Review - Cupcake Royale

Cupcake Royale Capitol Hill Location

Cupcake Royale

With 5 locations in the Seattle/Bellevue area, Cupcake Royale has become the biggest local cupcake brand... Each of the locations is unique, and adorable, as are the cupcakes!  The frosting can be a little too sweet, and it's very sugary.  The cake is good, and the flavors seem endless!

Review - Staple & Fancy Mercantile - Ballard - Seattle, WA

Staple & Fancy Mercantile

 Located in Ballard just minutes from my house is the newest addition to the family of Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Staple & Fancy Mercantile.  We love Tavolata, and How To Cook a Wolf, so I have been looking forward to Staple & Fancy.

Review - Mr. Gyros - Seattle, WA

Mr. Gyros

I love this place!  This is our go to spot for Gyros!  There are two locations, one on Greenwood, and a newer location in Ballard.   The Ballard location is much bigger than the original Greenwood spot, and we live right in between the two.  I actually prefer the Greenwood location for takeout, Ballard is good if you plan to dine in since there is more seating. 

Review - Root Table - Ballard - Seattle, WA

Root Table

Entering into Root Table is how I imagine it feels to be transported to a treehouse in Thailand.  Everything is made from raw cuts of wood, some intricately carved into sculptures.  Each chair and table is unique.

Review - Shiku Sushi

Shiku Menu

Shiku

It seems like Ballard has a sushi place on every corner lately.  Moshi Moshi (yuck, I got food poisoning there..), O'shan, the list goes on.  We finally decided to try Shiku.  

Review - La Isla

La Isla

So, yes, La Isla isn't exactly "authentic" Puerto Rican food.  The flavors aren't quite what one would find in Puerto Rico, but regardless, the food is still awesome!  I live a few minutes away and I don't come here nearly as often as I should.

Review - Bad Albert's Tap & Grill

Bad Albert's Tap & Grill

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Definitely a hole in the wall, but the food isn't too bad!  They have a big selection of Benedicts for brunch, everything from the standard Eggs Benedict with Black Forest Ham, to Prime Rib Benedict on special!  

Review - Flying Squirrel Pizza Co.

Flying Squirrel Pizza Co.

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I wasn't really impressed with Flying Squirrel Pizza Co.  I critique pizza mainly on the crust, and Flying Squirrel's crust just wasn't very good.  It was kind of too chewy, dry, and pretty bland.  Despite being a thin crust, the outer edge was kind of gross.  But I loved the toppings, so that's why I upped it to 2 stars for the food.  Crust, maybe 1 star.  The crust was even worse the next day.

Review - The Other Coast Cafe

The Other Coast Cafe

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I should have read a few reviews before going to The Other Coast, these sandwiches are enormous! I ordered a 12" sandwich, thinking I would eat half and save half for later, but OMG, it was huge! I have to guess it was closer to 18", these sandwiches are probably three meals for me!

Review - Paseo

Paseo

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Paseo has become a Seattle institution.  Caribbean food with a twist.  And definitely a hole in the wall.  But, 4 stars, because the food is THAT good.  Fortunately I live within 10 minutes of both the Ballard and Fremont locations, so we usually get our food to go, and bring it home.

Paseo Midnight Cuban Press $8.95

Fremont almost always has a long line, and they are known to sell out of sandwiches from time to time.  That's truly a disappointment when you arrive to see that sign!  So I have to admit, I haven't tried anything on the menu except the sandwiches.

Nikita Gray Accessible Jacket

When it comes to my own personal style, I am not a fan of "Seattle Style". I don't own a black puffy North Face jacket, I wouldn't be caught dead in anything polar fleece. I walk into REI and feel like that store compromises who I am. (Well actually, I once bought a cotton skirt there..) I don't wear outdoor gear as everyday apparel. I realize that with the unpredictable weather here in Seattle, sometimes there is a need for North Face, Helly Hanson or Patagonia. I refuse to go that route in my rain city friendly apparel. Because of my personal feelings about outdoorsy clothes, it's been difficult to find a decent lightweight rain resistant jacket that I don't hate. I have managed to just avoid it, and I carry different umbrellas, but I still manage to get wet. bleh.

After a fantastic lunch at La Carta de Oaxaca in Ballard, My SO and I decided to do some wandering on Ballard Ave. We stopped in Canto Barcelona (a few doors down from La Carta) and saw that they were having a sale on jackets!

Nikita Accessible Jacket in Gray $12 (reg. $88)

Review - La Carta de Oaxaca

La Carta de Oaxaca

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One of my favorite things to do with my SO on a weekend afternoon is to have lunch and wander through one of the many small Seattle neighborhoods.  It was freezing cold out, and starting to snow, so we decided to stay close to home.

La Carta de Oaxaca is a small Oaxacan restaurant nestled along Ballard Ave, there's usually a crowd and often a wait.  Unless of course you go within 30-45 minutes of opening, or later in the evening.  They do not take reservations, so we usually go with a backup plan, if we aren't patient enough to wait for a table.  If we do end up waiting for a table there are a bunch of fun stores nearby to browse.

Why Blog?

I am typically a very private person, so starting a blog is definitely challenging my comfort zone! I have avoided Facebook and My Space and social networking sites for the most part, yeah, I have accounts, but I rarely log on... I am looking forward to sharing my interests and opening up my little world - hopefully it will be a joyful process!

I live in Seattle, Ballard to be exact, and I am newly married to my significant other of 7 years... We finally got married last August, but we have lived together for about 6 years. We have a very sweet and sometimes overly affectionate cat named Coco. We don't plan to have children, not that I don't love the little ones, but I would probably be a better auntie than I would be a Mom!