Om Nom Nom Nom!

Ohana

2011-10-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'd like to talk about one of my favorite restaurants I love to go to for happy hour. It's called Ohana, located in the heart of the Belltown neighborhood in downtown Seattle.

Happy hour is pretty big here in Seattle, so it's important to find those places that offer great food for great happy hour prices. Ohana just happens to be one of those places. You'll find an extensive happy hour menu filled with delicious dishes like beef robata (basically skewered chunks of marinated, grilled, tender beef....you can also get chicken), crunchy shrimp tempura rolls, spicy salmon hand rolls, gyoza, spam musubi, etc....all for just a couple of bucks each!

The atmosphere is very relaxed and family friendly. Occasionally, the establishment will host live music (usually later in the night) or even karaoke. The staff is always friendly and do their best to check up on you as often as they can, even when they're packed with patrons.

The decor is what really makes this place different. Inside you'll think you're in Hawaii after taking a look at all of the Island-inspired decorations and trinkets hanging from the ceiling and walls. It's very dimly lit inside, which offers a very cozy and relaxing feeling.

Beef Robata:

Salmon Skin Roll, California Roll, & Crunchy Salmon Hand Roll:

Gyoza:

Hawaiian decorations:

OK, here comes my famous (not really) 5-"NOM" rating system (5 being the highest):

SERVICE, 4.5 NOMs= The service is great at Ohana. My party is usually promptly seated whenever we arrive. They're very attentive throughout the dining experience and extremely friendly with the patrons. I give them credit for keeping up with each and every table on a busy night.

ATMOSPHERE/LOCATION, 3.5 NOMs= Ohana is located right in the heart of Belltown on a main street, nestled between a couple of restaurants. So, as you might expect in a downtown environment, there isn't any parking dedicated to the restaurant. Downtown parking can be a chore to find in this particular area, which is the only downside. The upside is that you definitely can't miss the place with all the brightly lit signs and the colorful lights lining the outside patio fence area. For those cold nights, you'll be pleased to hear they have outdoor heaters on the patio. The atmosphere inside is very fun and inviting.

FOOD PRESENTATION, 3.5 NOMs= I usually come here for happy hour, so I can say they are definitely well presented. I had dinner here once and the presentation was just "ok". The happy hour plates are generally pleasantly presented on small, decorative plates. I think the robata plates are presented the best, with grilled meats covered in a teriyaki glaze, served on top of a small bed of lettuce and grilled asparagus on the side.

TASTE, 4.5 NOMs= Like I said, the reason I go here is because they serve up great food. I think the only thing that could be improved is the California roll. It's a little too mayonnaisey. Other than that, everything I've tried at Ohana is absolutely delicious. Again......BEEF ROBATA!!!

VALUE, 4.5 NOMs= $3 happy hour plates in downtown Seattle is fine by me. I can get full and it'll still work for my budget.

ORIGINALITY, 5 NOMs= Not too many Hawaiian restaurants in the city with a great menu, accommodating hours, and fun nightlife.

OVERALL, 4.2 NOMs= Ohana, I will definitely be back here for many happy hours to come. As of now, you are my #1 happy hour spot in the city!

"Food?....it's O.N.N.N.!"
-NMOS

Pie

2011-10-01T22:01:00.000-07:00

**Before I start my first review from my year-long hiatus, I'd like to say "Hello again!" to everyone. I'm glad to get back into food blogging and hope it'll be as much fun as I remembered it was. Now, on to the good stuff.**

Working in certain neighborhoods in downtown Seattle can have its advantages. During lunchtime I'm surrounded by many places where I can get my fill to my delight. One of these establishments is called Pie and, as the name implies, they sell pie!

At Pie you can get handmade, handheld savory or sweet pies. I've tried almost every single pie flavor they have, since I visit often and I usually get one sweet and one savory pie every time. The savory flavors include steak & potato, English meat, broccoli & cheese, smoked turkey, etc. Some sweet pies include: maple bacon, key lime, mixed berries, coconut cream, etc. My favorite savory pie would have to be the pepper steak. It's almost like a beef stew in a handheld pie (but not as messy). My favorite sweet pie would have to be the maple bacon. Unfortunately, this pie is seasonal and so they don't have it everytime I go in for a visit. Image a maple cream filling topped with crispy bacon bits. Simply delicious!

The awesome bakers at Pie usually have a few rotating pies and some seasonal ones as well. The staff at Pie are very laid back and hospitable. They're also open to any ideas for potential pie flavors you might have. Trust me, I've got food ideas. :)

The establishment is nestled in a really good location on a main road in the Fremont neighborhood. It's not a huge place inside, but it will accommodate a small to medium party if you have one. There are also a couple of outside tables for those nice, sunny days (yes, we have those in Seattle). I love that they stay open late during the weekends. They have a side window that's open until 2am!! Perfect for those late-night party-goers looking for a tasty treat.

OK, here's the breakdown using my 5-"Nom" system (5 being the highest):

Service, 5-NOMs= The staff is pretty awesome there. They truly stand behind their product. If it looks anything but picture perfect or appetizing they'll give you a discount. And, if you're a regular, they've been known to hook up customers with free pies.

Atmosphere/Location, 2.5-NOMs= Downtown is always busy and along with that is the usual horrible parking problem. Pie does not have its own parking, so you'll have to find streetside (good luck during busy hours). If you work or live nearby, then no worries. It's right in the heart of Fremont. The inside is very fitting for this establishment. It's open so you can see the bakers doing their thing.

Food Presentation, 3.5 NOMs= I think Pie is a great concept. Who wouldn't like a handheld meal on the go. The product looks great. There is that one chance that it'll collapse on you while you're on the go, but that's why it's in a container too. Each pie is unique and has a different look depending on what it is. Very cool.

Taste, 4 NOMs= I've liked all the pies I've tried with the exception of probably only one. For the most part, they're delicious, well-seasoned, and full of flavor.

Value, 5 NOMs= Under $5 for a hearty, flavorful, mobile meal. You can't beat that really. They even have mini pies, if you just want a taste and don't really want to dish out that much. They even have a lunch deal where you can get a Pie combo for a pretty good price.

Originality, 5 NOMs= There isn't any other place around here that I know of that serves up handheld sweet and savory pies.

Overall, 4.1 NOMs= Not bad, Pie. Not bad at all. Keep dishing out new and original flavors and I assure you I'll be coming back for more. First there was the cupcake craze. Now, I think it's going to be a handheld pie craze.

"Food?....it's O.N.N.N.!"
-NMOS

Om Nom Nom Nom comeback!

2011-09-24T21:30:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone. Been gone for quite a while and making my comeback. I'll be revising my reviewing system and providing better looking pictures. Stay tuned!

MOO Cards

2010-05-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Well, I finally got my MOO cards. For all of you that are also Featured Foodbuzz publishers, you know what I'm talking about. I hope to one day be able to attend a Foodbuzz convention so that I can swap my cards with you all. By the way, yes, I have been trying new restaurants. I'll have to post my reviews up shortly. In due time, faithful Om Nom Nom Nom followers. Thanks!

B.L.A.T.

2010-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just had a homemade Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, and Tomato sandwich yesterday. It was probably one of the best BLAT's that I've ever had. The sauce was a rosemary mayo and it was on top of a slightly toasted thick-cut sourdough (I'm salivating right now just thinking of it). Everything was fresh, and the thick-cut pepper bacon just made the sandwich. Check out the pics and try it out for yourself.

-N

5 Guys

2010-04-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, if you like burgers and fries, you'll like 5 Guys! I guess it's a chain that started in the East Coast and gradually made its way to the West. I've been eating healthy lately, but once in a while I treat myself to one of those "bad" but delicious meals. Hey, you can eat anything as long as it's in moderation and you exercise (I'm always active), right? I did make one big mistake.....not taking pictures of the burger and fries that I ate!!! Sorry about that. However, I did get pics of the establishment and stuff like that. The burger looks like one big juicy burger. And the fries were probably one of the best fast food fries I've ever tried. You have to get the "Cajunized" fries though. The regular is enough to feed two people. Anyway, enjoy the pics:

-NMOS

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I hope everyone that celebrates Easter had a good one. I'm happy to say I had a very nice one. Before church I started the day off with a homemade Easter breakfast. Check out the spread. The dessert plate (you'll know which one it is) was made for me by my two nieces. And the big ball looking thing is one huge Rice Krispy treat! Enjoy:

More Random Food Pics in Seattle

2010-03-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

I think this one of the fastest/easiest ways to post what I've eaten the past couple of weeks or so, or since my last posting. Again, once I have more time to get back to my restaurant reviews, you all will be the first to know. Below are pics of delicious food and of anything that relates to the food I've eaten. I hope all is well with everyone. Keep on "Om Nom Nom Nom"-ing!

Wednesdays are $1 waffle cone days at TCBY:

BLT sandwich and chocolate chip cookie from Specialty's Bakery:

Spam musubi from L&L in Renton:

shrimp skewers:

Makeshift grill (criss-cross two baking racks) if you don't have one, for smaller food items:

Combo plate from L&L in Renton (fish, pork, chicken, beef):

My plate from Kwazi's (Indian):

Shrimp with snow peas from Kau Kau in Chinatown:

Fried Rice from Kau Kau:

Broccoli Beef from Kau Kau:

Garlic Rolls from Villa Pizza in Bellevue Square Mall:

My custom burger from Fatburger (bacon, fried egg, mushrooms, onions, swiss)

Farmer's Market near UW (University District)

Dick's cheeseburger:

Meat Omelette slam from Denny's in SouthCenter:

Crab cakes and beer brats

$0.50 cotton candy in SouthCenter Mall:

Corn with bacon

Homemade bulgogi:

Banana cream filled doughnut from Krispy/Kool Kreme:

Hope you enjoyed the pics:

Random Monthly Food Pics

2010-03-01T17:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I know I've been absent most of the past month but I've been busy....still. However, I wanted to post a bunch of pics of the different foods I've eaten over this time. I'm just going to leave out some pics of a really good Korean restaurant I was at last week so that I can save them for a blog review. So, enjoy:

Shin Shin Restaurant

2010-02-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

About 20 minutes south of Seattle is a town called Federal Way. This city has a lot of Asian influenced restaurants, particularly Korean ones. In a small plaza there's a corner restaurant called Shin-Shin. This is one of those typical Korean BBQ places where they have the grill built into the table and those overhead vents above each table. I absolutely love Korean BBQ and this place didn't disappoint. Sorry, I don't have time to do my 5-doughnut review right now. Maybe a little later. I just wanted to make sure I got something up for my followers, since I've been busy. Thanks!

-N

Potluck at Work

2010-02-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Just last week I had a potluck at work. I must say that for the ones that were able to cook something from scratch, they did a good job. Take a look at some of the dishes that were there. I did my best to sample everything.

Mini Quiche (Bacon/Green Onion & Carmelized Onion)

Pesto Pasta

Mini Cupcakes (Lemon cake with chocolate frosting)

Baked Mac N Cheese with Broccoli

Stuffed Eggplant Rolls with Carrots & Cheese

Cinnamon Rolls

Caprese Salad Skewers (drizzled with balsamic vinegar)

-NMOS

NFL Conference Championship Chicken Nachos!

2010-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. How have you all been? I don't know if I've been missed, but I've certainly missed all of your great food blogs. Let me first start off by saying that I'm sorry for being offline for so long. I've just been really busy with personal stuff and I guess I haven't posted since Thanksgiving! During the brief break I did have a nice Christmas, a Happy New Year, and even celebrated another birthday. But I'm back and ready to post some more blogs about food. Yes, I've still been eating since I last posted. ;)

Anyway, today are the NFL Conference championship games, and what better way to enjoy watching them than with some chicken nachos (I love 'chos!). No, I didn't make these. My sister invited me over to watch the games with her family and she is the one who prepared everything (she's a really good cook). I'm actually here right now watching the games at her house and typing this up on my laptop. Anyway, it was all delicious.

