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Another vote for Stellar (fka Stella) Pizza. Probably the best and certainly the most interesting pizza that I've had in Seattle. Interesting selection of beers on tap, including a Georgetown brew that you don't find a lot of other places. I will say that I wouldn't describe the service I've had there as "attentive", but I'm not really expecting much in that style of place either.

Her scrat-ness and I have gone to Semiahmoo probably 4 or 5 times over the past decade. For me, it’s just about perfect as a near-by place to get away and relax. Nice accommodations, great beach to explore, quiet, great golf course….except for the food. When we first started going there, the food was OK and we were still relatively naïve in things culinary. By the last time we went, about 3 years ago, the food just sucked….bad….and it wasn’t cheap… For what will probably be our last significant pre-baby getaway, we decided on 3 nights at Semiahmoo and a couple more in Vancouver. I scouted out Whatcom County’s finest restaurants at Taste of Whatcom, and was prepared to completely boycott the food at the ‘Moo. But we arrived right around dinnertime and decided, just this once, we’d eat at the more casual of their two restaurants. God help me, but it was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had recently. Seafood pomodoro, with an array of ingredients such as salmon, clams, halibut and squid, all retaining their own flavor and texture and coated in a light, fresh-tasting tomato sauce. The pasta was the kind of good that you stop mid-chew and think, damn, this pasta is not merely a vehicle for what its mixed with, it’s really good! So we went back for lunch the next day and I chose something that sounded great, but I was sure would be their downfall: gumbo. Again, excellent, all the ingredients retained their distinct character and there was a good background level of heat that was consistent but never overwhelmed the other flavors. Scrat had a perfectly serviceable burger with fries that rose well above humble fry-dom. By now I’d decided that we didn’t need to leave the resort for decent food (my expectations for Whatcom’s finest were, shall we say, modest). Dinner that night was halibut and chips that stumbled a little; the fish just wasn’t terrific, but there were still those excellent fries. Our crab dip starter on the other hand was generously sized and packed with fresh crabmeat. For dinner the next night we took the leap and returned to Stars, Semiahmoo’s “fine dining” restaurant, and site of some bitter disappointments in the past. My starter of parmesan consommé with a giant ravioli filled with wild mushroom duxelle was well conceived, but turned out bland. The broth just didn’t have enough flavor (other than a hint of parmesan), nor did the mushrooms. Scrat’s roasted beet salad with goat cheese and wild greens was about par for the course, though a little light on the beets. My entrée however knocked me right f#^%$!#g out. Venison tenderloin, dusted with espresso grounds, and roasted to a perfect medium rare; served with a cranberry port compote and red currant demi-glace. Contrary to my expectations, the compote wasn’t at all sweet, quite tart in fact, but balanced by a nice sweetness in the demi. The coffee flavor was certainly present, but not overwhelming. Good mashed potatoes and a striking presentation as well. Called ‘Coquilles St Jacque’ by the waiter, scrat’s entrée was large sea scallops seared perfectly (and I mean the kind of perfect where a couple more seconds more or less would have degraded it) in a seafood bisque with sautéed mushrooms. Dessert was cheesecake, advertised as lemon, but tasting as regular, with good strawberry compote. The story is that the same tribal group that runs the Skagit Casino took over management of the resort over a couple years ago, and they have obviously done an outstanding job. Not only is the food barely recognizable compared to the past, the entire place is cleaner and the staff more professional. They’ve completely remodeled their spa, where I had a most excellent massage.

Sounds like you all did it up right at Union. I'm very sorry to have missed it, but will take solace in the fact that I had dinner at West in Vacouver last night.... ....and yes, I am a bastard....

I don't live on that side, but am curious if Bistro Pleasant Beach is still good? I went to the former location a number of years ago and loved it, but have never made it back.

No, wasabi is made by grating the wasabi root and is a lot more expensive that wasabi leaves. I believe the leaves can be used in salads though.

I had a really good lunch of Provencal style braised lamb shoulder at the Brasserie d'Ile St Louis. I don't see any reason it wouldn't be a suitable place for a 9-year old. The choucroute garnie at the table next to me looked like it beat the heck out of what I'd had at Brasserie Bofinger the night before. There's a fantastic chocolate shop on the main street on Ile St Louis that I'm sure your whole family would enjoy. Some really interesting flavors.

