We don’t go bonkers for brunch. Why pay ten, fifteen bucks for someone else’s spin on eggs or bubbling of batter when we can easily cook that stuff at home? But friends recently came to visit from Japan and wanted to take us out for a meal before dashing off to their next destination. Time was short, so we needed a quiet, comfortable place in walking distance of our Queen Anne location. The 5 Spot:......

You’ve got free passes for the blockbuster-to-be that’s previewing at Pacific Place. The movie starts at 7:00, but there’s sure to be an overflow crowd, which means the line will start snaking its way around the top floor of the mall well before 6:30. You need to stay close. Yet your stomach is growling, though there’s no time for a full meal; besides, you’re on a budget. (Todai is too much on both accounts.) What......

Admittedly, we were skeptical. We thought about turning back. In fact, we felt almost forced to turn back by the smoke in the casino. “Isn’t that where the outlet mall is?” we wondered, when Tulalip Bay invited us in for dinner. Not exactly our crowd. Nor was the gathering of somewhat zany, frequently zombie-like people playing the slots and such, puffing away at their cigarettes. This was starting to feel like a big gamble. We......

It was a big deal: Morton’s invited us in to sample some of their food. Yes, Morton’s—the big chain, serving steak coast to coast. The whole affair started with a big menu presentation. The server brought a big cart to the table and essentially walked through the menu options, offering a visual display of meat cuts, vegetables, and more. What we remember most were a big lobster (averaging four pounds that evening) and a big......

This Seattlest is heading east for a long trip that will ultimately end in Nova Scotia—which is famous for lox. And that reminds us of the salmon-filled dinner that Oceanaire Seafood Room recently prepared for us. Nice setting, nice people, and a nice variety of preparations. We enjoyed all the dishes, but interestingly, our favorite was uncooked; the sashimi offered the best salmon taste, and the pickled vegetables were a great accompaniment. On either coast,......

We thought we’d offer a quick look back at the Sunset Supper, which we previewed a few weeks ago and then attended. Actually, our view much of the evening was what you see in the photograph: the backs of a bunch of people standing in line. We like this event, as it’s for a great cause. And it’s a great way to sample some fabulous food from the area’s greatest chefs. Highlights this year: Andaluca’s......

August 15 in Italy is Ferragosto, a holiday in which many Italians head to the beach and go to festivals featuring parades, music, food, and fireworks. Last weekend, Osteria La Spiga brought this festival off the streets and into its restaurant, and served up a whole pig as part of its party. We hear a wide variety of opinions about Spiga, but can solidly state that they do this kind of event very well,......

How much do we love Joule? We don’t dare try to count the ways. At some point, we’ll talk about the regular menu, in which even butter comes in a choice of flavors—including bacon and seaweed. But for now we’d like to highlight one particular item from this summer’s Urban BBQ Series. As previously mentioned, chef/owners Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi planned a different theme that would offer a variety of grilled dishes each......

We went for the Widow Maker. We lived to tell about the healthier halibut. But let’s back up a bit. bin vivant (yes, the name and lowercase letters are awkward), the new restaurant in Kirkland’s Woodmark Hotel, recently invited Seattlest to its opening party, where underseasoned scallops surprised us. So upon being called back for a more formal dinner, the kitchen, seeking a second chance, immediately sent out its vanilla cognac scallops and awaited a......

Seattlest already gave you the scoop on the opening of Olivar. So what about the food? Chef Philippe Thomelin chatted with us while preparing some of his favorite dishes. We discussed how the Tortilla Española (potato omelet with caramelized onion) is a gauge of his skills, much like tamagoyaki is a test of a sushi chef’s skills. Tamagoyaki isn’t fish, but if the chef can’t master it, many will walk out, giving the chef a......

For a first visit to El Gaucho, everything went pretty much as expected. We went right at the opening (note: during the 5 p.m.-6 p.m. "Power Hour," food from the bar menu is half-price when you sit at the bar or in the piano lounge) and spent the first ten minutes adjusting our eyes to the darkness. You’ll want to use the flashlight they provide to read the menu. El Gaucho is a perfect place......

Despite early afternoon plans to consume diabetes-defying amounts of truffles and other treats at the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon (resulting in a complete chocolate coma), Seattlest remained committed to the weekly "Dishin'" review and reported to Boat Street Café for brunch yesterday. We hadn’t been to Boat Street since back in the days when it was located on, well, Boat Street. Now in a unique location on lower Queen Anne, the café remains a......

