Friday, November 30, 2007

Pita Express - 8th and Stewart, Seattle

ahh, the eternal quest for a Falafel. Truly one of the tastiest vegetarian lunches.

There was a great place in the old Bon parking garage on 3rd, but it closed a year ago. Then Falafel King opened up to much hype down on 1st by the market. I tried it, but I wasn't very satisfied.

Then, in the funky little spot next to Subway and the bagel shop, a new Pita restaurant opened last month. Nothing in this location ever seems to make it, but this place is the best thing to open here.

I tried the Falafel a week after it opened. I figured it was still new, and they may be working out the bugs. It was great. I tried it again today and it was still great! Consistency is so important.

Not much to say about the Falafel, its a standard Falafel, but the ingredients are fresh and the hot sauce is good. My favorite Falafel in Seattle.

Samba Room 1460 Larimer - Denver

My favorite restaurant in Denver.

Yes, I know that Chilean Sea Bass is endangered from over fishing off south america, but twice a year, I must have it and Samba Room does it right...

Samba Room is a Cuban themed restaurant. Its also very trendy and expensive. I wouldn't go here if it wasn't a client dinner, which means I get reimbursed for the expense.

We entered the restaurant around 7 pm on Wed Night. The place was packed. We were taken to a table within minutes.

Soon after seating, our waiter showed up and introduced himself, then he holds out two bottles of water and asks us if we would like some imported water. We both declined his offer. I ordered my favorite beer, TaHuey, from Puerto Rico. The waiter didn't seem to know what this is, even though I have had it here many times in the past. He went to the bar and discovered they no longer carried that beer. bummer, its the only place I have ever seen that beer.

I ordered, of course, Chilean Seabass “Enchilado” - Pan Seared, Roasted and Served with a Cilantro Shrimp Orzo and a Creole Latin Style Sauce. I have had this dish at least 3 other times, and each time its been spectacular. This time it was even better! The sauce was spicier that previous visits, it really brought out the best in the dish.

Carrie ordered a box dinner, some sort of special they were running during the film festival going on in the Larimer neighborhood. Her dish came with a salad, so I thought I will get a dinner salad so we can eat salad together.

The waiter approaches the table with something wrapped in a towel. He opens the towel and carefully sets a chilled fork down in front of me. The chilled fork is for my salad. Carrie did not get a chilled fork. My salad came a few minutes later, Carries did not. Apparently her salad is served with her dinner. Kinda odd, and when her dinner and salad came, she did not get a chilled fork! Frankly, thats a bit silly.

The whole service was silly. Who are they catering for, obviously very rich people who are better than anyone else. The poor waiter was trying soooo hard. I tipped him just under 20%... sucker!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

eating on the coast

Its not easy to find a decent restaurant on the Washington coast. Crappy food and crappier service would be the best way to describe the experience...

Windjammer - Pacific City- this is the officers club on the navy base. Food was horrible, service was decent. The ambience was that of a school cafeteria.

Patties Perch - Pacific City - Posted in at least 4 places outside this tiny diner, NO PARTIES OVER SIX. Obviously they can't handle any more than 6 at a time... The menu had very few things on it, I ordered a ham and cheese omelet without the ham.. they screwed it up, but gave me my new one for free.. Service was horrible and the food was slightly better. Actually, the omelet was cooked well, but it had more cheese than egg.. the hash browns were burned.

The Waves - Best Western Hotel - Ocean Shores - My mother loves the Crab Louie and after eating greasy crud all trip, this sounded like my best option. It was great. Funny because our hotel manager told us this place was "shakey" not sure what that means, but it was good. Service was good, and the salad was full of fresh Dungeness Crab. I was pleased. The Hotel manager had suggested the restaurant at the Ramada, raving about the salad bar. We went there and it contained maybe 4 items in the salad bar. It had less than the Qwest cafeteria to offer so we left.

Cadillac Jacks - Ocean Shores - Crappy food and service. good bloody mary though.

speaking of bloody marys. When in Westport to watch the Seahawks game, we visited Anthonys, (no relation to the excellent chain in seattle area) I ordered a bloody mary. The thing came back with a Pepperoni stick in it! No, not Pepperocini, which you expect, but a damn stick of meat and a cube of cheese.. WTF??? i have never had an issue, being a vegetarian, with ordering drinks.. From now on I will have to ask for a vegetarian drink menu...

She reluctantly took my drink back, resisting the urge to just pull the stick out of the drink.. but, it didn't matter as there was so much horse radish in the mix, you might as well used it for dipping your steak in.

all in all, we didn't eat very well. but the ocean still is a wonderful place to be.

Monday, August 27, 2007

The Bushwacker - Hwy 101 Port Angeles

This place was right next door to the hotel my friend and I stayed in last Saturday night. We were tired and didn't want to drive, so there we went.

It was fancier than I imagined for a restaurant on hwy 101 next to an RV dealership and a moderately priced Hotel.

