tighe

I have a couple of recipes that call for Mexican oregano, is that the same thing as epazote? ← Yes.

We don't take kindly to folks who don't take kindly....

I think I've seen it at one of the Mexican markets in Burien, probably Guadalupe. If you can't find it, fresh oregano makes a decent substitute.

I need to check it out. There aren't many places in town that have good Italian wine lists. Their website is horrendous, but I was able to see they have an interesting selection.

I actually agree with your general thesis of Seattle's best not measuring up to the best elsewhere, particularly in terms of the techniques employed. I'm sure people are tired my ranting about the tyranny of the "seasonal, local and don't do anything to it" philosophy. What I don't buy in your statement is that Mistral is head and shoulders above the rest. It may arguably be the best place in town, but William also doesn't employ the kinds of techniques and concepts to compete at the "world-class" level. Part of the issue is that Seattle hasn't shown it can support the price point that would be necessary to do that. If Mistral could charge $150/pp for a tasting menu, then maybe we could talk.

The only reasons I would go back to Canlis is the space/view and the service, but if the service is shaky...

The limit on the number of participants is bogus enough, but the fact that they're letting chains and corporate restaurants in ahead of local places is even worse.

ANYTHING? Wow, I can't wait to get to Fork. ← I wondered why it took so long for scrat to come back from the restroom....

It's really too bad that Lampreia is such a crap-shoot. My one meal there was superlative, and if I knew that's what everyone got, it would be my #1 recommendation, hands down. Unfortunately I've heard way too many accounts of mediocre meals.

Just a few comments that may or may not be helpful.... - Using West and Lumiere as your comparators is probably not going to be useful. Seattle really doesn't have anything stylistically (and arguably, qualitatively) comparable. - I had dinner recently at Fork, a newish place in town. The savory bread pudding is one of the best things I've eaten anywhere and it's vegetarian. I'm a meat-a-holic, so this is quite a statement for me. Fork also offers a unique space and atmo that would meet your other criteria. They're doing some really interesting and delicious food that's different compared to nearly everywhere else in town. - Union is great, probably the closest stylistically to West, but fish and fowl are really the strengths of the menu.

Based on the steady decline in quality that I've experienced, it's apparent to me that most restaurants have realized that the 25F$25 promotion does not lead to follow-on business. What the promotion attracts in bargain hunters that don't generally frequent middle to higher end restaurants and simply wait around for the next promotion and/or take advantage of the numerous places that offer $25 menus all the time now. So then the equation becomes one of pushing down food costs enough to at least break even and, voila, mediocre meals. Let's talk about Union's "snob factor" a little. Shortly after Union opened, Ethan told me how he had wanted to joing 25F$25 but was denied because only 25 restaurants are allowed to participate (this is an inane rule BTW, in every other city that does similar seasonal promotions, the number of participants is unlimited), so Union independently offered a competing $25 six course tasting menu that blew away anything that the official participants were offering. Eventually though, people started to complain about portion sizes, repeat dishes, etc, plus Ethan reached the conclusion I outlined above, the promotion was undercutting business during the rest of the year, not adding to it, so he stopped.

I used to love those biscuits (RIP). Lucky for Quince, which took over the space) that it's very good! I can't wait to try Fork. I see that it is reviewed in today's Times but I haven't had a chance to read it. ← Only 2.5 stars from Nancy. Based on my meal there, I think they deserve much better and the other reviews are a better reflection of what Fork is doing

I have to bust on mamster's (otherwise excellent) review of Green Leaf a little. He writes: To each his own, but I think evaluating the duck soup through the lens of what is commonly thought of as the Vietnamese flavor profile is a mistake. One of the best parts of Green Leaf is that there are twists on and movements away from the norm. The duck soup is more properly considered in a French framework, which is where I would guess it originates.

When I went to lunch at Green Leaf yesterday, I noticed that there's a new place open next door called Hong Kong Noodle House. It was packed and the menu looks very interesting. Anyone been or have the 411?

It is available from several online sources. Google: "moutarde violette"

Lunch today was great, and I tried a couple new things. First, the flour cakes...didn't really like them at first, but the more I ate, the better it tasted. I think I had to get used to the texture. Had the curry chicken 'bahn mi'. Great dish, it's actually a bowl of chicken curry soup with a toasted bahn mi loaf on the side. Not sure if one is supposed to assembe a sandwich, but I just used the bread for dipping. Wonderful, fresh tasting curry.

The cat is definitely now out of the bag. I'm getting tired of the Stranger reviewers gleaning their material from eG though....

Yeah, I read recently that it had closed. New owner apparently didn't fully understand what he was getting into and couldn't make it pencil out.

What, you have problem gettin' jiggy with the Vietnamese elevator music? It cracks me up. So where, oh where, on the menu did you find shortribs?!?!?! ← Under rice dishes. Turn the page. ← Were they the thin-sliced across the bone variety of short ribs or the meaty braised short-rib variety?

What, you have problem gettin' jiggy with the Vietnamese elevator music? It cracks me up. So where, oh where, on the menu did you find shortribs?!?!?!

Finally tore myself away from the duck soup last time I went and had the soup with shrimp, squid and pork and clear noodles. After my first couple tastes, I thought I wasn't going to like it because of the broth's pronounced fishiness. Once my palate adjusted, I really enjoyed it. The shrimp and squid were mediocre, but the pork (BBQ and ground) and the noodles were fantastic. Also had the fresh spring rolls for the first time, wow, really tasty. Anyone know what the crunchy thing running through the middle is?

That place always smells sort of foul (as opposed to fowl) when I walk by.

Chicken Fight from the latest issue of The Stranger.

Pearl, definitely.

I'm reasonably familiar with the Vancouver restaurant scene, and I can't say there's any place on the 25f$25 list that is going to give you something that isn't available in you home town. That said, there are some good options. Others may disagree, but I don't think any of these places are out-and-out bad, so if the menu at one of them particularly appeals to you, that would probably be as good a reason as any to choose it. That said, the best options in my opinion are: Earth and Ocean - A severely overpriced restaurant in my opinion, but obviously not in this case. The chef was chosen one of F&W's 'Best New Chefs' last year and the desserts have a reputation for being creative and fun, if overly sweet. Tulio - Very good northern Italian food with more refinement than you usually find. Not as good as Cioppino's. Nishino - Arguably the best sush in Seattle, but not sure if this menu features their best. You could do the $25 menu and supplement some other dishes and make a great meal of it.