While in Denver, I went to many restaurants, as usual.
I had lots of decent food at fancy places. Nothing stood out as spectacular though. One thing I did like was the professional waitstaff. Its so nice to have a professional front of the house. Its rare in these parts, in fact, its probably non existent. One reason I believe is because of the competition in the Denver 16th street mall district. There are so many restaurants in this area, they all are looking for the edge. I saw wait staff taking tests about what is on the menu, that is pretty cool.
My favorite breakfast place in Denver is an old greasy spoon, Sams #3. It has been in business for 81 years. It doesn't fit in very well with all the new upscale restaurants that have opened up all around it, and that adds to its appeal.
I ate there every morning I was in town, and I had the same thing every day, the #3 breakfast special. 3 egg american cheese omelet, home fries and toast for $3.70. It was fast and good. I was always trying to get somewhere, so I really didn't want a fancy breakfast, I needed an in and out, and this is the spot. The wait staff was great, except for the last day, the waitress was kinda spacey and I had to ask twice for tabasco. Other than that, this place was perfect. I can't wait to go back and I wish we had a place like that here.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
J J's Fish House - Poulsbo, WA
I found myself in Poulsbo Monday afternoon, with some time to spare and an appetite.
We drove around a bit, to see if any new places have opened up since my last trip to Fishtown.
The bar on main street has again changed hands. I don't remember the new name, but there was a big sign that stated they now serve breakfast.. the place was closed at 4 pm..
We settled on JJ's. I haven't been to JJ's since it moved from Main Street, to its new location on the waterfront, next to Thats a some Italian, which I like, but wasn't in the mood for pasta.
The new location is very upscale. The entire front of the building opens up in the summer to an open air patio in front. The decor was very nice, some paintings of old sail boats were placed on the walls.
Our waitress seated us and she was very excited about it. She was bubbly and happy. She came back very quickly to offer us drinks. We chose water and she returned promptly. We ordered, I ordered the Crab Cake burger. Its basically a fresh dungeness crab cake on a hamburger bun. $8.95 makes it pretty much the cheapest thing on the menu. I thought the prices were a little high, but again, they have gone upscale. They have a great wine selection and have quite a good menu.
The food came out pretty quickly and we dove in. The crab cake burger came with lettuce, onion and tomato on the side. The tomatoes were buried under the hot fries, which I didn't like so much. It also was served with a side of some sort of mango sauce. I tried it on a few bites, but it wasn't my thing. Kinda reminded me of jam. I would have been better served with tartar sauce.
B had the house salad. It came with a house vinaigrette dressing which she liked. However, they used a small plate, and proceeded to pile up way too much for such a small plate. Her salad kept falling off the plate onto the table. She explained to me that restaurants generally keep the food in the center of the plate, and leave a border on the outside. Its a better look that a busy small plate that can't hold all the food. Other than that, she liked her salad just fine.
My crabcake was good, fresh made, which is a plus, and it was a good sized cake. I bit into a few pieces of cartilage, to further my opinion that they were made fresh...
The server came and took my plate. B was almost done with her salad.. And then we never saw our server again... We watched as she worked every table around us, carefully never making eye contact with us again. I was in a hurry now, I was waiting for a tire to be fixed up the street and it was well past the pickup time. We watched and watched as she completely ignored us...
I finally went up to the cashier. The other waitress came over quickly and looked for my bill. I explained that I never got a bill. She looked it up on her computer and found our tab and I paid it. I hesitantly went over and left a 10% tip. The entire time this happened, our server never saw us.
It was a very strange experience. She was so overboard at the beginning, we joked that the coffee here must be really good and strong.. Then, suddenly, we were non existent. I have never experienced that before. Usually its good service, or bad service, not good then bad in the same visit!
I would consider coming back again, but will probably go to Thatsa some Italian next time we are in the neighborhood.
We drove around a bit, to see if any new places have opened up since my last trip to Fishtown.
The bar on main street has again changed hands. I don't remember the new name, but there was a big sign that stated they now serve breakfast.. the place was closed at 4 pm..
