This past Saturday the Foodster crew decided to splurge and head to the new restaurant on Capitol Hill – Poppy. It’s a bright addition to the Hill, with a warm interior of pale wood and orange and red accents. The menu is seasonal and prix fixe, for $32 you receive a thali – a platter of small dishes of the chef’s choosing, modeled off of the flavors of the Northwest.
For cocktails, the men had scotch and I choose a “wine flight” – three glasses of 2 oz. pours for $14. Each wine paired well with my thali dishes, and gave me the opportunity to try a few wines I might not have normally ordered. To start we tried the popular eggplant fries with sea salt and honey. The fries are also part of Poppy’s bar menu, along with other appetizers and a few entrées. I would definitely consider returning to Poppy and sitting at the bar for some more eggplant fries – they were delicious.
Poppy is an adventure – a restaurant to check off your list of places to go – and after receiving an explanation of our thalis, the guys and I weren’t feeling so adventurous anymore. We each had differing opinions about which plates we enjoyed – and there were a few plates we unanimously loved or hated. I choose the vegetarian thali and thought that my potato leek soup was a superb blend of flavors, but the vivid green spring greens soup on the non-vegetarian thali didn’t suit any of our palates. After the soup there were two small plates with orange flavors – first a blood orange, taggia olive, and endive salad; and secondly, broccoli salad with toasted sesame and seville orange. The broccoli salad had a little bit of heat to it, and the combination of broccoli and seville orange was curious but appetizing.
Next on our thalis were our main dishes – for the vegetarian option: stuffed savoy with hedgehogs, goat cheese, and red pepper; and celery root ravioli with local white truffle butter. I found the savoy interesting but unremarkable, but on the other hand, the ravioli were outstanding. The butter sauce wasn’t heavy but still felt decadent, and the celery root was a subtle and surprising flavor. On the non-vegetarian platters were spot prawns with cashews, cardamom, and clove; and anderson ranch lamb osso bucco with orange and coriander. We all agreed the cardamom, cashews, and clove was an ideal seasonal pairing, but my dining companions were less impressed with the lamb, feeling it was slightly dry.
There were four other small plates plus naan on our thalis. We liked the saffron risotto fritter, and none of us finished the braised red cabbage with pomegranate. We enjoyed the gratin, and I couldn’t understand the idea behind pickling fennel. Overall, our thali small dishes were hit or miss. A select few plates made us see the inspiration behind the seasonal Northwest cuisine, but many left us feeling not adventurous enough to return.
Courtesy of Miss CC
Whether you’re looking for a great Valentine’s date idea because you’re madly in love or because you’ve been sleeping on the couch and need to redeem yourself – these 10 restaurants just might do the trick.
Check out Ponti Seafood Grill near the Seattle Center if you want to avoid the long flower lines at Pike Place Market – Ponti, for an additional charge, will put flowers and champagne on your table before you arrive. (Seattle Center/Queen Anne; $70 prix fixe; champagne and flowers: $40+)
http://www.pontiseafoodgrill.com/
Turn the whole day into a date – head to the Seattle Art Museum and stroll hand in hand through the galleries, then try out TASTE, SAM’s restaurant, for a prix fixe 4-course meal. Bonus points – vegetarian options and wine pairings are available. (Downtown; $49 prix fixe)
http://www.tastesam.com/default.aspx
http://tastesamblog.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/valentines-day/
Even your vegan loved one can enjoy a dinner out – Café Flora has a whole menu of vegan and gluten-free foods, and a special Valentine’s menu for the evening of the 14th. (E Madison St.; $45 prix fixe)
http://www.cafeflora.com/
Impress your sweetheart with a homemade dinner (try out the recipe from the Capital Grille below,) and then head to one of Purple Café and Wine Bar’s three locations for His and Hers desserts. (Kirkland, Seattle, Woodinville; $8 desserts, $7 wine tastings)
http://www.thepurplecafe.com/
Ladies – impress your man by not only making the plans, but focusing the evening on beer instead of cheesy sentiments! Can’t go out on Saturday, or it’s all booked? Check out the pre-Valentine’s tasting on Thursday the 12th. (Vegetarian options available; beer: $65; wine or beer: $75)
www.pikebrewing.com
Soul food and soul music at Tom Douglas’ Heart and Soul Party. Enough said. (Palace Ballroom; Downtown; $100 per person includes the entire menu, wine, and dancing.)
