tighe

I haven't been to La Medusa since the change of ownership, but loved it before at least. Great neighborhood joint and always really fresh tasting food. Since this thread is becoming comprehensive, I have to throw in a plug for my neighborhood place, Filiberto's. Excellent pizzas that I believe rival or surpass Tutta Bella and a slew of southern Italian classics done with great care. Best bruscetta I've had outside of Italy too, it's all about the garlic rubbed grilled bread. Just steer clear of the fish dishes and you will eat very well.

Thanks for the tip. Apparently Nancy Leson also liked it.

Can I pry and ask for details on the port-infused figs? Were they as tasty as I can imagine them to be? There's a piece of my brain that prevents me from being able to think of a bottle of wine over $100 as being "a good deal". I need to have it surgically removed because I know there are many cases, such as this one, where it's true.

I've always heard great things about Il Terrazzo Carmine, but am ashamed to say I've never actually been.

I hope this means that the inside has been re-done. In it's Fairview incarnation I thought it was a generic banquet space and, with all the windows covered up, always had this kind of soul-destroying effect on me.

The stuff on skewers is fun because they bring it out to your table on fire. I also remember the fruit and cheese after dinner.

I'm a pretty big Rinconsito fan, but have to admit that the one I go to in SeaTac has seemed uneven in the last year. Specifically, the problem Anita had, with the big fatty pieces in the carnitas at times. Ick. I wonder if it happens when they're particularly busy and just aren't cooking the meat long enough. Muy Macho is more consistent, but after seeing them near the top of the charts in terms of health code violations and the fact that they mysteriously stopped serving beer, it can be problematic too.

Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll put it on the list of places to consider if I'm down that direction for other reasons. It's interesting how the chef, Gordon Naccarato, came from some high-profile jobs in Aspen and LA to open the Beach House. He also was part of an F&W Best New Chef group in '88 that included Bayless, Boulud, Hammersley, and Keller x 2, among others. I wonder if he initially had hopes of doing something more ambitious but the area wouldn't support it.

From the Northgate Mall web site: I just hope that Nick doesn't start talking about his imaginary restaurant....

What places in Seattle would you compare it to quality-wise? I remember reading at some point that the chef had pretty lofty ambitions when he first opened the place.

I finally got around to making this last night and ate it tonight. Damn that's good! Keeping it overnight is key, the degree to which the flavors mellowed and integrated was astonishing. This one will definitely enter heavy rotation on my dinner menu.

Please do try the Beach House. I've been wanting to find out if its any good so I can decide if its worth the drive. You'd be doing a public service, really...

I'll put a plug in for Ravishing Radish. I've food from lots of different caterers and I think theirs is the most consistently good...

Have you ever tried the product search feature on the Washington State Liquor Control Board site? Very useful. As far as specific locations, I know there at least used to be a downtown store that seemed a little more upscale and carried more interesting items.

Thanks for the report, always fun to read visitors' impressions of food in Seattle. I don't understand why Anthony's Pier 66 is so problematic when it's supposed to be their flagship restaurant. I really enjoy the Anthony's Homeport in Des Moines, near my house, where the food is consistently far better than the Pier 66 location. Theories? Mama's Mexican Kitchen, now there's a blast from the past. Used to go there after work for $1.50 margaritas, back in the day. I always liked the food there for what it was. Not authentic, the place is terminally kitchy, but damn it, it tasted good.