We settled on JJ's. I haven't been to JJ's since it moved from Main Street, to its new location on the waterfront, next to Thats a some Italian, which I like, but wasn't in the mood for pasta.
The new location is very upscale. The entire front of the building opens up in the summer to an open air patio in front. The decor was very nice, some paintings of old sail boats were placed on the walls.
Our waitress seated us and she was very excited about it. She was bubbly and happy. She came back very quickly to offer us drinks. We chose water and she returned promptly. We ordered, I ordered the Crab Cake burger. Its basically a fresh dungeness crab cake on a hamburger bun. $8.95 makes it pretty much the cheapest thing on the menu. I thought the prices were a little high, but again, they have gone upscale. They have a great wine selection and have quite a good menu.
The food came out pretty quickly and we dove in. The crab cake burger came with lettuce, onion and tomato on the side. The tomatoes were buried under the hot fries, which I didn't like so much. It also was served with a side of some sort of mango sauce. I tried it on a few bites, but it wasn't my thing. Kinda reminded me of jam. I would have been better served with tartar sauce.
B had the house salad. It came with a house vinaigrette dressing which she liked. However, they used a small plate, and proceeded to pile up way too much for such a small plate. Her salad kept falling off the plate onto the table. She explained to me that restaurants generally keep the food in the center of the plate, and leave a border on the outside. Its a better look that a busy small plate that can't hold all the food. Other than that, she liked her salad just fine.
My crabcake was good, fresh made, which is a plus, and it was a good sized cake. I bit into a few pieces of cartilage, to further my opinion that they were made fresh...
The server came and took my plate. B was almost done with her salad.. And then we never saw our server again... We watched as she worked every table around us, carefully never making eye contact with us again. I was in a hurry now, I was waiting for a tire to be fixed up the street and it was well past the pickup time. We watched and watched as she completely ignored us...
I finally went up to the cashier. The other waitress came over quickly and looked for my bill. I explained that I never got a bill. She looked it up on her computer and found our tab and I paid it. I hesitantly went over and left a 10% tip. The entire time this happened, our server never saw us.
It was a very strange experience. She was so overboard at the beginning, we joked that the coffee here must be really good and strong.. Then, suddenly, we were non existent. I have never experienced that before. Usually its good service, or bad service, not good then bad in the same visit!
I would consider coming back again, but will probably go to Thatsa some Italian next time we are in the neighborhood.
Mikes Seafood - Ocean Shores, WA
Its been a while since I have written a restaurant review. Not because I haven't been eating out, but because I have already review it, or was so uninspired, there was nothing worth saying..
While on a family trip at Ocean shores, I had a chance to sneak away, while the kids were in a movie.
I went to Mikes Seafood, part market, part restaurant, to purchase some live crab for dinner. Unfortunately, they were not carrying crab that week, due to the rising costs of the crab.
I decided to have lunch. I ordered the fish and chips, three piece cod basket. They also offered halibut and chips, salmon and chips, oysters, steamer and razor clam baskets as well. They also had fresh steamers, which looked fabulous.
The fish and chips came up fairly quickly in this old, weathered coastal cafe. I was immediately impressed by the dish. It looked great, the batter was a golden color. The fries were cooked perfectly.
One bite of the fish and I knew I had really screwed up... Why wasn't this my first stop everytime I come to the ocean. It will be for now on. They were heavenly. Fresh cod, perfectly cooked, and the quality of the fish was beyond excellent. The batter was light and crunch, and was a perfect compliment. The fries were decent, and the tartar sauce was good as well. Although I still prefer Ivars Tartar.
The service was ok. I was seated quickly, but the two tables that came in after me were served first. I ran out of Tartar and asked for more. I had to wait about 5 minutes for more tartar and I nearly finished my lunch before it showed up.
The server was helpful when I told him I really wanted some live crab. He told me of a place in Aberdeen that had live crab, and even gave me directions. I didn't go though. He also told me I'd be paying about $8.50 a pound.. yikes!
I don't recall how much my lunch was, but it was reasonable and fantastic!
