Rest of my Restaurant Challenge

After realizing there's only 9 days left in 2011, I decided I better group some of my restaurant posts together since I'm a bit behind.

Restaurant #18 - La Isla

This cozy little Puerto Rican restaurant is in Ballard. My husband and I headed here after our 2-hour long engagement session with our photographers, famished from smiling our little hearts out, and devoured everything they put in front of us. Seasoned shredded beef, rice and beans, tostones, it was all delicious!

Restaurant #19 - Grace Kitchen

The latest stop-n-shop restaurant addition to one of Seattle's premier outdoor malls - University Village. My husband and I popped in here during a pre-wedding shopping extravaganza, tying up loose ends before our big day! We snacked on the green goddess salad, dill deviled eggs, and mac 'n cheese and left without any complaints!

#20 Pho Tic Tac

My girlfriends and I all had the sniffles and headed here one rainy evening to warm up over delicious chicken pho. With pho - you can either get it really right or really wrong. This place gets it right. Enough said.

#21 - La Bete

This place is a hidden gem nestled in the midst and parking-impossible neighborhood of Capitol Hill - how did I never know it existed before now? My friend Moira and I dined here one evening and ordered a smattering of inventive dishes; arctic char with fennel and persimmons, roasted chicken with mushrooms and farro, and to finish the meal - coconut doughnuts, can you say yum?

#22 - Book Bindery

This may be one of my favorite restaurants from my 2011 challenge - so I saved the "best" for last. Book Bindery came highly recommended by a few friends. We stopped in on a Monday night at 5:30 under the assumption that there would be a table open. Um..think again. Apparently this is a reservation-required kind of place, but luckily we snagged 3 spots at the bar and decided to be casual and dine there instead. Everything was a-mazing; the cocktails, the appetizers, the entrees - seriously, I almost licked the truffle risotto bowl clean. A little pricy on my pocketbook but ultimately worth the cuisine and the company :)

#23 - Meza

Meza is shared tapas and Venezuelan inspired food, champagne margaritas, and paella - all wrapped up in a nook on Capitol Hill. My friends and I cozied up together in a booth and devoured our small plates. Also a good pic for those with allergies - as their arepitas (kind of like a crispy, light tortilla) are gluten free.

#24 - Nickerson Street Saloon

Decent bar food, and fantastic location on a sunny day!

#25 - Emmer & Rye

Decent brunch, adorable interior, but not my fave...

And just for kicks, even though I already met my 25 restaurants in 2011 goal for Seattle- I wanted to include one more...in nearby Portland.

#26 - Pok Pok, Portland

THE BEST! Eat here, come early, lines are long!

Phew...that was delicious but exhausting...

#17 - Phoenecia

#16 - Skillet Diner

#15 - Revel

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #17 - Phoenecia

My husband and I headed to Phoenecia in late summer, per my friend's recommendation. Set in the cozy, walkable neighborhood of West Seattle, we decided to make the most of a beautiful day and make an evening of it.

Phoenecia is a family run restaurant (which made me like it immediately) and specializes in "artisanal pizza" and tapas, despite its Greek name. Though my gluten-free friend had raved about the tapas - it was really the pizza that won us over. The chewy but crispy crust was phenomenal, and the crimini mushroom-truffle oil toppings weren't half bad either!

We ordered some wine, enjoyed the sunset, and had ourselves a time!

Restaurant Challenge 2011

#17 - Phoenecia

#16 - Skillet Diner

#15 - Revel

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #16 - Skillet Diner

I've realized that as we're about to enter December, I'm a bit behind on my restaurant posting. Fear not, I have been trying out many new restaurants, just slacking in the posting department. One new fave restaurant I enjoyed with two girlfriends was Skillet Diner - the stable, immobile spinoff of one of Seattle's favorite food trucks (Skillet).

This food is not for the faint of heart, it's rich, packed with creams, cheese, and rich sauces of all kinds. In a word - glorious! I enjoyed the burger complete with bacon jam, creamy bleu cheese, and arugula...heaven! Although I was quite tempted by pretty much everyone on the menu, especially the mac 'n cheese, southern fried chicken, and "ultimate" grilled cheese. See what I mean about rich cheesy goodness? My personal belief is life's too short, and you can never go wrong with comfort food.

If you're in the market for some down home (delicious) cooking - hit up Skillet diner or chase down the food truck. Believe me, you won't be sorry!!

