lemony

thanks for the feedback! both Muy Macho and El Rinconsito have been on my regular eating list for quite some time (one of the many good things about west seattle is its proximity to south park & burien, who woulda thunk?). bad news on Muy Macho: i was there last week (had 2 carnitas tacos and a side of rice & beans, love their salsa verde) and they NO LONGER SERVE BEER! i don't know about ya'lls but i love a can of tecate with a taco, i'll even bump it up fancy to corona or (preferably) pacifico. the friendly woman behind the counter didn't have an answer about the lack of beer. i suppose you could eat quickly and dash over to the County Line for a cold one but, really, you're just opening up a big can of trouble with that maneuver. lemony

i love carnitas. in fact, it was a trip to l.a. and a tempting dish of carnitas at silverlake's el chavo that made me climb back aboard the meat wagon after a two year absence. the margaritas didn't hurt, either. i still think i've had the best versions down in l.a., where muy autentico mexican food abounds. that said, i'm currently CRAZY about the carnitas at ballard's Matador (meat market atmosphere be damned). they do it right, with a complex mix of spice and enough cinnamon to keep it interesting. soul-crushingly tender, as well. and, while in the pork world, i should mention my love affair with the chile verde at el gallito, despite the fact that you can visibly age while waiting for your meal to be served. anyone got any suggestions on where i can get my carnitas fix? i'm always looking yet rarely finding..... lemony

genius! this made me laugh heartily. my 6 year old niece lily has the rainforest cafe as a favorite pick so i am unfortunately quite familiar with the place. no offense to you parents out there, as i know kids gotta eat, too, but i can think of nothing worse than a "meal" at the RFC. i'm not sure if it's the volume of shrieking children, the loud "storm" that moves through the joint practically every two minutes, or the shameless gift shop that drives me to the edge but i always have the urge to make my way to the "bar" and down multiple shots of tequila when in the RFC. responsible aunt hood always stops me. that, and the hope that springs eternal from the fact that miss lily's second favorite choice is le pichet. only if we can eat outside, of course. lemony

a trusted friend of mine ate there last week and had nothing but praise for the new spot. yay tom douglas! i've never had a bad meal at any of his spots and am even a devotee of his packaged salmon rub for home use. now, if i could figure out how to make that pie.... lemony

thanks for the feedback. i totally agree with all the praise for the service because it was very good. sequim, maybe you missed it in my admittedly long original post but we did voice our disappointment and were completely honest with our server, who was very gracious and apologetic. based on other opinions, it sounds like we just had an off night. could be that they were still working out the kinks of the new menu. i will give ovio another shot, as i agree that west seattle needs good spots and i do find ovio to be quite charming, despite our lackluster meal. again, thanks all for the commentary! lemony

all the coffee chains that offer ridiculously named items should be fined by the word police. i had forgotten about "swirkle," which is one of the All Time Worst Names For Anything. that said, i've forgiven tully's thanks to their shakes. i'm with you, mamster, they are sublime. they still have a lot to answer for with that giant T on the old rainier brewery, though.... now, if only someone would loan starbucks a dictionary....frappuccino? venti? creme drinks?come on! lemony

i've been to blue c twice for lunch and have been disappointed both times. kaiten sushi is tons of fun and the place looks good but i found the offerings to be bland and not too fresh, which is something you just don't want with sushi! plus, our green tea ice cream was disgustingly freezer-burned (they did apologize and knock it off the bill, but still). i've had some good conveyor belt sushi in san francisco and new york but seattle is definitely lacking a good spot. whilst on the topic: i had dinner at maneki this past week and walked away full and happy. this old school place is one of my sushi standards and a must-visit place for any lovers of authentic japanese cuisine. it's full of history (seattle's first sushi bar) and the service is prompt and friendly. there's always something new to try and you can leave satiated without busting your wallet. lemony

i've been meaning to eat at ovio bistro on california ave for ages but didn't get around to it until last week. i was a fan of the former restaurant in its place (deux tamales) and have heard nothing but praise about ovio, including some strong recs from some of my favorite foodies and chefs around town. plus, it's right down the street from my home! unfortunately, the experience was a bummer. three of us scored a nice patio table and settled in for some serious noshing. the two of us drinking lemon drops were pleased - the drinks were expertly made and to our specification (no sugar rim and on the tart side, please). perfectly muddled, these cocktails were fairly priced at $6.75. our scotch drinker didn't have such good luck - first and second choice were no longer in stock, although still on the menu. he settled for some johnny walker black, which is just fine, really. we ordered the cheese plate ($9.95), the blue corn-crusted calamari ($6.95), and the taleggio artichoke tart ($7.50). of the three, the cheese plate was the best - a nice selection of soft to semi-hard french cheeses, with a handful of almonds and some delicious, dense fig bread. the artichoke tart is a new addition to the menu and suffered from a dense pastry shell coupled with far too much taleggio cheese. the subtle taste of artichoke was horribly overpowered and the dish had an almost sour taste to it. i felt it was far too rich for a summer menu addition. our very nice server raved about the calamari and noted that it was the dish they were serving at the bite of seattle this weekend so we gave it a shot. the calamari was of good quality and well-prepared, although the touted blue corn crust was nothing extraordinary. it comes with a house-made tartar sauce (not bad) and a delicious green chili vinaigrette. one of my favorite chefs in town had raved about ovio's steak preparation so i was eager to order the top sirloin ($19.95). it was served with a potato onion cake and broccolini. i had requested it cooked medium; it arrived medium well to well done. the cut of meat was one of the worst i have received in a long time - tough and fatty with virtually no flavor. one of my dining companions remarked that it tasted like paper, to which i had to sadly agree. the scotch drinker had the fried chicken ($14.95) which was definitely crispy - in fact, one piece was unacceptably burned. it was served with some delightful mashed potatoes, laced with cheese and copious amounts of butter. chicken makes me nervous so i declined a taste; the final word on the bird: "it's ok. kinda bland." our third diner must have received all the spices in the kitchen, as she pronounced her salt & pepper scallops and prawns "over-seasoned." they looked beautiful, though, served atop a bed of buckwheat noodles. she abandoned her dish about halfway through, which was lucky for me as i could not stomach the flavorless beef and gladly took her discards. it may have been over-seasoned but tasted delicious after sawing my way through a hunk of overcooked cardboard. our server couldn't help but notice my uneaten steak and we politely voiced our disappointment. i've worked in the service industry and currently tend bar two nights a week so i have a lot of sympathy for servers when things beyond their control go wrong. she was gracious and kind and returned with dessert menus, telling us the chef would like to buy us a dessert. we declined the offer, having already decided to head down the street to cafe zaffarango for the warm chocolate souffle, in hopes of salvaging the meal. grand total for three before tip: $143.46. terribly disappointing and i left extremely unsatisfied. although i told our server we would return, i'm not sure i will. anyone have any experiences with ovio that could change my mind? sheesh, i just realized how long this is....sorry! just had a lot to say, i had really been looking forward a good meal. still craving a good steak so i'm off to metropolitan market for a fine cut of beef to be grilled at home tonight! lemony

