Gastrolust

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: When it comes to kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi, I’m a glutton for punishment. Even when I set my expectations low, I find myself generally disappointed. At least in the States. I had better luck during my last trip to Japan.
But I’m in Seattle, and I was [...]

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As a non-anonymous food writer, I occasionally get hosted by restaurants that are new and seeking publicity, or are old and, well, seeking publicity. I always explain that hosting doesn’t ensure a positive review, and I like to think that my write-ups are as objective as possible. (Challenging given the small community, as I know [...]

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Stepping out of sequence for a moment, my write-up of Louisa’s Cafe and Bakery reminds me of a meal I had the previous month at Sitka & Spruce. First, because the restaurants are Eastlake neighbors – though Sitka & Spruce will be closing shop at the end of the year and moving to Capitol Hill. [...]

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In this era of iPhones and Twitter and Yelp parties, there seems to be a rush to get restaurant-related news into the world. I barely have a cell phone (mine has a prepaid plan, and I barely spend $25/year on it) and I don’t do Yelp. While I do tweet on occasion, I’ve made it [...]

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Spiced, the new restaurant across (somewhat) from Crossroads Mall in Bellevue, is further evidence that most of the good Chinese food is across the water from Seattle – and not in Seattle itself.
But how good is Spiced? Worth the recent wait for it to reopen after being shut down for weeks by the Health Department? [...]

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Here’s what I like to ask my food-writing friends: “What restaurant are you embarrassed to say you’ve yet to visit?”
My answer of late, until now: Poppy.
I’ve heard mostly positive reviews, and I know Chef Jerry Traunfeld can cook. So what’s the hold-up? Indian might be my least favorite Asian cuisine, and at Poppy’s price point, [...]

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It’s bad enough that I’m backed up on my restaurant reporting (though starting to catch up of late), but I’m really far behind on my pizza eating, with Delancey the big one on my to-do list. First, though, I had to get to Flying Squirrel Pizza Company, on the south side of town. I’d been [...]

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Citizen is a mighty cute place, cuddled up against Werner’s Crash Shop in lower Queen Anne, which is convenient if you want a crepe while you get some auto-body work done on your car.
Actually, you can also get sandwiches, salads and pastries here, but I came for crepes. I would have liked the window seats [...]

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Back to our backward progression (regression?), following our cupcake and Cantinetta detours.
I recently raved about some sushi at Shiro’s, but that wasn’t my only taste of wasabi that week. I was pleasantly surprised to experience some nasal hit in a couple of the dishes I ate at Sip, which just opened an outpost in downtown [...]

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The scene is the back bar at Bastille, where food groupies writers have gathered for a meet-and-greet with reknowned chef Thomas Keller. Actually, it turns out to be less of a meet-and-greet and more of a simple “eat” with Thomas Keller – if being in the same room is eating with the man. Let’s call [...]

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