Elaine "Bring Me The Spice!" C.'s Profile

I was ecstatic to discover a place that sold scrumptious cupcakes while I was wandering through the shops on the main drag in Seaside on a recent visit, and the gorgeous cupcakes from Frills didn't disappoint! I had a red velvet cupcake with vanilla buttercream, and it was moist and delicious. All the cupcakes had cute names, but I'm afraid I was too intent on devouring my tasty dessert to make a note of what name the variety I chose was given. If you have a smaller appetite, or just want to sample more flavors, mini cupcakes were also available in addition to the regular-sized ones.

I also had a few bites of my companion's very good French chocolate frozen yogurt which he opted to have topped with chopped peanuts. They were very generous with the peanuts, so we were able to have some with each spoonful of yogurt, down to the very last bite.

This is definitely going to be on my list of must-visit shops when I head to the Oregon coast again.

The restaurant here is tiny, and my dining companion and I debated sitting in the bar versus the two comfy chairs and coffee table in the main dining area. (It was the only space left there!) After declaring that I was too hot to sit in the bar, which didn't have any fans going, we settled into the comfy chairs. We were greeted almost immediately upon choosing our location, and had really great, prompt and attentive service for the rest of our visit.

Perhaps as a virtue of having such a small dining area, we received our order very quickly. I settled on a cup of clam chowder and the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and substituted a side salad for a small fee instead of having the homemade potato chips, fries or tater tots. (I did snag a couple of tater tots from my companion's plate though, and they were really good!)

The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich wasn't remarkable, but it was tasty, as was my little salad. The clam chowder was also good, but not outstanding. That said, the clam chowder was accompanied by a piece of beer bread that was fantastic! (Oh how I wanted more!)

While the food I had was for the most part unremarkable, I was intrigued enough by the specials menu (so many options with fresh crab - yum!) that I would go back to try some of those dishes. Also, the service was really great, which is why they rated four stars instead of three in my book.

Gah! Four of us recently stopped by for an early dinner before heading over to the Paramount for a show, and the service was s-l-o-w, s-l-o-w, s-l-o-w! Yargh! While the food was still as scrumptious as ever, we asked for our check three separate times and then finally one of the guys marched over to the servers' station after waiting twenty minutes and demanded the check before we were able to make our escape. I know that sometimes restaurants are busy, but sheesh! Get with the program, people!

I am in love with the tasty, thin crust, wood-fired pizza at Veraci!

They sell pizza by the slice (and they're fairly large slices) as well as whole pizzas. My dining companion and I opted for a whole pizza, and the staff was happy to do a half and half for us, so we had half a Green Dahlia (pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and red onion) and half a Salume (pepperoni, salami, black olives, provolone, red onions and olive oil). The Green Dahlia portion was delicious -- so fresh tasting that I could have eaten slice after slice, but stopped after the second one. (I'm not a pepperoni eater, so I didn't have any of the Salume side, but was assured that it was fantastic, as well.) I really like that they have a number of creative vegetarian pizza options, and can't wait to go back to try them all.

After our pizza, we splurged on some tasty gelato for dessert. I opted for the vanilla, while my companion had half a cup of vanilla, and Theo chocolate for the other half. The gelato was creamy and wonderful.

The seating area isn't the best. For a tiny shop, they make do with the space they have, so there aren't a ton of tables for dining in, and they haven't done much to spiff the place up. You definitely aren't going to bring a date here to overwhelm that special someone with the decor, though if said individual is a foodie, he or she might be willing to overlook it in favor of the food. As someone else has mentioned, it's just a tiny step up from cafeteria-syle chairs & tables at Veraci.

The staff was pretty fantastic when we were in -- very friendly and attentive. I'll definitely be returning!

Ooba has got to be my favorite taco place on the east side. I love their pork tacos with chipotle cream, and the grilled chicken burrito grande is enough food for two meals. The salsa bar is pretty divine, as well. (I'm particularly fond of the habanero and salsa verde offerings.)

The only item that I'm not as blown away by (though I keep ordering it!) is their guacamole. Admittedly, I'm pretty adamant about how guacamole should be made, and if it doesn't taste as though it's had a pretty steamy love affair with a lime or ten, I'm not very interested. Why do I keep ordering it, you ask? Because its citric deficiencies are easily remedied by the lime wedges at the salsa bar! Yummy!

I'm tempted by the yukon gold quesadilla they have on the menu, but so far have been unable to pull myself away from the taco and burrito sampling.

I've never had papusas anywhere else, so I can't speak to it being an authentic Salvadorean experience, but what I can talk about is taste. These papusas are yummy, and I pretty much need more ASAP!

The restaurant itself isn't that impressive - hole in the wall on Aurora? Check! The staff, however, is attentive, sweet, and very helpful with questions.

I'll definitely be going back to get my papusa fix!

M to the double eh.

I didn't really like the food here at all. After a long (and trying) day, I decided to splurge and go for an all-fried-food dinner: jalapeno poppers, and the fish & chips. What a waste of calories! The fish was terrible, the poppers mediocre, and the fries were so bad that my usual trick of dousing 'em with malt vinegar and salt did nothing to bring them into the realm of edible food.

I didn't experience the poor service that others have encountered -- our server was great!

I love Mongolian grills! The veggies here are fresh & tasty, and the staff has always been pleasant on my visits. And they have bubble tea -- I'm such a sucker for bubble tea.

After having tried a few of their finishing sauces, which were too sweet for my tastes, I'm sticking with the garlic, chili oil, ginger, etc., options provided to add to the food before it's grilled, and then giving my cooked food a healthy dose of the provided Sriracha before heading off to devour my tasty creation.

Yummy Thai food in Sammamish? Be still my heart!

Last night, while cruising around the Sammamish plateau in search of sustenance, we stopped in at Lanponi Thai Restaurant. My expectations were average, because it's a teeny little strip mall, and, well, I'd never heard of it before. (Because nobody can find hidden gems all on their own, right?) The restaurant was pretty packed, and the take out business brisk for a Sunday night.

What can I say? The fresh rolls were scrumptious, the tom kha gai excellent (and it even comes with tomatoes, just like Araya's, which I love!), and the phad kee mow as yummy as can be. The portions are pretty large, too, so you're set for multiple meals. I can't wait to go back to try other dishes.

The decor is pleasant, and the staff is really attentive. At one point I made a yuck-face as part of conversation with my dining companion (I'm just expressive that way -- it was totally unrelated to the food), and someone immediately rushed over to make sure everything was ok with our meal.

When I asked about spice levels, they say that they ordinarily go up to 4 stars, but if you want it higher, they'll accommodate. I tried 4 last night to see what that baseline was, but I'll be getting it spicier next time. I will definitely be returning!

The service is a bit wonky, and the line is hideously long, but the ice cream is worth it!

I've had the balsamic strawberry as well as the salted caramel, and have tasted the chocolate and the maple walnut. All are scrumptious, but the salted caramel is definitely my favorite so far. The waffle cones are perfect.

I've yet to sample the sauces, milkshakes and sundaes, but I foresee much experimentation in those areas in my future. Yum!

It's also really nice to go into an establishment that's making great efforts to be as environmentally friendly as they are. Woo hooo!