Jump to content

tighe

participating member
  • Posts

    1,754
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by tighe

  1. CK, I completely agree with your assesment of Dixie's. Although Seattle will never be a 'cue' mecca, I think there are a couple places that are definately worth visiting. Have you tried Jones Bar-B-Q on MLK Way in Ranier Valley? Some very serious ribs and pulled pork. The best in town in my humble opinion. I love showing up when they have the smoker cranked up in the parking lot. From the "you gotta be kidding me" category: Rascal's Retaurant & Casino on Des Moines Mem Dr in South Seattle has great ribs. I $#!^ you not. Not 'authentic' (whatever that is), but very tasty. They actually simmer the ribs for several hours in their sauce and then throw them on the grill right before serving them.
  2. SG, so obviously you've be deluged with recomendations at this point, but I have to get my two cents in, just the way I am..... If you're out at Sahalee and get a serious Sushi jones, there's a good little hole-in-the wall place in Redmond called Kikuya. It won't make you forget Nobu, but very few places will after all. Out that way I definately second (third, fourth, fifth?...) the Herbfarm. Spendy, but definately a unique experience. Could be tough to get reservations with all the hoo-ha going on around the WGC though. For sushi in town, I really MUST assert the supremacy of Nishino in the Madison Park neighborhood, just east of downtown. I know this is going to start a $#!^ storm of controversy, but I've been to most of the places mentioned and they don't hold a candle.... Airport....in my book, Spencer's is as good as any steak place in town and you can be to the airport from there in mere moments. If you're into funky Italian, there's a little-known place north of the airport called Filiberto's that does a nice job with pizzas and other S. Italian standards. There is in fact a sushi place near the airport called Atami. Can be good, but is notoriously uneven. I would skip it unless you happen to be in a "give me sushi, or give me death!" kind of mood. Maybe I'll run into you out at Sahalee, I'm volunteering for a couple days..... Enjoy your visit.... OK, OK, so I didn't read the thread too carefully the first time through.... You were actually asking about where to stay near the airport, not where to eat....well the deal is that either you stay downtown, or you stay actually at the airport, there's nothing in between (except my house). If you must stay at the airport, then, the Hilton is the newest and nicest and is where Spencer's is located. If you can, I would reccomend dining in town if possible. I know the Hilton has a shuttle to downtown if you're going to be without car. As far as best overall dining experience in Seattle....the Herbfarm, which I mention above, is a serious contender. In-town, I would go for Le Gourmand, Campagne or Dahlia Lounge. Quick, stop him before he recomends again!!!!!!
  3. tighe

