City of Seattle
Ballard
Firehouse Coffee 2622 N.W. Market St., 784-2911. There’s a kids’ play gym next door (Gymboree) which can be handy or noisy, depending on your need or mood. But it’s a cozy coffeehouse atmosphere, with reliable sandwiches and tasty pastries. $
Wild Mountain Cafe 1408 N.W. 85th St., 297-9453. This woman-owned restaurant was built with love and a social conscience, and is about as homey as they get. All of its charmingly eclectic furniture, kitchen equipment, and dishes are secondhand, and all kitchen scraps and coffee grounds are composted. On top of being environmentally friendly, the home-style comfort food tastes great, too. Irresistible entrees include the honey-kissed, oven-fried chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. $
Belltown
Cutters Bayhouse 2001 Western Ave., 448-4884. If Cutters Bayhouse was located anywhere other than the edge of Pike Place Market, it would probably emerge as a choice lunch spot. Unfortunately, its tame menu of soups and salads can’t compete with what Tom Douglas is smoking across the street or vendors are offering over at the market. But the expansive dining room is sunny and comfortable, and the kitchen’s a veritable crab meat canteen: there’s sweet meat afloat in a winning miso soup, atop an open-faced avocado melt, and mixed into a warm cheesy dip that’s designed to sate tourists’ cravings. $$
Marrakesh 2334 Second Ave., 956-0500. Enter a room that resembles a tent, recline on regal pillows, and watch course after luscious course emerge from the hidden kitchen. Couscous, eaten with the hands, is the humble star of Moroccan cuisine; here you can get it topped with chicken, lamb, or vegetables. The latter two choices are best, since b’steeya royale is a must: a buttery pastry (not unlike phyllo) is wrapped around delicately spiced chicken and toasted almonds. The plate is ringed with powdered sugar, begging the question: sweet or savory? $
Portfolio Restaurant 2600 Alaskan Way, Fifth Floor, 239-2363. Instructors at the Art Institute of Seattle are justly proud of their training kitchen, which—unlike most culinary school cafes—keeps evening hours. But what’s even more unique about Portfolio is the stupendous location: Situated on the sixth floor of an Alaskan Way building, the dining room overlooks the Sound, meaning diners are treated to downtown’s most affordable scenic meal. While the food quality varies depending on how many weeks of study the student chefs have completed, the ingredient quality is excellent, and a brawny pork chop rarely disappoints. $
Capitol Hill
Dinette 1514 E. Olive Way, 328-2282. Dinette’s menu has a whole section devoted to toast. Theirs is made on Columbia City Bakery’s bread; though toppings change weekly or so with the rest of the menu, they usually include a spreadable cheese, a smoked or cured fish or meat, and some sort of seasonal herb or vegetable. The rest of the menu is similarly rustic, comfortably at home between homey and haute, and missteps are rare. Service and atmosphere are both top-notch, making this a can’t-miss spot for Hillsters and visiting foodies. (Get on the mailing list and you can vie for a seat at the restaurant’s bimonthly Sunday Suppers.) $$
Fuel Coffee 610 19th Ave. E., 329-4700. This scrappy little Capitol Hill coffee shop’s patrons are as loyal as the atmosphere is laid-back. Fuel represents the middle ground in Seattle coffee culture: it’s a place for folks who are neither Stumptown nor Starbucks, aficionado or layman. But if ever a roast tastes familiar, it’s because Fuel buys its beans from local roaster Caffe Vita. $
Garage 1130 Broadway Ave., 322-2296. Fancy some beef medallions or grilled wasabi prawns with your pool game? You got it. The liquor-absorbing standbys (fries, pizza) haven’t been forgotten, they’re just augmented with some additions you wouldn’t expect from any place that charges by the hour, like a bell pepper stuffed with Israeli couscous. The atmosphere has the raucous mix of jukebox, television, clacking balls, and tipsy chatter. $
Homegrown 1531 Melrose Ave. E., 682-0935. The Capitol Hill location for this wildly popular casual cafe/sandwich shop carries on its mission of sourcing great ingredients for its lineup of clever creations. The BLT Meatloaf, a signature sammie, is made with grass-fed Thundering Hooves ground chuck. The Reuben Revised stacks Zoe’s pastrami, red wine kraut, and Beecher’s Flagship on toasted onion rye. Oh my. Homegrown’s fried catfish po’ boy is like a trip down South. A selection of seasonal sandwiches focuses sharply on what’s fresh. $
