be still my eating heart...

i have discovered the holy grail of fatty breakfast foods. you who read my blog must know by now that i have more than a soft spot for any and all types of breakfast fare (particularly benedicts). to you who share my same love--behold and enjoy the CREAM CHEESE OMELET! found at wallingford standard blue star cafe and pub, this new favorite goes by the name "the brazilian" and hosts cream cheese, green onions, and thick-cut bacon inside a fluffy egg casing.

on this particular visit, i was accompanied by the lovely s. blue star, however, has been visited by yours truly several times before. expect to find ample seating, traditional diner options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and somewhat gruff service. usually, i'm particularly tough on the friendliness of waitstaff. blue star, however, gets an easy out. the ladies who have helped me in the past have never been particularly chatty or smiley, but i'll be damned if my water and coffee aren't always full and my food doesn't come out way before i expect it. honestly, who can complain about relying on the good conversation of compadres and a full cup of coffee???

blue star also boasts a fair benedict (still nothing, sadly, compared to my favorite at glo's) and a pretty darn good biscuits and gravy (if minus some of the brilliant portioning and pizzaz at mae's), as well as some delicious options for those who enjoy a more sweet breakfast. s had the macadamia nut waffle with optional fresh pineapple topping, and the bacon and pecan waffles seductively beckon from the menu page. also, let's not forget that there are copious lunch, dinner, drink, and happy hour options.

bottom line: for good classic american diner food at any time of the day--blue star will give you something new to sample for many many visits. don't miss the raspberry freezer jam on the table--it's DELICIOUS!!!

a phinney ridge favorite.

it's really suprising that it has taken me this long to blog about mae's on phinney ridge. this place is really the pinnacle of family run seattle breakfast joints, and i can't get enough of it. my first visit was a little over a year ago with my roomies, and i've been coming back steadily since then. with ever-changing breakfast options, ample seating, entertaining decor, and amazingly friendly service--mae's never manages to disappoint.
going into mae's on a weekend will guarantee a serious wait for a table, and you might even have to wait for one on a weekday as well. they operate on a really adorable honor system and have guests sign in with their name and number in party when they first come in. on my last visit, with my bestie g of course, we were actually sat at the same large table as another pair of women (appearing to also be besties). how european, mae's!
you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but the biscuits and gravy are absolutely phenominal! you have the choice of classic sausage gravy or vegetarian mushroom gravy, and they even offer an awesome half order (which comes with hashbrowns and 1 egg) that is the perfect amount of food. let's be honest, a full order of b & g is seriously mountaneous. the half order makes you feel not quite as guilty that you just chowed down on some gravy for breakfast. g is a huge fan of mae's oatmeal, which comes with an offering of brown sugar, walnuts, milk, and raisins to season to perfection.
if you're feeling frisky, mae's is also famous for offering "shake and eggs." you heard it here, mae's is the place where you can have a towering shake or smoothie to wash down your eggs, grits, and biscuits. mae calls it the breakfast of champions. now, i'm not one to turn down a challenge...but i've yet to try the combo. methinks it may just be the greatest hangover cure of all time. i'll keep you posted.

picture is of me and g getting ready to head into mae's for breakfast on the morning after my 22nd birthday!

vietnomnomnom.

