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Sometimes you just gotta have a hot dog. When the mood strikes and my freezer is dog free I head to Matt's Gourmet Hotdogs. Their hotdogs are all beef with a nice, "crunchy" skin that pops when...
Sometimes you just gotta have a hot dog. When the mood strikes and my freezer is dog free I head to Matt's Gourmet Hotdogs. Their hotdogs are all beef with a nice, "crunchy" skin that pops when you bit into it. The buns are soft, steamed poppy seed buns. There are all kinds of toppings. Their signiture dog is Chicago style (mustard, sweet relish, tomatoes, onions, and a sport pepper). It's good, though I'm also a fan of the chili dog and the slaw dog (slaw, chili and onions).
The U District location is the one closest to me. It's small. No tables, counter space for maybe 8 people. I've never been in there when it's crowded, but suspect it gets busy during lunchtime on weekdays. The Bellevue location is much bigger, with table seating for a couple dozen.
If you want cheap eats and like a hotdog this is the place.
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I took my wife to Cafe Boulud for dinner while in NYC.
Wow.
Cafe Boulud is the small member of chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant family. It's settled in the lobby of a boutique hotel on the...
I took my wife to Cafe Boulud for dinner while in NYC.
Wow.
Cafe Boulud is the small member of chef Daniel Boulud's restaurant family. It's settled in the lobby of a boutique hotel on the Upper East Side. From the minute you walk in you're in for a treat.
The space is fairly small, seating maybe 75. The color scheme is warm and inviting. The place is bustling - wait staff, wine stewards, the maitre d all moving around in a manner that seems almost choreographed. It's a little loud, but that settle down as the crowed thinned out. The patronage was older than I expected - we were about the youngest couple in the room. And there were clearly a number of regulars.
The menu is interesting. It's broken down into 4 themes, including "the season" and "the market." Each theme has first and second courses that you can mix and match. Or you can order the 8 course tasting menu ($125 per person) and let the chef by your guide. We opted to mix and match. In retropect we should have done the tasting menu but at the time 8 courses seems a bit much.
The food was outstanding. The flavors worked very well together. The presentation was execllent. Portion sizes were just right. We found ourselves eating very slowly and savorving every bite.
We included a cheese course that was nothing short of great. 4 cheeses with accompanyments that included honey in the comb, quince paste, and olives soaked in sweet wine. And again the perfect portion size, leaving for dessert.
Ah dessert...it was super. And the menu offered dessert wine pairings that worked very well.
The wine list was large but not daunting. And the wine stewards were on hand to answer any questions and make recommendations.
At first I wasn't so sure about our server, who was a bit cold and reserved. But as the crowd thinned out (we were the last to leave) she warmed up. As did one of the wine stewards, who ended up sitting with us talking about his daughter, who just gradutated from college. Some people find that type of thing annoying, but to us it's part of the experience and something I wouldn't want to replace.
Cafe Boulud goes to the top of my NYC restaurant list. It's not for everyone. And it is probably better for a special occassion. But it's so unique compared to what we have in Seattle, and the entire experience was so good, that I will recommend it liberally.
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My family spent last week in NYC. My wife joined friends at Gotham Bar and Grill on night for dinner. This is one of those restaurants that everyone we know in NY recommends. It quickly became...
My family spent last week in NYC. My wife joined friends at Gotham Bar and Grill on night for dinner. This is one of those restaurants that everyone we know in NY recommends. It quickly became clear why.
Gotham Bar and Grill is a good sized place, and the tables are a little close together. Once you get settled, though, the experience is outstanding. We were never rushed. Service was prompt. Our server (who, it turns out, grew up in Seattle) was very knowledgeable and helpful. The food was great. The wine list strong...all in all a great dining experience.
The menu was nice and diverse. It included fish, fowl, meat, and vegetarian. Appetizers ranged from cold soup (it was summer in NY) to salad, froie gras to duck confit. In other words, there was something for everyone. The daily specials are largely market driven, and included a halibut that my wife had raved about.
The dessert menu was large, and very good. The big hit at our table was the rhubarb cobbler.
The wine list was extensive, broken down by country and region. They had a good by the glass selection. The only knock was that it was very expensive. There were Washington wines going for 5-10x what I get them for at retail. By the way, we settled on a 2003 Lemelson Pinot Noir (Thea's Vineyard) from Oregon that was so good we had it again at another restaurant a couple nights later.
I've eaten in a lot of restaurants in NYC over the years and there are a small number I recommend. This one went right near the top.
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My wife and I used to live just down the street from the Sunflour, and used to have breakfast there a couple times a month. Today on a whim we went, for the first time in a couple years. Nothing...
