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Crush
Category:
Restaurants
2319 E Madison St
Seattle, Washington 98112
(206) 302-7874
I took my husband to dinner at Crush last night for his birthday. We're both serious foodies, but had somehow not managed to make it to this Nationally acclaimed hip little spot in Madison Valley...
I took my husband to dinner at Crush last night for his birthday. We're both serious foodies, but had somehow not managed to make it to this Nationally acclaimed hip little spot in Madison Valley yet. Now, to be clear, a night out without our daughter always gives us a rosey glow, regardless, and staring in his baby blues makes all else irrelevant, BUT, I was not totally blown away by my CRUSH experience.
We had a 9:00 reservation, so the crowds that others have mentioned weren't an issue, but, I did feel a but like a set-piece from the wrong play when I walked in. The black-and-white-only decor is so overly stylized and stilted that it is hard to find a psychologically comfortable spot to feel like you belong in there. Everything - from light sconces to plates to molded plastic chairs - is curvy and white. It's a bit oppressive in its intentionally contrived statement of conformation. And the hostess was extremely snooty and unpleasant.
That said, many of those objections quickly melted away when we sat at the bar to wait for our table and the bar server was so friendly and smiley and delivered us great wine (in ridiculously oversized and over styled glasses) along with a plate of olives to munch on.
Our table was upstairs in a lovely corner. It would have been terribly romantic if all the black and white details hadn't kept staring at me and making me feel like a bad typo on a page with too many words. (Really, would a little bit of art, or maybe even just flowers, have been too much to ask?)
Once we settled in, I will say, we had, easily, the best meal and best service I've ever had in this city. Barre none. We did the tasting menu, which was sensational at every turn. From Jerusalem artichoke soup with grated apples, to true cod with pork cheeks, a beet salad and pork tenderloin with cheese grits. I nearly cried at the masterfully blended and somehow understated flavors that are still with me this morning. Finished with a melty-in-the-middle chocolate cake that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Our server was impeccable - she was polite, smart, funny, kind, attentive without being lurchy.
All in all, if the ambiance had been better, we would be back in a heart beat. BUT, I just don't like feeling like a prop in a play that was written for someone else. So, if you need to impress your boss or an out of town guest, or want a romantic dinner that you won't soon forget, I'd go to Crush. (AND WEAR RED!) But if you just want a really nice dinner out, I'd go just about anywhere else. Even though it was the best food I've had in ages, I'm in no rush to return to Crush.
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WE have a much-loved, but very neurotic border collie mix. Although she's always been a little high-strung, it has developed into really bad anxiety and she was clearly suffering. I finally took...
WE have a much-loved, but very neurotic border collie mix. Although she's always been a little high-strung, it has developed into really bad anxiety and she was clearly suffering. I finally took her to a vet, joking that she needed Prozac... Well, Dr. Perotti, at FOUR PAWS, spent more than an hour getting to know our dog, and not only offered us incredible insight into how to help our high-strung dog relax, she also sent me home with some anti-anxiety meds to try to solve the problem. I have NEVER had a doctor appointment that was so thorough, careful, generous and insightful. She also taught us how to brush the dogs teeth, trim her nails, play games that will keep our dog engaged, and generally understand her better. I was blown away. I HIGHLY recommend FOUR PAWS. I happen to be able to walk there, but I'd recommend it, even if you have to get in the car and drive.
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Okay - I've mentioned laser hair removal by Dr. Henri Gaboriau before, BUT, I promise, I'm not just repeating myself. I just went in today, and they have an entirely new laser. Virtually painless,...
Okay - I've mentioned laser hair removal by Dr. Henri Gaboriau before, BUT, I promise, I'm not just repeating myself. I just went in today, and they have an entirely new laser. Virtually painless, 3 times as fast..... So all the stuff that I said earlier about needing to ice the area and pain - not true anymore. And where most older lasers need to go over an area several times per visit, the new one does it in just one pass. There's still a twang of pain when it gets a hair, but so much less than with the old lasers. And, as always, their service is sweet, efficient and effective. So, if you were on the fence about laser hair removal, now is the time to get off the fence.
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I can't praise Dr. Hatfield highly enough..... I've reviewed him on JB before, but, in a nutshell - a young, invigorating guy with a good balance of natural and traditional.... Our whole family,...
I can't praise Dr. Hatfield highly enough..... I've reviewed him on JB before, but, in a nutshell - a young, invigorating guy with a good balance of natural and traditional.... Our whole family, aged from 70 to 7, love him.
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Here's my past reveiw:
Well, they're downtown, in the Medical Dental building at 509 Olive, but I saw Dr. Yajuan Wang at the Oriental Medical Center several years ago for chronic hip pain, and it...
