Hungry? One look at the Seattle Yellow Pages will give you an idea of what I mean by diversity - there are restaurants in the greater Seattle Metropolitan area which will satisfy all tastes no matter how finicky, and all budgets no matter how dear. A few of our personal favorites:
Shamiana
10724 Northeast 68th Street, Kirkland, WA 98033
Tel:(425) 827-4902 If authentic Indian food is your cup of chai, then this restaurant is right up your alley. Curries, roast lamb, and traditional appetizers and entrees are served in a wonderfully colorful atmosphere which makes every day seem like the Festival of Lights. It's Kirkland location is a little remote if you don't know the area well, and we'd strongly suggest reservations, but the prices are reasonable and the food is worth coming back for several reincarnations to enjoy. As an added plus, if you happen to be in the area for a while, they also offer regular weekend classes in traditional Indian cooking, so you can have a taste of decent food no matter where you roam.
Ivar's Salmon House
401 Northeast Northlake Way, Seattle, WA
98105 Tel:(206) 632-0767I (Mike) practically LIVED here for a while, the food was so good. It's location down under the Aurora Bridge gives the diner quite a view of the water, and if you're lucky you can catch a sunset that will take your breath away (be sure to swallow first). The selection of local seafood is unbeatable, the prices are comparable to other quality restaurants in the Seattle area, and in this instance especially, you definitely get what you pay for. Sunday mornings feature the added bonus of a brunch buffet with everything from oven-roasted salmon tips and clam chowder to quiche, to made-to-order omelets and crepes. Yes, all you naysayers out there, clam chowder is excellent at 10:00 in the morning.
McMinnamin's
200 Roy Street, Seattle, WA 98109 Tel:(206)
285-4722 An old Irish pub if ever there was any, this is a chain of pubs with locations all around the Seattle area. They offer a number of excellent locally produced and imported beers, and the food is quite good. Chris and I strongly recommend the house hard cider, and I happened to like their Terminator Stout as well. Oh, by the way, when you order a large side of fries, be prepared to eat a LARGE side of fries; they don't skimp on the portions at McMinnamin's.
Kostas OPA
3400 Fremont Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103
Tel:(206) 633-4141We can't say enough about this place. Run by a Greek staff, they serve Greek food the way it was supposed to be eaten. Prices are exceptionally affordable, and the food is heavenly: rich mousaka, seasoned dolmades, and several excellent dishes I tried which I'm not sure I'll ever be able to pronounce, let alone remember how to spell. Don't forget to leave room for the tasty desserts to be had (of COURSE they've got bakalava... what do think this is, Burger King?) Beware of the spirits; the brand of ouzo they serve as an after-dinner drink nearly knocked me off my feet - a couple of those, and you won't even notice how good the food is.
Sun Ya
605 7th Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104 Tel:(206)
623-1670Another sentimental stop for me, personally, this is the dim sum capitol of Seattle, as far as I'm concerned. Located in Chinatown, this restaurant serves a normal lunch and dinner menu, but the weekend dim sum parade is what I'm usually interested in. You're seated, given a pot of tea, a plate and a set of chopsticks (okay, you WIMPS can use your forks, if you insist), and every few minutes, someone comes by with a cart loaded with Asian delicacies. You pick out what you want, and you get it - they tally up the bill later. The prices are incredibly low, for what you get - I actually went and figured it out: you'd actually spend about four to five times as much if you went and made most of this stuff yourself, if you include labor, and assuming you knew how.
Pontevecchio Italian Bistro
710 N 34th SEATTLE, WA 98103-8801 Tel:(206) 633-3989 I no longer have to choose between Italian places in the Ballard/North Seattle area: La Romantica is, alas, no more. Pontevecchio has a much more intimate atmosphere, because the owner wanted to recreate the neighborhood gathering-type environment he remembers from his youth in Italy. The food is simple, uncomplicated by the uber-sophisticated nouveau cusine that has infected much of the industry with its squeeze-bottle sauces and overly artistic "towers-of-power." A decent selection of imported wines is available, and (my favorite part) the owner scours the UW music school and local theaters for promising young talent to show up on selected Friday evenings and sing Italian opera while you eat. Reservations STRONGLY advised -- it's a small place, and fills up fast.
Buckley's
232 First Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119 Tel:(206)691-0232A small, neighborhood bar-and-grill with fairly standard fare done well. Happy hour is, I hear, the time to go, when the drinks are cheap and plentiful, and the appetizers just keep coming. As I stated to my companions at the time we visited there, a place that is confident enough in its meat supplier that they offer temperature ranges for their burgers should be given the benefit of the doubt and the meat ordered as rare as legally allowed. I wasn't disappointed: just slightly pink in the center, still a little soft yet warm and juicy, my bacon cheddar burger came with peppered bacon and sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, and a generous helping of parmesan cheese fries. Definitely worth a look if you're in the Queen Anne area (and just drop in; it's rarely very crowded, which makes it much more homey). I'm also told you should visit in the summertime, when outside seating adds to the experience.
