Derek P.'s Profile

Rating a restaurant 1-star based on a single order may not seem fair, but when one that single order is Vietnamese Pho... Well then, it changes things. Some people think Pho is nothing more than a simple bowl of soup comprised of a base broth, noodles, your choice of meat(s), and vegetables / herbs. Unfortunately, New Saigon broke even this simple bowl of soup serving a single size of blandness w/ a side of missing customer service.

Found a new favorite for burgers in Seattle. Walk in, grab a clipboard with your burger options, "optimize" your burger, and enjoy. I couldn't think of a single downside to the place aside from the music selection - which isn't even really a downer.

50/50 split of onion strings + sweet potato fries is just the right size for 4 people. Don't make the mistake of thinking that a single order is suitable as a side for your burger. 1/3 burger patty seemed just right, 2/3 was huge (buns looked more like a thin afterthought), and 1 lb. seems absurd.

Expect an overwhelming slew of options when it comes to customizing your burgers...

My hair made me look like a slob. No one at work took me seriously. My girlfriend leaves the bathroom when I walk in. People on the street look and glance away quickly. By no means was I rockin' a Euro trash mullet but I did have a bit of whale tale going on due to a combination of long hair + a permanently affixed hat.

Fortunately, I took a friends advice to check out Bablouise. It had been so long since I last had a haircut that I walked-in without calling ahead to schedule an appointment. Heather greeted me and informed me that appointments are preferred. Then she told me to get the hell out. No, JUST kidding, Heather politely informed me that I could come back in 1.5 hours for a cut.

I walked out, grabbed a bite to eat, checked out the awesome Sneakery shoe store next door - going to be where I buy my next pair of shoes - then returned. After the formalities, it was down to business. I had a mess of hair. A clean canvas of opportunity to for a stylist to work with. I said a few things about the bottom needing to be short, that I liked to style it occasionally, and really just didn't want to look messy. Heather didn't know, but I was testing her. Game time, I didn't say exactly what I wanted. I really just wanted to see what I would walk out with. If it was bad, I would have had a tough time convincing myself to come back.

Well... this review AND I don't have to wait a few days for my hair to grow a tiny bit just right to look right (don't you hate that?).

Super chill vibe from everyone behind the counter to match a great menu. Stell's burger puts any other pastrami [anything] to shame. Great location at the bottom with easy parking (assuming you're on foot or driving around SPU after normal school hours). They're experimenting and added a hand cut fries to the menu. Worth checking out if you're looking for an alternative to Blue Moon or Red Mill.

Probably the best spot in S. Seattle for Mexican food. My co-workers and I usually have lunch here once a week at the very minimum. Every item on the menu tastes of fresh ingredients and flavor. Definitely try the chicharron - fatty pork belly. If that's not your thing, and you're looking for a quick lunch, call ahead and order one of their giant sandwiches.

After the first 10 minutes sitting at a table near the bar, I began to wonder if eating in a cold restaurant was supposed to improve the dining "experience". Thinking that it was cold for a reason, I kept mum until our two dishes arrived. The calamari appetizer with dip was great, but the hot turkey sandwich and pulled pork were both equally dry in all the wrong places. The only high points of our meal were the classic beverages served in glass jars with ice - Draft Root Beer and & Dr. Pepper.

Damn this place is good. Ever since Syl introduced me to this gem hidden away in a commercial building, I've insisted we visit each time we were in the neighborhood. The only gripes I have are wait times and the fact that the place happens to be closed during times when I have the urge for a little Firebread.

Fantastic food, great drinks, comfortable / friendly atmosphere, and great service. I really wish there was a Pomegranate Bistro in downtown Seattle so Syl couldn't use the place as an excuse to come to the Eastside.

Did I say great food?

A decent spot for a little breakfast on the Kirkland waterfront. The filling / flavorful portions were marred somewhat by shoddy service. After taking our own seats at this casual corner restaurant for a little breakfast, our waitress stopped by to take our drinks - orange juice + drip coffee. 15-20 minutes later, the a different waitress came to take our orders. She politely apologized for the previous waitress [who was apparently new and had neglected to follow-up with her three tables]. 5-7 minutes later, our drinks arrived - the orange juice spilling on our feet as the waitress reached over to place the beverages on our table. No apologies. No words. A swift drop-the-drinks-and-leave maneuver.

* Total time to get orange juice + drip coffee - 25-27 minutes..  

When the bill arrived, the waitress had neglected to include two items on the bill. Syl felt compelled to correct the mistake which I personally walked up to the manager to rectify.

I wouldn't mind returning for the meaty omelet. A nice fatty omelet sure to fill anyones stomach. That is, if bratwurst, bacon, and ham rolled in eggs + mushrooms is your thing. Mmm. Heart attack.

We all know service defines the experience of dining at a restaurant. If I were rating Pho Tic Tac on the Pho alone, I would  have gladly submitted a 4-star rating. Although my #16 was a tad on the salty side, I wouldn't have minded a larger serving. Unfortunately, it was much too difficult to ignore a few other valuable variables which contributed to the overall Tic Tac "experience".

As with any other natural order of events like night following day, the donut then the donut hole, and Christmas following Turkey Day, there is a certain order that is expected when drinks, an appetizer, and a main course is ordered. You would expect the dining experience to follow the traditional order of 1) drinks, 2) appetizer, and 3) main meal - or all at once. Right?

Today's little adventure taught Syl and I that Pho Tic Tac is "unique". The order that we received our meal was 3) main course (Pho), 1) drinks (1/2 way through our bowl of Pho), 2) no actual appetizer served. That's right... finish half of the main Pho, THEN follow-up with the drinks, THEN confirm - after being asked - that the appetizer is coming only to forget altogether.

Rather than sit around twiddling our thumbs for 10 minutes we decided to get up and leave. Looking at the order that the waitress was ringing up, there was NO appetizer. But wait, she told me that it was coming when I asked. Silly me, I must have been hearing things.

* Tiny gripe. While ordering my drink I looked towards the bottom of the drinks menu and noticed two drinks - 1) Snapple, 2) Sobe. Now being the Americanized little asian that I am, seeing Sobe next to Snapple immediately brought to mind the little fruity drinks with the lizard logo plastered on the side. In reality, Sobe apparently means Soy Bean. Being the little internet boob that I am, I immediately Googled 'Sobe Vietnamese' and let's just say that Tic Tac should consider explaining that Sobe = soy bean beverage.

Credit and props to Ian for finding this little Puerto Rican gem hidden in Ballard. The venue is located towards the end of NW Market St. which means that if you're not specifically looking for this place, you will pass it.

Why? I'll tell you why. You'll be too damn busy trying to take a right at the next corner [in front of that ghetto looking "Spirit" gas station] in order to race around the block to get back to that open parking spot you missed two blocks back.  Yeah.. You all know what I'm talking about. Ballard has some good eats but is a true pain when it comes to finding street parking (especially when dinner time rolls around).

Converning the quality of food and drinks. Great stuff. Now I can relate when people mention how great the drinks are. Heavy alcoholic drinks that don't actually taste like alcohol. The 10 Cane Mojito instantly reminded me of the joy of cracking open an ice cold Coke in the middle of summer. Food was equally great. Empanadas for $2 (during happy hour)? How can you beat that? I'll be back.