The Week in Restaurant Reviews

Tidbit Bistro arancini. Photo by Allecia Vermillion.

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Providence Cicero heads to Edmonds to review late-blooming strip mall spot Five Bistro. Based on the "flickers of excitement in the cooking," she suggests giving chef and Argentina native Facundo Defraia a little more creative license. The menu skips around from carne asada to a pizza crust that "closely rivals Seattle's Serious Pie." [Seattle Times]
Despite its $1 happy hour drink menu, Spanish-Italian Tidbit Bistro on Capitol Hill is not a "let's-get-smashed kinda place," warns Tan Vinh. As for food, stick to the "simple, crunchy bar bites," many priced between $2 and $4. A dollar bill buys you well drinks and surprisingly good table wines. [Seattle Times]
Vinh's doing double duy this week, using the Dining Deals feature to highlight Pho Lily in Burien. While Seattle is rife with good pho joints, this kitschy hole in the wall next to a gas station has one of the best beef broths in the area, says he. [Seattle Times]
Sheehan's review of Jak's Grill in West Seattle provides a stunning example of both his capacity to meander and the fact that deep down he really does know something about food. Jak's has been around for 15 years, serving dry- and wet-aged steaks that are treated with care and significantly cheaper than an upscale steakhouse. [Seattle Weekly]
The Stranger this week re-reviews Primo pizzeria on First Hill; the owners purchased this week's article in the Strangercrombie charity auction. It's a lovely idea, but for the sake of variety let's turn to Bethany Jean Clement's writeup of Showa, the "booze-filled treehouse" Fremont izakaya in the former Chiso Kappo space. There's plenty of sake and Asahi to drink, but the brief menu sounds disappointing. Clement describes a pork belly skewer as "a tragic end for the belly of the pig." Stick to the yakitori and mac and cheese (an unlikely combination to be sure). [The Stranger]