Kimchi Bistro 219 Broadway Ave. E., 323-4472. Hidden so far back in the “Alley” mini-mall that no one would ever stumble upon it, Kimchi Bistro hides its charms away. Its prices are more than fair, and the menu is built around Korean favorites—not just bulgogi and kalbi (Korean barbecue), but spicy soft-tofu soups, crisp, enormous seafood pancakes, and dol sot bibimbop, rice and vegetables that crackle away in an oven-hot stone bowl. The waiters only deliver a half-dozen pickles and other side dishes, far less than tonier places, but they’ll refill your saucer of kimchi as many times as you can stand. $
Queen Sheba 916 E. John St., 322-0852. Sheba is as hidden a gem as you’ll find around Broadway. This intimate spot ladles out solid renditions of Ethiopian cuisine’s most wanted. The requisite vegetable platter is flavorful and generously portioned, while the chicken falls off the bone with ease. Nothing beats hand-feeding your newfound crush before catching a show on the Hill. $
Central District
Meskel 2605 E. Cherry St., 860-1724. Meskel’s big terrace was made for warm summer nights, and the waiters are content to let you while away a few hours over glasses of Harar beer and honey wine. Being rained out is no loss, though, because this Central District restaurant’s warm interior is the perfect place to fortify yourself against the damp with braised meats and spices. Meskel’s kitfo (beef mixed with spiced butter) may not be the city’s best, but the yebeg tibbs (lamb sauteed with onions and chiles) is, and the red lentils and pureed chickpeas on the vegetable combo will leave both vegetarians and omnivores agog. $
Moonlight Cafe 1919 S. Jackson St., 322-3378. There are two menus at this Vietnamese restaurant, one with meat entrees, the other with fake-meat entrees. The vegan menu lists its offerings as though they contained real meat, so bring a steak lover, hide the meat menu, and order the “sesame beef” and wonton soup. The combo appetizer platter shouldn’t be used to trick anyone (although the egg rolls that come on it sure could), the “pork” skewers are fantastic, and the roll-your-own fresh spring rolls are a delicious adventure. $
Columbia City
Columbia City Ale House 4914 Rainier Ave. S., 723-5123. The south end outpost of Jeff Eagan’s chain of good-food-with-good-beer establishments. Expect fine domestic and imported microbrews on draft and simple, hearty food made from fresh seasonal local ingredients. Menu changes weekly. $
Full Tilt Ice Cream 5041 Rainier Ave. S. #101, 226-2740. With its pinball machines and live music, Full Tilt, the handcrafted ice cream parlor that started in White Center and now has locations in the U-District, Ballard, and Columbia City, may be the coolest place to see a show in all of Seattle. You can regularly catch Seattle luminaries like Damien Jurado and Thee Emergency here—check the venue’s MySpace for the show schedule—while drinking $1 beers and eating delicious, custom ice cream flavors from vegan vanilla bean to Sweet Potato Pecan Praline. $
Downtown
Chocolate Box 108 Pine St., 443-3900. Tourists usually aren’t too thick at downtown Seattle’s premier emporium of imported candies, teas, and cocoa mixes, so when you’re done ringing up your $12 ultra- bittersweet bar and tin of cherry-vanilla tea, sit down with a scoop of gelato, a petit four, a lemon bar, or something else yummy from their dessert case. $
Elephant & Castle 1415 Fifth Ave., 624-9977. It’s refreshing sometimes to pretend you’re in town on a business meeting, and too spent at day’s end to venture outside of the hotel. That said, you don’t want to let the fact that you’re away from the wife and kids for two days go to waste entirely; and besides, you’ve got an expense account to burn through. If this is your predicament, you can do far worse than to ingest some shepherd’s pie and microbrews at the downtown Red Lion’s sprawling, British-themed pub. $$
