City of Seattle
Capitol Hill
Ayutthaya 727 E. Pike St., 324-8833. Ayutthaya is the quintessential neighborhood Thai restaurant. The decor is undistinguished, and five-star spicy dishes won’t wow any taste buds accustomed to Tabasco sauce, but the food is cheap and the service is kind. There are trade-offs for the low prices—frozen broccoli is a recurring motif—but the curries are silky and the rice dishes are surprisingly elegant. $
Elysian Brewing Co. & Public House 1221 E. Pike St., 860-1920. This roomy Capitol Hill brewpub, which houses enormous steel brewing equipment right next to the tables and bar, reels in customers with its upscale bar food as much as its beers. The burgers and sandwiches, some stacked with locally made field roast, are obviously popular favorites. The big, golden fillets and steak fries on the fish and chips are hearty, as are the nachos—baked crisp and served with spicy salsa, sour cream, and a peanut-chile salsa. Everything washes down nicely with a seasonal Elysian beer (the Great Pumpkin Ale in the fall, the Bete Blanche Tripel in the spring), brewed feet away from where you’re sitting. $
Machiavelli 1215 Pine St., 621-7941. This is a full-on New York-style neighborhood Italian joint transplanted to Capitol Hill, with the vinyl tablecloths, waitresses who make you save your fork for your next course, and the consistently great food to prove it. The Caesar salad and pastas are excellent, pasta specials with seafood are likewise, and meats come with sides of fantastic roasted potatoes and garlicky sauteed greens. Machiavelli is a perfect date place, and has even hosted a few marriage proposals over the years. $$
Oddfellows Cafe and Bar 1525 10th Ave., 325-0807. Oddfellows Cafe & Bar is a dining hall for the Capitol Hill of today. Decorated in washes of nostalgia-gray-blue walls, scuffed wood tables, salvaged signs and portraits—it’s Linda Derschang’s most beautiful space yet, where old-timey cocktails served in Grandma’s glassware look like they’ve always shared tablespace with MacBooks. During the day, the place operates as a counter-service cafe, and at night as a bar and restaurant. The food classes up basic American food without sparking class resentment. The simple mac and cheese looks circumspect yet has a surprising depth of flavor, and the crisp coating on the “pork nuggets” house a dense hunk of carnitas. For every plate of clams with chorizo the kitchen puts out, it assembles six BLTs and chicken-salad sandwiches. The braised pork shank and meatballs with pine nuts, currants, and polenta are popular, but the menu’s also seasonal (the spring menu has a plethora of arugula, asparagus, and green peas, for example). Drinks flow with abundance—the full bar offers a small wine selection, specialty cocktails, canned and bottled beer, and Manny’s Pale Ale and others on tap. $-$$
Pike Street Fish Fry 925 E. Pike St., 329-7453. Pike Street Fish Fry on Capitol Hill transposes the fresh catches you’d find at Pike Place Market into greasy fried treats to complement late night beer-filled stomachs on one of the hippest blocks in town. Their fish selections are always changing—marlin and sturgeon, shark and spearfish—but go with the cod for quite possibly the best fish and chips in town. Fish Fry also gets kudos for its generous number of vegetarian options: the fried green beans and asparagus are delicious and perfectly complemented with the assortment of dipping sauces. $
Po Dog 1009 E. Union St., 325-6055. Seattle’s hippest hot-doggery has played to packed crowds since its inception near Seattle University’s campus, offering draft beer, homemade chips, and a soundtrack dominated by gay-friendly tunes from artists such as the Smiths and Depeche Mode. The wieners themselves are nothing to write home about; rather, it’s the outrageous array of toppings and cooking styles that are Po Dog’s calling cards. There’s one with peanut butter and bananas on it, another with scrambled eggs, and two deep-fried varieties: (1) the wasabi egg-roll dog, which is deep-fried sans bun, as though the tube steak were the filling; and (2) the deep fried danger dog, which is precisely the sort of lard-ass concoction Adam Richman from Man v. Food will be liable to hunker down in front of next time he visits town.