Last Saturday, being a fairly monumental birthday for me, scrat arranged for us to stash the munchkin with friends and go to Union for dinner. My mother-in-law, in town to meet said munchkin, shares my birthday, so it was two, two, two birthdays for the price of one…. I think I’m in double figures in the number of meals that I’ve had at Union and this was the best so far. We considered the tasting menu, but decided to order a la carte and share. We started with cocktails, quite a rarity for me I’m afraid. I chose one called ‘Montmartre’, equal parts Grey Goose and Lillet with a twist. Tasty! Amuse: Cauliflower soup A small teacup of cauliflower essence, or so it seemed; talking with the chef after dinner, he explained the technique he uses for vegetable soups to preserve the flavor: put the soup in an ice bath immediately after pureeing it to chill it. Firsts: Loup de mer tartare with ginger, celery root & spoonbill caviar Beef tartare with capers, cornichons & brioche Avocado and Dungeness crab salad with chilled tomato soup To me the fish tartars that Ethan does are the best expression of his talents. They always feature some unexpected combinations of flavors that turn out to be a revelation. The celery was pureed and was a perfect foil to the ginger. This was the second time I’ve had the beef tartare at Union and it still surprised me with the freshness and brightness of the flavors. Admittedly I’ve never had it elsewhere, so I don’t have much to compare to. The avocado and crab salad was good, but the highlight of the dish was the soup, perfect pure tomato flavor. Seconds: Seared ahi tuna with red pepper marmalade, micro greens & basil oil Soft shell crab and pistachios with fingerling potato, pistachio salad Braised pork cheek with herbed spaetzle & braising juices Finding ahi preparations that aren’t Asian influenced is a nice change and the red peppers gave the right sweetness to compliment the tuna. The handful of times I’ve had soft shell before, the shell didn’t seem that, uh, soft, and I felt like I spent the whole time crunching with little flavor payoff. This however was very crisp with great flavor, due partly to the excellent crust of crushed pistachios. The pork cheek was, quite simply, braised meat nirvana. It had that texture that is the reason to relish braised meats of all kinds and it retained distinct flavoring. The spaetzle was the perfect vehicle to sop up the jus. Entrees: Grilled squab and sautéed foie gras with baked figs & aged balsamic Wild sturgeon with chanterelle mushroom and shallot ragu Grilled hangar steak and braised short rib with potato puree, bull’s blood beet greens & shallot sauce Impossible for me to choose which of these was the best, all had their particular strengths and no particular weaknesses. The baked figs were glorious, not to mention the foie. The sauce with the sturgeon was an all-timer and the fish was perfectly cooked. The short rib was so tender, I could have spread it on bread. A good night for braised meat. We splurged on wine and got a bottle of Chassagne-Montrachet (Burgundy) that did remarkably well along side such an eclectic menu. This was the first time I had Burgundy where I really understood why serious wine people get so excited about them. Dessert was the cheese plate (sorry, don’t remember the specifics) and a fig and blackberry tart with cream filling to die for. My final indulgence for the evening was a glass of Bas Armagnac. I was happy to see the restaurant completely full with a good buzz (the restaurant, not me).

Pomegranate molasses is quite dark, but I've never seen bits of pomegranate in it. It could be they're making their own by pressing the fruit and then reducing the juice.

Are you sure they're not using pomegranate molasses? If they are, you can find it in any Middle Eastern market.

Okay, as a West Seattleite I have to admit to not knowing where South Park is except in TV-land. But I'd sure be interested in some directions to Muy Macho, Tighe! I always get lost going into south end land, but I sure do prefer it over the U district nightmare... All ya gotta do is roll down the hill heading east! Muy Macho 8515 14th Ave S Mapquest There are a handful of other good Mexican places along 14th as well.

I just ran across this site, so thought I'd post the link to their Happy Hour Guide here. It appears pretty comprehensive... [OK, so after browsing the site for a while, I have to say its credibility is bottoming out for me. The Melting Pot appears on every recommended list they have and, surprise, surprise, also appears to be one of their main advertisers.]

I grilled some pork chops I got a Larry's tonight that were really good. The brand was Hall's Meat Company Natural Pork. I have to say it was better than Sara Joe's and much cheaper.

Two words: Muy Macho. One of several good Mexican joints in South Park. Taqueria Rinconsito is also good. There are a couple threads that might be helpful to you also: Taqueria El Rinconsito Taco trucks

The space where Union is...absolutely cursed and now I'm worried because of ReallyNice!'s post about how slow business is for them. Of course part of the reason the previous two places in the space where Maguire's is failed is that they sucked bad....

Thanks for the tip on lunch Laurie, sounds like something one might even be able to do with a baby!.... I truly hope that the curse of that location isn't going to bring them down. My hopeful side says that restaurants in Seattle with no outdoor seating and/or view all tend to be slow in summer and things will pick up once it cools down...

Because I have a reputation to uphold (and I believe it to be the best option)... Union (at 1st & Union)