Lunch
Lunchbox Laboratory
This place gets talked about a lot. I had the "Ebony Assassin" burger, which included beef (obviously), bacon, havarti or muenster, I don't remember which, onions, and a black truffle mayo. It was just fair. I have to confess that I actually took off some of the bacon. There was too much. It was kind of wadded up and not very crispy. The highlight of the meal was the shake. I had blueberry custard, and it was really pretty awesome. My side was tater tots with rosemary sea salt. They were good, but too salty. I actually didn't finish them either. I'd go back, but not very often. I'd like to try a pretty normal burger there without lots of random stuff and see how that is. Oh by the way, burger, tots, and a shake came to $19.00. Holy wow.
Dinner
Zayda Buddy's Pizza
Despite the fact that this is excellent pizza and the closest to traditional midwestern pizza I have ever found outside the Midwest, and despite the fact that I sometimes daydream about the pizza with its toppings under the cheese, and despite the fact that I absolutely adore the fact that it is cut into squares, despite all that and more, I had only a small amount of this delight because I was still full from lunch. Oh well. Pizza is never degraded by leftover status.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Jan 24 2009
Lunch
Muy Macho Taqueria
I had a carnitas taco, an al pastor taco, and a pork tamal. The tamal was excellent, the al pastor was really good, and the carnitas were just okay. I like carnitas crisper. I'd go back for sure. The tacos were .99 here, which is less than any of the trucks I've been to so far.
Muy Macho Taqueria
I had a carnitas taco, an al pastor taco, and a pork tamal. The tamal was excellent, the al pastor was really good, and the carnitas were just okay. I like carnitas crisper. I'd go back for sure. The tacos were .99 here, which is less than any of the trucks I've been to so far.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jan 22 2009
Dinner
Bamboo Garden
We weren't planning to go out to eat tonight, but as I started considering what to have for dinner I realized that Szechuan was absolutely imperative to my continued well-being. I then very quickly convinced Maika that Bamboo Garden in Bellevue was our only choice, primarily on the strength of the fact that they have Dan Dan Mein, labeled as Cheng Dun Dan Dan Noodles (With Pork) on their menu. We ordered, that, a spicy cold sliced beef appetizer, Chong Qing Spicy Chicken, and Lamb with Scallions. I had heard mixed reviews of this place, but after this meal I can safely say it is above average when it comes to traditional Szechuan favorites. The spicy beef was excellent. It had a hint of sweetness to it, and the meat was sliced a little on the thin side without too much chewy tendon. It was also very spicy. The Spicy chicken was a little different from other place as it had a slightly sweeter (but still spicy) taste and it was sprinkled with sesame seeds. I thought it was on par with some of the best we've had elsewhere. The lamb was good, but nothing spectacular. It was surprisingly tender though. Of course the most important thing was the Dan Dan, which was quite good. There was plenty of very finely ground pork and a nice spicy nutty broth. The noodles were thick hand-shaven noodles that were cooked perfectly. I have occasionally had examples of these noodles that were still a little bit chalky in the middle. These were not. There was no bok choy in the dish, unlike 7 Stars Pepper, but other than that they were pretty similar. Now I need to go try Szechuan Bistro again I guess.
One question was how we would decide in the future whether to eat here or at Szechuan Chef when we're on the east side. The answer is simple. Bamboo Garden does not have Ants Climbing a Tree on the menu.