Zaw Artisan Pizza 1424 E. Pine St., 325-5528. The pitch: take-and-bake pizzas made with local, largely organic ingredients and given cutesy names (the “Vietzawm”). The procedure: Preheat your oven, then slide the pizza, laid out on a piece of parchment paper, onto the rack, and bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly. The ultra-thin crust gets crackly just at the point the toppings are cooked. The trick when picking a ‘zaw is to avoid all innovation—the caramelized onions and huge sage leaves on a “Savory Savary” unite in cloying sychronicity, for example, but a Chicago deli with bacon, prosciutto, salami, and pickled pepperoncini is a decent pie as well. $
Downtown
Andaluca 407 Olive Way (in the Mayflower Park Hotel), 382-6999. Andaluca doesn’t much look like a restaurant helmed by a big-name chef whose culinary resume includes a guest stint on Iron Chef America. Wayne Johnson’s dining room looks like a typical hotel restaurant, which is presumably what the solo diners and name tag-wearing conference goers who claimed tables on a recent weeknight thought they’d found. Their assumptions were tested by a string of bright, Mediterranean small plates showcasing fresh shellfish and local produce, including a paella thoughtfully sized for one. In addition to seasonal cuisine, Andaluca offers a respectable wine list, with 15 percent knocked off the price of every Washington wine bottle. $$$
Dragonfish Asian Cafe 722 Pine St., 467-7777. Before heading into the latest new movie or show, stop in for reasonably priced, shareable Korean bulgogi, Chinese pot stickers, yellowfin tuna with Thai red curry, and tamarind chicken satays. (And don’t forget your cocktails!) The wok station and the robata grill are ablaze with activity; sit near them if you want to watch the line cooks fly. Located in the Paramount Hotel, Dragonfish serves all meals, but is perhaps best known for its generous happy hour. $
Fifth Avenue Cafe 1522 Fifth Ave., 621-7137. A pleasant little sandwich spot whose decor is a mix of Mediterranean faux-finishes and frozen yogurt signs. While most of the fillings are standard (ham and cheese, turkey, roast beef, veggie, and a delectable chicken-walnut salad), the soft, hearty, baked-daily bread is not. A combo buys you a half sandwich—the size is nothing to pooh-pooh—plus a cup of soup and a chocolate-chip cookie. The house specialty: a creamy chicken dumpling soup with carrots, shredded chicken, and light gnocchi-like dumplings bobbing around. $
Il Corvo 217 James St. Ste. 300, 538-0999. There’s no shortage of great meals within walking distance of Seattle Weekly’s downtown offices, and Il Corvo—serving weekday lunches only—is no exception, even after their recent move from Western to James street. The spaghetti with briny cured tuna heart, crushed Calabrian chiles, olive oil and parsley leaves evokes the feverish, lascivious spring that many chefs forsake in favor of celebrating the season’s tender greens. The pasta preparations change daily, so check chef Mike Easton’s blog for a running roster. $
Metropolitan Grill 820 Second Ave., 624-3287. Unlike quaint, formal establishments like Canlis, you can walk into the Met, centrally located in downtown, in the standard Seattle work uniform of plaid shirt, jeans, and dark tennis shoes and shout at the TV screen. Whether this is a good thing is debatable, especially if you’re going to drop $75 on a porterhouse and a tumbler of top-shelf scotch. The steaks are, however, the dry-aged, Nebraska-raised (or Wagyu) kind; any carnivore, whether he’s dressed in work pants and a tee or a three-piece suit, will be able to taste the tender, juicy difference. The martinis are a perfect compliment to the savory juices. $$$
Palomino Euro Bistro 1420 Fifth Ave. Ste 350, 623-1300. Located on the top floor of City Center, Palomino is a stylish restaurant that attracts droves of twenty and 30-somethings, especially at the end of the work day. It serves standard midscale American fare (pasta, seafood, steak) that’s decent but forgettable. However, the happy hour (4-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close, daily) is a good deal, featuring $7.95 brick oven pizzas, sub-$10 appetizers like calamari and mussels, $4 house wines, and $5 specialty cocktails. Better still, your server will validate your parking so you can enjoy a downtown romp after your meal. $$
Place Pigalle 81 Pike St., 624-1756. There comes a point in every relationship that brings you to the Pike Place Market: either things have gotten very new or very old. With its checkered floors and unbeatable views, Place Pigalle doesn’t have to show off. You, on the other hand, are likely in the position of needing to pick up a few points, which is where this tucked-away respite comes in handy. The French-inspired menu will back up your presumable good taste, with enough breadth and flair to encompass both old-fashioned rabbit roulade and fusion ingredients like jicama and daikon. Chilled crab, half or whole, is a satisfying splurge of a starter; if Alaskan halibut is on the menu, order it.
