Last night I went to dinner with my mom, sis and good friend LJ. We had tickets to see an 8 o'clock show (A Christmas Story- the musical) and wanted to have dinner before. We chose Purple Cafe and Wine Bar downtown.
I really like Purple. The food is good, the options are plentiful and the wine is delightful.
First off, we had the BEST waiter- Chris. He was absolutely fantastic- witty and personable and had some great recommendations.
We started with the brandied apricot crostini, gorgonzola stuffed dates, feta and walnut spread and baked bouchon goat cheese with honey and cranberries. Theses starters are from the "tasting menu" and are $3-$6. My mom's favorite hands down was the baked goat cheese (Chris' recommendation). It was served in a little cast iron skillet, warm and melty, salty and sweet with a side of crisp crackers. We had to wrestle it from my mother who was still talking about it the next morning. My other favorite was the gorgonzola stuffed dates. The gorgonzola was piped on top of the dates and sprinkled with pine nuts. For some reason I was expecting them to be warm (I think they should have been).... I feel like they changed their recipe for some reason. Who knows!
As it was a bit of cheese fest (which is a-okay by me!) I ordered a flight of white Washington wines. I would tell you what they were....but my mom took the tasting notes! She had a flight of red wines from the "uncommon" wine category. This was an interesting choice on her part, as she doesn't drink wine very often and prefers white wine. Oh well. It was a good learning experience for her and meant extra wine for me!
We are all fairly full from our tastings, so my sis and LJ ordered salads, my mom a pizza and I had steamed clams. Everyone seemed to enjoy their selections. My clams were okay. They seemed a little tough to me and the kalamata olives and capers in the broth were a bit overpowering. (I also got a bummer text in the middle of this part of the meal- lesson learned- keep the phone in the handbag!)
As full as we were, when the effervescent Chris asked us if we wanted dessert, we couldn't refuse! I am not a big dessert person, so this menu is right up my alley. The desserts are tiny- only about 3 bites each (and three bucks!). I had the maple bread pudding with caramel and it was HEAVEN (another Chris recommendation). The pudding was soft and creamy and the caramel was lick the plate good. I would definitely order it again.
It was a great place to kick off the holiday season with some of my favorite ladies.
chow ciao
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
bahn mi chay me
I work near a great Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Cyclo Cafe. It gets really packed at lunch so take out is a great option.
My take out staple is the bahn mi chay sandwich:
The bahn mi chay is stuffed with marinated tofu, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro and sliced jalapenos. This satisfying sandwich is served on a fresh baguette for only $3.25- it's a screaming deal (take out only). The only downfall is the soft doughy baguette with the crispy crust tears up the roof of my mouth like nobody's business. Not that it stops me for eating them, but still.
When I dine in, my other favorite is the #31 with rice noodles, otherwise known as Bun Com Tofu. Can you tell I love the tofu here? It's so flavorful- tofu and onions marinated in lemongrass, soy, chilies, served over a bowl of rice noodles, herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers and peanuts with a bright vinaigrette. I tend to not order this as take out as it's packaged somewhat deconstructed and doesn't taste the same. And I can't stand the "to go" chopsticks here- guaranteed slivers- ugh!
ciao chow
My take out staple is the bahn mi chay sandwich:
The bahn mi chay is stuffed with marinated tofu, pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro and sliced jalapenos. This satisfying sandwich is served on a fresh baguette for only $3.25- it's a screaming deal (take out only). The only downfall is the soft doughy baguette with the crispy crust tears up the roof of my mouth like nobody's business. Not that it stops me for eating them, but still.
When I dine in, my other favorite is the #31 with rice noodles, otherwise known as Bun Com Tofu. Can you tell I love the tofu here? It's so flavorful- tofu and onions marinated in lemongrass, soy, chilies, served over a bowl of rice noodles, herbs, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers and peanuts with a bright vinaigrette. I tend to not order this as take out as it's packaged somewhat deconstructed and doesn't taste the same. And I can't stand the "to go" chopsticks here- guaranteed slivers- ugh!
ciao chow
Monday, November 15, 2010
barolo on a dark and stormy night
Tonight I went to Barolo with my friend JE. They have a FANTASTIC happy hour. And unfortunately....everyone in town knows about it. We decided to take a risk and see if we could get in- it's Monday, it's stormy, it's the week before Thanksgiving..... and we snagged the last table in the bar- phew!
The atmosphere in Barolo is trendy, somewhat minimalist, very dark with a hip crowd (the crowd was a bit more hip in years past, but this is not a place to wear your crocs and fleece, although in my book, there is no appropriate place to wear your crocs and fleece, but I digress....). Happy Hour goes until 6:30 and offers $14 bottles of wine (red, white or rose) and half off food.
