Cal's American Kitchen Grand Opening

It being date night, Dan came over to South Lake Union to hang out until I got off work.  Our original plan was take Hilo to Norm's in Fremont - a well known dog-friendly bar.  While walking around the neighborhood, however, Dan stumbled on the Grand Opening of Cal's American Kitchen - and texted me to meet him there.

I'm officially off sugar and booze for the month (again), so didn't get to indulge in any of the fun sounding cocktails on their menu (which I'll be back for next month).  Instead, I got an iced tea.  It came in a frosty metal cup - just like the ones I used to use to make milk shakes at Baskin-Robbins.  (Yes, I was a soda jerk for a year in college.)  I don't know if it was form or function, but it seemed to keep the drink colder.



 The full restaurant wasn't yet open, but the Happy Hour menu was available and had some yummy sounding items.  Dan & I went for a sampling of four of their (very reasonably priced) happy hour offerings.



First to the table were my favorite of everything we tried:  Cheese Puffs.  I had no idea what to expect, but was completely delighted when a plate of savory profiteroles showed up on a plate next to a beer cheese fondue sauce.  The profiteroles (cream puffs minus the cream) were perfect for dipping after being torn in half, creating a little spoon.  I had a hard time not eating the whole plate myself.



Next to arrive was the simply named 'Cauliflower' - which was just that, baked with cheese (according to our attentive, friendly server, the same beer cheese sauce).  The cauliflower was cooked really nicely - not raw but not mushy.  Just right.  And enough of a nod toward a vegetable so we wouldn't feel guilty.




Their take on steak tartare, "American Tartare" showed up next, paired with crisp potato chips.  The beef seemed shaved, not chopped, as (I'm told) tartare should be, and was mixed with capers and other deliciousness.



Last but definitely not least were the "Tots in the Style of Tater".  Perfectly crispy and golden brown, with a bbq spice mix on them, and a smokey dipping sauce on the side.  The sauce was yummy, but I couldn't help but dip my tots in the beer cheese sauce.



Although our menu choices were a bit heavy (potatoes always make me feel so full!), we enjoyed them thoroughly and can't wait to try the full menu in the restaurant.  The atmosphere was nice (similar to Brave Horse, a little more country club than club house, but still a contemporary palette of browns, blacks and metals), the staff were great, the food was excellent, and the prices ($3-5 per happy hour item) were extremely competitive.  The place was packed by the time we left, which was no surprise.  Now Dan's going to have another choice of a place to wait for me while I finish up work (he gets off work much earlier than I do, since he gets up at 4:30am these days).

Goodbye Lunch @ Flying Fish

Today was the last day for my office mate, who scored a job at one of the biggest and best law firms in Seattle. To send her off properly, a bunch joined her for lunch at Flying Fish.



I sipped a hibiscus drink called Aqua d' Jamiaca, which was a little strong in flavor (it wasn't alcoholic, but could've used something to water it down a bit.)



For my lunch, I went with a sandwich billed as a Chicken Banh Mi - the Vietnamese sandwiches that many folks at my company became positively addicted to while we worked in the International District. This, however, was not anything like the banh mi I love. It was served on ciabatta bread, slathered in so much mayo that my hands became covered every time I took a bite, and the ingredients fell all over the place when I tried to eat it. Good banh mi are often considered such because of the amazing baguettes with which they are made - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, denoting the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine. The baguette is sliced only part way through, creating a perfect pocket to safely house the tasty filling, held in place with just a light spread of mayo. Ciabatta was too dense, and being sliced in half didn't hold anything in place - which may have explained the extra mayo as an attempt to cement the filling to the bread. The sandwich also looked a little lonely on the plate.

That said, maybe I would've enjoyed my lunch more if our server wasn't so obviously having a bad day, and visibly frustrated with our table for not giving him all our attention when he wanted it. The restaurant is fairly loud at lunch, so I think our group of 8 didn't all hear him ask about drinks - creating some confusion.



I wasn't the only one who ordered the "banh mi", and the other folks seemed to enjoy it - though one smartly asked for no mayo. But the two people that REALLY enjoyed their lunch were the two that got the Kobe burger. It came with fries and looked delicious.

