MsRamsey

Any news on the menus for this week? Once again I've begged the Culinary Academy's office to send me menus. They assured me they have and will (I've somehow dropped off their email list for the nth time), but they don't. Someone working in One World told me that the menus would soon be online, but the AA in the office says it's news to her. If anyone has any insight into getting these menus consistently, please share! It frustrates me for all the large gatherings we've had there in the past and the support we've shown them.

Johnathan, so John would be correct, I believe. My dad is a Jon/Jonathan.

Geneva is across the street, but I wouldn't recommend it. Bambuza, the Vietnamese restaurant at 820 Pike St., would be a good option. I second the recommendation of Otis for funky and informal. If you eat downtown close to the Convention Center, Town Hall is very close and accessible on foot. I always go into the front entrance of the Convention Center, take the escalator or elevator to the top floor, and exit the back of the Convention Center into Freeway Park. The park will empty at certain spots on the east side onto 8th Ave, and Town Hall is a very short walk south.

When it's full, the noise level is extreme. It's a drag, because I love their food. But until that one horrible waiter quits, I don't think I'll be there much either.

You mentioned having a waitress, so luckily you didn't get my most unfavorite waiter in Seattle. If I could avoid getting him every time, I'd be at Monsoon a lot more often. Everything is beautifully prepared and the flavors delicate and elegant.

I'm glad they finally figured out how to take reservations. They've been such snots about their opaque reservation policy in the past.

I've been to City Kitchens dozens of times and have always had excellent service, even when they're swamped. And I'm certainly not dressed up when I'm there. Give it another try.

Chef Yamamoto at Shiki (lower Queen Anne) also does amaebi w/ the fried shrimp heads. Delicious.

Yes, Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant and Lo Sichuan are the same restaurant.

At Lo Sichuan, the dumplings and the Sichuan ravioli are different from each other. The ravioli is very thin-skinned, and the Sichuan ravioli soup they serve is good, but quite pungent (I like it). The dumpling skin is medium thickness. At Seven Stars, the dumpling skin is very thick. I thought the two hot pots were quite comparable, but it's Lo Sichuan by a nose for me. I actually like the peanut sauce (and the tofu) better at Lo Sichuan too. We order lunches from Lo Sichuan at work all the time. You need a person who reads Mandarin to figure out who gets what (they don't write in English on the takeout boxes), and be sure that you actually have everything you ordered before you leave the restaurant. Edit: Added tofu comment

Matador: I stopped in for a snack (quesadilla) last Sunday afternoon. It's okay. They got too cutesy with the design of the place. The best feature is the bar seating around the fire, but the rest is too concept/theme/Darden for me. It didn't seem like a place that "hipsters" would hang out--there are tons of places on Ballard Ave for that already. Frat boys, more like, but I haven't been there after dark, so what do I know.

I've had several really nice and capable servers in the Brasa bar, but not in the dining area.

Blue Heron and malarkey may remember that we had Stellar Bay oysters at The Georgian during the last 25/25. It would be nice to know where to get them locally.

Here's the complaint filed against him. They settled out of court. A total of six men filed complaints against him for claims of molestation when they were under 18. If you live in Seattle, you hear a lot of very sad anecdotes as well from long-time residents. Edit: Found an old story that it was a total of 10 men who filed suit.

So did he!

It's very uneven, and their 25/25 menu is a complete snoozer (and unchanged from the last 25/25).

Cafe Lago also has a pizza topped with fresh arugula. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks great.

Thanks for clarifying. I think you'll really like Cafe Lago's pizza given your love of that type of pizza. I'm also very interested in trying Tutta Bella, as you mentioned. Perhaps we should put a dinner together there?

I'm confused. Are you talking about the chain called Shakey's that originated in Sacramento, CA? When you say "original one in Olympia," it sounds like you're talking about a one-off pizza joint.

Shakey's had a wood-fired oven?

Edit: Thought the menus were still available, but they seem to be gone for me too.

Doesn't Dahlia Bakery make them?

This weekend I ate at A.O.C., one of Suzanne Goin's semi-big-deal restaurants in Los Angeles. The menu is startlingly similar to Lark's menu, but the food is not made or presented with as much care (A.O.C.'s wine selection is superior, however). In comparing these restaurants, if A.O.C. serves what passes for the best, most cutting-edge small dishes in Los Angeles, Seattle has really lucked out with Lark.

I saw some at Essential last week. Speaking of Essential, they seem to have stopped making cannele. But don't ask the staff at the counter why. They don't know, and they never seem know any answer to any question you have about their products, ever.

3/18/04 missive #2 from Seattle Central Culinary Academy: Limited reservations are still being taken for Kevin Copley's chef of the day in Square One from 11:15 am - 1:00 pm today. On the menu……Hummus and Lutenitza, Chuski Burek (deep fried filled Anaheim pepper), Kaverma (spicy lamb stew), Perjola (pan seared pork tenderloin), Reba (blackened snapper) and much, much more. Reservations will go quickly so if you are interested call us at 587-5424.