My wife and I used to live just down the street from the Sunflour, and used to have breakfast there a couple times a month. Today on a whim we went, for the first time in a couple years. Nothing has changed. Same menu, same food...same slow service (more on that later). Same good, basic breakfast joint.
The Sunflour menu isn't big, but it has some nice unique touches such as a veggie potatoe fry and french toast dipped in a custard mixture rather than plain eggs. And there are old standbys like eggs benedict, corned beef hash, and a traditional American breakfast. Also worth noting is what's not there - pancakes, cheese omlette. Food quality is fine. Particularly the baked goods.
The one knock on the place is the service. The servers are very nice. But the kitchen is slow. It took 10 minutes got get my wife's latte. Having said that breakfast did come faster than I expected.
But if you're looking for a consistently good breakfast experience Sunflour is worth it.
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Smash is a new wine bar in Wallingford. Founded by the former wine director at Cascadia it boasts 50 wines by the glass and a nice little menu. Being new it's got some pains to work out, but all...
Smash is a new wine bar in Wallingford. Founded by the former wine director at Cascadia it boasts 50 wines by the glass and a nice little menu. Being new it's got some pains to work out, but all in all it's worth a visit.
This is a small place - sits maybe 30 people. It's a little crowded and a little loud, but you get used to it quickly. The staff is small - last night it was the busboy, a server/manager, and the wine director/bar tender. And the place was full. But we never felt neglected.
The wine menu is a little daunting - 50 wines by the glass, and 2 11x14 pages of bottles. It's well organized and shows pretty good variety. Wines are available in 3 and 6 oz pours. What really jumped out for me was the opportunity to order flights - 3 3 oz pours of a given varietal from different vinyards/regions. I had the Pinot Noir, my wife had the Voignier. Great way to sample good wines and compare them. Best of all the wine director came out and spend a few minutes talking with us about each wine (and brought my wife a 4th sample for comparison). If you don't really know which way to go other than they type of wine you want to drink, flights are the way to go.
The food menu was good, organized by nibbles, small plates and larger plates. They have a good cheese menu that is also arranged by type and lets you order flights. We had the sheep - very good. The salads were tastey. Crab cakes were small but had no filler and were topped by an excellent pickled onion relish. We also shared the Wisconsin cheddar and truffle mac and cheese. Good flavor, very rich. Dessert was homemade ice cream sandwiches.
In all Smash is good. As it continues to get its legs under it it will become better.
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Crow
Category:
Restaurants
823 5th N
Seattle, Washington 98109
(206) 283-8800
Last night we went to Crow for the first time in a year or so. I'd forgotten how good it can be.
Crow is one of the numerous single-word named small menu restaurants that have poppsed up all...
Last night we went to Crow for the first time in a year or so. I'd forgotten how good it can be.
Crow is one of the numerous single-word named small menu restaurants that have poppsed up all around Seattle during the last few years. It opened a year+ ago to great fanfare, making it nearly impossible to get a table. The hype has settled down, but there's been no letdown is service or food.
Last night we opted to sit at the chef's counter - my favorite place to sit in any restaurant (I'm fascinated by how a kitchen operates). Our server was prompt in explaining the evening special and taking our drink orders. Because the kitchen wasn't too busy we could talk with the chefs and got service directly from them as well. This included a sample of the clams and chorizo (more on that below).
The menu hasn't changed much between visits. An excellent duck with bing cherry reduction and speitzel was still there, as was a tenderloin steak with big chunks of roquefort. We opted for salads and appetizers. For the latter we had the antipasta, which included a nice assortment of roasted veggies, olives, and monchego cheese. Next time we're going for the clams, however. The chorizo was well cooked and flavorful, and drained of fat. The broth was nicely spicy but not overpowering.
The dessert menu had nice variety. We had a passionfruit mousse that was just sweet enough and very light. The rest of the menu was rounded out with rhubarb and ginger cobbler, sorbets, and a chocolate cake.
The wine list is simple with lots of variety. They have a nice assortment by the glass.
The only knock is that the place gets loud. But you adjust quickly enough and can have a conversation without yelling at each other.
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I've been going to the Honey Bear bakery at Third Place Books since it opened. Last night a friend suggested we try their new pub, which opened a couple months ago.
The Pub is small - it's in...
I've been going to the Honey Bear bakery at Third Place Books since it opened. Last night a friend suggested we try their new pub, which opened a couple months ago.
The Pub is small - it's in the lower level of the store, has a low ceiling and not a lot of space. There are a few tables, and seating at the bar for 6-7 people. There's a bookshelf across the bar, and you're welcome to grab books or magazines from the store to look at.
There are 7-8 beers on tap, and a few in bottles. It's a nicely varied selection. The price is a little high, $4+ per pint. They also pour a couple wines. The food menu is small, and basically what you get from Honey Bear. It's very good. And if you don't see something on the menu but you know it's being served upstairs ask and you shall receive.