this friday marked the 23rd anniversary of my lovely roomie m's birth! to celebrate, we put a wonderful group together and ventured to the highly recommended tamarind tree in the international district.
everyone seemed to have heard of this place but me...but i was excited to sample some vietnamese cuisine--as all i have had in the past is pho [which is always a win]. now, when i say that this place is tucked away, i really mean it. we had to poke our heads into a little 99cent shop to even figure out how to get there. upon arrival, however, it was definitely worth the hunt. take my advice, fellow foodies, when you make a reservation at the tamarind tree [and you should make one, especially on a weekend] try to do so on the patio. the covered area bosts a beautiful waterfall, lush bamboo and greenery, and is heated if need be. on this sunny friday evening, i couldn't ask for a better ambiance.
please, if you are a fan of cocktails--get a list. between the 10 of us we had lemongrass, kumquat, tamarind, and green tea martinis as well as a juicy pineapple mojito. the boys all manned up and had tsingtao--but i could see the hidden looks of envy as us girls swilled equal parts strong, fruity, and unique cocktails.
for starters, we split up some chicken satay and some amazing spring rolls. if i would have had it my way, i probably would have sat and munched on the spring rolls all meal. they were deliciously paired with peanut sauce, and sizably portioned. i, however, had to perform a minor ricepaper surgery on mine in order to extract a silly prawn. my neighboor in dining, the lovely roomie a, was happy to take it on.
now, i didn't get to sample every dish, but raves came all around for the coconut curry prawns and chili beef lemongrass. i sampled a new food, however, and went with the lotus root salad. at first, the lotus root was tangy, acidic, and a really intriguing flavor. but, after 3 or 4 pieces, i grew weary and found my chopsticks wandering to far away plates...
the star appeared to be roomie a's tamarind tree crepe. with the appearance of a large omlette or oversized taco and served with a pho-like platter of mint, lettuce and other greenery, the dish was daunting. the combination of a rice batter and coconut milk shell with the fillings of bean sprout, shiitake mushrooms, and mung beans was completely delictable. and while a had the dish riddled with sea creatures, i will probably opt for the vegetarian version on my next trip to the tamarind tree.
dessert was a personal sized ginger mousse with a candle in it especially for the birthday girl. i [of course] snuck a more-than-tiny nibble, and it was pretty perfect. i can't wait for my next visit!

the homiest of happy hours.

ladies, i suggest you make sure that sundays between 5-7 remain open on your calendars. that way, you can be sure to visit bottlehouse (a newly opened madrona wine bar) for their amazing 5 at 5 deal. resident viticulture specialist and bar owner, henri, will choose a wine for you based on your preferences--and pour you a sizable glass for just 5 dollars! and these aren't the shitty house wine pours of happy hours everywhere, these are beautiful, local, hand-selected wines.
bottlehouse is the neighbor of a personal breakfast favorite, the hi-spot, in a beautifully renovated madrona house. the interior is fun, simple, and completely comfortable--decorated and designed by henri's partner and co-owner, soni. i was ready to settle down and stay for the whole happy hour period (and then some).
now, for those of you who can't just sip wine and be content (ahem.....me!) there are also delicious snacks on the menu. they are served to share, and favorably priced. my group decided on some delicious green cerignola olives, beecher's cheese curds, and a baguette with olive oil.
as for accommodation of those who are not inclined to enjoy the vino--bottlehouse offers several select beers, hot lips soda varieties, and rootbeer floats! i suggest you all go out visit bottlehouse...and soon. before long, this place is going to really catch on and be predictably packed. make yourself a regular as soon as possible, you won't regret it.

spur saves the day.

this post is a little late...probably because i really wanted to sit and think of the words that would do spur the proper justice.
now, maybe it was because avila's service had just stomped on my heart so any good treatment was about to look monumental by comparison...but methinks spur may have been the most enjoyable dining experience to date. the great company of my companion, the fabulous gb wasn't so bad either!
nestled in belltown between 1st and 2nd, spur is home to imaginative, well-thought-out dishes, and even more intriguing cocktails. gb and i both started our meals off with delicious creations. both the cocktail and the entree menus rotate monthly, and your friendly server will kindly recommend you the best cocktail for your tastes. for gb and i, it was the addition of elderflower liqueur that urged us to try the persephone and the empress.
the trip to spur was my round two for restaurant week, and i was delighted to partake in another 3-course tasting menu for only $25. i was absolutely floored by my appetizer--a smoked cauliflower soup with aged parmesan. poured from a tiny ceramic pitcher into a large art piece of a bowl--the soup was smokey, deeply-flavorful, and resonant of a taste of grandma's cooking. how could i pass that up?
my entree was a short-rib over a parmesan potato mash. gb snuck a taste of the potatoes on my recommendation and proclaimed "this mash is giving plain mashed potatoes the culinary middle finger right now!" i couldn't have agreed more. the portioning was delicate and perfect.
finally for dessert [of course] i had a rhubarb tart with vanilla bean ice cream. now, we've discussed my adoration of rhubarb before, haven't we? and this dessert was no different. i'm pretty sure that rhubarb makes everything better, and spur topped off my perfect dinner with a delightful dessert.
to finish it all off, i can't even begin to commend the service. the staff was friendly, accessible, professional, and really fun to dine around. i would highly recommend dinner and drinks at spur. the menu rotates, so my perfect meal probably won't always be available. however, i can't even imagine spur making something sub-par. so eat, drink, be merry, and have a great time at spur!