Sazerac 1101 Fourth Ave., 624-7755. A Sazerac is a cocktail highly favored by cultivated New Orleanians, and there’s a strong Creole accent to Jason McClure’s menu: catfish, crawdads, and spicy andouille sausage served with everything from breakfast eggs to late-night pizza. Even the West Coast influence can’t lighten up the food—truth be told, the more time your dish has spent in hot oil, the better. Duck breasts and roasted vegetable platters, no. Beignets and shrimp cakes, yes. $$$
Eastlake & South Lake Union
I Love Sushi 1001 Fairview Ave. N., 625-9604. People love I Love Sushi. I Love Sushi is bright and clean, with a bright and clean staff, and bright, clean-tasting sushi. The popular spider roll surrounds a soft-shell crab with avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise, rice, and flying fish eggs; the I Love Roll, with unagi (broiled eel), is equally well loved. I Love Sushi leans toward the upscale—both atmosphere and food are reliably lovable for I Love Sushi lovers, who crowd into both the South Lake Union and Bellevue restaurants to love them. $
Fremont
Brad’s Swingside Cafe 4212 Fremont Ave. N., 633-4057. Fremont—the Fremont worth saving—survives and prospers as long as Brad Inserra is behind the stove at the Swingside. Inserra loves sautes, braises, and fricassees, often robed in dense, spice-scented tomato sauces. He loves piling nuggets of fresh seafood atop swirls of pasta, secreting seasonal mushrooms and vegetables in one-dish meals, creating a kind of regional Calabrian gumbo from whatever’s in good supply right now. And all this hearty cooking is served in nicely noisy intimacy in a cozy space that makes diners feel like friends of the family. $$
Paseo Caribbean Restaurant 4225 Fremont Ave. N., 545-7440. It’s a good idea to call Paseo first if you’re planning a lunch there. They make food until they run out, which can happen very early on a Saturday. “Do you still have pork?” you ask. “Yeah, for now,” the guy who answers the phone replies, before hanging up on you to deal with the line stretching out the front door and up Fremont Avenue. Almost every one of those people is here for the Cuban Roast sandwich, constructed of roasted pork shoulder, aioli, crunchy lettuce, cilantro, and just enough jalapenos to give it heat without numbing your tongue. There’s no “Oh, I’ll just have half and save the rest for later” here. You will devour the whole thing, scooping up the sandwich filling that falls onto your plate and licking the last bits of pork off your fingers. Paseo does have other items, even entrees, on the menu, and word is they’re pretty good. But the Cuban Roast is the platonic form of “sandwich.” Just make sure you get there before the “sold out” tags kept by the register start showing up on the menu.
