Restaurant Review: Maggiano's

Stopped by Maggianno's in Bellevue tonight after catching a movie with Kristy. It was late (and we had dinner before the movie), so we just stopped in for some dessert. Kristy ordered the Chcolate Zuccotto Cake (chocolate cake layered with Sambucca chocolate mousse; iced with chocolate frosting and dusted with cocoa powder) and I ordered the dessert special - Boston Cream Pie. The Pie was heavenly; so good in fact that Kristy swapped her chocolate cake with me. Kristy's cake was on the dark side which is fine by me, milk chocolate makes me sick. The cake was huge, I couldn't finished it. We glanced over the dinner menu in passing, we should return sometime to sample the food. The place was packed with people, so I guess it must be good enough to eat.

Restaurant Review: Serious Pie

Without question, the unique characteristic of Serious Pie is the uncharacteristic list of pie toppings: soft egg, dandelion greens, delicata squash? After I glanced over the menu, I decided to go with the special of the day... a pizza topped with venison sausage and caramelized onions. I dined for lunch with a friend and he ordered the roasted chantrelle mushroom and truffle cheese pizza. As a beverage, I ordered up a root beer. My friend ordered up a bottle of cane-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola (Hecho en Mexico). Nice option.

There is only one size of pizza sold at Serious Pie and we were informed each pie is intended to "serve one person", e.g. "personal". But really, each pie is enough to serve 1.5 persons. A single pizza is just a bit too much for 1 person, but too small for two. I failed in my attempt to consume my pizza, it was just too big. Perhaps we should have ordered a salad to share and a pizza to share instead(?)... our neighbors to my immediate left (and by "immediate" I mean they were literally sitting next to us on the same table) ordered a salad and a pizza, both to share. Probably a good way to go for the next visit.

The establishment is a true charcuterie. The venison sausage on my pizza was made on-site and we observed several other sausages, pancetta, and other meats curing behind the counter on the way out. Impressive.

Restaurant Review: Le Pichet

Kristy and I stopped by to eat breakfast at the small French Bistro, Le Pichet this morning. The restaurant is located in a small quaint space on 1st avenue just north of the Pike Place Market. The menu is a bit small and does not offer the "traditional" breakfast menu that Americans would be accustomed. However, they did have one item "Œufs plats, jambon et fromage" that looked quite appetizing. We both ordered the "Œufs" (eggs) with a glass of fresh OJ, some Pain au chocolat (to share), and some Pain et Beurre. The Pain et Beurre was served with a confiture of orange and lemon... a very lovely medley of flavors (even Kristy liked it!). The eggs were phenomenal. I made an inquiry about the recipe and was delighted to learn that preparation is quite simple: in a shallow porcelain au-gratin dish add a bit of butter, then a thin slice of ham, crack two eggs on top of the ham, then generously top with thin slices of gruyère cheese. Broil until eggs are over easy and serve hot with a side of Dijon mustard. Great little dish.

Summary: Recommended.

Restaurant Review: Five Guys Burgers and Fries

I had heard good things about Five Guys Burgers and Fries from a few colleages and associates for the last few months. Apparently there is a Five Guys open down in Renton (by Fry's), but I had not yet had the opportunity to eat there. Today I ate at the Orem location with my boss and a couple of team members. When we arrived, the line was fairly long (but to our dismay). But the five (or more) guys behind the counter have their burger assembly line down pat. The line moved very quickly and we soon found ourselves at the front of it.

Despite the relatively few menu items, there is quite an array of burger toppings to choose from. There is the standard fare: mayonnaise, ketchup, tomato, lettuce, mustard, etc. But there are also some "deluxe" options such as grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, A-1 sauce, and others. I ordered a burger with grilled onions, jalapeño peppers, mayo, A-1 sauce, tomato, and lettuce. One of my colleagues ordered some fries to share.

The burger was quite good. It was obviously made from fresh meat and appeared hand-formed. The quality of the toppings was very fresh and the fries were crisp and flavorful (from the peanut oil?). I was very impressed and am anxious now to figure out a reason to drive down to Fry's so I can hit the Five Guys in Renton for a follow-up visit.

Summary: Recommended.