    Beer in America

    If you are interested in beer at a deeper level than when your next opportunity is going to be to pour one down you gullet, try to get your hands on the July issue of American Heritage. The feature article is about the history of beer and beer making in the US. I think its very well done and interesting. It also includes Michael Jackson's (the beer critic, not the freak show) Top 10 American Beers list. I've only had 3 of them, so the quest begins.......
  4. Papachef, despite the best of intentions I have to admit I haven't made it to BOB yet. I'm well on the road to hell I'm sure. Living in the South End, I just don't find my way to the U District/Ravenna/Green Lake area very much. The whole area is like a gaping hole in my culinary experience in Seattle. I will commit to trying your place, as I've heard nothing but positives about it, before the end of the summer.....
  5. SP, although Dalga may not fit what constitutes Turkish food in the popular imagination, having spent a fair amount of time in the coastal areas of Turkey, I would assert that it is very authentic to what I had there. Turkish food thankfully extends well beyond kebabs.....
  6. Actually, it's been a while since I've been to Elliot's for dinner. Often I go there for the same reasons that many in this thread cite for going to the PD...sitting outside with a nice view to have some apps and drinks. I will say that Elliot's can be a little hit and miss with very few clues as to when or where the misses will come. I had the planked salmon the last time I was there and thought it was very good. Their oysters and smoked fish have always been reliable. They sometimes get themselves in trouble when they try to do something fusion/Pacific Rim-ish. I'm also a fan of their Cioppino.....
  7. Certainly there are LOTS of different factors that get weighed into the decision of where to eat. I often eat at BBQ joints, taco stands and the like, and love it. The value of each criteria that gets weighed into the decision varies not only from person to person, but from day to day. I'm just saying that if you took two, let's say BBQ places, that have roughly the same atmo, price level, convenience, blah, blah, blah, wouldn't you always pick the one with better food? I don't think I'm really trying to "get" anyone to say anything, but if I am, it's to find out why those that love the PD love it and, more recently, if mamster (and others) is saying that he would choose something other than the best food available all other things being equal, or if he's simply saying that there are many factors that go into choosing where to eat and food quality alone doesn't trump all the others for him. As far as where I like to eat downtown, and these would all appear regularly in the two 'floating' spots in my rotation.... Painted Table, at least before Tim left Maximilien Le Pichet El Puerco Lloron Cafe Paloma (if you consider PS part of downtown) Elliot's Dahlia Lounge MY GOD! How could I forget one of my absolute favorites downtown... iCON
  8. I visited NYC earlier this year and had a fantastic experience at a Turkish seafood restaurant on the Upper East Side called Dalga. Has anyone tried it? I'd love to hear what others think. Among the highlights for me were the deep-fried whole sardines and a whole grilled snapper, both cooked perfectly. I'm returning to NYC in a few months and was wondering if there are other Turkish (or Middle Eastern) restaurants that I should try. Living in Seattle, the availability of good Middle Eastern food is, shall we say, limited. Thanks....
  9. OK, so far I have 3 endorsements of the atmo, and I have to admit that the terrace on a nice day is lovely. Are there not apologists for the PD cuisine out there?!?! Mamster's comment in his post strikes me as interesting. Obviously virtually none of us has the resources to eat absolutely the best food available at all times. If I did, my weeks would consist of rotating dinners at Le Gourmand, Harvest Vine, The Herb Farm, Cassis and Ponti, with a couple 'float' days for other places, but I digress. Obviously we make tradeoffs when we choose where to go eat, but, other than trying a new place that we know little or nothing about, why wouldn't you always choose the place that offers the highest value combination of food quality, atmosphere and service given the amount of money and time you have available?? In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm an economist by trade....
  10. If you're talking about the place on 15th on Cap Hilll, that is a nice little shop with some good and unusual finds. I'm seeing a Cotes du Rhone theme here. Have to say I've only started focusing on them in the last year, but in my book they're the best reds for the money out there right now. The one that Klink mentioned is excellent and I also love the Perrin Reserve. There are other good ones I've had that I can't recall the names of. There was an article on the Rhone Valley in a recent issue of Food & Wine (I think). Between the wines I've had and that article, I'm totally jazzed about the idea of a trip there....
  11. BH....I went to Esquin looking for a specific wine, poked around around for a while looking for it and then asked one of their employees where I could find it. The guy said, "it's around here somewhere" and then walked away. I thought he might be going to find out, so I waited around. 15 minutes later I see him behind the cash register yuking it up with the other salespeople. I left. There's nothing wrong with buying wine from Costco and TJ's. TJ's is always like playing the lottery for me...buy some cheap foreign wine, rush home and find out if its a diamond or a rock!....I thoroughly enjoy it and the ratio of good to bad has been pretty good.
  12. Surprised no one responded to this one..... For smaller places, I really like Madison Cellars in Madison Park. The owner is really nice and very knowledgable (at least compared to me). If you like Cote du Rhone's, he seems to carry a good selection of those (and other French). I used to be a big fan of Esquin, but had a horrendous service experience there recently and will be reluctant to go back....
  13. I have been an 'active diner' in Seattle for about 10 years, and for the entire decade, just about every time I meet someone else who likes to go out to eat, they tell me how much they LOVE the Pink Door. I've probably been there half a dozen times, and frankly, to me the food barely rises to mediocre. Every time I tell someone this, they look at me as if I've just been hitting the crack pipe. I don't get it! I can think of 10-15 Italian restaurants in the greater Seattle area off the top of my head that I think are far superior to the PD. Am I the only one out there/here that feels that way (other than my wife)?!?!?!? I'm really not trying to start a war over this, but I need to know......
  14. I would definately second the suggestions on Le Pichet & Le Gourmand.... For the total bistro feel though, I have to go with Cassis Bistro on Capital Hill, especially if you're into charcuterie. If you're going to be down in the Willamette Valley, definately check out the Red Hills Dining Room (sp?). Others will strongly disagree with me I'm sure, but skip the Joel Palmer House. Over-rated!.... Enjoy....
  15. I'm an Irish pub kind of guy myself.... I really like Fado downtown as well as Connor Byrne in Ballard, somehow smoke enhances the flavor of Guiness for me (I'm not a smoker however). As I mentioned in another post, I've kind of fallen in love with Stella in Georgetown for their pizza, beer and pool tables. Very comfortable atmo, with a quite diverse crowd of folks. I avoid most Pioneer Square places like the plague, but do like the PS Saloon for its totally non-hip feel and, dare I say it.....yes, I still like the Pyramid Brewery.
  16. That's a tough question..... If you turned the screws on me though, I'd have to go with the tacos al pastor, simply because it scales the heights of porky-goodness. The carne asada is pretty awesome too.... The good news is that all the taquitos are small enough, served on really small flour tortillas, and cheap enough ($1.50 for 3 I think), that if you went with a couple people you could knock out the whole selection in one night! I've done it....
  17. All I ever hear/see is about how fabulous Babbo is but.... I'm from Seattle and visited NYC around the holidays and was extremely psyched that my wife and I were able to get reservations at Babbo during our visit. I have to say the meal barely rose to mediocre. My wife had pasta with cardoons and chiles, but all it tasted was HOT! I had the brasato, which was OK, but had no depth of flavors. Frankly I've had much better food at Mario's father's place here in Seattle (Salumi). I guess my question is, has anyone else ever had a similar experience at Babbo, or should I give it another shot next time I'm in NYC. Thanks....
  18. Funny story about one of the Mexican places in South Park.... The restaurant currently called Le Vagre Marina recently changed its name from La Viagra Marina. Seems Pfizer threatened to sue the owner for trandemark infringement (they make the little blue pill), if they continued to use the name. Talk about corporate paranoia run amok!....
  19. I think I know where the place is you're talking about, but I've never been there. That area is technically Georgetown (east side of the Duwamish), not that it really matters. I should check it out as I love good Japanese. Another great place in Georgetown is Stella on Airport Way. Top notch pizzas and sandwiches with a nice beer on tap selection to boot.
  20. This is my first post, but when it comes to Mexican food in South Park, I got something to say...... I moved from Cap Hill to Boulevard Park (just south of South Park) a couple years ago and thought I was entering a culinary wasteland, how surprised I've been.... My fav in South Park is Muy Macho, you might have seen it written up in the Stranger. Phenomenal taquitos of different types. Skip Jalisco, just like all the other ones in town, but La Vagra and Juan Colorado's are both good too. Enjoy...
×
×
  • Create New...