Bamboo Garden
We weren't planning to go out to eat tonight, but as I started considering what to have for dinner I realized that Szechuan was absolutely imperative to my continued well-being. I then very quickly convinced Maika that Bamboo Garden in Bellevue was our only choice, primarily on the strength of the fact that they have Dan Dan Mein, labeled as Cheng Dun Dan Dan Noodles (With Pork) on their menu. We ordered, that, a spicy cold sliced beef appetizer, Chong Qing Spicy Chicken, and Lamb with Scallions. I had heard mixed reviews of this place, but after this meal I can safely say it is above average when it comes to traditional Szechuan favorites. The spicy beef was excellent. It had a hint of sweetness to it, and the meat was sliced a little on the thin side without too much chewy tendon. It was also very spicy. The Spicy chicken was a little different from other place as it had a slightly sweeter (but still spicy) taste and it was sprinkled with sesame seeds. I thought it was on par with some of the best we've had elsewhere. The lamb was good, but nothing spectacular. It was surprisingly tender though. Of course the most important thing was the Dan Dan, which was quite good. There was plenty of very finely ground pork and a nice spicy nutty broth. The noodles were thick hand-shaven noodles that were cooked perfectly. I have occasionally had examples of these noodles that were still a little bit chalky in the middle. These were not. There was no bok choy in the dish, unlike 7 Stars Pepper, but other than that they were pretty similar. Now I need to go try Szechuan Bistro again I guess.
One question was how we would decide in the future whether to eat here or at Szechuan Chef when we're on the east side. The answer is simple. Bamboo Garden does not have Ants Climbing a Tree on the menu.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jan 21 2009
Breakfast
Mecca Cafe
M. needed to run an errand somewhere on Lower QA and my friend and I wanted breakfast, so this is what we chose. I had pancakes. They were thick and fluffy and quite good.
Mecca Cafe
M. needed to run an errand somewhere on Lower QA and my friend and I wanted breakfast, so this is what we chose. I had pancakes. They were thick and fluffy and quite good.
Jan 20 2009
Brunch
Coastal Kitchen
I am routinely let down by dinner here, but I have had more than adequate brunch/lunch here on a couple of occasions. This was one of them. I had a "Sweet and Savory Crepe" which was served with apples, ham, and gruyere. There was some honey and a side of very thin and crisp pommes frites. It was all good.
Dinner
Queen City Grill
This place has been on my list for a long time. A friend was in town so we decided to go check it out. We started with two appetizers. We had a tuna "carpaccio" served with some lightly pickled onions and cucumbers and some wasabi (which we ignored), and we had a saute of wild mushrooms served over a very nice and creamy risotto. Both were good, but the tuna lacked a little something. It was a little bit bland. For an entree I had a very good bouillabaisse that was packed with lots of different types of fish, a small crab leg, and plenty of little clams. The broth was flavorful and light. My friend had halibut cheeks, which were excellent. This ended up being a very good meal in a really pleasant laid back atmosphere. I like this place.
We skipped dessert and went to Spur and had a couple of cocktails instead. They were very good, as were the homemade corn nuts.
Coastal Kitchen
I am routinely let down by dinner here, but I have had more than adequate brunch/lunch here on a couple of occasions. This was one of them. I had a "Sweet and Savory Crepe" which was served with apples, ham, and gruyere. There was some honey and a side of very thin and crisp pommes frites. It was all good.
Dinner
Queen City Grill
This place has been on my list for a long time. A friend was in town so we decided to go check it out. We started with two appetizers. We had a tuna "carpaccio" served with some lightly pickled onions and cucumbers and some wasabi (which we ignored), and we had a saute of wild mushrooms served over a very nice and creamy risotto. Both were good, but the tuna lacked a little something. It was a little bit bland. For an entree I had a very good bouillabaisse that was packed with lots of different types of fish, a small crab leg, and plenty of little clams. The broth was flavorful and light. My friend had halibut cheeks, which were excellent. This ended up being a very good meal in a really pleasant laid back atmosphere. I like this place.
We skipped dessert and went to Spur and had a couple of cocktails instead. They were very good, as were the homemade corn nuts.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jan 19 2009
Lunch
Rice N Spice
Today I had something I'd never ordered before; Sukiyaki with beef. Thai sukiyaki is sort of sweet and sour and spicy. It's quite rich. The noodles are thin glass noodles. I have seen it with beef (it's listed here with seafood) on one other menu in Seattle, but it's not listed with beef here. They're happy to make it though.
