clearskies0810's Profile
Need Dark Restaurant
List in belltown is very dark. a bit trendy though - not sure if it is casual enough for what u seek...
LA Hound Coming on Short Notice -- Help!
Portage bay is very popular for brunch - long waits and somewhat of a scene - but can be worth it for the berry bar. Tilth serves up an excellent brunch, i like that it does not feel quite so heavy, and the restaurant is known for its farm-to-table ethic. It is in the wallingford neighborhood (as is Joule) and being in Wallingford is also a great excuse to go to Molly Moon's ice cream or Fainting Goat gelato afterwards, both within walking distance and among the best purveyors of frozen treats in the city.
Steak tartare?
I know you aksed for a straight-forward/traditional tartare, but just thought I'd throw Korean tartare out there... it's very different from french style, a blend of sweet and savory mixed with asian pear, sesame oil, and pine nuts, but incredibly delicious. the version at kaya up by shoreline is excellent.
Seattle's International District
Homestyle HK Cuisine was replaced by Gourmet Noodle Bowl some time ago. Good place for Taiwanese noodles and for hot pot.
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Gourmet Noodle Bowl
707 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Penang Malaysia Food Court
FWIW, the closest thing I've had to spore/malay streetfood in seattle is from Satay Seattle in Wallingford, a relative newcomer. Their satay is leaps and bounds better than Malay Satay Hut, and their laksa and roti are quite good too.
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Malay Satay Hut
212 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA
36 hours in Seattle - need the best of the best
The NY Times answers this exact question earlier this week in an article likewise titled "36 hours in Seattle": http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/travel/27hours-seattle.html?_r=1
Overall, pretty solid reccomendations with the exception of Barolo - I think you could do better at Spinasse or Volterra for Italian.
Looks like the times likes to hit this topic every two years or so:
2008 version: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/travel/23hours.html
2006 version: http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/travel/escapes/04hours.html
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Spinasse
Seattle, WA, Seattle, WA
Barolo
1940 Westlake Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
Volterra
5411 Ballard Avenue NW, Seattle, WA 98107
Japonessa Sushi Cocina?
I would agree that it is better than Nijo. The sushi menu is pretty similar in style to Umi Sake Lounge in Belltown (lots of big untraditional/creative rolls). In fact, rumor has it that there is some sort of connection between the two (in terms of ownership and/or chefs)... both have the same "bad boy roll" made popular by Umi.
I personally go to Japonessa for the all day happy hour, running from lunch through much of the evening, and covering a broad swath of the menu. Makes for an affordable and tastey sit-down sushi lunch. Service can be slow though, so be prepared for 1-1.5 hours for lunch.
your favorite foie gras dish in Seattle right now?
I loved the foie at book bindery & harvest vine as well, but the seared foie i had recently at lark may have topped them both. it had this amazing "pumped up" duck flavor to it... as though it had been seared in duck fat?
Korean Fried Chicken
My fav is Cockatoos down in federal way, but BBQ Chicken on the Ave can also hit the spot if u wanna stay more local. (BBQ stands for Best of the Best Quality, not barbeque.)
Macarons
Macarons are my favorite cookie! The best ones I've had in Seattle are from Honore in Ballard and from Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle. Le Panier in Pike Place makes decent ones as well. Sadly, the macarons at Belle Epicurean have diminished greatly in quality. (Laduree ships world wide!)
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Honore Artisan Bakery
1413 NW 70th St, Seattle, WA
Bakery Nouveau
4737 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
Belle Epicurean
1206 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay thread - 1st quarter 2011 [old]
The rosemary rasin crips are amazing, especially with the gruyere cheddar cheese blend and a dab of fig jam.
Chinese Clay Pots
An Dong for larger clay pots for cooking, Daiso for smaller clay pot rice pots. Uwajimaya also has them at exorbitant prices. Could not find them at Viet Wah, Ho Ho, and an number of other international district joints for some reason.
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Uwajimaya
600 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA
Old fashion chow mein over crispy noodles
This is a common chiense dish avaiible at most cantonese/hk restaurants, and is typically called "house noodles" or "house crispy noodles." Purple Dot, 663 Bistro, and Hing Long in the international district make pretty good versions of this dish.
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Purple Dot Cafe
515 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Madison Park Conservatory?
Has anyone been to Madison Park Conservatory? The restaurant's website leaves a little to be desired... would appreciate any tips re: hours, reservations, menus, and also any overall reviews. Thanks!
Best Chinese food in Seattle area (Chinatown/ID up to Everett)
if you want to stick around the international district, i think 663 bistro has some of the best cantonese food around. it doesn't get a lot of on-line buzz, but is always packed. some standout dishes IMO are their stir-fried pea greens (i order this dish everywhere - their's is my favorite!), geoduck (a bargain at ~$14, it is not on the menu but is usually on the "specials" board handwritten in chinese), their xo fish & tofu pot is one of the best versions i've had, the honey-garlic spare ribs are addicting, and their chinese bbq is consistently excellent (i usually order this to-go, and the skin on the pork is always perfectly crispy). Also, since you mentioned fried rice - their dried scallop & egg white fried rice and their salty fish and chicken fried rice are really good.
Muffaletta? Where to find?
Belle Epicurean (downtown) has muffaletta, olive salad and all. A cuite little cafe where you can grab a seat or grab to-go. Cannot vouch for authenticity though, since I've never had the "real thing."