Restaurant Review: Asian Star

We met our good friend Dave and Heather (and their family) at the Asian Star in Midvale tonight for dinner. This is the first time we had dined at the restaurant, but Dave and Heather are long-time patrons. When we were trying to find the restaurant, we noticed it as we were driving past... which was unfortunate because the drive after the restaurant is a one-way going out (oops). As we drove past and then circled around, we noticed the small parking lot behind the restaurant was packed. So we parked at a small lot not far from the Asian Star, which turned out to be the valet parking area for the restaurant... and the valet service is complimentary (doh!). Ah well, next time we'll take advantage of the free valet service.

The food was good, just a bit above average I should say. We ordered up the standard fare... General Tso's, some "tangerine" sweet-n-sour, and some noodles for the kids (which they noted were not as good as those served at the Shanghai Garden)... it came in platters with some spring rolls, fried shrimp, and the like. I think the flight must have given the kids a bit of an appetite as the kids at very well. Before the platters arrived at the table, some soup was served. The kids ordered egg drop soup which again they complained wasn't quite as good as the stuff served at the Shanghai Garden) back home. They already have their opinions and their favorites; I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Despite our disappointment with the soup (and the noodles), the rest of our food was good. The "tangerine" sweet and sour (which I presume was sweetened with tangerine juice instead of the more traditional pineapple juice) had a very nice and original flavor which I very much enjoyed. The General Tso's chicken was also quite solid... a good choice.

Restaurant Review: Woodman Lodge

My brother-in-law Matt lives right around the corner from The Woodman Lodge in downtown Snoqualmie. He has recommended the place a few times but we just haven't got around to getting out there until tonight. The restaurant is located in a recently renovated turn-of-the-19th-century building and is really quite cool: gas lamp light fixtures, an old-time saloon-style bar with water running around the base (for spitting?), and an old (and very large) pot belly stove providing some heat and ambiance. Very cool.

The dinner menu is mainly filled with hearty fare: steaks, chops, ribs, and burgers. I ordered up the peppercorn New York and Kristy went with the Filet Oscar. As a beverage, I sampled the marvelous Snoqualmie Falls Brewery Root Beer (wow, was it ever good!). My steak was fine, but not great... Kristy's was the same. Solid fare, but easily replicated at home. Woodman is no JaK's.

For dessert, Kristy ordered the flourless chocolate cake (which as huge!) and I ordered a skillet apple pie. The cake was solid... but again, tasted like the same stuff Kristy has made at home. The skillet pie had a ratio of crust to apples that was a bit too high for my taste - more apples please!

Restaurant Review: Artisanal Brasserie

We ate out together as a family this evening, part of a family date night that included attending IBT's Nutcraker). The ballet was being performed at the Meydenbauer Center, so I looked at the restaurant listings at the nearby Bravern Mall. I selected Artisanal Brasserie more or less based on the very intriguing kids menu listed on their web site. Artisanal Brasserie is a much more of an "upscale" restaurant than the kids are used to (when compared to Pallino), so we were a bit nervous about their behavior. (It turned out that, just as we suspected, Berkeley and Eliana were OK... Olivia was jumping around in her seat.)

When we arrived at just a little after 5, the bar was full but the restaurant tables were nearly all empty. We were seated immediately despite not having a reservation (the restaurant is fairly new). The kids were given some crayons and some coloring pages and we were all offered beverages. The bread was fresh and tasted very good. Kristy and I ordered from the Prix Fixe dinner menu. I selected the Mushroom Soup (of the day), Wild Salmon, and crème brûlée; Kristy selected the Beet Salad, Chicken Cooked Under a Brick, and the Chocolate Mousse. Berkeley and Eliana had the brick oven pizza; Olivia selected the butter pasta.

The soup was quite yummy. Olivia and I shared it and she enjoyed it quite a lot. Kristy, Eliana, and Olivia all spurned it. There may be only one other mushroom lover in the family. Kristy's beet salad looked very good, but it was served with walnuts so I didn't not taste it. Our main courses came next after some delay... I think due to Kristy's chicken dish perhaps(?). As a result, my salmon was dried out and very poor tasting. I wouldn't order it again. Kristy's chicken was succulent and perfectly prepared - a very good dish. Berkeley ate all his pizza and most of Eliana's. Olivia didn't eat much of her noodles.

We ordered some chocolate fondue for the kids for dessert. They thought dipping the marshmallows and the cookies and the fruit in the chocolate was pretty a pretty cool idea... at least, until they tasted the 72% cocao dark chocolate. Olivia put down her chocolate covered strawberry after one bite and said "Grossy!" They ended up just eating the items without the fondue. Too bad. My crème brûlée was very good. Kristy's mousse was served with an espresso infused whipped cream on top which I would have loved, but she has a distaste for coffee... so that kind of ruined it for her.