She prepared everything by hand and even made her very own homemade salsa with tomatoes, cilantro, onion, and other good stuff. The grilled veggies and the marinated chicken were the best. I think she used a Mexican seasoning for the chicken. The Spanish rice was also delicious, as she used real garlic in it. Enjoy the pics!

-NMOS

Turkey Day

2009-11-29T00:41:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving, if you happen to celebrate this particular holiday.

This year my family and I had a couple of Thanksgiving dinners. The first one was basically a trial or "pre-Thanksgiving" in order to find out what we like and what we don't like. We tried different versions of mashed potatoes and brines, etc. The next big meal was our Thanksgiving Day brunch. We had the turkey and all the fixings and it was all delicious. The last meal was the day after Thanksgiving (aka- Black Friday) and we ended up having the best dinner ever for this holiday. My sister baked up a delicious ham and a perfectly brined and baked turkey. She even made a chocolate and caramel cake for dessert. We were stuffed....like that turkey!

The food was all good this past week and I had to hit the treadmill and do a heavy work out today, just so that it all balances out. I wanted to burn off some more calories so I even walked to my sister's house, which actually took an hour from my house. It definitely seems a lot shorter when I'm driving there.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great holiday and that you were able to get some good deals on Black Friday, if you were so inclined to do so. I was awake at 5am for no apparent reason, so I got ready and headed downtown. There was a Thanksgiving parade happening that morning anyway, so I thought I'd spend some time checking out the stores that opened early for Black Friday sales. I ended up getting a black winter vest from Old Navy for $19 (it opened at 3am). Not bad. Later, I got an iPod car charger for only $10! Even better......things I can use.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone. I hope to be back with another good restaurant review or food related post very soon. Om Nom Nom Nom!

-NMOS

Green Papaya & Shrimp Salad

2009-11-22T10:19:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite local eateries is a small (very small......like only 3 parking spaces) Vietnamese "deli" near the International District called Seattle Deli. You can find all the usual dishes like those famous $2 (sometimes cheaper) Vietnamese BBQ pork or chicken sandwiches, tofu, or sweet rice desserts. Lately, I've been frequenting this establishment to pick up a chicken sandwich after work. It's packed with marinated chicken, daikon (radish), carrots, cucumbers, and jalapenos all served on a toasted fresh roll. And yes, like I said, it's all for $2!

This past Friday I stopped by there to get a chicken sandwich and browsed the front counter at all the freshly made desserts and dishes. I came across the green papaya and shrimp salad. It just looked so fresh and delicious that I had to try it out. Incidentally, I've tried green papaya salad before and it's pretty good. This one was only $4, so I couldn't pass it up.

The salad has thinly sliced (almost julienne) green papaya, freshly cooked shrimp, daikon, fresh basil, chopped peanuts, and optional fish sauce with sweet chili. It's a really refreshing, light, and filling appetizer or meal (for me, it was just an appetizer because I'm a big eater).

On a side note, you should also try a mango and jicama salad. It's just those two ingredients cut sort of a thick julienne style and mixed with fresh basil.

Have a great weekend, everyone. And as always.....Om Nom Nom Nom!

-NMOS

Polish Home

2009-11-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Polish Home is actually a Polish community center in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. I have never heard of this place until last night (one of my friend's girlfriend set up this surprise dinner/birthday party for him.....she said it's one of his new favorite places). Apparently, they open up the restaurant only during the winter hours and only on Friday and Sunday nights. I guess the locals know about it because it got packed pretty fast.

Non-members of the Polish Home have to pay $1 to get into the door. I paid the entry fee and was promptly seated with the other guests. We all felt a little special because we got to sit up on a stage-like platform since there was a number of us.

It's a very comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere with a medium sized occupancy. There's a bar on the side as you enter and about 20 tables total. It's very casual and the water cups are even paper (don't worry, the plates are real china and they use real silverware).

All the servers were extremely friendly and accommodating and took our orders right away. We ordered up a couple of plates of meat, cheese, and mushroom & cabbage pierogis for appetizers. When the majority of the people got there, most of us ordered either pierogi dishes or the "Polish Platter", which had meat pierogis, sausage, cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and julienned sweet beets. The food was very authentic and delicious! The cabbage rolls were the highlight of the night. I couldn't tell what was in the orangish sauce on top of the rolls. It was definitely tomato based, but it was a little tangy as well. I also wanted to try the white borsch (sp?) which came with potatoes, boiled egg, and sprinkled with dill. Someone from our table ordered the cheese crepes/blintz, which was really tasty (he let everyone try it because it was a huge serving). It tasted like sweet cheese and bits of hazelnut.

Anyway, let's get to my 5-doughnut rating:

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= The waitress was very friendly, accommodating, and attentive. She knew the right times to check up on us throughout the night and I could see her always eyeing our table from afar to see if we needed anything. There were about 13-15 or so people at our table and she did a good job of taking care of our whole party, despite it being a busy night.
Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= I liked the atmosphere because it was very casual and family-friendly, yet still clean and uniform. It's a great place to have a little dinner party with a few guests. Everyone in the restaurant seemed happy. The location was a little weird. It's in a residential area and there's no address or sign on the front of the building. At night it's a little hard to see/find.
Food Presentation, 3.5 doughnuts= For an establishment that's only open for one season throughout the year (and only 2 days out of the week), I thought the food was presented very well. The Polish Platter was decorated with different sides and was very colorful and aesthetically pleasing. The white borsch also looked great when it was served to me.
Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= I guess you can say that I have had Polish food before, since I've tried all of those dishes before. The ones I had last night were delicious. They had a lot of flavor in each bite. The white borsch was very good. I think it was the dill that brought out the flavor in a couple of the side dishes. The sweet beets were a good accompaniment to the main dish.
Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= I thought the food was reasonably priced for what they served up, which was authentic, delicious food.
Originality, 3.5 doughnuts= I think it's original for a restaurant to be this good in a community center and only open during the winter season. It's also original to be located deep in the heart of a residential area. I don't know of any other Polish "restaurant" in Seattle.
Overall, 3.5 doughnuts= I heard about this place before I got there and wasn't really sure what to expect. I guess after I heard it was in a community center that I thought it wasn't going to be that good. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the food.

You can check it out at http://www.polishhome.org/.

And as always.....Om Nom Nom Nom!

-NMOS

Kukuruza

2009-11-13T00:20:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking crazy. Kukuruza is a new gourmet popcorn store that opened up a couple of blocks east of Pike Place Market. I happened to come across this new place by accident as I was walking downtown from the Market.

When you walk in, you'll be amazed by not only the awesome aroma coming from the freshly popped popcorn and the other ingredients, but also by the assortment of popcorn flavors and the gift tins along the wall (sorry, I didn't get pics of those).

They have really decadent flavors such as "black raspberry liqueur with vanilla cream" or "egg nog with brandied chocolate" (yeah, you're drooling, aren't you?). Or, if you want to go savory, you could try the "buffalo wing and blue cheese" popcorn. I love it when people come up with crazy concoctions like this.

Anyway, be sure to check this place out at www.kukuruza.com and maybe order up some as a nice Christmas gift. I know I'll be heading back there soon to do just that.

Pike Place Market - Revisited (Fall Edition)

2009-11-09T23:59:00.000-08:00

Hey fellow foodies. I was down at the Pike Place Market again today. I guess you can call this the Fall edition. It was during normal business hours, so it wasn't as busy as it would be on a weekend. However, whenever the weather gets a little dreary, cold, and wet, it's not uncommon to see the crowd gradually dwindle.

Anyway, I was sure to take some quick pics of the Market. I got a little bit of food and a little bit of scenery. Did I mention that I love this place? Enjoy:

The sun did try to make an appearance:

Usually crowded:

Orange blossom and cinnamon sugar homemade donuts & beignets:

View of Post Alley:

The restaurant where that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie was shot:

One of the best bakeries for freshly baked bread:

-NMOS

Bella Pizza & Pasta

2009-11-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I was down in the Capitol Hill neighborhood (east of downtown Seattle) for dinner a couple of days ago and tried out this Italian place I saw for the first time. It's located at the end of Broadway, right at the intersection near Roy.

It was dinner time and I was in the mood for either pizza or pasta, so this was a good pick. The inside is very clean and inviting. The mood lighting made it very comfortable for a dining atmosphere. Getting a table wasn't a problem, despite the small establishment. I really liked the interior with the huge blackboard near the front displaying the entire menu. Everything looked so good, I wasn't sure what to get.

I wasn't that hungry (can you believe that?....me?), so I ordered the "Chicken Snack". It said a quarter chicken served over pasta with meatsauce. Sounds good, right? The service was extremely friendly and social, even though she was the only server for the entire restaurant at the time (things started to pick up).

The dinner came with a dinner salad, garlic bread, and even these really good homemade breadballs that they make as a complimentary side. The bread was served with a dipping sauce composed of Italian dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was very tasty.

The wait was only about 15 minutes, which is what I predicted since it was oven roasted chicken. The dish was huge! The chicken piece was close to a half a chicken instead of the quarter piece. The serving size of the pasta was enormous as well. I have to say that I could not finish it all and had to take the rest to go, which is a very rare thing for me to do because I usually finish it all (unless it's pizza).

I apologize for the so-so quality pics. I'm actually shopping around for a better camera with a good macro function for up close quality pictures, just for this food blog (don't you feel special?).

Let's check out the 5-doughnut rating on this place:

Service, 4 doughnuts= The service was great. She checked on my table just enough and not too often. She was very friendly and even offered to bring more homemade bread even when there was enough on the table.

Atmosphere/Location, 4 doughnuts= I really liked the atmosphere of the inside. It wasn't too busy or too loud, and was a very nice place to eat. The inside was well decorated as well. I think the location was in a good place. It's located near the end of the very busy Broadway Ave, so there is plenty of parking around.

Food Presentation, 3.5 dougnuts= I thought it was well presented. The dish looked so delicious when it was served to me.

Taste, 3 doughnuts= The chicken was extremely tasty and moist. However, I thought the pasta was lacking more flavor. It was a little bland even though it had meat sauce and everything. The sides were delicious.

Cost/Value, 4 doughnuts= The dish came out to $9 or so, which is great for the generous portion and all the sides. It could definitely feed 2 people.

Originality, 3 doughnuts= Nothing too original about this pizza & pasta place, except the big blackboard menu as you enter, and flat screen tvs all throughout the little place (even one huge one facing outside so people can see the menu).

Overall, 3.5-4 doughnuts= I thought this place was great. They had so many pizza combinations that I want to try, so I have to go back (by the way, I'm also on the lookout for Seattle's best pizza.....I already have one in mind that I've been to that I still have to review, and another one of Tom Douglas' pizzerias). I definitely recommend this place.

And as always....."Om Nom Nom Nom!"

-NMOS

Fall Flavors/Foods......and More Sweets.

2009-10-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a nice Sunday (technically only a couple of hours left for those of us on Pacific time). I just wanted to share my food experiences today. A lot of the flavors/foods mentioned here share an autumn theme. As you know, pumpkin and sweets are abound this time of year. So, let's get cracking.

Last night I made some pumpkin-spiced caramel popcorn balls, which was a recipe I followed from a fellow food blogger. They turned out very well and they can be pretty addicting. The main special ingredient is the pumpkin-spiced Hershey Kisses, which apparently can only be found at Target (I went to two different Targets in my area and they both had them in stock). Anyway, it's a fun way to make popcorn balls using the real homemade popcorn, instead of the microwaveable kind.

This morning I stopped by an Italian bakery in the city called Remo Borraccini. This place is always serving up delicious pastries and other Italian treats and dishes. I needed something filling and somewhat healthy, so I ordered up a scrambled egg and cheese croissant sandwich (sorry, I consumed it before I took a pic). I also needed something sweet to follow up, so I bought a couple of their freshly made October cookies. They were both decorated very nicely, but I thought the leaf cookie was especially very well done. I think they just use a normal sugar frosting and then maybe spray on food coloring for the leaf veins. It looks really cool. The pumpkin cookie was also well decorated, but more in a fun/easy way.

