Posts Tagged ‘diner’
- In: Capitol Hill | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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I have a vivid mental image of poutine. Mr S had queued patiently for forty minutes at Skillet Street Food and sent me a photo of his lunch. The poutine was a gloopy mess. Brown food is ugly and being doused in gravy makes it difficult. Appearance can be deceptive and the Quebec specialty is a classic example.
The pioneering food truck has since expanded to a bricks and mortar eatery opposite the recently relocated Restaurant Zoë in Capitol Hill. On a leafy corner, the eponymous skillets are on the Skillet Diner sign.
Mint seating and lemon walls, the interior is reminiscent of a classic American diner.
Stainless steel tables and an exposed loft ceiling render an industrial feel.
The all day menu is categorised into breakfast, greens, burgers, sandwiches and sides.
A creamy blend in a mason jar, the seasonal shake was flecked with desiccated coconut. The beverage evoked tropical memories!
Shirley and I split two sandwiches. The daily special was a meatloaf sandwich with chipotle caramelised onion and cheese. A stout bun supported a thick slab of well seasoned meatloaf, a respectable homage to American cuisine. A generous mound of French fries were crunchy batons of starch.
The second was the fried chicken sandwich. Two squares of pillowy potato bread contrasted with the crispy fennel seed crusted chicken. Tender and herbaceous, the poultry was paired harmoniously with tangy jalapeño aioli and healthful kale. A salad of mixed greens was tossed with a vibrant vinaigrette.
Skillet Counter is under construction in the Seattle Center Armory, adding culinary gravitas to the ’food court’.
- In: Belltown | Eating | Seattle | USA | Washington
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We had a comical meal at The Lucky Diner. It wasn’t an open mic show and there was no improv competition, our waitress was the entertainment.
She was lovely and tried her best but she was clearly lost in the new Belltown eatery. There was much confusion when she realised her previous customers had left and we had taken their seats at the counter. Once our meals were served, she paced up and down behind the counter in desperate search for cutlery and alas, returned with a single brightly coloured plastic fork.
We had lured Mr L to NOBA, north of Battery Street, for a weekend lunch. After we ordered we discussed the concept of an American diner and Mr L was adamant that The Lucky Diner is a sanitised version of authentic places like the Hurricane Café, whereas I love that The Lucky Diner highlights classic elements such as the print of a neon caffeine sign, counter and booth seating and an extensive menu of comfort food, modernised with vegetarian and gluten free options.
The wait staff is in retro uniforms and from the counter you can peer into the long and narrow kitchen where the chefs are busily cooking for a crowd.
A selection of sauces was available as condiments and I lined them up for a photo while sipping on a rich chocolate milkshake. Made by hand, there were lumps of chocolate at the bottom that taunted me as it blocked up the straw.
In the big Buddha omelette were sausage, ham, bacon, sautéed peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and white American cheese. Mr L lessened the calories slightly by ordering it with egg whites only and whole wheat toast.
Listed in the specialty subs section was the sexy beast. Sliced ham, slow braised pork and bacon were topped with house made cola barbecue sauce, cream cheese and grilled pineapple in a crusty roll. And you have a choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, mac salad, fruit cocktail, braised beans, Lucky beans, black beans, sticky rice or brown rice as a side!
It was a decadent combination, a little heavy with three meats. Mr S loved the cola barbecue sauce – smoky and sticky, it was a perfect accompaniment to the slow braised pork and grilled pineapple. He would have been happy with only these three ingredients!
My eyes widened at the bulging sandwich placed in front of me. Our waitress found steak knives and handed them over, sharp end pointed towards us. As I sawed the pork chop sandwich in half, another waitress walked by and exclaimed, ‘oh no, you have to eat it with your hands!’ I intended to and cutting it in half usually prevents the filling from sliding out.
The breaded pork chop was tender and tangy from the honey mustard and mayonnaise. Juicy and sweet, the thick slices of caramelised onions were my favourite part of the sandwich.
As we were leaving, I noticed bowls of Lucky Charms cereal being poured. The Lucky Diner is a welcome addition to the Belltown neighbourhood, both family friendly and opens until late.