Thai Ginger (Pacific Place)
600 Pine St. Ste. 406 Seattle, WA 98101 Tel:(206) 749-9100 A small, well-decorated establishment, Thai Ginger sits nestled among fast food establishments on the fourth floor of Pacific Place shopping mall in downtown Seattle. While long lines of patrons await a table across the way at Gordon Biersch, there is seldom a long wait here. The menu contains a variety of standard Thai dishes, none of which really set me on fire (heat-wise or enthusiasm, to be honest). Certainly a decent alternative to burgers and steaks while shopping, and not the worst food or service I've had, but given the choice between driving downtown to eat here or cooking Thai myself at home, chances are good dinner will be at my place.
Wild Ginger
1401 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98101 Tel: 206.623.4450
Added 2/23/06
Definitely not a newcomer to the Seattle restaurant scene, Wild Ginger has grown since it's beginnings near the Pike Place Market. Back then, it would have lost points due to difficulty with parking and the unending crush of eager customers into it's dark, cramped confines. Now that it has moved into much more spacious digs, it can afford a more open layout, and has gone upscale. A favorite after-concert stop for symphony enthusiasts, in combination with the Triple Door Musicquarium Lounge downstairs which it also owns and manages, Wild Ginger has become synonymous with a high-class evening on the town. The cuisine rises to match; Wild Ginger does not attempt to fuse cuisines (which, admittedly, is refreshing for those of us befuddled by legions of Thai-curry-blackened-Cajun-shrimp risotto with wasabi-chanterelle-Coca-cola reduction and buckwheat-parmesan crisps dishes with no identiy of their own... ain't got no soul.), but rather features inventive renditions of dishes from around mostly Southeast Asian countries (China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam). The satay bar is still a mainstay of Wild Ginger, where you can enjoy modestly-priced grilled stuff-on-a-stick creations both traditional and nouveau (grilled portobello mushrooms sound simple enough, but are greater than the sum of their modest ingredients). In the main dining room, a decent selection of wine accompanies such creations as wok-fried dungeness crab with a chili-infused dipping sauce and stir-fried garlic bok choy (simple, but delicious). Most dishes come in half- or full-size orders, since everything is served family-style with rice, so you can share a half-order of two or three dishes between a couple, or go with full-size orders with larger groups. Yes, it's a bit pricey, and yes, it can be a bit trendy and pretentious, but the food quality is great and the service is excellent. I can't quite award it three "yummies," because it is occasionally inconsistent with the cooking during evening crush times, but if I gave half points, it would get a 2.5/3 on my scale. Definitely worth a visit
Sam's Sushi
5506 22nd Ave NW Seattle, Washington Tel:(206) 783-2262 Added 2/23/06
Part of a small chain of sushi restaurants around the city, this small neighborhood establishment has served good, simple sushi to the Ballard community for several years. Some Seattleites are critical of what they deem to be mediocre or plain choices i nthe sushi/sashimi pantheon, but we may have ecome a bit jaded in our efforts to attain itnernational tastes. Sam's is a no-nonsense kind of place -- usually busy, the wait staff are sometimes slow to get around to you, but once your order arrives, the food makes up for lack of atmosphere, in my opinion. Some favorites to try: the Dynamite, Caterpillar, and Crunchy rolls are all very good, as well as the standard spicy tuna and California rolls. Have not tried much of their nigiri, so I don't feel qualified to judge that part of their repertoire. Parking is at a bit of a premium in the area; best bet for freshness of food, availability of parking spaces and speed of service is to go early evening mid-week. Also features a take-out menu, most orders ready for pick up in fifteen minutes.Kasbah Authentic Moroccan Restaurant
1471 NW 85th St. Seattle, WA 98117 Tel:(206) 788-0777
Added 2/23/06
I don't know about the "authentic" part, but this is a dining experience worth trying at least once. Let's begin with ambiance: rather than the standard dining arrangement of booths and open seating with straight-backed chairs, Kasbah features short, round tables and overstuffed cushions or poufs nestled against the walls and in the corners, leaving the carpeted center areas of each room open for the occasional bellydancer coming through. The walls themselves and portions of the ceilings are decorated in what I assume is at least a Moroccan style, with fabric hangings and hammered brass mirrors. A fine tradition they continue at Kasbah is a pre- and post-meal handwash, in a brass bowl with a ewer of warm rose water brought to the table by your waiter. As for the food, I can't verify it's authentic without seeing them cook it and without travelling to Morocco to try it out myself (the closest I've come to Morocco geographically was France, and culinarily at the Moroccon pavilion at EPCOT in Disney World, so I'm really no authority). The B'stilla (fillo dough with poultry, eggs, and almonds, baked and dusted with cinnamon sugar) is not authentic, since they use chicken instead of the traditional pigeon, but that's okay with most people (we're talking squab, here, not the pigeons in the park, but most people still get a little antsy when you mention "menu" and "pigeon" in the same breath) and is quite a tasty treat. We sampled the Rabbit Tagine ("tagine" refers both to the cookware and the dish itself; it's a stewed dish cooked and served in a ceramic crock with a conical lid), which was tender and delicious; and the lamb with prunes, a slow-simmered dish of lamb, prunes, saffron and spices, served with sesame seeds. The price might be a little spendy for the actual volume of food you get, but quality must count for something, and the experience is worth a visit.