Rice N Spice
Today I had something I'd never ordered before; Sukiyaki with beef. Thai sukiyaki is sort of sweet and sour and spicy. It's quite rich. The noodles are thin glass noodles. I have seen it with beef (it's listed here with seafood) on one other menu in Seattle, but it's not listed with beef here. They're happy to make it though.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Jan 18 2009
Lunch
Roti
Their buffet is slightly above average, and readily accessible from work. This is nothing remarkable, just competently prepared and occasionally interesting Indian food. They claim to grind all their own spices on a daily basis. I can appreciate that, having just ground a bunch of spices last week for some curry powder.
Dinner
El Camion
It was once again Taco Sunday. To celebrate this holy hour we had carnitas (not as good as El Asadero, but still very good) and cochinita pibil. The cochinita pibil is really terrific. I haven't seen it on the menu at any other taco stands. We also had a pretty good chicken mole tamal. I like their pork in red sauce tamales better. The chicken was slightly dry in this example and the mole was a little bit bland. The pork on the other hand is very moist and quite spicy. The tamales here are very large and wrapped in a banana leaf. I think this means that the food is Yucatecan, actually. Anyway it's all really quite good. I think it's a sad reflection on Mexican food in Seattle that the best examples are all from taco buses and stands.
Roti
Their buffet is slightly above average, and readily accessible from work. This is nothing remarkable, just competently prepared and occasionally interesting Indian food. They claim to grind all their own spices on a daily basis. I can appreciate that, having just ground a bunch of spices last week for some curry powder.
Dinner
El Camion
It was once again Taco Sunday. To celebrate this holy hour we had carnitas (not as good as El Asadero, but still very good) and cochinita pibil. The cochinita pibil is really terrific. I haven't seen it on the menu at any other taco stands. We also had a pretty good chicken mole tamal. I like their pork in red sauce tamales better. The chicken was slightly dry in this example and the mole was a little bit bland. The pork on the other hand is very moist and quite spicy. The tamales here are very large and wrapped in a banana leaf. I think this means that the food is Yucatecan, actually. Anyway it's all really quite good. I think it's a sad reflection on Mexican food in Seattle that the best examples are all from taco buses and stands.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Jan 15 2009
Lunch
Shiki
I had Unagi Donburi. It was fair. The unagi was bonier than usual for some reason. I often get their bento special, which is a pretty amazing deal, but they were sold out by the time we got there. Next time!
Shiki
I had Unagi Donburi. It was fair. The unagi was bonier than usual for some reason. I often get their bento special, which is a pretty amazing deal, but they were sold out by the time we got there. Next time!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jan 14 2009
Lunch
Metropolitan Market
I had a baguette with prosciutto, butter, spinach, and one of those mild deli cheeses that I can never identify. I always like this sandwich. I also had some Odwalla Tangerine! juice, which I just noticed is not actually 100% tangerine juice. Lame! Anyway, a good quick lunch.
Metropolitan Market
I had a baguette with prosciutto, butter, spinach, and one of those mild deli cheeses that I can never identify. I always like this sandwich. I also had some Odwalla Tangerine! juice, which I just noticed is not actually 100% tangerine juice. Lame! Anyway, a good quick lunch.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Jan 13 2009
Lunch
Mecca Cafe
Club sandwich. Their club is just about my favorite in the city. Real turkey, good bacon, just enough bread.
I realized while writing this post that the coming months of lunches are going to rapidly become quite repetitive. There are lots of places on Lower Queen Anne, but there are only a few that are really worth visiting.
Mecca Cafe
Club sandwich. Their club is just about my favorite in the city. Real turkey, good bacon, just enough bread.
I realized while writing this post that the coming months of lunches are going to rapidly become quite repetitive. There are lots of places on Lower Queen Anne, but there are only a few that are really worth visiting.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Jan 12 2009
Lunch
Pagliacci Pizza
Pizza. 2 slices and a Caesar salad. Nothing at all spectacular but I find Pagliacci much more palatable than most Seattle-area pizzerias.