While on a family trip at Ocean shores, I had a chance to sneak away, while the kids were in a movie.
I went to Mikes Seafood, part market, part restaurant, to purchase some live crab for dinner. Unfortunately, they were not carrying crab that week, due to the rising costs of the crab.
I decided to have lunch. I ordered the fish and chips, three piece cod basket. They also offered halibut and chips, salmon and chips, oysters, steamer and razor clam baskets as well. They also had fresh steamers, which looked fabulous.
The fish and chips came up fairly quickly in this old, weathered coastal cafe. I was immediately impressed by the dish. It looked great, the batter was a golden color. The fries were cooked perfectly.
One bite of the fish and I knew I had really screwed up... Why wasn't this my first stop everytime I come to the ocean. It will be for now on. They were heavenly. Fresh cod, perfectly cooked, and the quality of the fish was beyond excellent. The batter was light and crunch, and was a perfect compliment. The fries were decent, and the tartar sauce was good as well. Although I still prefer Ivars Tartar.
The service was ok. I was seated quickly, but the two tables that came in after me were served first. I ran out of Tartar and asked for more. I had to wait about 5 minutes for more tartar and I nearly finished my lunch before it showed up.
The server was helpful when I told him I really wanted some live crab. He told me of a place in Aberdeen that had live crab, and even gave me directions. I didn't go though. He also told me I'd be paying about $8.50 a pound.. yikes!
I don't recall how much my lunch was, but it was reasonable and fantastic!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Madoka - February 13, 2008 - Bainbridge Island, WA
I told myself I wouldn't blog about Bainbridge much, since its such a small community, but I have to share my recent experience about Madoka.
A few of us "locals" will remember this location as the NAPA auto parts store.
Several years ago, NAPA sold to the guy who owned/managed Pleasant Beach Oyster House. He moved to Winslow to attract a large customer base. It worked for a while, I can remember when that was the hot place on the island. He sold out a few years ago, and it reopened as Madoka, featuring a Pan-Asian cuisine.
I took my date to Madoka the day before valentines. She has to work valentines day. This is one of the few places I have not been to yet, and she wanted to go as well.
We were immediately seated into a mostly empty dining area. The lighting, colors and artwork are great. This place has nice ambiance, perhaps the best on the Island.
The waiter quickly came over and brought us our menus. The menu was fairly limited. It was broken down by "small plates" and "large plates". There were probably 8 dishes of each size, but the dishes were unique between the small and large.
There where only a three seafood dishes on the large plates menu, and two of them were Tuna. The other was a scallop dish.
I opted for the Pacific Albacore dish. Grilled with a yam mashed potato side.
It wasn't great. I am pretty sure the fish was previously frozen. The yams, which I don't generally like, where very good.
My date went for the small plate option. She had the Elk Lumpia, baked Tofu and cold crab salad.
The tofu was ok, a bit mushy for my liking, but it was good quality tofu. The cold crab salad was pretty good. It wasn't what I expected though. It came on a small plate, with about 6 ounces of Crab. Underneath the crab was some lettuce and beet I believe. You couldn't see the greens though, It was like a hamburger, with the lettuce being the bottom bun.
She had tried the lumpia before, and said it wasn't as good this time. The meat was a bit old she thought. I didn't try it obviously.
By the time we finished, the restaurant was packed. This place is very trendy apparently.
A few of us "locals" will remember this location as the NAPA auto parts store.
Several years ago, NAPA sold to the guy who owned/managed Pleasant Beach Oyster House. He moved to Winslow to attract a large customer base. It worked for a while, I can remember when that was the hot place on the island. He sold out a few years ago, and it reopened as Madoka, featuring a Pan-Asian cuisine.
I took my date to Madoka the day before valentines. She has to work valentines day. This is one of the few places I have not been to yet, and she wanted to go as well.
We were immediately seated into a mostly empty dining area. The lighting, colors and artwork are great. This place has nice ambiance, perhaps the best on the Island.
