I have to share something with you. I rarely take a restaurant seriously when its menu is hanging on my apartment’s doorknob. Granted, it is cheap advertising and it isn’t fair for me to pre-judge them but the whole act just seems a little sketchy. How did they even gain access to what I was told is the most secure building in Seattle? I assume, someone ordered food and the delivery guy decided to wallpaper the building with the restaurant’s menu. No matter the method, these pesky menus seem to find their way to mine, and every other apartment doorknob in Puget Sound…or so it seems.
However much I disagree with their marketing campaign, Bambino’s East Coast Pizzeria was a beacon of hope. I had just gotten home from a business trip and remembered that there was little edible food in the fridge and what was left should have been thrown out before I took off. I had no ambition to go grocery shopping and I barely had any desire to go online to get the number of a reliable delivery restaurant. The menu from Bambino’s was still lying on my counter, almost as if challenging me to take a closer look. After looking at the pictures in their menu I thought it would be worth a shot. Worst case scenario is that I’d have a bad review to write that night.
In my opinion, the pizza here isn’t really East Coast style. When I think East Coast style I think the places that come closest are Pagliacci and Piecoras. Bambino’s pizza is more similar to the style you’ll find in Italy, think Tutta Bella if you’ve ever been there. Bambino’s pizza is the kind that will get your hand a little messy with the flour that is left on the dough after being cooked in a wood burning oven. This yields a very soft pizza which may be top heavy because of the toppings.
I share one complaint about Bambino’s pizza that I recall someone else mentioned. The pizza gets kind of soggy, but I assume this mostly happens when it’s delivery versus eating it fresh at the restaurant.
I ordered a half and half… half Tropicale, half Capriosscia. The Tropicale is a cool way to say Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and I suppose Capricciosa is a cool way to say sausage, mushrooms and onions. Remember my comment about the soggy slices; happens to be that it was only the Tropical that suffered from it. I found the pizza to be really flavorful. The onions were very sweet and the sauce was not overly spicy. The crust even had some of the nice char flavor that comes from a wood burning oven.
I definitely like what was brought to my door but I think I’ll have to pay a visit to Bambino’s, just to be fair. So, as it turns out, I’m actually kind of grateful that somebody decided to bombard my apartment with Bambino’s menu. Maybe there’s hope for a peaceful coexistence between me and the menu-plastering-people after all.
Italian, Pizza
***Reviewed by guest reviewer, Platinum Palate***
Teriyaki, Sushi, Bento, Yakisoba, the list goes on. Japanese food seems to have something for everyone whether you are looking for a delicate fine dining experience or quick lunch on the go. Hiroshi’s on Eastlake Ave. is one of those middle of the road Japanese restaurants where you go for a comfortable, moderately authentic experience while maintaining the feel of a local sports bar. The pinkish-purple sign will pull you in to the tiny strip mall Hiroshi’s calls home.
As you enter the restaurant there is a delightful juxtaposition of design with a big screen TV playing the Mariner’s game on the right of the restaurant and a full sushi bar complete with fish slicing chef on the left. If you are anything like me, the site of an active sushi bar gets visions of flying fish roe, inari and spider rolls flying through your head.
Because Hiroshi’s is known largely for the lunch crowd it has a wide variety of foods to get you going at pretty reasonable costs ($5-15 a plate). I decided to start out with some gyoza. Gyoza is a pretty standard starter for any Japanese restaurant and it turned out to be a strong choice. It came out piping hot (the only way it should be served) lay across a black tray. The flavor of onions and pork were well balanced and the texture of the half sticky half crispy dumpling shell was perfect. From there it was on to the Sushi for the main course.
The Chef’s choice for the evening was a five fish selection sushi tray with a spicy tuna cone roll. It was elegantly prepared in a traditional bowl with all the usual fixings of ginger and wasabi. We also ordered a Dragon Roll for a little variety. The Dragon Roll is a combination of a shrimp tempura roll covered with sweet glazed broiled eel (unagi) and avocados. When paired with a light soy and wasabi mixture the dish is a medley of sweet, spicy, and bold flavors.
All and all the food was above average but not great. The presentation was refreshing and authentic as far as American Japanese restaurants go. It met my expectations but was not overly impressive in any way. If you are feeling like a good meal and a little culture at a moderate cost Hiroshi’s in Eastlake will be the right choice.
Asian, Japanese
