Deck on Wilde Rover - Kirkland Restaurant Review

Earlier this week, we had some people in town for work from the East Coast.  The first night, we had a big group dinner at the hotel everyone was staying at in Bothell.  It definitely wasn't anything to write about.  So for the second night, the "locals" decided to change things up, and make sure that anyone that wanted to was able to get out.  Since we were in Bothell for the training, downtown Seattle was pretty much out of the question, so for me, the only acceptable solution was Kirkland.  After debating for a little bit, we decided on the Wilde Rover as a place with a good location, outdoor seating (we were hoping for sun), and a casual atmosphere.  We could move on for dinner, but we would at least start at the Rover.

For me, this was my first trip to the Wilde Rover.  I knew where it was, and had been by a couple times, but had never stopped in.  I really don't go out that much on the Eastside; like a lot of people that live in the city.  But I was eager and excited to check out a new place.

The first thing that struck me when I walked in was how big it was there is a large bar in the center, with a dining room in the front and more of an open bar area in the back that leads out to a deck.  There are two pool tables, lots of open floor space for standing, and even a  separate room with a  stage for private functions.  We got a table in the back, big enough to easily seat 11 and started looking through the menus.  It was still happy hour time, but unfortunately there are no happy hour drink specials (a bit disappointing from an Irish pub).  But there were happy hour food specials, so I thought that I would partake. 

My first choice was the Guiness lamb stew which I thought would be a nice compliment to the black and tans I was drinking.  It didn't take long for the stew to arrive, and it looked and smelled pretty good when it was placed in front of me.  I grabbed my spoon, took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised.  It was a nice, robust stew, perfect for the cloudy and dreary day it ended up being. It was full of carrots and potatoes and celery, all of that good stew filling.  It was a bit under seasoned; needing some salt and pepper, though those are things I can add (and seems to be pretty much par for the course with Irish pub food).  The lamb was good, though a little dry.  But, all in all, it was better then I had anticipated, and was good enough that I decided that I wanted to order at least one other item off the menu before Happy Hour had come to an end.  This time, I went for the Meatloaf Sliders.

I'm not entirely sure what it was about the Sliders that drew me in, as they aren't a "traditional" Irish fare, at least as far as I know.  They are made with a blend of ground chuck and ground pork, and served with some slaw and a bit of bacon.  Nothing too fancy at all, but they were delicious.  The meat was incredibly tender and just kind of fell apart.  The bacon was in a sweet, barbecue sauce that worked really well with the meat.  And the slaw was very lightly dressed, which was actually perfect because a sweet slaw and sweet bacon would have been too much.  It offered a bit of a crunch which was a much needed textural balance.  It didn't take me very long at all to make my way through them.

When I walked into the Wilde Rover, my expectation was to have a couple of black and tans, maybe a small bite to eat, and then go somewhere else for real food.  When I left, I felt happy and content, and interested in trying a couple of other things on the menu like the Fish and Chips.  In fact, the only thing that I really found disappointing in the experience was that there was no drink specials as part of the happy hour, which will ultimately keep it from being an Eastside Happy Hour destination.  But if you are in downtown Kirkland, and are in the mood for some Irish food, you really can't go wrong.

Final Verdict - 4 Stars

Quick Bites from Vancouver - Deck on Boathouse and Sunset Grill

One of the nice things about living in Seattle is that Canada is really close.  This means that in the winter it's not too far to drive to hit Whistler, and in the summer we can check out the ever-growing beach volleyball scene (can you say "loose" setting?).  It also means an opportunity to check out even more restaurants.  On this most recent trip, I was definitely looking forward to checking out a couple places, especially since I had heard some really good things about a couple of recently visited spots.  This ended up being a quick trip, so we only ended up hitting two places; The Boathouse beachside cafe and the Sunset Grill.

Deck on the Boathouse beachside cafe
After sitting on the beach all morning, watching volleyball, I started to get hungry, and headed up to The Boathouse.  On the bottom is a beach cafe that serves a pretty simple menu.  It's definitely a quick serve style with a couple registers and a grab and go bar, very reminiscent of what you would find in an airport.   I decided to go with the bacon cheeseburger and sea salt seasoned french fries figuring that since it was associated with The Boathouse (which has some pretty good reviews), I would get something pretty good in return.  The whole thing was a little pricey at $15 Canadian for a burger and fries, but it was on par for what I would pay at a place like Sport, so I wasn't entirely turned off.

I ended up waiting for my order for about 10-15 minutes, so figured I was getting a nice fresh cooked meal.  When I finally got it, I grabbed a little ketchup for the fries, and headed back to the beach.  Sitting down, I looked into the box, and was a little disappointed as the cost-to-quantity ratio seemed a bit lower than expected.  But, I thought that a good burger would make up for it.  I pulled the bun off the top to check out the burger to see how it was cooked, and immediately realized that it wasn't going to be good. The burger was in the shape of what could best be described as a snowflake, with six obvious points.  It's not the type of burger that is hand made; it's the type of burger that's pre-cooked, frozen, and reheated.  And when I bit in, it was clear that it was not a real burger.  The bacon was soft, not crispy, and lacked flavor.  The burger was not at all juicy, and was not flavorful.  In fact, I wondered if it had been cooked in a microwave rather than a flat top.  The fries were lifeless and flavorless, as if they had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time.  There was no crisp, just a bit of staleness.  And the sea salt?  Maybe they were afraid there wasn't enough salt in the sea and they needed to conserve as there was scarcely any to be found.  This ended up being the type of meal that not only did I not finish, but I was actually a little upset at myself for having eaten in the first place.

