* new restaurant
Lulu's
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LA VIAGRA MARINA*
[Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer forced the humble South Park Mexican restaurant La Viagra Marina to change its nameit is now called El Vagre Marino, which means, obscurely, "catfish of the sea."]
Apparently Viagra means Viagra the world over; the seafood that dominates the menu at La Viagra Marina amounts to nature's own version. Owner Salvador Hernandez, founder of many local Mexico-flavored businesses over the last 10 years, has now created La Viagra, the climax of his endeavors. The neighborhood's unofficial meeting place, Viagra's green serape-lined booths are frequently filled with patrons eating heartily and speaking Spanish. The salsa is bright, bracing, chunky cilantro perfection on crispy homemade chips in bottomless supply. Crab, shrimp, octopus, and clam soup is a smash; served in a huge bowl, it could feed two or three. In the land-food category, a big brimming bowl of goat meat in its own juices is stupendous—quit cringing, Anglos: This classic dish features pot roast-moist meat, just dying to flop off the bone. The huge carne asada burrito is likewise super, stuffed to bulging with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, onions, and luscious marinated meat. The hits are amazing, and you'll feel like you've flown to Puerto Vallarta or, at least, San Francisco's Mission District for the evening. When's the last time you felt that way in Seattle? K.R.
8607 14th St., 762-9308. Lunch & dinner every day. SOUTH PARK $
LE GOURMAND
The exterior of this Ballard landmark is a little forbidding—is it ever open? Why are the blinds always closed? But inside you'll find the perfect setting to celebrate romance: gauze-draped lamps, cozy pillows, quiet jazz, crisp linens, and a sweetly pastel mural. Along with unhurried, professional service and simply outstanding food, you'll discover an impressive wine list and the joys of relaxed dining. Dinners can last several hours, so it may not be the best choice for a first date: Faced with a minimum of three courses, you might run out of conversation before dessert arrives. The menu changes seasonally, and the price listed next to the entr饠includes vegetables, an appetizer, and a small flower-strewn salad. Starters range from blintzes filled with delicately sweet Sally Jackson cheese to a generous portion of mussels in a buttery wine sauce. The thick-cut pork chop with rhubarb and hazelnuts was a juicy and most springlike main dish, while a nightly special of fork-tender venison chops accompanied by Oregon black truffles was pleasantly rich and earthy. Desserts include a wide range of house-made frozen treats; the profiteroles are filled with a rich vanilla ice cream and drizzled with a decadent combination of delicate caramel and rich milk chocolate sauces. Time permitting, Chef Bruce Naftaly will wander forth from his kitchen to chat, a friendly, personal ending to a magnificent meal. J.L.
425 N.W. Market, 784-3463. Dinner only, closed Sun.-Tues. BALLARD $$$
LULU'S*
Come here and sit down. Have a martini. Here's a little secret for you, friend: Lulu's. Hidden in plain sight on the edge of Pioneer Square's frat-bar hell, Lulu's is your new favorite place for a glass of wine or a well-mixed drink and a gorgeous plate of food, in the sort of low-key swank surroundings you thought you could only find at the Alibi Room. The room is high-ceilinged, nice and dim, sophisticated without being overly styley; in the open kitchen off to one side, Lois Pierris (of Serafina, among other fame) prepares creative Mediterraneanish food that is both fantastic and a fantastic value. Bring a date or a friend and share a plate of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and basil pesto in a balsamic reduction with grilled bread, or the perfectly cooked spicy prawns, or delicious potato and zucchini latkes, or one of a number of salads with nice fruit counterpoints. If you're very hungry, pastas come in big portions in neat, gigantic bowls; the chicken and roasted garlic linguine is amazing. Later in the evening Lulu's turns into a club that puts the rest of P. Square to shame, with selected dishes available till 1 a.m. for your snacking-while-drinking pleasure. B.J.C.
421 Second, Ext S, 342-9457. Dinner only; closed Sun. & Mon. PIONEER SQUARE $-$$
LUSH LIFE
Ah, venison. Young, supple, velvety venison, who once was a breathing, blinking doe. Who once ran, lithe and full of life, through lush fields of green. Who once drank with soft doe lips from a freshwater stream and danced on frozen ponds. And who now presents her flesh, her flank, out of context and in devourable fashion: sliced thick, medium rare, with a steak knife. She's the star of dinner at Lush Life—if you can get her (she's a special)—but plenty of other creatures are, if not celebrities, noteworthy: buttery monkfish with almonds and lentil-barley pilaf; rosemary and sage free-range chicken over creamy polenta and chard. Menu items read classic Italian—carpaccio, pizza con salsiccia, spaghetti al gamberi—but many preparations are untraditional and inspired: pear vinaigrette and pistachios on the baby spinach salad, seared ahi on the antipasto platter. Owing to the steely sexiness of the place, and its proximity to local indie-rock venues of fame and infamy, real stars, too, may be in attendance. Hey, isn't that Nick Licata flirting with that woman in the bar? C.F.