Tawon Thai 3410 Fremont Ave. N., 633-4545. Thai restaurants in Fremont are almost as common as two-year-olds in Columbia City. Tawon Thai looks as pleasantly appointed as its competitors, but the kitchen doesn’t sugar up its curries as much as the others do or lighten up the fish sauce and lime on its salads. The cooks also diverge a bit further afield from the standards. If you’ve eaten a hundred different pad see euws in your life, try the kow soi, curried noodles laced with pickled cabbage; if you’re dead bored with spring rolls, order the miang kam, and fill raw spinach leaves with delicate pinches of dried shrimp, coconut, lime, peanuts, and onions. Not so common at all. $
Greenwood & Phinney Ridge
Picnic : A Food + Wine Boutique 6801 Greenwood Ave. N., 453-5867. A charming wine and gourmet-products shop with local cheeses, jarred goods (such as Renee Erickson’s pickles), and porktastic house-made rillettes. If you eat in, pass over the cold-case salads in favor of sandwiches like the housemade corned beef on rye. $-$$
International District
663 Bistro 663 S. Weller St., 667-8760. The most ornate thing about this tasty little Hong Kong-style restaurant may be the sweet smell of barbecue wafting off the cherrywood-colored birds hanging in its entry—point at a chicken or strip of pork, and the butcher will hack it and pack it, ladling extra marinade overtop. The restaurant’s menu focuses on congee, noodles, and simple Cantonese entrees (ong choy with preserved tofu sauce, hot pot with pork and oysters). Scattered among the fried rices and stir-fried clams are fascinating if hit-or-miss Canto-Western dishes like baked pork chop with tomato sauce and 663’s magical French toast: slices of Wonder bread stuck together with syrup, battered, and deep-fried. $
Pho Bac 1314 S. Jackson St., 323-4387. This location is the seat of the Pho Bac empire, its point of origin. Everything about this soup-and-that’s-all kitchen speaks of Vietnam, from the decor, to the little colored plastic stools the staff crouch on, to the plate of holy basil, bean sprouts, jalapeno, and lime that arrives alongside your pho for garnishing. The long-cooked brisket and tendon here are particularly appealing. If you want the full Hanoi experience, order some crullers to tear up and dip into the broth. $
Leschi & Madrona
Daniel’s Broiler 200 Lake Washington Blvd., 329-4191. Daniel’s Broiler requires a clientele that’s notoriously unimaginative—financiers in business suits, tourists keen to eat red meat in and retirees drawn by reliable valet parking—to flex their imaginations. The Lake Union restaurant looks the part of a classic steakhouse, from the private wine cabinets to raw beef display case, but so much here doesn’t work. Guests fond of the dockside view are forced to imagine the sourdough rolls aren’t rock hard, the French onion soup isn’t greasy and the Caesar salad isn’t overloaded with garlic. But the service is kind, if corny (a middle-aged busser named Ricardo smilingly offered “more tequila?” when he refilled our water glasses.) And the steaks, thick with mesquite smoke, would be considered decent at half the price. $$$
That’s Amore 1425 31st Ave. S., 322-3677. There are some spectacular vantage points that no one should tell the tourists about. Olympic Sculpture Park: for everyone. Above the I-90 tunnel: just for us. Though its rear window looks across the Rainier Valley to downtown and the Sound, That’s Amore defies every expectation of a “view” restaurant. The place is filled at lunch and dinner with Mount Baker residents, who come for the homey, inexpensive pastas, giant meatballs, juicy roasted pork loin, and the servers, who seem to know every diner’s quirks and preferences. $$
Magnolia & Interbay
Gim Wah Restaurant 3418 W. McGraw St., 284-7000. It’s a dark Chinese dive that serves standard, unspectacular food and stiff drinks. Located in Magnolia where it sticks out like a sore thumb, Gim Wah’s sturdy and loyal client base are best described as a community of apartment dwellers who are more Deadliest Catch than Knots Landing. One of the menu favorites is Gim Wah’s BLT, which we consideredmerely serviceable. $
South Park
Juan Colorado 8709 14th Ave. S., 764-9379. This family-owned Mexican restaurant has been one of Seattle’s stalwarts since the emergence of South Park as a Latino neighborhood. Now worn in, the sprawling place attracts big-screen TV watchers to its bar and families to its booths. The food’s not as good as legends suggest, but it’s still better than most Seattle Mexican: The chile verde pork is nothing to swear by, for instance. The caldo de camaron (shrimp soup) is popular, enchiladas and fajitas are hearty and filling, and the just-griddled tortillas come from a press, not a plastic bag. $
