dandelion

I always liked Vic's Pizza (at Harrison and Division) when I lived in Olympia....

In the Seattle Times today: <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002294753_danny01.html" target="_blank">Dairy gets squeezed by the feds</a>.

I lived in Oly from 1998 to 2001, so my opinions might be a little dated, but... Here's another place to avoid: the Water Street Cafe (overrated, blech) A good place to try: Mini Saigon for Thai food. Very Americanized, I'm sure (I've never been to Thailand), but damn tasty and cheap. And the best coffee: <a href="http://www.batdorf.com/bb/retail.cfm" target="_blank">Batdorf & Bronson</a>.

Be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/swro/olympia-artesian.html" target="_blank">artesian well</a> downtown if you haven't done so before... delicious!

My best find ever was seeing Bjork at the one in Chelsea, in NYC... but that's once in a lifetime (and not really a "food find"). I can't wait for the new store to open up south of Lake Union (at Denny and Westlake)....

<geekout> I see what Steve is talking about... they have, perhaps, designed and tested their site only on one browser (IE/PC) probably. On my computer, the address and phone number are almost completely obscured by the big logo graphic. If anyone from Volterra is listening, I would be happy to fix your website for a free meal!! HTMLizing those PDFs and Word docs would be pretty easy.... </geekout> Back to the world of food: the reviews all sound excellent. I'm planning on checking the place out this week....

Three on 15th Ave E -- there's also one on the old Trinkets and Treasures space down past the Hopvine. Hopefully one of these will be something good....

Darn, I missed it! (I <em>had</em> to watch the Sonics win last night.) Does anyone know if this will be on again, or perhaps someone taped it? The KCTS website doesn't list any upcoming dates for the program....

If you don't make it to the 5 Spot for late night, their breakfasts are pretty freaking good (and BIG). It's at the top of Queen Anne Hill though, which is a very big hill (and your hotel is at the bottom). You can catch a bus (#2 or #13) across the street from your hotel that'll get you there in 5 minutes -- get off at Galer Street. Also at the top of the hill is Sapphire Kitchen and Bar, a little bit north of the 5 Spot. I love it for dessert (plus a nice selection of ports and dessert wines), but their southern European/Mediterranean-style dinner menu is great, too. Oh yeah, and tapas! They've got a nice melty manchego cheese one who name, in Spanish, roughly translates to "white hot cheese of love." YUM! If you want to skip the bus, a cab ride would be about $6, and walking back down the hill is doable (except in high heels).

I have -- I couldn't stand to wait any longer. It's the first year that I've planted them in the ground instead of pots, so my expectations are pretty low (but my fingers are crossed).... I took pictures so I have something to remember them by when they're dead.

what a relief! it would be terrible if the globe closed. biscuits and gravy... mmmmmmm!

Dark, yes. Crispy, no. It's just the sugars in the potatoes caramelizing. Bottle list though.... YAY!

Chuck's route is good, or... If you head east on I-90 past Ellensburg and skip the turn-off to Yakima, you can go straight on to Vantage, where there's a really pretty crossing of the Columbia River. Head south from there, and you'll pass through this tiny town called Schwana, with a gas station that has GREAT popsicles. Past that, you'll start driving through miles of vineyards and apple orchards, and little towns with names like Desert Aire... The air smells <em>great</em> out there. Keep going and you'll end up in the Tri-Cities, where, as fido dido mentioned, there are a lot of wineries around. <em>No one</em> goes this way... it's just a 2-lane, 70 mph highway. You can hit a lot of traffic during certain parts of the year if you go a different route, but past Vantage it's always clear. The landscape of eastern Washington is VERY different from the western part of the state. It may look like Nevada (I've never been there), but that's not necessary a bad thing. There's these rocky hills, and sand dunes, and loads of sagebrush. Pretty, but in a completely different way than the forests we have out here. If you drive through Ellensburg, do stop at <a href="http://www.dmcoffee.com/Locations/drivethru.htm" target="_blank">D & M Coffee</a>, which is EXCELLENT.

I'm surprised to see that people like the Purple Dot. I ate there once, and my food (vegetables and tofu) was a big blob of goo served in a 9" pie pan. The spring rolls were incredibly greasy. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things, but did I mention the roaches? I walked by about a month ago; there was a sign outside about new management. Perhaps things have improved, but I'm scared to go back.

I'd take Stella's in the U-District over Pomodoro if you want late, inexpensive Italian. Stella's used to be open 24 hours, but I think that's been cut back to 2am Friday and Saturday, 11pm on other nights. They start serving breakfast-y items when it gets late -- fritatta, gypsy toast (mmm...) and the like, but they still have the pastas and regular dinner items, too.

