. the shells are incredibly tough but when you get in there the flavor is a revelation (like dungeness but better i think) again i eat it with just butter and lemon. if it's been flash frozen on the boat at all it's not as good or worth it.
i'll pine for blue crab forever, but it's a wintry thing, a 'you can't go home again' thing. it's never like it was, is it?
Seattle's Best Sandwiches
the newish 'taste of chicago' on the ave in the u district (btw 52nd and 55th) does a very good and credible italian beef sandwich, wet and with gardineira mix or hot sport peppers. they also do (but i haven't tried) a chicago style dog: vienna beef frank with the celery salt, tomato, relish and pickle, etc. i for one have never tried one of these anywhere, and i've always been dubious of the formula: so many toppings. but at least it's clear that these guys know and follow the formula. some chicagoan who loves and misses these should try one and report back. in any event the place is a fine addition, in this city of many transplants, to our burgeoning 'back home' sandwich culture. now if only i could get a maryland blue crab cake or soft shell sandwich
Seattle's Best Sandwiches
ditto for rizzo's. just like the originals in l.a. they dip it you don't. and it's delicious. i restrained myself from making a pun there. it was tough.
Where is the dungeness crab?
there's fresh never frozen alaskan king crab around too. we got some at ballard market. if you've never had it never frozen it's a revelation.
Best liquor stores in SEA
white castle you won't find it any different in oregon. it's virtually the same set up as washington. i was told by a store employee in oregon (again this was some years ago) that they were virtually forbidden from recommending product. again these systems are the vestigial remains of a system designed originally to restrict and limit alcohol consumption as much as possible without outlawing it. although that is no longer the open presumption of the system the attitude remains in place in the form of these practices. i wish i could show you the server's class materials and exam that the olcc employed in the early 90's. the attitude towards imbibing customers implicit in the training was not far off how i might imagine training prison guards to view the incarcerated.
Best liquor stores in SEA
if washington is like oregon the state doesn't make money on liquor, the liquor board makes money on liquor and doesn't share it with the general fund. at least that's how it was when i worked in the portland bar and restaurant business in the early 90's. the whole set up in both states is a vestige of powerful temperance movements in the progressive era and was designed initially to keep a very tight control on liquor distribution. what that devolved to over time was little oversight from the legislatures, a free hand that often amounted to what would be in a legal context unconstitutional tactics of enforcement and a shadowy, self-serving system of revenue management. since i've retired to full time customerhood i'm not as privy to the specifics but i've noticed loosening in both states at least in terms of availability of varied product and wider licensing.
Best liquor stores in SEA
used to be, a long time ago, the liquor store in the uptown shopping center (w. burnside just before it scoots into the west hills, north side of the street) had the best selection because it purchased for the fancy restaurants in nw portland. it may be different now that there are fine restaurants all over portland, but that one may be a good place to start.
szechuan bistro and tic toc pho both lost to fire
the big fire at 85th and greenwood last week consumed two establishments that we were regulars of. they were both family run, quality neighborhood establishments that were the only ones of their kind in the immediate area. on top of my personal disappointment at not being able to eat their food with my family anymore i feel terrible for the families and their lost livelihoods. several other businesses we didn't frequent were also lost, a teriyaki place whose name i don't know and a coffee shop called i believe the green bean. all of them appear to be total losses from the street. i have no idea how insurance might allow these families to rebuild their businesses but i will be on the lookout for them and i urge you to as well. while szechuan bistro was not of the quality of say szechuan 99 in lynwood or szechuan chef in bellevue it was solid and they delivered and they are a wonderful family (the daughter who delivers was always terribly sweet to our kids.) tic toc was an excellent vietnamese place without the name recognition of some other places. i loved their shrimp rolls. here's to hoping they are back on their feet soon. i wish there was some way i could contribute to that. i'll think on it.
Good food near Great Wolf Lodge?
absolute second on la tarasca. you've either been to the great wolf lodge before or someone gave you a heads up. the food there is woefully inadequate both in quality and availability, even by the benighted standards of their industry. our room had a mini fridge too so you could bring a little something. the bar doesn't even serve real cocktails but bizarre low alcohol glosses on fuzzy navels and such. there is also a place called the little red barn at the same exit that i've never been to but that my wife recalled as a standard place to stop if you got hungry around exit 88. full bar too. you could easily walk there from the lodge. a quick check of user generated content site reviews shows wildly varying opinion about the quality of the place but it can't be worse than 'eating' at the lodge. of course the water park is great.
Wenatchee: Restaurant recommendations? Also, Cheeses, pasture fed beef, etc.
we had a really surprisingly good meal with the inlaws at visconti's. it was on the mark for classic italian sitdown. it was a very pleasant relaxed place too. several nice small rooms. i would definitely try it before you discount it. good wine list too.
Best Burger in Portland?
i used to love the burger and shoestring fries at cafe castagna. do they not do it anymore?
Ballard recs?
oh and la isla on the north side of market at 24th for great, garlicky puerto rican food and an expansive set of rum choices.
Ballard recs?
absolutely walk over the locks rather than the bridge. it's bound to be more pleasant. good recs so far. also moshi moshi for traditional sushi and great cocktails. the farmer's market is right on ballard ave. i like hattie's hat for drinks. ocho and hazlewood for sure. volterra has a fantastic wine list and many people rave about the food. i only ate there once and wasn't 100% sold on the food but it was good. a few of the other places mentioned (delancy and luchbox lab most notably) are a bit north of downtown ballard and a longer walk. but if you are ready they're worth it. or it would be a cheap cab ride.