After church, the congregation held a huge birthday celebration for everyone in the downstairs fellowship hall. I haven't attended this church long enough, but I guess they have this annual event where they have separate tables each with a sign of a different month and everyone just sits at the table of their birth month. It was a lot of fun and delicious because after a little lunch, everyone got to sample the different cakes that were on all of the tables. I definitely made my rounds and took a picture of some really good desserts. My favorites were the coconut/pineapple cake and the angel food cake. They were both really moist, fluffy and had a nice flavor. The coconut cake was surprisingly not too sweet and had bits of pineapple in the cake. The coolest looking cake was actually made up of smaller cupcakes (look closely at the pic). They all did a great job with the cakes, and I basically ended up in a sugar-induced coma afterward.

Later, I was at Whole Foods downtown (after a quick stop at the Capitol Hill farmer's market) and bought some more kiwi berries, other groceries, and a pumpkin. I'm not sure if I'll carve this one for Halloween, chop it up and make something with it (pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, etc), or even just give it to one of my nieces. We'll see.

The next stop was at Pike Place Market, one of my favorite places to walk around downtown on the weekend....or whenever. It wasn't as busy as compared to a Saturday or when the weather is a little nicer, but there were still a significant amount of people there. It was a little drizzly and cold today, so I decided to get something really warm to drink. I headed over to the first Starbucks ever built at the market and waited in the long line to order up a tall pumpkin-spice latte (see, keeping with the Fall flavors). It was very tasty. If you like pumpkin, you should order this one because I think it's only here during the Fall to Winter months.

I finally made it home in time to work out and watch some football (caught the second half of the Giants vs. Cardinals game while I ran on the treadmill). Usually after a workout I eat something light. Tonight I had a bowl of cereal, some dry roasted peanuts, and a couple of really tasty persimmons. I don't think people buy persimmons that often since they're not like oranges or apples or any other common fruit. I actually love persimmons. After you cut off the leafy part, you can eat the whole thing like an apple. I think it's kind of a mix between an apple and a cantaloupe. You have the bite, crunch, and texture of an apple, and the interior look and slight taste of a cantaloupe. They're delicious and full of vitamin C and calcium. One good thing about persimmons is that they hold up very well after you buy them, unlike apples or other fruit when left out after purchasing.

That's about all. Be sure to get out there and enjoy all those Fall foods. Have a good one!

One "Sweet" Day

2009-10-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Sorry I've been away for over a week. I'm trying to stick with posting at least once a week. I've just been a little busy (the good kind of busy). You might notice the slight template design change (a little more condensed), as well as the "Featured Publisher" tag by Foodbuzz (I'm a little stoked about that).

Anyway, I wanted to share with everyone pics of all the sweet-tasting foods I experienced today (and some that I just looked at....until I was asked to stop (I'll explain later)).

I started off my day with a kind of a weird breakfast. I had a homemade breakfast sandwich with whole wheat English muffins, egg, Monterey Jack cheese, sausage, and......are you ready?........bacon chocolate! Yes, that's correct. It was chocolate infused with sweet applewood bacon bits. I already received weird expressions from the cashier that checked out my groceries this morning as she read the label. I've always told people that this combination, although unusual, might actually work because of the salty bacon (also a little sweet) and the sweet chocolate. So, back to the breakfast sandwich........it was delicious. I'm sure most of you might be a little turned off by this breakfast combination, but give it a try one time and see for yourself.

The bacon chocolate is called "Mo's Bacon Bar" by Vosges Haut-Chocolat. It's a "luxury-chocolate" that uses spices, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, and nuts from around the world. I was reading the back of the box and it actually explained how to properly eat and enjoy the chocolate. Check out this excerpt:

"Breathe....engage your 5 senses, close your eyes and inhale deeply. Be in the present moment, notice the color of the chocolate, the glossy shine. Rub your thumb over the chocolate bar to release the aromas of smoked applewood bacon flirting with deep milk chocolate. Snap off just a tiny piece and place it in your mouth, let the lust of the salt and sweet coat your tongue."

Is that intense or what? No, I didn't try that method. I do love food, but I'm one of those foodies that just eats when he's hungry. I still enjoy the flavors and stuff, but without having to do all that stuff that was just explained above. The chocolate was very intense with the flavors. You can really taste the salty and sweet bacon. It was very unique. Anyway, try this bacon chocolate if you can find it near you.

Later in the day I stopped by my local Whole Foods supermarket and checked out their dessert bar. Everything looked really decadent and nicely presented that I wanted to take pics of everything. I got to taking two pics and was asked by a manager (politely) if I wouldn't mind stopping my picture taking. I didn't mind. Below are the couple of pics of the delectable treats that I did get. Sweet potato pie covered in roasted marshmallows and cinnamon, and chocolate mouse cups with eyeball frosting on top (in the Halloween spirit). The desserts at this Whole Foods are phenomenal, by the way (I didn't get any though).

Before I left the Whole Foods, I glanced over the fresh produce section and something caught my eye.......kiwi berries! I don't know if you've ever heard of these, but I certainly haven't until I recently read another food blog about them (sorry, I forgot which food blog). Anyway, they're the size of grapes but they taste just like a kiwi. They're crazy good. It's like eating a kiwi but with the convenience of a grape, where you don't have to peel or spit out anything like seeds. I love eating exotic fruits like this. Now I know where to get kiwi berries, while they're still in season.

After that, I was further downtown at the Westlake Center. At the candy store on the top floor I checked out their Jelly Belly section. I love it when a store has the entire selection of flavors. This one didn't, but it did carry most of my favorites. I ended up getting pomegranate, buttered popcorn, and juicy pear beans. You could probably eat the pomegranate and juicy pear beans together, but the buttered popcorn would taste a little weird with the others. Eat them separately to experience the flavors.

I was able to pick up a Seattle Dining Guide while I was downtown. Now I can check out even more new restaurants to review for you all. Get ready for some good ones (I'm already slightly backed up with posts of restaurants that I've recently tried).

Anyway, that's about it. Yeah, that was a lot of sweets in one day, but that's why I work out.....so I can eat like this and still stay in shape. I'm losing weight, by the way. I've moved over one or two notches on my belt because my pants are slowly dropping off my waist. Now that's sweeeet!

Salumi (Mario Batali)

2009-10-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Today I visited the Salumi restaurant, owned by chef Mario Batali's family. It has already won several restaurant awards and has been featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations tv show.

Salumi is located at the crazy intersection of Main, 3rd Ave, and 2nd Ave Ext. It's basically right across the street from the Seattle Lighting Store in Pioneer Square. I was told to arrive early if I wanted to get a good spot in line, even before they opened. They have crazy hours.....Tuesday-Friday, 11am-4pm (yup, only for lunch). Luckily, I'm off today! Anyway, I got there about 10:30am and discovered I was the first one in line, but that it was also a little too early. So, I decided to take a walk around Pioneer Square within a couple of blocks from the restaurant. I'm glad I did because now I found even more downtown restaurants to review.

I got back at around 10:45am and there were already a couple of people ahead of me, so I jumped back in line. Immediately after I got in line a surge of patrons lined up behind me. I just beat the huge crowd. One of the waiters/servers/greeters came out with a Salumi chalkboard stand-up sign and plopped it out on the sidewalk, showing the daily specials. I was busy reading the little menu they have posted on the front entrance window, and had already made up my mind to get the porchetta sandwich.

The door opened and people anxiously walked in with big eyes, busting out their cameras, and taking pics (like me). I kept taking pics on my short walk from the entrance to the counter until one of the servers commented politely and jokingly that the flashes were giving her epileptic seizures. I immediately stuffed my camera back in my pocket (I'm sure they get a lot of picture taking because of the popularity of this place). When asked what I would like, I told her I would take the porchetta. She took out a fresh baguette roll, sliced it open, and stuffed it with moist, tender, and delicious marinated, slow-roasted pork, along with onions, carrots, & bell peppers. Wow, it was delicious! Wait, I was just looking at it......that was my thought even before I took a bite. After she handed me the plate, I took it down to the register and paid for the sandwich, a water, and a small cut of their signature Mole Salumi Salami (I'll get to that one later).

I approached the very small "dining area", which was basically one huge community table with a bunch of seats (and two side tables with 2 seats each) and sat down. I immediately began to consume the delicious hot porchetta sandwich with a smile on my face. The servers/greeters there were extremely friendly and hospitable. They offered to pour water/wine and briefly chatted with everyone about how the food tasted and about anything really. I chatted for a bit, but I was anxious to get back to downing that sandwich. I would have to say that they have definitely mastered the art of curing their meats. There was so much flavor in that pork.

Before I got home, I wanted to walk off my meal a bit, so I grabbed my mole salami and went walking around even more downtown. I stopped by Cow Chip Cookies off of 1st Ave and got myself a "calf" size chocolate chip cookie. It's really rich and buttery and was $1.50 for a somewhat small cookie. It was tasty though. Check out that monster "Bull Chip"$6.00 cookie. It even comes in its own box! Back in the day I'd probably get that, but not now.

When I got home I really wanted to try the Mole Salami, with chocolate and spices infused into the meat. I have to say that I was not disappointed. It was very tasty salami, and you can taste a hint of so many flavors.

Anyway, let's get to my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= Although this is more of a deli type of place where you order the food at a counter, pay at a cashier, and then sit down and eat it, I'd still give them high marks on service. Their staff was extremely friendly and made the place a very comfortable and inviting place to eat. They offered to pour wine and/or water for their patrons, since everyone had their hands full with their sandwiches.

Atmosphere/Location, 2 doughnuts= This is a very small "restaurant" with limited seating. You would have to be lucky or get there early to get a seat in this place. Most of the orders were "to go". It had a homey feeling where you would sit at the table with your fake family (strangers), since there isn't really anywhere else to sit. I'm fine with that, but a lot of people aren't. It's in a very enclosed eating area. The location is not really hard to find, but it's probably hard to get to during the busy hours. It's located in Pioneer Square and there isn't a lot of off-street parking without having to pay a ton. I'm a city guy, so I don't really have a problem finding a good spot nearby. However, I also got there before lunchtime, so there were more street-side spots available at that time. They're doing extremely well with their small place, but I think customers would like to sit down and eat there if they expanded and there was more room.

Food Presentation, 3.5 doughnuts= I thought for a sandwich, it was one of the best presented sandwiches I have ever seen. Everything just looked so fresh and delicious. Maybe it was because I was starving and didn't eat breakfast just for this?

Taste, 4 doughnuts= One of the most flavorful pork sandwiches I have ever tasted. Try the Porchetta sandwich!

Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= For the quality you're getting, it's actually worth it. $8-$9 for this sandwich is just a little high for a sandwich though, I have to agree with most people. But if you're not doing this every day, then it's fine. Like I said, the meat was delicious and they served up a generous portion. And they do specialize in high quality meats.

Originality, 2.5 doughnuts= There are other delicatessens here in Seattle, but none that specialize in curing their own specialty meats like these guys (I think). They've been around for a while and are masters. I guess the store's weird hours (only during lunch Tues-Fri) is original.

Overall, 3.5 doughnuts= I was extremely satisfied with the food and the experience. I see why Salumi was shown on No Reservations. They definitely deserve more recognition. I just wish they would open later and more often!

Check out their website at http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/

-NMOS

Seattle's Pike Place Market

2009-10-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

This one is for all my non-Seattle followers. For those of you who have never been to Seattle and walked through the well-known Pike Place Market, here are a couple of shots that I took yesterday for you to enjoy. I think it's cool to see pics of places you've never been before. Let me know what you think.

The Continental Pastry Shop

2009-10-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

I was down in the University District yesterday with the intention of checking out the "Applepalooza" at the Farmer's Market. I managed to get there when it was just ending, so I didn't even attempt to see what was left. However, for all you local Seattle-ites, be sure to check out the U-District Farmer's Market every Saturday morning from 10-2. It's pretty nice.

Anyway, while I was in the area, I had lunch at a Greek restaurant on "The Ave" (what the locals call the main strip near the University of Washington) called The Continental Pastry Shop. When you first walk into the store, there's this glass case that houses a bunch of Greek pastries. There's also a little "store" to the side that sells Greek pantry items to make Greek dishes/desserts. Sorry, I wasn't able to get pics of all that.....but I did get some of the food.

