A Canuck Foodie in Seattle

[jamiemaw]

Thanks everyone for the rec's so far!  Make sure you pop into the Vancouver, BC & Western Canada forum anytime you're up our way so I can return the favour!

I forgot that I had already boomarked The Sitting Room ... place looks pretty inviting, and it's MUCH closer to the hotel (not an issue, but nice).  I'm thinking The Sitting Room instead of Brasa.

Thanks again

A.

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Arne,

I think it's uncommonly decent of you to treat the Seattle/PNW Forum to drinks at The Sitting Room next Friday evening from 5:30 to 9 sharp. Especially given our emasculated currency et al. You're probably feeling guilty about the sound thrashing we gave the US at the World Cup Hockey tournament today--very Canadian of you. Hell, I might even drive down to join you.

The Vancouver Forum's shopping list for Sur la Table (including my new Bradley smoker) and Salumi follows. Better take the van.

[kiliki]

Mama's isn't where you go if you want good Mexican food, but sometimes it's a place to go if you want cheap, filling, cheesy, junky food. Sometimes it really hits the spot though I'm kind of embarassed to admit it.

[Daddy-A]

I think it's uncommonly decent of you to treat the Seattle/PNW Forum to drinks at The Sitting Room next Friday evening from 5:30 to 9 sharp. Especially given our emasculated currency et al. You're probably feeling guilty about the sound thrashing we gave the US at the World Cup Hockey tournament today--very Canadian of you. Hell, I might even drive down to join you.

First off Mr. Maw, I think it rather uncouth of you to hijack the thread ... although if you can foot the bill I'm sure all will be forgiven.

Second, I've decided on Brasa for Friday. "J" and I will do the Sitting Room solo on Saturday, followed by dinner at Crow.

Third, a 3-1 win is not what I would call a thrashing, as much as I would like to.

The Vancouver Forum's shopping list for Sur la Table (including my new Bradley smoker) and Salumi follows. Better take the van.

I'm still paying for my Weber Bullet! I may be talked into smuggling back some lamb prosciutto however. Speaking of Salumi ... when are they open? Their web site is what Vancouverites refer to as web-site-lite. I understand it's Tues-Friday 11-3. We may have to come down early!

A.

[Daddy-A]

A quick question re: Brasa ... do they take reservations for the lounge or just the restaurant?

A.

[Fay Jai]

Ahhh....you Canucks....

Bring down some Cheemo pierogies, wouldja?

I LOUDLY second Anita...Mama's Mexican BLOWS. Kitschy Decor, rotten food, and attitude aplenty when I've been there.

Elliots. Oceannaire if you are in the mood to spend some dosh.

If you really want to go slumming though, you could hit up the true Seattle tourist experince that is Ivar's on the Pier...Make sure that you hold your french fries out REALLY far from your face and eat them slooooowly....Ok, not really. Those damn gulls will pretty much eat them out of your hand...

[jbonne]

I certainly don’t walk into foreign restaurants with the insouciant swagger of a big-time chef like Neil, but I have to ask what the deal is about Palace Kitchen. The big deal that is. Sure, it was alright for a quick beer and a snack at the bar (although we’ve done that much better in Seattle too), but the several meals I’ve eaten there were completely indifferent—both in service and food. Am I missing something? You see, I was seeking swagger, but got only beige.

Anyway, Arne, one of the answers to your question is to give Jonathan Sundstrom a call at Lark--one of the cleanest chefs cooking in the PNW.

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as another of Palace's longtime defenders, i'd argue that the beer-and-snack thing is exactly what makes it such a pleasure. if i want fine dining, i go to Lampreia. if i want a decent glass of Gascon white, venison salami and a big bowl of mussels at 11pm, i go to Palace. PK always struck me as a chefs' sort of place; it's not really pleasurable for its table service, though the table service is by no means bad. it's enjoyable because it's like eating in a really well-adorned kitchen, with a kitchen's energy.

that said, i'm finding the food and service ever more inconsistent -- and i say that knowing plenty of the staff there and having spent more money than i should have there in the past five years. when the right staff is there, you can feel a palpable buzz. but it's not consistent.

the food wobbliness is more troubling to me. i've had soups there in the past year that were just plain bland. the abovementioned salami portion is about half what it should be. i personally think they're in a menu rut, and need to strip down to the frame and build again. so long as they keep the burger.

p.s. Daddy-A, please report back on your Brasa impressions. i'll be curious.

p.p.s. Mssrs. Maw and Wyles, and other north-of-border folk, please give a shout if you're headed this way and i'll treat for a round at Palace, or the drinking hole of choice. (if i'm in town.)

[Daddy-A]

p.s. Daddy-A, please report back on your Brasa impressions. i'll be curious.

p.p.s. Mssrs. Maw and Wyles, and other north-of-border folk, please give a shout if you're headed this way and i'll treat for a round at Palace, or the drinking hole of choice. (if i'm in town.)

I take it then that you're out of town when I arrive ... otherwise, I'm feeling slighted!

May have to add PK to the list ...

A.