Further afield:
Christina's Food & Wine
http://www.christinas.net, Porter Bldg., 310 Main St., 2nd fl. (North Beach Rd.), PO Box 1059 Eastsound Orcas Island,98245 Tel: 360-376-4904Our recent rediscovery of the San Juans began on Orcas Island, where we stumbled across an unobtrusive little storefront hiding a gem of a restaurant. The establishment is small in comparison to some restaurants we've visited in our travels (perhaps twenty tables total), and in this case, it's a good thing -- the atmosphere is at once homey and intimate. The sunroom tables and deck seating look out over a stunning view of the bay and the Sound beyond. And what about the food? In a word: divine. We decided to treat the menu like a tapas bar, and made a meal of a number of smaller items, including: Grilled Judd Cove oysters on the half shell with light horseradish cream -- Cooked just until the cream began to bubble and brown slightly on top, these were as juicy and succulent as they should be. Slightly briny yet bright flavors were well matched with the creamy, mildly tangy cream sauce. Vegetable pot pie -- Sounds pretty plain and simple, but was anything but; the vegetables were still firm and pleasing in texture, the base was assertive and unctuous like a well-made French onion soup, and the addition of morel mushrooms to the broth added an earthy richness that complemented the buttery pastry topping over the tureen. Elegant and sophisticated, I'd have this any day, and it was large enough for a small meal if you're not looking for many courses. Macaroni, morel and taleggio -- Can you really include macaroni and cheese in a listing of fine dining experiences? Sure, if it's done right, and this was a very pleasant member of the evening's performing cast. The morels were again a very nice accent to the dish, and although we were warned that the taleggio was a "stinky cheese," we really didn't notice the aroma at all. I rather liked the fact that the sauce was thinner than what you normally get with a dish like this -- the sauce is there to help flavor the dish, not cover it in goo -- so you could appreciate the mushrooms and pasta that much more. Fritto Misto w/ piccallili tartar -- Fried food! Need I say more? Okay, I probably do: calamari rings, zucchini and yellow squash slices, and onion rings were lightly battered and fried for our enjoyment, and a bit of just barely-heated salmon was served on the side. The piccallili tartar was pleasantly piquant and a nice change from the typical tartar sauce you get with a lot of fried seafood (tartar sauce with capers in it? How nouveau can you get?) Grilled Asparagus w/ shaved parmesan -- An excellent example of how the use of local, seasonal produce can elevate a simple meal into something more noble. Picked at the height of flavor, grilled to bring out the best it had to offer, and dressed with a little salt and shaved parmesan cheese, these little spears were a very appropriate accompaniment to the rest of our meal. We enjoyed a cheese plate before moving on to dessert, and since we couldn't really decide on which one to share, we each ordered one. The rhubarb fool was a baked tartlet filled with a rhubarb and cream mixture, topped with vanilla ice cream, while the Chocolate cake was warm and rich without being overpowering like a lot of chocolate desserts can become. Orcas Island can be rather quaint and snail's pace to many, and the trip takes a while, but Christina's is a destination that definitely makes the journey worthwhile.
D-Thai
1427 228th St. SE, Bothell, WA 98021 Tel: (425) 481-6800A very small, cozy establishment in the Canyon Park shopping complex, D-Thai offers a small but tasty selection of Thai favorites with the chef's own personal twist. The "Hustle Mussel" is a popular choice: stewed quickly with chilies, thai basil and coconut milk, it is both delicate and bold. The sweet BBQ chicken is also quite delectable, served with an assortment of steamed vegetables. Catering to an American clientele, the "star" system of spiciness is pretty tame; even at 4-stars, my chicken was only moderately spicy, leaving me pleasantly warm but not quite like I remembered from Phuket or Phattaya Beach. Several of the menu descriptions are quite tongue-in-cheek, as is the free-flowing monologue on the back of the menu, sort of the chef's raison d'etre. Whatever the reason, we hope he keeps doing that voodoo that he do so well; we'll be back.
Benjarong Thai Restaurant
19480 Highway 2 #D1 Monroe, WA 98272 Tel: (360) 794-5099 www.hellothaifood.comAdded 2/23/06
You can joke all you want about the name of the place sounding like a budget yoga studio, but this cozy little restaurant off Hwy 2 in Monroe certainly provides a healthy assortment of choices to steer you right. Their curries are rich and flavorful, and while their spiciness leaves something to be desired for chili-heads such as myself (didn't even notice three stars), the flavor balance more than compensates. The menu features some more popular Thai dishes like phad thai and tom yun goong, as well as some less familiar classics like Showering Rama (sauteed meat of your choice or fried tofu served atop a bed of wilted spinach and a creamy peanut sauce) and a sweet-and-sour fried trout that somehow manages to present both bold and delicate characteristics in a single dish. They bill themselves as the first Thai restaurant in Monroe, and while I have yet to prove they aren't also the ONLY Thai place in Monroe, at least for now I am comfortable addin the word "foremost" to their credits.
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