The waiter quickly came over and brought us our menus. The menu was fairly limited. It was broken down by "small plates" and "large plates". There were probably 8 dishes of each size, but the dishes were unique between the small and large.
There where only a three seafood dishes on the large plates menu, and two of them were Tuna. The other was a scallop dish.
I opted for the Pacific Albacore dish. Grilled with a yam mashed potato side.
It wasn't great. I am pretty sure the fish was previously frozen. The yams, which I don't generally like, where very good.
My date went for the small plate option. She had the Elk Lumpia, baked Tofu and cold crab salad.
The tofu was ok, a bit mushy for my liking, but it was good quality tofu. The cold crab salad was pretty good. It wasn't what I expected though. It came on a small plate, with about 6 ounces of Crab. Underneath the crab was some lettuce and beet I believe. You couldn't see the greens though, It was like a hamburger, with the lettuce being the bottom bun.
She had tried the lumpia before, and said it wasn't as good this time. The meat was a bit old she thought. I didn't try it obviously.
By the time we finished, the restaurant was packed. This place is very trendy apparently.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Pike Place Chowder - Pacific Place
I am so sick of the food in this neighborhood. I've been working here for 8 years now and I am just so dang sick of the food options. My favorite noodle house is too far to walk too when its 34 degrees out. The Pita express is good once a week. Thats about where I am at now. In fact, sometimes I just don't eat lunch at all and then leave work a bit early to grab Ivars fish and chips on the way to the ferry. Ivars is the best and has been all my life.
Today I decided to walk across the street to Pacific Place. I went to the food court on the top floor and looked around. Johnny Rockets, no. Wild Ginger, no. The mexican place does a decent fish taco, but I decided to try my luck with Pike Place Chowder.
Unfortunately, too many restaurants put Chicken stock in their chowder, so that was out. Although, they did have a vegan chowder. It had lime, coconut, curry and veggies. Interesting, perhaps another day.
I ordered the large order of Pacific Cod Fish and Chips ($9.95 ouch). The large fish and chips contained three decent size fillets on a bed of fries. I grabbed three tartars and headed back to work.
The fish was good quality and the breading was light and crunch. Unfortunately, the fish was a touch undercooked. Not raw, but it could have used a few more minutes. The Fries were also undercooked. A few of them were a bit raw and crunchy... most were just plain soggy and limp. The tartar sauce lacked any flavor. It was basically mayonnaise.
I did manage to get my fill, but Ivars still rules the fish and chips world, for a third of the price.
I would consider coming back to try the vegan chowder and perhaps the Wild salmon and chips or prawns and chips some time.
UPDATE:
after I left work I felt pretty ill. I was sick for a few hours after. I couldnt figure it out, but now I think it must have been the tartar sauce that was sitting out on the counter all day... ugh.
Today I decided to walk across the street to Pacific Place. I went to the food court on the top floor and looked around. Johnny Rockets, no. Wild Ginger, no. The mexican place does a decent fish taco, but I decided to try my luck with Pike Place Chowder.
Unfortunately, too many restaurants put Chicken stock in their chowder, so that was out. Although, they did have a vegan chowder. It had lime, coconut, curry and veggies. Interesting, perhaps another day.
I ordered the large order of Pacific Cod Fish and Chips ($9.95 ouch). The large fish and chips contained three decent size fillets on a bed of fries. I grabbed three tartars and headed back to work.
The fish was good quality and the breading was light and crunch. Unfortunately, the fish was a touch undercooked. Not raw, but it could have used a few more minutes. The Fries were also undercooked. A few of them were a bit raw and crunchy... most were just plain soggy and limp. The tartar sauce lacked any flavor. It was basically mayonnaise.
I did manage to get my fill, but Ivars still rules the fish and chips world, for a third of the price.
I would consider coming back to try the vegan chowder and perhaps the Wild salmon and chips or prawns and chips some time.
UPDATE:
after I left work I felt pretty ill. I was sick for a few hours after. I couldnt figure it out, but now I think it must have been the tartar sauce that was sitting out on the counter all day... ugh.
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.
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!
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!
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