Upon walking in, I immediately noticed the restaurant is warm, not only the atmosphere, but literally its temperature. However, I quickly realized this is likely because of the open kitchen. And while an open kitchen may put off some diners for one reason or another, I found it inviting – as if, we were all sharing in some of the chefs’ work.

The menu is, thankfully, on the small side, which for me is a restaurant’s way of saying, “Here is what we are really good at. You don’t need anything else.” I like this type of confidence and the reason Revel is packed most nights is because the communal street food dishes of noodles, dumplings and pancakes consistently delivers.

The menu is clearly broken down into categories such as salads, pancakes, dumplings, rice, and noodles and each category contains only a few variations. I first ordered the kale, walnut, arugula, and pecorino pancake. This was, without a doubt, the standout dish of the night. Part salad, part crispy pancake, this dish refused to be typecast into a specific role. For those who think kale is only a garnish, please reconsider your previous experiences.

Next, I ate a noodle dish consisting of dungeness crab, seaweed noodle, crème fraiche, and spicy red curry. You may get initial sticker shock when you see the price of this noodle bowl ($16). However, the noodles are quite thick and there is a generous portion of crab meat. The best part of this dish is the red curry. I’d like a bottle of it, thank you very much.

The last dish intrigued me the most based because it contained items I never thought would go together. The cauliflower ricotta dumpling with black truffle sesame and pickled leeks bordered two entirely different cuisines. On the one hand, it appeared Italian because of its similarity to a ravioli filled with ricotta. On the other hand, however, the thick doughy dumpling was traditional.

With Revel’s tiny menu, you can sample each dish within a handful of visits. The “problem” is that you’ll want to order the ones you loved from the previous visits. Don’t fret, however, when you visit Revel and there is a 45 minute wait. You’re welcome to walk through the restaurant and enter Quoin, Revel’s bar, with a wonderful selection of handcrafted cocktails that’ll make you forget about the rumbling in you stomach.

Momiji just opened up in Capitol Hill. I got to check it out for Thrillist.

Check out the full article here.

The Chef’s other restaurant, Luc (named after his Dad), likely receives less attention, but it’s a more affordable option and you can justify going there for no special occasion.  Shortly after Luc opened, my wife and I went. I thought I made the wiser choice, choosing the beef onglet steak, while my wife simply chose a burger. While the steak was great, the burger stole the show. I’ve had a hunger for the burger ever since and I recently satisfied this craving.

The burger is not on Luc’s happy hour menu (everyday, 430p-630p, food and drink options), but at $13, it’s still a great deal considering its size, taste, and accompanying fries. What really sets the Luc burger apart from other burgers is Rautureau’s ability to make the burger different without being weird. There are a handful of “different” burger shops in Seattle, but some of their burgers are so wild they border on obscene. Rautureau’s burger, on the other hand, is different in that it’s topped with aioli, tomato jam, and caramelized onion. No cheese, no fried egg, no bacon. Different, but not weird. Sweet and savory, without a salt-induced-coma.

Other dishes sampled included the smoked salmon tartine, steamed mussels and clams in a saffron broth (not pictured), and a pulled pork BLT, all of which are on the happy hour menu and worth trying.

Opened in the Seattle U-adjacent space vacated by Doc Hastings, and named (in a sly nod to the university’s not-PC former mascot) for traditional Irish clan chiefs by the pub vet behind Finn MacCool’s and McGilvra’s, this fireplace’d 99-seater’s serving a mash-up of American & Emerald Isle eats in a cavernous, polished wood-heavy bar made sporty by the addition of flatscreens, a pool table, and a pinball machine. Mains mean a cheddar/ mozzarella/ Parmesan mac ‘n cheese laced with bacon; a beef-/ potato-based Guinness Stew; and an onion gravy-smothered Bangers and Mash, which, because it means he doesn’t have to pass the ball or rebound, is also Jamal’s favorite lineup. They’re also doing burgers (the tangy BBQ-/ bacon-topped Bar-B-Bac), sandos (a corned beef/ horseradish mayo Irish Dip w/ au jus), and apps like Kobe Beef or Pulled Pork Sliders, and a jack/ cheddar/ homemade salsa Ques O’ Dilla, which, in Spanish, presumably refers to all that Slum Village money Jay Dee made before he died.

Future plans call for outdoor seating, plus all-day happy hour on Monday, and Sunday football specials, where you can enjoy local/ Euro brews, and a variety of Glens, but hopefully not any Becks, since most people can only take about a minute of that guy, anyway.

Originally posted by Thrillist

[via Thrillist]

Today, I was the first one in line. Suddenly, I remembered that they do not accept cards and I did not have any cash on me. While I sadly walked back to my car to figure out where the closest ATM was located, I saw Uneeda Burger, which reminded me of their recent Thrillist article.  When a door closes, another opens…

#9, a.k.a. the Medi-terra Lamb Burger, topped with peppers, onions, manchego, tempura lemons (yep!), arugula, and cilantro was beyond satisfying.  As I read through the variety of ingredients on this burger, I thought that no possible harmony could be achieved amongst so many strong ingredients.  Happily incorrect, I found that everything came together in culinary bliss.  The standout ingredient were the tempura lemons, which popped through the peppery arugula and meatiness of the lamb patty.

Did I need a burger?  Yes, yes I did.  Oh, and they take cards.

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS :

35th Street Bistro
ART Restaurant and Lounge
Barking Frog
Barrio Bellevue
Barrio Seattle
Barolo Ristorante
Beach Café
Bin on the Lake
Blue Acre Seafood
Café Campagne
Chandler’s Crabhouse
Chez Shea
Cutter’s Bayhouse
Earth & Ocean
Eva
Hunger
Hunt Club
Lecosho
Lot 3
Mamma Melina
McCormick’s Fish House & Bar
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Downtown Seattle
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant Bellevue
Monsoon East
Monsoon Seattle
Nishino
Palisade Waterfront Restaurant
Palomino Bellevue
Palomino Seattle
Ponti Seafood Grill
Purple Café Bellevue
Ray’s Boathouse
Redfin
Salty’s Alki
Salty’s Redondo Beach
Shuckers
Spazzo Italian Grill & Wine Bar
Stanford’s Northgate
Stanford’s Southcenter
Steelhead Diner
Stumbling Goat Bar and Bistro
Szmania’s
Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge
Urbane

Via Tribunali (Cap Hill, Fremont, Georgetown, and Queen Anne)