Falafel King 1509 First Ave., 381-0857. This tiny spot’s namesake sandwich contains several extremely well-seasoned patties; if you like them well dressed, you’ll want to ask for extra sauce. The chicken shawarma is full of excellent marinated chicken, lemony and peppery, while the spanakopita is covered in creamy garlic sauce. On a platter of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, hummus, turmeric rice, and salad, the tahini-rich hummus is buttery, not greasy; the bright yellow rice is flavorful and expertly cooked; and the leaves are nice and citrusy. Whatever you order, don’t be surprised if it’s spicy; the flirty guys at the counter go as heavy on the paprika as they do on the compliments. $
Gallery Cafe at the Frye Art Museum 704 Terry Ave., 622-9250. The Frye’s cafe attracts more neighborhood residents and hospital workers than patrons. The outsiders may cast a few glances over the exhibits (entrance is free, after all), but they’re there to pass the lunch hour in the cafe’s serene white rooms, absorbing whatever sunlight Seattle deigns to accept that day and all the seasonal, fresh fare the chef cooks up: daily soups, mixed green salads with house-pickled vegetables, hot sausage or Brie sandwiches on fresh-baked rolls, and toffee bars and Caffe Vita cappuccinos for dessert. $
George’s Sausage and Delicatessen 907 Madison St., 622-1491. For more than 25 years, Janet Lidzbarski and her crew, Polish women in starched whites and fantastic lipstick, have been smoking several types of meats in-house, among them kielbasa, Canadian bacon, three kinds of ham, and kabanosy, a handheld snacking sausage. Aside from the house-made salads and five-mushroom soup, almost everything else that’s on offer inside the immaculate deli case is imported from Germany or Poland. $
Harried and Hungry 1415 Third Ave., 264-7900. At H&H, each box lunch comes with a beverage, a bag of Tim’s Cascade chips, and a cookie. The falafel sandwich puts excellent, disc-shaped patties in a French roll rather than a pita, then covers them with enough hummus, feta cheese, and cucumber and tomato slices to distract you from the strange choice of bread. While the hot salami and provolone is popular, the caprese’s fresh mozzarella and flavorful tomatoes (not enough basil, though) justify making a perfectly reasonable salad into a sandwich. $
The Hunt Club 900 Madison St., 343-6156. The Sorrento Hotel is world class, and its restaurant is a magnet in itself. Dishes like duckling served with braised endive, grilled peaches, and figs are inspired, and the bread pudding is worth a try. The dim lights, upholstered chairs, and white tablecloths make this restaurant magical. A martini or three is a must for dinner. $$$
Shuckers 411 University St. (in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel), 621-1984. Popular with out-of-towners, this restaurant’s menu amounts to a crash course in Pacific Northwest dining. Oysters are baked with Dungeness crab, and morels served alongside the halibut. But it doesn’t take a tourist to appreciate the extraordinarily high quality of food and service here. If your schedule or budget doesn’t permit a full meal, you can shortcut your way by ordering a martini and a half-dozen house-smoked oysters at the classy wood-paneled bar. $$$
Wolfgang Puck Catering 200 University St., 748-7801. Located in Benaroya Hall, this cafe mostly serves lunch to downtown workers on the go, but Puck’s also offers dinner two hours before Benaroya performances on the weekends. Try Puck’s “cream of” soups, especially the mushroom soup with large chunks of shiitake mushrooms, steaming milky broth, and a hint of sherry. The soup pairs perfectly with the mozzarella and white cheddar grilled sourdough sandwich. $
Eastlake & South Lake Union
Pomodoro 2366 Eastlake Ave. E., 324-3160. This Eastlake hideaway serves Italian entrees and Spanish-style tapas. The kitchen juts into the dining room, filling it with a sumptuous garlic aroma. Given the restaurant’s scale, service is incongruously formal: Your waitperson places the napkin in your lap, and palate-cleansing sorbet arrives unbidden between courses. The kitchen doesn’t have the lightest touch with entrees, but tapas like the shiitake and portobello mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and garlic are simple and good. $$
Fremont