The menu was rather limited, they had 6 or so cuts of meat, and maybe 10 seafood dishes.
My date had the crab cakes, I had a bite and thought they were average, but my sampling was limited. They were big though, and it came with a sizable helping of Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

I had the seafood fettucine and it was darn good. Loaded with ocean Scallops, prawns, wild salmon, clams and mussels. There could have been a bit more pasta, but the meal was good. The cream sauce was great, I couldn't determine what was in it, but it was kinda tangy.

They have a salad bar, but neither of us visited it.

I would come back here again, if I had the money, as I mentioned before it was a bit more than I like to pay for dinner. Entrees were all over $20.

Bainbridge Restaurants....

I quickly decided that I cannot review any restaurants on Bainbridge since I am now a resident of this micro Bellevue community...

However, I do have to give a shout out the Emmys Vege House. Great Great Great, I just discovered the Spring Rolls there. Super!

and lastly, Martha down at Docs is putting up some great Breakfast every morning. I had the best omelet ever down there last week. Hashbrowns cooked to perfection!

and the rest?? well, IF I have another good meal on the rock, I might mention it..

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Hoodsport marina pub

During our camping trip, we decided to go into town and get some grub, and myself a drink.

We spotted this quaint little place right on the water.

It was real hot and the waitress was sitting outside in the shade. She was not doing real well with the heat, and her job performance suffered. I am sure she is a good waitress when its not 100 degrees!

I ordered the fish and chips and it was superb! Fresh cut cod and a very light crispy coating. The tartar sauce was average. I still cant get over how good that fish was. Most places server frozen cod or pollock and the quality is usually suspect. I was very impressed, it was the best fish and chips I have had in a long time.

Kelsey had clam chowder and shared on my fries. Jessica had shrimp and chips. I tried hers and it was good. Not as good as the fish, but decent. Both kids enjoyed their meals.

I will not pass through hoodsport withoput a stop in this place. It appears to be a good watering hole as well.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Amys frozen Burritto VS Cederlane frozen burrito.

I bought one of each at Fred Meyers. Both frozen organic rice bean and cheese burritos.

the Amys burritos, my usual, always blow beans out the ends when cooking, so appearance goes to Cedarlane.

thats it though, the Amys burrito was much tastier. I would eat either one, but prefer Amys.

Noahs Ark Restaurant - Bremerton

My Mother took me to Noahs Ark in Bremerton Saturday afternoon.

Its an old, slightly run down building, and inside it looked the same as the outside. There is a counter you order from and the menu is listed on a letter board on the wall behind the counter. For those who remember, it reminded me of the Kel-Lin on Bainbridge back in the day...

The menu was just jam packed, you couldn't add another letter to that board. There is only the one board, so its used for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and dessert. I was confused by the menu, as they have obviously had to be very creative with their letter placing to get everything on the board.

I ordered the halibut fish and chips, and to my surprise, I could see no advertisement of this promotion, the halibut fish came with free clam strips.. I said bring it on..

My mother ordered a gyro.

We went into the semi crowded dining area and waited for our name to be called out over the intercom. The dining area was fairly clean, clean enough.

They called our name and I went to get the food. I came back with my water, but no drink for my mother. She said she had ordered a Coke. So, I went back and they looked on the ticket and sure enough, she had ordered the Coke, so the teenage girl behind the counter handed me a cup to fill from the fountain.

The fish was decent, I wouldn't expect anything better from a greasy spoon. The clams were good. Not too chewy, flavorful. The fries were done perfectly, nice and crispy, I hate a soggy fry.
The tartar sauce was average, but it did the trick.

Mother said her Gyro was just ok. It looked pretty tasty.

all in all, its a pretty decent fast food type place. Its better than fast food actually. I would like to try their breakfast menu. Also, many people came in for just shakes or Ice cream, so I am guessing that must be their specialty.

Kyles Crab Feed

Kyle bought 11 pounds of beautiful King Crab legs. I had to write something about a wonderful meal I enjoyed at Kyles Friday night! YEAH KYLE!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Thai Gusto - Everett

After watching Champions on Ice, we were hungry. Across the street from the Everett Events Center we found Thai Gusto. It was a bit fancier than I wanted, but we sat down and decided to make a go of it.

I ordered the Phad Thai with Tofu. It was really good. I had to order with no stars as the kids and I were sharing that plate and a plate of chicken fried rice.

The tofu was deepfried, which isnt my favorite way to eat it, but it was deepfried well, not to over cooked, just right. The flavor was very good, no orange juice in this recipe. They offer a great set of condiments too. Fish oil, which I hardly ever see. Then the usual, chile paste, chile sauce and chili powder. All were good.

The service was excellent, our wait staff was very attentive. The food arrived very quickly, a bit too quick really, but since we had a long journey home after dinner, we didnt mind.