Carb Loading Courtesy of Padrino's Pizza

Tomorrow morning Dan & I will be getting up bright and early and heading down to meet a bunch of my coworkers and their loved ones for the Race for the Cure - a 5K to benefit Breast Cancer research. Although most folks are walking, we're running the 5K, so tonight, we carb load.



Conveniently enough, Padrino's Pizza just opened a new location on Rainier Ave S, giving us another delivery option.

We kicked things off with their 'Pepperoni Sticks', which are like pizza breadsticks with loads of pepperoni (rather than friend mozzarella sticks with pepperoni sticks inside, as I'd secretly hoped).



I went for the Bella pasta for my carb loading - a big pile of penne pasta with shrimp and goat cheese in a creamy sauce.



The pasta was good, but I would've preferred my shrimp to have the tails removed. Eating shrimp tails is like chewing glass - both seem to shred my gums - so I ended up detailing my shrimp by hand.



Dan got the classic spaghetti & meatballs with marinara. Both came with garlic bread, so we were plenty carb loaded by the time we were full (which came long before the food was gone).

Welcome Lunch @ Laadla

To welcome my new employee to our team, I planned a lunch for me, him and a few of our coworkers. Based on his favorite cuisines, I picked the closest Indian restaurant to our office building: Laadla Cuisine of India.



What I failed to realize is that the restaurant is a buffet, and has some of the worst reviews I've ever seen on Yelp. On top of that, almost none of the folks I invited were able to come. Not exactly the nice welcome lunch I'd hoped to give. And given that none of the Indian employees I invited came, maybe I should have picked another spot.

That said, Laadla turned out to have a well stocked spread of decent vegetarian and meat dishes, the buffet meant we could get in and out quickly (the few folks who came had meetings to run to after), and we avoided what most of the Yelp reviews criticized heavily: the service.

Hopefully I can make it up to everyone soon with some treats or another lunch somewhere with a little more elegance.

Mochiko Chicken & Mochiko the Chicken

Date Night after the farmers market tonight found us at Wabi Sabi - the Sushi Bar in Columbia City. Dan had been doing recon online and discovered they added some more Hawaiian favorites to their menu, so we had to go back.



In order to give all my hens equal attention, I went for another of their namesake dishes: Mochiko Chicken - a Japanese/Hawaiian style breaded fried chicken that I've only ever had at Kona Kitchen (where I recently ate my brown hen's namesake dish).

Besides being a delicious plate of food, Mochiko is also the name of our biggest hen - the big, black Australorp. She's grown faster than her sisters, and already lets out some very grown up clucks. It's the chicken equivalent of her voice changing, I suppose. Teri and Huli are sure to catch up soon, as they're all growing fast. They even get to do some free ranging in the yard (under supervision) these days.

I suppose I better track down some Huli Huli chicken soon - or somebody's gonna get jealous.

Lured Back to Verve

The folks at Verve know the power of social networking - and lured us back in tonight with a Facebook post about a new menu item: Lamb Burgers.



There was no question what we wanted - both ordering the lamb burger. It came with red onion, lettuce and tomato, and topped with goat cheese and a chutney. And like the beef burger, it was paired with perfectly cooked fingerling potatoes (which I'll be mimicking soon).



To share, we order the Spring Veggies - a perfect pairing with the super seasonal lamb. Asparagus, kale, young artichokes, baby bok choy, and some tasty mushrooms all cooked to the point of being bright and flavorful.

El Sombrero - Still Our Go-To Spot

I haven't written about El Sombrero in a long while - not because of some change of allegience, but perhaps because it's become such a staple for us. We go at least once a month, and sometimes once (or twice) a week - more than any other restaurant. The staff have come to know us, and it's a comfortable place with delicious food and great cocktails. My Foodspotting addiction (which our server, Saul, mentioned during our meal tonight) can attest to our frequent visits, and inspires me to try to find something new to eat or drink every time we go.



This time, I went for the Victoria beer they're now carrying, and a Torta (a Mexican sandwich) filled with "al pastor" - aka barbecued pork. Just like that time at Reuben's in Hilo, I failed to anticipate that the sandwich would come with fries - which I (mostly) had to pass on after enjoying a few too many chips before our meal. I've never been disappointed by anything I've tried - from the borrego to the sopitas (which Dan enjoyed tonight) - and they keep surprising us with new items, like the amazing new hibiscus margaritas.