I will say that again, it was a cafe that was below The Boathouse, so it may not be an accurate reflection on the restaurant.  But, if you are going to put your name on it, you should know what is going out.  This was a pretty disappointing experience to say the least.



Final Verdict - 0.5 Stars




Deck on Sunset Grill

At the end of the day, after the tournament was over, the volleyball crowd packed everything up and headed to the Sunset Grill for a post tournament dinner and brew.  It is apparently a Vancouver/Kits Beach tradition, and who are we to break with tradition?  Walking in, there was a spot reserved and set aside for the volleyball players.  The place itself is a simple Irish-themed sports bar with flat screen TVs and Irish flags.  We ordered a pitcher of Molson (we were in Canada after all) and an order of Cumin Pork Ribs before perusing the Irish menu.  I was debating between a few different options, but ended up asking the waitress her recommendation.  She started with the pot roast, but after two days of having my own (which was damn good by the way), I decided I wanted something different.  So, I opted for the prime rib stuffed with Yorkshire pudding, only to found out that they were out.  Finally, I ended up going with the fish (basa) and chips.

Before we'd finished our first glass, the ribs arrived.  I learned that they are the rib tips off the end of the pork spare ribs that are normally discarded that are rubbed and then cooked in the deep fryer.  They were pretty good, nice and juicy, and bite off the bone tender which is how ribs should be.  They were a little lighter on the spice than I'd hoped, but all in all a great start to the meal, and something I'm going to try and make myself.  Unfortunately, this ended up being the high point of the meal.  When my fish and chips arrived it looked ok, and I was eager to dig in.  As I usually do with fish and chips I went to add some malt vinegar, but there was no malt vinegar.  Just a simple, very mild flavored vinegar that the breading completely absorbed.  Biting in, the outside was crispy, but the fish was completely mushy.  Rather than nice and flaky like you want fish and chips, it was about the consistency of mashed potatoes.  The fries were just as lack luster.  While they appeared to be hand cut, there was no crunch or crispiness (or even heat).  And the slaw didn't appear to have any dressing on it at all, and I had to add vinegar just to get a little bit of flavor outside the raw cabbage.  It ended up being yet another meal that I didn't finish, and felt bad about eating.

The Sunset Grill was definitely a fun volleyball player spot; a great place to relax with a beer.  And it's a place where I'll try a couple of other things because I'm sure we'll end up back there (though not the cheeseburger which was almost as bad as the one I had for lunch).  The ribs lead me to believe that there is some good food coming out of that kitchen, even if the fish and chips were not it.



Final Verdict - 2 Stars

Deck on Larry’s Smokehouse - Seattle Restaurant Review

One of my biggest gripes about working in Bothell has always been the lack of good restaurants. When I was working downtown as an intern, there were so many places to go try (though I was a little short on funds at that time). In Bothell there are just a couple restaurants and the café, or so I thought. The truth of the situation is that I really never tried that hard to look. If it wasn’t within my line of site when I drove in to work, then it didn’t exist. So, when one of my colleagues suggested we go to lunch at Larry’s Smokehouse, I was game; couldn’t be worse than the alternatives.

Larry’s is located in an area that if I didn’t know better would just look like a series of storage sheds. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve driven by a couple of times and never noticed it; not even the smoker sitting out in the parking lot. The outside décor is quite simple, a white awning covering the entrance and a Betty Boop statue (which seems out of place). Inside it isn’t a whole lot different with some older pictures and simple, clean tables. There are some display cases with various smoked items for sale. At the front is a counter where you place your order; no waitresses at Larry’s. It’s the type of place that would be featured on a show like Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives, not a place where the chef is on Iron Chef America.

On the way there, my co-worker told me that their smoked salmon was excellent. But, when I walked up and quickly looked at the menu, I opted for the ½ pulled pork sandwich lunch which came with chips and a side (I went for the slaw). It just seemed like the right thing to order. I also got a soda, which I was told to just grab out of the cooler. The whole thing came to less than $5.

We walked to the cooler, grabbed our sodas, and took a seat at one of the tables. It was only a couple minutes until our food arrived. The sandwich was definitely very good sized. The pork was covered in sauce with more on the side. The bread wasn’t the traditional bun that I was expecting, but more of a French style bread with a soft inside and crispy outside. When I took a bite, the sandwich was very flavorful. The sauce was sweet initially, and left a little bit of heat at the end. The pork was very moist, tender, and quite flavorful. The slaw was your basic cole slaw, with a sweet dressing and cabbage crunch, nothing too unique. I contemplated adding the slaw to the sandwich (Southern style), but since I was with a co-worker and not friends, I opted to save that idea.

