LEdlund

Is Pascal Chureau still involved with Fenouil? We had a pretty awful meal there last week and, at the time, I decided that I wasn't interested in eating at another of his restaurants, no matter how nice it was, because our food was so amateurish.

Lunch slices? Sure, just when it won't be my neighborhood anymore (I quit!) ← What neighborhood will you be in now?

I was at the old Aurora Village Costco last night and, once again, they have prime rib roasts for 9.99 a pound. It's not dry aged but, at half the price of the steaks at WF, it's a great deal. We cut them into steaks and "dry age" them in our refrigerator for a couple of days. It's a great value steak.

It's not prime, but the dry aged rib-eyes at Whole Foods are the best in the city, imo. And I've tried them all - believe me. Those rib-eyes are the only reason I go to WF anymore. They have dry aged NY Strips as well but they can't compare to the rib-eyes.

Over on CH, someone posted that Justin Neidermeyer is opening Pian Pianino where the Globe used to be.

I'm so happy you are doing this - I look forward to reaping the benefits of your research when we are there in June! Thanks Forest!

It's called Loki Cafe. I've been a couple of times and I really like it. Joule is up and running. Quite busy from what I hear. There's a Jamba Juice in one of the new complexes at 45th and Stone Way - does that count? Have fun checking out the neighborhood again - post hospitalization.

It's crowded but I don't think it's crazy crowded. Think of it like going to the U District farmers market. It's busier early in the day and gets quite empty towards the end. But, if you go at the end, you also run the risk of them being sold out of some things that you want.

I saw that recently too. I'm excited to see what they have. That area is becoming quite the Japanese sweets area with Fresh Flours and Hiroki.

I drove by today and didn't see a sign or anything? are they open or still building ← According to posters on CH, it is open. There are a couple of reviews there.

I've had these before and just assumed they were regular clams chopped up.

NE? NW?

Welcome! I hope we get a chance to meet while you are here. Regarding tasting menus: I'm sure if you make arrangements in advance, any of the top end restaurants can gear a tasting menu to Pacific NW specialties. Mistral, Union and Lampreia would be my recommendations for that. Pike Place Market: I would hit Matt's in the Market for lunch for sure. Also, The Alibi Room is a great place for a cocktail. They open earlier than most bars so that's a plus for those days when "it's 5 O'Clock Somewhere"! The smoked salmon at Pure Fish is, by far, the best I've ever tasted. Will your hotel room have a refrigerator? It's sold fresh (as opposed to vacuum packed) but you HAVE to try some! The Athenian is also a fun place to grab a beer. The views and the regulars that hang out there are the draw. Casual Eats: Oysters for sure. January is a good month for them. Most places will have them on happy hour specials. Cocktail Bars: Two places that you must hit are Zig Zag and Vessel. The Sitting Room, Licorous and Sambar are also good choices. I had a good cocktail at the new pinxto (sp?) place in Belltown, Txori, the other night. Wine Bars: I like Smash and Portalis. I think Seattle is lacking in good wine bars. Probably the most well known is Purple - but the staff is so uneducated about wine that I can't stand going there. Others are more qualified to talk about the underground dining scene in Seattle. I'm sure you'll be well hooked up as far as that goes Lauren

I don't know. I thought opening a frites place right outside a club was a no-brainer.......

That was my thought. You get a couple of loud groups and that changes the acoustics of the entire place.

IMO, there's a big difference between the noise level in a dining room with good energy and one so loud you can't hold a conversation. I've never had the latter experience at Le Pichet but I can see how it might happen. However, I did experience it at Zig Zag the other night. Man, it was loud in there!

My husband and I did it quite easily a couple of years ago. We thought it was going to be a killer day and ended up getting to Eureka around 3 PM.

Taco Crawl thread.

Not to hijack this thread, but where is Kurrant? I did a google search and couldn't find it. Nice picture in the PI, by the way!

Snark attack - of those places, the only one I would eat in is Red Mill - and I am not even a burger fan. Maybe Kidd Valley, for a milkshake. Mae's and Mama's? Not even for free, and probably not even if you paid me. ← I agree with tsquare here. While the descriptions of the decor is (are?) spot on, the food at both Mae's and Mama's is awful. And I'm not squeamish about restaurant cleanliness per se, but Mae's lack of cleanliness makes me shudder. For tacos - I think there is a taco crawl thread here somewhere. Let me see if I can find it. That will give you a good starting point. For pizza I would recommend Serious Pie, Via Tribunali or Pagliacci. For a diner - a true diner - gotta be Varsity Inn in Wallingford. For bakeries - Dahlia Bakery, Macrina, Fresh Flours, Hiroki and Cafe Besalu are my favorites. I'm not a chocolate fan so I can't help you there.

Both are worth checking out. I love Kauai Family Restaurant. All of my Hawaii ex-pat friends order cakes and leis from there for every special occasion. Me - I love the smoked pork plate. Yummmmmm. I wondered about the prevelance of Georgetown posts! Congratulations!

I think that it's the number one recommendation because it's the "fanciest" place in town. It's not bad, it's just more traditional is all. I'm looking forward to your post trip review. I haven't been in a couple of years and am hoping to go back soon.

Try the new Meridian Market in Tangletown. I can't remember what brands they carry but I guarantee they will be better than what QFC has to offer.

← Okay, I'm intrigued. Has anyone been?

Here's the list of wineries we visited (or tried to visit in the case of Cayuse) on our last trip: Colvin, Saviah, Isenhower, L'Ecole 41, Seven Hills, Spring Valley - though they were just bought by Ste. Michelle, Rulo, K Vintners, Leonnetti, and Cayuse. Whitehouse Crawford serves your basic meat and potatoes high end fare (steaks, chops, salmon, etc). We had a very good lamb burger there. I haven't been to any of the others on your list but I can say to stay away from the Backstage Bistro. I remember seeing wine tastings at various places in town. Some of the wineries even have tasting rooms in town - although I don't like doing that as well as going to the winery. Walla Walla is very small so you can basically walk around it all in an hour. Have fun!