Ye-Ye Girl

I'll be curious to see what goes in the old Ovio space as well. They've indicated something less expensive and more casual, but exactly what that means remains to be seen. The Dude and I had dinner with friends there last week, and we were all distracted by the noise level. With the industrial decor and din, I felt like I was at the latest Belltown hotspot. The food was generally thought to be quite good, though one of the party did not enjoy it at all. That said, I'd go back and eat at the bar sometime, like reesek. Just not for a romantic or conversational evening.

Mission - the new little place in the Admiral District of West Seattle - has both mahi-mahi and a shrimp ceviche (they spell it seviche, though). I had the mahi-mahi ceviche as an appetizer earlier this week. There was lots of fish in it, in big chunks. I couldn't finish it all, since I had an entree on the way, but what I ate was very good.

In case this is an acceptable alternative, Red House in Renton also allows consumption of wines bought in their shop on premises either with or without food, for no additional charge.

3WC - Curious about your link. Is it a suggestion not to ski at Sun Peaks?

My comment about the "apparent lack of quality spots in Whistler," was based on a some threads I found here, where I got the impression that at least some of Whistler's food options tended to be overpriced with quality that didn't live up to the bill. If that impression is wrong, I probably misinterpreted the posts, and/or didn't go deep enough into my search to find other, more complimentary posts. I myself haven't been to Whistler since 2001 (when I tore my ACL), and even then, our group generally made our own dinners, etc., so I haven't had any recent firsthand experience there. In any case, I wasn't trying to ruffle any feathers, and I'm sorry if I did. Anyway, thanks for the indepth info on Sun Peaks restaurants. I'm looking forward our trip, and your suggestions will really help!

Given the dearth of snow in Washington this winter, the Dude & I are headed to Sun Peaks later this week to celebrate his birthday and give him some ski time. I've searched this forum and have found some info on Whistler, but nothing on Sun Peaks. The apparent lack of quality spots in Whistler has me a little concerned about Sun Peaks, since it's smaller, but I have to ask! Are there any tasty recommendations to try at Sun Peaks, or should we resign ourselves to the typical so-so ski resort stuff? Thanks in advance!

Mission - a new spot in West Seattle - opened earlier this week. In the old Lizzard Lounge spot, right next door to Cafe Zaffarano in the Admiral District, it's owned by three men, two of whom used to be at El Camino. It's a restaurant and bar, with an emphasis on restaurant until 10:00, and an aim to draw a late night crowd after 10:00. On their second night of business, they were certainly drawing the hip 20ish crowd. Menu looked pretty good - not overly ambitious, but more interesting than typical bar fare. As the name implies, it focuses on Southwest/Mexican influences. Appetizers include quesadillas, flautas, guacamole and ceviche and range from $6 to $9. Entrees are priced reasonably ($8 to $12) - roasted game hen, two or three fish preparations, and skirt steak skewers and tacos, among others. Good tequila list, full bar, smoking upstairs, no smoking downstairs before 10:00. Only had drinks tonight (good strong house margarita!), but will probably drop in soon to give the menu a whirl.

I tried something called "Chantico" at Starbucks today, which they bill as "drinking chocolate." The one I had was fairly thick in consistency, kind of like thin chocolate pudding before it has a chance to set. It wasn't grainy, and was fairly intense on the chocolate taste. I like a little more of a rich taste (i.e. cream), but this wasn't bad. Not too sweet, either.

Thanks everyone! Despite the wait warnings and potential Orange Bowl crowds, the birthday boy still wants to give Joe's a try. We don't have any problems with eating at 5:00 - one of our party has a medical condition that can become exacerbated if he doesn't eat by about 6:00, so it's all good if we can get seated fairly early. If not, we'll improvise. And...thanks again! BOOMER SOONER!

I'll be in Miami early next week (Jan. 2-5) with The Dude, my brother-in-law and nephew. Brother-in-law has indicated an interest in eating at Joe's Stone Crab for his birthday on Monday, 1/3. Given the scary stories about waiting an hour to get your name on a waitlist, then waiting for another two hours before being seated, does anyone know what can we reasonably expect if we arrive between 5:00 and 5:15? They open at 5:00, according to their website. It's also the night before the Orange Bowl, so that could be a factor as well, from a tourism/crowd standpoint. Thanks in advance for any help!

I'm pretty sure the La Spiga column was one of Min Liao's last column's with The Stranger. I thought I remembered hearing that she moved to New York or some such.