[tsquare]

On Monday night I'm scheduled to go to Mamma's in Belltown for Mexican.

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Nooooooo! Run away!

I heartily second the recommendation for La Carta. I don't think El Puerco Lloron is all that, but it's not dreadful (which is more than I can say for Mama's).

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Wow, 5/5/05 - Mama's had it's share of hard drinking celebrants. I doubt anything would tempt me back into that place.

I haven't been - but what about Mojito Cafe - Southwest Queen Anne? The old buzz on the original was so good - what's happened in the past year with this place?

Edit to add - has anyone tried Mexico, at Pacific Place? The reviews were favorable. Close to the Red Lion. (What is the appeal of that place by the way?)

Edited May 6, 2005 by tsquare (log)

[kiliki]

I've been to the Mojito Cafe and I'm pretty ambivalent. Some things were good, others not so good (overcooked meat, weak drinks).

[rockdoggydog]

I am strictly a fan of the original Mojito on Lake City Way, I don't like the new one at all especially since the guys from the original Mojito pulled out of it.

Rocky

[malarkey]

What about Tia Lou's for mexican? Is it still there? Is it still good?

[jbonne]

I take it then that you're out of town when I  arrive ... otherwise, I'm feeling slighted!  

May have to add PK to the list ...

A.

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alas, i'll be in Paso.

[Daddy-A]

So here's the itinerary:

Friday:

Is Salumi open for lunch on Friday??

Brasa (Happy Hour)

Saturday:

Shopping for Vancouver eGullet members

Matt's for Lunch

Sitting Room for Cocktails

Crow for Dinner

Sunday:

Coffee/breakfast at Cafe Ladro on N. Queen Anne

A.

[jbonne]

great itinerary. (yes, Salumi's open Friday lunch.) should you be hungry by cocktail time, Sitting Room has great noshy items, btw.

[tsquare]

So here's the itinerary:

Friday:

Is Salumi open for lunch on Friday??

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Always worth calling before you trek to it - especially since the following Monday is the Mario fest - they might close to prepare for it.

Have a grand time.

[malarkey]

Arne- So nice to meet you and "J"! Hope you had a lovely time, and please post about your dining excursions in Seattle, we'd all love to hear your impressions!

[rockdoggydog]

Ditto what Malarkey said, hope to see you sometime in Vancouver.

Rocky

[Daddy-A]

So we're back in Vancouver ... all our smuggled clothing from Nordstom Rack folded and put away, duty-free in the liquor cabinet, and both "J" and I are planning our diets!

Friday night we met with Malarkey & Rockdoggydog at Brasa for drinks and snacks - great company and a wealth of information about the Seattle food scene. The comments made in this thread were spot on about Brasa ... "go for the happy hour", and "service can be spotty." Happy hour food was great, and our server seemed to forget about us from time to time. Having said that, the food was great. Items shared: Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Grilled Fish (malarky, help?), Pizza with Sausage & Grilled Tomatoes, and Savoury Empinadas. Nice room, but I think I'll heed everyone's warning about dinner.

Next we strolled over to "Tom-Douglas-Ville" for drinks at Lola. We really only had drinks and dessert (donuts, chocolate tart, goat cheese turnovers), but the smell in that place is incredible!! Anise and garlic. *sigh* We stuck our heads into Dahlia Lounge while we were waiting for a seat at the bar in Lola. Another beautiful room. Didn't make it to Palace Kitchen ... next trip!

After Malarkey dropped us off at the hotel, "J" announced she was still hungry Okay, it was me, but she agreed. A favorite stop in the area is Ten Mercer:

"J" ordered the stilton-burger! Dear Lord! All these eGullet gatherings are starting to rub off! Intersting thing for us Canucks ... she was asked how she wanted the hamburger cooked. Unfortunately a forgone conclusion as "J: likes her burgers cooked WELL I had tuna carpacio (with easily the hottest wazabi I've ever had) and crab cakes. Very well executed dishes. We shared a bottle of Red Mountain Terra Blanca 2002 Syrah. We've had two really nice meals at Ten Mercer and the service has always been friendly.

As we were heading back to the hotel, "J" wondered out loud why I hadn't brought my camera

Saturday morning breakfast was a muffin and a cup of coffee from the hotel lobby. Camera in hand, we went to the parking madness that is Pike Place. Good thing we were walking. Lucky for us the Cheese Festival was on! Favourites on the cheese front:

Neil's Yard

Comté

Valmont - Forme D'Amber is easily my favorite cheese

Our dining objective at Pike Place was Matt's. I am soooo glad we went to Matt's. This is just my kind of place ... simple ingredients very well done:

Poblano & Ham Hock Soup / Spring Greens with Blue Cheese with Roasted Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

Grilled Turkey & Cabrales Sandwich

Pan Roasted Corvina, Potato-Rosemary Gratin w/ Ancho Chile Sauce

Wine was the Domain Lafond Tavel Rosé. A perfect lunch, and enough insentive to return one day for dinner. BTW, this place is as small as they say:

This is the entire kitchen. You can see the two burners in front of the cook

We took our time getting back to the hotel, stopping along the way at a

place called The Apartment (1st Ave I think) for my new favorite restaurant marketing technique ... Happy Hour. Some very respectable roasted mushrooms, a couple sleeves of local ale, and two champagne cocktails (something we don't see enough of in Vancouver) for $25. Remember, we're walking, and subsequently working off our meals and working up an appetite. Drinks before dinner at The Sitting Room. Felt a little "old" here, but it's close enough to the hotel we may go back one day.