It wasn't really busy at the time, so it was easy and quick to grab a table. The service was very nice and immediately brought out the complimentary ice water (my favorite drink). The atmosphere was very laid back, clean, and somewhat quiet. It was a pretty nice day outside, so there was a lot of natural light that came in sitting by the windows.

The menu displayed a lot of Greek specialties from which to choose. My favorites are usually the lamb and/or chicken slouvaki platters, or just the traditional gyro. After the order was taken, it seemed only about 15 minutes later the food was out. Not bad timing for nicely grilled meats.

I was able to sample a slouvaki/meat platter with lamb sausage and patties, chicken and lamb slouvaki skewers, lemon rice soup, Greek rice and beans, and a lamb gyro. Of course, everything came with that white tszeki (sp?) sauce. Check out the delicious dishes:

Now for my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= They were very nice, accommodating and attentive

Atmosphere/Location, 2 doughnuts= The atmosphere was that of a normal cafe type of restaurant. The location is in the middle of a busy strip and there is no off-street parking. You would have to find your own parking streetside or in a nearby pay lot. I'm always lucky with finding close parking, so it's never a huge problem for me.

Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts= I thought the food looked delicious when it came out. Maybe it was just because I was really hungry. Seriously though, the meats looked freshly grilled, and it was laid out nicely.

Taste, 3 doughnuts= The lamb patties, skewer, and sausage and gyro were really delicious. They were very tender and had a lot of flavor (lamb usually does). The chicken was just alright. I thought it could use a bit more seasoning. I've tried better gyros, but it was still fresh tasting and had a lot of flavor. The tszeki sauce had a nice tang.

Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= The prices were reasonable. I've been to other Greek restaurants and they're usually about the same price for what's offered. This place also offers a-la-carte, so you can get a nice big gyro without the Greek fries and salad for only about $4.95.

Originality, 2.5 doughnuts= Nothing too original at this place, except that they're also a bakery and a mini-store all in one.

Overall, 3 doughnuts= This is a pretty good Greek restaurant, although I know of a couple slightly better ones. The staff there are very friendly and hospitable, and the food is delicious. I'd give them a thumbs up.

They don't have their own website, but you can check out a review site here:

http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3723208620

-N

Pal-Do

2009-10-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

I believe Pal-Do might be a national chain but I'm not too sure. I do know that there are a couple of these Korean supermarket/restaurants around Seattle. I was able to try one out just recently.

The restaurant is sort of "makeshift" and attacked to a supermarket. It seems they just put up sheetrock to section off this area for a mini-restaurant that only has about 9-10 tables crammed in this area. But, I find that a lot of these small hole-in-the-wall places serve up the best eats (I will be reviewing some of them shortly).

You're supposed to order at the counter, which is actually a cut-out window. They have all the usual Korean restaurant goodies, so I was at least familiar with what I was ordering. Luckily I was able to sample a bunch of dishes like beef soup, japchae (Korean noodles), potstickers, kalbi (marinated short-ribs), bulgogi (marinated thinly-sliced beef), and of course all of those little Korean side dishes that are served to compliment the dishes.

One of my all-time favorite Korean dishes is kalbi, the marinated short-ribs. I love it when they grill it up so there's somewhat of a charred taste to them. The meats are almost always served up on a sizzling hot cast-iron platter (be careful not to touch the metal part). I had the purple rice, which is similar to brown rice with respect to the better nutritional value than white rice.

The service is friendly and they will bring out your order when it is piping hot and ready. They do a great job of making sure you have everything you need but might not check up on you periodically like in other restaurants. It is more of a self-serve place where you even get your own water/tea and stuff like that.

The meats were marinated and charred nicely. My favorite part of eating traditional Korean food is the presence of all of the mini side dishes. I love the mashed potato, sweet soy beans, pickled radish, etc. This place had one I've never tried before.....sliced hot dog in tomato sauce. It was an interesting side with this type of food, but I still ate it and liked it.

And here we go with my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, N/A= I don't think I should really rate them on service because a large part is self-serve. They do bring out your order when it's ready, but that's about it. They are very friendly, however.
Atmosphere/Location, 1.5 doughnuts= The atmosphere is kind of unattractive. It's rather enclosed, small, and not in a very comfortable setting. The location is also a little weird. It's easily accessible since it's inside a supermarket, but that's also part of the reason why it's in a weird spot.
Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= I love how the meats come out all charred and still sizzling on those cast-iron hot plates. Some of the side dishes, however, didn't look as fresh and appealing.
Taste, 2.5 doughnuts= The dishes tasted pretty good, although I have tried better. I think the best part of the meal was the kalbi and the sweet soy beans. The bulgogi was good, but I think it could have used a little more flavor. With the different marriage of flavors from all the dishes, everything did seem to work well together.
Cost/Value, 3.5 doughnuts= It's not the best Korean food, but for the price, it's great. I think the big meat dishes were only about $7 each, which isn't bad at all. The kalbi did taste like it would be served in any other really good Korean restaurant.
Overall, 2.5 doughnuts= I think the food here is good and filling. If you have a craving for kalbi and some other fast Korean dishes without spending too much, then this is the place to go. And, if you feel like buying any type of Asian groceries, it's right outside the restaurant.

-N

Orange & Pistachio Marscapone Pie

2009-10-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

No, sorry again all.....this is not my work. I had a meeting at work this morning and one of my co-workers brought this in to share with everyone. As you can tell by the pic alone, it is extremely delicious. I asked her what the ingredients were and she said it's pretty simple to make.

First, she took marscapone cheese (it's a sweet Italian cream cheese), mixed and whipped it with whipped cream, honey, sugar and cardamon. Then, she laid it all out on a pie crust and topped it with orange slices and pistachios. Damn, it was delicious. You must try this one out. One of these days I'll actually make something on my own to share. It's just lately, I've been eating for free because a lot of people I know offer me food. Like today I had breakfast and lunch for free (for the most part) at work. Anyway, enjoy.

Chicken & Upo

2009-09-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be thinking....."What the heck is upo?". Well, for those of you that don't know, it's a light green squash (kind of like a giant zucchini) that's used in a lot of Asian dishes, like Filipino dishes.

No, I didn't cook this dish myself, even though I know how to. I visited my sister and her family today and they apparently made a Filipino dish called "chicken and upo".....at least I think that's what it's called. Upo goes well with chicken in a stew type of dish like this one. Served over rice, this meal is delicious.

Here are the ingredients:

whole chicken chopped up into different pieces (you can any parts you want)
upo
tomato
garlic
onion
chicken stock (optional, there's already enough water from the chicken and veggies)
patis (fish sauce.....but also very optional and only in a small amount)

Just brown the chicken in a pot, making sure it's covered during the process because you don't want to lose any of the water. After they look brown and halfway cooked, chop up the upo into small cubes, dice up the other ingredients and throw them all in the pot. Let simmer until the chicken is tender. Enjoy!

Wallingford Wurst Festival

2009-09-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to post another food blog. Anyway, here are some pics of my visit at the annual Wallingford Wurst Festival. The "Wurst" part actually stands for bratwurst. After I heard it the was "Wurst" Festival, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. But, after it was explained to me, I decided to try it out. The purpose of this event was to raise money for a big Catholic school/church. Since it's technically a "food" festival, I decided to post it here.

Anyway, there was a lot of food (sorry, I'm missing some pics), arts & crafts vendors, & a big bake sale & salmon bake dinner. I just had some noodles and lumpia from a Filipino food vendor. Check out the cool pics below. Enjoy!

Jones

2009-09-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to post a review of a small chain restaurant in the city that serves up some extremely tasty BBQ. I'm talking about Jones BBQ. There are only a few of these in the city of Seattle, and they are known for their own BBQ sauce.

This is one of those order at the counter, take a number, and seat yourself type of establishments. The inside is very clean, open, comfortable, and nicely decorated. As you enter through the front doors you'll see a refrigerated display case of pecan and sweet potato pies, which you can buy by the slice or the whole pie. You'll also notice a small area on one of the walls displaying proudly their awards of supposedly serving "Seattle's Best BBQ".

The menu has everything BBQ related, from chicken to brisket, to ribs to hot links, etc. The food is usually served with a side and white or wheat bread. Their BBQ sauce is so good that you'll have to pay extra for a side of the tasty stuff.

They have reasonably priced (for BBQ) dishes for the generous portions they serve up. If you have a hungry crew, it's probably best to go with the 3 or 4-way family orders. It's quite a bit of food.

Let's review/rate this restaurant using my 5-doughnut system, shall we?:

Service, 3 doughnuts= Although you get your own utensils and drinks in this restaurant, they still take your food out to you and ask you if you need anything else for a better dining experience. The service was friendly and nice. They were even accommodating by turning off one of the ceiling fans directly above the table because it was a little too windy/cool.
Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= I was at the one located on Ferdinand Ave in the Columbia City neighborhood. It's not in a very obvious spot (situated between different restaurants/buildings on a road that's not considered a main thorofare). There's usually ample street parking, but if you can't find any there's a big pay parking lot right across the street that's only about $1/hour. The atmosphere is pretty nice for a BBQ joint (total opposite from the BBQ place I reviewed in the previous posting). It's actually pretty upscale compared to other BBQ joints.
Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= It's BBQ, what can you expect? However, the brisket, chicken quarters, and ribs were nice and evenly fanned out on the platter, and the sides were all laid out in their own separate dishes. The BBQ sauce was smothering the food and looked so tasty.
Taste, 4 doughnuts= Mmm, good BBQ. Their sauce is truly a masterpiece. It'll make you salivate for more. The meats were all well smoked/grilled, tender and tasty.
Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= I think it was a pretty good value, considering how much food was served up. BBQ is usually a little pricey since meat (like ribs) is not cheap. Always make sure you get a dish that comes with sides.
Originality, 2 doughnuts= Nothing really original about this BBQ place besides their own homemade sauce.
Overall, 3 doughnuts= Great BBQ place. Buy a bottle of their mild or spicy sauce and take it home to use for your next BBQ. You won't be sorry. Also, their desserts are just as tasty. Southern BBQ should always end with pecan or sweet potato pie!

Be sure to check out their website at http://www.jonesbarbeque.net/.

-N

Tutta Bella

2009-09-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Sorry, it took so long to post another Seattle restaurant review. I've been crazy busy lately. However, I'm back and will post about a great little pizzeria in Seattle called Tutta Bella. It's a small chain that serves up Neopolitan pizza. I actually don't know what that means and I don't really feel like looking it up right now. If you know, definitely let me know. :)

Anyway, I've been to almost all of the different Tutta Bellas in my area (Columbia City, downtown Seattle, Fremont, etc). I personally like the downtown Seattle one the best because it has a nice outdoor eating area with a small view of the Space Needle and the city life below (the last time I was there was on the 4th of July).

I was at the Columbia City Tutta Bella, which is also very nice and comfortable. The inside is a little dim because of the dark interior, even with the huge glass windows letting in natural light. There are a lot of nice deocrations and artwork on the wall. The best part about Tutta Bella is the open kitchen where you can see your pizza being made and put right into the big oven.

The service is very prompt and friendly. It was right at the beginning of lunchtime, so there was a swarm of people after being seated. The menu is carefully folded out into a two-sided one and displays a bunch of really good pizzas, salads, and sides.

I was able to try the "insalata di napoli" (Naples Salad), which had Genoa salami, fire-roasted chicken breast, pancetta, matchstick carrots, artichoke hearts, romaine, cherry tomato halves, kalamata olives, crumbled gorgonzola, blend of classic caesar dressing and white balsamic vinaigrette. Incidentally, this salad alone will get you full since it's a little hearty and served in a generous portion. I also tried the "Campania" pizza, which had Pomodoro San Marzano, chicken sausage, mozzarella, olives, chile flakes and fresh basil. Both dishes were damn good.

