Posts Tagged ‘bacon’
- In: Capitol Hill | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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After a fun afternoon tenpin bowling at Garage Billiards, we sought reprieve from the darkness that was the end of daylight saving. The sister restaurant of the soon-to-be relocated Restaurant Zoë, Quinn’s gastropub is at the busy corner of Pike and 10th.
I love the architecture of Capitol Hill. Single or double story buildings are converted into spacious gathering places with floor to ceiling windows and mezzanine levels.
The entrance curtain parted to reveal a moodily lit loft. The bar is at the front and there are tables on the ground floor and upstairs.
We were seated by the window upstairs with a view of neon signs and street traffic. The wall was decorated with animal themed artwork, including these drawings of a plump pig and cow.
A majestic sheep grace the cover of the menu.
Water was served in recycled liquor bottles of varying shapes and sizes. Ours was Sazerac rye whiskey.
We chose a cider each. In a salvaged jar was a draught apple cider blended with apricot. In a flute was a pear cider made in the style of Champagne.
Topped with a pink cow shaped pin etched with ‘M rare’, the burger of Painted Hills beef, bacon, cheddar and mayonnaise was served with a bowl of French fries. The thick beef patty was juicy and the sturdy bun held the burger contents together without getting soggy.
Two generous portions of battered fish fillets rested on French fries, and were plated with pots of tomato sauce and tartare sauce. The batter was light and crispy, coating the succulent and flaky fish evenly. It was the best fish and chips I’ve had in Seattle!
The dessert items were priced at three dollars each and were perfect tasting size. I paired the chocolate ho ho with coffee ice cream. Studded with roasted hazelnuts and a round wafer, the ice cream was smooth and creamy but light on caffeine.
The chocolate ho ho was a cream log encased in chocolate ganache. It was pleasantly sweet with the texture of sponge cake.
We look forward to the re-opening of Restaurant Zoë in January 2012!
- In: Belltown | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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Preceding All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Halloween isn’t observed in Australia. Some family neighbourhoods would have trick-or-treat for children but it’s not as commercialised as in America.
Pumpkins, candy and costumes. Decorative and carving pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and varieties were piled high into grocery stores, bags of candy and chocolate stacked the shelves of supermarkets, and feathers, sequins, glitter and taffeta were fashionable for one night only.
On All Hallow’s Eve, we avoided the ghoulish crowds by enjoying a civilised dinner at Pintxo. Pintxo, toothpick or skewer snacks, are a northern Spanish specialty.
The narrow street frontage has a view into the kitchen through the window. Although there is an exhaust extractor, the restaurant was a little smoky from the exposed kitchen. A blackboard divided the liquor bottles from the pantry items.
Modern art cluttered the walls and an ornate mirror enlarged the dining room.
We shared a carafe of sangria that was devoid of fruit except for a wedge of lemon as garnish. The wine punch was a refreshing accompaniment to the meal.
The first pintxo was bacon wrapped dates. Three morsels of medjool dates were stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. It was an appetising sweet saltiness.
Three slices of toast were scattered with jamón serrano and topped with sunny side up quail eggs. It was a decadent combination of buttery ham and creamy yolk.
The second pintxo style dish was Moorish chicken skewers. Marinated in an almond and garlic spice rub and grilled, the skewers were served with Tunisian couscous, cherry tomatoes and tzatziki.
Macrina baguette was dipped in olive oil and a tangy salsa.
Cauliflower florets and halved cherry tomatoes were sautéed in garlic infused oil.
Beige in appearance, patatas and chorizo were braised in gravy until tender.
Speared by a bamboo stick, three citrus cinnamon braised pork sliders were smothered in chimichurri and doused in a balsamic reduction.
Similar to a crème brûlée, the crema Catalana had a caramelised sugar crust, and the custard was perfumed by cinnamon and lemon.
And lastly, the charred bread pudding with dulche de leche had the consistency of a dense cake.
Howls and sirens echoed through the night as I pondered why the dishes were in sets of threes.
- In: Eating | Phinney Ridge | Seattle | USA | Washington
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We had an extra couple of hours on our Zip Car reservation on the weekend and we drove the scenic route home. We leisurely wound our way through Redmond and Woodinville where tree lined streets were leafy in shades of red, orange and yellow. And the deciduous green ones were a palette of all three colours. Mr S directed us to Phinney Ridge for an early dinner at Red Mill Burger.
Red Mill Burger was featured in the Seattle episode of the infamous Travel Channel show Man v. Food. At the corner of a busy intersection, the small car park was full but we found a spot quickly on an adjacent street.