I was largely disappointed with the restaurant. The food was average, but the service was sub-par. There were many long waits in between food service, plate clearing, and the bill arrival that inexcusable given the relatively light traffic at the hour we were eating. I doubt that we will eat at Artisanal again.

Restaurant Review: Mandarin Garden

We vacated the house this evening to allow Kristy to make final preparations for Berkeley's birthday party sleepover tomorrow. I had intended on patronizing Shanghai Garden (for their delicious hand-shaven noodles), but found that Shanghai Garden is closed on Mondays. So we walked over to nearby "Mandarin Garden" instead, which is literally just a couple hundred feet away. First impressions... Mandarin Garden is much smaller than Shanghai Gardens and it isn't air conditioned. The restaurant is also very, very dark... even on the brightest day. Strange. However, the prices are lower in Mandarin Garden than at Shanghai Garden, on the order of about $2-$3/plate.

We ordered some of the standard fare (for us anyway): stir-fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef, etc. It all came very promptly. The fried noodles were not the "wide" hand-shaven kind at Shanghai and were a bit greasy. The kids did not gobble them up as they usually do. The sweet and sour pork was nothing more than deep fried pork pieces with the gloppy, canned sweet and sour sauce poured over it. Too sweet and too Americanized. Very disappointing. The Mongolian Beef was OK. The Shrimp in Lobster Sauce was not good. On the whole, I could not recommend this place and since we prefer the nearby Shanghai Garden, I can't see us eating at Mandarin Garden again.

Restaurant Review: Thyme and Seasons

Berkeley and I drove over to Winegar's near my Mom and Dad's house to get some groceries. My Mom suggested we eat at nearby "Thyme and Seasons" which shares a parking lot with Winegar's. Thyme and Seasons isn't a restaurant per se... it's kind of a bistro/deli/market all bundled together as one. The proprietor of the establishment was there to greet us as we walked into the door. We placed our pizza order ("BBQ Chicken") and then we walked around the 3 or 4 aisles looking at the various cooking/baking wares for sale on the north side of the store: KitchenAid mixers, KitchenAid mixer attachments, spice racks and spices (in bulk), various baking supplies, etc. It's kind of an odd, eclectic little store/bistro. While we were walking around, the proprietor chatted with us from behind the counter as he made our pizza. He is very friendly chap. I found out he is a recently retired software engineer that always had a dream to start a small bakery/bistro. It was very curious since, well, I'm a software engineer that loves to bake/cook. I wondered... was I talking to my future self some 20 years hence? Curious. Very curious.

We took a seat on the bistro side of the restaurant where there were about a dozen round tables set up when the pizza we ordered was ready. We were the only people in the restaurant and had our pick of the bunch. The pizza was very obviously homemade - an irregular non-circular crust with loads and loads of toppings. I wonder if he could make the same exact pizza again... it seemed kind of thrown together. Never mind the appearance though because the pizza was stacked with toppings... possibly the equivalent of an entire chicken breast and a half of a red onion on our little medium pizza. It was quite good... two pieces were enough to put me over the top and Berkeley could really only finish one. We took the rest back to Grandma/Grandpa's house where Berkeley will work on for the remainder of the week.

I recommend the pizza at the restaurant. I will return to the establishment (if it is still there) the next time I'm in town; not just for the food, but also for more conversation with the proprietor.

Restaurant Review: Personal Chef g

Dave Barnes drove down to Utah Valley today and met myself and Dave Sharp for lunch. We ate at "g's catering service" which is a catering service first, but also offers a fixed-menu lunch service for walk-in traffic on any given day. Today's offering? Cuban Roast Beef with black beans and rice. The meal includes bread, a side veggie, and a salad. Pretty good lunch deal for $6.50. The food is decent... cafeteria quality yes, but upscale cafeteria quality. Recommended.

Restaurant Review: JCW's

Berkeley and I did the drive-thru at JCW's in Lehi en route to Colorado (from the SLC airport). My brother Bryan recommended the joint. I ordered the basic Bacon Cheeseburger and a side of onion rings. Berkeley got a kids' Hamburger meal. My burger was great. The bacon was thick and crispy - not overcooked. The condiments were fresh and the burger itself was pink in the middle and seemed to be carefully put together. Very impressed. Good stuff.