Pagliacci Pizza
Pizza. 2 slices and a Caesar salad. Nothing at all spectacular but I find Pagliacci much more palatable than most Seattle-area pizzerias.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Jan 11 2009
Lunch
Red Mill Burgers
Bacon Deluxe with cheese and a trufflemint shake. My co-worker likes to go here and a burger sounded good. However unless I get the chicken sandwich this place never lives up to my expectations. It was fine, but just not the excellent fast food burger experience I always want it to be (and it's always rumored to be). Oh but the shakes are terrific. I love milkshakes.
Dinner
Tacos El Asadero
Man this place is good. We shared two carnitas tacos, two adobada tacos, and a birria mulita. It was excellent. I could eat here 4 times a week and be happy forever. With cokes it came to 9.60 or something ridiculous like that. One day I'll do a brief write-up of all the taco places I've tried in Seattle. This place has the best carnitas, but you can get better adobada (and tamales and tortas for that matter) elsewhere. The carnitas was extra awesome tonight though. Lots of crispy bits but still juicy.
Red Mill Burgers
Bacon Deluxe with cheese and a trufflemint shake. My co-worker likes to go here and a burger sounded good. However unless I get the chicken sandwich this place never lives up to my expectations. It was fine, but just not the excellent fast food burger experience I always want it to be (and it's always rumored to be). Oh but the shakes are terrific. I love milkshakes.
Dinner
Tacos El Asadero
Man this place is good. We shared two carnitas tacos, two adobada tacos, and a birria mulita. It was excellent. I could eat here 4 times a week and be happy forever. With cokes it came to 9.60 or something ridiculous like that. One day I'll do a brief write-up of all the taco places I've tried in Seattle. This place has the best carnitas, but you can get better adobada (and tamales and tortas for that matter) elsewhere. The carnitas was extra awesome tonight though. Lots of crispy bits but still juicy.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Jan 7 2009
Lunch
Rice N Spice
Pad thai with pork, 3 stars. This is my favorite Thai on lower Queen Anne and I eat here almost once a week. Their noodles are generally great.
Rice N Spice
Pad thai with pork, 3 stars. This is my favorite Thai on lower Queen Anne and I eat here almost once a week. Their noodles are generally great.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Jan 6 2009
Lunch
Athina Grill
Lamb pita sandwich with fries. It was fine. It's good to have another option on lower QA.
Dinner
Szechuan 99
We and a friend started with spicy sliced beef appetizer, Chongqing Chicken (here know as Red Pepper Chicken for some reason), ants on a tree, dan dan mein, and cumin lamb. I think this place is really quite good. It's one of my favorite Szechuan places.
Athina Grill
Lamb pita sandwich with fries. It was fine. It's good to have another option on lower QA.
Dinner
Szechuan 99
We and a friend started with spicy sliced beef appetizer, Chongqing Chicken (here know as Red Pepper Chicken for some reason), ants on a tree, dan dan mein, and cumin lamb. I think this place is really quite good. It's one of my favorite Szechuan places.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Jan 4 - 5 2009
Jan 4 Lunch
The Other Coast Cafe
My first meal out of the new year. I had the Ragin' Cajun sandwich. It was fair. Kind of soggy, but the flavors were good.
Jan 5 Lunch
Chen's Village
I had their "General Tao's Chicken" due to the influence of a TED video. It was horrible. Almost unpalatable. This place is usually passable as long as you only order one of about 3 different things. Not this time.
The Other Coast Cafe
My first meal out of the new year. I had the Ragin' Cajun sandwich. It was fair. Kind of soggy, but the flavors were good.
Jan 5 Lunch
Chen's Village
I had their "General Tao's Chicken" due to the influence of a TED video. It was horrible. Almost unpalatable. This place is usually passable as long as you only order one of about 3 different things. Not this time.
Yeah, for real this time
I have decided that I will keep a log of every meal I eat out for the next year, good or bad, interesting or embarrassing. This was my New Year's Resolution, in fact.
So now I will proceed to do so.
So now I will proceed to do so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