restaurant week.

my roommates and i decided to take advantage of the 3 course for $25 menu for seattle restaurant week at avila restaurant in wallingford. avila is a perfect example of how front of the house and service really have an effect on how the eater perceives their food. unfortunately, avila's service left a bad taste in all of our mouths, even after 3 delicious courses.
we arrived with 1 minute to spare before our 7:30 reservation, and were told that our table wasn't ready. we were flexible, and the friendly bartender kept us happy with free champagne (and refills!) at the bar. normally, free champagne would cajole me, and it did for the first part of the meal. the waitress took our order and the wine, bread, and appetizers came out without a hitch. the appetizers were by far the strongest course of the meal. roomie a had the mussels (yuck!) and i was even brave enough to try one. as a fishlover, however, she said they were awesome and dipped some of the left over bread into the housemade vermouth and green garlic at the bottom of the dish. roomie m had the pan fried asparagus, which were tender but still crisp and super flavorful. my appetizer was a really yummy goat cheese souffle with greens. i was really pleased with my choice.
after that, however, the service really went downhill. our entrees took almost 40 minutes to come out. as we watched people who had ordered after us get their entrees, we wondered if we had been forgotten. i'm an avid top chef fan, i know that sometimes a course gets messed up in the kitchen, and i'm totally ok with it. however, the lateness of our entrees was never acknowledged or appologized for by our server. in fact, she never even came over the refill our water! luckily i was in good company with good wine, or this situation could have been really miserable.
i had an artichoke and endive crostada that had an amazingly flaky and sweet crust. it was a well-rounded and hearty vegetarian dish, that i was completely satisfied with. the girls both had the halibut, which i'm told was well-cooked but poorly dressed. the menu explanations were brief, and with no guidance from our waitress the girls found their plates with two mystery balls (which turned out to be breaded and fried manilla clam meatballs) and a foreign green liquid (still not entirely sure of contents). now, i'm all about trying new foods. however, i would definitely like to know that those foods are before trying them. the girls were great sports, but i could tell they were both disappointed in the cohesiveness of their halibut dish.
we finished with a dessert that definitely made up for the silly halibut. we had one of each offering and rotated a warm malted chocolate souffle, spiced bread pudding, and chilled rhubarb soup. in my opinion, the soup was the star. tart rhubarb is a personal favorite of my pallatte, and this one was paired with a angel-food-like puffy cake in the middle and topped with white chocolate creme. the souffle would be best described as "one-note." it was tasty, but nothing i've never tasted before and portioned substantially larger than it needed to be. the bread pudding was really flavorful and came with a tart yogurt gelato (yet another meal component we had to ask about) from fainting goat gelato right down the street. this definitely spiked an interest in me to blog some local gelato in the very near future!
all in all, avila is a place of good food and innovative ingredients. however, something as simple as lack of water and spotty service really overshadowed the food. i think i'll venture out and try a lot more restaurants before i return to avila.
photo cred to www.avilaseattle.com.

fishless in bellingham!