So, let's get to the review using my 5-doughnut system:

Service, 4 doughnuts= It was great. They were very prompt, friendly and attentive. I never had a half-filled glass of water. They even recommended desserts and dishes.
Atmosphere/Location, 3.5 doughnuts= It's located right on the corner of Hudson and Rainier, which is a perfect spot in Columbia City to dine. Try the downtown Tutta Bella if you want a really good view/location. The atmosphere was very comfortable and inviting, especially with the open kitchen and "mood lighting".
Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts= The pizza looks very "original" and not like something that popped out of a cardboard box. They hand toss everything and every piece of pizza had equal amounts of ingredients dispersed throughout the pie.
Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= The pizza is delicious. Like I said, I've been to this restaurant numerous times and they serve up some tasty Neopolitan pizzas. The crust is very thin, so it'll flop over on you like a "New York" slice, and the crust is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The salad has a lot of nice flavors going on as well. I think the balsamic vinegar brings it out.
Cost/Value, 4 doughnuts= I think for a small party (like for 3 or less.....it's a better value for 2) it's a great value. The pizza will come out to about $12 or so, and the salad about $7. So, you can expect to spend a little over $20 for one to three people, which isn't bad for a dinner. It's a great dining experience, so I really think it's a great value for what you're getting.
Originality, 2.5 doughnuts= There's not really too much about this restaurant that's original (the pizza was only somewhat). They do serve up some fresh gelato as dessert, if you're so inclined (they usually have a gelato viewing case). Other than that, it's just a pizza place. Well, it's a Neopolitan pizza place.
Overall, 3.5 doughnuts= I always have a great time at Tutta Bella, especially at the downtown one. The food and atmosphere are great and I'm always satisfied after leaving. If you have a huge crew and you're all starving, then this might not be the place to go without having to spend a lot. If you're looking for good quality pizza that'll fill you and maybe one or two other people, then its a great place to check out.

Feel free to check online at http://www.tuttabellapizza.com/.

-NMOS

Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

2009-09-06T00:10:00.000-07:00

Off of Rainier Ave S in Renton (just south of Seattle) sits a very laid-back BBQ family restaurant called Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse. You can tell just from the look of the outside and front that this type of place would have a very chill and/or "interesting" atmosphere. I guess the part of the sign that says "Peanuts on the floor" gave me that impression.

When you first walk into the restaurant and look to your left, you'll see this huge barrel of peanuts. Yup, peanuts. You're told to grab a bowl and help yourself to as much as you'd like. The greeters/servers are very friendly and would seat you promptly.

When you arrive at your table, your server will serve you up some fresh, hot, delicious rolls with whipped butter (I just started salivating). Those rolls were crazy good (I ate about 5 before my meal). While chowing down on the rolls, I took a look at the "busy" menu with so many choices and couldn't help but think to myself that I couldn't go into a "roadhouse" restaurant and not order some sort of meat dish. It was either between the baby-back ribs or steak, so I ended up getting the 16oz prime rib, end cut. The end cut has the nice crust with all the spices on it.

For an appetizer I tried their foot of onion rings with 3 different dipping sauces, bbq, honey-mustard, and peppercorn dressing. I think with the fresh rolls, the onion rings, and the peanuts were pretty filling on their own. And, by the way, you're encouraged to throw the peanut shells right on the ground. There are even signs that say you'll get charged if you leave the shells on the table!

The waitress was very attentive and did a nice job checking up for any drink refills, even during that very busy hour. I pretty much kept loading up on rolls and ice water.

The food came about 15-20 minutes after the order (they were really busy), which isn't that bad of a wait considering it was for a nice, thick, well-cooked steak. Check out the crust on the prime rib. It was basically one huge chunk of meat with awesome seasoning. It was served with a salad, a fully-fixed baked potato, and sides of au jus and sour cream. You're salivating, aren't you? It was so juicy, tender, and delicious. I could have probably downed 2 of these!

OK, now for my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 3 doughnuts= Very friendly and attentive service. There were only a couple of times I waited just a little while longer to get something, but for the most part the service was pretty good.

Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= The atmosphere was pretty chill and "country". There were a ton of neon signs and tv's all around the place (showing sports), along with a small bar near the front entrance. The restaurant was located in a busy plaza area near a Wal-Mart and can be easily spotted from the main road.

Food Presentation, 2 doughnuts= Not much you can do with this type of dish. They just threw on a nice piece of meat with a baked potato. It did still look good though.

Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= The food was great. The steak was superb, along with the fully-fixed baked potato, the rolls, and onion rings. The prime rib was definitely mouth-watering and had some really tasty seasoning embedded into the meat.

Cost/Value, 2 doughnuts= For dinner, the prices were pretty high for the food. Don't get me wrong, the food was good, but the pricetag was a little up there. Maybe lunch is a little cheaper.

Originality, 3 doughnuts= The peanuts on the floor idea has been done at other places I've been to, but it's still sort of unique. You don't find too many places that allow that type of messy behavior, which adds a slight fun factor.

Overall, 3 doughnuts= I definitely liked the food and atmosphere at this place. I'll go again just to try their crabcakes.

Check out their website over at http://www.jimmymacsroadhouse.com/. And as always.....Om Nom Nom Nom!

-NMOS

Click on the Foodista link below for a recipe for BBQ prime rib:

Smores!

2009-08-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. This post is going to be about chocolate and smores, so if you don't like that....well, leave! Just kidding.

I recently tagged along with a nice group of friends to Theo Chocolates down in Fremont. Apparently, one day out of this month was "National Smores Day" (I didn't even know one existed, although it doesn't surprise me.), and Theo chocolates decided to honor it in a 3 consecutive day tribute by making smores for its patrons. No, they weren't free, but they were only $3.

Basically, you had to go inside, pay your $3 and show your receipt to the smore-builders outside the factory. Incidentally, honoring National Smores Day is a big deal because the store was pretty packed.

Anyway, after I got my receipt I stood in line in front of the tent where they were making the smores. Everyone got to choose any Theo Chocolate bar flavor, which they grabbed out of a bag and used to make your smores. I ended up choosing the Chai, which happens to be my favorite bar from Theo's. This wasn't just any smores though. This one had specially/hand-made, rich and delicious graham crackers and marshmallows. Although the smores weren't that big, the quality was well worth it. I believe today was the last day, so sorry to all you local Seattle-ites that wanted to try it.

Theo Chocolates is a local, fair-trade chocolate company. They have many different organic milk and dark chocolates from which to choose. There are some really "weird" (well, at least to me) flavors like coconut curry. I did try it before, but it's not something I'd get again. Stick with the Chai!

Anyway, check out and enjoy the pics. Be sure to check back frequently because I'm already backed up on reviewing some local Seattle restaurants and eats. Until next time......om nom nom nom.

-NMOS

Kusina Filipina

2009-08-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Beacon Hill in Seattle does have a little Filipino influence, with a couple of restaurants and markets/stores. One of the restaurants that I do frequent once in a while is Kusina Filipina.

The restaurant has a medium-sized occupancy for its patrons. Once you walk through the entrance, you're greeted with the server and the food laid out behind a case, cafeteria-style. The food here is pretty authentic. They have a lot of the "normal" Filipino dishes like pancit (noodles) and adobo (marinated beef, chicken, or pork), as well as other specialties. One of my favorites is the caldereta (a hearty marinated beef stew). However, I wanted to try some other dishes.

The friendly server asked me what I wanted as I pulled up a tray. I took a moment to peruse the selections and ordered up the pancit, pork adobo, and longanisa (sweet sausage). The pancit was just like any other pancit, nothing special but still good. The pork adobo was tasty with a nice marinade and very tender. The longanisa is one of my all-time Filipino favorites. It's a reddish, sweet, pork sausage. Delicious! All of these sides came with two heaping scoops of white rice (a staple in most Filipino restaurants).

My order is shown in the first pic below. My parents met up with me for lunch and their orders are pictured right next to mine. Great food!

And now for my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, n/a= I can't really rate them on this since everything is pretty much self-serve, from ordering the food cafeteria-style, to getting your own utensils at the "silverware station", to getting your own drinks even. The server was nice and friendly though.

Atmosphere/Location; 2.5 doughnuts= It's a pretty nice, clean, and colorful establishment. There is really nice artwork and even an espresso bar in the eating area. It's kind of like a laid-back cafe with really good authentic Filipino food, and it's very clean. It's located on Beacon Hill Ave, a couple of blocks from the Red Apple Market. I guess the only downer would be if it was busy and you would have to contend with on-street parking.

Food Presentation; 3 doughnuts= Everything looks very fresh and nice behind the viewing case. They serve each dish in those white, ceramic boat-like dishes.

Taste; 3.5 doughnuts= The food is really good. I think it comes pretty close to authentic Filipino food.

Cost/Value; 2 doughnuts= I think one combination comes out to about $7 which isn't too bad. I think when you start to order side dishes individually, then it starts to add up. For some reason, I end up spending more than I'd like whenever I come here. The food is really good though, so maybe it is worth it. The portions are just right, and even I was full without finishing all my food.

Originality; 2 doughnuts= Nothing too original here. I guess the addition of an espresso bar in the eating area is a little different.

Overall; 2.5 doughnuts= I think this is a great place to check out some really good Filipino dishes. You should check it out and also try their desserts.

Find out more info at: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Location?location=26434. Enjoy!

-NMOS

Click on the Foodista button below to learn more about Philippine Pork Adobo

Kwanjai

2009-08-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

In the heart of Fremont (a neighborhood in Seattle along South Lake Union) sits a small Thai restaurant called Kwanjai. Incidentally, Thai restaurants are abound throughout this area, but this one is one of my favorites.

I go to this restaurant about 3-4 times a month. I like the fast service and the great value. The outdoor seating, although not that aesthetically pleasing with plastic tables and chairs, is nice when the weather is beautiful.

I was lucky enough to have 3 of my co-workers accompany me to this lunch. We all had delicious-looking dishes, but I'm only going to review the chicken pad kee mao dish that I ordered.

Anyway, about the restaurant: It used to be a small, blue house that was converted into a restaurant. They've done a great job making use of the interior space with the open kitchen and the seating. This place has a very "homey" feeling to it in this little "house". Nevertheless, this restaurant gets enough business on a daily basis to fill up all the tables.

The food is great and the price is just as nice. You can get a generous portion for about $6.50. My pad kee mao (one of my favorite Thai dishes, especially from this place) came out piping hot and fresh in an expedient manner. All the ingredients in this dish turned out to be a great marriage of flavors. There was the broad, flat noodle (similar to chow fun), tomatoes, thinly sliced chicken, egg, thinly sliced carrots, and broccoli. It was really tasty. The first pic is my chicken pad kee mao dish, and the rest are just of my co-workers' dishes.

Now, on to the review using my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= We were seated immediately upon arrival and they took our order after giving us enough time to look at the menu to decide. The waitress was very friendly and would frequently check up on us to refill our drinks and see if we needed anything else.

Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= Although this restaurant is one of those "hole-in-the-wall" kind of restaurants, I kind of like it. Like I said, it used to be a house before they converted it into a restaurant. There's this nice, quaint, homey feeling to the place. The location is great. Like I said, it's in the heart of Fremont in between other small restaurants and small businesses. I guess the only problem would be the parking situation, since there's only street parking available.
Food Presentation, 2 doughnuts= Nothing really too special about it, although the fresh vegetables used added some nice color to the overall dish. It still looked nice and appetizing.
Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= The taste was great. The seasonings and ingredients used went well together. Thai dishes tend to use a lot of sweet sauces, so along with the slight spice they use, the dish was pretty good.
Cost/Value, 3.5 doughnuts= One of the things I like about the place is the great value. The food is tasty and the price is pretty nice. I think it was about to about $7 a plate, which isn't bad for what you're getting.
Originality, 1.5 doughnuts= They serve up all the same Thai dishes you'd find in other Thai restaurants. Although there's nothing too original to that, they do serve up some delicious dishes.
Overall, 3 doughnuts= I definitely recommend this place. It's one of my favorite Thai joints in Fremont. If you want a quick, delicious, affordable Thai dish with friendly, fast service, then check it out.