For me, it was a very good lunch, full of unexpected flavor. The only drawback for me was actually the bread, as I prefer a bun instead of the crispy bread with my barbeque. But all, in all, I was definitely pleased and will definitely be back. And it gave me hope that there is good food to be found in Bothell, as long as I’m willing to go out and look for it.


Final Verdict – 4 stars

Deck on the Barking Dog - Seattle Restaurant Review

So, I've lived in my neighborhood on the north edge of Ballard for almost 4 years now, and I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to the Barking Dog Alehouse; an establishment located exactly 8 blocks due south.  I've run countless laps around the neighborhood, passing by 70th, and have yet to stop in.  But tonight, as I had no food in the house, and needed something to eat, I finished my run, packed up my computer, and headed down to the Barking Dog.  And you know what, I'm glad I did.

The Barking Dog is a pretty nice place, aesthetically pleasing from the outside, and fitting in nicely amongst the homes in this neighborhood.  There is a small patio outside, and plenty of seating inside.  It's an unassuming place where you walk in and seat yourself, but in typical Seattle fashion, it's a place where pulling out a laptop to work while consuming a beer is not out of place.  The decor is simple, but nice.  And there are flat screen televisions strategically positioned to show a variety of sports.

When I walked in, I grabbed a table along the side so I would have some space to get a little bit of work done while I was eating (this was actually the impetus for me not cooking for myself this evening).  After getting settled, I perused a nice beer list with a blend of local brews on tap, Belgium imports, and some unique beer options.  I settled on a Silver City Red Ale, and then turned my attention to the food menu which was only a couple of pages.  Everything appeared to be simple bar food, but taken up just a notch.  I was trying to figure out what I was in the mood for, and almost narrowed it down to the burger until a part of me just couldn't do it being that I'm still on burger overload from my personal Juicy Lucy Challenge (read about it here).  So, I ended up going with the Halibut and Chips; a fairly safe choice.

After responding to just a couple of e-mails, my dinner arrived.  The halibut was nice and brown, and served over the top of some waffle potato fries.  I'm a malt vinegar guy, so I put a bit on the halibut, dipped it in the tartar sauce and took a bite.  Much to my pleasure, the halibut was cooked very well.  The breading was nice and crunchy with a very subtle flavor, and no greasiness.  The halibut was incredibly moist and was definitely the star of the show as it should be.  The tartar and the malt vinegar accented it very nicely.  I quickly put down that first piece of halibut before I even got into the fries, which were ok, but I'm guessing frozen, not fresh, and lacked just a bit of salt (which I just added myself).

All in all, I made pretty quick work of the halibut, and finished off the fries.  Then I ordered another beer and got some work done.  The meal itself was pretty simple, which is exactly what I was looking for.  And while fish and chips is not a real stretch, and probably not the best indicator of overall performance, I do have to give credit for not overcooking the halibut.  There is nothing worse to me than a dry, ruined piece of halibut.  And the atmosphere was great as well.  I can definitely see myself taking the Heel-Toe Express down to the Barking Dog Alehouse on more occasions to get some work done on nights when it is just me, while trying the more "adventurous" fare such as the grilled pork chop or the bleu cheese and fig ravioli.


Semi-Final Verdict (pending expected trips) - 3.5 Stars

Deck on the Juicy Lucy – Matt’s Bar vs. the 5-8 Club – Minneapolis

Today, I undertook a challenge that I’ve never done before. Today for dinner not only did I eat two hamburgers with fries, but I did it in two different establishments, and I did it within an hour of each other. Now, what, you might ask, would compel me to do something like this? It was for you my reader, and for the opportunity for me to establish which is the best of the best in Battle Juicy Lucy!

 

See, in Minneapolis, there are two establishments that serve a very unique hamburger known as the Juicy (or Jucy) Lucy. This burger is basically two quarter pound patties that have the cheese actually cooked inside of them. That’s right, a stuffed cheeseburger! The two establishments are Matt’s Bar and the 5-8 Club. Both are on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis. Both claim to have invented the famous burger. Both have been featured on multiple Food Network and Travel Channel shows (most recently Man vs. Food and Food Wars). And, since I don’t know the next time I will be in Minneapolis, I thought today would be a great opportunity to try them both and offer my opinion.

 

I started my hamburger endeavor at Matt’s Bar. I chose to start there simply because it made the most sense for my loop to the airport. I was able to walk in and find a seat at the small bar in Matt’s. It definitely is not a big place, seating about 60 if everyone squishes. The whole thing sort of has a feel of “Grandma’s Basement”, but in a good way. There is golden wallpaper on the wall, older carpet on the ground, simple booths, an ATM in the corner (Matt’s doesn’t take plastic), and a couple of TVs on the wall. It is definitely the type of place that has seen its fair share of after softball revelers who come to drink one of the 6 beers on tap. The whole place is run by 3 people; the bartender, cook and waitress, and the menu is about 10 items up on the wall. Conversely, the 5-8 Club is a little more diner/bar. Originally it was started as a “Speakeasy” back in the days of prohibition, and has retained a little bit of that social club ambiance. There is a main dining area, a separate bar with both high tables and bar seating, and an outside deck. It is a little more open than Matt’s and a little brighter. There were quite a few more people working at Matt’s, with at least 5 servers that I could see, and I don’t know how many people in the kitchen. The menu was much bigger as well, like you would expect in a diner.