We started with a bottle of house red (a montepulciano- quite nice) and dug into the warm bread and black olive tapenade that was delivered to the table. After sharing the candle to read the menu (did I mention it's dark?), we decided to start with the tuna tartare. The tuna had a light ginger flavor and was served with some nondescript grilled crostini. It's a fairly generous portion and I've ordered this over multiple visits.
I had the rigatoni with beef ragu for my dinner. I love this pasta. The sauce is meaty and rich. The rigatoni in on the larger size and the meat and cheese fill the tubes and explode with flavor. Rigatoni is such a satisfying pasta to eat. Instead of stabbing at the noodles, the tubes fit nicely over the fork prong. It 's sort of the pasta equivalent of eating black olives off your fingers, just more grown up....and civilized....and sanitary (all kids <and me> put black olives on their fingers, right!?)
JE had the lamb burger which came with a choice of fries or a salad. She chose the salad, healthy gal that she is. The burger comes on grilled ciabatta with a hearty topper of feta cheese, lettuce and tomato. She did have to ask for the salt (and the fellow next to us who also had the lamb burger asked to borrow it too). JE was starving and couldn't finish the burger (and the girl can eat), so I would say the portion was on the hearty side.
For only $42 this is a great deal. Just be prepared to put on some lip gloss, leave the fleece in the closet and wear shoes that don't look like they belong to a clown. Don't worry- the lighting will make you look fab (did I mention it was dark?)!
ciao chow
The atmosphere in Barolo is trendy, somewhat minimalist, very dark with a hip crowd (the crowd was a bit more hip in years past, but this is not a place to wear your crocs and fleece, although in my book, there is no appropriate place to wear your crocs and fleece, but I digress....). Happy Hour goes until 6:30 and offers $14 bottles of wine (red, white or rose) and half off food.
We started with a bottle of house red (a montepulciano- quite nice) and dug into the warm bread and black olive tapenade that was delivered to the table. After sharing the candle to read the menu (did I mention it's dark?), we decided to start with the tuna tartare. The tuna had a light ginger flavor and was served with some nondescript grilled crostini. It's a fairly generous portion and I've ordered this over multiple visits.
I had the rigatoni with beef ragu for my dinner. I love this pasta. The sauce is meaty and rich. The rigatoni in on the larger size and the meat and cheese fill the tubes and explode with flavor. Rigatoni is such a satisfying pasta to eat. Instead of stabbing at the noodles, the tubes fit nicely over the fork prong. It 's sort of the pasta equivalent of eating black olives off your fingers, just more grown up....and civilized....and sanitary (all kids <and me> put black olives on their fingers, right!?)
JE had the lamb burger which came with a choice of fries or a salad. She chose the salad, healthy gal that she is. The burger comes on grilled ciabatta with a hearty topper of feta cheese, lettuce and tomato. She did have to ask for the salt (and the fellow next to us who also had the lamb burger asked to borrow it too). JE was starving and couldn't finish the burger (and the girl can eat), so I would say the portion was on the hearty side.
For only $42 this is a great deal. Just be prepared to put on some lip gloss, leave the fleece in the closet and wear shoes that don't look like they belong to a clown. Don't worry- the lighting will make you look fab (did I mention it was dark?)!
ciao chow
Sunday, November 14, 2010
serious pie = seriously good
Yesterday was my mom's birthday and she wanted to go to Serious Pie. My sister and I took her there last year and she hasn't stopped talking about it since. As it was her birthday and her choice of restaurants, the only thing we could say was YES PLEASE!
Serious Pie is a Tom Douglas restaurant. It's a small spot right around the corner from Dahlia Lounge. Eight seat pub tables provide communal dining camaraderie (and allows you to check out what your neighbors are eating). The place is toasty from the pizza ovens and there is always a line. You can leave your mobile number and they'll give you a call, but your party must be there before you will be seated.
We shared three pizzas; buffalo mozzarella with san marzano tomatoes, yukon gold potato with rosemary and pecorino, and delicata squash with roasted garlic and gorgonzola. Each one was a winner.
The buffalo mozzarella has a great tangy sauce and softly flavored cheese. That combined with the slight char of the chewy crust make this rustic pizza one everyone will enjoy.
The yukon potato pizza (above in the background) is a favorite amongst my friends. The potatoes are sliced supper thin and are soft with crispy edges when you bite down. This pizza has an olive oil base. That paired with the potatoes give the pizza a smooth quality. The rosemary and pecorino add a soft punch at the end of each bite.