Chiso 3520 Fremont Ave. N., 632-3430. Fremont’s Chiso does that one thing that most sushi bars seem to find most daunting: It excels at the basics: perfectly cooked rice, perfectly sliced fish, an evenly wrapped strip of nori and perfect, cloudy bowls of miso soup. From there, the kitchen branches out into more complex presentations. The ippin menu is Japanese small plates, and can be anything from deep-fried shrimp heads to a mixed-green salad topped with crunchy salmon skin, a plain bowl of edamame or plate of yakitori to a composed dish of barely-seared duck breast. No matter the style, everything at Chiso seems crafted with the same careful attention to detail. $$
Georgetown
Hangar Cafe 6261 13th Ave. S., 762-0204. In a nondescript house located on the edge of Georgetown sits the Hangar Cafe. It exists, and therefore the person or persons behind it win. Why? Because of the simplicity of the concept: make crepes. Make good crepes. And they do. But for all the care put into ensuring that the fillings, both savory and sweet, are fresh, the folks behind the place know that the success of the crepe depends on the tastiness of the pancake itself. And it is light without being insubstantial, and sweet without being cloying. $
Smarty Pants 6017 Airport Way S., 762-4777. The sandwiches, soups, and salads here deserve your full consideration. The gringa, with pulled pork, lime, and mayo generously slathered on a pillowy roll, is as dependable as the Reuben, sturdy and slightly sloppy with sauerkraut. Everything on the menu can be easily transformed into vegetarian fare at no extra cost with a substitution of grain-based Field Roast. Daily soups are inventive twists on old favorites, and the homemade salad—tuna, potato, and egg—are available as a trio sampler. $
Two Tartes Bakery 5629 Airport Way S., 767-8012. Free of both hipsters and yuppies, this bakery, with its unstylish and simple decor, is the real deal. Just about everything is made fresh: Of the sandwiches, the curried chicken and tuna nicoise are the best, and the cookies, chocolaty indulgences, and cakes make it impossible to say no to dessert. So say yes to the toffee-topped brownie or a no-bake cookie, as dense and delicious as the ones Mom used to make. They might even be a little better. $
Green Lake
Kisaku Sushi Restaurant 2101 N. 55th St. #100, 545-9050. Even on Monday nights, this Wallingford sushi restaurant is constantly hopping; after a couple visits, you learn to always call ahead for a reservation. Kisaku’s relatively short menu is something of a surprise, which is why those who normally order standard sushi rolls as a more economical alternative to nigiri should resist the urge here. Kisaku’s nigiri comes in super-sized proportions: Thick slabs of fish blanket handfuls of sticky rice so big it takes four bites to eat one piece. Specific notables include the buttery, flawless albacore and silky wild salmon, but the consistently superior quality of the fish makes Kisaku the perfect place to get adventurous and try things like geoduck. Because if you don’t like the giant clam’s raw-carrot crunch at Kisaku, you probably won’t like it anywhere else either. $
Greenwood & Phinney Ridge
Fresh Flours 6015 Phinney Ave. N., 297-3300. Given that Bellevue, and Everett have the second-largest concentration of coffee shops in the country, cafes are smart to surprise customers with something new and different. Fresh Flours does it by fusing a variety of standard pastry recipes with Japanese culinary traditions. Soft, fluffy kabocha muffins accent the flavor of Japanese pumpkin with pumpkin seeds and white chocolate. Azuki brioches marry butter-soft rolls with a filling of subtly sweet Japanese red beans. And don’t forget your coffee. $
Gorgeous George’s 7719 Greenwood Ave. N., 783-0116. Israeli chef George Rached (who is not the famed pro wrestler, but really does call himself “Gorgeous George”) spends his days and nights in the kitchen of his Mediterranean shoebox-sized Gorgeous George’s, grilling up Greenwood some peppery lamb shawarma and pureeing hummus into the texture of thick custard. What he comes up with is the best hummus you’ll find anywhere in the city, but this doesn’t leave him too fatigued to occasionally serenade one of his regulars or walk the dining room to check in on his many guests. Dinner is priced upscale, but worth it, and there are some deals at lunch. $-$$
International District