If you're interested in my account of two dinners at Yaxche (and a few other notes), here it is. I went to Coba during my trip, but not to Tulum. Here was my thinking on the choice....Coba is much older than Tulum and not nearly as overrun with tourists, however it's much less excavated as well. Lots of walking through the jungle between the areas that have been excavated. Coba also has the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan which you can climb at your own peril. The view from the top is amazing. All that being said, Coba doesn't have Tulum's beautiful beach-side location. If you go to Coba, having a guide that knows something about the place really brings it alive.

Thanks so much for reporting back on your experience. Do you remember the name of the place on Isla Mujeres you ate at? I went to a place called Velasquez that sounds similar. Xtabentun and orange glazed duck?? COME ON!! That's not even fair! Now I'm going to have to figure out some way to make it myself since I don't see making it to Merida any time soon......

I imagine I'm going to get beaten about the head and neck for this, but what the Hell.... I've been hearing ads on the radio for a new place called Kurry King (be gentle) that sounds kind of intriguing to a curry fan like myself. I did a search and found this blurb from January in the PI: Has anyone been there by chance and is it at all possible that a place with a name like this could actually be good?

Wow, this makes me sad.....

I haven't been back, but based on my one experience, I think its worth taking your chances on....

I went to Pre Catelan in September, and could hardly imagine a better place for a celebration dinner. Grand setting, quite formal, but not at the price point of a 3*. If you want to steer clear of haute cuisine though, it may not be the right place.

My sieve-like memory for names and faces betrays me again..... I loved the menu, thought it was maybe even better than what we had last week.

This is the second time we've sat in a window (not merely by a window, but inside an alcove of glass). I absolutely froze my tail off both times. Now, I 'get' the modern aesthetic they're going for here, but the building's architecture is odd enough -- and the exposure chilly enough -- that they have got to get themselves some window treatments to warm the place up, literally and figuratively. Agreed on the window seats at Union, too chilly this time of year. I'm also not a big fan of their round tables. Somehow they feel too big with a group of 4 or less. In other words, you're fine with Cam hanging onto his misguided opinions about some foods?

So Wilson, you wouldn't be defending one of Seattle's "sacred cows" now would you? Thanks for the review. I've only been to Canlis once and thought the service and setting were, as you say, exceptional. Although the food was good, I didn't find it to be comparable with some other similarly priced restaurants in town.

If you like sushi, there are two places I'd recommend: Mashiko (in West Seattle) - for innovative sushi Nishino (Madison Valley, east of downtown) - for more traditional sushi They're very different, but both excellent places.

They have valet, it costs $8. If you want to save a few bucks, there's a garage just east of the restaurant on the same block and another kitty-corner, to the south-west. I think they both charge $5 at night.

Thanks. Mamster said he would have never guessed I listened to Nirvana, then again, he's met me in person..... ...and now back to our regularly scheduled thread on Ben's honeymoon trip....

Ben, In Siena, the best wine destination is the Enoteca Italiana. Several hundred wines available by the glass at about $3 a pop. It's difficult or impossible to get to the smaller towns by train, but there are buses from Florence. We found tasting rooms featuring one or more local wineries in both Radda and Castellina. Unless the budget is really tight, I would urge you to rent a car for the day so you can cover more territory. Driving around, you're likely to see signs outside smaller wineries that are open for tasting.

In the article in the Times, the chef basically acknowledged it was a money-loser for them. His reasoning seems to be that its better to lose money while introducing people to the restaurant, rather than lose money because the place is empty. I think he's probably right. I concur that it is "the most insane restaurant value ever." I'm going back on Thursday and will have to take a look at the half-bottles.

bleu, you are a cruel, cruel person.....

I think I have the "bulge" covered already, so it must be "budget." Thanks for checking, definately wouldn't want to create any confusion....

A great side trip from Cancun is to take a boat out to Isla Mujeres and spend some time wandering the island and/or snorkeling. By and large, the spring-breakers don't make it out there. There's a great restaurant on the beach, near where the boats come in, called Velasquez. Simple grilled seafood of the highest quality. If you do head down to Playa del Carmen, Yaxche is an excellent restaurant serving food based on traditional Mayan recipes.

Scrat and I went to Union last night for the tasting menu, just tremendous. I can't imagine a better dining deal anywhere. The only course that was the same as Malarkey's menu was the duck, which just about brought me to tears! Amazingly, the restaurant wasn't full. I may blow my entire dining budge for the year this month.

The Union website consists of a front page only at this point. I was told at the restaurant that the $25 menu was going to be only Sun-Thurs, but might be expanded to the weekends depending on how business was going.