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Belle Epicurean
1206 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Latkes?
For others looking for latkes, looks like Seattle Met helped answer my question yesterday:
http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/nosh-pit/latkes-for-breakfast-december-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+seattlemet-nosh-pit+%28Nosh+Pit+-+Seattle+Metropolitan%29
"The latke destination in Seattle is Roxy’s in Fremont—a bustling beacon of East Coast treats in this inky-gray West Coast city. At Roxy’s you can, and should, order fried eggs and latkes for breakfast. Go early if you don’t want to shiver outside on the street until a table opens up. But even if you need to hang out a bit, consider waiting it out. It should be worth it when you taste that first crackling bite of fried latke goodness. Happy Chanukuh."
In addition to Roxy's in Freement, it appears that Goldber's Deli in Factoria, CJ's Eatery in Belltown, and the Madison Market in the Central District, Heartland Cafe in West Seattle, and I Love New York Deli in the U-District all have Latkes. Has anyone tried any of these before?
Latkes?
this is true, i've thrown some of those in the toaster oven before and they were not bad!
Latkes?
my current kitchen has poor ventilation... last time i made them at home they turned out fantastic, but it smelled oily for days, which is why i am seeking to satisfy this craving elsewhere. i figured it would be unlikely to find good ones in seattle, but thought i would at least inquire (this is in part what ch is for right?).
last time i had great latkes at a restaurant was in new york at essex in lower east side. these were like the "traditional type" i am looking for, a loose-woven texture, crispy and soft at the same time, hint of onion. christy - you should give it a try next time you are in nyc!
Latkes?
Is there anywhere in the Seattle area that serves up good latkes? I've had the ones at steelhead diner, and while the applesauce served with the latkes was incredible, the latkes themselves seemed like fancy deep fried hash brown pucks, not like the more traditional type I am seeking out. Thanks for any tips!
Anyone been to The Book Bindery yet?
managed to get in this past Friday and had a great meal... probably one of the best meals i’ve had in seattle. the foie gras and hamachi appetizers as well as the flavor curve steak were the highlights of the meal. the steak was among one of the best I’ve ever had – a great cut and cooked to perfection. the duo of pork and beignets were not quite as exceptional, but were still quite good. everything was beautiful, creative, well composed, and most importantly delicious.
i really liked some of the formal elements of the service (e.g. placement of the silverware for dessert) which at the same time did not feel very stuffy. the server seemed a bit nervous or awkward at first, but seemed to get more comfortable later in the evening. also to note – cost is high, cocktails were delicious, and the space is really beautiful in an unexpected way. can’t wait to go back!
Din Tai Fung: Opening date?
Well, while the crab & pork XLB I had at Shanghai River in September were indeed better than the crab & pork XLB I had on saturday from Din Tai Fung, it's not really a fair comparison at this point given that Din Tai Fung has only just opened. Waiting fo the hype (and the lines) to settle down is probably a good idea.
Din Tai Fung: Opening date?
the wait was 45-50 mins last night. everything was about as expected for a restaurant with a so much hype and anticipation on its first nght... a bit chaotic and the food not at its best (which are minor and forgivable offenses on day 1), but nonetheless was quite good. will definately return in a few months - actually, probably sooner than that.
Din Tai Fung: Opening date?
Din Tai Fung just opened yesterday at 5:30! I happened by to swing by and snagged a table.
Bellingham: Stone Pot Korean restaurant
This place is great! Especially love the seafood pancake and glass noodles!
Downtown Seatte happy hours
Lately, I've really been enjoying the HH at Art at the four seasons. The mini burgers (of Cascadia fame) and the prosciutto plate are fantastic (as is the proximity to fran's chocolates). They have an all you can eat tapas bar which I tried recently, but was kind of disappointing. There is also an all you can eat cheese bar, which looks pretty great. Something that really sets Art apart is the setting and the service, both wonderful.
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Cascadia Restaurant
2328 1st Ave, Seattle, WA
Re:public
I went there recently with some friends, and between all of us must have ordered everything off the meny. I tried a couple small plates, all I recall that all were good, but I guess must not have been that memorable becaus I can't recall what I ate at all right now! One person commented that their food was too salty. The space was nice, and the service was efficient. Would probably return for drinks.
Authentic Vietnamese food?
Bun thit nuong (noodle salad with grilled pork) is one of my favorite Vietnamese staples, and IMO is the measure of how good a Vietnamese restaurant is.
My favorite bun thuit noung in Seattle is from Huong Binh in a small stripmall off Jackson street (a few doors down from Lemongrass). Their grilled pork is packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. They also have a lot of noodle soup specials that are somewhat harder to find, and are one of the only restaurants in Seattle that I know of that serves ban hoi.
I've had the bun thuit noung from Tamarind tree over the years, and it went from pretty good in the beginning to pretty awful the last time I had it this past summer. The noodles were kind of hard and the pork was tough and flavorless.
The bun thuit noung from Green Leaf is alright, probably just a notch above Pho Hung.
I go to Lemongrass for their cooked dishes and not their noodles, and it's been years since I've been to Mi La Cay, so can't commoent on their bun.
Would be interested in hearing about other places that serve good bun!
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Huong Binh Restaurant
1207 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144
Mi La Cay
718 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