Green Leaf 418 Eighth Ave. S., 340-1388. Perched next to the I-5 overpass that divides the International District, Green Leaf delivers a quick meal that will fill you up. Across the board, the dishes are presented beautifully, and there’s no scrimping on size. Regulars here are often fiercely loyal to their dish of choice, whether that’s the pho (with perfectly spiced broth that some say is the city’s best), the remarkably large vermicelli noodle bowls that teem with meat and veggies, or the Seven Special Courses of Beef for Two. I’m partial to the specialty fried-duck noodle soup, which comes with fresh veggies and egg noodles. Those in the know also revel in Green Leaf’s hole-in-the-wall anonymity, touting it as a Tamarind Tree without the hype. If you can, try to get a table upstairs: The natural light and kitschy wagon-wheel benches make for a better environment than the dim, crowded-feeling dining room on the lower floor. $
Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant 1048 S. Jackson St., 720-1690. The food at Sichuanese Cuisine is pleasantly spicy in the tradition of this region of China, renowned for its hot peppers and fiery, independent tempers. There’s no fusion here, just modest, homestyle Chinese food, oil and all (the same could be said of the decor). Kung pao shrimp and fish with pickled peppers are favorites. Diners who want to pass a few leisurely hours around the table should order the Sichuan hot pot (tip: pay $2 per person extra for the lamb). There are two sides to the dented pot you’ll be simmering your selection of raw meats and veggies in: a hearty but mild beef broth bubbles away in one half, while in the other, a layer of bright red chile oil promises something more . . . exciting. $
Tai Tung 655 S. King St., 622-7372. Seattle’s oldest Chinese restaurant attracts many diners for its sheer time-worn atmosphere: You get the feeling the menu hasn’t been changed since 1930. The place puts others off for precisely the same reason. $
Madison Valley & Madison Park
Voila! Bistrot 2805 E. Madison St., 322-5460. At first glance, Voila seems like an unbelievable find. Located in the heart of prosperous Madison Valley, Voila exudes simple classiness with wooden tables and French posters, and its menu tantalizes. Be aware: Most dishes arrive without sides, so a full meal is not the bargain you might have been hoping for. Once you accept that, you can enjoy the classic French menu, which includes coq au vin, boeuf Bourguignonne, and grilled sausage with fries. The richer sauces—like the bacon-and-wild-mushroom sauce that accompanies the coq au vin—are particularly good. $
Magnolia & Interbay
Niko’s Gyros 2231 32nd Ave. W., 285-4778. The aromas from Nikos’ grill fill the small shop with anticipation, because this Greek joint serves some of the best gyros in town. The souvlaki sandwiches—served, like the gyros, in a warm pita with plenty of tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, and onion—are flavorful and packed tight with juicy meat. Side orders of Greek fries (potato medallions seasoned with oregano, lemon juice, and feta), hummus and pita, and spanakopita make it onto many tables, and the specials chalkboard to the right of the counter should not be ignored. $
North Seattle
Hae-Nam Kalbi & Calamari 15001 Aurora Ave. N., 367-7843. What do pork ribs and squid have in common, you may ask? At this bustling, shiny branch of a Seoul restaurant, you can simmer the two meats together at the table in the oh-bul-sah (house special hot pot), which is seasoned with sweet-spicy chile paste. Other dishes are worth ordering, too: the laciest onion-seafood pancake you may see in flavorful bean-paste soups, tender barbecued meats, and to accompany it all, a dozen side dishes, all of good quality. $$
Eastside
Issaquah
Macky’s Dim Sum 317 NW Gilman Blvd., Issaquah, 425-391-7200. The East side was badly in need of a good place for dim sum, so how awesome is it that Sonny and Macky Wong (late of China Gate in the International District) decided to open an Asian outpost right smack in the middle of Issaquah’s Gilman Village? And not only does Macky’s do great dim sum every day of the week, but it also has a solid a la carte menu for lunch and dinner that balances the best of the traditional American strip mall Chinese canon (sweet-and-sour this, moo shu-that) with some interesting hits of authentic (or at least authentically weird) Hong Kong-style party food. $$
North Bend