thanks everyone for the great suggestions! now, if the sun would come out again... i'll let you know how it goes. as a longtime lurker on this board, i am amazed at the wealth of information and kindhearted advice/suggestions here. thanks for having me! lemony

hello all, i hope the bounty of summer is making its way to your kitchens & stomachs! question: where does one go to pick things? i've got a 6 year old niece who is already quite a little foodie in her own right and she is itching to go pick "something we can eat." i am ashamed to admit that, although i was born & raised in seattle, i have never in my 37 years gone to pick any produce. i'm equally mortified to admit i don't even know when the seasons to do such things begin and end. anyone have any suggestions on reliable U-Pick places? how does this work? please forgive my ignorance; i have long been spoiled by the produce at my neighborhood grocery (metropolitan market, west seattle). thanks in advance! lemony

shorty's does, indeed, serve organic tv dinners. i don't think anyone really orders them, they (like many bars around town) offer tv dinners to fulfill the liquor board requirement (x amount of food available when hard liquor is available). although the class h requirements have loosened over the past couple of years, washington's "blue laws" are still pretty archaic.

i've been thinking about hot dogs lately. not your "plump when you cook 'em" sort of wiener, i'm talking extraordinary tube steaks in a bun. and, although it's not something i eat with regularity, i'm curious about what your favorites may be. my top three: - Danny's Wonder Freeze, Pike Place Market. i'm a big fan of the corndog, hand dipped by danny and cooked to order. i usually get the veggie dog version, which somehow assuages my guilt about eating deep fried food on a stick. - Shorty's Coney Island, 2nd avenue between Blanchard & Bell. the crowd here has changed since they began serving liquor last year and i much prefer the earlier version of this pinball/video game joint. can't deny the chicago style dog, though! - Showbox Hot Dog Cart, 1st & Pike. definitely a guilty pleasure, particularly at 1:30 am. but, man oh man, who can resist the smell of grilled onions that wafts through the venue on busy nights? the all beef topped with onions on a cream cheese slathered bun is oftentimes more satisfying than the entertainment onstage at the showbox! got any to share? lemony

i've gotta say, i'm not a fan of the donuts at top pot. imo, they are too greasy and awfully dense. that said, i absolutely love the look and feel of both locations. plus, the downtown store has got a fabulous neon sign. a fresh, hot glazed donut from krispy kreme is still my #1 choice when indulging in donuts. and, now that there's a location in SODO, it isn't such a hassle to get one. lemony

mmmm, sushi! i'm pretty sure i would eat it every single day if i could afford to. my favorite seattle spots: MANEKI - old school joint in the I.D., some of the best in town SHIRO'S - shiro has worked his magic all over town but this is the best. expensive, but worth it SAITO'S- just a couple of blocks away from shiro's, fresh, clean, delicious AOKI - good for a quick lunch when on capitol hill a lot of folks seem to really like WASABI (also in belltown, on 2nd avenue) and, although i will eat there on occasion, i think they are too fussy with their ingredients. some of the combinations of ingredients are down right ridiculous. that said, they have a nice rainbow roll and plenty of fancy cocktails. lemony

broadway is generally lacking for yummies but, don't despair, you can find a good meal on the main drag. than bros. pho is delicious, cheap , and dining alone is comfy. plus, the cream puffs are divine (get 3 to go for $1 for a snack later). aoki (621 broadway) is my fave spot for sushi on the hill and they frequently have good lunch deals. you would be remiss to not have a dick's deluxe & fries while in seattle - it's an institution. machiavelli is a good neighborhood italian joint down pine st. toward downtown. you really should head up to 15th for breakfast: the coastal kitchen is consistently good and their bloody marys are delicious. try to hit kingfish on 19th for either lunch or dinner, their food is good for your soul and you will thank the heavens if strawberry shortcake is in season. i am brand new to this board so forgive me if all these places have been covered in other threads. - lemony