Restaurant Review: Palomino

Date of Visit: 13 Aug 2009

Palomino sent me a gift certificate in the mail. Not sure why, but we took the free money and tried the restaurant out again just before seeing another movie. We did the early reservation and $25/pp three-course dinner so we could get done in time for 7pm-ish movie showtime. Kristy ordered the braised beef short rib this time and I selected the capellini pomodoro. Both meals were just so so again... nothing to incredible. I had the chocolate tiramisu like last time but I don't think I'll get it again. It's just too sweet I think. Kristy had the ice cream. Better choice.

Date of Visit: 10 Jul 2008

Kristy and I enjoyed a night out for dinner and a movie. For dinner, we made pre-6pm reservations at the new Palomino that just opened up in Lincoln Square. The early reservation was made to qualify for the $25/pp three-course dinner... well, that and Palomino also sent us a buy one dinner get one dinner free coupon via postal mail for some reason (I guess to get people out to their new restaurant?). Despite our early reservation (5:30pm), outside terrace was already filled up (it was very nice and warm today). We ate inside and were seated at a table far away from the bustling bar, which seemed to be heavily populated with single 20-somethings (and 30-somethings?) for Happy Hour. It was still a bit noisy, but not distractingly so.

We both ordered from the three-course menu. I had the Portabella mushroom soup and Kristy had the field green salad with feta cheese and pumpkin seeds. Both were very tasty - a good start. I had the crab cakes for my entrée and Kristy had the prawn scampi. The crab cakes were just OK... a bit dry and inert, disappointing. (They were not nearly as good as my homemade crab cakes.) Kristy's prawn scampi was too salty; she didn't eat much of it. For dessert, Kristy had the sorbet flavor of the day (the flavor of which escapes me now) and I had the chocolate tiramisu. The tiramisu was quite good, albeit a bit rich (e.g. drink with lots of water).

On the whole, a good experience. A nice pre-movie place to grab a bite to eat.

Restaurant Review: Mehfil Fine Indian Dining

I met Dave and Carl today for a rare lunch together. It's nice to see those guys once and a while, I wish we would get together more often (they travel for business much more than I do). We met at Mehfil Fine Indian Dining which is located in Redmond Town Center (not far from the NTT office that I could work at - if I had any desire to commute that is). All three of us got the buffet, which is a pretty good spread actually. Plenty of food to sample... about 5 or 6 different main courses, and about 10 or 12 different side dishes and salads (including fresh and warm naan bread). Oh, and I should mention the (heavenly) mango drink refills were an extra bonus (included in the price of the buffet!). The sticker shock of $10 per person for the lunch buffet soon wore off as I sampled many of the wonderful dishes.

Summary: Worth the price of admission.

Restaurant Review: Inn at Langley

We spent a quiet evening enjoying the company of Chef Matt Costello during a seven-course meal served in the intimate dining room at The Inn at Langley. The dining experience is much like that of The Herbfarm (except on a much smaller scale... the dining room seats only about 40 persons per night, there it but one seating, and the entire restaurant eats each course at the same time). Like The Herbfarm, the chef provides a detailed explanation about the ingredients of the dish being served and the method of preparation before each of the seven courses. The chef does this while standing in the open kitchen of the dining area which was but 10-12 feet away from where Kristy and I were seated.

The food was quite good. The starter course was the delightful tidbit that consisted of razor clams with preserved lemon. The small bits of preserved lemon were potent and cleansed our palettes for course #2: a salad of beets and blanched asparagus, served with a simple champagne vinaigrette. We were next served with my second favorite course of the night... poached halibut with large English peas and leeks. The halibut was poached in beurre monté, which is an emulsion of equal parts butter and white wine. It was delectable. Our appetizer, cured American Kobe beef with green beans and mustard shoots was adequate... a good bridge from our seafood course to the main course: rack of lamb with wild leek and morels. The main course was quite good, albeit a bit average for lamb. I love wild morels though, and you can only get them at this time of year... so I was very happy to find a healthy portion on my plate.

