SeaGal

I realize this is an old thread and many already know about this place, but I ate there for the first time today and it was really, really good I've really been craving some good "authentic" tacos and especially carnitas which it's so hard (impossible?) to find in the NW. So I searched through threads and found this one. Armed with my Mapquest printout I took off down I-5 to find the Tukwilla branch, which was easy, but darned if it wasn't closed due to a family emergency (hopefully all is ok). Luckily, I had the address of the Burien location at 15101 Ambaum, but no map--determined to get my tacos, I set off to find it. Thank my lucky stars I did!! I had the taco plate with 4 tacos for ($4.69 I think). I had 2 carnitas, 1 adobado and 1 carne asada with a side of avocado ($1.50 for half a nice, ripe avocado) and a really good tamarindo (full of real tamarind pulp). I helped myself liberally to radishes, pickled carrots and onions and three salsas and sat down to enjoy. Man, they were good!! Simple, but real deep flavors. The adobado was the best I've had state-side, with crispy edges and nicely spicey. The carnitas were also very good, but still not as crispy/fatty/porky as those in Calif/Mexico. (I realize the carnitas may vary day to day and I'll definitely go back to try them again.) The carne asada was also very flavorful and juicy. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other menu items. Has anyone tried the pozole here?

My husband, Mr. SeaGal would like to join us too. As he has to commute from the Eastside, he probably won't be able to get there before 6:30. Is that an ok time to start? If not, he could join us in progress. Jan

Yes, their was sort of a chain or loose affiliation of restaurants in the Bay Area that used the "Joe's" moniker. We used to go to "Original Joe's" in San Jose and they had the "Joe's Special" on the menu, just as you all have described it. I never ordered it though, because I always went for one of the chicken or veal sautes or the grilled lamb chops. Yum--I kind of miss that place. Jan

OK, Union just became my favorite special occasion spot--or any occasion spot. Last night's tasting menu was impeccable and amazing! It's rare for me to be bowled over by every course in a meal and I can honestly say that each course was the closest thing to perfect that I've experienced all in one meal. Thank you LEdlund for the detailed explanations of the meal. Though I loved it all, the standouts for me were the Striped Bass Tartare, the Foie Gras with blood orange and the perfectly cooked (on the rare side of med. rare) lamb with it's reduction sauce and the ethereal potato puree-I'm a real lamb lover. Although, the watercress soup was also a revelation (I think it was Seacrotty's observation about it being how green should taste) and the flan was definitely the best I've ever had and the tuna was amazing--see, it's hard to pick out a favorite As far as wines, I should remember cause I helped order, but I only remember that we had 2 whites--the reisling which was very nice, but sweeter than I care for and a 2000 Chablis, but not sure which one. The Chablis was really good, very dry and minerally and a perfect match for the seabass tartare. The other two wines were the Pinot Noir which LEdlund mentioned and a Rhone Gigondas. I hope that Scorched Palate and/or Seacrotty will fill in the details on the wine. I thought the wines were really good and reasonably priced. It was great meeting everyone--what a fun group of folks to have a meal with

I just tried and no menus are coming up at all. Wonder what's up?

I'm looking forward to both the dinner and to meeting everyone--also to seeing LEdlund and MsRamsey again after our Salumi trek. Jan

I haven't been to either so I'll defer to those who have to decide.

I'd be happy to fill in Blue Heron's place on Thursday night. Let me know if you want me. Jan

I'm not available on Wed the 7th, but could do it on Mon (5th), Tues (6th) or Fri (9th). However, if everyone else wants to do it on Wed, I'll catch you another time. Jan

Here's my two cents. I also have wide feet, I pronate badly and I tend toward lower back problems. I wear Danskos, both the clog style and the newer, more "fashionable" (a term loosely applied here ) loafer styles for everyday. I avoid cooking and doing housework in my bare or slipper feet, because I usually have more leg/back pain if I do. I've found that my running shoes--good quality, not cheapo--work best for cooking, followed closely by my Dansko clogs. I think the athletic shoes work best because of the extra cushioning, which the clogs don't have. I have found that Brooks and Asics to work well, but I've had my feet and gait evaluated by a Physical Therapist and a Podiatrist and they helped me with shoe selection. It boils down to trying on lots of pairs of shoes and finding what works for you. It's very individual. Good luck at finding comfort in the kitchen!

I'd also love to do this, but am only available Sun, Mon or Tues nights. It there's enough interest, maybe two groups could go, one early in the week, one later--if not, there's always next month.....

No, it doesn't ruin it for me--it's no different than eating head cheese I imagine. My favorites tacos are carnitas, but I haven't had any here that are really carnitas, i.e. a whole pig (well, not all on one taco of course ) deep fried to crunchy goodness as in Mexico. Is there anywhere in Seattle area that does them authentically (or close to it?). I also like lengua, asada and pastor, but as ExtraMSG said, most places serve pork stewed in BBQ sauce which is ok, but not like the al pastor in Morelia, MX. which was sort of grilled on a spit like a gyros and juicy pieces were carved of and served on tortillas. Ymmmmm. Where are the good taco places in Seattle?

I was there the other day too, and I tried to order my favorite, the cabezas tacos (basically beef cheeks, I believe) and they said they didn't have them any more. I just assumed it was because they didn't sell well. Didn't hear anything about illegality though--can't imagine what that would be about.