Here's a list of their <a href="http://www.titalia.com/site/locations/default.asp#seattle" target="_blank">Seattle locations</a>, but I'm not sure which ones actually have granitas. The Olive Way store (which is right by me) used to have them, but their machine broke down last summer and I don't think they've replaced it. They were good though....

The Fort St. George is definitely still open... I love that place. Where else can you get spaghetti with a side of miso soup?

Magnolia Bakery does have that much frosting on their cupcakes, but somehow they pile it all on top, instead of letting it spill over the sides. The resulting cupcake is about 3 inches high. Crazy! One thing I like about Magnolia is the way the shop is set up, so that while you're standing in that loooooooooooong line, you can watch the bakers and decorators at work. Sometimes they get a little feisty, <a href="http://195.230.55.9/pix/b1a23ce121266ae2/UL_1048390483_l.jpg">like my friend right after she threw a cupcake at the window</a>. I'm really glad that Magnolia published a cookbook with their recipes so that we can enjoy those fantastic cupcakes here in the Northwest, too. Crumbly, yes... perhaps that's to encourage you to put as much as possible into your mouth all at once.

I've been to the Brouwer's three times so far. The most recent time was on Sunday, and I'm happy to report that they finally have a sign, albeit a temporary one (banner style, taped to the outside wall). I agree with most of the posts so far... the decor is beautiful, and the beer selection blows my mind. I very glad that they also have wine and spirits, since I know a lot of people who don't care for beer, or don't know much about it. Partly because of this (customers' lack of beer knowledge, that is), Brouwer's really does need to improve upon their printed tap list, and provide a bottle list. The Bottleworks people know a LOT about beer, so I don't think that writing a one line description for each one on their list would be difficult for them. Plus, I peeked into their office upstairs, which was gorgeous and well-equipped. I bet they have the laser printer that mamster suggested in there. When I was there on Sunday, their Hard Liver Barleywine Festival was going on, and as my friend pointed out, there certainly wasn't a "festive" atmoshere in the air. I don't think that I'm alone in knowing very little about barleywine, so a special menu with an introduction would have nice. What they did have was a printed piece of paper with the wine name and a tap number. No prices, no descriptions. The bartender (Julie?) was very nice, and since the place was pretty empty at 4pm, she had some time to talk to us and explain a few selections and the pricing system. Additionally, we were lucky enough to be sitting next to a big barleywine fan and self-described beer snob from Oregon, who was both knowledgeable and happy to let us try some sips from the selection he'd picked out to sample from. I don't think we would have stuck around had the place been busy, since it would have meant navigating the cryptic selection list by ourselves. As far as food goes... unfortunately, as many have pointed out, the frites are terrible. Old tasting, greasy and soft. From what I know about making frites, the cut potatoes should first be rinsed/soaked to lose the excess starch. Then they're fried at a low temperature to cook they insides... at this point, they can rest until an order comes in, then quick fried at a high temperature for a short time to get the crispness on the outside. It seems like Brouwer's is only frying once, then letting them sit under a lamp or in a warming oven. Mine weren't hot. The cheese plate was very good. Yay! I'll keep going back because I like the overall environment and the drinks. The servers (and staff in general) are friendly, and I felt pretty comfortable there. I've just got my fingers crossed that the food and the printed menu both improve.

<a href="http://www.metropolitan-market.com/">Metropolitan Market</a> has a couple of great prepared potato salads in their deli section. I've tried the American and Three Potato versions, and both are quite good. The American is my favorite though; it's made with red potatoes, and has a good amount of fresh dill in the dressing -- really tasty.

I agree -- their 25 for $25 menu is the best of the ones that I've tried (I went last March, and it sounds like everything is just as good this year). One thing I love about Zoe is that, despite the location, it's decidedly un-Belltown. The restaurant is well-lit, I saw a few families (with well-behaved kids) there having dinner, and our waitress treated us very well, despite the fact that everyone in our party of six ordered off of the "cheap" menu.

Sapphire? Is this in any way related to the Sapphire on top of Queen Anne, or is it just a naming coincidence?

I've had high tea at the B&O Espresso on Capital Hill, and it was lovely. Great finger sandwiches and scones, bite-sized desserts, and a good selection of teas. Here's their <a href="http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/10772928">page on Citysearch</a>. There's some conflicting reviews on the service and the quality of the food there, but in my experience it's always been quite nice.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check out one of these for sure.... Cheers!

I'll be visiting San Francisco from Seattle next weekend, and just found this thread.... These are some great suggestions that'll work well for me, too! Can anyone recommend a good place for Sunday brunch? I'd love a place with great egg dishes, bloody marys, good coffee and lots of fresh ingredients. I'll be staying at the Westin St. Francis, so something near there would be nice, but a short cab ride is fine, too. Thanks!