Kinch

I like the People's Pub in Ballard. A lot. The bar is in the rear and they have a great selection of hard to find German beers, a full bar, and a mostly German menu (though its focus Southwestern German and may be slightly different than the Bavarian fare we usually get here in America). I'm a big fan of the Jaegerschnitzel, and their spaetzle is at least as good as my great-grandmother's, and made in-house. I know the sauces are all done from demi-glace, so they are pretty richly flavored. The atmosphere is right up my alley: cozy, and a good cross-section of a pretty vibrant neighborhood.

I'd have to recommend any local kitchen store besides City Kitchens. Every time I've been in there I've had to pull teeth to get them to help me (even if I'm the only one in the store) and when they do, they've not had what I was looking for. My take has been that since I'm often dressed in working-man's attire, I'm being ignored because their staff assumes I'm not going to spend tons of money. I've not faced that problem at Sur La Table--they've been more than helpful every time I go in, and their helpfulness has earned them my money and my loyalty. On the other hand, a friend went in to City Kitchens covered in flour while on a break from work. They fell all over themselves to help him, so YMMV.

Much more than twice as good; that may be because the stuff in the tube is mostly American horseradish and green foodcolor. Much heat but not nearly the amount of flavor. The fresh stuff is sweet, milder, more flavorful, and worth the $60/pound. And not the same fluorescent green.