If you'd like to view the menu from this place, take a look at: http://www.allmenus.com/wa/seattle/49765-kwanjai-thai-cuisine/menu/lunch/.

Maximus Minimus

2009-08-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

With a name like "Maximus-Minimus", who wouldn't want to try it? I've actually never heard of this mobile restaurant before, until I went online and came across this Seattle restaurant posting about this eye-catching "thing". You ready?

The Maximus-Minimus mobile was found at 2nd & Pike downtown yesterday around lunchtime. I'll post their website at the end of this blog, if you'd like to check out the menu, locations, and read a little about this metal pig on wheels.

When I first approached it, I was pretty excited. I took a picture of it from across the street because I thought it's definitely different. There aren't too many mobile restaurants with snouts, ears and tails. The "automobile" definitely drew a crowd, many with cameras (I had to come back about an hour later because they were too busy).

I first took a look at the very simple menu. They basically serve a bbq pulled pork sandwich with either the "Maximus" (spicy) or "Minimus" (sweet) sauce. Yes, I did try both. First I got the "Minimus" sauce with the Bleecher's Flagship cheese. The people that worked there were friendly and quick to take and make my order. They used a wireless touchscreen "PDA" to enter the order into their system and passed on to the chefs inside the pig. It took only about 3-4 minutes to make. I was busy admiring the metal pig, taking pics, and chatting with the "host/hostess" and locals, so I didn't really keep track of the time....but it was pretty quick. When I got my sandwich, it was just as expected. It was basically a pile of tender, tasty bbq pulled pork with some grated Bleecher's cheese on top. I think it was all sitting between a couple of slices of ciabatta bread.

Yes, it was a little "greasy", but it's bbq pulled pork! The taste and texture was great. I ate the first sandwich pretty fast because I didn't really eat anything most of the day, in preparation for this. Next, I ordered up the "Maximus" with the spicy sauce. It's equivalent to 2-stars in a Thai restaurant. I'm not really a big spicy foods guy, but sometimes I don't mind if it's a good dish. Although I liked the "Minimus" sauce (the sweeter one, made out of tamarind and honey/molasses) better, the "Maximus" was still equally tasty. There was a little bit of a kick to it. I opted not to get the "beet" chips on top.

Alright, now it's time to rate this "restaurant" using my 5-doughnut system. And we're off....

Service, 3 doughnuts= Friendly, prompt service awaits you.
Atmosphere/Location, 2 doughnuts= I'm a big city guy, so the atmosphere was fine since it was pretty much just downtown city life all around. They had a nice little table for those that wanted to stand up and eat next to the metal pig. The location was in a weird spot though. It was located in a pay parking lot. So, unless you wanted to dish out $4 just to park there for only half an hour (yup, there was even an attendant waiting there to make sure people weren't just parking & not paying just so they could get a quick bite), you have to drive around the city just to find a parking close by. Since it is only one block from Pike Place Market, it did draw a lot of people/business.
Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= not too bad for a pulled-pork bbq sandwich. There's not much you can do with that. However, the grated Bleecher's Flagship cheese, along with some chopped sprinkled greenery gave it a nice touch.
Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= Nice, tender, juicy, delicious pulled pork really hit the spot. The sauces added an even better eating experience. I should have tried the "beet" chips and one of the interesting drinks (ginger lemonade or hibiscus).
Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= Not a bad value, if you only get the sandwich. It'll come out to about $6 for the sandwich, which is very satisfying and filling (for most people.....not like a freak of nature eating machine like me; How am I not like 300 pounds?).
Originality, 4 doughnuts= Come on.....look at the picture! While there are other mobile restaurants in Seattle, how many mobile metal pigs are there in the city that dish out delicious bbq pulled pork sandwiches with original sides and accompaniments?
Overall, 3 doughnuts= I had a fun experience finally checking out Maximus-Minimus. Just seeing this metal pig was pretty cool. The food was great and the visit was even better.

If you want to check out this mobile restaurant, look on their website at: http://maximus-minimus.com/ to find out where they will be located. They even stop by the Sounders and Mariners games for the hungry sports folk. There will be other mobile restaurants nearby as well, so choose wisely. Although, you can't really go wrong with any of them (see my other reviews). Have fun eating!

-N

Kawali Grill

2009-08-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Kamusta! That's "Hello"/"How are you?" in Tagalog, one of the Filipino dialects. Sorry, but I'm not fluent in the language, nor do I understand it, so that's the extent of my Tagalog (well, I know a couple of other words too). My parents never really spoke it while growing up.
Anyway, I'd like to review a Filipino restaurant that I've been to on several occasions located on Rainier Avenue, called Kawali Grill. This restaurant serves up both American and Filipino dishes. So, here we go:

The building itself is a fairly small rectangle. The exterior is not really uniform in the sense that the decorations and fonts don't really flow that well. There are multi-colored pennants hanging over the top of the roof all along the building. But, who cares about what the building looks like, right? It's all about the food. Let's go inside.

When you first enter, you see a "bar" at the front counter. However, if you look closely, it's not really a bar, but more like a place to store excess dishes and kitchen supplies. The service, initially, was very attentive and promptly greeted and seated us (I picked up my mom and took her out to lunch) at a table of our choice. The interior wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The ceiling had inlets that resembled the sky (see pic) and there was a flat screen TV at the far end that only showed The Filipino Channel which happens to always show a Filipino game show called "Wow Wow Wee!" It's supposed to be a family show but, well...you'll have to check it out for yourself. I mean, I liked it! =)

The menu has many basic Filipino dishes, like pancit and lechon, along with some specialty ones like kare kare. On another page you'll also find American food like burgers and such. We decided to go with pancit (a favorite of many) and lechon (roasted pork; also another favorite of many).

After ordering, I should have taken a look at my watch because it seemed like an eternity before we were revisted by the waitress for our water and our food. But finally, our food arrived and it was time to get to eating. The pancit was pretty good. It was made just like all other pancits with mixed chopped vegetables and small pieces of chinese sausage. The lechon was what I was waiting for because that's usually one of my favorites. The lechon there was chopped up nicely and was very fresh. They served it along with a small bowl of rice, a little side of green beans, and a sweet liver/brown sugar dipping sauce that normally accompanies this dish. It was definitely the highlight of the lunch.

As you can see from the dessert menu, there were a couple of really tasty choices. I've actually tried the halo-halo and leche flan on past visits, but no dessert this time. I'm sure the bibingka (which is another one of my favorites) is also pretty tasty.

Anyway, on to the review using my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 1.5 doughnuts= Sorry, but other than the prompt seating at the very beginning, I'm going to have to score low in this category. After they took our order, they forgot my drink (I got a Filipino lemon drink called calamansi.....which I never got) and our water. We had to flag them down to get their attention and they just brought water and not my calmansi, so I just said....forget it. Plus, we must have waited for close to half an hour before getting our food. It always sucks when you see the waitress come out with a tray and it goes to another table. :(
Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= Nothing spectacular here. Our table kept rocking back and forth because it was uneven, and the chairs were simple vinyl chairs. It was located in a normal place right off of Rainier Ave. It's very easy to find.
Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts= The lechon dish was very well presented, I thought. The lechon was sitting on a bed of lettuce and the beans, white rice, and brown sauce all added a nice contrast and overall presentation. There's not much you can do with the pancit dish but to add slices of lemon and maybe garnish with scallions, which they did.
Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= Again, I'm going to play up the lechon dish because I love that dish. Like I said, it was pretty fresh and meaty. The skin was just the way I like it....nice and crunchy. The sauce was a great compliment to the dish as well. The pancit was just like any other pancit dish really. It was still good though.
Cost/Value, 2 doughnuts= I think they could definitely knock off a few bucks from each dish. Each dish on the menu nears $10 a pop, so I think besides the lechon dish, it's not a very good value.
Originality, 2 doughnuts= I can't really think of anything too original in this restaurant. There are actually a couple of Filipino joints in the city, so I can't really play that card. I guess I can give them some originality with decorating the building's exterior. I do like being able to check out The Filipino Channel in restaurants like this, since it's not a common thing to watch here.
Overall, 2.5 doughnuts= I love Filipino food (I'd better....I'm Filipino!), and this was not too bad. I'll eventually get to reviewing my favorite Filipino restaurant, but that's outside the city all the way down south in Lakewood. Anyway, I think if the service was a bit more attentive/expedient, it would have made the experience a little more enjoyable. I think the price of the dishes also hurt their chances for a slightly higher score. Overall, I still give it a thumbs up. So, go grab a bite over there.

If you'd like to check out their online menus, their website is: http://www.kawaligrill.com/. I'm looking forward to trying their Filipino breakfast and dinner dishes. Enjoy!

-NMOS

What in the.......?

2009-08-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to review this taco bus that I visited yesterday because I don't really have anything good to say about it. I kind of feel sorry for the establishment. Don't get me wrong, there are some really, really good taco buses around Seattle that I frequent often and would definitely review. Just take a look at the picture above. I mean, would you eat that? Even I can't believe I ate it (luckily I didn't get sick and die). It's definitely not what I expected after reading the menu. If you really want to know what it is, leave a comment and I'll tell you. :)

-NMOS

ps-I'll be leaving a real review tomorrow. It'll be on something to actually write about.

Casper's

2009-08-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

My work threw us a BBQ right on the water just this past Friday. Our caterer was from a restaurant in Lake Forest Park (Bothell) called Casper's. They serve up some mean grilled meats, as I will explain in full detail. Here we go:

My co-workers and I were definitely overwhelmed with the amount of food that was in store for us. There was everything from the mouth-watering main courses (the meats) to the sides, and a multitude of delicious desserts and other sweets. Even I was full. Yes, I was full!

At the front of the line there were the sides which included a sliced cherry tomato/cucumber salad, potato salad, and mac & cheese. Next up were trays of smoked/grilled meats, which included smoked beef patties, grilled chicken quarters, and chopped beef brisket.

I'll start off reviewing the sides. The cherry tomato/cucumber salad was probably the best side, in my opinion. There were pieces of tomato, along with cucumber and chopped red onion, all mixed in a cold, light salad dressing. It was pretty refreshing. The potato salad was like any other. It was heavy & thick and starchy, which was fine. The mac & cheese was alright. It was was ziti pasta with layers of white and cheddar cheeses. The taste was a bit more subtle than the usual cheesy taste of a good mac & cheese, which I kind of prefer.

The smoked meats were all pretty good. The smoked meat patties were pretty original. They smoked them with wood chips (I forgot which type) that made the meat have sort of a beef jerky tasting exterior. It was pretty tasty (especially the next day as leftovers) and was very moist inside. The smoked/grilled chicken quarter was probably my favorite main course. It had a tasty dry rub and was practically fall-off-the-bone tender. The chopped beef brisket was just ok. I thought it was a little too greasy and bland. I like brisket that's a little thicker and has a nice outer crust on each slice. It still wasn't that bad though.

For dessert they served us up some really, really good banana pudding. There were pieces of pound cake and I think even pieces of vanilla wafers mixed into the pudding. It was damn tasty. For a nice refreshing drink they served us up some sweet tea, which was, well, sweet! Thumbs up for the dessert.

OK, now for the moment you've all been waiting for......the review/rating using my 5-doughnut system. It's on:

Service, 3 doughnuts= Well, it was a catered buffet-style event, which means we did all of the work going up to get the food. However, they definitely fulfilled their jobs by being extremely hospitable, friendly, and accommodating. The owner was there and was very friendly to everyone. He chatted with us throughout the BBQ, gave us preliminary samples, and talked us through the whole smoking/grilling process that they use. The servers were very inviting and friendly as well. They all wanted us to keep coming up and getting more. Also, they were always prepared and kept the trays fully stocked with food if they were ever getting low.

Atmosphere/Location, N/A= It was a catered event at our work, so I can't rate them in this category. However, it was a really nice day outside near the water.

Food Presentation, 2.5 doughnuts= For a catered event where they had to put everything in trays and bins, I thought the food was very well laid out and presented.

