Baguette Box
October 7th, 2009
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Posts Tagged ‘seattle foodster’
5 Spot
February 3rd, 2009
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.
The Capital Grille
February 26th, 2008
seattlefoodster.com apologizes for the quality of the photographs in this article. The lights in the restaurant were dim and any flash would have washed out the food.
Friends have asked me what type of intrinsic benefits are there when writing for a food review site which receives millions of hits monthly (actual hits may be slightly lower). My simple answer, which has never changed is that I enjoy being able to write about food. I am passionate about eating it and passionate about talking food so writing about it just seemed to be the next step. And, as an added perk, every now and then I have the chance to dine at a restaurant before it opens to the public, sometimes even for free. Trust me when I say that whether a restaurant “comps” my meal or not it will never determine the outcome of my review.
In light of sometimes being able to get a sneak peek at a soon-to-open restaurant, I had the wonderful opportunity to dine at Seattle’s newest steakhouse, The Capital Grille, located downtown underneath the historic Cobb Building. The décor is typical old world steakhouse, black and white or sepia photographs, wood paneling adorned by mounted animal heads watching over the dinner crowd. The service, however, is characteristically Seattle; over-polite and generally down to earth. Much of the historic charm is carried through with the service of the staff. Once seated you and your dinner party will be asked if you prefer a black or white linen napkin. Also worth noting is if a woman leaves her seat to use the restroom she’ll be escorted. Once she is on her journey to the restroom another employee quickly gathers up and refolds her napkin. It would be difficult to be more courteous than that!
Although the menu was pre-fixe, I believe The Capital Grille put some of its best selections on for display. For my appetizer I started with the Lobster Bisque. If you enjoy the creaminess of bisque you are in for a lovely surprise. I must admit that although I have never had sherry drizzled on top of bisque before it had the ability to highlight many other, subtle flavors. True to its name the bisque was loaded with lumps of lobster meat. I was disappointed that the Pan Fried Calamari with Hot Cherry Peppers was not on the menu as I was told it is their featured appetizer.
It seems that I have this assumption that when food is served a la carte then each item must prove its own worth. I was highly tempted to order the Porcini Rubbed Delmonico steak with an eight year old aged balsamic, however my server swayed me with the passionate way he described the dry aged Porterhouse steak. An important side note for all those steak lovers is that all of the dry aged steaks have been dried in-house by the restaurant.
Normally I try to order my steak according to how the chef would prefer to prepare it. It turns out the chef likes the porterhouse rare, warm in the center and I was happy to oblige. To say that this porterhouse melted in my mouth is an understatement. With only a hint of seasoning you’ll find the grilled outer layer of the steak perfectly sealed in every morsel of flavor.
My date was kind enough to share with me her filet mignon served with lobster in a lobster butter-cream sauce. Aside from the steak and lobster being decadent, I believe that lobster sauce could be wonderfully paired with any type of food.
Much to my surprise appreciated the simplicity of their menu. You’ll find the wine list is exponentially longer than the food menu. After leaving the posh ambiance of this place, full and quite possibly smitten by my rediscovered love of red meat, I must say that The Capital Grille makes a bold statement and will be a worthy challenger to all other Seattle steakhouses.
Il Terrazzo Carmine
December 10th, 2007
I have heard that Il Terrazzo Carmine is arguably Seattle’s best Italian restaurant. In my never-ending quest to find the best Italian food in this great city I can safely say that Il Terrazzo is up there in the rankings and makes it a point to pay great attention to detail not only in their menu but in the entire ambiance and dining experience. To achieve that effect, Il Terrazzo specializes in high-end Italian cuisine. Traditional spaghetti and meatballs will find no home on this menu.
Finding Il Terrazzo Carmine is something of a find itself. Nestled between the many bars of Pioneer Square and almost on the way to Safeco and Qwest Field you’ll find it in an understated office building. The restaurant itself is anything but plain. White linen-topped tables are dressed with beautiful dinnerware and overseen by servers in white jackets. I must also point out that you’ll find educated wait staff here. Not only will they correctly pronounce the Italian words, they possess a vast knowledge of the large wine selection.