University District
Thaiger Room 4228 University Way N.E, 632-9299. You might be wondering how a Thai restaurant could stand out in the U District, considering University Way is populated by as many Asian food spots as the ID. For the most part, however, students seem to be more attracted to what’s cheaper rather than what’s better. Hence, passing by the Thaiger Room’s front door without seeing a sign announcing a two-for-one discount can seem a little off-putting. But do you really want to spend the night holding your stomach, wishing you’d backed off on the dried-out tofu (no, it’s not supposed to look like a prune!), drenched in bland peanut sauce, that you ate elsewhere? While the Thaiger Room may not have the killer deals that some of its neighbors do, it offers some of the best fried tofu in town. Served straight from the deep fryer onto a plate of pad Thai, the tofu left the top of my mouth feeling a little singed, curable with a glass of Singha. Old-school Madonna plays overhead, and you can watch your food sizzle in the pans if you sit at the bar near the front door. And the best part? Absolutely no regrets. $
West Seattle
Abbondanza Pizzeria 6503 California Ave. S.W., 935-8989. Seems the food winds have turned our minds toward pizza once again—more specifically, New York-style pizza and authentically Italian pizza. Taking equal inspiration from both is an unostentatious little joint in West Seattle. While Abbondanza’s Margherita can’t really compete with the newbie Neapolitan ovens in town (the mozzarella is a little too dense and the basil far too scant), the portobello pizza is absolutely divine. Notice the absolute thinness of the crisp crust, the lovely bubbles of char, the wonderful way it graciously carries the toppings without competing for your attention. $
Super Deli & Grocery 9051 35th Ave. S.W., 937-1442. The unassuming establishment (which bears an astounding resemblance to 7-11) is a mecca for some of the finest alcohol in town. Five or six beers are featured on tap behind the counter, where meaty, cheesy sandwiches on French rolls are also prepared. Two beers owner Min Chung plans to tap have never been tapped in the entire state of Washington. The deli hosts community tastings with brewery reps every two weeks, which consistently rake in around 100 attendees. $
Bellevue
Bulgogi Korean BBQ 15600 N.E. Eighth St. (Crossroads Shopping Mall), 425-747-7212. Korean-style barbecue, or bulgogi, can be had at this simple mall stop. Choose from beef, chicken, or pork, marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper. The grilled meat comes with a plate of rice and veggies. $
Mediterranean Kitchen 103 Bellevue Way N.E., Bellevue, 425-462-9422. After the first bite of zahrah, a deep-fried cauliflower appetizer, you may forget that you’re in a former one-hour photo shop. Try the lamb couscous and chicken shawarma (a combination of red wine-marinated chicken, grilled onion, and green pepper) under a sauce of garlic and lemon. $
Thai Ginger 3717 Factoria Blvd. S.E., Bellevue, 425-641-4008. The special at Thai Ginger, with locations in Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah and Downtown and Madison Park in is a must-try for ginger lovers, containing ginger strips sauteed in a dark sauce with onions, mushrooms, green peppers, and chicken or beef. For appetizers, try the coconut-milk-marinated chicken satay or the tom kah gai. Good entrees include the cashew chicken or a bowl of good old red curry. $
Tosoni’s Restaurant 14320 N.E. 20th St., Bellevue, 425-644-1668. Tosoni’s is a hidden treasure, with loyal regulars who love the sophisticated cuisine. The menu is continental with Italian nuances, such as prosciutto ravioli, capellini puttanesca, and risotto. Occasionally, there are more esoteric offerings such as ostrich in a shallot, rosemary, and port sauce. To finish, order a silken creme brulee. $$$
Kirkland
Anthony’s Homeport 135 Lake St. S., Kirkland, 425-822-0225. We’ve long liked Anthony’s for its service, friendliness, and half-off lobster nights. The patio tables on a summer night are a great place to have a drink and appetizers and engage in the splendor of sunset—and imagine the distant runoff from the Cascades flowing to Puget Sound. The four-course Sunset Dinner menu from 4:30 to 6 p.m. daily sometimes includes their great ginger-sesame steak. $