 

At both places, I ordered the same thing; a Juicy Lucy with fried onions, side of fries and one beer. {Interesting side note: at Matt’s it is spelled Jucy, a typo that was just never corrected, and now will never change}. At Matt’s, the Lucy only comes one way, with American cheese. At the 5-8 Club, you can mix it up, so I opted to go with Pepperjack. At both places, the wait for the burger was about the same; 20 minutes give or take. That’s because they are all cooked to order, nothing sitting around under a heat lamp at either of these places. The wait could have been longer at Matt’s if I’d arrived 20 minutes later as it filled up with people.

 

The Juicy Lucy is not a burger that you cut in half when you get it, so when I got my burger at Matt’s (see picture on the left), I just dove in. In the picture, it doesn’t look like much, but that’s because the goodies are on the inside. The interesting thing is in my first bite, I bit in just right that half of the cheese actually squirted out the back, fortunately landing on the wrapper. It ended up giving me a nice dipping sauce for the burger. Everything about the burger was simple, but good. The meat was definitely flavorful with the cheese really working to keep it moist even though it was cooked to medium well. The onions added a good amount of flavor, picking up some of the flavors from the burgers since they were prepared on the same flat top. But, they were very finely diced, almost like McDonald’s, which I really don’t like that much. Then there were a couple of pickles that add that nice crunch and acidity that balances very well with a burger. I did not end up adding any ketchup or anything like that to the burger, and they don’t come with any type of special sauce, though it really didn’t need any. The French fries were your basic shoestring variety, and good, though nothing super special.

 

Having finished that burger, I had a feeling that the 5-8 Club had its work cut out. So, I was excited when that burger came out, feeling like they were up to the challenge. It appeared that the Juicy at the 5-8 Club was actually a little bit bigger than the one at Matt’s. It came with the “fried” onions (in both cases these were actually caramelized) that were much more the style that I like; coarsely chopped. The fries were thicker cut, and had a nice amount of salt and crunch. Biting into the burger, it was cooked perfectly; medium and juicy. The cheese was melted like you would find in a cheese stick, not completely liquefied. It did not shoot out the back when I bit in, and I was definitely happy except for one thing; it seemed to be less flavorful. The beef just seemed a little more bland than what I had at Matt’s, and the onions definitely had less flavor (I’m guessing that they are cooked apart from the burgers). I did like the melted Pepperjack as part of the burger quite a bit, and I definitely finished the entire burger. 

 

At the end, each place had something that it did really well. I really enjoyed the ambiance of Matt’s, so much more a local watering hole where everyone knows everyone. At the 5-8 Club, I really enjoyed the opportunity to include different cheese in my Juicy, and the overall preparation was great. The 5-8 Club also had excellent fries. When the Travel Channel did the Food Wars head-to-head challenge, the winner was Matt’s Bar. And, I have to say, Deck On Food agrees with this verdict! It really came down to the taste of the burger, and there was just a little bit missing from the 5-8 Club burger; just slightly underseasoned. But that little bit was enough to give the victory to Matt’s (even though I wouldn’t mind trying the Blue Cheese Juicy Lucy next time I’m in Minneapolis).

Final Verdict (head-to-head):

• Ambiance – Matt’s Bar
• Selection – 5-8 Club (4 cheese options)
• Technique – 5-8 Club 
• Taste – Matt’s Bar

Overall – Matt’s Bar

 

Final Verdict (overall burger rating):

 

Matt’s Bar – 3.75 Stars (good burger, ok fries)
5-8 Club – 3 Stars (ok burger, good fries)

 

Deck on Lunchbox Laboratory Part 2 - Seattle Restaurant Review

A couple of months ago I visited Lunchbox Laboratory for the first time.  After a pretty good meal, I dubbed it as probably my number 3 burger in Seattle (#2 for the over $10 category).  But that left me still looking to see if I can find something better than I've had at Sport (over $10) or Red Mill (under $10).  In that time, I've gone to a few different places, but still have not found what I'm looking for, so I decided to head back to the Lunchbox Laboratory.  This time though, I was after the dork patty; a combination of duck and pork, and something that has been bouncing around in my head as something that might be pretty darn good.

This time when I went, it was a little after noon, and the line was much longer than the first time.  Not a problem at all as it gave me time to check things out.  While moving through the line, I stopped in a spot where I could see the burgers being prepared.  It was here that I noticed every single thing is prepared to order.  The burger is not thrown on the heat until it is ordered.  The buns are toasted when they are needed.  Even the fries are not dropped into the fryer until someone asks for them.  This approach definitely created a little bit of an air of hurriedness by the two guys preparing every meal, but at the same time ensures that everything is hot and fresh, offering the best flavor possible. 

