Among the benefits of having a dog is taking it on its daily walk. I might grumble about having to do this every day, but once I’m out on the sidewalk or on the dog-friendly trail, it isn’t so bad. On rain-free, crisp mornings, the walks can be exhilarating. The exercise, so I tell myself, profits me more than sitting on my fanny, which I’m inclined to do at home, all the more in my retirement. Luckily, I realize that I’m only dog-sitting for my daughter and that she will be home in a few days to reclaim her doggie.
Another benefit of walking the dog are noticing things you wouldn’t otherwise. One of these things, it so happens, was spotting a food truck that was pulling into the parking lot of Datasphere Technologies, across the street from Spiritridge Park in Bellevue, where my wife and I commence our dog walk. Today, Fish Basket was selling its fish tacos, fried seafood and chowder.
Fried seafood includes cod, salmon, halibut, shrimp, clams and calamari, each with a side of either chips or slaw. The cod ($8) is the best fish value as the salmon and halibut set you back $1 and $3.75 more, respectively, for two pieces of fish (and side). The batter is thinly applied (my preference) on fish that needed more seasoning and freedom from the freezer that dried out its flesh (☆☆½). On the other hand, the fries were deliciously seasoned with paprika and other spices and coated with perhaps a thin layer of cornstarch batter that gave them a nice crispiness. The tartar sauce deserves special mention. It’s homemade, tarter than most with more dill pickles. Foil packages of malt vinegar and hot sauce are available in containers at the cashier.
Whenever we have the opportunity, we get fried clams. Today was no exception. Generously-sized clam strips were coated in super-crispy cornmeal batter (☆☆☆½). The clam flavor was robust and cried out to be tasted again in the near future.
Most of the positive reviews center on Fish Basket’s tacos, which are listed first on the menu. They will be next on our “try” list along with clam chowder. But, we’d be hard pressed to pass up the clams.
With the concentration of high-tech companies in the Eastgate area with generously-sized parking lots, it was inevitable that food trucks would be contracted to service their employees. I’m just beginning to identify where these spots are, but there are at least three of them. Over time, I imagine the popularity and frequency will steadily grow to the point where employees working at these high tech companies will be awash in food trucks, or is that just a pipe dream of mine? Fish Basket is a good start.
zoomeboshi 
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