The Tour de France is underway; combined with the 4th of July weekend, it seemed like a great time to check out Chipotle’s Le Burrito. Seattlest has already documented Chipotle’s spread in Seattle and involvement with the Tour de France in sponsoring Team Garmin-Chipotle—which includes local cyclist Tyler Farrar. We were game to "eat like a world-class athlete" and celebrate the team by trying Le Burrito, available July 5-27 to coincide with the Tour.......

Per the dictionary definition, a tidbit is a delicate or tender morsel of food…a choice or pleasing bit. Tidbit, the north Capitol Hill restaurant that’s Italian meets Spanish in a non-fusion fashion, offered us tidbits aplenty during a recent visit. And it was in the tidbits called tapas that we found our favorites—with carryover to other parts of the menu. Owners John van Deinse and Nicola Longo are welcoming and as warm as the orange......

Last week, we described a soup-er stay at Alderbrook Resort & Spa. This week, we met Soup-erman—a chef who really loves to make soup. As we’ve turned the corner into summer and the weather is warming (at least a bit), what is it about soup that’s captured our attention? Too many diners overlook salad and especially soup in order to focus on entrees and desserts. But soup is, like they say, good food. It’s comforting,......

We recently had an opportunity to head out to the Hood Canal for an overnight stay at Alderbrook Resort & Spa. It’s a nice escape less than two hours from Seattle, either driving by car, or hopping on the Bremerton Ferry part of the way (which we recommend eastbound for the return view of the city). As grand as the lodge is, the view from behind is even better, especially when the sun—and therefore the......

After our unfortunate Bourdain/Bizarre-Foods-like bug-eating bungle, we were determined to go back to Federal Way (known to some as South Korea, who refer to Edmonds/Lynnwood/Shoreline as North Korea) for a more satisfying Korean food experience. Friends recently told us about eating naeng-myeon. So, noodleheads that we are, we had a hankering and had to have it. At Kokiri Korean Restaurant, we tried two types of naeng-myeon. Both are described as "freshly pulled potato noodles"......

Last week we raved about how much we love “the other parts of a pig,” and documented the many times we’ve been asked “Can you really eat that?” This time around, we went to Szechuan Bean Flower and insisted on eating something from the Chinese menu. Server Ben obliged us with a walk through each of the items, the last of which was, in his words, “simply guts.” We saw the same Chinese characters on......

Dishin' is always lookin' for soul food and a place to eat. Usually Asian food. Often Chinese. The problem: the best, most authentic dishes are usually on the Chinese menu, and unless someone reads Chinese characters, it’s either point-and-order, or be stuck with what’s on the English menu. We appreciate that Bamboo Garden in Bellevue struggled with this issue. First they put everything on the English menu, but when the descriptions of some good dishes......

We’ve been slurping down news of all the new Japanese noodle shops in Seattle. Samurai Noodle’s pretty good; people like it enough that they’ve got a second location. The noodles themselves are better at Kaname, but the broth is lacking. And we’ve heard some good things about Boom Noodle, though our Japanese friends tell us the ramen is disappointing. As we hear more and more about great noodles in New York, LA, and Vancouver,......

The fine folks at The Four Swallows invited us over (by over, we mean across Puget Sound) for some supper. Saturday was a superb day for a ferry ride, and after a short stroll through town, we reached the farmhouse that’s been home to the restaurant for 16 years. Inside, it’s quaint and charming, with the staff adding to the warmth of the home. The menu changes daily, tilting a bit toward Italian, but reflecting......

We’d been hearing a lot about the new KFC (Korean fried chicken), so we took a drive down to Federal Way (with its little Koreatown) to sample some at Cockatoo’s Chicken Restaurant—a place that, once you find it, is basically a bar with a snack menu. You might think we were drunk, but really it was a case of brain-lock induced by being lost in the Korean-ness of it all. Having ordered some deep-fried wings......

We’ve sung Green Leaf’s praises in the past, and it’s still one of our favorites with fabulous food and sweet service. This time, we especially enjoyed the vermicelli with grilled beef in lop leaf. But what’s that in the background of the photo? Is that a nautical theme? Our beloved Green Leaf closed for a couple of weeks to expand to the second floor, and the new décor has many bewildered. Floral carpet? Chunky wood......

First there was the 25 for $25. That became 30 for $30. (Okay, it’s actually called Dine Around Seattle, and you can cash in on it through the end of this month.) Then came another 30 for $30 called New Urban Eats, featuring newly opened restaurants. That will return in May. But between now and then comes an all-new 25 for $25 known as Seasoned Seattle. Throughout the month of April, choose a restaurant, and......