Category Archives: Reviews

Mar 25 2013

An Enchanted Evening – El Gaucho’s Seattle

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Once upon a time, a Black Knight, was tasked with finding a suitible restaurant for celebrating a birthday for a Princess. After much deliberation, he settled on El Gaucho’s, Seattle’s premiere steakhouse.  From the moment they entered, the evening was enchanted.  Live music floated through the night, the generous and attentive wait staff wished the Princess many more successful years.  To try the vaulted specialities of the restaurant, they both ordered the tasting menu.

The Princess loves truffles, so naturally, the Insane Truffle Soup was love at first taste.

soup - truffle soup

insane truffle soup – the gourmet version of mushroom soup, delicate and flavorful without overwhelming

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Mar 10 2013

Quintessential Celebration – Quinn’s

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Once upon a time, there was a princess who loved foie gras – who searched the land far and wide for dishes incorporating the rich and velvety flavor of this delicacy.  Quinn’s, the local gastropub, is one of her favorite places and she revels in introducing guests to the Ultimate burger – a burger with foie gras among other things.  A toast to celebrate another successful year!

drinks - soda

apple ginger sage soda – a refreshing blend of savory and sweet ingredients

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Feb 4 2013

Spurring the Imagination – Spur Gastropub

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Once upon a time, there was a pub, that strove to be more than just a simple pub, and thus set lofty dreams of becoming a “gastropub” – an establishment frequented primarily for cocktails and jovial atmosphere, but with food fit for a foodie.  Hailed for their molecular gastronomy techniques (the science and art of mixing chemistry to push ingredients beyond their traditional identities) and inventive dishes, they attracted accolades locally and nationally.

The Princess and Nutkin chose to dine at Spur after acquiring a voucher from a local merchant.  They started with the smoked hamachi, an impressive dish serving sashimi without the aid of wasabi or soy sauce.

appetizer - smoked hamachi

smoked hamachi – yellowtail sashimi with avocado wrapped veggies

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Feb 1 2013

Princess Dreams of Sushi – Shiro’s

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Once upon a time, there was a master sushi chef, named Shiro, widely regarded as the best sushi master in Seattle.  Impressed by the praise and the honors bestowed upon Shiro, she set out to determine the merits of the claims.

Always a favorite, the agadashi tofu did not disappoint with it slightly sweetened broth and crispy texture.

appetizer - agadashi tofu

agadashi tofu – crunch on the outside, bathing in a lightly sweetened broth

As she wanted the chef to shine, she ordered the omakase (chef’s choice).  Ordering the omakase proved a little confusing as the table had three diners, and thus attempted to order three orders.  However, the server informed them that omakase starts at $50 and is portioned for two people.  $75 offered three pieces of each, but did not affect the items served.   Continue reading »

Jan 27 2013

Fairytales from France – Rovers

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Once upon a time, there was a Chef in the Hat, who created the most fanciful menus all of Seattle had seen at his restaurant called Rover’s.  However, after some time, he decided to shutter this restaurant and venture on to new projects.  This would be the last time the Princess would dine here – this was his last stand.  And what a stand it was!

The delicate amuse bouche of smoked duck, potato leek soup, and chevre gougere delighted.

smoked duck

amuse bouche – smoked duck

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amuse bouche – gougere with chevre, like a savory cream puff pillow filled with goat cheese

potato leek soup

potato leek soup with turmeric

The salmon mousse and duck confit appetizers full of complex favors set the stage for the rest of the meal. Continue reading »