ALSO SERVES: lunch. 2300 Eighth Ave., 206-623-9996. DENNY REGRADE $$
Shiro's
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For a long time, "sushi" in Seattle meant "Shiro's," and an obligatory drive to his modest little restaurant in the dark and scary no-man's-land at 17th and Jackson. Then sushi began to turn big-time, and the powers then in charge of the Washington Plaza decided it was time for Shiro to become a brand. That venture, though interesting, didn't pan out, and just as well, because Shiro Kashiba is not an organization man, and his art is best practiced in classic sushi style, up close and personal, between a master slicer and a crowd of customers on a mutual first-name basis and eager to "buy the chef a drink." I personally think you can get sushi as good or better elsewhere in the city, and for less money; but there's no way to put a price on the pleasure of dining chez Shiro, any more than you can calculate the cash value of a friend. ROGER DOWNEY
2401 Second Ave., 206-443-9844. BELLTOWN $$-$$$ www.shiros.com
Stumbling Goat Bistro
I love a minimal menu like the one at Stumbling Goat. When it's created by the right minds—and when it changes often enough—a menu doesn't need to go on for pages in order to be enticing. By offering just a handful of bistro-style dishes (season-friendly raviolis, herb-scented plates of polenta and fish, and crispy-crust pizzas), owner Erin Fetridge is telling her Phinney Ridge neighbors that they can feel at home there, and it's evident that they do. It's almost like she's opening her refrigerator and saying, "Let me see . . . here's what I could have the crew whip up for you." Now that the cozy space includes a bar and some room for lounging, her liquor cabinet is open, too. LAURA CASSIDY
6722 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-784-3535. PHINNEY RIDGE $$–$$$
Tamarind Tree
When in the International District, it's good to think outside the teriyaki-to-go box. Tamarind Tree's intriguingly extensive menu will lure you deep into the heart of Vietnamese cuisine. Don't be intimidated by the steamed baguette or anything boasting escargot; such items are popular with diners yearning to re-experience the culinary traditions of Vietnam, but they're beginner-friendly, too. Exotic, expressive ingredients are wrapped in impeccably fresh, crispy greens, rolled in rice paper, or employed to lend flavor to steaming white rice. Treat yourself to the turmeric coconut rice cakes or the Tamarind Tree rolls for a delightfully textural opening act. Order whatever entrées your heart desires from the meat-lover and vegetarian-friendly menu. But don't you dare leave without feeling the sweet, creamy crunch of shredded coconut ice cream slide across your palate. EMILY PAGE
ALSO SERVES: lunch. 1036 S. Jackson St., Suite A., 206-860-1404. CHINATOWN/INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT $
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria
It takes impressive inner strength to wait a hungry half hour in a pizza joint while the scent of warm dough teases from the slow kitchen. Enter Tutta Bella's two-minute oven. Your agreeably prompt introduction to the chewy crust and ripe pomodoro'll secure your fidelity. But no devotion is stronger than owner Joe Fugere's. His earnest efforts to reproduce the pizza of Naples earned Tutta Bella a certification of authenticity by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN), an organization of pizzaioli, or pizza makers, keeping Naples' pies pure. What do you care about certificates, though? You care about pizza! Especially because Fugere imports many of his ingredients, the Regina Margherita (Queen Margherita), with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, and the marinara Napoletana, with pomodoro, garlic, oregano, and olive oil (no cheese), boast true Italian flavor for way under the price of a plane ticket. EMILY PAGE
ALSO SERVES: lunch. 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 206-721-3501. COLUMBIA CITY $ www.tuttabellapizza.com
1200 Bistro & Lounge
This class act attracts all that's best about the neighborhood—its casual diversity, its hip contentment, its yen for good food—without falling into the usual traps: courting clientele with attitude, settling for smug service, relaxing into complacent menu offerings. And it's for adults. The always-popular lounge provides a perfect, chatty place to meet for a drink (good bartenders, quality booze), but if you're hungry, haul your friends up to the bistro for some stellar table service (the $13 hanger steak in the bar is mediocre compared to what you'll get for shelling out the extra bucks upstairs). Executive chef Chet Wallenstein excels at varying what you might call extremely high- functioning comfort food—novel salads, lamb shank with squash, pork tenderloin wrapped with bacon—with at least one steadfast classic: braised short ribs so tender you'll want to weep. STEVE WIECKING
1200 E. Pike St., 206-320-1200. CAPITOL HILL. $$$ www.1200bistro.com
UTHAITHANI
The tiny Uthaithani waits, almost hidden, just off Aurora in Shoreline—an unexpected location for a Thai restaurant of such quality. The dining room and kitchen are cozy, and eating there makes you feel like the dinner guest of a family in Thailand. Rather than cram more seating into an even smaller back room, proprietor William Sayner opted to deck it out with a sofa and computer, "you know, if you need to check your e-mails or you're waiting for takeout," he says. All this says nothing of the food, which alone makes this little enclave worth the drive. Try the mouthwateringly delish pork spare ribs, or the tender volcano chicken, which arrives traditional-style: impaled on a metal stake protruding from a wooden plank. It may be out of the way, but go for takeout, and be prepared to change your mind and dine in instead. GRANT BRISSEY