Dinner was at Crow. We arrived right on time for our 9:15 reservation. Very busy room ... very loud room (in a good way). We were asked to sit at the bar while our table freed up ... about 15 minutes. Then, a stange thing happened when our table came up ... we were asked to close our tab at the bar. It was no big deal, but I'm used to having the drinks carried over to the dinner tab. Is this a Seattle thing or just particular to Crow?

Crow has a bit of an eclectic menu ... nice variety but seems like it's looking for some direction. Still, our dinner choices were wonderful!

House Antipasti Grilled eggplant, roasted garlic, olives, peppers, parm-reg, & beets! The beets surprised me. At first I thought them odd and out of place ... but they really worked with the rest of the dish, especially the cheese

Grilled Asparagus with Herbed Aioli & Walnuts

Pork Loin & Bavarian Sausage on bed of Sauerkraut

Forest Mushroom Risotto with Spring Peas & Truffle Oil

Wine was a 2003 Fairview Viognier. Service again was terrific and very knowledgeable ... our server spouted off the list of mushrooms in the risotto like it was common knowledge. While the room was a bit noisy, it was distracting. After dinner we were chatting with our neighbours and discussing how good looking Nicholas Cage was. We decided it wasn't so much that he was attractive, but attainable

Yes, we saved room for dessert :

Strawberries on Strawberry Ice Cream I'm sure there's more, but I can't read my notes!

Sunday morning:

Latte & cookie Caffe Ladro is consistent. Good coffee, but not excellent. I'm really surprised how tough it is to find an excellent shot in the city that brought coffee into mainstream North American culture. Of course ... now I'll get a flood of suggestions.

Dinner on the way home was a really crappy meal at the Sakgit River Brewing Company in Mount Vernon. It was such an unforunate way to finish the weekend, but we were able to laugh about it. Note to Skagit River Brewing: smothering roast pork in BBQ sauce doesn't make it authentic.

Sorry for the long post ... but there was a lot of ground to cover! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. As I said to malarkey and rockdoggydog, anytime you're up in our part of the world, please allow me to return the favour.

A.

[little ms foodie]

Arne, great pics and commentary! We probably elbowed you out of the way a few times at the cheese festival! haha!

Closing the tab at the bar is widespread in Seattle, it's a pain!

Next time when you go to Lola go at happy hour, they have great little empanada's with goat and Greek martinis (feta stuffed olives!)

[Daddy-A]

Wendy,

Was that your head I bashed with my stilton?? Sorry!

A.

[jbonne]

Latte & cookie  Caffe Ladro is consistent.  Good coffee, but not excellent.  I'm really surprised how tough it is to find an excellent shot in the city that brought coffee into mainstream North American culture.  Of course ... now I'll get a flood of suggestions.

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yep. Vivace, Zoka, Caffe Vita, Lighthouse -- to name a few. i think Vivace is unbeatable, though i'll admit that Artigiano gives it a run for its money. Ladro is above average, but not even close to the top quintile in Seattle.

the rest of the trip sounds amazing, btw ...

[DrKoob]

Thanks for great reviews and pics. We have been talking about trying Crow. Will do it for sure now.

You have to eat a whole meal at Lola. It is to die for. Try the goat tangine if it is on the menu when you are there. We love the place. It is our current fave.

Also, if you haven't been to Dahlia for a meal, try that as well. We have never had a bad meal there.

Lastly, if you want to try a new hotel next time, much like the one you stayed at on Queen Anne, give Inn at the Market a shot. A great little boutique hotel and everything is much more walkable. And they have tempurpedic beds (wonnnnnderfulllll!)

Jim in Redmond

[malarkey]

Grilled Fish (malarky, help?)

Why, that's the pan-seared fish with bacon and shallot vinagrette. Its yummy, no? Definitely one of my faves on the Brasa Happy Hour list. And it comes with those fabulous fried onions.

So glad you enjoyed Matt's, I think it's brilliant. I'm looking forward to my next Vancouver expedition! We'll be sure to drop you a line...

edit: oh hey, and for your next trip down, let us know ahead of time, I'm sure we could arrange for some personal chauffeuring around town

Edited May 19, 2005 by malarkey (log)

[Daddy-A]

edit: oh hey, and for your next trip down, let us know ahead of time, I'm sure we could arrange for some personal chauffeuring around town 

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Sure, now that you know we're not axe-murderers!

I'd still like to know what kind of fish it was. I'm a little suspiscious when a menu just says "fish". Blame it on my Pacific upbringing

A.

[MsRamsey]

Hey, they'll tell you what kind of fish it is if you ask. It's different every day.