Cafe Juanita 9702 N.E. 120th Place, Kirkland, 425-823-1505. Despite the fact that Holly Smith has won every accolade imaginable, including a spot on the 2006 Gourmet list of best restaurants in America, her kitchen delivered one of the worst dishes I’ve eaten in months: rabbit with chanterelles and a chickpea-flour crepe. The roast loin was sublime, but the braised leg and sauce (made from the reduced braising liquid) was salted so heavily that it stung my tongue; I even shied away from my favorite mushrooms, which were saturated with sauce. I felt so guilty for not having sent the dish back and given the kitchen another chance that I returned a few weeks later. On visit two, no one dish was so appalling, but again, all the meats were succulently roasted, and every sauce and risotto salted beyond reason, which means that someone in the kitchen is not tasting his or her food. Despite the perfection of a green bean salad dressed in creme fraiche and pastry chef Sara Novesky’s sensual olive-oil gelato (one of the most memorable desserts I tried), I was left hoping that Smith would remedy the problem fast instead of letting Cafe Juanita coast on its reputation. $$$
Hector’s Restaurant 112 Lake St. S., Kirkland, 425-827-4811. It’s easy to pass Hector’s without a second glance, given the array of more attractive restaurants and boutiques that make up downtown Kirkland. But you’d be wise to skip them in favor of this peculiarly charming gem. Hector’s exposed-brick walls, funky furniture, and carpeting are similar to what you’d find at a retirement home, albeit an expensive one. (This is Kirkland, after all.) The restaurant specializes in gussied-up variations on American comfort food; standouts include the tenderloin beef stroganoff and the crab havarti melt with sweet-potato fries. Hector’s menu changes with the time of day. But if you ask nicely enough, your waitress can probably swing putting through a croque madame dinner order. $$
Trellis 220 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-284-5900. Stepping up to the locavore challenge, Trellis’ chef, Brian Scheehser, farms a three-acre patch of land that provides him with a quarter of his fruits and vegetables (such as a “two-hour salad” whisked from farm to table). The restaurant fights back commendably against its setting—a chi-chi hotel on a heavily-trafficked Kirkland street. Even as halogen car headlamps rake across the room, even as other diners attend to their BlackBerrys, the plate commands your attention. Delicate Pink Lady apple shavings nicely punctuate a blue-cheese salad starter; a tomato soup holds its texture, with enough bite to make pepper superfluous; and a pan-seared salmon with an apple glace is a marquee dish. $$$
Mercer Island
Roanoke Inn 1825 72nd Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, 232-0800. This speakeasy-turned-tavern is set in an upscale Mercer Island neighborhood, incongruously enough that some years back a couple of cranky NIMBYs tried to shut the old place down, as if it were an irritating anachronism rather than the soul of the island. Fortunately, residents rallied and the 1914 state landmark was saved. Not far from the I-90 floating bridges, and long catering to cross-lake travelers, it’s a great place for Eastsiders and Seattleites to meet halfway. The menu offers classic tavern food—a hefty French dip, giant burritos, and the two-thirds-pound Rowy Roanoke burger with cheese and ham. $
Woodinville
Chan’s Place 14203 N.E. Woodinville-Duvall Road, Woodinville, 425-483-2223. This is Chinese for Americans: familiar faves and MSG (you can order without). For starters, try the beef skewers or the chicken broth loaded with greens and prawns. For dinner, try the orange beef or the delicately sauced Emerald scallops. And don’t overlook the tasty General Tso’s chicken. $
Gobble 13300 NE 175th St., Woodinville, 425-486-1486. Boston Market in 2012 set a sales record on Thanksgiving, news which undoubtedly pleased Adam Gold, who months earlier opened a turkey-and-sides operation that uses a similar format. After a rough opening period, Gold decided not to open on Thanksgiving during its first holiday season, but the well-meaning restaurant sells mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, mac-and-cheese—and turkey in every possible configuration—every other day of the year.