The Dude & I visited Via Tribunali a couple of weeks ago. I agree with MsRamsey on the space...I thought the transformation from garage to restaurant was well done. The service was punctuated with strange timing...We ordered our pizza about 10 minutes after we ordered the Salumi platter to start, but got the pizza no later than 4 or 5 minutes after we ordered it, and still no Salumi platter. That was probably because one person took our wine and appetizer order, while someone else took the pizza order. A third person took the dessert order, and yet another staff member brought out the dessert. The check was also way off when we got it. But, the service was friendly and helpful, if a bit disjointed. The Salumi platter was fabulous, as we expected. When the pizza was delivered to the table, it was uncut, but came with a table knife, and the explanation that the whole pizza was "in the tradition of Naples." The flavors and overall quality of the pizza were wonderful. The crust was very thin - we thought too much so, because the middle of our slices definitely did not hold the weight of the toppings. We asked our server about it. He first explained that it could be partly because our pizza toppings included fresh ricotta as well as mozzarella, and the high liquid content of the cheeses would perhaps produce more moisture to be absorbed by the crust. He went on to explain that Dino, the pizza chef from Naples, was very adamant about authenticity, and insisted that the thickness of crust we experienced was the way Neopolitan pizza was traditionally done. He also mentioned that Dino was not (and he thought hard before he put it this way) "particularly open to suggestions" about changing the pizza. Dino was also attributed with saying that if the crust doesn't hold up the toppings, just fold it in half and eat it that way, like they do in Naples. We don't have problems with folding pizza, so that's what we did. We still like our crust a tiny bit thicker than we had that evening, but also thought we'd come back to try a different pizza that didn't have so much moisture content to see if the crust held up a little better. We chalked the service timing issues up to new restaurant syndrome (I think they'd been open about a week at the time), and agreed to go back sometime after things have had a chance to settle down some.

Hey Tighe...or anyone who can help...is this confirmed?

Hey, GC! I've no clue where the C.D. Danza spa is, so I'm afraid I'm no help with that reference. However, I do know you can see the train depot from the deck and front windows of Red House. It's less than half a block south of the tracks on Burnett, and probably one block (max) east of the depot. It's right where Burnett splits into the divided avenue, next door to the VFW (which, by the way makes so-so drinks, but has great kitschy entertainment on weekends). And if the name didn't give it away, it's in an older house that's painted...red.

Two of the times I've visited Red House, there have been families toting babies in carriers, so they're clearly welcome. It could be a little crowded if you're in the entry room with more tables - space is kinda tight there. The second room (that houses more retail wine than the first) is the same size, but has fewer tables and would be a better bet. Last night I had one of the specials - duck salad in a mint vinaigrette. The flavors melded beautifully, but the salad ended up being kinda difficult to eat. Perched on the greens were two duck legs, and a larger salad bowl would have made for easier carving of the meat. But it was tasty, and filling for one person all by itself. Oh, yeah. I was wrong on my earlier post with the prosciutto...it's Serrano ham with the manchego instead. Very tasty. And I can't believe I forgot to mention the chipotle deviled eggs, the very definition of yum. One last note - Red House doesn't add corkage if you purchase the wine and drink it there, at least not that I've experienced.

Red House is a cute little tapas bar and retail wine and beer shop in Renton that's been open for a little over three weeks now. I've visited three times, once with a group of four, once with The Dude, and once solo. I plan to go again later tonight (solo again). The menu consists of around 18 or 20 tapas items with a bit of a lean toward a Mediterranean influence, usually complemented by 2 or 3 specials. A few desserts - not on the menu and often not shown on the specials board - are available as well. Prices are reasonable - portions are good-sized for tapas, and all plates are between $4 and $7, with most items $6 or under. I'd guess there are around 400 different bottles of wine and around 200 varieties of beer (sold as singles) on the retail side to choose from, covering all price ranges. All are available to be opened onsite to enjoy with the tapas (or without, if you prefer). There are also 15 or so wines by the glass to choose from, most priced between $4.50 and $6.50. Unfortunately, I can't remember all the food selections I've tried, but here's a shot: olives & roasted almonds, babaganoush, lamb meatballs, spicy garlic shrimp, prosciutto & manchego with grilled rustic bread, potato & smoked ham hock croquetas, some kind of marinated, sauteed mushroom with cotija cheese, and pear/apple tarte tatin. There are a few others I just can't recall, no matter how hard I rack my brain. The good news is that it's almost all quite good. We didn't care for the mushrooms, but everything else was good, especially those croquetas and meatballs. Red House is no Harvest Vine, but it's not as expensive, either, and it's a nice addition to the Renton/southend dining scene. They haven't had a grand opening yet, and they've done zero advertising, but they've still been pretty packed every time I've been there. Granted, it's small - maybe thirty can be seated inside, with room for eight or ten more on the deck, which has two covered tables and a large radiant heater. But once word gets out more than it already has, this place will be busy all the time. Red House 410 Burnett Ave S Renton, WA 425.266.2666 M-Th 11-9 F 11-10 Sa 4-10 Su 3-9 No smoking

Mmmm...fried nutter butter. Actually, I'll probably have to try all the fried sweet stuff. Ya just don't find that kind of thing up here in Seattle. Scoreboard.

