ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Every April and October, Seattle area diners look forward to Seattle Restaurant Week. The program actually extends over a two-week period (except Fridays and Saturdays) and features many restaurants that have agreed to offer a 3-course dinner for $30 per person (and, in a few cases, two-course lunch for $15). These prices can be great values when... Continue Reading →
The convenience of having a restaurant attached to a theater is very appealing. Before or after a performance, all you need do is walk a few steps. It's also a bonus when the restaurant is well regarded. No additional driving, no fuss. Fins Bistro happens to be next door to Village Theatre in Issaquah. There is even a... Continue Reading →
Fish and chips restaurants abound in the Pacific Northwest, not surprising when there's nothing but the Pacific Ocean to the west. Perhaps the most well-known fish-n-chippery in the Seattle area is Ivar's, once owned by Ivar Haglund whose image and personality in local circles rivaled those of Colonel Sanders. His corporation also used to fund a big... Continue Reading →
I'm not referring to their quality necessarily but their size. Ivar's Seafood Bar at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park is offering Super Clams, apparently for a limited time or perhaps as a promotion for Ivar's 75th anniversary. Bigger than its regular fried clams, these are king-sized strips, some pieces almost 3 inches long, none of... Continue Reading →
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,... Continue Reading →
Along the Oregon coast, seafood restaurants are as numerous as the sea stacks offshore. Mo's is a local seafood restaurant that established a reputation with its clam chowder. There are now six locations, including two in Newport, where Mo's had its beginning. Since my wife and I were driving through Florence, we stopped here for... Continue Reading →
The best cioppino we had ever eaten was had at Sharks Seafood Bar back in 2009. Not only was there a substantial broth of tomatoes, vegetables and herbs—a recipe which the chef will not divulge—but a generous serving of fresh seafood. A noticeable amount of sweetness, which some may find a trifle much, came through... Continue Reading →
Ask a bunch of Kiwis where they enjoy their favorite fish and chips and you're likely to get a range of opinions, so ubiquitous is this kind of shop throughout New Zealand. As an aside, an odd fact in New Zealand and Australia is that hamburgers are often sold in fish and chip shops, too.... Continue Reading →
Earlier in the day, we enjoyed a wine tasting with friends at Hoodsport Winery, courtesy of a gift from neighbors. So, we decided to make it part of a short vacation along the east side of the Olympic peninsula where tomorrow we'd take an all-day hike on the Big Quilcene Trail in the national forest.... Continue Reading →
I thought that the prohibition against abalone fishing in California many years ago would spell the end to the most delicious mollusk steak ever to cross my lips. I remember when I was a kid, my father, brother and I went fishing for them around Monterey where my father grew up. My mother would steam... Continue Reading →
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