Johnny Rockets is slowly infiltrating....there's also one on level 4 at Pacific Place. It's definitely not the best in town--I'd go to Dick's first if I had the choice, and I'm not a native with fond Dick's memories. The one at U Village underwhelmed me--too greasy, bad service, fries before burger as malarky mentioned. It's not horrid, just not good enough to seek out.

Thank you all! I've always been meaning to try out the Melting Pot and you've all prevented me from the ordeal. I'll just have to dust off my fondue pot and make my own. My worst dining experience was at the Rimrock Steakhouse on Lake City Way. My husband and I decided to go in since it looked like a classic dive/hole-in-the-wall steakhouse and sometimes these can be good. Egad! It was, bar none, the worst steak dinner I've ever had. First of all, the place was truly a dive in terms of decor and (lack of) atmosphere. We were the only ones there as well. The salad was wilted, brown iceberg with lackluster dressing. The steak was gristly and flavorless, the vegetable was extremely watery cauliflower in a bland cheese paste and I don't remember much about the potato. It was so bad that we were almost in hysterics by the time the meal was over Since then, whenever we have a less than stellar meal, we always invoke the Rimrock and it reminds us that things aren't really so bad after all! Jan

I agree about the sign. I also had a hard time finding the place. Wow, I had no idea the chips were that expensive. I was wondering why we didn't get any when I saw others with them, but I forgot to ask about them. They should be astoundingly good for that price. Do you get something with them like a special salsa or something? As far as portions, they are definitely smaller than most Mexican places which makes for the possibility of trying several items in one meal, but might not be so good if you're a big eater. Jan

Food Theme: Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin MFK Fisher Julia Child Jaques Pepin Humor Theme: Lenny Bruce Robin Williams Paula Poundstone Billy Connely

I had the same Caesar salad experience at Elliot's. The dressing tasted bottled--yuck! and for a restaurant of that caliber to have bad parmesan........! However, I also had a stellar 1/2 dozen raw oysters and some really good fried oysters (as Blue Heron mentioned). I guess it depends on what you order. I've never eaten in the dining room, only in the bar area.

I'm happy. Last's night dinner at La Carta de Oaxaca was really good--some things bordering on sublime. I enjoyed meeting everyone since it was my first egullet expedition. I felt that La Carta is one of the closest "authentic" Mexican dining experiences I've had in Seattle. The portions are small enough that it's easy to share several things and the prices are very reasonable. While everything we tasted was good, here are a few of my biases: I really loved the Posole. The broth was porky, fragrant and red-chile infused and there was just the right amount of hominy and tender pork chunks. It came with the usual side of shredded cabbage, chopped onion, lime and radish chunks and a couple of the lovely handmade (you can watch them being made at the counter) tortillas. I haven't had any Posole that good since I was in Morelia, MX. I thought the Mole was really good, but not great. (I was in the minority--I think everyone else liked it best). It was just a bit too sweet and not (heat) spicy enough for me--but, it was still really good. What I really loved was the lamb birria. It was really lamby, in a lamb stew kind of way. Chunks of tender lamb braised in a slightly sour chile gravy. It was served with excellent rice and black beans. One interesting note is that they serve two different types of rice. I think the mole came with whitish and the birria came with a reddish rice (or vice versa?) and they were both good--no frozen peas and carrots in sight. The shrimp cocktail was ok, but they used little bay shrimp with avocados in a fairly sweet cocktail sauce. I like Burrito Loco's better--they use big, fresh cooked shrimp and the sauce is thinner--probably just a different style from a different area of Mexico. Anyway, it was really nice to meet Blue Heron, Laurel, Joe and DRColby and Mrs. DRColby and I'm definitely going back to try more. Jan

I like Chinook's too, especially for out of town visitors that just want some good, basic seafood and have limited pocketbooks. These are some things I like at Chinook's: -Half shell oysters--always fresh and several types to choose from -Steamers--clams or mussels--they are always sweet and fresh done with garlic, butter and lemon--you can get a combo if you can't decide and they come in appetizer or main dish sizes -Pan-fried oysters - some of the best I've ever had and good portions--I like to order them with fries rather than the o'brien-style potatoes which are standard with the dinners and always seem kind of bland. -Hearts of romaine with blue cheese and hazelnuts salad--very rich and tasty -Baja shrimp cocktail - bay shrimp with avocadoes and salsa -My husband likes the blackened halibut (or is it mahi mahi?) tacos -Tempura shrimp and veggies--especially the mushrooms--seems more like beer battered than tempura, but it's very good, though incredibly rich and filling. They also have a good selection of fresh fish--almost always including salmon and halibut but also including Idaho trout, mahi mahi, ahi and others. The Boston clam chowder is tasty and has plenty of clams, but is very thick so be warned. I'm not sure about vegetarian options, but they have pasta dishes, salads and veggie side dishes and are very accomodating so I'd think something could be arranged. Maybe call ahead to find out. The waits can be long, but if you go in late afternoon you can avoid them and still see the view of the boats. After singing the praises of Chinooks, I also like Etta's, though for my meat-and-potatoes relatives, it's too adventurous (believe it or not!) Jan

Lemon Cove, CA Manteca, CA

Really crusty potato bread, lightly toasted and spread with a creamy, ripe avocado, sprinkled with hazelnut oil, lime juice and kosher salt.

Oops! I'd put down 6:00 in my planner and now I see it's changed. I can't get there until around 5:30 or a bit later. I hope that's ok? I'm really looking forward to this Jan

Wednesday evening sounds good to me. Count me in.

I'd love to try it out! I could make it Monday or Wednesday for either lunch or dinner. I'm also available for lunch on Tuesday or Thursday.