The decor is really very nice too. They have an old wooden gazebo thing in there. It was from Indonesia and was 70 years old. The wood work was very intricate.

This place beats the heck out of Aroydy (see other review), but its too far away to go on a regular basis..

Oh, the kids loved the food too. Thats rare! Jessica even took the fried rice home to eat. There was no phad thai left.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Salsa's - Kingston

Very simple, small menu, no indoor seating. the place is no bigger than a broom closet. The first time we went there, we couldnt figure out how they were cooking in this little place. They told us the food is cooked across the street at Luna Bella. Luna Bella is an italian place that is supposed to be pretty good. Ok, so that made some sense, but an italian place making burritos? It works, very good.

I always order the veggie burrito of course. Its just wonderful. Its big, full of black beans, rice, cilanto and a mexican specialty cheese, I think its called Chorito? The salsa there is superior, one of the best salsas I have experienced. The tortillas are soft and fresh.

Bronwen ordered the supreme burrito. Its loaded with meat, its just huge. She is a huge fan also.

to all the people who disagreed with my Casa Rojas Express review, try Salsas and then lets talk. There is no comparision. Its night and day.

only bad thing I can say is that the place was boiling hot, no air or fans in there. I imagine they will have to put them in. The poor girl said she nearly passed out a few times yesterday... Not a big concern for the customer as you can order inside then go sit outside. They will bring you the food. Great service for a small place like that.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Bagette Box - E Pine St, Seattle

YUM!
I ordered the Grilled Tofu sandwich. Everthing about it is great. The bagette is excellent, the tofu cooked just right.

Its different than the last time I ordered it too. They used a sweet oil with the sandwich, making it moist and sweet. The veggies were better too, they used red onion and some white spear, like maybe a bamboo spear, it was very good, with a tart taste. A great flavor to balance the sweet oil.

I tried the gravlax sandwich here once also and it was also excellent.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Casa Rojas Express - May 24, 07

Let me start by sying I love Casa Rojas and my amigo Armando. I didnt like CRE

I ordered the "sin carne" which I guess means, no meat. Sin means no? I like that..

anyway, its rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, pico de gayo, guacamole, salsa on request. Yes please.

The torilla was not the freshed, they steam them so it was a bit soggy and tough. The rice tasted like a rice a roni recipe. I chose black beans, they were decent, but there was not a lot of beans, mostly rice. There was maybe one tablespoon of guacamole in the entire burrito, not enough to really be an influence.

The plus side, the salsa was HOT! I like a place that can offer a salsa that you have to respect.

They do have a nice breakfast menu I would be willing to give that a try. Although at $5.75 a pop, its a bit more than I like to spend for a breakfast burrito. I can do better in the city.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Aroydy Thai Cuisine - May 22, 2007

Much has been said about this restaurant in recent years... common reviews say the food is good, service sucks.. That is true most of the time.. I probably picked a lame restaurant to start my new blog, but so be it.

We arrived on a Tuesday evening about 6:30. We were seated immediately.
It was the best table we have ever had there, usually we are in the back by the kitchen, or in some odd cubby hole. Once we had to eat in the dark bar... To be fair, its the least crowded I have ever seen the place. It would have been really odd for them to seat us in the back.

We usually order an appetizer here, but had trouble agreeing on one this time. Usually we get the veggie spring rolls, which, is not even on the appetizer menu. You have to go the the last page of the 4 or 5 page menu to get to the vegetarian options. The first one listed is the Veggie Tempura, so we decided to try that.

The waitress came and we ordered the app and two Thai beers, "Singha". Its a good light beer.
We were not ready to order the entree yet, so she went to get the beers. She came back promptly and we ordered. I ordered the Tofu Phad Thai, my usual order. Bronwen ordered the Swimming Angel, her usual order.

The appetizers came in an acceptable amount of time. The tempura was a reddish color, very appealing. I grabbed one, it was too hot to eat.

Once it was ok to eat, we dug in. The brocolli was a bit tough, but I thought the carrots and zuchinni were palatable. Honestly, I am not a huge tempura fan in the first place. The plum sauce was good, however I suspect they buy it pre made.

The entrees arrived before we finished the appetizer! I was shocked, service was right on today.

My phad thai was average at best. I detected the taste of orange juice concentrate in the sauce. I didn't care for the sweet tangy taste. I tried to drown it out with Hot sauce. Not much luck, but it was still ok. I ate half and saved half for work, which I am eating now.

Bronwen was pleased with the Swimming Angel, which is chicken on a bed of spinach, with some sort of gravy on it. I didnt try it obviously..

I have never tasted orange juice in a dish before. I am slightly prejudiced due to the fact that Bronwens last chef she worked for before taking his job, used orange juice concentrate in many dishes.. to that I say NASTY.. dont do it. there are other ways to make a dish sweet and fruity.

all in al l though, it was a decent experience, and its the only thia place in N. Kitsap, so we will go back again I am sure.