Review - Piroshky, Piroshky - Seattle, WA

Piroshky, Piroshky - Seattle, WA

What better way to return to my blog than to rave about one of my favorite indulgences in Seattle!  Piroshky, Piroshky in Pike Place Market... Not to be confused with other Piroshky spots scattered throughout the city.  I think this spot might be the best one!

Review - Toulouse Petit - Seattle, WA

Toulouse Petit

After doing a little shopping at Urban Craft Uprising my Mom, my friend and I decided to go to Toulouse Petit for lunch.  I just returned from a week long cruise to Alaska (which I will blog about soon) where the food was absolutely horrible, and I was craving something good, anything good.  A little spicy Cajun/Creole food on a sunny day in Seattle sounded great!

Review - Luc - Madison Park, Seattle, WA

Luc

Ugh.  I don't particularly enjoy writing bad reviews, there are some meals I just wish I could forget.  This Sunday my SO and I decided to head to Madison Park and check out Luc.  I wish we had just gone elsewhere. Anywhere else.

Review - Local 360 - Seattle, WA

Local 360

So I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I have a slight bias against the hip "Localtarians" that are so prevalent in the Pacific Northwest.  A friend recently moved to PDX and one of his first observations was the over the top localtarianism.  Portlandia even spoofed the whole local sustainable movement in one of their shows.  With a roll of the eyes, I think to myself, "Really? What is the big deal?"  

Easter 2011 - Lunch and Cookie Decorating!

I wasn't raised in a religious family. And as much as I am aware that this will offend people, celebrating Easter really isn't much more than a commercial holiday to me - and I love to have an excuse to buy brightly colored decorations and get my family together!

Review - Revel - Fremont - Seattle, WA

Revel

I've been wanting to try Revel for a while now, so when some friends and I decided to get together for dinner I suggested we try Revel in Fremont.  It's located in the middle of the shopping and bar scene in Fremont and can easily be missed if you're not looking for it.  The restaurant is super small but attached to the swanky Quoin bar.  

Review - Farm:Table - San Francisco, CA

Farm:Table

My SO is a coffee snob.  Whenever we vacation he tries to scout out the best coffee he can find.  He hates Starbucks and will resort to the canned Double Shots if he's in a remote area and finding a shot of espresso  that has the proper amount of crema, is going to be impossible to find.  He has stated that diner coffee tastes like paper towels.  I would have never known before I met him.  Starbucks was a regular stop in my daily routine. Thank you SO for showing me the light, and teaching me how a proper cup of joe should be.  In return, I will teach you that Hershey's Chocolate is NOT good chocolate, and all Bacon is not created equal. :)

Review - Mesa Grill - Las Vegas, NV

Mesa Grill

Sometimes it's difficult to write a review for a restaurant that you have been so repeatedly, it's hard to remember your initial reaction to the decor, the lighting, the overall ambiance.  If the food is good the first time, you will likely return a second.  If it's good the second and third times, you will likely become a regular.  I'll admit, the first time we dined at Mesa Grill, it was solely because I was hooked on watching Bobby Flay on Boy Meets Grill.  I followed a few of his recipes, and thought we might as well try one of his restaurants.

Review - Brenda's French Soul Food - San Francisco, CA

Watermelon Sweet Tea

Brenda's French Soul Food

Who doesn't like to indulge in a little Soul Food from time to time?  Wait, what is French Soul Food? It turns out that Brenda's serves up New Orleans inspired cuisine.  It's a little Cajun, it's a little Creole.  It's French Soul Food.

Review - Dahlia Bakery

Dahlia Bakery

Where does one find the best doughnuts in Seattle? Not at Top Pot.  Definitely not at Krispy Kreme.  They are at the Dahlia Bakery!  As you enter, you can smell the baked goodness of fresh breads wafting in the air.  You can pay more to have them served on a plate at Lola during brunch or at the Dahlia Lounge, but why?  Dahlia Bakery is right next door to Dahlia Lounge, and across the street from Lola, and a bag of 6 doughnuts is $6.  (used to be $5 not so long ago, but eh, inflation, no worries).

Review - Cafe Campagne

Croque Madame $15

Cafe Campagne

There's something to be said about vacationing in your own city.  My SO and I love to go to places we have walked by or driven by a million times, and act like tourists.  Case in point, Pike Place Market.  Unlike the typical tourists spots with bad, chain restaurant foods, Pike Place has some really awesome foodie spots.

Review - Bouchon

Bouchon

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Being that I am another devoted Thomas Keller fan, I try to make my way to his restaurants whenever I am vacationing nearby.  I have dined at all three Bouchon locations and enjoyed each one!  The decor of each is very similar as is the ambiance.  All three spots have the wonderful French Bistro bustle during the day, I just love that! I love Bouchon for lunch or better, brunch.  Amazing.  The food is consistent amongst all three locations, which I find outstanding.  That's not an easy task to accomplish!

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!  

Recipe - Ham, Egg, Spinach and Cheese Crepes

For Valentine's Day brunch I made these savory crepes.  These crepes are not made in the traditional French way.  This recipe is simple and these crepes are thicker than traditional French crepes.   I like the heartier crepe when it's filled with ham, Gruyere, egg and spinach.  If you prefer a thinner crepe, add additional water and milk.  These crepes are a little crispy on the outside,  which I really enjoy.  You can substitute whole wheat flour, however you may need to add additional water until the batter reaches the right consistency.  I don't recommend using anything other than real butter for this.  Actually, I don't recommend using fake butter or margarine for anything, ever.  Under any circumstance!

Ham, Egg, Spinach and Cheese Crepes

Review - Dahlia Workshop

Dahlia Workshop

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A few years ago, we started having brunch at the Dahlia Lounge downtown.  The most memorable part of the brunch was the biscuits - they were phenomenal!  My friends and I continued to go there, mainly for the biscuits, but because brunch at the Dahlia has always been consistently good.  So weekends often started with brunch at either Lola or Dahlia. My fabulous friends even held my Bridal Shower Brunch at the Dahlia Lounge!  Everyone LOVED it, and they still talk about how great the food was!  (Thanks again C & A, you guys are wonderful!)