this lovely saturday i decided to take a 24hour trip to bellingham to visit the fabulous k and sample some cuisine and lower priced drinks. now, i have become quite the creature of habit when it comes to visiting bellingham and tend to do pretty much the same thing every time i go up there. this time we did try a new spot for dinner though.
we took a walk in the beautiful sunshine (!) down to the chuckanut brewery and kitchen with our good friend gl. the place was adorable, there was live banjo music, and new beers for me to sample on tap. while the beer was good, the food wasn't nearly as delectable as i would have hoped. i had a goat cheese tart which was pretty good, but my cup of veggie soup tasted like luke warm pace picante sauce. mild pace picante sauce. not a good look. gl ordered some yam fries to share, which were not to the standard of my favorite yam fries in seattle at smith. while the aoli was really good and smokey, an aoli doesn't save a burnt soggy fry, good sir.
the night continued with tours through entirely too many bars to name or judge. one i did enjoy and would like to visit again on my next trip is uisce (pronounced ISH-KAH). it's a traditional irish (gaelic) pub with a killer atmosphere and a ridiculously comfy couch by the fire.
in the morning we nursed our hangovers with an old bellingham standby, the bagelry. this place has the best sourdough bagels EVER and is pretty much always packed. i always stick with the veggie sandwich with regular cream cheese on sourdough, which comes with tomato, onion, and a mountain of sprouts. there are millions of both schmear and bagel flavors, so the combinations are endless.
to round the day out, this ice cream conniseaur HAD to stop in at mallard ice cream. this place seriously rivals molly moon's and has WAY more flavors to choose from. i had a tough time deciding but had to eventually go with the earl grey, which was absolutely perfect! another favorite is the rose, which tastes like sweet rosewater and is super refreshing. mallard is so good, it is worth driving all the way to bellingham just to have some.

holy benedict, batman.

as much as a HATE seafood i LOVE breakfast. if i had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of my life i would absolutely choose breakfast or brunch. now, with this morning meal obsession comes some majorly discerning tastebuds for eggs benedict.

before i even go out to breakfast with someone, i check the online menu to see if they have a decent benedict selection. by far, my favorite comes from glo's on capitol hill.

the classic eggs benedict comes with a roasted tomato, a perfectly poached egg, and a savory, lemon-y, hollandaise. glo's also deviates from the classic with an eggs californian (avacado and tomato), eggs blackstone (bacon, tomato, and spinach), and a salmon benedict (need not apply to this blog, mister!) each one is absolutely impeccable (i'm pretty sure you fish-lovers will love the salmon).

for those of you who cringe at a butter-based sauce and a runny egg yolk there are many other options for you at glo's. my morning companion, the amazing gb, had another personal favorite in the vegetarian biscuits and gravy. the biscuits are huge and flaky and the gravy is unbelievably flavorful. meat-maniacs won't miss the traditional sausage chunks at all.

service is personal and friendly, and the coffee flows very favorably. on a weekend, you will definitely have to wait, but it will most certainly be worth it! take it from me, order a piece of the ridiculously delicious sour cream coffee cake, chill out, and wait for the best benedict of your life.

baby, let's talk cupcakes.

the time has come.
more than a foodie, i consider myself a completely official cupcake conniseur. today we're going to talk about my latest cupcake experience--my first time at yellow leaf .
nestled in belltown, dangerously close to dahlia lounge, yellow leaf is the lesser known of the seattle cupcake titans. however, i predict that they will soon go the way of the trophy or the cupcake royale. they flavors are innovative and well executed, the ambiance is small and homey, and they seem to really love what they are doing.
my partner in cupcakes and i tried the two signature flavors of the house. i had the tomato soup (whaaaaa?!?!?) and g had the pancakes and bacon. don't be led astray by the name tomato soup, as it is really just a semi-savory spice cake with a chocolate ganache and frosting. it was really unique in taste, and i was happy to try something i'd never had before. the pancakes and bacon, which i was granted exactly one bite of, was a weird experience. much like willy wonka's three-course meal gum, this pancake cupcake tasted exactly like when you take a piece of buttered pancake, pick up a little piece of bacon on the fork and then swirl it all around in the excess plate syrup. the little flecks of bacon in the maple cake base will please any bacon addict.
the flavor rotation at yellow leaf is a little different, as they have over 90 flavors on a constant rotation. on any given day you can find a new flavor to try, which makes each visit a suprise. some that were not offered on my visit, but i hope to sample in the future include: rainbow sherbert, earl grey, spumoni, and sweet licorice. i believe that the normal flavors [chocolate, vanilla, red velvet] are there everyday for you classic types, but it's this idea of suprise flavor that really puts yellow leaf in a special place for me.
however, it'll take a lot to convert this cupcake royale girl, to any other seattle cupcake shop.
ps. pictures are of me and g enjoying our cupcakes on the go:)

tom douglas lunch date.