There were picnic tables on the sidewalk under an awning, and a mixture of counter seating and booths inside. There were eleven beef, four chicken and three vegetarian burgers on the menu, and a selection of beverages and sides.
Owned by the Shepherd family, there are now Red Mill Burgers at Phinney Ridge, Interbay and Totem House in Ballard which opened earlier this month.
Pastel yellow walls are decorated with vintage signs and Dutch themed collectibles. A letter board displayed the nostalgic message of ‘go Sonics‘.
A bowling pin and a clog guard the condiments in assorted containers.
Stainless steel table, red chairs, squeeze bottles of mustard and ketchup, serviette dispenser - this view of the dining room reminds me of Grease!
Mr S queued to order while I hovered for a table. He selected the bacon deluxe with cheese. Wrapped in foil, the burger had a flame grilled beef patty, pepper bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and Mill sauce. Two days later, he is still waxing lyrical about the crispy bacon, ‘the best I’ve had in Seattle’.
I picked the Red Mill deluxe with cheese. Wedged in a soft sesame bun was a juicy beef patty, molten American cheese, slices of tomato and red onion, an abundance of pickles, fresh lettuce and Mill sauce. It was a generous size burger, tasty and cheap. I would rank this a close third after In-N-Out and Shake Shack!
I had a thick and creamy chocolate milkshake and we shared a serving of French fries. These were lightly salted and crunchy.
We exited the time warp, happy to have sated our burger craving.
- In: Eating | Fremont | Seattle | USA | Washington
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In the Fremont Avenue North hub near Uneeda Burger and across from Paseo, and two doors up from the soon to be opened Book Larder, is Dot’s Delicatessen. On a temperamental autumn day, I met Myra and Shirley for lunch.
Two bay windows display butcher accoutrement and frame the entrance. Dot’s Delicatessen is etched in gold and an amber banner of keywords skirt the bottom of the glass panes.
A basic chalkboard on the sidewalk lists lunch and dinner items in cursive script.
The interior is clean and well lit. On the left is the counter and open plan kitchen. On the right is a narrow bench with stools and at the back are a handful of tables.
A refrigerated cabinet has platters of house made sausages and charcuterie.
Dot’s also stocks a variety of local meats.
Shelves are neatly lined with produce.
The menu is divided into sausages, sandwiches, charcuterie and sides. There’s also a happy hour section and daily specials.
A sausage drawing parodying the cow cuts is next to the register.
We pushed two tables together and settled in. The small dining room has a view into the open plan kitchen cladded in stainless steel.
We shared the large frites. Served in a take-away container, the thick batons of hand cut potatoes were crunchy.
I split the BLT and Rueben sandwiches with Shirley. House smoked bacon, lettuce and tomatoes were wedged in lightly toasted sourdough spread with aioli. Slices of juicy and sweet heirloom tomatoes were refreshing and the salty shards of bacon were delightfully crispy.
Generous layers of pastrami and mild sauerkraut were sandwiched together by molten Gruyère on rye. The Rueben sandwich was delicious with a distinctive house dressing.
We lingered for a while before relinquishing our table. Dot’s was doing brisk business during the lunch service!
A short walk to Uneeda Burger and we happily sipped on extra thick chocolate shakes for desserts. A lovely afternoon concluded with a brief visit to the Book Larder, scheduled to open on 12 October. I smiled when I spotted a shelf tagged ‘Aussie’.
- In: Belltown | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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I knew The 5 Point Café by reputation. Dive bar, open twenty-four hours, supper for the inebriated, sustenance for shift workers.
I’ve walked by many times to get to Tilikum Place Café and there are always patrons inside and out. Curious about how they’ve been ‘cheating tourists and drunks since 1929′, we picked a bench for breakfast.
The patio is fenced off from Tilikum Place and has a view of the Chief Seattle statue and the Space Needle. A leafy plaza, the lush trees are a natural canopy for the outdoor seating.
Cluttered with kitsch collectables, the interior is a little claustrophobic for me.
Presented with a long menu, we changed our mind several times before ordering. I spotted a breakfast skillet being delivered to another table and regretted not choosing one.
Sauces, jams and seasoning – a variety of condiments were available at each table.
When we got our meals, I thought they looked exactly the same. Upon closer inspection, the difference between a breakfast classic and breakfast special were bacon and catfish.
The strips of bacon were salty and crispy, and the fillets of Cajun catfish were lightly crumbed, a pleasantly peculiar breakfast item for me.
And there was the hash brown. A golden rectangular tile of what appeared to be grated potatoes was sadly too oily and bland.
Reputation aside, The 5 Point Café serves hearty comfort food with a Southern influence.