Our first appetizer was actually a special, sautéed mushrooms (mostly chanterelles) in a light oil. This dish was even enjoyed by a member at our table who is a hard and fast non-mushroom eater. The mushrooms were meaty yet melted away in their buttery, oily sauce.
The second appetizer we sampled was Calamari Affogati. This dish is for the true lovers of calamari as you’ll find no fried squid accompanied by spicy marinara. The non-breaded calamari rings are sautéed with garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers. Feel free to take some bread and dip it in the broth. Only complaint here is that the calamari with the tentacles vastly overshadowed the calamari rings.
I chose an entrée that I simply don’t order enough, Cannelloni Fiorentina. Large pasta tubes are filled with veal, ricotta, and spinach and covered with a red sauce and parmesan cheese. Similar in style to an enchilada, this was the most appealing meal of the night. I made sure each bite I took was small so that I could savor the flavor as long as possible. With each bite I could taste the ground veal and creamy ricotta balanced with the blandness (used in a positive sense) of spinach.
Another dish worth notable mention was Capelline Di Mare. Capelline (thin) pasta is tossed in a light red sauce with prawns, mussels and clams. If you enjoy fresh seafood (and if you’re living in the Northwest you’ve got it made), then this is a spectacular dish for you.
Given that I’m generally very traditional in my tastes, I feel it’s necessary to first judge an Italian restaurant by the pasta it serves. I think things get too confusing when more exotic meats and various accompanying ingredients are thrown into the mix, burying the simplicity that is the foundation of most really good Italian meals. In the case of Il Terrazzo, they have achieved excellence in serving traditional pastas as well as creating more adventures entrees.
In closing, remember that quality comes with a price, and Il Terrazzo Carmine is no exception. Expect a hefty tab, especially if you order a bottle of good wine, cocktails, appetizers and a dessert. However, it’s worth the price because as soon as you leave you’ll be planning your return to this oasis for fine Italian cuisine.
Frontier Room
November 27th, 2007
The Frontier Room is a bit of an oddity when it comes to BBQ restaurants. Sure, it sells some tasty high-end BBQ fixings but it also functions as a hip Bell Town bar. If the sight of seeing young Seattle yuppie hipsters at a BBQ joint disturbs you, I share your sentiment. A few co-workers and myself decided to go down to the Frontier Room to see if this fancy BBQ favorite could stand up to the greasy napkin, rolled-up-sleeves style restaurants.
Yours truly chose the Beef Brisket Sandwich, served with Snappy Coleslaw and a side of Hush Puppies. The first thing I noticed about my Beef Brisket Sandwich was that it was not covered in a lot of BBQ sauce. I’ve become a bit more educated in the world of BBQ and have learned that many times a pepper and vinegar sauce is used in lieu of the BBQ sauce most people are used to. I took the liberty of dashing some of the pepper and vinegar sauce from the table on to my sandwich.
I was pleasantly surprised by the tart flavor of the sauce which complimented the brisket. Also, the bread was nice and thick so there was no sauce dripping through. This must be part of the reason you can dress so nicely at the Frontier Room and not leave with stains on your shirt. My disappointment centered on the size of the sandwich. Perhaps due to the large plate it was served on, this thing looked kind of puny and was not filling enough for me.
The Hush Puppies, on the other hand, did fill me up. You may know Hush Puppies as Corn Fitters or simply as deep fried corn bread. They’re served along side a ranch-like sauce and a regular order should be shared with others. The outside of the Hush Puppies were a golden brown with a crispy crust. The inside was a soft corn filing with red and green peppers with little bits of corn.