Rhodies Smokin’ BBQ 14500 468th Ave. S.E., North Bend, 425-888-3431. Despite its severely limited hours and obscure location, this BBQ spot is smokin’. With sumptuous ribs and to-die-for pulled pork, you’d think Rhodies would have a place to sit down (it doesn’t: take-out only). This ultra-friendly joint might just be the hidden treasure on that tiny wedge of land between Broadway and Broad. $
North of Town
Edmonds
HoSoonYi 23830 Highway 99 Ste. 114, Edmonds, 425-775-8196. Hosoonyi tip no. 1: Wear good socks. You’ll have to take off your shoes to get one of this restaurant’s best seats in its Korean-style dining room, with its blond wood floors, foot-high tables, and cushions for sitting/sprawling. Tip no. 2: Order the house specialty, spicy tofu stew (you’ll see the red broth boiling away on all the other tables), as well as the seafood pancake and grilled meats. Tip no. 3: Wear loose pants. If you’re not groaning in pain after sampling and resampling the entrees and half-dozen side dishes on your table, you should have your taste buds checked out. Something’s wrong. $
Puget Sound and West
Bremerton
Suzy’s Kitchen 2665 6th St. Bremerton, 360-373-3368. In a city where the Korean population numbers 88 people, a diverse customer base is critical. The tender tofu soup, spiked with hunks of marinated flank steak, features a hearty, brick-red broth with a welcome sting. The banchan were also impressive, particularly the thinly battered zucchini pancake and pickled radishes. Suzy’s serves Korean food, but its menu is rounded out with plenty of American classics: there’s meatloaf and meatballs and country-fried steak, and kids can order chicken nuggets with French fries. $$
South of Town
Kent
Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant 18230 E. Valley Hwy., Ste. 116, Kent, 425-656-0999. At Imperial Garden in the Great Wall Mall, dim sum is served daily, and a large blue tank swims with dinner options like tilapia and enormous crabs, in case you’re not up for traditional Chinese brunch. But who wouldn’t be? The huge, frequently changing menu includes deep-fried taro root stuffed with pork, seafood dumpling soup, and chicken feet in garlic sauce. Also good are the steamed shrimp dumplings. $
South King County
Osteria da Primo 631 S.W. 152nd St., Burien, 246-5561. Osteria da Primo certainly isn’t the only Italian joint in Burien, but the new restaurant’s older wine jug-serving peers serve mostly Italian-American fare of the spaghetti-and-meatballs variety. Calabria native Carlo Guida, married to Burien native Lindsay White, runs a traditional, mostly Southern Italian kitchen. A friend from Sicily runs the wood-fired pizza oven. Meat and seafood dishes are especially good, and the vegetable sides (you choose which one you’d like) are able accompaniments. Desserts are imported from Italy (except for the house-made tiramisu) as are most of the bottles on the wine list. $
Randy’s Restaurant 10016 E. Marginal Way S., Tukwila, 763-9333. A squadron of large model airplanes hangs from the rafters of Randy’s, and the decor’s a garish mishmash of orange and purple. Its food is solid, hits-the-spot diner fare. Boeing is just down the road, and the place is a longtime hangout for aviation types as well as traveling truckers and graveyard shifters, who gather to share their stories—both boring and rivetingly bizarre. A late night at Randy’s is best described as a cross between the banality of a Hopper painting and the slashed-eyeball surrealism of a Bunuel film. $
Tin Room Bar & Grill 923 SW 152nd St., Burien, 242-8040. The Tin Room is Burien’s top pub, and you city folk will be happy to know that its cozy-yet-industrial atmosphere is authentic. It was once the Hi-Line Tin Shop, but don’t take that to mean you should stick to blue-collar beverages like beer. The cocktails are top-notch here, as is the “Olde Burien Meatloaf.” When in Rome, folks, when in Rome…. $
Washington State
Washington State
Prima Bistro 201 1/2 1st St., Langley, 360-221-4060. Prima Bistro is a cozy nook on Whidbey Island that serves up Pacific Northwest fare with a French twist. Dishes like country pate with honeyed filberts (regional hazelnuts) and semolina crusted Northwest oysters unite the two cuisines with innovation and elegance. Expect the same from the wine list which carries a quality selection of regional and European varietals.