When I arrived at the front, I placed my order for a Dork 101 with Sweet Potato Fries to go.  The Burger was a 1/2 lb. patty topped by Havarti, Onion, and a Basil Pesto mayo.  All told, it probably took about 5 minutes from the time that I ordered until my burger arrived.  I took my bag and headed home to watch some baseball and enjoy my burger. 

One thing I can say without a doubt is that Lunchbox Laboratory knows how to cook a burger.  You can cut it in half, squeeze it, and see the juices coming out.  The burger had a very mild taste, though I guess you would expect that with duck and pork.  It was nearly overwhelmed by the toppings (mostly the onion), but still stood up pretty well.  It was flavorful, well seasoned, and a very good burger.  And the sweet potato fries were quite excellent, especially when dipped in the sweet chili mayo.  Nice and crispy on the outside, moist on the inside. 

It took me about two innings to polish off the good, messy burger and side of fries.  I can definitely say that I was much more satisfied eating that burger than some of the others I've had, though I still don't think I can move it up past the Sport burger.  The flavors were good, but not "Wow!"  In fact, I think I like the beef a bit more.  And, I think that Lunchbox Laboratory goes just a little overboard with the toppings.  With the first burger it was the bacon, and with this one it was the onion.  Now, don't get me wrong, I actually prefer a little too much over too little, but it would be nice to find that perfect balance at some point.  Anyway, after this burger, and my other experiences, I'm bumping up Lunchbox Laboratory's final score a bit.

Revised Final Verdict - 3.75 Stars

Deck on The Viking - Seattle Restaurant Review

About a month ago, I was driving through Ballard, and I noticed a small building with a neon sign that caught my attention.  I decided that when I had the opportunity, I would swing by and check the place out. This past weekend ended up being the opportunity.  So, on my way home, I decided to swing by and check out the Viking.

The Viking is a small place nestled under some trees on 24th Ave. NW in Ballard.  In the window is a sign that let's people know that the Viking has been serving Ballard since 1950.  There is also a sign that caught my attention that said "Fresh Smoked Meats, Ribs and Chili".  Now I'm a big fan of the fine dining experience, but at my roots, there is nothing like a great burger or barbeque.  So, I felt compelled to try any place that is advertising it's smoked meats in the window.

Walking in, I noticed that the Viking is the quintessential neighborhood bar.  The bartenders greeted many of the patrons by name, knowing what they liked to drink.  In the back was a shuffleboard table, and various softball trophies lined the wall.  I picked out a seat at the bar, and ordered myself a Manny's.  After taking a sip, I checked out the menu which was a single sided sheet.  I was going to order dinner when I noticed that everything on the menu was available for takeout.  I'm not opposed to eating by myself at a restaurant, but since I'd been traveling for a little while, and had a nice comfortable couch waiting for me, I decided that taking it home with me would be a good idea.  So, I finished my Manny's, ordered a second, and placed a to-go order for a Number One (beef brisket sandwich) and an order of two ribs.  In less than the amount of time it took me to finish my second beer, my dinner was brought to me.  I paid the bill (only $25 with tip), and headed home.

On the drive home, the smell of the barbeque sauce was intoxicating.  By the time I got home, my mouth was watering and I was excited.  I got situated and opened up the two different boxes.  I decided the first place to start was the brisket sandwich.  Biting in, I was pleasantly surprised.  The barbeque sauce was a tangy, not too spicy sauce with a strong tomato taste, and just a hint of sweet.  I would say that it was more of a Texas style sauce in my limited barbeque experience.  The brisket was good too, very flavorful, though a tad less smoky than I'd hoped for.  The whole thing was served on an onion roll that soaked up the sauce, and was the perfect amount of messy.

After a couple bites of the sandwich, I set it down, and turned my attention to the beef ribs.  They were coated in what appeared to be the same barbeque sauces as the brisket.  Biting in, the flavors definitely exploded in my mouth.  The meat was very flavorful, and again complemented nicely by the barbeque sauce.  The ribs were very good, and honestly a bit unexpected coming from the little place in Seattle.  Compared to the Kansas City Ribs that I had, the spice rub was a little less powerful, and they weren't quite "bite clean off the bone"tender, but I was very pleased.

The Viking was a great little find for a neighborhood bar with great food.  I will definitely be back, especially because there is a Southern Style pork sandwich that I absolutely want to try.

Final Verdict - 3.5 Stars

Deck on Mattie Sopranos Pizzeria - Denver Restaurant Review

One of the fun things about getting more into new restaurants and cooking is that it is rubbing off on my family members.  Coming into Denver, my folks came to pick me up prior to going to a Rockies' game.  Our usual game time approach is to head down near the stadium and go to a bar like Jackson's.  But this time, my dad decided to take some time and search out something different, a place that we have never gone to before.  He came up with Mattie Sopranos Pizzeria.