The last pizza is my favorite- squash and gorgonzola. The cheese on this pizza is strong. We're talking smelly, pungent, earthy, slap you across the face strong. And I love every single bite. That cheese, along with the whole roasted garlic cloves and sweet squash, is something I actually crave. It is not for everyone, but luckily my sister likes it just as much as I do.
Just looking at the photo is making me salivate.... YUM! Happy Birthday, Mom!
ciao chow
Serious Pie is a Tom Douglas restaurant. It's a small spot right around the corner from Dahlia Lounge. Eight seat pub tables provide communal dining camaraderie (and allows you to check out what your neighbors are eating). The place is toasty from the pizza ovens and there is always a line. You can leave your mobile number and they'll give you a call, but your party must be there before you will be seated.
We shared three pizzas; buffalo mozzarella with san marzano tomatoes, yukon gold potato with rosemary and pecorino, and delicata squash with roasted garlic and gorgonzola. Each one was a winner.
The buffalo mozzarella has a great tangy sauce and softly flavored cheese. That combined with the slight char of the chewy crust make this rustic pizza one everyone will enjoy.
The yukon potato pizza (above in the background) is a favorite amongst my friends. The potatoes are sliced supper thin and are soft with crispy edges when you bite down. This pizza has an olive oil base. That paired with the potatoes give the pizza a smooth quality. The rosemary and pecorino add a soft punch at the end of each bite.
The last pizza is my favorite- squash and gorgonzola. The cheese on this pizza is strong. We're talking smelly, pungent, earthy, slap you across the face strong. And I love every single bite. That cheese, along with the whole roasted garlic cloves and sweet squash, is something I actually crave. It is not for everyone, but luckily my sister likes it just as much as I do.
Just looking at the photo is making me salivate.... YUM! Happy Birthday, Mom!
ciao chow
Saturday, November 13, 2010
a toast to mario
I went to one of my new favorites, Anchovies and Olives (anchovies and olives) with my dear friend DC. A and O is right off of Madison and 15th on Capital Hill- sort of a quiet spot for a restaurant, but parking isn't much of a hassle. I've been here once before during restaurant week and loved it. A last minute decision to grab dinner with DC brought us here.
To our delight A and O had happy hour until 6, so we happily partook in a $5 glass of prosecco and $1 oysters on the half shell. The oysters were divine, served with a light mignonette that enhanced the briny flavor. They went down quickly without a hint of grit and we had a lovely toast to DC's dad, Mario, who had been ill.*
Next up was the endive, arugula, ricotta and anchovy salad. This is similar to what I had during restaurant week last month which I have not stopped fantasizing about. If you like salt and seafood, this is the salad for you. The creamy, acidic dressing is like a caesar dressing on steroids. The endive is sliced in thin circles and the crunch and bitterness hold up nicely to the bold dressing. I love this salad, which also paired nicely with the prosecco.
On to the course- mussels in a verde broth. The broth was green as noted in the description- very herby and light (parsley and mint?). The mussels were outrageously plump and juicy, some almost as big as the oysters. The flavor was subtle and slightly cleansing- a perfect followup to the powerful salad.
Round two beverages were a glass of wine for DC and an "Annie" for me (A and O's version of a manhattan- yum!).
Up next was the pasta- a nice tagliatelle with clams, bacon and cabbage. This had a great blend of flavors- the sour from the cabbage, saltiness from the bacon and a pop of the ocean from the clams. We were starting to slow down a bit and packaged the leftovers. This is the second pasta dish I've had here and I would say pasta is not the star of the show. Nothing bad about it, but I prefer the seafood dishes.
One more glass of wine brought us to our final dish, swordfish with farro. This was DC's favorite. I love the fish but could have done without the side. The swordfish had a great sear, simple seasoning and was firm yet flakey. There was a flavor in the farro that did not jive with my palette. I think it may have been the fennel...? Again, great dish. Great company.
We finished off with an almond cake (they were out of our first choice, some sort of chocolate/caramel concoction). We were not disappointed. The cake was moist and flavorful, not too sweet and was served with whipped cream and fruit compote. Another winner.
You really need to love seafood to love Anchovies and Olives. There are not really any vegetarian options or chicken, beef, etc. It's all seafood- GREAT seafood! I can't wait to go back.
Ciao Chow
*DC's dad Mario, who we had been toasting throughout the evening, passed away later that night. He was a larger than life man who appreciated great food- I raise my glass to him.
