My dad loves seafood. Loves it and makes some of the most perfectly cooked salmon both grilled and pan seared that I’ve ever eaten. His favorite is whole fish though – nothing is more exciting at a restaurant to him than munching on the fish head to get the last bits of fish. This is usually met with a bit of shock in western restaurants, but it’s perfectly normal at an asian one. The fish is always served with a head at a chinese restaurant – that’s how they prove it’s fresh. 😛 So I’m always on the lookout for a great seafood restaurants, and while seattle has a plethora of restaurants that serve seafood, there are not that many that specialize in it. Seastar, Ettas, and Rays are the standards that usually come to mind. Recently, there has been a trend toward seafood with Barnacle, Westward, and most recently, Rock Creek opening.
Tag Archives: american
Only the Freshest – mkt
Posted onI had the great fortune of making a great friend at jury a few weeks ago. She noticed that I had snagged myself a Salumi’s sandwich and we struck up a conversation. It turns out – we both love food and working out; we’re going to get along wonderfully. I shall refer to her as Salumi since that’s how we met. 🙂 Since we had so much in common, especially food, we decided to go out for dinner together and try a restaurant on our wishlist. Given that I’m a huge fan of Ethan Stowell and tapas, mkt seemed like the perfect choice.
“For Shore” – Voula’s Off Shore Cafe
Posted onThis is a famous local cafe that Guy Fiori visited, but we happened upon this joint after searching for brunch places in the U-District. I don’t know why this place has never been on my radar, but the line was 30 minutes at noon on Sunday. You’ll have to wait outside, so dress warmly.
Prince Charming had the pinata benedict – it did not disappoint. Creamy hollandaise sauce smothered a meaty smoked pulled pork. I didn’t taste any chipotle in the sause, but maybe I didn’t enough enough of it. I had the Denver Omelet. The egg was fluffy and thick, with what seemed like chedder cheese sauce inside. It’s filling! Both plates came with a very healthly side of hashbrowns.
This Little Pig – Le Petit Cochon
Posted onAlways on the search for delicious new restaurants, the Black Knight and I, had reservations at Le Petit Cochon in Fremont for Friday night dinner. Even at 7:45 we had to wait about 30 minutes before we were seated in the bar, but given that they had literally opened a week ago I expect those wait times will decrease. The Black Knight says that if there’s a pris fixe menu, then we should order it because it will showcase the best of the restaurant. Who am I to argue with that reasoning? It was also the first night they were serving the pris fixe menus ($65), so there was some confusion around the wine pairing ($25) and timing of the dishes.
A Little Bit of Tit for a Whole Lot of Tat – Tat’s Delicatessen
Posted onThe greatest joy of jury duty is going to the diners around Pioneer Square that are only open for lunch on weekdays, i.e. Salumi’s. I tried Tat’s Delicatessen for the first time, as I soft spot for cheesesteak. How can you go wrong with cheese and steak? An 8 inch sub loaded with steak, cheese, onions, bell peppers (mushrooms and hot peppers if you want them) is only $8.50 and it is LOADED. Loaded to the point where the poor hoagie holding the entire monstrosity together almost fell apart before I could get through the first quarter of the sandwich (maybe I’m a slow eater). The steak isn’t very flavorful, but the sheer heft and value makes it worth it.
An Enchanted Evening – El Gaucho’s Seattle
Posted onOnce 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.
insane truffle soup – the gourmet version of mushroom soup, delicate and flavorful without overwhelming
Quintessential Celebration – Quinn’s
Posted onOnce 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!
apple ginger sage soda – a refreshing blend of savory and sweet ingredients
Spurring the Imagination – Spur Gastropub
Posted onOnce 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.
smoked hamachi – yellowtail sashimi with avocado wrapped veggies