Here's my past reveiw:
Well, they're downtown, in the Medical Dental building at 509 Olive, but I saw Dr. Yajuan Wang at the Oriental Medical Center several years ago for chronic hip pain, and it worked wonders for me. Before seeing her, I had a hard time sleeping and doing anything more than walking, and she worked with me to help heal it..... I loved her, found her very comforting and the whole experience was really great. I'd recommend her to anyone. Additionally, there are other Oriental Medicine practitioners in her office that work with various types of naturopathy and herbs etc....
here's a link to their site. http://www.orientalmedicalcenter.com/index.html Their phone number is 206- 343-7223.
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How often have you been tired at the end of the day (or bored in the middle of it) and wished someone would just magically prepare you a home-cooked plate of comfort food and serve it to you with...
How often have you been tired at the end of the day (or bored in the middle of it) and wished someone would just magically prepare you a home-cooked plate of comfort food and serve it to you with all the love that your mom did when you were a kid - no need to be on your best behavior, or perfectly groomed? Well, then you need to head on down to Geraldine's Counter in Columbia City. Though I don't think anyone named Geraldine has prepared a meal there, it sure tastes like someone's heart and soul went into the creation of these comfort food classics. Mac and Cheese, BLT's with Arugula instead of lettuce, sweet-potato fries, fabulous salads, GREAT fish-n-chips. Because we live in the 'hood, we're down there all the time for lunch and dinner. It always fits the bill when we want "cheap, easy, yummy and healthy." No pre-made stuff that's been nuked before it's served to you - all real ingredients prepared by real people. It's casual, but chic. Lively, but not overrun. Kid-friendly, but not romper room. A great menu that is short and to the point, but still has enough variety to please absolutely anyone. It is, for sure, our favorite family joint - and as close as I have found to a yummy home cooked meal served to me like my mother would have, if my mother could cook - which she can't!
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Ti Cycles
Category:
Bicycle Dealers
2943 NE Blakeley St
Seattle, Washington 98105
(206) 522-7602
There are a lot of GREAT bike shops in Seattle, as this as a GREAT bike town. But my husband - who is a bike commuter, and builds some of his own bikes - always turns to Ti Cycles in the U District...
There are a lot of GREAT bike shops in Seattle, as this as a GREAT bike town. But my husband - who is a bike commuter, and builds some of his own bikes - always turns to Ti Cycles in the U District when he needs precision repairs or guidance on something he's building.
That said, other great shops are Montlake Cycle, Recycled Cycles, the little bike shop in Leschi.
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i LOVE indian food, and haven't found any mind-blowing indian restaurants around here. that said, we really like Chutneys on 15th. In fact, we like it so much that we have tried all of their other...
i LOVE indian food, and haven't found any mind-blowing indian restaurants around here. that said, we really like Chutneys on 15th. In fact, we like it so much that we have tried all of their other restaurants, none of which was any good at all. but the one on 15th is EXCELLENT! There is a really great Indian place on Queen Anne Ave, down at the base of QA (by Key arena) but i can't remember what it's called. NOT the Chutneys there, which hasn't been good any time we've tried, it, but almost across the street from the Chutneys...
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I don't know where you live, but Four Paws Veterinary Clinic in Seward park is really fabulous. They are kind, caring, compassionate and reasonably priced. They are the kind of people who give you...
I don't know where you live, but Four Paws Veterinary Clinic in Seward park is really fabulous. They are kind, caring, compassionate and reasonably priced. They are the kind of people who give you loads of advise and insight, even if it doesn't mean selling goods or services. We love them. They're in the Seward Park neighborhood, at the intersection of 50th and Dawson, right by the PCC and Susan's 5100 Bistro. (Both also worth stopping in to for good stuff and good service.)
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Wow, Red Mill, and all the other burger joints in Seattle, have some worthy competition for the title of "definitive Burger joint." And make no mistake, it is a joint. Packed with rustic ambiance...
Wow, Red Mill, and all the other burger joints in Seattle, have some worthy competition for the title of "definitive Burger joint." And make no mistake, it is a joint. Packed with rustic ambiance - Western themed dude-dads and a wall of vintage black and white photos tacked up with thumb tacks by a killer juke-box - Frank's Hardware is down-home goodness with an attitude. Although you should go for the incredible burgers (which they will actually serve RARE), you'll stay for the pool table, the hip Ballard crowd and the service that - while sassy and dished up by totally cute waitresses - is attentive and quick. The menu is small, but it does the trick. They know what they do, and they do it well - burgers, beer and fried things to accompany them. 'Nuff said.
( I can't find the phone number, so don't call the number listed here..... they just wouldn't let me post without a phone number....)
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