To our delight A and O had happy hour until 6, so we happily partook in a $5 glass of prosecco and $1 oysters on the half shell. The oysters were divine, served with a light mignonette that enhanced the briny flavor. They went down quickly without a hint of grit and we had a lovely toast to DC's dad, Mario, who had been ill.*
Next up was the endive, arugula, ricotta and anchovy salad. This is similar to what I had during restaurant week last month which I have not stopped fantasizing about. If you like salt and seafood, this is the salad for you. The creamy, acidic dressing is like a caesar dressing on steroids. The endive is sliced in thin circles and the crunch and bitterness hold up nicely to the bold dressing. I love this salad, which also paired nicely with the prosecco.
On to the course- mussels in a verde broth. The broth was green as noted in the description- very herby and light (parsley and mint?). The mussels were outrageously plump and juicy, some almost as big as the oysters. The flavor was subtle and slightly cleansing- a perfect followup to the powerful salad.
Round two beverages were a glass of wine for DC and an "Annie" for me (A and O's version of a manhattan- yum!).
Up next was the pasta- a nice tagliatelle with clams, bacon and cabbage. This had a great blend of flavors- the sour from the cabbage, saltiness from the bacon and a pop of the ocean from the clams. We were starting to slow down a bit and packaged the leftovers. This is the second pasta dish I've had here and I would say pasta is not the star of the show. Nothing bad about it, but I prefer the seafood dishes.
One more glass of wine brought us to our final dish, swordfish with farro. This was DC's favorite. I love the fish but could have done without the side. The swordfish had a great sear, simple seasoning and was firm yet flakey. There was a flavor in the farro that did not jive with my palette. I think it may have been the fennel...? Again, great dish. Great company.
We finished off with an almond cake (they were out of our first choice, some sort of chocolate/caramel concoction). We were not disappointed. The cake was moist and flavorful, not too sweet and was served with whipped cream and fruit compote. Another winner.
You really need to love seafood to love Anchovies and Olives. There are not really any vegetarian options or chicken, beef, etc. It's all seafood- GREAT seafood! I can't wait to go back.
Ciao Chow
*DC's dad Mario, who we had been toasting throughout the evening, passed away later that night. He was a larger than life man who appreciated great food- I raise my glass to him.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
belly up to the bar
Eat, drink and be merry. Words to live by; words to embrace. So let's start out this blog talking about Happy Hour (HH).
What I look for in a good HH is food deals, typically accompanied by $5 wine. Some of my favorites spots include bokaseattle.com and elgaucho.com. Both have "all night" HH on Mondays (and Sunday for El Gaucho). BOKA's HH is throughout the restaurant; El Gaucho is in the bar only, so get there early.
I've done HH the last two nights. Monday night was at ivars.com. Ivar's offers HH from 3-close 7 nights a week. That being said, it's always HH at Ivars. I had the house red ($3.50). It was a super sweet merlot (super sweet in a not so good way) but as my other choices were chardonnay or white zinfandel I went with the lesser of the evils. Food was okay- we had the oyster shooters, fish and chips and steamed clams. That along with my 2 glasses of wine, my portion of the bill came to $21. You can't beat the price and the service was good (especially for our party of 9).
Tonight I went to elysianbrewing.com (Stadium District) with a couple of friends from work. Again, HH food prices were great. We had the truffled fries (yum!), feta and yam quesadillas (mediocre) and the fish cakes (pretty good). This location has tons of space- it's one of those places you can have everyone meet after work and there would be a chair for everyone. Come to think of it, it almost seems too big. But again, we had great service and for about $20 I left with a content belly and pink cheeks from the wine.
Until we dine again- ciao chow
What I look for in a good HH is food deals, typically accompanied by $5 wine. Some of my favorites spots include bokaseattle.com and elgaucho.com. Both have "all night" HH on Mondays (and Sunday for El Gaucho). BOKA's HH is throughout the restaurant; El Gaucho is in the bar only, so get there early.
I've done HH the last two nights. Monday night was at ivars.com. Ivar's offers HH from 3-close 7 nights a week. That being said, it's always HH at Ivars. I had the house red ($3.50). It was a super sweet merlot (super sweet in a not so good way) but as my other choices were chardonnay or white zinfandel I went with the lesser of the evils. Food was okay- we had the oyster shooters, fish and chips and steamed clams. That along with my 2 glasses of wine, my portion of the bill came to $21. You can't beat the price and the service was good (especially for our party of 9).
Tonight I went to elysianbrewing.com (Stadium District) with a couple of friends from work. Again, HH food prices were great. We had the truffled fries (yum!), feta and yam quesadillas (mediocre) and the fish cakes (pretty good). This location has tons of space- it's one of those places you can have everyone meet after work and there would be a chair for everyone. Come to think of it, it almost seems too big. But again, we had great service and for about $20 I left with a content belly and pink cheeks from the wine.
Until we dine again- ciao chow
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