LainerX

Italian Beef Sammich Good Polish Deli Food Sausage Pizza where the sausage is in huge clumps or slabs (can you tell I'm from Chicago?)

A good soup and salad place. You know, where the salads are interesting and ginormous and the soup options plentiful and made in house.

Grateful Bread in Wedgewood has the best macaroons I've ever eaten. Dunno if they're French, though. Is a French one different from a "regular" one? (Should I already know this? )

WHAT?! I just looked above and saw something about a Polish deli? In Seattle? This Chicago Polish girl needs to know much, much more!

The Capitol Hill Internet Cafe makes some amazing sammich's. :) It's small, across the street from the neon-encrusted Rite Aid on Broadway.

Yup, Overpass Espresso in the T-wing of the Health Sciences Bldg (a mere 20 feet from the classroom I'm locked in all day, every day) has TP Donuts. Daily I must attempt to disregard the Pink Feather Boa that sings to me from the acrylic case during class breaks. I usually fail.

Yes, the one on Capitol Hill is open until 12, used to study there a lot last winter. However, they always seemed to crank the music and open the doors very wide around 10:30 or 11pm, making it very uncomfortable, so I stopped going there. Sad.

I just heard that they're only going to be open until 7pm. Too bad, I was hoping for a new late night study haunt (and let's face it, somtimes adding a GREAT donut to your study itinerary can make a big difference in brain stamina!)

My friend Jody and I looked into volunteering at this Fest of Beers but they're full. Damn, I guess I'll just have to drink beer and be absolutely no help at all.

I've now found the most fantastic non-Chicago-style pizza on the planet. This delightful experience can be found at a little, tiny place called Amante Pizza & Pasta. There is no seating, take out or delivery only. It's located in a strip mall at 1533 1/2 145th Street N.E. in Seattle (Shoreline?). I'm in LOVE with the House Special (not the Amante Special, which is also good, but not as exciting). The House special is: Mushrooms, green peppers, onions, black olives, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, fresh garlic (fresh!), diced tomatoes, spinach, sunflower seeds and lots and lots of a very flavorful and crispy shredded pepperoni. It's one of those pizzas where one slice is really probably enough, two slices is just right, but a third slice is always in order because it just tastes so damn great. It should probably also be noted, that it's also one of those pizzas after which someone should best sleep alone, as the garlic, feta, and pepperoni make for a lovely after-stench. But SO delicious, really. I'm raving, and I'm a genuine Chicago Pizza Snob. Anyway, do try it if you get a chance. And let me know what you think!

WOW! Thanks - that was so fast. I meant to put in more details, but must have forgotten when I posted at 2am. There will be between 20 and 35 people (still waiting on RSVP's). Lombardi's banquet menu was going to cost ~$15-20 for a meal, not including appetizers and drinks. They were going to offer come up with a menu card consisting of 4 meals of our choice off the regular menu, as well as an unlimited variety of appetizers. Originally, the bride wanted something with a "Pacific Northwest" flair to it, as many of the guests are flying in from Texas, but since the Texas Contingent has sort of bailed (long story there) I'm not sure that's so important to her anymore. I hope this helps. If anyone else has more ideas feel free to buzz them off. Thanks!

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to help me come up with a place to have my friend's wedding rehearsal dinner. I've been planning on having it at Lombardi's in Issaquah, but after several unsuccessful attempts at getting information and one less-than-desirable encounter with a condescending prick of a general manager, I've decided that Lombardi's can bite me. That said, does anyone have any ideas as to where we could have the rehearsal dinner? I was hoping for something nice but relatively casual (i.e. Lombardi's) and preferably in the Eastside, Bellevueish area. Any ideas?

Tee hee, Klink - I was gonna tell you that I had had homemade kielbasa for breakfast (yes, breakfast) every morning while I was there. They boiled it for a long while to liquidize some of the fat, and then crisped the casings up by frying them up in some rendered bacon fat in a giant frying pan. YUM. I don't think I've eaten so much in my life.