25 New Restaurants in 2011

#16 - Skillet Diner

#15 - Revel

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

Restaurant #15 - Revel

Revel is one of Seattle's most talked about new restaurants, a casual "street food" inspired Korean restaurant. A few of my girlfriends had been before and raved about the experience and the affordable price tag for the superb meal they received. Revel has always been the recipient of rave reviews from pretty much everywhere, but most importantly by NY Times food critic, Frank Bruni. So given the press and rave reviews - we had to go!!

Revel did deliver and was quite the meal. My 7 friends and I ordered a smattering of plates, pancakes with pork belly, a sizable meat platter, pork belly noodles, rice bowls with spicy sauced up veggies, pretty much half the menu one could say, and devour it we did! The food was delectable, and a lovely mix of flavors, this is definitely not your typical Seattle Asian restaurant. I was especially impressed by the low price tag for the wow-factor food we consumed.

Definitely a must-try (and a repeated eatery) in Seattle!

25 New Restaurants in 2011

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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True Blood Nights

Are you a True Blood fan? I jumped on the vampire bandwagon back when the Twilight books debuted. So when this risqué HBO show came along, I was totally game. However, since I don't actually have HBO, I've had to make other arrangements.

Two of my sorority sisters and I have thus begun "True Blood nights," entailing gourmet take-out pizza, red wine, and a few episodes of True Blood. Its becoming a great little tradition. Recently, we discovered that our fave pizza place, Zaw, offers deluxe chocolate chip cookies, which we now giggle and call "Sookie cookies," after the main character of True Blood. Yeah, we are that cool.

Occasionally to splurge, we mix it up. On one of our "True Blood Nights," we hit up a new Cajun restaurant in Ballard - Le Bon Ton Roule (new restaurant #15 for me) for some spicy po'boys and oysters. Quite a fitting pre-show eatery, since True Blood takes place in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Do you watch your fave shows with friends? It's one of my fave traditions, and a great excuse to hang out and see your favorite people.

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Restaurants #13 and #14 - Carmelita & The Yard

This time I managed to tackle two birds with one stone, a.k.a. two restaurants in one night. First, for girls dinner, my friends and I headed to Carmelita, a vegetarian restaurant in chill Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. We picked this destination, partly because we were feeling like we craving a lighter, healthier meal, and partly its location. Carmelita is located on Greenwood Ave. a street peppered with a casual bar/pub scene, equating to walkable fun for us! Dinner was good, but nothing had that standout *wow* factor. Funnily enough, all 6 of us ordered entrees that were all green in color - very fitting for a veg restaurant.

However, the highlight of the evening was our jaunt down the hill to The Yard, a casual outdoor cafe with quality Mexican food and a stellar beer and cider selection. We nabbed the "nook" table, which was perfect for gossiping and girl time.

Restaurant Recap. 14 Down, 11 to Go!

#14 - The Yard

#13 - Carmelita

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #12 - Ravish

Just about halfway through my restaurant challenge, dining at 25 new Seattle restaurants in 2011! My 12th stop, a few weeks ago was Ravish, the newbie restaurant born from the popular catering company Ravishing Radish. One of my besties Jody and I headed here on a low key Saturday evening to catch up, eat good food, and drink good wine. It was the perfect place! The decor was darling; soft grey walls, mismatched spring green tables and chairs, bud vases, and glassybaby votives. Even the bathroom was stylish and chic, with white subway tiles and silver furnishings.

We split a smattering of small plates; seasonal roasted vegetables, the soup du jour, organic pigs in a blanket, everything was delicious!

Restaurant List

#12 - Ravish

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #11 - Luc

Luc is the French-American little sister of Seattle's premiere French restaurant Rover's, home to the famous by the "chef in the hat," Thierry Rautureau. Luc is a warm, cozy little haunt in Madison Park, one of my favorite Seattle neighborhoods. I came here one weeknight with my friend and former colleague Moira to have some good food + wine, and catch up on each others lives.

We split the scallops for an appetizer, and I ordered the boeuf bourguignon as my entree. While it wasn't quite Julia Child's, is was rich and utterly scrumptious. We ended the meal splitting the rhubarb clafoutis (a creamy rhubarb custard). I left perfectly stuffed! All in all - a great little place to eat, I'll definitely dine here again!

Restaurant Rap Sheet

#11 - Luc

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #10 - Umi Sake House

Umi Sake House may officially be my new favorite happy hour. I've been wanting to try this Belltown haunt for ages now, and I was not disappointed. First off, happy hour is from 4-8 Monday-Friday, that might just be the longest HH in Seattle!

