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Lucinda Daly is making our wedding cake, and I won't know how it turns out till August 5th. But the tasting was free (and delicious! and she offered champagne!), she is a total sweetie, and she's...
Lucinda Daly is making our wedding cake, and I won't know how it turns out till August 5th. But the tasting was free (and delicious! and she offered champagne!), she is a total sweetie, and she's had great reviews from other folks. She's a well-kept secret - bakes cakes out of a professional kitchen in her house in Lake Forest Park - and her cakes look amazing from her extensive photo album. She's also totally willing to work with you on flavors, styles and decoration - we are very excited about her making our wedding cake! You can reach her at 206-417-3514
Update: the cake was DELICIOUS. a little crooked, but very beautiful, and absolutely stunningly delicious. everyone I talked to had 3 pieces and we ran out.
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I don't have my dress yet, but so far, La Belle Elaine's has been absolutely great to work with as a bridal shop. Stacy, the woman assigned to me for service, is personable, extremely helpful,...
I don't have my dress yet, but so far, La Belle Elaine's has been absolutely great to work with as a bridal shop. Stacy, the woman assigned to me for service, is personable, extremely helpful, opinionated without being overbearing or pushy, and sweet as can be. The store itself is beautiful, and ridiculously upscale in design - if you're into the "I want to feel like a princess/supermodel while I pick out my wedding dress" (which I'm not), this is the place for you. The selection is awesome and beautifully displayed, there are spacious and comfortable dressing rooms, and they actually have a runway you can walk up and down with lights cameras and all that (not my thing, but my parents got a huge kick out of it). Prices can be high, but I found something beautiful and reasonably priced there (for a wedding dress - what an industry!). Stacy has also been working with me on bridesmaids dresses and has been beyond helpful with my many requests. Definitely should be on the list of places to visit while dress shopping, and I'll let you know how things go with actual dress delivery, quality, timeliness, etc.
Update: dress was beautiful, arrived with plenty of time and was altered expertly. I couldn't ahve asked for better. Bridesmaids' dresses were sort of a disaster - they arrived in the wrong color twice, and then ultimately weren't here until the week of the wedding. good thing I was a low maintenance bride! to La Belle Elaine's credit, the mix up was the fault of the dress manufacturer, the manager of the store called me to apologize, and they kept me regularly updated and did express alterations at no charge - well, no charge for the express anyway. awesome service, and everyone I spoke to there was always super gracious, professional and helpful. I highly recommend this shop.
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Elliott Bay Books is one of the best bookstores on the West Coast, or arguably in the country, in the running with Powell's Bookstore in Portland. Incredible selection, fabulous service, highly...
Elliott Bay Books is one of the best bookstores on the West Coast, or arguably in the country, in the running with Powell's Bookstore in Portland. Incredible selection, fabulous service, highly knowledgeable staff. Awesome.
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Volterra
Category:
Restaurants
5411 Ballard Ave NW Seattle, Washington 98107 (425) 336-1679
OK, I admit it, the food was good. In fact very good. But the service was so bad at Volterra that I have a hard time imagining going back, and it takes a lot to dissuade me from a delicious meal...
OK, I admit it, the food was good. In fact very good. But the service was so bad at Volterra that I have a hard time imagining going back, and it takes a lot to dissuade me from a delicious meal opportunity. My party and I sat down for our bimonthly tradition of a four hour meal with lots of chatting, eating, laughing and drinking - we were really looking forward to the Volterra experience. Admittedly, one of us was late (OK, it was me), so it took us awhile to order. Soon after we ordered, around 7:30 or so, our waiter informed us that we needed to clear out by 8:45 since our table was reserved for another party. We were taken aback, but pressed on. Then our entrees came on top of our appetizers - we hadn't even finished eating the starters when the entrees were plopped down. The waiter skipped bringing the dessert menu, hoping we didn't have a sweet tooth, and once we passed on dessert and paid, the hostess scurried over to our table to inform us we were now being asked to leave. If I didn't know us, I would have assumed we were being disorderly - I've never been asked to leave a restaurant before! I guess I just expect a little more from a restaurant billing itself (and us!) as a fine dining experience - the hustle out the door maneuver was an amateur one, and I hope Volterra learns better reservation etiquette in the near future. If they do, let me know...
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So I know nothing about this place except that they fly in fancy H&H Bagels from NY, and that all the moms I know like to go there because it's kid friendly. Not sure about bialys, but the bagels...
So I know nothing about this place except that they fly in fancy H&H Bagels from NY, and that all the moms I know like to go there because it's kid friendly. Not sure about bialys, but the bagels apparently are to die for.
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I love both the Columbia City Farmers' Market and the little mini Ballard market. The Ballard market is fun because the shopping is so great around there, plus you can always stop for a raging...
I love both the Columbia City Farmers' Market and the little mini Ballard market. The Ballard market is fun because the shopping is so great around there, plus you can always stop for a raging cajun sandwich at the Other Coast cafe....
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The closest thing to real bagels and bialys in Seattle that I've found is Bagel Oasis. They steam their bagels, which gives them that authentic, strange chewy but not too chewy texture that bagels...
The closest thing to real bagels and bialys in Seattle that I've found is Bagel Oasis. They steam their bagels, which gives them that authentic, strange chewy but not too chewy texture that bagels are supposed to have. I love their bialys too. (Is that how you pluralize bialy? It looks so strange...) I drive miles to get these as opposed to succumbing to what Noah's claims is a bagel. It's close to Whole Foods, so you can always stop there while doing high end grocery shopping, if that's your thing. Apparently there's also a cafe in Madison Valley called My Place or something that flies in bagels from New York - if you're desperate for the real real thing, that may be your next best bet.
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I have always been really happy with the service I've received from Superb Custom Tailors - their staff is friendly and professional, their alterations have been excellent, and they are speedy and...
I have always been really happy with the service I've received from Superb Custom Tailors - their staff is friendly and professional, their alterations have been excellent, and they are speedy and reasonable in terms of cost.
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Mingo
Category:
Restaurants
807 NW 21 Ave Portland, Oregon 97209 (503) 226-4646
I love Mingo, a cozy, warm little Italian restuarant in Portland's northwest neighborhood. The food is uncomplicated, perfectly delicious, and completely satisfying, and the staff is wonderful and...
I love Mingo, a cozy, warm little Italian restuarant in Portland's northwest neighborhood. The food is uncomplicated, perfectly delicious, and completely satisfying, and the staff is wonderful and very knowledgeable. When I go to Mingo, I feel like I'm in Sienna. The only drawback is they don't take reservations, so the wait can be long, but it's absolutely worth it.
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Baguette Box is small, close to downtown, and has an eclectic and yummy collection of sandwiches - everything from a slightly upscale Vietnamese banh mi to the incredible if decadent drunken chicken...
Baguette Box is small, close to downtown, and has an eclectic and yummy collection of sandwiches - everything from a slightly upscale Vietnamese banh mi to the incredible if decadent drunken chicken sandwich. There's a Salumi salami sandwich (always a sign of good taste), and also a nice beet salad, and usually a soup or two. Great stop in/drop in for lunch - nice big tables for groups as well.
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