Gastrolust

When a new restaurant advertises with a slogan like “Your search for a perfect burger ends here,” that’s a lot to live up to. This is how Relish Burger Bistro, a growing chain in Starwood properties, advertises. Its newest branch opened this week in Seattle’s Westin Hotel, gleaming and glossy in the space that previously [...]

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The Internet, and its readers, love lists. Restaurant lists are especially popular. I get it: These posts generate a lot of hits, a lot of discussion, and a lot of debate. “They liked what?” and “How did my favorite place not make the list?” are among the typical outcries. Read some lists, and you’ll wonder [...]

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A recent late night alone in downtown Seattle meant a long-overdue visit to Palace Kitchen. I scanned the menu quickly, but basically glazed over most of the words, as I was there for one thing only: the Palace burger royale. The patty, a half-pound of hand-ground chuck, is topped with choice of cheese if you [...]

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Zippy’s Giant Burgers in White Center is Seattle’s hamburger mecca for many. Buns are good, as are the patties—made with chuck that’s ground daily and cooked to the point of an agreeably salty crust. I bypass the shakes for a pick from a cooler full of vintage sodas, which presents plentiful options. (Overwhelmed by so [...]

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Paseo, Salumi and many Vietnamese delis selling BBQ pork banh mi: All are superb places for a sandwich in Seattle. Now it’s time to add Katsu Burger to that elite list. Hajime Sato, (sustainable) sushi chef at Mashiko, recently opened this bustling eatery in Georgetown, and I’ve already heard rumors of expansion, perhaps to South [...]

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Last week, Sexy Feast sized up 8 Oz. Burger Bar, one of the newest entries in Seattle’s burger boom. But the boom isn’t just about traditional burgers. Hajime Sato of Mashiko and sustainable sushi fame recently opened an incredibly popular and delicious new restaurant in Georgetown called Katsu Burger, serving “Japanese style burgers and beyond.” [...]

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Seattle’s burger boom continues. With the opening of 8 Oz. Burger Bar in Capitol Hill, we now have a burger joint boasting about size as a differentiator. The namesake burger, “The 8 Oz.,” is pretty straightforward, featuring a half-pound blend of sirloin, tri-tip, short rib, and chuck, along with iceberg lettuce, pickles, tomato, white onion, [...]

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How about golf, a spa, a comfortable room with scenic views, and a wide variety of interesting dining options—right in or outside your hotel on 1st Avenue in downtown Seattle? There’s also a world of restaurants right outside the door. If I was visiting Seattle for business, I’d want to stay at Hotel 1000. I [...]

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It was sheer coincidence that just about the day my choice of PICK-QUICK Drive-In as Washington State’s great burger joint was published in the USA Today’s “Great American Bites” series, PICK-QUICK announced the opening of its second location—its first since the original opened in Fife in 1949. The location is Auburn (1132 Auburn Way North, [...]

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2010 was a big year for food writing for me. Book-wise, I was pleased to be a co-editor/author for the Fearless Critic Seattle Restaurant Guide. Magazine-wise, I’ve brought my worlds of food and sex together in writing the regular “Hot Plate” feature for Edible Seattle. I’ve also contributed to Northwest Palate magazine, and look for [...]

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