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2305 24th E, 329-8005 Tuesday-Thursday 5-9:30 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday-Monday 5-9 p.m. $6-$14
Having recently expanded into a second large room, Cafe Lago can now better accommodate almost all of its admirers. That's right. Chances are there's going to be a bit of a line, because there's much to appreciate about this Montlake trattoria: its inconspicuous location in a quiet 'hood, its spaciousness, its modern design, its classic checkered floor, its quality Italian cuisine. The establishment makes one of the more handsome Caesars around town, with lengthy leaves of lettuce moistened with a subtle splash of dressing. Baked to perfection in a flaming brick oven, the pizzas—like the exquisite Giardiniere, topped with red onion, roasted red pepper, and fresh basil—are light on the crust, heavy on the flavor. Other plates should not be passed up: The pastas are all homemade, and the gnocchi, coated in a cheesy, creamy tomato sauce, makes it all worth the wait. David Massengill
Cafe Paloma
93 Yesler Way, 405-1920 Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. $4-$6
Talk about irresistible: This Pioneer Square hole-in-the-wall serves scrumptious panini sandwiches and other Mediterranean delicacies in a charming, close-quartered, bric-a-brac-filled space, with Turkish-born proprietor Sedat Uysal—and his able assistants—at the center manning the grill. Paloma is one of those rare lunch spots where fast and cheap meets fresh and savory. The grilled sandwiches come in four equally appealing varieties: eggplant (with roasted pepper and feta), gorgonzola (with spinach and basil), chicken (with caramelized onions and mushrooms), and prosciutto (with mozzarella and tomato); each is accompanied with a tasty side salad of baby greens and made-from-scratch dressing. Other options include homemade soups, stuffed grape leaves, and borek, a sort of spinach pie that's flaky, not mushy. Paloma stays open late on First Thursday Art Walk evenings, when Sedat serves up special dinner creations. I was lucky enough to wander in on the day of Paloma's third anniversary and came away with a free slice of baklava. I can't wait till next year. M.D.F.
Cafe Soleil
1400 34th, 325-1126 Dinner Tuesday-Friday 5:30-9:30 p.m.; brunch Saturday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. $8-$12
The effect of Cafe Soleil's delicate European interior combined with its Bach/Vivaldi soundtrack might make you think that you're in the wrong place, but it really is an Ethiopian restaurant—it's just a fancy one. We started off with a satisfying potato soup, broth-based (instead of cream-based) and flavored with garlic, rosemary, onion, and black pepper. The lamb berberri stew was the star entr饺 deep and heady and garlicky, tender without being gamey, and spicy without being unpleasant about it. The chicken tibes was plain but fine, made of chicken breast slices saut饤 with garlic and onions in a fajita kind of way, and the tomato-y ginger shrimp saut頷as beautifully executed with plenty of ginger. Community eating is the name of the game, so bring friends and order a dish or two per person. Cafe Soleil excels in sauces and the entr饳 are extra saucy—you're supposed to use the injera (big, sour teffe pancakes) to sop it up. Us? There wasn't a drop left when we paid the check. Meg van Huygen
Campagne
86 Pine, 728-2800 Daily 5:30-10 p.m.; after-theater menu until midnight; full bar until 2 a.m. $17-$30
Peter Lewis dreamed of a vine-covered inn in the French countryside, and Campagne was born. The dream lives on just off the courtyard of the Inn at the Market, and has even spawned a junior daydream (bistro-style Cafe Campagne) around the corner. You too may find yourself dreaming of a rural auberge as you peer through the candlelit murk of the richly appointed dining room to read the menu, larded with exotic French culinary terms, or tuck into items like the coarse-ground house p ($8) or richly sauced meat and game dishes (squab in port wine reduction, lamb in anise-scented jus, $25). Still, Campagne has changed in the 15 years since it was founded, and changed for the better. Under current chef Daisley Gordon, dishes draw more imaginatively on tradition and are distinctly lighter—though the signature cassoulet ($22) remains one redoubtable pot o' beans indeed—the better to leave room for the airy delights Lauren Feldman devises daily for dessert. How does "blood orange soup with pink grapefruit-champagne sorbet and tarragon crisps" strike you? R.D.
Canlis
2576 Aurora N, 283-3313 Dinner Monday-Thursday 5:30 p.m.-midnight, Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-midnight $22-$50
You can't ignore Canlis' service: Always polite, smooth as silk—it's absolutely top-notch. You can't really argue with a place that has your car waiting after your meal (and that treats even the dingiest chariots with the utmost respect), can you? Canlis is like a luxurious warm blanket you drape over yourself when you want to feel taken care of. Once inside this gustatory haven, swathed in firelight and comforting wood tones perched fabulously above Lake Union, you're in for a treat. Amidst the murmurs of pleased customers and the tinkling piano from the bar, prepare to be swept away by chef Greg Atkinson's fresh, confident fare, like the fail-safe Wasyugyu tenderloin (a filet of Kobe-style Washington beef) or the pan-saut饤 crab legs with shrimp butter, red chiles, garlic, and lime. Appetizers hit the taste buds just right, too, with offerings such as scallops with lime and spice-rubbed calamari. Wanna revel in being one of the pampered hoi polloi? Here you go. Did we mention the Zenlike women's rest room, complete with waterfall? E.B.R.
Capitol Club