I was very impressed that such a trendy bar could serve good BBQ. When you enter the Frontier Room you get the sense that they might have been more concerned about making the restaurant trendy as opposed to concentrating on the flavor of the food. However, the kitchen offers a well-rounded and diverse selection of BBQ. Also worth mentioning is the Beef Brisket Specialty, Frontier Mac’n Cheese, Bacon-Wrapped Prawns and the Frontier Room Gumbo.
Marazul
November 27th, 2007
Marazul was the first restaurant to open in the 2200 Westlake Condominium. Executive Chef Bruce Dillon takes the concept of fusion to heart. The food is supposed to be inspired by the Pax Brittanica era. I’m not a history buff but I do understand that you’ll find influences of Cuba, the Caribbean and the Indo-Asian territories in that type of cuisine. Simply put, it’s an Asian Latino menu with an obsessive Rhum Bar with roughly 40 varieties.
I had heard and read mixed reviews regarding Marazul, which made me that much more excited to try it. The first thing you’ll probably notice is the restaurant is very, very cool looking. Whether it’s the waterfall in the entrance or all the wonderful curves, you’re in for some interior decorating eye-candy.
Also, I want to get this off my chest… I found the “small plates” much more flavorful and inspired than the entrees. Alright, that feels better. The first appetizer my girlfriend and I tried was the Crab Sushi. This was definitely the most beautiful dish of the evening and the most inventive. A soft and warm plantain (type of banana) is wrapped around rice and topped with shredded fresh crab. What was the easiest way to eat this? Take the crab off the top and break the sushi roll in half, and then take a bite of sushi and a bite of your roll. The plantain is warm and firm but not crunchy and is a sweet compliment to the fresh seafood.
The next dish was the Jerk Port Pot-stickers. Although they appear to look like traditional pot-stickers — gyoza, dumplings, etc — these pack a highly Caribbean taste. The pork inside the pot-sticker is ground very thin and is served with a guava plum dipping sauce. The unexpected flavor made this dish quite satisfying.
While the Havana Style Pad Thai was tasty there was not much substance to it as compared to the previous dishes. Also, the menu mentioned that it contained coconut curry sauce and you should be aware this sauce is nothing like the pad Thai you’re used to. The curry sauce caused a clumping effect with the noodles.
The Churrasco Skirt Steak scored points for creativity and presentation. Pieces of skirt steak were served on top of bok choy surrounded by a Latin Hash (think small cut up potatoes with spicy herbs). Also, the steak was topped with chimichurri — I’m not sure exactly what that is but it was delicious and made the steak’s flavor pop. Even so, I didn’t like a couple of things about this plate. The first was I found the three chunks of steak a bit odd and hard to manage on the plate. I would have much preferred one whole skirt steak. And second, the bok choy didn’t add anything to the dish. The bitter flavor of this veggie took away the spiciness and tang of the steak.
I did have a very refreshing cocktail called Nelson’s Blood. This was made up of white rum, cranberry, orange and pineapple juices, lime nutmeg and a cinnamon stick. Sure, it looked a bit girly with its pinkish color and cinnamon stick but it was quite uplifting and energizing on the hot day that it was.
The next time I go to Marazul I’m going to stick strictly to the small plates. Another great thing about them is, besides their flavor, none of them are more than $10. I would advise you to grab a few friends and head over for a relaxing drink, a few small plates and enjoy the evening.
Chillies Paste
November 26th, 2007
When I think back on the year that I lived in Fremont I can’t help but recall being surrounded by Thai restaurants. There is already a surplus of Thai restaurants in Seattle, but Fremont must be the capitol of Thai food in this city. Believe it or not, the entire year I lived there I never once made it to Chillies Paste. It was only when an ill-planned grocery store trip brought me back to the Fremont area that I gave Chillies Paste a shot.
The first thing I noticed when walking inside the house-converted-to-restaurant was not the striking orange walls but the beautiful pictures of the food. I’m considering firing myself as the seattlefoodster.com photographer and hiring their guy or gal.