Cost/Value, 4 doughnuts= I was impressed with the food that we got on the budget we had for this event. I think the owner really worked with us on getting the best selections for the price. Thank you, Casper!

Taste, 3 doughnuts= I think it was good grilled/BBQ food. I have tasted better brisket, but it was all still pretty delicious. I'm dying to try out their grilled gator, smoked ribs, & collard greens!

Originality, 2.5 doughnuts= I did like the way they smoked the beef patties, making them have somewhat of a beef jerky taste while it was still moist on the inside. Other than that, it was just really good BBQ food. I think having gator on their menu will definitely give them more originality points. Unfortunately, we didn't have any there, so I can't rate them on that.

Overall, 3 doughnuts= Overall, it was pretty good food. I personally love Cajun style BBQ because of the seasonings and mix of sides that compliment the main courses. Everything went well together. I definitely give them thumbs up.

Well, that's about it for Casper's. You can check out their website at: http://www.eatmoregator.com/.

-NMOS

Bahama Breeze

2009-07-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I apologize if I haven't posted lately. I've been rather busy. This next restaurant review is on a restaurant located in Tukwila next to the Southcenter Mall called Bahama Breeze. It's a Caribbean restaurant that has a very friendly, colorful, and inviting atmosphere. I was there about a week or so ago with a beautiful someone and her two friends. Anyway, here we go with the review:

I've always driven by this restaurant every time I've been down in the area, mainly to go to Southcenter Mall. It's located less than 20 minutes south of Seattle. The outside looks very neat and somewhat interesting. There aren't a lot of Caribbean restaurants around here with this type of flair.

I should have taken more pics of the outside to show you, but there are a couple of tiki torches near the entrance. There are also a couple of valets to park your car, if you're so inclined. I'm not really sure this is the type of restaurant where you'd need to have someone park your car, especially since there is ample parking all around the restaurant. In any event, it's nice to know it's there, right?

Inside the restaurant is pretty colorful and has a very "fun" atmosphere to it. Right away we were promptly greeted and seated (well, we just told them we were meeting people there and found them ourselves). On the way to our table we could see this huge bar in the middle of the restaurant. People were lined all along the edges sipping on alcohol and enjoying a bite.

The waitress quickly introduced herself with a friendly personality and got us our drinks. I have to admit that it did take quite a while before she returned to actually take our order (we were starving). There were moments where she would just disappear throughout the night when we actually needed something. Only occasionally I had to flag her down. Overall, the service wasn't too bad. She was there to frequently check up on us on occasion, but not to a point where it was annoying (like in some restaurants).

I ordered the Breeze Wood-Grilled Chicken Breast dinner. The menu states the dish as: "Moist and tender with citrus butter sauce, fresh broccoli and cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes." Damn, doesn't that sound good? When the dish arrived, the presentation was nice. I thought the layered chicken breasts looked delicious, and the veggies and mashed potatoes looked tasty (of course, I was starving so anything would have looked delicious). The chicken breast was pretty moist, although I think I was expecting a bit more flavor. Yes, I did resist the urge to just swallow the entire dish whole (alligator style) in my hungry state, just so that I could try to savor the food and enjoy it. I have to say my favorite part of the dish was the cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes. I thought it was a good accompaniment to the dish, although a roasted pork shoulder or loin would have been even better with it. The broccoli was fresh and tasty....but it's still just, well, steamed broccoli. I did not have anything else to drink besides my favorite.....ice water. I did manage to take a sip of "E's" pina colada (I don't remember the flavor though), which was very refreshing and tasty. Sorry, we were all too full to dive into dessert that night.

I did have to use the restroom and got a look at the layout (yes, I'll try to review the whole restaurant in its entirety everytime I do one of these things). It was actually a very cool restroom. The urinals were far apart and angled away from each other. You know, us guys like our space when it comes to urinal use. The sink area actually had different soaps, lotions, and even mouthwash (even with little disposable cups)!

I have to say, I'm glad I finally got to check out this restaurant. I thoroughly enjoyed the company and the atmosphere. And now time for the review/rating using my 5-doughnut system:

Service, 3 doughnuts= We were promptly greeted and promptly seated. Our waitress was very friendly and cool and occasionally checked up on us, but there were a couple of times when our table really needed something and we had to look around and/or flag her down.

Atmosphere/Location, 3.5 doughnuts= I thought it was a pretty "neat" restaurant. It had an outdoor eating area with even a firepit. There seemed to be a bunch of different large dining rooms (we were in the main/center area next to the bar). The restaurant is all by itself outside the mall not too far from the highway. Overall, it's a friendly hang-out type of restaurant.

Food Presentation, 3.5 doughnuts= I think for this type of restaurant, the presentation was alright. They layered the dish and even included a couple of fried plantain chips sticking out of the mashed sweet potatoes. Not too bad.

Taste, 3 doughnuts= I guess I'm giving them a somewhat low score because I think the main course (the chicken in this case) should be the biggest deciding factor of whether this was a tasty dish. Like I said, it was good, but not crazy good. I think it just needed some more seasoning or something. I definitely liked the mashed sweet potatoes though. Don't get me wrong, it was a pretty good dish.

Originality, 3.5 doughnuts= I don't know too many Caribbean restaurants around here, even in Seattle. The layout of the restaurant is pretty original in itself. As I stated before, there are a couple of different, large dining areas, a bar, and a nice outdoor eating area with a firepit. It's pretty cool looking at night.

Overall, 3.5 doughnuts= I had a nice time at Bahama Breeze. I would like to go back and try a couple of other dishes that I saw on the menu. I think the company made it more enjoyable to hang out and dine there. The food was good and the atmosphere was "chill".

Be sure to check it out at http://www.bahamabreeze.com/.

Bite of Seattle on Sunday

2009-07-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did attend the Bite of Seattle this year. I was debating whether or not to actually go. I know that's weird for me to say, since I normally do attend every year (and yes, I am usually all about food). It's just this year I didn't have a huge desire to go. I've toned it down from eating because I'm trying to stay a little more fit and healthy. Nevertheless, I had some time to kill after church, and I was a little hungry. I do have pics, but unfortunately they are just of the Seattle Center area and not the food itself. Sorry. I was too hungry to remember to take a pic before I ate the food.

As expected, the parking situation was a little crazy. There were a lot of spaces right outside the Seattle Center, but they were going for like $15-$20. I was like....what?! I went around the center twice before I caught a $10 lot, which just happened to be right across the street from the center. I said, "Why not?".....so I parked.

The crowd was not as intense as it usually is compared to Friday and Saturday (from previous experience). There were some huge gaps of just empty space. There was a lot of fresh grass just open in front of a couple of the stages. So, for those of you who don't like extremely huge crowds but would still like to try out the Bite, then go on a Sunday.

I passed through the Tom Douglas vendor section called "The Alley". For a fee you can try little samples from about 7 of his restaurants. It looked good, but the line was too long. I even bumped into an old friend that was waiting that I used to work with. If you're reading this, good to see you again, E.D.

I did a walk through of almost the entire center before deciding on a crabcake for starters. I kept telling myself that I had a lacrosse game a couple of hours later, so I didn't eat too much. After the delicious crabcake I hit up another vendor and had a lambsteak sandwich. That was very tasty as well. That's pretty much all I had at the Bite.

After that, I just walked around and checked out the other non-food vendors that were selling their items. I came across this one stand that sold wooden puzzles (all very cool) and some large sheets of hand-pressed paper straight from Thailand. If you look into the paper, you can see real dried flowers and leaves from different plants (there were some paper sheets that were made out of coconut or papaya, etc). I asked what it's used for and he said that people use it as very original stationary. I thought that this isn't really my thing....but I automatically thought of someone that might just like this. I figured it would be a good gift for someone I know. Anyway, I'm not going to post pics of them on this blog. Check out my normal blog for those pics, since they're non-food related.

Anyway, if you've never been to the Bite of Seattle, it happens every year in July. Be sure to try it out at least once, especially you Seattle-ites that have told me that you've never been. Later.

-N

Goldbergs' Delicatessen

2009-07-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. This morning I picked up my mom and treated her to a nice brunch at Goldbergs Delicatessen in the Factoria Mall (Bellevue). I've actually been there before, but I haven't rated it on this food blog. So, here we go.

The moment you step into this place, you know you're in a different type of restaurant. It's not like a normal family restaurant since it has a fully stocked bar near the middle and a full deli/store near the front entrance. The interior is adourned with various, colorful artwork with a very New York theme for very good reason......it is a New York-style deli.

This place serves up stacked sandwiches that melt in your mouth. As I perused the menu, I was eyeing the mouth-watering specialty sandwiches like the reuben and the hot corned beef (or hot pastrami) and chopped liver sandwich, which I ordered. As an accompaniment, they serve up a side of freshly sliced quartered pickles (light and dark). My sandwich came out stacked with warm corned beef and cool lettuce and tomato. On the side was a small cup of tangy, sweet slaw, which is a great addition. I plan to try out the reuben next time.

OK, now for my 5-doughnut rating system:

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= We were promptly seated once we entered the establishment, and our drinks were immediately served shortly thereafter. The waitresses checked up on us frequently enough whenever we needed drink refills or condiments, but not so often that they were bothersome.
Atmosphere/Location, 4 doughnuts= I really like the interior of this restaurant. It's definitely different and interesting with the decor. The inside deli/store and bar add a different feel to the restaurant as a whole. The location is pretty nice....right in the middle of a mall. I have to say that I normally don't visit this mall that often, since I only go there for Target, and now Goldbergs!
Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts= The food is very tasty, but the presentation is that of just a sliced sandwich that you'd get at any other deli.
Taste, 4 doughnuts= Like I said, the food was very tasty. I eat pretty much anything, so my taste buds are a lot different than others. The corned beef and chopped liver (especially the liver) might not seem appealing to most people, but I liked it. The chopped liver reminds me of a brown Filipino sauce that is served up with lechon. Anyway, sorry for straying. The pickles compliment the food with a tart taste and crunchy texture.
Cost/Value, 3 doughnuts= Some of the specialty sandwiches are kinda pricey. You can get about $13-$14 for a sandwich with one side. I'm not sure if that's a great deal or not. It was good, but might be better if they shaved off about $2.
Originality, 4 doughnuts= I don't know of another New York style deli/store/restaurant around here. If there is one, I don't know if it's this good. The interior is fun and relaxing at the same time.
Overall, 4 doughnuts= I really like this place. The service, food, and atmosphere are great. I'll go there again.

So, go check out Goldbergs Delicatessen at the Factoria Mall in Bellevue/Renton.

-N

Seattle Food Bloggers

2009-07-16T22:39:00.001-07:00

Seattle Food Bloggers

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Sushiland & Wann & Bite of Seattle

2009-07-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. This is my first food blog where I actually feel a little embarrassed because I'm lacking pictures of the most important part....the food! I promise to not make another mistake like this, especially since people who read food blogs rely on how the food looks. Nevertheless, stay faithful to "Om Nom Nom Nom!" and you won't be disappointed. Get ready for a double-header.

OK, first I wanted to give a shout out to one of my favorite "carousel" or "off-the-belt" sushi joints in Seattle. I give you SUSHILAND! I must say this beats the other big contender, Blue C Sushi, in taste and especially value. I do have one food pic to offer you of what you can expect:

Anyway, I (and my beautiful company) had a lot of really good dishes. I tend to stick with my favorites: salmon nigiri, smoked salmon nigiri, California roll, crab salad gunkan, and calimari. There are a couple of other ones but I can't think of them at the moment. The salmon nigiri is fresh and tasty, as well as it's smoked brother (or sister, mother, father, etc). The smoked taste gives the salmon a nice grilled aftertaste, and changes the texture to more flaky than mushy. The California roll has it all with the crab, avocado, cucumber and fish roe. The crab salad gunkan is just tasty imitation crab. Finally the calimari is chopped into smaller bite-size pieces and fried fresh. Mmm.

Now for the moment you've been waiting for.....the review of Sushiland. Again, I will be using my 5-doughnut rating system.

