West 5

We had something to celebrate today, so we decided to shift our meal plan by one day and go out to dinner tonight. My office mate Jason has been telling me about a place in West Seattle for months - and this seemed like a great chance to finally check it out. So we headed across the bridge, followed it to the left along Fauntleroy, then hung a right on Oregon and parked when we got up to California. And there, near the intersection of Oregon & California is West 5.



West 5 is a Lounge/Diner that celebrates vintage Seattle. The name comes from the original phone prefix for West Seattle, WE5, and the owners have done a great job creating a vintage modern place with great comfort food and friendly staff.



Their menu makes claims that they have the best Mai Tai around... so we had to give it a try ($6.50). Although I wouldn't call it the best in Seattle, it's definitely different - more sour - and clearly uses a unique mix of ingredients.



Since I was celebrating, I indulged in the large Astral Mac & Cheese ($10.95; $8.95 for the small), which is a big bowl of mac & cheese that's baked right in the bowl to order, and was really, really good. It also uses my favorite mac & cheese pasta - radiatorre - so I may be biased. But the crisp layer of breadcrumbs and cheese on top, with the gooey, hot pasta & cheese sauce below was truly delicious.





Dan went for a more healthy, well rounded meal - the Meatloaf ($11.95) - which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy. It came with potatoes and veggies, and was artfully drizzled with ketchup.



Having grown up in the area, I have a definite soft spot for the Seattle I remember from my childhood - watching JP Patches, taking trips down to the Pike Place Market and Seattle Science Center, going to the U District Street Fair, jokes about slugs and geoducks, and the good ol' Wheedle on the Needle. I love that West 5 celebrates old Seattle with classic comfort food and nostalgia. We'll definitely be back to try some of the other menu items - like the BBQ Pork sandwich!