Mattie Sopranos is located out near DIA in a small strip mall type place.  It seems to be fairly new as Denver continues to expand out toward the airport.  It's a quant little Italian place that was pretty wide open.  There is a small bar, a small salad bar on the back wall, and plenty of seating.  When we walked in, there were not a lot of people.  Of course it was 5 o'clock on a Friday, so I didn't anticipate a lot of people out away from the city. 

We sat at a booth off to the side and ordered our drinks, and then started looking through the menu.  There were a lot of different options to work our way through.  I found a couple of things that looked interesting, but coudn't really narrow it down.  So, I waited until the waitress came back around and just asked her what she liked.  The first thing she asked was for me to narrow it down so I decided on pasta.  She said that it would probably be Chicken Marsala or the Pasta Alla Mattie.  Since, I'm not a huge mushrooom fan, I opted for the Pasta Alla Mattie; a linguinie with a cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and sausage.  My dad went with a stromboli and my mom with a penne with a vodka sauce and chicken.  We also opted for the cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer.

When the garlic bread arrived a short time later we dove in (as you can see from the picture, someone was awful excited...).  The garlic bread was nice.  The bottom was crispy, the bread soft, but not overly mushy and the cheese was browned nicely on top.  It came with a simple marinera sauce that had some chunks of fresh tomatoes.  Not a bad way to start.  While we were still working on the garlic bread, enjoying our conversation, the entrees arrived.  It became pretty obvious that Mattie's doesn't skimp on portion size.  The small stromboli looked like a foot long sub.  And both plates were heaping with pasta.  The flavor was pretty good.  The sauce was mild and when you got a bite of the tomato and artichoke with it, it was a nice flavor.  The only negative was that there wasn't enough of the tomato, artichoke, and sausage to balance out the large portion of the pasta.  I ended up making my way through about half of the portion before I finally had to put my fork down.

At the end of the meal we decided to opt out of dessert and make our way to the game.  For a little neighborhood Italian, Mattie Sopranos wasn't bad.  I would say that there was nothing that really stood out, but there wasn't anything that really fell flat.  It was what I had come to expect from a local Italian joint (a little different than the local Italian I've found in Seattle).  All in all, I think it was a good step into the non-usual Denver cuisine.

Final Verdict - 2.75 Stars

Deck on Pappadeaux's - Dallas Restaurant Review

On my very first work trip, I found myself in Houston. When I told one of my friends that grew up in Louisiana that I was going on the trip he told me to make a trip to Pappadeaux’s. I did, and I was blown away. That was a year and a half ago. Now every time I fly through Houston, I make sure to place an order at the Bush International Pappadeaux’s and pick it up before my next flight leaves. Why do I tell that story? Because on this trip to Dallas as we were trying to figure out where we wanted to go to dinner, someone mentioned Pappadeaux’s. My ears perked up and my mouth started to water a little bit. I know it is a place I’ve been before, but I haven’t written about it yet, and I knew it would deliver the goods.

After a short deliberation, it was concluded that Pappadeaux’s was the place to go, and we headed out. When we got there, I was excited. It’s the type of place that is really designed to hold a lot of people that are interested in eating a lot of good food. Our waiter (Chris I believe) was one of those guys that’s just friendly and full of energy, offering suggestions while convincing you to get more than you could possibly eat. Looking at the menu, I decided I would try an appetizer this evening and placed my order for Boudin, a dish that seemed uniquely Cajun (with a description that read “sausage stuffed with rice”…I was curious to say the least). Chris then gave us a few minutes to look over the dinner menu, but I knew I didn’t need to. There was one thing I wanted, the reason for going to Pappadeaux’s; the crawfish etouffee served over dirty rice. It was the recommendation from my first trip there, and it is still the only thing I order…well, until I saw the crawfish platter that combines the etoufee with fried crawfish. Double the crawfish on one plate?? Why not!?

When Chris returned, I happily placed my order (after convincing two of the people with me that they too needed to order it), and then turned to my Sam Adams and conversation. It wasn’t too long until a plate was placed in front of me with two full sausages, rice, dipping sauce and bread. I wondered if Chris realized that I wanted the appetizer portion of the Boudin, and not the meal portion. Then I looked at the other appetizers, remembered where I was, and knew that I wouldn’t be leaving hungry (and that I had a date with the gym in the morning). The Boudin was very interesting, and very good; kind of a shredded meat in the sausage casing with a great kick to it that was balanced very nicely by the rice. The sauce was a little bit of a cream based sauce that again added a little heat and a little cool. But, what stood out was the flavor of the meat, which was very moist and flavorful, definitely not overwhelmed by the spice.