My favorite course of the night was the cheese offering. It was a whipped Camembert cheese served with a sauce of rhubarb and roses. The dish was so utterly satisfying that I walked over from my table to the kitchen to get a quick pointer from the chef about how to make it. I offered my guess and I was almost 100% correct with the exception of one ingredient: rose water. Never heard of it. But basically to make the sauce, what he described was to cut enough rhubarb into 1/2" chunks to make about a cup, add 1 or 2 chopped rosebud petals (with the white inner section removed), a cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add just enough water to cover the rhubarb (about ½ cup) and scrape a vanilla bean into the mix. Boil until rhubarb is slightly soft, then remove from heat and add 2 tbs of rose water. Pure. Heaven. He did not thicken his, but I could see adding a bit of cornstarch and serving it over vanilla ice cream. The pairing with the cheese was divine.

For our dessert we enjoyed a light vanilla panna cotta (which was inverted) served with fresh strawberries and lemon basil. It was a perfect dessert for Spring.

Highly recommended. We will return.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Langley

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at this quaint cafe in Langley. It was within walking distance from the Inn we are staying at (well, most everything in Langley is within walking distance from anywhere else). The service was spotty as we were often neglected and forgotten. The waitress that was to be servicing our table was also handling all of the "to go" orders. We started out with an appetizer that included hummus that was too salty and overpowered by garlic and baba ghanoush that just wasn't good. To add insult to injury, we ate it cold because our waitress forgot to serve us the pita bread along with it until about 10 minutes later (the pita bread was very good).

I had a Greek Sampler Plate and Kristy had the lamb chops. Neither meal was memorable. Kristy's lamb chops were thin and measly and prepared almost well done (she asked for medium rare). The sampler was dry and overcooked. Both meals were served with vegetables that came straight out of a high school cafeteria... waterlogged and flavorless. Yuck. We didn't bother with dessert.

Restaurant Review: Joey's

We went to Joey's to eat with some close friends tonight, one of which is turning 30 soon... which was the excuse for the get-together. Joey's decor has a modern motif, yet it provides a comfortable atmosphere that is a bit classier than most, not too stuffy... business casual. It seemed that the patrons were all about 10 years younger than I. Our friend is turning 30 (whereas I'm turning 40), so perhaps if you take into consideration our younger friends... then we fit right in.

I would classify the menu as upscale pub food; it's not going to "wow!" you, but it is a step up from average. The variety is quite broad... from burgers to tacos to curry. It would impossible to pigeonhole the menu as one specific type of cuisine. I didn't roll the dice tonight, I just ordered the soup of the day and some salad. A solid (albeit very boring) choice... something a 40-yr-old would order. Everyone else in our party of 6 had very good things to say about their food.

Summary: Not bad. Will try again.

Restaurant Review: Chan's Place

I got the kids out of the house and took them to dinner so that Kristy could get the house ready for a party we are hosting at our house. I had to drive over to Klahanie to drop Hancock off at Blockbuster (it's a 10-15 minute drive depending on lights). While in the vicinity, we dropped by Chan's Place for some Chinese cuisine. Despite hearing good reviews from friends that live in the area, it is the first time I've ever been there.

The restaurant is nicely appointed and furnished; much nice than most strip mall Chinese restaurants. The kids liked looking around and pointed out all of the interesting items that were stashed in the nooks and crannies of the restaurant decor. When we showed up, we were told we would have to wait 15-20 minutes for a table. But they had one ready in 5 minutes. I think we caught a wave of diners finishing up or something, because there were a lot of people in the lobby ahead of us.

We were seated and I quickly placed our order just as soon as I could in order to minimize the "dead time" between the moment we sat down in our booth and when the food arrived. This is the worst time to be in a "sit-down" restaurant with young children; especially since there were no crayons or other such diversions to keep the kids occupied. We played some games trying to find items around the restaurant (see note on the very nice decor above).

I ordered some "wide" noodles and some sweet and sour pork. It arrived in about 10 minutes. Very fast. However, the food was not good. The "wide" noodles were not what I expected. I was thinking something more along the line of the hand shaven noodles that the kids love at Shanghai Garden. What we received was a gelatinous mass of near-translucent "noodles" that looked like that were made out of cornstarch. Yuck. Berkeley enjoyed the sweet and sour pork, but I did not think that it was very good. I bit into a few pieces and all I tasted was oil.

Should have driven down the hill to Shanghai Garden.

Restaurant Review: Spazzo Italian Grill

Kristy and I enjoyed a rare dinner out together at Spazzo tonight. Spazzo is located in Redmond Town Center on the second floor, above Gene Juarez. We started our meal with two appetizers. I had the fried artichokes with basil aioli. The artichokes were delicious; lightly breaded and not at all oily. The basil flavored dipping sauce was a perfect compliment. Kristy had the minestrone soup. She said it was good. We both enjoyed our appetizers with some Pellegrino (with lime wedges) and the artisan bread served with the meal. I studied the bread meticulously, rotating it around between my fingers and thumb: slightly chilled, spongy, moist, with a dark chewy crust... very good. I approve.