Seattle/Portland - Itinerary Critique
just 2 quick thoughts: if at paseo follow peoples' recomendations to get the pork or the shrimp sandwiches. i first tried the beef (just because i love beef) and it didn't come off as well as the pork or shrimp. it was like a pot roast sandwich and the other flavors didn't come through like they should have. it taught me a lesson: play to the place's strengths. secondly, in portland bunk for sandwiches is fantastic, totally worth it if you have a lunch (or breakfast) slot to fill. have fun. enjoy both cities, they are both world class.
Chowhound worthy places that are baby friendly in Seattle?
caffe lago's a good bet. how about tutta bella? i think their pizza's excellent (neapolitan style) or maybe sea garden for chinese. i think terrier's right: size and ambient noise of a restaurant ameliorate the general effects of one unpredictable baby. we have twin boys (now 4 and a half) and we were too self conscious about that stuff to go out much the first two years. but on reflection i don't think most places/patrons mind so much. i know i never mind other people's kids. it's only truly tiny, quiet or stuffed-shirt places that would mind. and there's lots of places to get great food that aren't any of those.
Rauchbier
people's pub in ballard does have it (i don't believe i've seen other labels of rauchbier there. and my understanding is the schlenkerla is the ur-rauchbier.) i've also found bottles at the qfc in unversity village. i agree that it's a fantastic beer and quite singular. by the way don't trust american microbrewed versions. unless someone has started doing it the authentic way (drying the malted barley over open beechwood flames, rather than in a kiln)
Looking for an "Only In Seattle" type place
monsoon in my opinion totally lives up to that promise (and you've got it right.) in a similar vein joule in wallingford, does interesting twists on asian flavors (with korea being the lodestar in this case) w/mediterranean flavors too. not some lame fusion place but genuinely interesting ideas well executed. that said i went there soon after they opened and not everything melded perfectly but it was definitely worth the trip and not something i'd expect to see in many other cities.
urgent- need dc rec for seattle wife for tonight
sorry. that was just me getting it wrong. i'm sure she'll get it right. i cut and pasted responses to her. she's better with details than me too. thanks for pointing that out though.
urgent- need dc rec for seattle wife for tonight
thanks for all of your responses. i think the rain kept her in last night but tonight she might try bombay grill. i'll let you know what she thinks. then again she's not always good at taking advice so she might do something totally different. then we can all say 'we told you so!' thanks again for your help. if you ever need any pacific northwest recommendations hop on over to our board and you'll get similarly well treated.
urgent- need dc rec for seattle wife for tonight
hey- mid-atlantic board. i'm a baltimore ex-pat in seattle. my wife is in dc at a conference at a hotel a block away from the white house. she wants to slip away for a fine dinner tonight by herself. something within just a block or two would be best. any cuisine would be fine, she's very open to exotic stuff. she told me she's had great vietnamese in dc (particulary loved a type of shrimp roll she hadn't seen here), and good fancy chinese, and african that she hadn't seen here (we have a lot of ethiopan and eritrean but not much else). she also said she's had good steakhouse there. but really any cuisine even standards would be fine. and any price point. just proximity to the area and quality are our only concerns. btw are crabs in the restaurants yet there? i know the season officially started on the first but with the harvests being so far down is there a lag until you get good ones into the restaurants? thanks a million in advance
moshi moshi sushi, downtown ballard
the wife and i went there a week or so ago and it was very good. very well executed fairly traditional sushi menu. the rolls are even divided on the menu between traditional ones and new fangled ones. a couple of items you don't see on most seattle sushi menus (like anago; i can't figure out why more seattle sushi restaurants don't carry this. i think it puts unagi to shame) the draw here though is the cocktail menu. it's expertly written and full of cocktails that pair very well with sushi: many chilled, shaken and up drinks with clean flavors that don't step on the sushi. very good, very knowledgable service too. downtown ballard really needed this too. i like sam's for what it is, but i enjoyed this as much as kisaku, which i would've previously considered north seattle's best sushi option. now we gotta try the other one that's just opened on ballard avenue. anyone been there yet? i'm given to understand it that it trends more towards izakaya items.
Driving from Portland to Gold Beach - any good eats?
yeah i followed that story, very sad. but actually it wasn't dead of winter, it was november. granted it was late november and a particularly stormy one at that. but the op did say fall. but i am being an alarmist. sorry for that. i look forward to taking 199 sometime. one of the fun parts of going to the coast is seeing the different routes across the coast range.
Driving from Portland to Gold Beach - any good eats?
as far as routes go _do_not_ take the road(s) that appear to go directly from i5 to gold beach through merlin, galice, agness and along the rogue river. on many conventional maps this is dangerously misrepresented to appear as a fine and emminently passable road. it is not. it ends up being a confusing network of unpaved logging and forest service roads but you wouldn't know it from looking at basic road atlas maps. depending on how late in fall you are there it can be very deep in snow as it crosses the top of the coast range. i can't stress this enough. do not try to cut directly from i5 to gold beach. sorry to seem alarmist but as far as i know this misrepresentation hasn't been fixed on recent road atlas maps. not to diss the other respondent but i'm not seeing a clear route from gold beac to grant's pass called 99. there's 199 from crescent city to grant's pass but that doesn't really fit the bill. and the route that i'm urging you not to take looks perilously like what they describe.
on a lighter note, the coast highway between lincoln city and florence is not to be missed. the town of yachats is a great place to overnight. we always rent a cabin at the shamrock lodgettes there. and dinner at the yachats river inn is great. places to stop nearby are devil's churn and cape perpetua (stunning sights) and heceta head lighthouse. the coastline in this whole area is cliffy and spectacular. if you guys are campers the primitive campsites at carl g washburne state park just north of heceta head are great. at there's a beautiful hike from there up the north side of heceta head that's under 2 miles but with a lot of elevation gain and amazing views north up the coast.
have a great time.