for some reason, when people talk about seattle dining you hear dahlia lounge consistently peppered through conversation. this is why, today, my bestie g and i checked it out for a quick lunch. i did see that the dinner menu was more extensive and showed a bit more variety, but i was happy with the opportunity to check out the place i've heard so much about.
really, what dahlia boils down to is flavor. it's simple food, served on simple plates, and with simple garnishes. the flavor, however, is anything but simple. tom douglas, isn't a famous seattle restaurateur by accident. the complexity in even the simplest dishes is what keeps dahlia lounge, and douglas's other seattle restaurants on the tips of everyone's tongues.
now, dahlia is currently participating in the month-long march event dine around seattle, which showcases 30-something restaurants offering 3 course prix fixe dinner menus for $30, with many others serving a similar $15 lunch. g and i could not resist partaking in the great deal and enjoying a 3-course lunch!
the special lunch menu offered a spring greens salad, tomato soup with croutons, or albacore poke for appetizers, a beecher's grilled cheese, pork hum bao, or pan-seared chilled albacore for entrees, and lychee sorbet, coconut cream pie, or a vanilla bean eclair for dessert. i am a big sucker for grilled cheese and tomato soup, and this definitely put what i craft to at home to shame! the tomato soup was fresh, textured, and perfectly seasoned, and the beecher's cheese oozed from the rustic potato bread like some sort of cheese-lover's art form. g had the salad to start which was large, deliciously dressed, but pretty plain overall. for entree she tried the pork hum bao. it was served with steamed gai lan [chinese kale] and sticky rice.
for dessert, we couldn't try two different things because we were both already in love with the lychee sorbet before we even tasted it. and we were not disappointed when it arrived with an amazing sesame ginger sauce on top. the lychee flavor was true to life, and the not-too-sweet dessert left us feeling light, refreshed, and fully satisfied with our dahlia lounge experience.

i scream. you scream.

today is the day that i share internet elaboration on my favorite seattle spot of all MOLLY MOONS!!! with two locations [capitol hill and wallingford] this ice cream boutique is absolutely irresistible, intriguingly delicious, and eco-friendly to boot. i love it so much, i even own a molly moon's t-shirt! if you want one for your very own, you can't purchase online just yet...but mine and many more are on sale at either location.
now, my molly moon's knowledge might be borderline embarrassing to most, but i take great pride in having at least sampled nearly every flavor in the repertoire. molly moon is an actual person, and shares her actual given name with the shop. this woman is an ice cream genius. on any given day in the shop you will find such flavors as salted caramel, [girl]scout mint, balsamic strawberry, or theo chocolate [straight from the fremont chocolate shop, which will be blogged as soon as it's visited by yours truly!] toppings include fresh fruit compote, cajeta, lemon curd, and a completely perfect hot fudge. the flavors and toppings rotate, and a new flavor is always popping up to challenge your taste-buds' threshold.
whenever i have visitors to the seattle area, i always take them to molly's and we are never disappointed. beware of going on a warm friday or saturday night, as there can be a line wrapping around the block and on a heavily visited day the shop may run out of (gasp) waffle cones! and trust me, you want to have the option...as they are AMAZING.
and just one more tip to the inexperienced ice cream patron--don't fret if you can't decide between two flavors and know your tummy won't allow a double scoop. you always have the option of asking for a "split scoop" and getting a half scoop of each of two delicious flavors. try salted caramel with maple walnut or theo chocolate, mix one of the featured vegan sorbet flavor with a bit of the scrumptious vanilla bean, or go OFF and try a sample of them all. you won't be sorry and you'll always come back for more!

the classy vegetarian.