Service, 3.5 doughnuts= We were promptly seated and the waiters/cooks checked up on us frequently (but not too frequently where they're annoying) to see if we needed any refills or special orders. Not bad for this type of restaurant.

Atmosphere/Location, 2.5/3 doughnuts= The atmosphere is nothing special. The main thing was that it was clean. The interior doesn't get much natural light, so it feels a little enclosed (at the Bellevue location) as opposed to the one in Queen Anne. The location is kinda weird. It's nestled on a side street off of 2nd in Bellevue (there's also one on 15th downtown). It works though, since it's in the heart of the city.

Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts= Well, it's sushi on a plate. Most of them aren't "doctored up" but just placed on a mini plate for quick eating. There are a couple that are garnished with something or drizzled with some special sauce that give them extra flair, I guess. Nevertheless, it's not a bad presentation for this type.

Cost/Value, 5 doughnuts= I have to say this place is one of my favorites because of the value. You get delicious, quick, and healthy food for a great value. I finally found the best place to go if you want a ton of good, fresh sushi (I love sushi) but without the usual sushi pricetag.

Taste, 3.5 doughnuts= It's really good sushi, but not the best. Of course the really great sushi is found at restaurants that don't involve a rotating belt, like off an assembly line. However, it definitely does the job and I am always satisfied after leaving Sushiland.

Originality, 1.5 doughnuts= Nothing too original here. It's just another rotating belt sushi joint. I guess it's cool how the cooks and waiters all greet you and say goodbye/thank you when you leave. I guess that's a little original.

Overall, 3.5 doughnuts= This is one of my favorite sushi joints. Good sushi for an exceptional value. I totally recommend hitting up a Sushiland near you (I like the Queen Anne joint the best).

Next off is Wann, a Japanese restaurant in Belltown which serves up izakaya. Izakaya is a term for Japanese bar food. I guess the equivalent would be tapas (mini, tasty dishes with variety). Again, I totally apologize for not having taken pictures of all the delicious food I tried. I guess I was so hungry that I just went for the food once it came out. I will make it up to you all with tons of food pictures on the next one. I was able to take a couple of pics in the restaurant though, so you can see the atmosphere.

The interior is actually very nice. It has a nice mood-light type of setting where you feel comfortable just sitting back and relaxing. You can choose either a comfy booth or sit at one of the roomy tables with equally comfy seats. They even have a lit candle on the table for that nice, quiet, homey setting.

We had the Crunchy Garlic Rock Shrimp, the Chicken Nanban, the Spicy Pork Potstickers, the Wann Short-Ribs, and a California Roll. The Rock Shrimp was pretty good. I don't know if I totally liked the batter it was rolled in. They were almost like nonpareils. I guess it was the "garlic". Although it gave the shrimp a weird bite to it, it was pretty tasty. The Chicken Nanban is egg batter dipped fried chicken with sweet vinegar and house made tartar sauce. This was a great dish. It was pretty much seasoned and tasty chicken tenders with this special sauce. The Spicy Pork Potstickers were delicious, although a little too spicy for my taste. I love food too much to have to sweat through it just to enjoy it. Next time I'll ask to omit the hot sauce. The California Roll was just a nice appetizer. It was freshly made but nothing too exciting. Last, but certainly not the least, is the Wann Short-Ribs. Wow, these marinated ribs were pretty much fall-off-the-bone status. They were marinated with some special sauce that was infused into the meat. So good! I will definitely get the short-ribs again.

OK, onto the review of Wann in Belltown (downtown Seattle):

Service, 1.5 doughnuts= I have to say that I wasn't too impressed with the service. When we first got in, we had to wait for a lot longer than we should have just to be seated. There were two servers, but they seemed to be focusing on one other table in one of the private dining areas. We were only asked a couple of times if we needed a refill or anything. I think I had to flag down the waiter/waitress to get more water at least 2-3 times myself. Lastly, the ribs didn't come out until towards the end of our meal when we were almost ready to go.

Atmosphere/Location, 5/4.5 doughnuts= The atmosphere is very nice. I did enjoy the look of the interior with the mood-lighting and Asian accents. There was even a lit zen garden underneath the booths. Also, the bathroom was awesome looking. It was decked out in slate tile and was very clean and neat. Plus, there was a motion detection paper towel dispenser. I love those things.

Food Presentation, 4.5 doughnuts= The presentation was very nice for most of the dishes. They were served up on really nice curved dishes and garnished or drizzled with something colorful and/or aesthetically pleasing.

Cost/Value, 3.5 doughnuts= It was dinner in Seattle. With that taken into consideration, the prices for the dishes were reasonable. The food was great and so it was actually worth their respective pricetags. Our party of two came out to about $40 or so for all those dishes.

Taste, 4 doughnuts= The food was very tasty. I liked all the edible garnishes and special sauces that were added to compliment the food. They were like gourmet Japanese tapas. They all had a lot of flavor.

Originality, 4 doughnuts= I don't see a lot of Japanese izakaya places around here, or anywhere else. I'm glad I got introduced to the Japanese "tapas" or barfood. Damn tasty barfood!

Overall, 4 doughnuts= If the service could be a little more accommodating, I'd probably bump this up half a point higher. The food was great, and I loved the atmosphere/ambiance. I guess it also helped having a pretty someone to eat and talk with over dinner. ;)

Before I forget.....the Bite of Seattle is this weekend, starting this Friday and through Sunday. There will be food vendors from different restaurants in the city, along with the normal food vendors that show up to every big Seattle event. I actually still feel full from last night, so I don't know if I can eat like I did last year. Anyway, go check it out.

OK people, check back on occasion to learn about new places to eat. By the way, I'm looking into possibly getting some sponsors to help me with a food review tour here in Seattle. Wouldn't that be awesome? I already have the desire, drive, and website to get started. I'm slowly building a network/client base for such a thing, and I already have interested parties to join the tour. I'd probably want small parties for each restaurant I visit and critique. More people would help me get a couple more opinions on the food and restaurant, and be more enjoyable since there will be others to eat with (I hate eating alone).I would visit a new restaurant maybe once a week or so. So, if you're interested and live in the city.....let me know!

NMOS

7 Stars Pepper Restaurant

2009-07-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today I revisited a Chinese/Szechuan restaurant in the International District called 7 Stars Pepper Restaurant. For all you local Seattle-ites that know of this place, it's located on the second floor of a small plaza near 12th and Jackson. Parking is minimal (at least on ground level), so I usually drive my "land yacht" underground in the dark, dirty, tight parking garage below the plaza. I'm really good with parking, so it's not that bad for me.

Anyway, the restaurant ambiance is typical Chinese (Chinatown-like) decor with Asian artwork and red lanterns and such. It's about a medium-sized restaurant, probably with about 15-20 tables or so. I've been there before when it's been packed, unlike today.

For those that are familiar with this place, it's the hand-shaven noodles that are worth trying. When they first seat you, they serve up the usual ice water, hot tea, and kimchee. Today's meal consisted of hand-shaven noodles with pork, kung pao chicken, beef with broccoli, and garlic eggplant.

The hand-shaven noodles and the garlic eggplant were delicious, especially the eggplant. When the dishes was served up hot, you could automatically see the red peppers that were sauteed in with the eggplant. Incidentally, and as the restaurant name implies, this restaurant likes to use a lot of peppers in their dishes. However, for those that aren't really into spicy foods (I for one am not into spicy foods.....I actually like to enjoy my food and not sweat up a storm while I eat), don't let this turn you away. The dishes aren't really spicy. The way they prepare the dishes with the peppers makes them rather mild to the palate, and the dishes come out tasting delicious.

Anyway, the kung pao chicken and the beef with broccoli were not very high on my list. The chicken wasn't all that tasty to me (didn't taste like chicken much), and the beef in the beef with broccoli dish was "funny" tasting. The beef was a little too undercooked and didn't have much of a meaty taste, like I had hoped. So, I just loaded up on the other dishes, for the most part. More rice, please!

I've only been at this restaurant a couple of times and now I know what to order and what not to order. So, let's rate this restaurant using my 5-doughnut rating system, shall we?:

Service, 4 doughnuts= The waiters were attentive and frequently checked to see if water refills were necessary and if anything else was needed, without constantly being annoying.
Atmosphere/Location, 2.5 doughnuts= The atmosphere had a typical "Chinatown" restaurant feeling. This one wasn't that spectacular with dull-colored vinyl seats. What was worse was the parking situation. The garage was pretty bad today with a slight water leak problem, resulting in huge puddles everywhere. It's just really tight driving/parking underground.
Food Presentation, 4 doughnuts= When the dishes are served up, they actually look really nice, especially with the bright red peppers and the freshly chopped green scallions. Not bad.
Cost/Value, 2.5 doughnuts= I thought the dishes really shouldn't cost that much. They were each running close to $10 a dish, which is a bit too much for what they offered. I'd say around $7.50 a dish would be more suitable.
Taste, 3 doughnuts= The garlic eggplant and the hand-shaven noodles with pork really made up for the broccoli beef and kung pao dishes.
Originality, 2 doughnuts= The only thing original with the restaurant was that they supposedly use a lot more peppers than other Chinese restaurants around. Other than that, the dishes were pretty universal around Chinatown.
Overall, 2.5 doughnuts= As I said, I've been here before, and my previous experiences were a bit more enjoyable. Overall, it was alright....just alright. I'm right in the middle there and undecided. You do have to try the hand-shaven noodles and the garlic eggplant though. Superb!

Well, that's about all for that review. Let me know if any of you have tried this restaurant and what you think. Until next time......just eat!

NMOS

Welcome to "Om Nom Nom Nom!"

2009-07-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Welcome to my newest blogspot where I focus primarily on how I rate local restaurants and eats in and around the Seattle area. My name is Nerick, and since I eat out frequently and after hearing my friends constantly mention that I should blog about my epicurean adventures, I finally gave in and created this blog.

I actually do have an entry for my first food blog today. For lunch I stopped by the "Marination Mobile". This mobile restaurant (like Skillet) serves up food with a Korean and Hawaiian flair. Luckily it stops near my work during the week, so I got to finally try it out (after hearing about it from friends).

I pulled up alongside it with one of my co-workers and took a couple of pics before ordering up. The front is very open, organized, and clean for a mobile kitchen. The staff was extremely nice and friendly, along with their two pugs roaming around.

I decided to try a little of everything (well, not everything). I got the kalbi soft taco, the miso ginger chicken taco, and the shredded pork slider. Damn! This food was crazy good! Each one was only $2 and they were well worth it. The different marinated meats were extremely tasty, and the sauces and slaw in each "dish" were a great accompaniment. I savored this newfound goodness and was actually content.

I have to say that I will definitely be back to visit this mobile restaurant. Although I do love Skillet (I'll have to do a separate blog on them), I think they're going to be pretty good competition. Today was their 1 month anniversary, so they were giving away free dessert. It was similar to baklava (they called it the "Hawaiian baklava"). Check out the website to view the menu at http://www.marinationmobile.com/.

At the beginning of each new entry, I will include a 5-doughnut rating system, with 5 being the best. Here is my rating for the Marination Mobile:

Service= 4 doughnuts; The servers were very friendly and lively.
Atmosphere/Location= 3 doughnuts; It's a restaurant on wheels, so what can you expect? However, it looked very clean and for the food they served it was aesthetically pleasing and appropriate. It's located on the canal, so there was nice scenery all around.
Food Presentation, 3 doughnuts = Not too bad for this speedy, gourmet type of "hangover" food. The slaw and the sauces added some color.
Cost/Value= 5 doughnuts; Very cheap food for delicious food.
Taste= 4.5 doughnuts; Like I said....delicious! The marinated meats were savory.
Originality= 4 doughnuts; I've never heard of a kalbi or miso ginger chicken soft taco. Check out their menu.
Overall=4 doughnuts; I was very pleased with the Marination Mobile and I will definitely be back for more. I just wish they served the Spam musubi at my location. I hear those are only served in the Capitol Hill location. :(

Well, that's about all for that. Now I have to go run and workout a bit so I can eat more tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the first entry! Visit often. Later.

NMOS