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 - Cascina Spinasse - Seattle, WA

Cascina Spinasse

Spinasse is a cute and intimate Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill.  The white lace curtains add to the charm, as do the mismatched chairs and bar stools. 

Review - Petite Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie - Portland, OR

Petite Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie

After a 3 hour drive from Seattle to Portland our group was craving something sweet.  We had heard good things about a bakery in the Alberta Arts District, Garden Of Eden, or something like that.  So we decided to drive a little more to go there.  As we arrived at the bakery, we walked in, realized it was a Vegan bakery, and got terribly disappointed.  I'm not Vegan, so not down with the Vegan bakery - I've had bad experiences with Vegan Bakeries and their chickpea flour. ugh. It was pouring rain out, but we decided to walk down the street and see what we could find.  We were thinking that even a Starbucks would suffice.  

Review - Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant - Seattle, WA

Green Leaf Restaurant

With all of the choices in the International District it can be difficult to find the good spots.  Thanks to the internet and sites like Yelp and Urbanspoon, restaurants are a little easier to choose.  More than reading reviews, I love to see the photos of the food - You can tell a lot from a photo!  So after visiting my Aunt and Uncle who live near the ID, we decided to finally try Green Leaf.

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 - List - Belltown - Seattle, WA

List

I'd been wanting to give List a try for quite some time... So, before seeing a show at the Crocodile, we decided List was going to be a good choice.  It's a tiny restaurant, easy to miss, located on 1st in Belltown.  It's a 21 and over spot, so no children allowed!  It's a small restaurant, that seats maybe about 36 people.  

Review - Wann Izakaya - Seattle, WA

Wann Izakaya

I just love Izakaya style dining.  It's like Japanese Tapas, small plates meant for sharing, and lots of drinks to go around.  We've been going to Wann for quite some time and the food is consistently good!  I love the ambiance of the restaurant, and almost every time we are there, Japanese hipsters are there, boisterously speaking in their native tongue and having what appears to be a great time!

Recipe - Burmese Tea Leaf Salad

Burmese Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet Thoke)

During a recent trip to San Francisco, we finally dined at the much raved about Burma Superstar.  One dish we knew to try was the Tea Leaf Salad.  According to their website they actually go to Burma to get the tea leaves (Lahpet) for their salad.

Review - Carnevino - Las Vegas, NV

Carnevino

We were promptly seated in the smaller dining area on the opposite side of the host station & bar.  After having dined in the main area before, I was a little disappointed, the side we were seated in is directly in the casino and really didn't give the fine dining ambiance we were hoping for. Not to mention the blaring music - Red Hot Chili Peppers, really? At what is described as fine dining? The music was too loud, and along with the noise from the casino, I might as well have chosen to dine at a cafe.  Our server even commented that he had to tune out the bad choice in music and blamed Mario Batali for the music selection.  Ugh.

Anyways, on to the food...

Review - Firefly - Las Vegas, NV

Firefly

Located off The Strip is the popular Tapas Bar, Firefly.  The Paradise location is in a small strip mall just a few minutes from The Strip.  The restaurant is small, loud, and full of people - It's not really a place for a conversation, but it's a decent spot for decent eats and drinks.  The Westside location is much more chill, and more of a place for the locals.

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!

Restaurant Deals - June - Seattle, WA (Madrona)

Today Rue La La has a great deal for June in Madrona! $60 for a exclusive chef's meal for four with wine pairings - this is such a fabulous deal and I hope you can snatch a voucher up before the flash sale ends tomorrow! I have been looking forward to trying dinner at June, so this is the perfect way to do it!

Rue La La sells vouchers/coupons usually at 50% off.  If you've used Groupon, it's the same kind of thing.  Rue La La also has clothing, accessories and housewares sample sales daily, so I love to check out those sales as well!  There's zero obligation after you sign up, and you can opt out of emails if you want to.  Rue La La is a members only site, but you can click here to sign up and get this deal!

Review - Tamarind Tree - Seattle, WA

Tamarind Tree

Hidden in the back of a sketchy strip mall on Jackson St in the International District is a small but swanky Vietnamese restaurant - Tamarind Tree.

The menu is vast and at first I wasn't sure what to order. So I decided to stick with one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes - Bánh xèo Cây Me, or Vietnamese Crepes. These crepes are nothing like a French style crepe. Rice flour and coconut milk are combined to form a shell of sorts around various fillings. The crepe is super crispy almost like a cracker. It sizzles and lightly pops while it's frying.

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 - 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.

Restaurant Deals - Blackboard Bistro, West Seattle

Today Rue La La Seattle is featuring Blackboard Bistro in West Seattle for their deal of the day! For $20, you will receive a voucher for $40 towards food or drink during lunch or happy hour only.  The voucher is valid from April 9 through October 1, 2011.  There is also a blackout date: May 14, 2011.

Rue La La sells vouchers/coupons usually at 50% off.  If you've used Groupon, it's the same kind of thing.  Rue La La also has clothing, accessories and housewares sample sales daily, so I love to check out those sales as well!  There's zero obligation after you sign up, and you can opt out of emails if you want to.  Rue La La is a members only site, but you can click here to sign up and get this deal!

Restaurant Deals - Blackboard Bistro, West Seattle

Cheesesteak Sliders?  Brussels Sprouts with Molasses Glazed Pork Belly?  I have had Blackboard Bistro on my list of places to try for a few months now, but we rarely visit West Seattle, so this may be my chance to do it, and with a discount!  

On Friday, April 8th, Rue La La Seattle is featuring Blackboard Bistro in West Seattle for their deal of the day.  They sell vouchers/coupons usually at 50% off.  If you've used Groupon, it's the same kind of thing.  Rue La La also has clothing, accessories and housewares sample sales daily, so I love to check out those sales as well!  There's zero obligation after you sign up, and you can opt out of emails if you want to.  Rue La La is a members only site, but you can click here to sign up and get this deal!

Blackboard Bistro
West Seattle
3247 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116

Hours: Tuesday 5:00pm - 10:00pm
            Wednesday - Thursday & Sunday 11:30am - 10:00pm
            Friday - Saturday 11:30am - 11:00pm