my lovely mama and i celebrated her birthday at the greenwood vegetarian eatery carmelita. mama is a vegetarian, and i am a recovering vegetarian, so the swanky little place was right up our alley. aside from minor parking difficulties, the evening was amazing, and the food was even more spectacular than i might have imagined.
now, mama's birthday is a special holiday, so we really went off and tried a ton of stuff. eating on a budget is usually my rule of thumb, but that definitely goes aside to celebrate her! we started with an appetizer of a port-poached pear with goat cheese sorbet and a green salad with candied walnuts. it was a borderline dessert, but absolutely delicious. the pear was named in the menu as a jerzy boyz pear, which i felt suprised i'd never heard of. but after some research, i learned that jerzy boyz is the name of the farm of origin of the pears, not a specific variety. [for more info on jerzy boyz organic apple and pear farm click here]. the table next to us ordered the enviable beet carpaccio, which i will definitely order next time.
as for entrees, i had the absolutely irresistible root vegetable pot pie--served in a ramekin with a warm side salad of greens with hazelnuts and marinated hedgehog mushrooms. the pot pie had a rich, mushroom-y base and featured carrots, potatoes, and turnips. the crust on top was perfectly flaky and the overall result was ultra-comforting and addictive. i could barely stop eating long enough to try my mom's dish on the other side of the table. thank goodness i did, because her purple rice and green onion cake was completely spectacular. served with sugar-pie pumpkin mash and a phenomenal cashew sauce, the dish had the hearty complexity that one typically misses in vegetarian dishes. the giant man to our right looked over and said "i'll have what she's having," when harry met sally style.
now, it being a celebration, we certainly ordered dessert. we didn't even split it. we got TWO. first, mom's pick, the carrot cake [sans raisins, much to her excitement] topped with fennel ice cream (!) and candied fennel seed. the cake was not-too-sweet, and the ice cream was the star of the dish. my choice was the special, a passion-fruit and goat cheese creme brulee that was topped with minced pickled rhubarb. YUM. the brulee was super rich, extremely complex in flavor, and with the perfect bruleed sugar crunch on top.
my mom is seriously already planning on what she might order when we go back, which will definitely happen in the not-too-distant future. and we might just have to take a gallon of that fennel ice cream home with us!

hot date?

might i suggest serafina??? eastlake's own modern italian osteria and enoteca [literally translated...a place where someone can host you and serve you wine...my living room, anyone?] is cozy, intimate, and super-inviting. my partner in crime for the evening, manfriend b, and i really enjoyed the decor, ambiance, and [most importantly!] food at serafina.
now, i believe on a weekend it might be a pretty good idea to make a reservation, because on a sunday night at about 8:30 we were lucky enough to happen upon the last available table. a LARGE group of individuals were celebrating a birthday, and they were definitely out of place. serafina seems like more of a one on one or two on two type of location...which is why i would suggest it for a hot date, hot double date, or a great catching up time with one or a couple friends.
now, i always and will always judge an italian restaurant immediately by their bread. honestly, major points are lost with lack of bread. thankfully, serafina hooked us up with some delicious rustic crusty bread and herb/garlic infused olive oil. along with blog-approved bread, serafina also boasts a freaking intimidating wine list. the waitstaff is unbelievably knowledgeable [or convincingly appear so] but i still opted for a cocktail. usually a beer girl, i couldn't turn down the elisir della fiore, which combined gin, elderflower liquor,and fresh lemon juice with a splash of proseco. it was just as "seductive" as the menu had promised.
ok, onto entrees! i had the pollo arrosoto, which paired a near-perfectly roasted chicken breast with roasted butternut squash, pancetta, and brussels sprouts with a pistacio jus. now, this chicken which once boasted the breast i received must have been quite buxom, because my portion could only be described as hearty. hello, doggy bag! i was disappointed to find that the promised brussels sprouts, a personal favorite, were just a few scattered leaves within the squash and pancetta mixture. however, all brussels sprouts aside, i enjoyed my dish. b had the restaurant's signature dish, which featured eggplant crusted with parmesan and wrapped around ricotta in a manicotti-like fashion. the dish was also served with capellini pasta and went by the name melanzane alla serafina. it was really good as well, but did appear very wimpy next to my buxom chicken breast.
the dessert menu was quite impressive, but we forewent in favor of cocktails (!). however, i eagerly await another occasion where i can sample what serafina has to offer my sweet tooth.

u district lunching for beginners.