We split a wood-fired oven-baked pizza for dinner. Kristy indulged me and let me order the "Funghi" pizza - seasonal mushrooms with goat cheese, Parmesan, and truffle oil - served on a crispy thin crust. The pizza was marvelous. With the appetizers consumed, splitting the pizza was just enough to give us both the satisfaction of feeling quite full... that is, until we decided to order some of the fresh gelato from the dessert menu. Kristy went with the "Mayan Chocolate Cinnamon" and I ordered "Madagascar Vanilla" and "Pomegranate Cream". All three favors were lovely.

We will go back.

Restaurant Review: Thaifoon

The wife, kids, my mom, my dad, and myself enjoyed lunch together today at Thaifoon restaurant located in downtown SLC (in the Gateway Plaza just to the East of the fountain up the stairs). My friend Dave recommended the place as one that is a bit upscale (compared to McDonald's) yet still remains kid friendly. I'd have to say I agree. The kids all ordered bento boxes from the kids menu and they all loved their food.... which rarely happens. Berkeley ordered the chicken bites; Eliana the shrimp; and Olivia the buttered noodles. Kristy and I split a Pad Thai off of the $8.99 lunch menu and we still had food to take home. The Pad Thai was excellent, some of the best I've ever had. The lunch portions are plenty big enough for any average size eater, which is nice. I also ordered some spring rolls which were quite good, lightly fried and not too oily. If we go back (which I expect we will), I'll order the exact same food. Thanks for the recommendation David!

Restaurant Review: Red Rock Brewpub

My Dad and I met at Red Rock this evening for some dinner. I eat at Red Rock whenever I get the chance; it is one of my favorite places to eat in SLC. This isn't even the first time I've eaten at Red Rock with my Dad. Dad and I ate there a few years back - with all the boys iirc - for some occasion that escapes me now (Dad's birthday?). Anyway... Red Rock does not disappoint. They have a good solid menu of your standard brewpub fare... sandwiches, salads, pizza, and a tasty selection of dinner entrées. Dad ordered up the Red Rock burger: a ¼-lb patty of beef served with melted swiss cheese and grilled red onion in a wood-fired pocket. I had the 10-oz flat iron steak. We both ordered up some of the fabulous Red Rock root beer... which is made fresh on site daily. Our meals were very good; the root beer was exceptional.

But more than the food... it was nice tonight, though, to just relax and hang out with Dad, talk about his volleyball team, talk about his grand kids, my recent trip to Colorado, and anything else that came to mind. We ate slowly, nursed our root beers, and then left. I'll be going back the next chance I get.

Restaurant Review: Hwy 65 Burgers

At the very southern edge of the small town of Cedaredge (where my Grandma lives) is a restaurant located on the highway (Highway 65) called "Hwy 65 Burgers". I visited the establishment today with a pretty good appetite. The burger size was not advertised but the prices were and my first thought when I saw the $4-$6 burger prices was "these burgers are kind of pricey". Unlike most burger barn chains, there were no combinations offered at Hwy 65 Burgers... everything was a la carte. I ordered a bacon burger, a side of onion rings, and a Dr. Pepper.

I did get what I paid for... a huge two-handed burger that was hard for me to finish, even with my healthy appetite. The burger was very tasty... not too greasy, the lettuce was crisp, the thick tomato slice was firm, and the bun was soft and fresh. There are a lot of cattle ranches around here, so it would not surprise me if the meat in my hamburger was alive and walking around yesterday. The onion rings were above average... thick slices of onion, not too much breading, and not too oily. I was planning on getting a shake to go when I walked in the restaurant, but I was so full after my meal that I passed.

Summary: The best burger in the town of Cedaredge. Perhaps the only burger in town... but the best nonetheless!

Restaurant Review: Shanghai Garden

Date of Visit: 19 Aug 2009

We arrived at Shanghai Garden for my birthday today. We came for the hand-shaven noodles (with shrimp) and got the orange beef this time (instead of the orange chicken). Both were good, but I think the orange chicken was probably better than the orange beef. The kids gobbled up the noodles. We ordered the Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and the steamed (not fried) dumplings to round out the meal. Five dishes... Way more food than we could eat. The Kung Pao Chicken was very good; Berkeley especially liked the peanuts. The Sweet and Sour is just not good enough though to be ordered again; the meat is just too tough. And the steamed dumplings won't make my re-order list for our next visit.