I ended up eating 1 full sausage, and giving away a bit of the second one knowing that my etouffee was still en route, and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of room for that. Shortly after we finished our appetizers and ordered another round of drinks, the entrees started to arrive. There was some fish with sauces and the like at the other end of the table, but all I noticed was the plate set in front of me. I decided to first take a bite of the fried crawfish, which was great; kind of like popcorn shrimp but with more flavor. The thing is after that first bite of the fried, I realized that I had made a mistake. By ordering the platter, I got a half order of the etouffee!! And it wasn’t that the fried crawfish wasn’t good, it’s that the etoufee is great. It has this wonderful spicy kick to it, the kind that sneaks up on you and just slowly spreads across your tongue, but not in an unpleasant way. The spice is complimented by a rich roux based sauce, with the crawfish adding a hint of sweetness, and the dirty rice is there pretty much just to soak everything up. I was definitely pleased, and I could tell from the chorus of “Oh wow!” and “Oh my gosh!” that the others that ordered it were pleased as well. In fact one of the guys kept saying “I can’t eat any more” as he continued to work his way through the etoufee. In the end, we all finished off all of the etouffee, leaving some of the fried crawfish behind.

At this point, we were all sufficiently filled to the gills. That’s when Chris offered dessert. But he didn’t just bring us a menu. No, he brought a tray with each of the desserts and set it in the middle of the table. How do you say no to that? We definitely couldn’t, though we did talk ourselves into only splitting a banana pudding. And while I’ve never had the banana pudding before, you can bet that every time I fly through Houston, it will be added to my order. It was ridiculously good, not too sweet, and not too overwhelmed by the banana which I found to be surprising (I can’t order smoothies with banana because the flavor is so strong and distinct). It was topped with some whipped cream and had Nilla Wafers in the middle. And of course it was served in a Mason jar.

The one thing to remember though is that it's about ordering the right thing. If you are from Seattle, don't order the Salmon or crab because you know you will be disappointed. But for us, we all left the meal very satisfied, without a doubt, and it is a place that I will go back to. I’m sure it’s not the greatest Cajun food in the world, but for me, it’s the best I’ve ever had. Maybe next time I’m in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or somewhere in Louisiana, I’ll give something else a try (in fact I know I will). But for sure, every time I fly through Houston I will be going to Pappadeaux’s for the incredibly delicious crawfish etouffee (now with banana pudding)!

Final Verdict – 4.5 Stars

Deck on Maximo Cocina Mexicana - Dallas Restaurant Review

This week I find myself in Dallas for work.  Ok, not quite in Dallas, but out in the 'burbs in Addison.  When we met up with our work colleagues for dinner, we suggested Mexican or Barbeque since these are things that aren't as common in Seattle.  After a little discussion we decided on Mexican and headed over to Maximo Cocina Mexicana which happened to be conveniently located near the Hilton where we are staying.

As we walked up, the first thing I noticed was that it was a little fancier than I had anticipated (maybe it was my preconceived notion of "Mexican" and "Texas").  I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans and felt that I was a little underdressed.  The door was a very large, very heavy wooden door that opened into a little foyer.  On the right was a nice, swanky looking bar, and on the left was a very open dining room.  For some reason, the outdoor seating was not available at this time.  We took our seat and started looking through the menu.

While we were deciding on our drinks, a tray with three different salsas and a batch of tortilla chips arrived.  Before diving in, we pretty much unanimously decided on margaritas, especially after we were told that it was a homemade recipe that simply included lime, alcohol free triple sec and one other ingredient that shamefully I cannot remember.  After the waiter left, we dove into the chips.  They were very nice and crispy, more in the form of strips, and appeared to be tortillas that were placed into a fryer and then lightly salted which made them quite crispy and tasty.  The salsas ended up being a bit of a surprise.  On the right, was a sauce that I had thought would be more of a salsa verde, but ended up being very sweet; made with pineapple, ginger and tomatillo.  The middle salsa was more expected, an ancho chile based traditional salsa.  And on the left was one that I thought was an avocado crema type sauce, but ended up being jalapeno with a little kick.  It was unexpected and a very good start to the meal.

After snacking on chips and salsa, our drinks arrived.  Mine ended up being a hot margarita (apparently things got mixed up) meaning that it had some jalapeno pieces in it to add heat.  The thing is that they weren't muddled in any way, and were just finely diced peppers with no seeds or veins, so really didn't add any flavor, and was a little annoying.  My second one later I made sure was just a regular margarita which was much better.  For dinner, after much deliberation, I decided to go with what they called the Pollo Al Mole.  I was a little nervous because the only mole I've had to date was at Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill in Chicago and when I asked if it was a traditional mole poblano, I didn't really get a yes/no answer that I was expecting.

To satiate us while waiting for the food (which took like 20-30 minutes to arrive) we also got some guacamole.  It was made tableside for us with just some avocado, lime, tomatoes and jalapenos.  It was ok, but I'm also not a huge guacamole fan, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.  It definitely wasn't something that was going to convert me to a guacamole fan.  When the meals finally arrived, I was ready to dive in.  It looked and smelled good with the mole served over the top of some rice and the corn tortillas on the side.  The mole was actually pretty good and pretty flavorful.  There wasn't one flavor that really jumped out at me, but the whole thing work together to have sort of a mild but rich flavor.  Unfortunately I was a little let down by the chicken which was very dry and couldn't even be saved by the mole.  Also, I couldn't really tell if the tortillas were handmade, but the flavor was reminicent of those that I've purchased before.

