Mar 15 2009

Lunch


Red Mill Burgers
We used to go here for lunch pretty regularly, but I've since decided that their burgers really aren't all that exciting. I do like their Chicken Club Burger though. That's what I got, plus fries and a trufflemint shake. The place was totally packed with people so we got it to go and ate it in a conference room at work. The ambiance in the conference room left something to be desired, but I suppose I'll let Red Mill off the hook for that.

Dinner

Restaurant Zoë
Okay seriously this place was great. We've been meaning to try this place for years and a lucky combination of a promise to take my sister-in-law out to dinner and Dine Around Seattle made it happen tonight. I got:

* Ricotta Gnudi, Brown Butter Balsamic Beet Sauce, Orange Reduction, Tarragon
* Washington Beef Short Rib, Parsnip Cream, Organic Carrots, Beets and Potatoes
* Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Coconut Crème Anglaise

Plus we shared:

* Carlton Farms Pork Belly Confit, Caramelized Endive Puree, Candied Apricots, Toasted Pistachios

Everything was basically excellent.
The Gnudi were very tasty, and are considered one of the restaurant's signature dishes, with good reason. They're soft little balls of dough with a little bit of ricotta in the middle. They really went well with the sweet beet sauce, the slightly bitter/sour orange reduction, and the tarragon. I like tarragon anyway. I don't know why I don't cook with it more.
The Short Ribs were fantastically tender and really flavorful on their own. The rest of the plate were a great wintery vegetable mix that also included figs, which were terrific.
The Cake was not too sweet, as it can be, but rather really focused on the pineapple flavors. Moist and a little dense with lots of buttery flavor, it ended up being a pleasant way to end the meal. It was nothing exceptional, but I have learned to not expect exceptional desserts in Seattle. I can only think of two places that have really wowed me with their desserts.
The Pork Belly Confit was straight up awesome. The accompaniments were delightful, particularly if you could get them all in one bite. The Pork Belly itself was roasted just a little bit so it was nice and soft.
Oh I also had a pretty okay cocktail. It was called a La Pommette, and was calvados shaken with lemon topped off with dry cidre. I like not-too-sweet apple-y drinks, and this worked nicely.
So yeah, we'll be going back here over and over, I think. I'm glad we finally got a chance to try the place.