dandelion

Sadly, although Giant Pocky is funny, it's not very good.

I'm interested to see how you guys are going to handle the competion, with just one kitchen to work with. I've seen some pictures of hhlodesign's kitchen in another post so I know it's big, but it's no Kitchen Stadium! Please do post pictures of the cooking and the process as well as the final products.

Wow, gonna have to agree with Eden here. Since when does being a foodie translate into being a tap water snob?! People like what they're used to, and tap water is definitely of those things. You move to a new place, the water is going to taste weird. It's going to taste different from what you're used to, as much to do with the municipality as the pipes in your house or apartment. My house was built in 1908, so I expect the pipes are a little rusty. But on a hot day, nothing beats drinking nice aerated water straight out of the tap in the kitchen. But it's what I'm used to, and I've got a Brita for when I need to make coffee or ice cubes or impress company.

If you weren't born and raised in Seattle, don't go to Dick's, don't even bother. You won't get it. Not even all natives like it, but if you don't start at an early age, you definitely won't!

I believe it used to be a Briazz. The kiosk in the middle of Westlake that's now a Starbucks used to be a SBC. This Juan Valdez definitely gets a lot more foot traffic than the one on 5th by Betsey Johnson, but with that Starbucks right across the street it must be tough. Sadly, I don't really care for their coffee myself.

Yum -- agreed! Definitely try the Cafe Cubano: a shot of espresso with caramelized sugar. Plenty of crema, too.

Grocery stores: Luckily, in the U-District, Safeway isn't your only option. There's a Trader Joe's (mentioned above as being on Capitol Hill, but there's also a branch right in the U-District), a Whole Foods just a little north (easily bus-able, although not exactly in a student's budget all of the time) and a giant QFC just to the east, with a lot of specialty foods mixed into all of the normal stuff. In the U-District itself, there is a butcher/fishmonger called University Seafood & Poultry. It's rather old fashioned, but stays in business because people like it.... A great website to check out is lostinseattle.com -- you can put in a business location and see on a map what else is nearby. Here's an example. As far as the area around the U-District being a wasteland & gross... I don't buy it. I lived around there for years, and if you're used to cities, you're used to these parts of town. It's a college neighborhood, so there's a lot of cheap eateries and kids hanging out on the streets. It's not pristine... it's an old neighborhood that's never really had a lot of money/gentrification. You'll find very few chains in the area, although you will find a lot of great clothing stores (especially vintage/funky/ethnic stuff), shoe stores and book stores (used and new). It's also THE neighborhood in Seattle for movies, with five theaters in the area that show the best indie and mainstream titles. There are a few diamonds in the rough as far as restaurants go, but ownership changes hands often so we can probably recommend places a little better once you get here. And I'll second the recommendation for Flexcar. I'm a member, and it's a great option if you just need to drive occasionally or take a weekend trip to the mountains. There are several car locations in the area.

You'll find crema on your Americano at Senso Unico -- that's what I usually order in the mornings, and it's delicious. It's a little harder to keep the crema on an Americano (compared to just a straight shot of espresso) because of the addition of the hot water to the drink. Senso Unico puts a bit of hot water in the cup first, then layers the espresso shots over the top, which is what I think keeps the crema from breaking up.

I'd highly recommend Caffe Senso Unico on Olive between 6th and 7th. It's owned by an Italian, Mario Gelmini, who you'll usually see working behind the bar, and he strives to make the experience as authentically Italian as possible. Their beans are from Caffe Umbria.

NO!! I'm going to have to try and make it in one more time before Friday....

Can I please, please, please blame Rachel Ray for the fact that I had to wait in the world's longest line at Top Pot for a dozen doughnuts to bring to my dad yesterday morning? It's been my Father's Day tradition for 3 years, and this was the first time I had to wait for more than a couple minutes. The place was mobbed with tourists!

Hi all. I’ll be in La Conner next weekend with a group of girlfriends. Does anyone have any recommendations for dinner, Sunday brunch, or any other foodie destinations? I know there are lots of farms around, but is there a farmer’s market in town? I have a couple of ideas from the La Conner/Edison thread from last March, but I’d love more. Thanks!

Just got the call.... Raw cow's milk is finally available at Pike Place Creamery (206-622-5029). The price is $5.50 for a half gallon.

LOL! Cream cheese on a hot dog is apparently just a Seattle thing... A great article on the subject ran last year in The Stranger: Heavy Metal Hot Dog. I, personally, do NOT get it but everyone else around here seems too.

I love that tofu sandwich! I always ask for extra cilantro though... it adds a lot, and the standard single sprig isn't quite enough.

I never even noticed, but Turntable Restaurant at the EMP must have closed. There's a new restaurant in there now called Revolution. The menu looks pretty boring, but it can't be any worse than Turntable. It's operated by the same people that own Daniel's Broiler and Chandler's Crabhouse.

1. Than Bros. 2. The Honey Hole 3. The Kingfish Cafe Before it closed not too long ago, Stella's in the U-District would have been at the top of the list, especially back when it was open 24 hours. Between 1998 and when it closed, I must have been there nearly a million times... sigh.

Although if you go late Sunday afternoon, you'll find that everything is 20% off! I scored 3 weird types of heirloom tomatoes and some purple basil, and I didn't have to wait in line at all.

I've gotta throw La Rustica in for the best Italian. I've haven't been to all of the places on hhlodesign's list, but I think La Rustica should probably be in there. It's in West Seattle, which would be a bit of a drive (but less so than Kirkland, and much prettier, too). It's family owned, and crazy delicious.

Me again. Zaina (downtown) is closed. According to the sign posted, they lost their lease as of this morning, but they're going to be looking for a new space in the area. The Pioneer Square location remains open.

For wine, I'd check out either Pike & Western Wine Shop (1934 Pike Place) or the Spanish Table (1427 Western Ave). Both are in or near Pike Place Market, which is walking distance from El Gaucho.

Ahhh, I had such high hopes when the Bada Lounge first opened. At the beginning, they really did have a nice crowd in there, and it was more of a restaurant than a bar. The design of the space was really different than a lot of places in Seattle at the time (loved that big rounded rectangle projection screen). But man did it go downhill over the years.... If you're going to have an all-white restaurant, you really do have to make the commitment to keep it that way, and not let scuff marks and and tears in the upholstery take over! Thanks for the update on Ume Sake Lounge, hhlodesign. I can't wait to check it out.

Yesterday I had the mushroom benedict at Volterra, and I'm sad to say that it didn't look or taste like the one that Rocky described last October. The yolks were hard cooked. The hollandaise wasn't really a hollandaise at all, just kind of a melted butter with a little truffle oil. No morels, even though there were fresh ones for sale right outside at the Ballard Sunday Market. It was served with roasted fingerlings, which were good and a nice change from regular breakfast potatoes or hash browns. The balsamic bloody mary, on the other hand, was excellent.

Funny article in the NY Times about ramps, fiddleheads, morels and all of the other stars of early spring... a couple of useful recipes, too. Out of the Winter and Into the Weeds

Slo Joe's has been open for awhile... I haven't been, but here's a review from The Stranger.