My friend and I dined on spicy tuna roll, unagi roll, spider roll, and Seattle crunch roll (salmon, avocado, cream cheese in tempura)...so delicious! Capped off with cold sake and red wine, it was a superb meal. Now that's what I call a happy hour!

Can't wait to make it back here!

Restaurant Challenge so far

#10 - Umi Sake House

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

* 10 new restaurants down, 15 to go!

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Restaurant #9 - Brave Horse Tavern

I visited Brave Horse Tavern on a Wednesday night, and liked it so much, I came back on Friday! Brave Horse is the latest restaurant in the Tom Douglas empire. If you're not familiar with the man, he's a Seattle restaurant guru of sorts. On his resume is another one of my fave Seattle eats - Serious Pie. In a nutshell, his restaurants are warm, inviting, and boast excellent food, and Brave Horse was no different.

Situated in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, the place was crawling with Amazon.com folks during the happy hour rush (it's right across from Amazon's new office). I met up with my dad for some brewskis and dinner. Dinner was decent, but the best part of our meal was the appetizer: chewy soft pretzels with dipping sauces. We sampled the pimento cheese, peanut butter bacon, and sour cream and crispy onion, and man, were they delicious!

Of all the restaurants that I've been to this year, this is probably my favorite thus far, not so much for the food, but for the casual ambiance. Darts, shuffleboard, communal tables, and a slough of beers, you really can't go wrong with that on a low key Friday night.

Restaurant rap sheet:

#9 - Brave Horse Tavern

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #8 - Local 360

Restaurant #8 on my challenge to experience new flavors in Seattle's culinary scene was Local 360. This Belltown restaurant has joined Seattle's local, sustainable movement and boasts a manifesto that all ingredients used are locally sourced within 360 miles of Seattle.

My friend and fellow blogger Carol had eaten here previously and had rave reviews, so it was definitely on my list of places to try.

I met here for happy hour with girlfriends, and we ordered the peanut butter bon bons to share. You really can't go wrong with deep fried peanut butter, right? Oh - and don't forget they come with a splash of fruity jelly and shot of whole milk! Overall the drinks were refreshing, the snacks were quality (albeit a tad on the greasy side for my taste), and I'd be interested in coming back here to sample the best the dinner menu has to offer.

My new restaurant rap sheet thus far...

#8 - Local 360

#7 - Mr. Gyros

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #7 - Mr. Gyros

Hello Mr. Gyros! My fiance had been raving about this place for ages, but somehow I resisted. Until recently, I'd never been a big gyro fan to begin with, so I was a bit hesitant to jump on the Mr. Gyros bandwagon. But after hearing a smattering of friends echo the praises my fiance had been singing, I finally gave in.

One visit later, a lamb gyro for him and a falafel sandwich for me, and a heaping plate of feta cheese fries. Say no more. I'm officially a convert! Now, I can't even remember why I waited so long!

Here's my restaurant challenge rap sheet so far...7 new restaurants in '11 and still going strong!

#6 - Plaka Estiatorio

#5 - La Casa del Mojito

#4 - Po Dog

#3 - Long Provincial

#2 - Nishino

#1 - June

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Restaurant #6 - Plaka Estiatorio

I'm falling behind on my new restaurant posts. So here goes...my latest new restaurant endeavor was in early March to celebrate my Mom's birthday. My fiance and I treated her to a birthday dinner at Ballard's newest Greek latest new restaurant - Plaka Estiatorio.

I love Greek food and try and indulge in it often. We started off dinner with a superb "voutes" (dip) platter with hummus, tzatziki, and roasted red peppers with feta. Can you say...yum! Each dip was bold and full of robust flavor, and we quickly gobbled up all our pita bread and needed a refill. If given the chance, I probably could have eaten these alone all night.

We also ordered spanakopita (my favorite) which was flaky, golden, and delish. Following by lemony roasted chicken and lamp chops for entrees - split between the three of us. The chicken was enormous, literally an entire chicken wading amidst a lemony jus and oregano roasted potatoes. While the chicken was moist, it was mostly dark meat (not my fave), so I invested my energies into the potatoes while my fiance assumed responsibility of devouring the chicken.

Overall a cute little place right in the heart of Ballard. Great eats, and given the number of Greek grandmas and grandpas dining alongside us, I'd say the food was pretty authentic. Can't wait to come back again!