http://www.tomdouglas.com/palace-ballroom
If you’re looking to avoid the madness of Saturday, try Chez Shea, one of Seattle’s most romantic restaurants. They’re having their 4 course Valentine’s menu available Tuesday through Sunday. ($62-68 prix fixe)
http://www.chezshea.com/
Save a heart – during the whole month of February Serafina is hosting musicians, putting aphrodisiacs on the menu, and offering you the chance to win a romantic getaway if you donate to the Medic One Foundation. (Eastlake Ave.)
http://www.serafinaseattle.com/events/mol.php
If Miss CC can find a date, this is where she might be found… what better way to win a woman over than with pizza and dancing? (Specialty pizza until 11p; Club music downstairs – Saturday with DJ Danny Massure)
http://www.seattlealibi.com/welcome.htm
Two of Cap Hill’s new acclaimed restaurants – Lark and Licorice are joining hearts for Valentine’s Day. Stop by Licorice for a champagne and food pairing, or head to Lark for a prix fixe menu… or wow your date with reservations for both. (Champagne tasting at Licorice: $40; $90 prix fixe at Lark with additional wine pairings for $35)
http://www.larkseattle.com/events.html
http://licorous.com/
There’s an old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. But why should men have all the fun? I say that delicious foods can warm a woman’s heart just as well as any man’s. No matter who you are, there’s nothing like strolling with a loved one through downtown Seattle and the Pike Place Market, warming yourselves with our city’s many tasty offerings.
Did you know that Savor Seattle has sparked many a romance? We have been responsible for at least one documented first kiss, several first dates of cyber couples, and even a wedding proposal (on the tour!). Maybe someday, we’ll even be able to report of babies resulting from Savor Seattle. If you would like to arrange the perfect celebration or proposal on tour, we’re happy to help. Please drop us a line!
Check them out at www.savorseattletours.com and mention that . : seattle foodster : . sent you!
The 5 Spot in Queen Anne is diverse as a restaurant can be, hipster Seattle eatery and friendly family dining that supports philanthropic contributors. The 5 Spot has a “roaming” menu, and at the time I ate there was currently focused on the Big Easy. In fact, you were able to buy the New Orleans theme art that decorates the restaurant and the proceeds will go to help Katrina victims.
I’ve been to the 5 Spot twice; once for dinner and once for lunch. Both times it was loud and both times my servers were a bit more focused on being hip than actually concentrating on the customers seated at their tables. The kitchen was loud, and the crowd was a mix of families, and also Seattleites who spent way too much time partying from the night before.
My fiance tried the soup and salad combo. The side Caesar salad, although fresh, was underdressed and not crunchy. The bean soup had a nice, savory touch to it with a little kick but nothing to worry about.
I was feeling a little more adventurous and decided to try the Shrimp Po-Boy. I once had an Oyster Po-Boy at another Seattle restaurant and spent most of the night hugging my toilet. Honestly, I wasn’t happy with this sandwich… but at least I didn’t get sick. The Gulf shrimp would have been nice as an appetizer, but in the sandwich they seemed to find a way to constantly fall out and onto the plate. The toasted bread was too dry and I had no choice but to drown the disappointing meal in hot sauce in an attempt to salvage it.
It’s difficult to give a bad or mean review to the 5 Spot. After all, they do challenge themselves by having a changing menu and even go as far to incorporate current events into their restaurant themes. I appreciate that and commend them for their effort, but that doesn’t mean I have to like their food or their service.
I admit that I saw a lot of people enjoying plates of breakfast food, so maybe that is the foundation on which the 5 Spot has built its reputation. I plan to eventually go back and give breakfast a try. In the meantime, I’ll just have to live with the fact that the 5 Spot is a trendy Queen Anne diner where your meal might be a hit or a miss.