i seriously do not have enough praise for the little piece of heaven right on portage bay by the name of agua verde. you may remeber seeing the cafe & kayak rental location on an episode of rachael ray's $40 a day, back before she had the CBS daytime talk show.
don't let the water-inspired name fool you, agua verde IS a fish-lover's delight, but also a fish-hater's friend. vegetarian, chicken, and pork options abound on this colorful, creative, and tasty menu.
at lunchtime the place can get pretty busy. however, the dual ordering system offers a streetcart-esque window for those on the go (typically on bike)and those who care to dine-in order and pay up front right at the entrance. time is saved by bussing one's own table, retrieving one's own water, and helping oneself to the delicious salsa bar. i like this autonomous system, and it seems to work very well for the table turnover at agua.
now, on to deliciousity! this visit, i partook in the "tacos boniato"--3 corn tortillas topped with marinated yams, sauteed peppers and onions, cojita cheese and a flavorful avacado cream sauce. lunch orders come with chips and your choice of 3-4 housemade salsas. my favorite is the sweet and cilantro-y salsa verde, but all are very delicious.
my counterpart, my lovely roomie a, is not of the fishless folk and had the "tacos bacalao" which features alaskan cod in a coconut beer batter with shredded cabbage and the same avacado sauce that highlighted my yam tacos. the crispy fried texture of the cod almost made me want to have a bite (!), but i refrained, knowing i wouldn't like what lay underneath the juicy shell.
i can't wait, and i'm sure won't wait...for another quick lunchtime visit to try the portobello or pollo tacos, or the enticing mango quesadilla!

geburtstag.

to celebrate a friends birthday, a large group headed to feierabend to partake in some most delicious german beers. brought to you by the folks who created die bier stube and prost, the south lake union bar is a great place for beer lovers to meet, speak loudly, and question the music selection.

my all-time favorite beer, paulaner salvator, is on tap at all 4 locations, and i have a hard time venturing away from the creamy goodness. i had a .5L, and then proceded to sip on a lighter old standard and ordered a full liter of bitburger. yum! other recommendations include the spaten oktoberfest, a close second. as far as i'm concerned, if i'm not microbrewing, the beer had better be german...because no one does it better.

the first.

to start what i hope is a very long and enticing adventure with seattle food, i ventured mere blocks from my house to Hudson. having only stopped in for their amazing local beer selection, i'd decided it was time to try what the gastropub had to offer. [if you're not familiar with a gastropub...read here...it may just be my favorite type of food!]

my partner in crime for the evening, the lovely J, and I approached on foot with empty tummies and we were not disappointed!

i grappled with enjoying a more traditional pub meal [house-made beet and kale veggie burger with salad] but landed on the ricotta gnocchi. with red wine mushroom ragout, toasted pine nuts, and a shaved brussel sprout salad to top, i really couldn't turn it down. it arrived much smaller than i had anticipated, but when i bit into the first gnocchi, i saw it was brilliant portioning. much more would have been too filling. although, i found my dish to be void of pinenuts (!) the shaved sprouts were a great compliment to heavy gnocchi, and my favorite mushrooms (enoki-the kind with the little heads and long stems) were in full force with some shiitakes in the sauce. all in all, there were definitely no leftovers to take home.

J's dish was the pasta pancetta, with wide noodles, salumi pancetta, foraged mushrooms, spinach, walnuts, and a ridiculously rich cream sauce. all this was spiked with some parmesiano-reggiano. there was a clean plate on her end as well.

the star of the night, as is usual with me, was the dessert. banana beignets with a freaking ridiculous dulce de leche sauce on top. in J's words, it was with great restraint that we didn't pick up the plate and lick it.

in the beginning.

as a flagrant hater of all things from the sea, it is occasionally difficult for me to eat as well as i should in the emerald city. trust me, i know that this is where the "good" seafood comes from. i've been told many times that my distaste comes from having eaten "bad" seafood in the past. this is not the case.

to my palate, all seafood tastes like salt and dirt. not much else. i know i am not alone in this quest for amazing non-seafood in seattle.

i'm not here to be a food critic, i hardly have the training, experience, or culinary knowledge for that. i am simply a lover of all things edible, here to share all the delectable and less-than-delectable experiences i have in seattle restaurants (dessert included, please!).