Duff McKagan’s column runs every Thursday on Reverb.

I’ll preface this column by saying first off I realize these

days we all may have a bit less to

spend, but secondly, we must at least try to spend a little dough, in our town,

on our local vendors.

I am fortunate enough to be able to travel quite a bit. Of

course when I do, I must eat. Some cities (like New York and London) have

absolutely wonderful choices for good food. Most other cities may have a few

good restaurants, but as a whole, suck. We are blessed in this city to have a

veritable plethora of really, really good dining spots. You don’t have to be

independently wealthy to dine out here either; Seattle is the king of cozy,

affordable neighborhood fare. I am now going to highlight a few places that I

dig. Hey, I am certainly not a food critic, just a dude with a couple of

tips…and a column!

My wife and I went and got our Christmas tree this past

weekend at a tree lot on 75th and Northeast 25th (by Eckstein Middle School).

On our way back, we stopped off at Top Pot Doughnuts on Northeast 25th. Now my

wife is a true connoisseur of all things pastry; she now swears that this is

the “hands down best” doughnut place she has EVER been to. Loaded’s producer,

Martin Feveyear, on the other hand, swears by Mighty O’s doughnuts near Greenlake.

I have tasted both and am quite sure that you couldn’t go wrong with either, so

have fun and try both…it’s cheap and they both have great coffee!

I do all of my recording in Wallingford, and therefore spend

a ton of time in that neighborhood. As a result, I have found a few really nice

lunch and dinner spots. Erwin’s is a great spot on North 40th (four blocks east

of Wallingford Ave.) that serves a mean latte while serving up great soup and

the best Chinese chicken salad that I have ever had, all at an affordable price

and with a great vibe. Sea-Thai on 45th (just west of Dick’s) is a new find for

me. Four of us had a dinner of excellent Thai food for about $40…with

appetizers. Chutney’s Indian Cuisine on 45th (across from the Wallingford QFC)

is possibly the best Indian food in town. I think that along this stretch of

45th, either a restaurant has got to be outstanding or it will be gone. The

competition is just too good. If you are in the area and want Pho, try Pho on

the Ave (on University Ave.), cheap as it gets.

Barbecue has long been a favorite of mine, and I would

always look forward to playing gigs in Texas, Kansas City, or anywhere in the

South. Seattle could never even remotely be considered a top destination for

ribs and beans until now: Slim’s Last Chance way down past the Starbucks HQ on

First Ave. is some of the best barbecue that I have eaten anywhere (but beware

of the sassy older waitresses and be careful when you order the “3 Way” from

them!). Ro Ro’s barbecue on Stone Way in east Fremont is another excellent

choice for the ribs and chicken…and sass. (The “hostess” once told me she had a

crush on one of the guys in my band. When I asked which guy, she retorted with

“The one who wears his little sister’s pants!”…priceless.) Both of these joints

are REAL affordable, and I guarantee the quality is second to none. Thank me

later. A good side note: The beans at both of these places make great

ammunition for fart tennis action. And just when you said, “Duff. You’ve done

enough for us already!”

For those of us who have kids and therefore need a

high-mess-without-the-guilt place to eat, may I suggest two: The ever-classic

Ivar’s fish bar off of Northlake Ave. on South Lake Union is of course great.

The seagulls will pick up any unnecessary scraps left on the ground. (My

brother Matt worked there in the 80’s, and witnessed a car come off the I-5

bridge and crash in front of the place. You sick motherfuckers can go down and

perhaps wait for that to happen again.) World Wrapps in U-Village has got

everything from smoothies to “Thai Bowls”…and you clean up after yourself (and

your kids).

Living in L.A. for so long certainly has had its drawbacks

(REALLY bad traffic, smog, assholes, fake motherfuckers, real motherfuckers,

entertainment attorneys, and more smog and assholes), but one thing is

top-shelf there…Mexican food. Seattle never really got it quite right over the

years (although Wenatchee and Yakima most certainly did). Well, this has also

changed now that Senor Moose on Leary Way in Ballard has appeared. This place

does traditional Mexican like I have never quite had. I have a niece from just

outside Mexico City, and she swears that Senor Moose has got it right…real,

real good. Get there early, as they don’t take reservations and there is always

a line.

There is a place in my neck of the woods that my wife Susan

swears by and goes to any chance she has. Pair on Northeast 55th St. is (I

guess) uniquely European. She can’t quite explain where the food is traditional

from, other than it’s a “sort of Swiss Alps” type of food. She said that their

potatoes au gratin are absolutely “sick,” and that if I were to write on cozy

neighborhood joints, I should include this place and it should be at the top.

These past few sentences bear witness as a big ol’ “yes, dear” from me. I will

tell you that she goes to the Duchess Tavern across the street to have a couple

of glasses of wine to wash down the aforementioned potatoes….then we get our

“jiggy” on. Was that too much information? Seriously though, my wife lived in

France and Italy and knows from where she talks when it comes to food!

OK, so now you maybe have a few more bucks to spend after a

relative cut you some weird “guilt check” for Christmas (an old aunt of mine

did this one year for me; I didn’t see what was wrong with me wearing a tuxedo

while she insisted I call my dog “Grandpa” while she took a shower…but I

digress?). My all-time favorite “fancy” place to eat in Seattle is Wild Ginger

on Second Ave. downtown. Order the scallops and you will see what I mean when I

say that this place flat-out kicks some serious gastronomic ass. I think it is

kind of a “pick-up joint” on weekends, but who gives a crap…it’s killer.

So that’s it from me. I hope some of you get a chance to at

least try one of these places. If it sucks, they must have changed owners, or

the cook is smokin’ weed.