New Seattle Restaurants Tried in 2011

1. June

2. Nishino

3. Long Provincial

4. Po Dog

5. La Casa del Mojito

6. Plaka Estiatorio

Where should I go next?

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Restaurant #5 - La Casa del Mojito

Restaurant #5 in my new restaurants challenge might be my best find thus far. La Casa del Mojito in North Seattle's hidden gem. I'm baffled that not only had I never been here before, I'd never ever heard of this place! This is THE perfect little place to duck out of Seattle's gray, cold weather and enjoy some savory Latin American fare. The walls inside are painted vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and green, you can feel the warmth radiating throughout this cozy restaurant.

Most of my friends ordered the Parilla Luigi (pictured above); lime marinated steak, tostones, black beans and rice, and an amazing guacamole-like concoction. I ordered a traditional Argentinean dish which while not as aesthetically pleasing was quite delicious! Paired with some slamming mojitos and beers, we had ourselves quite a delicious night!

New Seattle Restaurants Tried in 2011

1. June

2. Nishino

3. Long Provincial

4. Po Dog

5. La Casa del Mojito

Where should I go next?

Hot Dog of a Valentine's Day

My fiance and I have a tradition of doing a low-key night out for Valentine's Day, which I love! Throughout most of HS and college, I've spent many a Valentine's Day single. Rather than chocolates, roses, and the like, I'd spend my lovey dovey night watching movies or doing takeout with my best girlfriends as opposed to a significant other in years past, I appreciate all the pink and red of the holiday but was never big about going out for a fancy Valentine's night meal.

Therefore, B & I have started our own tradition - a casual dinner and a movie. Two years ago we dined at our favorite burger joint - Red Mill, last year we were in Cabo and enjoyed nachos and fish tacos on the beach, and this year we hit up Po Dog in the University District. (Added bonus: this counts are New Restaurant #4 in my restaurant challenge!)

They have every kind of crazy hot dog you can imagine - mac & cheese, PB & J dog, fajitas dog, even a wasabi-egg roll dog. We tried some unique dogs, but we were not THAT adventurous.

French fries and deep fried pickles to start.

My Dub-T dog; cheese sauce layered with crushed potato chips, ketchup, and mustard. The potato chips gave the dog a satisfying crunch, super yummy!

B in true MidWest form ordered the Chicago dog, topped with peppers, onions, tomatoes, spicy deli mustard, and relish. We capped off the evening with The Kings Speech, very good!

Happy Valentine's Day my love!

Restaurant #3 - Long Provincial

My 2011 Seattle restaurant challenge continues! Saturday night was ladies night out! My friends and I headed to Vietnamese restaurant Long Provincial for a delicious family style dinner. We sipped tangerine martinis and guava champagne, and ordered a spread of dishes that were all spectacular! Tamarind tree rolls, beef lemongrass noodles, coconut curry prawns, lily blossom halibut, and the long provincial crepe - delicious! 3 restaurants down, 22 to go!

Here's a recap

1. June

2. Nishino

3. Long Provincial

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Restaurant #2 - Nishino

Well, it's the end of January and I've already been able to dine at 2 new Seattle restaurants (my restaurant challenge, part of my New Year's goals). I better pick up my pace if I'm going to make it to 25 by December!

Restaurant #2 was Nishino, the raved about sushi restaurant in Seattle's Madison Park neighborhood. I was incredibly psyched to dine at Nishino. Ever since I hopped on the sushi bandwagon, I've been a fiend for fish + rice, and this place delivered!

Between my mom, sister, fiance, and I, we ordered a plethora of food; hamachi jalapeno, meguro sashimi, spicy tuna roll, salmon with crispy rice, tempura vegetables, and more...For dessert we had a tempura banana confection with sweet sauce - yum! I'm definitely coming back here.

So here's my rap sheet so far.

Restaurant #1 - June

Restaurant #2 - Nishino

Where to next...Suggestions?

Restaurant #1 - June

One of my goals for 2011 was the try and dine at 25 new restaurants, and I consider "new," to mean, new to me. And guess what, I've already been able to check 1 off my list! I met up with my close girlfriends for a New Year's Day brunch at June, a sweet little eatery located in the cozy neighborhood of Madrona. June is a lunch/dinner spot with a fabulous brunch as well. I figured go big or go home, which felt appropriate after having quite the time New Year's Eve.

I ordered the delicious duck hash, poached egg, and hollendaise sauce. It was sublime! I mean, you really can't go wrong with hollendaise sauce, but this pairing seemed especially YUM!

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