The restaurant was definitely more along the lines of traditional Mexican (or at least what I understand to be traditional Mexican) which was different than I had expected.  And the food was good, but considering that my baseline is the Frontera Grill, Maximo started the night behind the 8-ball, and just wasn't able to push past.  Next time in Texas, I think I'd like to go more in the direction of Tex-Mex rather than traditional Mexican; looking for a little more spice and heat.  Overall, I wasn't underwhelmed, but neither was I overwhelmed.  Just kind of middle of the road.

Final Verdict - 3.5 Stars

Deck on Bakery Nouveau - Seattle Restaurant Review

On Sunday morning, I was playing in a volleyball tournament at Alki Beach in West Seattle. As I was heading out there, I was thinking about what to do for breakfast. My normal ritual when heading out there is to either stop at Starbucks, or possibly get there and walk down to the Alki Bakery. This time though, realizing I had a little time, I decided to check out a place that I’d read and heard a little about; Bakery Nouveau. This turned out to be a great decision all at the same time.


Bakery Nouveau is a small bakery located on California Avenue, tucked in amongst some other shops. Had I not been using my GPS, the chances were pretty good that I would have driven right past it and not even noticed. As fate would have it, I noticed just in time, and got a parking spot right by the front door. The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of my car was the smell drifting toward, almost like a finger just beckoning me to come in. And so I obliged.

Walking in, I took in as much as I could. The interior was pretty simple, with a few seats for people. But the display cases were quite the opposite. Complex and delicious looking desserts and candies filled the first case. Breads were in the second area. And then in the third were the pastries. It was here that I focused my attention on. After a short amount of deliberation I opted for the Pineapple Croissant along with the Almond Croissant, probably the most famous pastry to come out of this quaint little shop. I figured that since I was playing volleyball all day, I could splurge on two pastries. I also got a cup of coffee, the entire bill coming to about $10. I paid, and then took my bad of croissants with me to the beach.

Once I got to the beach and got myself situated, I dove into my breakfast. The pineapple croissant was delicious. Very flaky crust, but still soft and moist on the inside. The pineapple maintained its texture and integrity, and added that perfect amount of balanced sweetness. Not to mention the entire thing was in the shape of a pineapple. But, as good as the pineapple croissant was, it couldn’t stand up to the Almond croissant. Talk about delicious and fantastic and incredible and all of those other adjectives. The first bite was one of just flaky, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. The flavors just explode in your mouth, the butteriness of the croissant with the just right almond flavor. It was just right, a perfect breakfast to start the morning.

Without a doubt the almond croissants are as good if not better than advertised. I will be planning on making a stop at Bakery Nouveau pretty much every time we go to West Seattle for at least one croissant. And if we ever end up moving to West Seattle (which isn’t out of the question), it is going to be incredible difficult to not stop by every morning on my way to the office. Guess that means I better figure out a workout plan now…

Final Verdict – 5 Stars

Deck on Elysian - Seattle Restaurant Review

For some reason I've set on this search for the best burger in Seattle.  I really enjoy a lot of good food, but there is just something about a great burger that can always put a smile on my face.  So, the search for the burger continued this weekend when I met one of my friends at the Elysian in SoDo prior to the Mariner's game.

The Elysian has always been a good place to meet prior to baseball and football games down in SoDo, especially when you bring the girls.  It's not a typical sports bar, they brew their own beer, and it has a little bit of class.  On this particular evening, the place was pretty full with Mariner fans getting ready for the game and Sounders fans enjoying the end of their day downtown.  When I got there, I ordered an amber and a burger.  When asked if I wanted cheese, I decided on pepperjack, adding a little spice to my life, on a medium burger.  And of course I got fries to go with it.

When the burger arrived, it looked nice, served open so I could add my own condiments.  I decided to only add one piece of lettuce (I'm just not a huge lettuce fan), the tomatoes, red onion, and roasted red pepper for a little extra flavor.  I then put the top on and cut it in half.  The burger had a nice color to it, but wasn't overly juicy.  When I bit in, I actually got a piece of paper that had been used to separate the slices of cheese, so I was a little disappointed by that.  When I removed it, and took another, non-paper filled bite, the burger was much improved.  The red pepper was a very nice flavor addition, but the burger itself was a little bland.  I really prefer my burgers to be very flavorful and juicy, dominating the flavors of the bite, with the other toppings simply accenting the ultimate flavor of the burger.

So, while the burger was merely ok, the fries were quite excellent.  They were perfectly crispy on the outside while remaining moist on the inside, and were salted very well.  Even at the end of the meal, when they had cooled down, they remained crisp and flavorful.  They were exactly what I want in a french fry.  In the end, I'm still looking for that amazing burger, but the Elysian will definitely remain one of our pre-game stops.  The food is good, though I'll have to try something a little different next time, and the vibe is just right.



Final Verdict - 3 Stars