I started off with Kong Kra-bok, shrimp wrapped with a thin wonton wrapper deep fried and served along side a sweet chili sauce. The presentation was on point, however I found these delicate starters difficult to eat for a couple of reasons. The first is that they are piping hot and the second is that the tails are still connected to the shrimp so you cannot really tell where the shrimp ends and the tail begins beneath the wrapper.
The next dish was the Pork Garlic Fried Rice. Although it looks slightly plain you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find tons of flavor and, of course, garlic in this dish. The only complaint here was that there was cilantro mixed throughout the dish and it was a tad hard to pick out.
The last dish up for tasting was a Thai favorite of mine, Pad See-Eew. This consists of wide stir-fired noodles with meat and veggies in a soy sauce. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with this dish. The noodles, meat and sauce were very bland and lacked flavor. The veggies, although they looked fresh, tasted a bit stale and overly starchy.
I really like the décor and style of Chilles Paste but the lackluster Pad See-Eew may force me to think twice before returning. The main problem for me is that while I really enjoyed two of the dishes, the third one was awful. All that said, I’m fairly certain I will give it one more shot and probably try something new and different to gauge the quality of their dishes.
Cafe Flora
September 20th, 2007
I’m a meat eater. I have nothing against vegetarians or even vegetables for that matter. In fact I’m trying to find a way to prove the cuter the animal the better the meat. I also think that a cow would try to eat me if she had the chance so I’m really doing my part in helping to protect humanity.
Needless to say I was a little embarrassed when I showed up at Café Flora in Madison Park and realized that it is an all vegetarian menu. I’ll be honest, lots of the items looked and sounded delicious, plus I’ve heard a lot of good things about this restaurant. I was just kind of shocked that I’d be eating in my first vegetarian restaurant.
Cautiously, I tip-toed into the vegetarian world, sampling two of the restaurant’s salads. The Caesar Salad was typical fare, in that it had romaine, parmesan cheese, and croutons. However, it was a different Caesar because of its light and refreshing dressing with fried capers. Caesar salads usually have a pretty salty flavor, however since this dressing was so light the fried capers did a great job of adding extra flavor.
The Organic Wild Greens and Lettuces salad followed the same light refreshing recipe with its crisp herbed balsamic vinaigrette. Topped with a carrot twirl you will find that this salad looks a little plain but had quite an uplifting taste. Also this dish is Vegan and Gluten free.
There are few things more embarrassing when you’re a food critic and you cannot pronounce a menu item correctly. The Oaxaca Tacos (according to the menu pronounced wa-ha-ka) are roasted corn tortillas filled with mashed potatoes, cheddar and smoke mozzarella cheeses with lime crème fraiche and topped with feta cheese. Black beans and pico de gallo are served on the side. I always associate vegetarian foods with healthy foods. Not to say that the Oaxaca Tacos are unhealthy but damn were they cheesy. The mashed potatoes and lime crème fraiche was very tantalizing to the tongue.
Are you catching a trend here? Refreshing, uplifting, tantalizing? Towards the end of my meal I realized that this is what Café Flora’s is all about, very fresh and light but tasty food. If you’re a vegetarian then you probably already know about Café Flora. If you don’t know about it then go and give it a try. If you’re a carnivore willing to take a break from the usual fare, want a light meal and are willing to give vegetables and other non-meat dishes a try, then I definitely recommend you visit Café Flora.
Dixie’s BBQ/Porter Automotive
September 20th, 2007
I finally met “The Man” at Dixie’s. Even though the name of this place is Dixie’s BBQ/Porter Automotive, I’m fairly certain that no one is going to bring their car in for a tune up any time soon. Upon rolling in the parking lot I exclaimed, “Holy Cow.” Only it wasn’t “cow” it was the other thing. I knew that Dixie’s was not the typical restaurant but I was shocked to see the converted garage turned Seattle BBQ legend.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when dining at Dixie’s. First, the staff knows that their food is good and that’s why the menu is so small. Second, ask for anything that isn’t on the menu (hung up on the wall) and you’ll probably be made fun of for not reading said menu.Although there are tables inside, it’s the outdoor seating that is packed on a sunny day. I parked myself on an empty concrete table and bench and began to check out my 520 Special (pulled pork with a hot link) and pasta salad. Before I began to eat I wondered if I would be disappointed. For years I’ve heard about Dixie’s and “The Man.” I worried that it wouldn’t stand up to its deeply entrenched, Eastside reputation. 
