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 #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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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 #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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Birthday Brunch

Since my fiance is becoming quite the foodie, so it was only fitting that on his birthday, we head to a restaurant guaranteed to deliver delicious cuisine. Kingfish Cafe is a restaurant serving up Southern food and hospitality, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The perfect spot for a sunny Saturday brunch. Dining here was a subtle flashback to our recent trip to New Orleans and the glory that is Southern food.

The brunch at Kingfish amazingly rich and filling - so if you go, definitely go hungry! We ordered the crabcake dewey with herbed hollendaise and good glory grits for the birthday boy. All in all, a great start to a great day.

B enjoyed the rest of the rest of his birthday inviting a few friends over to hang out, juggling a few rounds of cornhole in our yard with the March Madness tournament. As dusk settled in, we ordered pizzas and headed to our local watering hole for some Big Buck Hunter and shuffleboard. This was literally his perfect birthday; easygoing afternoon, sports, and good friends.

A Little Bit of Ethiopia

I realized I forgot to blog about a unique dining experience I had a few weeks ago. My mom and I, in an effort to be adventurous, tried out an Ethiopian restaurant, Habesha in downtown Seattle. With both of us being new to Ethiopian food, I wasn't sure what to expect. While I'd heard of "injera," spongy bread that's used as the primary eating utensil, I'd never tried it myself.

The "injera" is quite a tool, it's spongy, absorbent, and incredibly durable. It soaks up stews and liquid without breaking or softening like most breads would. It serves as the utensils in lieu of a spoon or fork. Well, eating with our hands was something that took a little getting used to. At one point my mom looked around scanning the tables for a stray fork, the same way she does after forfeiting a dining battle to chopsticks.

We ordered a spicy halibut fish dish, and a chicken, vegetable and potato dish seasoned with tumeric. Both were tasty, an interesting and unique blend of spices, but good! It was a fun dining experience, and I'd definitely recommend trying Ethiopian if you haven't had the privilege.

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Too Good To Pass Up

While I realize many of the people who view my blog are not native to Seattle, my latest Seattle dining experience was too impeccable to pass up! The food, ambiance, and service at Monsoon, a cozy, Capitol Hill neighborhood haunt was absolutely amazing! Featuring an inventive blend of traditional Vietnamese food paired with Pacific Northwest touches - Monsoon's menu results in an eclectic, diverse menu of sweet, savory, and spice. Literally every dish my aunt, uncle, and I ate family style was simply wonderful, and I don't feel I can truly make that statement about many establishments. Don't believe me? Check out these rave reviews!

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Dine Around Seattle

My friends and I took advantage of the superb Dine Around Seattle deal this past Thursday evening. The concept behind the name is "30 restaurants for $30," essentially 30 notable Seattle area restaurants participate in offering a gourmet meal-deal: an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $30. Partcipants are eligible to select from 3 options for each course. This Dine Around Seattle program is offered Sundays-Thursdays throughout the month of March (and I believe November as well).

This is extremely exciting for all of us budget-conscious foodies, who would to dine at these fine dining establishments, had we the petty cash to do so. Taking advantage of this opportunity, five of my friends and I ate at the Barking Frog, at Willows Lodge in Woodinville (home of Seattle area wine country). The food was amazing, delicious...everything I hoped it would be, and more! We even managed to order a few glasses of wine and still wrap up the evening in under $50 per person!

Not sure if other cities have similar offerings, but if you happen to frequent our lovely city in March or November, definitely take advantage if you have the appetite!

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Holy Mole

For all you Seattleites and future visitors to our lovely city who love good food, this one's for you! I was inspired to blog about this uber-popular Ballard locale La Carta de Oaxaca by my friend Anna, who blogged about their delicious eats a few weeks ago. Famous for tapas and amazing homemade mole (the rich chocolaty sauce made from chiles native to the Oaxacan region), all I can say is, you really owe your taste buds the privilege!

Unfortunately this cozy neighborhood haunt is no longer a secret, thanks to some rave reviews. My suggestion: go for lunch, or plan on at least a 30 minute wait for dinner (stop in to BalMar down the street for a beverage to tide you over). Enjoy!

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When in Vail

I just returned from a lovely little getaway to the sunny slopes of Vail, Colorado with my family. We spent our days skiing in fresh powder, and nights ambling about town, window shopping and doing some quality eating.Though I perhaps do not fit all the qualifications, I consider myself a foodie. My definition being - I genuinely enjoy food; the aromas, flavors and the delicious samplings of gourmet cuisine. So fellow foodies, When in Vail...dine at Larkspur!The food at Larkspur had inventive flavor combinations, gorgeous presentation, and was undeniably delicious! Check out the menu for a glimpse. Just to share with you a taste, my dining experience began with the blue hubbard squash and gala apple soup, followed by the heritage farm pork chop served with smoked gouda grits and pomegranate-pistachio relish...and we capped off the night with a lovely dark chocolate fondue. Yum!

So, as I said before - when in Vail...INDULGE! Turns out, there's more here than just skiing!

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Hotcake Hot Spot

Inspired by Seattle Metropolitan magazine's latest issue, "Hot Breakfast Spots," my Mom and I popped into Geraldine's Counter, to taste out this recommendation ourselves. This Columbia City neighborhood favorite features diner style decor, and breakfast and lunch cuisine without the grease you'd expect from comfort food. Breakfasts are garnished with thick slices of homemade sourdough toast, and a warm, friendly disposition from the wait staff. I can personally vouch for the avocado and pepperjack omelet, which was delicious!

Also a fun fact newcomers may not know: patrons who pay with cash receive "Geraldine dollars." This Monopoly-esque money is awarded $1 for every $ spent in tax on your meal. These dollars can be saved and cashed in for future dining endeavors at Geraldine's Counter. Frequent this new hot-spot enough, you might be able to swing a free meal! images/SeattleMetropolitan/Geraldine'sCounter

Small Plates

My friend Carla and I celebrated selected new Seattle hot-spot Lark as the location for our birthday dinner. This cozy, neighborhood haunt is run by chef John Sundstrom and features an array of ever changing, delectable small plates - echoing the tradition of tapas but substituting French cuisine. The night was absolute perfection, twelve friends sampling a smattering of plates, laughing, drinking wine, and soaking up the flavor. Just to wet your palate, here are a few samples from our dining experience.

- Ricotta gnudi with roasted squash, pinenuts, currants and brown butter
- Mussels with bacon, apple cider, thyme and cream
- Spanish mackerel with Bomba rice, kale, chorizo and Marcona almond
- Venison chop with baby beets, marble potatoes, red cabbage and rye salt
- Valrhona chocolate cake with almond croquant and coffee ice cream


images and menu (c) Lark, Seattle WA