kiliki

That sounds terrific. If all bridal showers offered such menus, they would be a lot less hellish.

I would be waiting at your door opening day.

If I win the lotto this week I definitely will.

Oh, yeah, Than Bros. Pho! A delicious meal for $3.85. Ballet on Pike, just a few doors up from Broadway, has inexpensive decent Vietnamese. The noodle bowls are best.

Thank you all, there are some FABULOUS ideas here (especially the cucumber cups with gazpacho! I love that idea! And the mini pizzas! And crackers!). I will also check out the Martha book. I make those fresh salad rolls all the time for myself, but haven't tried keeping them soft with a wet towel. I'll try that.

Now, I know the Baithouse is not everyone's favorite but I dearly loved it and have heard the rumor that it has closed permanantly. I tried calling and the phone is disconnected. Does anyone know anything about this? Maybe I should buy the site-it would be perfect for my oyster shack.

That pastry cafe is a great idea. Seattle has a dearth of good pastry. If you could buy beautiful cakes and tarts to go as you can in a french patisserie all the better.

A bbq oyster shack. I'd completely rip off the menu and funky, laid back style of the Marshall Store, on Tomales Bay, in northwest Marin County, California. They have 6 different styles of oysters, with bbq being the specialty, and a few other seafood dishes (can't remember what, exactly, since I only ever got oysters when I lived there last summer). You grab your own beer or soda out of the refrigerator and go sit on the deck or in the atrium and wait for your order. It was a perfect place and I can't believe we don't have anything like it here (The Baithouse is somewhat close).

Seems like I'm always making the same old things for finger foods...stuffed mushrooms or potatoes, bruschetta, polenta triangles, crudites. I need some more ideas about great party hors d'oeuvres that travel well. or, if anyone can recommend an hors d'oeuvre cookbook, that would be great, too.

Great suggestions all. I would especially third the Osteria La Spiga recommendation. Corner of Broadway and Union. And since no one is really throwing out breakfast suggestions, I'll recommend the Coastal Kitchen, on 15th, a few blocks east of Broadway.

I love buffets, but there don't seem to be any good ones in the Seattle area besides Indian. An exception is The Diamond Club at Safeco Field. Problem is, you somehow have to score the very expensive behind home plate seats that allow you access to the Club. If you do, however, a very nice buffet (piles of cocktail prawns, prime rib, salmon, that kind of thing) AND all you can drink liquor is included with your ticket. You are not even supposed to tip.

Speaking of rock and stone walls, I just made my first visit to Maranako's (link) near Fall City to look for patio stone. They have a terrific selection of rocks, and it's fun to visit-if anyone is looking to build rock walls/planters I'd highly recommend a trip. I am moving into my boyfriend's house, and within an hour of the decision I'd already secured permission to build a bunch of raised beds for blueberries, raspberries, and vegetables. The poor guy, he just weakly requested that I leave enough grass for the dog to play.

Timely topic for me. I've taken a number of trips recently to Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin to visit my boyfriend's relatives, and each time I feel as if I've been transported back to the 1970s-jello, cassroles, squishy white bread, crock pot cookery, glasses of milk, few fresh veggies and salt and pepper as the only seasonings. I'd never even heard of hot dishes or fish fries (apparently, frying is the only way they know how to do fish, which is shocking to this Seattlite), which they found amazing.

They were $1 each for a decent sized cookie-a much better price than Le Panier, which now charges $1 for the petit macaron. Maybe I will try to find out what day they are made...maybe if I get a really fresh one it will be good.

I finally tried the macarons at Essential. They are beautiful and quite reasonably priced, and the flavor was good, but the texture was all wrong. I don't know if they weren't fresh or what, but all five flavors had brittle, crackly, dry exteriors and dense, chewy, sticky fillings. *sigh*

Vera's in Ballard has a Chicken Fried Steak, 3 egg and hashbrown breakfast.

Speaking of the Saigon Cafe-they make some good stuff but steer clear of the salad bowls. This usually one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes but here they are bland, bland, bland. Not a fresh herb in sight.

There is a brand of fruit here in the PNW (I'm not sure how widely available it is) called "Oregon." Their cherries are terrific-not at all like the syrupy mess that canned cherries usually are. I use them to make cobblers (and pies, though that's probably not as quick as you'd like) or other quick cherry desserts (ie over ice cream). The brand has other fruit as well (even boysenberries!), but I haven't tried any but the cherry.

Just a note: You can get most of these breads at regular grocery stores. I'm not sure if you're moving right from Berkeley, in which case this wouldn't be terribly exciting and new, but if you live in a place where you have to make a special trip to a bakery for decent bread, rest assured the good stuff is everywhere.

The Lighthouse is my place, and it gets bonus points in my book for having a nice staff who always remember my drink despite my sporadic visits.

Under the inexpensive and VERY casual category (we're talking card tables, folding chairs, order at the counter, etc) is La Cocina del Puerco on Main street, a block or two west of 8th in Bellevue. Terrific Mexican food.

I used to eat at the Kabob house once in a while but a Pakistani coworker of my boyfriend (who initially recommended the place as the best and most authentic in town) told him that it is now terrible since recently the owners sold it and opened a new place in Renton (the name of the new place escapes me). I know I should just go and judge for myself, but I haven't gotten around to it.

Do you happen to know if they dry age their beef, like the Met and El Gaucho?

ANOTHER pub report: Someone, here I think, mentioned the Barking Dog at 705 NW 70th, so I tried it tonight. It is my new favorite bar to eat in. They have an excellent selection of Belgian beers, including some draft, and a full bar. Nice decor, but it feels very comfortable. Mariners game on the flat screen tv. The place is more like a restaurant than a bar except that we seated ourselves. The menu was great and we all liked our food-gumbo, french dip, halibut and chips. The bread pudding dessert had too many raisins and not enough bourbon in the bourbon sauce, but hey, that's just me being picky.

Mamster, it's the same owners/idea. I haven't been inside but I hear they totally redid the interior. They've been having good shows there, too, just like before.