Archive for the 'Seattle' Category

Matt’s In The Market – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on January 11, 2012 in New American, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 5 Comments

The Astronomer and I would have never stumbled upon Matt’s In The Market had our friend Daniel not pointed us here. The restaurant is tucked away in the Corner Market Building, three floors up from the throngs of tourists crowding Pike Place Market. Here, owner Dan Bugge and Chef Chester Gerl source fresh ingredients for their ever-changing menu from the market stalls below.

Without having to ask, we were seated at a table for two under the arched windows overlooking the iconic Public Market sign. It was the most memorable view of the entire trip.

Glancing to our right, we could see the pale blue water and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Seattle is a beauty.

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Mighty-O Donuts – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on January 9, 2012 in Breakfast / Brunch, Dessert, Doughnuts, Seattle and Vegan. 9 Comments

On our final morning in Seattle, The Astronomer and I hopped a bus to the quaint neighborhood of Wallingford to visit Mighty-O Donuts. While I’m usually dubious of fried dough with health claims attached to it, I’d heard such positive reviews of Mighty-O’s vegan offerings that I felt compelled to try them for myself.

I mean, if there’s one town in this world that could produce a delicious doughnut without chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavors, genetically modified organisms, or animal-derived ingredients, I would put my money on Seattle.

Mighty-O has been selling their unique brand of O’s in the Seattle area since the late 1990s and opened this store in 2003. The shop produces over a dozen different varieties of cake doughnuts each day with either a vanilla or chocolate dough and various toppings.

Oreos are a passion of mine, so I chose the “Cookies and Cream” doughnut ($1.85) with a vanilla base, sweet glaze, and crushed chocolate cookies.

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Skillet Diner & High 5 Pie – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on January 6, 2012 in Breakfast / Brunch, Diner, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 4 Comments

Down home meals prepared with local ingredients and served in hip but homey settings are a Seattle specialty, so The Astronomer and I found ourselves eating plenty of American comfort food during our stay.

After such thoroughly satisfying meals at both Local 360 and Steelhead Diner, we did not hesitate to seek out another upscale diner experience. This time, we headed to Capitol Hill’s Skillet Diner for lunch.

Skillet Diner began as a mobile food trailer called Skillet Street Food, which was launched by Chef Josh Henderson in 2007. The trailer garnered a passionate following throughout the Pacific Northwest serving American comfort food prepared with classic technique and seasonal ingredients.

The brick and mortar restaurant, which opened in spring 2011, serves the same kind of easygoing fare that resonated with fans of the mobile establishment.

The Astronomer and I grabbed two seats along the counter which peered into the restaurant’s open kitchen. We worked up quite a sweat trekking from downtown to Capitol Hill, so we were pleased as pie to be greeted with a bottle of chilled water and ready mason jar glasses.

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The Walrus and the Carpenter – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on December 27, 2011 in Mixology, New American, Restaurant Review, Seafood and Seattle. 7 Comments

An article penned by Frank Bruni inspired The Astronomer and me to bus it to Ballard for dinner at The Walrus and the Carpenter. We had a beast of time scoring a table at the adorable seafood shack, but everything was smooth sailing after that initial hurdle. Our meal here turned out to be not only the most memorable of the trip, but one of my favorite of the year. Seafood and cocktails—what could be better?

Located in the newly restored Kolstrand Building, The Walrus and the Carpenter is the vision of Chef Renee Erickson (Boat Street Café, Boat Street Pickles) and her partners Jeremy Price and Chad Dale. Together they’ve achieved their goal of building a restaurant serving the “highest quality food and drink in a space that is stripped of pretense and feels like home.”

The Astronomer and I were seated along the back of the restaurant with views of the elongated bar and open kitchen.

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Local 360 – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on December 26, 2011 in Breakfast / Brunch, Diner, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 4 Comments

The Astronomer and I had a most satisfying brunch at Local 360 during our trip to Seattle. We dined here on a whim while walking through Belltown and left thoroughly content with our impromptu choice. Everything from the food to the service to the ambiance was just our speed.

The rustically appointed restaurant was lightly packed on a Sunday. We were seated quickly at a table fit for four and presented with the restaurant’s “Daytime” menu, which is served daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Local 360″ refers to the restaurant’s commitment to sourcing most of its raw ingredients from within 360 miles of Seattle. There are certain items like lemons, limes, and coffee that do not grow in the area anytime of the year, so those are sourced from the closest place possible.

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