ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
I'll say it right off. Ataula is the best tapas restaurant my wife and I have ever been to. Not only was the food consistently sublime but the wait staff was above reproach and the tab less than we expected to pay for such quality. Ataula is somewhat hidden away on a quiet side street of Portland's... Continue Reading →
After a long day's drive in blistering heat into and out of Mount Rainier National Park and Mount St Helens Volcanic National Monument and checking into our motel, my wife and I were ready for a margarita and an ice cold beer. (Mis)guided by Quality Inn's confusingly formatted list of recommended local restaurants in Gresham, we... Continue Reading →
Along the Grove of the Patriarchs in Mount Rainier National Park, there is a fallen old growth Douglas Fir that is easily hundreds of years old. To me, its most remarkable characteristic is a fantastic burl that looks very much like a bubbling mud pool.
Our good friends in the Seattle area have been doing some interesting restaurant exploring, mainly small places that are under the radar and unlikely to be on any big-time publication or travel site lists of best places to eat in Seattle. They've gotten inspiration from Yelp friends who've done their fair share of looking for those hole-in-the-wall gems... Continue Reading →
Could the lure of The Oinkster's house-cured pastrami, house-made ketchup, chipotle sauce and garlic aioli, hand-cut Kennebec fries that are double-fried, indications that Chef Andre Guerrero is serious about food, be enough to give me satisfaction that I could find the ideal pastrami sandwich? It's been a long, dry spell since I've had a great... Continue Reading →
The Mainland corporation that owns Shanghai No. 1 Seafood Village reportedly spent big bucks on possibly the fanciest Chinese restaurant ever to open in the LA basin. Chefs would be brought in directly from Shanghai, the ambience would appeal to the fussiest diners and menu to match. The debut was such a big deal that... Continue Reading →
I've been grocery shopping at the Alhambra Ralphs countless times when I've visited my wife's family in the San Gabriel Valley. (As a sign of the times, this Ralphs has officially closed and construction has begun on another 99 Ranch Market in the Valley.) Across the street is Dog Haus, which I'd never patronized. Maybe... Continue Reading →
The latest Food Truck Snackdown at the Crossroads Shopping Center happened today, so we were sure to see what was cookin'. Two things were on the radar for this trip. One was a shiksa, a pork stew that was described in ZAGAT. Sandwich-style, Napkin Friends puts everything between two "slices" of latke, which suggests influences from... Continue Reading →
It's been several years that I've passed by the stand that sells Italian sandwiches at the Issaquah Farmers Market. I've tried most of the other food vendors' fare, and none of them has left a lasting impression. That was about to change. WiseGuy Italian Street Food serves two hot hero sandwiches: sausage and pepper and Italian meatball. There are big... Continue Reading →
The first time my wife and I stayed at Sun Mountain Lodge over a decade ago, there were abundant wildflowers on the trails nearby. In spots, they were so profuse that the ground was covered with them. It was an experience that stayed in my memory, one only matched by the wildflower displays on the Big... Continue Reading →
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