U Hopfera in the New Town was wonderful. The Golden Soup at Pod Samsonen was to die for - had it 3 times. However, the best meal of my life (no, I'm not exaggerating) was the last night I was there at this little restaurant "around a corner, in a dark alley, in a cellar". Literally, no signage anywhere to be found, and we were the only people in the whole place. But OH MY GOD, the atmosphere (about 200 lighted candles and fresh flowers, canned and fresh fruit all over the place) and THE FOOD. Shots of Ice Cold Vodka Smoked Fishes Salad Butter Lettuce and Bacon Salad Veal Stuffed Pierogi Traditional Roasted Duck Breast with Apples and Potatoes Roasted Tenderloin with Marinated Peppers and Potatoes Traditional Polish Apple Gateau with Vanilla Sauce (Oh....My.... GOD! ) Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream atop Orange slices with Strawberries and Mint Shots of Ice Cold Vodka Espresso Total Price: $45 USD If you've not been to Poland - GO GO GO GO GO! It was beyond wonderful. I would make a U-turn right now and go back if I could.

Hi all, I just got back from Warsaw and you'll be happy to know that I managed to smuggle some Polish Mushrooms thru customs (shhhhh....). I'll make authentic Polish mushroom soup next week. That just might be as close as I'll come to authentic Polish dining in Seattle. Warsaw is an incredible city. The food is amazing and SO cheap.

No, Laurie, that was not LainerX in your seat. But I wish it had been. I've been power-cleaning my apartment all day. And, yes, it's true. The last Dunkin' Donuts was located on MLK in Renton, and it is now gone. No more DD in Washington state. I will miss their "crack coffee" as we used to call it. If you had it at 3pm one day, you required it at 3pm the next. And the nice guy who would always throw in an extra one "because I was cute".

Mmmmm.... Top Pot. Is there anything better than a few of those babies and a massive cup o' joe? I study there a lot, I'll probably see you muchly next quarter. I'll be the stressed out looking medical student. However, if we don't actually meet in the joint, I'll recognize you by the alarming stench of doughnut lard on every thread of your clothes. I'm sorry, but some nights in there it gets downright nasty. They need a better venting system - I had a film on my glasses, I kid you not. However, the end product is delightful, isn't it?

Hi All, I'm traveling to Warsaw, Poland in January and I want to know where to get some good eats. Has anyone been? I love Polish food, so I'm really looking forward to some great food!

A poor, little, Polish girl can't make it home to Chicago for the holidays (okay, you're smart cookies - it's me). I'm bummed to say the least, but determined to make a traditional Polish Christmas eve dinner for myself and a few equally wayward friends. The problem is, I need to find some specific "central/Eastern European" ingredients. In Seattle, of all places. Keeping in mind, that I hail from Chicago (the second largest Polish city outside of Warsaw; and the only city in the U.S. of A. with the daily paper in a Polish edition), where there is a Polish deli/supermarket in every neighborhood - I'm lost in our town! Help, anyone know of one in the area (or even a day-trip would work). Thanks! P.S. A Polish Christmas dinner is one I think e-gulletiers would enjoy. It generally lasts from about 3pm 'till 11:30, and is always at least 12 courses. By the end of the dinner, you're full, happy, and toasty tipsy - the perfect condition for walking in the snow to midnight mass.

I wrote a letter once to the Palace Kitchen after an exceptionally sucky experience and got a very nice letter back from the general manager. You're right, MsRamsey, they can't hang up on a letter. Besides, I think it appears to them that if you took the time to write the dang thing, you're serious about your complaint.

In my humble opinion the best vodka in the world is Vox. Crisp, clean, with no harsh front or aftertaste. It simply tastes pure. And by the way, I'm a puritan. I drink it straight out of the freezer, neat. Or occasionally with a twist, but never with ice or mixed.