All sandwiches are served overflowing on Hoagie rolls. I recommend grabbing a fork and eating some of the meat before attempting to pick up the enormous sandwich. As for the BBQ sauce it was good but not the best I’ve had; very tomato based, but pleasantly sweet. The pork, I must say, was fantastic. It was very tender and tasty, and although it took in some of the BBQ sauce it still had its own unique flavoring. The hot link was also a tad disappointing. I was expecting a hot link of sausage, but this reminded me more of a routine baseball stadium hotdog. I also liked the pasta salad as a side dish. It was very creamy with chunks of cheddar cheese. Although I didn’t try it myself, I heard fellow lunch goers raving about the corn bread. 
What about “The Man”? I can safely and happily say that I didn’t try this legendary concoction during this visit. I have tried it a couple of times before, thanks to some “friends” who brought it home. I can honestly say it’s the spiciest hot sauce I’ve ever tried. I love hot sauces but I didn’t appreciate that “The Man” almost brought me to tears.
What I liked most about Dixie’s was the portions. I’ve been eating at a few BBQ restaurants lately and have been really bummed out by the size of the sandwiches. This is BBQ after all…isn’t it supposed to be messy and big? Despite some people’s belief that Dixie’s is the best BBQ joint on the planet, I will have to say it is very good, but what makes it fun and quite different is its natural quirkiness and individuality. And for me, that’s a good enough reason to stop by now and again to get some filling and reliable BBQ.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind when dining at Dixie’s. First, the staff knows that their food is good and that’s why the menu is so small. Second, ask for anything that isn’t on the menu (hung up on the wall) and you’ll probably be made fun of for not reading said menu.Although there are tables inside, it’s the outdoor seating that is packed on a sunny day. I parked myself on an empty concrete table and bench and began to check out my 520 Special (pulled pork with a hot link) and pasta salad. Before I began to eat I wondered if I would be disappointed. For years I’ve heard about Dixie’s and “The Man.” I worried that it wouldn’t stand up to its deeply entrenched, Eastside reputation. All sandwiches are served overflowing on Hoagie rolls. I recommend grabbing a fork and eating some of the meat before attempting to pick up the enormous sandwich. As for the BBQ sauce it was good but not the best I’ve had; very tomato based, but pleasantly sweet. The pork, I must say, was fantastic. It was very tender and tasty, and although it took in some of the BBQ sauce it still had its own unique flavoring. The hot link was also a tad disappointing. I was expecting a hot link of sausage, but this reminded me more of a routine baseball stadium hotdog. I also liked the pasta salad as a side dish. It was very creamy with chunks of cheddar cheese. Although I didn’t try it myself, I heard fellow lunch goers raving about the corn bread. What about “The Man”? I can safely and happily say that I didn’t try this legendary concoction during this visit. I have tried it a couple of times before, thanks to some “friends” who brought it home. I can honestly say it’s the spiciest hot sauce I’ve ever tried. I love hot sauces but I didn’t appreciate that “The Man” almost brought me to tears.What I liked most about Dixie’s was the portions. I’ve been eating at a few BBQ restaurants lately and have been really bummed out by the size of the sandwiches. This is BBQ after all…isn’t it supposed to be messy and big? Despite some people’s belief that Dixie’s is the best BBQ joint on the planet, I will have to say it is very good, but what makes it fun and quite different is its natural quirkiness and individuality. And for me, that’s a good enough reason to stop by now and again to get some filling and reliable BBQ.
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