Oooh! The Dude (i.e. my dude) will be all over that, if it's true. We'll report back on the spicy corn dogs after this weekend! **Edited because I clicked on the wrong quote for reply!

Oooh! The Dude (i.e. my dude) will be all over that, if it's true. We'll report back on the spicy corn dogs after this weekend!

I'll be there this Saturday, October 9. I don't go for the fair, per se, because I'm technically there for the football game in the Cotton Bowl. But, since I'm there, a corny dog is always in order, and usually a funnel cake and a turkey leg, too. I agree with lovebenton...it's not that that these things are the best food ever; it's more about nostalgia and the atmosphere. I love fairs, and the Texas State Fair is right up there with the best of them. Can't wait.

I know the Whistle Stop is currently on Main; I don't know where it was previously. The Red House is at 410 Burnett S. I stopped in last night for a look-see. Nice selection of wine and beer on the retail side, with the option to purchase and drink your selection(s) on site. The food menu had about 20 tapas plates, in addition to a couple of specials, all priced between $4-$6. They also offer 12-15 wines by the glass. The Dude and I haven't tried Olga's, but now that we know about it, we have it on the list to try! Also recently visited Bittersweet, on First in downtown Kent. They're open for lunch most days, but are only open for dinner on Fridays, which is when we went. Small menu - 6 or 7 entrees, nothing fancy. The Dude had lasagna and says it may have been the best he's had in Seattle...and he's tried a lot. Service was good, prices were reasonable, and hey...it's another option in Kent. Woo!

A couple of new south-end options... The Dude discovered last week (quite by accident) a place opening soon in Renton. I think it's called The Red House...it's right near the train station, and I think it used to be a coffee shop. Anyhoo, the sign said "wine, beer and tapas," and it sounded like there may also be a retail section for the wine and beer. We spoke with a woman doing last minute preparations yesterday, who said they hope to open this coming Tuesday (9/28). Also tried out a new place called Vino (also in Renton) a few weeks ago. It's Italian, in a little house on 3rd, and probably has been open under that name for 3 months or so by now. The predecessor in this location was Italian as well, but I don't remember the name. We hit it on a really nice Sunday evening, warm enough (at the time) to eat outside on their deck. I don't remember exactly what we had, but I do remember we liked everything. A little more upscale than Armondo's a few blocks away, and the prices (which seemed a bit high - but not ridiculous - for Renton) reflect that.

The Dood & I have been to Tutta Bella twice now. The first time was in February, not too long after it opened, I think. Don't remember which two pizzas we had, but while the flavors were good, both were soggy in the middle. Also had poor service, involving the two pizzas (ordered at the same time) being delivered to the table over 20 minutes apart, with no explanation. We politely let an employee know of the service issue on our way out, and were pleasantly surprised to be given a coupon for a free pizza. We didn't get around to using it until last Saturday. The place was busy, but we were seated within 10 minutes or so. Ordered some wine, a Caesar salad to share, some flatbread, and two pizzas. The salad wasn't bad (no anchovies, though), and the flat bread was tasty. Both were brought out promptly, and things were going well. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Saw lots of other parties get their pizzas, but none for us. Our server eventually came back out to apologize for the delay, and let us know our order had been "pushed back." About 30 minutes after our appetizers had been cleared, our pizzas made it to us. Again, the flavors were good, but the pizza was still soggy in the middle. The server said the timing glitch was because we had ordered appetizers, but there were other tables who came in after us, had appetizers as well, and were halfway through their pizzas before ours arrived. Besides, I generally don't expect to have that kind of a delay at any restaurant, just because I ordered appetizers. The first visit service issue I chalked up to new restaurant jitters. This time was probably just bad luck, as many other tables seemed to get their pizzas promptly. But even if the service got better, I wouldn't go back unless I happened to be in the neighborhood, craving pizza. For the wood-fired, thin-crust type of pizza, I prefer La Vita e Bella in Belltown, and Cafe Zaffarano in West Seattle, though they don't have as many toppings available. And The Dood won't go back to Tutta Bella in any case. He wasn't buying into the 'bad luck' idea.

I've never really had anything at Ovio that I didn't like. Then again, I've only been there a total of three times, and I've always visited by myself, usually fairly late on a weeknight. That means I haven't gotten to try a really wide variety of entrees (no one else's plate to sample from), but also means I've gotten great service, as any crowds have dissipated by then.

A new speciality wine shop is coming soon to Kent. The Grape Adventure will feature wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as a large selection of Ports and dessert wines, according to a sign in the window. It'll be located in the Lake Meridian shopping center, between Albertson's and Bartell Drugs (in the old Desert Sun location). No word on an opening date yet.