2017 Food Recommendations
A friend just asked me for some restaurant recommendations — here’s some off of the top of my head — wanted to post it here for reference. Have a fave? Add yours in the comments section!
$ = Less than $10/entree plate
$$ = Less than $20/entree
$$$ = $30+/entree
$$$$ = High end dining
2017 TOP 5
Sushi Kashiba
BaBar/Soi — Tie
Thanh Son Tofu
Spinasse
Upper Bar Ferdinand
2015 TOP 5
Shiro’s
Marination Makai
Spinasse
Mamnoon
Salumi
Best Views
Mbar (Night Out)
Maximilien (Romantic dinner)
Westward and Lil Gull Grocery (Summer Sunset)
Salty’s at Alki (Sunday Brunch)
Happy Hour
Matt’s in the Market
Wasabi Bistro
Toulouse Petit
7 Beef
Not To Miss
Banh mi from Thanh Son Deli
Porchetta sandwich from Rainshadow Meats (Pioneer Square location)
Lunch Box from Saigon Vietnam Deli
Salmon three ways (off-menu) at Sushi Kashiba
Banh hoi thap cam from Huong Binh
Duck confit noodle soup from BaBar
Crab pasta at Goldfinch
Grilled oysters at Terra Plata
Plantain chips at Marjorie’s
Clam chowder at Ivar’s (Lake Union) or Duke’s (Alki) — both come with a view
Breakfast sandwich from Dahlia Bakery early in the morning
Wash it down with a Moore Coffee Shop drink with incredible barista art
Northwest/American
Oddfellows ($$)
London Plane ($$)
Bar Sajor ($$)
Anchovies & Olives ($$)
SAM Taste ($$)
Lost Lake ($) — diner on Cap Hill open 24 hours/dayWestward ($$)
Matt’s in the Market ($) — amazing Happy HourDuke’s Chowder House ($) — go to the Alki location at Happy Hour
Dahlia’s Bakery ($) — the most profound breakfast sandwich
Cafe Flora — incredible vegan/vegetarian brunch
Japanese
Maneki ($$) — over 100 years old — historic
Uwajimaya ($) — huge Japanese grocery store with a great gift shop and food court
Maekawa Bar ($) — cheap and good homestyle Japanese comfort food
Shiro ($$$$) — trained with Jiro — best sushi you can get, fish flown in daily from Japan. Two seatings a night 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. — they should line up beginning at 4:30 to get a seat. Sit at the bar and do omakase.
Vietnamese
Tamarind Tree ($) — well designed and delicious
Vietnam House ($)
Huong Binh ($) — where Vietnamese people go
Moonlight Cafe ($) — where Buddhists go — extensive meat and vegetarian menu
Ba Bar ($$) — good for brunch — fresh noodles on weekendsMonsoon ($$) — good for brunch/dim sum
Rainier BBQ ($)
Monsoon ($$) — good for brunch
Dong Thap Noodles
Anywhere off of the Light Rail Othello stop — explore esp. Tammy’s Bakery
Korean
Korean Tofu House ($)
Joule ($$)
Revel ($$)
Marination Makai ($) — Take the water taxi from downtown, great view with Korean/Hawaiian food
Girin ($) — Go for happy hour, eat at the bar. Excellent seafood scallion pancakes and ssam.
Dim Sum
Jade Garden ($)
Harbor City ($)
House of Hong ($)
A Whole Lot of Asian Food
Beetle Cafe ($) — Asian fusion that is out of this world
Henry’s Taiwan ($) — amazing Taiwanese food with multiple locations
A+ Hong Kong Kitchen ($) — mind blowing Hong Kong Street Food
X’ian Noodles ($) — Choose your own noodle soup adventure
Ramen at Samurai Noodle Bowl or Kizuki — go with the tonkatsu, add egg if they don’t have it in the dish, and extra vegetables ($$)
Anywhere with Cajun/Creole and Asian fusion — it sounds crazy but is delicious
Ethiopian
Cafe Selam ($)
Chef Cafe ($)
Indian
Chili’s on the Ave ($)
All the best places are also on the other side of I-90 and I-520 in Bellevue — so go explore. The best place I’ve been to is in a strip mall…40 minutes east of Seattle…at a place that I can’t recall.
Italian
Il Corvo ($) — amazing fresh hand made pasta for cheap, all posted on their blog daily
Spinasse ($$$$)
Salumi ($) — Mario Batali’s dad’s salumeria — get in line before 10:30 a.m. — it goes quick — and so worth it. Can pack some up for the road.
French
Cafe Presse ($) — cheap, good, quality — a standard for Seattle, open 7 a.m. — 2 a.m.
Maximilien ($) — go here for Happy Hour
Le Pichet ($$)
Bastille ($$) — go for brunch on Sundays and stroll through the Ballard farmer’s market
Middle Eastern
Mamnoon
Turkish Delight — get the chicken wrap
Tea
Remedy Teas
Coffee
Moore Coffee Shop ($)
Caffe D’arte ($) — A pound of coffee comes with a free drink of your choice — my favorite is the cappucino
Cafe Ladro ($)
Victrola ($)
Solstice ($)
Moore Coffeeshop ($) — the most amazing latte art
Cocktail Bars
Radiator Whiskey ($$)
Canon ($$)
Bathtub Gin ($$)
Bakeries
Crumble & Flake Patisserie ($) — incredible crumbly French deliciousness — choose your own filling cream puffs, favorites are caneles and their kouign amann
The Wandering Goose — just order everything ($$)
Bakery Nouveau ($) — beat the French in the World Baking Cup — make sure to get the twice baked almond croissant
Eltana ($) — Montreal style wood fired bagels
Le Panier ($) — easy to get to — at Pike Place Market — profound croissants, tarts and sandwichesSeattle Deli ($) — Vietnamese sandwiches, pastries, lunch plates
Breweries
Red Hook Brewery ($) — Day trip — $2 gets you 7 samples of beer
There’s tons of local distilleries in Downtown and Cap Hill: Pyramid, Elysian, Sun Liquor
Dessert
Hard Wok Cafe ($) — get the honey toast — mind blowing — also excellent Taiwanese food other than the dessert menu.
Hot Cakes ($) — molten chocolate cake
Dilettantes ($) — a local favorite