Beef Fest @ Verve

After our return to the Columbia City Farmers Market today (picking up some tasty food for the near term and some carrot, rhubarb and pea plants for the future), Dan & I had a heck of a time figuring out where to go for Date Night. It was drizzling out, which made picking something quick ideal, but given my follow up treatment Friday, I intended to go somewhere with soup. But somehow, the pull of the Verve burger was too great.



I've been longing to try the Verve Burger ever since our first visit to Verve Wine Bar over a year ago. So much so that I included it on my 'Discover South Seattle: Columbia City' Foodspotting guide, as a reminder. Why it's taken me this long to finally get it on a plate in front of me, I don't know - but tonight I skipped the soup and got a Verve Burger with bleu cheese and avocado that was heaven.



Turning our dinner into a full fledged Beef Fest was Dan's choice for dinner: The Painted Hills Steak. Our server, Heather, was incredibly friendly and (unlike too many places out there) was fully supportive of us ordering our beef rare - apparently also supported by our chef, who prefers his meat rare, too. Both the burger and steak were delicious, flavorful and tender, and paired with great sides. Mine came with roasted fingerling potatoes, while Dan's featured garlic smashed potatoes and eggplant with a demiglace. Dan's plate was clean before I knew it, and mine wasn't far behind.

And what to drink along with pink meat? Pink wine, of course! We had a great Yakima Valley Cabernet Franc Rosé called 'Pink Paintbrush', and we got a bottle cuz the re-corking fee is waived on Wednesdays.

As we walked back to our car, me lugging our 3/4 full bottle of wine, we both noted how great every experience at Verve has been. The food and drinks are excellent, but the friendly staff really make the place. Heather was the component that made our dinner great, just as Dan (the bartender, not either of us) has on visits when we sat at the bar.

I just discovered they've added a lamb burger to the menu, so another visit soon has moved to the top of my Date Night wish list.

Tantalizing Tripe Tacos @ El Paisano

After our drink at Company, we all headed over to Rosticeria y Cocina El Paisano for a bite to eat before hitting the rink.



I decided to get a trio of offal tacos: tripas, lengua, and cabeza (stomach, tongue and brain). Unfortunately, they were out of cabeza, so I went for the birria (pronouncing it horribly). I asked what it was, and not knowing the word, our incredibly friendly hostess (who later serenaded us at our table with her beautiful voice) made the sound of the animal - goat or sheep, it would seem - so I'd know what I was getting into.



Paul and I ended up with our tacos intermingled, and an extra each, so there was plenty to go around and lots of flavors to explore. All my tacos were full of flavor and really delicious. But I found the tripe tacos were the most amazing - melt in your mouth good, in fact - and something I'll be seeking out in the future.



After we had our fill, we all headed over to the Southgate Roller Rink - the same roller skating rink Dan's Mom went to as a girl. It's been revitalized, reopened, and was positively hopping tonight. The crowd is a mix of young and old, seemingly from all walks of life - much like White Center itself. We had a great time going in circles, getting used to having wheels on our feet for the first time in ages. Hopefully, we'll get another chance to relive those middle school memories (and work out apparently neglected muscles in our inner thighs and lower backs) again soon.

Great Drinks, Great Bathroom & Great Company @ Company

Tonight was another installment of White Center fun, hosted by Ruth & Paul. We met up at Ruth's place for a cocktail, then headed out on the town... with the ultimate stop being the newly reopened Southgate Skate Rink. But first, we hit the newest neighborhood bar: Company.



As with every other White Center hotspot, Ruth and Paul already know the bartender, and he hooked us up with a round of delicious margaritas. Ruth recommended I snap all of them at once, and the shot turned out great.

But not as great as, oddly enough, the shot I was compelled to take of the men's room at Company. I went in to use the facilities, and the paint design floored me. Literally - I ended up laying on the floor in the corner of the bathroom to get as much of the room in the shot as possible, and I'm pleased with the results.