Date of Visit: 8 Oct 2008

We met Kristy after work at the Shanghai Garden in downtown Issaquah. Yesterday we escaped the house (because of paint fumes) and went out for Mexican food at nearby La Casita. Eliana was making a case for Chinese food last night, but her arguments didn't prevail. But she did manage to negotiate a settlement wherein we promised to go for Chinese food tonight. I love Chinese food, so she didn't have to push too hard to win me over. We have been to Shangai Garden before a couple of times, with the latest visit not too long ago actually. I'm surprised I have not yet put a review here on the blog. *shrug* Must have slipped my mind I guess.

We ordered five dishes tonight, which was probably twice as much food as we could eat. Everything looks so good that it's easy to get carried away. We ordered the pan fried steamed meat dumplings, sweet & sour boneless spareribs, crispy orange chicken, dry sauteed green beans, and the hand shaven fried noodles with shrimp. Of the dishes, I'd have to say that the crispy orange chicken and the noodles were definitely the best. The noodles were especially excellent. Berkeley loves sweet and sour pork, he asks for that everytime we go out to Chinese. I thought the pork was a bit tough. The green beans were disappointing. I remember that now from the last time we ate there, but lacking the documentation to remind me not to order them again... well, I ordered them again. The steamed dumplings were just so-so.

Restaurant Review: Pecos Pit BBQ

I was downtown with Livy running some errands. On our way home (at about 1pm) we stopped for lunch at Pecos Pit BBQ. Pecos Pit is only open 5 days a week from 11am-4pm and will close before 4pm if they run out of food. The Pecos Pit can get crowded early putting a squeeze on the limited parking options, but our arrival at about a quarter after 1 was well timed. We were able to secure a spot right up front and the line was only a couple of people deep.

The menu at Pecos Pit has about 6 items: Pork Sandwich, Beef Sandwich, Sliced Beef, Beans, Chips, Drink. I ordered up the Pork Sandwich (mild for sharing with Livy), a cup of beans, and a fountain drink. The sandwich is a mouthful... I would estimate that it weighs about 12-14 ounces (perhaps even 16). There was plenty to share with Livy; and since Livy loves meat, she ate quite a bit of it actually. The sauce has a mild flavor - mellow and savory - not too heavy on the vinegar or the sweetness. It hits a sweet spot. The beans are as good as the sandwich... the same sauce on the sandwich is used to steep and tenderize the beans. The flavor of the beans and the sandwich are too close to each other though; I would have rather had a side of cole slaw, but no such option is available at Pecos Pit (and the nearest KFC is over in West Seattle). Ah well. Still and excellent BBQ option; probably the best in Seattle.

Restaurant Review: Kidd Valley

The bitter disappointment of our recent visit to Triple X a couple of days ago prompted us to visit the Queen Anne location of Kidd Valley tonight (before we attended the Storm Game). The small Kidd Valley chain is a solid hamburger fixture in Western Washington, regularly winning "Best of..." surveys in the local newspapers and magazines. Kidd Valley puts together a fine burger. They also have excellent hand-made onion rings, fried button mushrooms, and milk shakes. This is Kristy's favorite place for a burger and is definitely in my top three.

Pro Tip: The Kidd Valley stuff served at Safeco is not as good as the restaurants. Try the Bellevue or University District locations... I've had the best luck there.

Restaurant Review: Matt's Gourmet Hot Dogs

Today is the one-year anniversary of the death of a our friend, John Bull. So eight of us from the Issaquah 2nd ward met down at Pier 52 in the Ferry Terminal and had some dogs and swapped old stories about John. Scott (Newton) brought a picture to sit on the table... a nice touch.

The dogs at Matt's are pretty good... nice and snappy. Matt's serve the dogs in a number of ways: Chicago style, smothered with chili, smothered with sauerkraut, smothered with pastrami, etc. I had a classic Chicago dog today and a "Kraut" dog (and chased them down with some root beer). Both dogs hit the spot. I'll be back next year at the Ferry Terminal to raise a dog for John (unless Matt's re-opens a store in Bellevue between now and then... */me crosses fingers*).

(Update Wed May 14 00:34:27 PDT 2008 // fixed some formatting problems)