ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Amid the current craze to start ramen restaurants, it's refreshing to find a restaurant that serves only soba. Sobaya (restaurants that specialize in soba) are not common in the States, though many Japanese restaurants have it on the menu among their other offerings. Seattle has a sobaya (and izakaya) in the form of Wallingford's Miyabi 45th, which began business... Continue Reading →
An event like the Eastside Food Truck Snackdown is problematic for a solo diner, such as yours truly at this second annual Crossroads shopping center gala. With twelve mobile trucks to choose from, I'm not able to sample more than a couple things. I cased the possibilities three times. A few trucks drew my attention, among them one... Continue Reading →
The Taiwanese presence in the Bellevue Chinese restaurant scene is unmistakeable. And why not? The Eastside city has a large demographic of Americans of Taiwanese descent. It was no surprise that Din Tai Fung established its first Northwest location in Bellevue's Lincoln Square complex. Many Chinese restaurants in the city, some explicitly serving Taiwanese cuisine and others... Continue Reading →
If phở hadn't become Vietnam's most popular dish here in the States, the vermicelli noodle salad known as bún might have taken its place. At least, that's what I like to think because I love them both and sometimes it's hard to pick between the two. For me, the choice might come down to the weather. Served at room temperature,... Continue Reading →
Crispy salted chicken (yan su ji) is so popular at Taiwanese night markets that it's doubtful there are stalls that don't serve it. Served as a snack, chicken pieces are cut up into nuggets and normally double-fried. They get their distinctiveness from a subtle five-spice flavor, batter of sweet potato flour and fried Thai basil leaves that accompany them. So, it was with... Continue Reading →
On the Eastside, I Love Sushi is one place to get good sushi. While the chefs may not bask in the fame of the big names in Seattle, they quietly go about their business of making praiseworthy sushi which reflects extensive training in Japan, a rarity in this age of cookie-cutter sushiya. There are two locations, one on Lake Union in... Continue Reading →
When Amazon moved its headquarters from the imposing, ex-VA hospital building atop Beacon Hill to the soon-to-be industrial park at the southern end of Lake Union, it dramatically changed the economy and redevelopment of a section of town that had been characterized by light industry, small businesses and warehouses. Not only do employees of Amazon now work... 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 →
With its deep port and proximity to abundant timber, Port Townsend in the nineteenth century was well on its way to becoming the commercial center of Washington State, but the railroads balked. Seattle eventually prevailed. Now, Port Townsend hinges much of its fortune on tourism and boat-building. The preservation of Victorian homes built during the boom years led... Continue Reading →
"If a messy kitchen is a happy one, this one is delirious." How can you not like a café that has the chutzpah to post that above their kitchen? How about, "The reason we're not all here is because we're not all there"? There is even a banner on a wall emblazoned with a single word: BACON! Add to... Continue Reading →
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