Despite being small it isn't crowded and isn't loud. We could talk in normal voices without being drowned out by music or other conversations. It felt litke an understated neighborhood place rather than a destination.
If you're in the neighborhood check it out.
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Busy Body
Category:
Sporting Goods
319 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, Washington 98109
(206) 621-8333
My wife and I have been changing/upgrading our fitness equipment. We started going to Busy Body, and I'd recommend it for anyone who wants quality equipment and a knowledgeable staff.
Busy...
My wife and I have been changing/upgrading our fitness equipment. We started going to Busy Body, and I'd recommend it for anyone who wants quality equipment and a knowledgeable staff.
Busy Body carries treadmills, elipticals, and some combo weight machines (those all-in-one types of machines). The selection is good, and the pricing seems on par with other places. Their selection of pilates/core equipment such as bands, balls, basoos, and such is good. Their free weight selection is - pardon the pun - a little light.
What really makes them stand out is the knowledge of the staff. My wife went in a month ago and explained what she liked/didn't like to do and what she wanted to get out of a program. The staff person gave her an honest opinion on workouts and sold her just the right amount of equipment. He even gave her some pointers to pass along for me regarding how to improve my arobic activity in light of a back injury.
I went in today to look for free weights. Discussed with the staff person (Gary in the Seattle store) what I wanted to accomplish, my current lifting range, existing equipment, and space constraints. His first question was whether I had any injuries, after which he went on to discuss pros and cons of a selection of standard dumbbells and one of those adjustable weight dumbbells. He also told me that I had 30 days to try my purchase and if I didn't like it just bring it back and we'll try something else.
The staff makes the difference. Much better than trying to figure it out for yourself at GI Joe's or Big 5 or the like.
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We discovered the 35th Street Bistro in Fremont almost by accident - my wife was looking up another restaurant on the Internet and came across a story about their new chef (Steve, formerly of Flying...
We discovered the 35th Street Bistro in Fremont almost by accident - my wife was looking up another restaurant on the Internet and came across a story about their new chef (Steve, formerly of Flying Fish). We decided to give it a try. And we were glad we did because it immediately became a new favorite.
I rarely eat at a restaurant where every main course on the menu looks great. This menu was one of these. Of the 6-7 main courses offered I would have been happy with any of them. Our waiter recommended the duck, which was outstanding. My wife had the risotto, which was also fantastic. Nice portion size and great presentation to boot.
The soup of the day was a curry crab and shrimp bisque. Lots of meat, just the right amount of spice. It was a big bowl and would have made a full meal in itself. I'm looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today.
For an appetizer we had the cheese collage - 5 cheeses accompanied by nuts, apples, fig puree. They serve it on a big board, with the cheeses placed opposite the recommended accompaniment (blue cheese across from apples and fig puree). Next time we'll get this for dessert because it's a little filling for an appetizer.
The wine list is broken up into wines by the glass and by the bottle. And unlike a lot of places the by the glass list is extensive. And that doesn't include the special pours.
I should also mention that the service is top notch. Attentive, but not overbearing. We never felt rushed.
During coffee Steve, the chef, came out to talk. He pointed out that the menu changes regularly, sometimes daily, based upon the ingredients available. That just made me want to go back more often in order to see what interesting things were there to tempt me.
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Nishino
Category:
Restaurants
3130 E Madison St
Seattle, Washington 98112
(206) 322-5800
Ate at Nishino last night for the first time in about a year. I'm glad I did because it reminded me how good Japanese food in Seattle can be. Is it the best Japanese in the city - probably not. ...
Ate at Nishino last night for the first time in about a year. I'm glad I did because it reminded me how good Japanese food in Seattle can be. Is it the best Japanese in the city - probably not. But it's definitely in the top 5 or so.
My wife and I are creatures of habit when it comes to Japanese, so we decided on this trip to only try things we haven't eaten before. Great move. The special sheet had an ameabi ceviche which was outstanding - steeped in orange and lime juices, mixed with red onion and avocado. It was the right mix of sweet and spicy. Best of all they didn't scrimp on shrimp.
Next we had fried tofu in mushroom sauce. I wasn't sure what to expect until 2 bowls of what amounted to tofu and mushrooms in broth arrived. Wow. The "sauce" was really a vegtable stock broth with teriyaki. It was really rich. Big pieces of tofu, and generous helping of shitake and morrel mushrooms. I'll have it again.
We did not go big on sushi - some white tuna (excellent), an arboretum and house roll. All very fresh and very good.
The service was top notch to boot.
You definitely pay more for Nishino, but it's worth the splurge.
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