Gastrolust

Having recently returned to the States from Asia, I’m thinking about all the great noodles, dumplings, and sushi you can get at airports on the other side of the Pacific – not to mention the bento boxes the Japanese take on their trips. And I’m reminded of an odd experience I had last year, transferring [...]

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Three weeks in Asia gave us a burning desire for a burger, but a snowstorm put out the flame at Flame, so stuck on foot, we settled upon Hilltop Ale House to satisfy our craving. We’ve liked Hilltop since back when its non-smoking days mattered most, and we appreciate the neighborhood feel. The menu hawks [...]

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On the topic of kaiten sushi (or kaiten-zushi), we go, well, round and round. Instant gratification in grabbing dishes upon seating, but hard to know how long they’ve sat on the conveyor belt. A festive feeling, but no natural interaction with the sushi chef. Unlimited gari (pickled ginger), but no self-serve green tea like in Japan. [...]

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Welcome to winter. If the wild weather has got you down, a wonderful way to combat the cold is to warm up with tea service at Polar Bar in the Arctic Club Hotel.
While tea service is steep at $39 per person, it’s a great way to wile away a lunchtime or early afternoon. We like [...]

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We sometimes pop corn for popcorn at home, but it just ain’t the same as what a fine popcorn shop can make. Especially one of the finest popcorn shops we’ve ever visited: KuKuRuZa in downtown Seattle’s historic Kress Building. It helps that they’ve got a $25,000 machine (air-popped, without added oil) that’s pretty much continually [...]

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Several years ago, we gave up on Tamarind Tree after some absurdly inept service (dishes came out of order – or didn’t come at all – and the waitstaff were cold), enjoying instead the consistent sweetness and goodness of Green Leaf. But in a moment of unfaithfulness, after hearing recent rave reviews, we decided to [...]

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Last month, we were in Castine, Maine, savoring a lobster roll sandwich not far from where the crustaceans are caught. Not much atmosphere: picnic tables, self-service, wet naps, and static-filled music from a portable radio. But the sandwich was good.
We knew it would be a whole different story at Waterfront Seafood Grill’s Lobsterpalooza: comfortable seating, [...]

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It seems time for the yearly Seattlest commentary on Paseo Caribbean Restaurant. But since they’re on their annual winter leave, this Seattlester traveled nearly 3,000 miles in search of a comparable Cuban sandwich. The destination: Miami’s El Palacio de los Jugos. The dish: a Medianoche. So how does Seattle’s sandwich stack up to a real [...]

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Realizing we’re in the midst of the “R” months, we had a sudden craving for happy hour oysters. But where? Recalling a recent review, we Googled “shucker’s happy hour oysters” and quickly jumped on a bus after reading the first result: a June reprint of a 2006 rave in the Seattle Weekly about Shucker’s fifty-cent [...]

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Wondering if we’ve been on a chocolate binge lately? It’s true. With new stores, new products, and even a chocolate contest, Seattlest has been taking one for the team by tasting it all and reporting back to you. Now, as the weather turns, we turn to drinking chocolate. Seattle’s got [...]

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