Anya D.'s Profile

I went to The Corson Building for a Sunday brunch with a group of friends and overall it was a good and memorable experience. It wasn't just the food: the building, the open kitchen and the garden all add to the experience. Our server told us the brief history of the building and how it was expanded over the years; we were encouraged to go into the kitchen  - a big and very airy space in the back - so that we could 'ooh' and 'aah' over the huge stove, limestone countertops and massive Ferrari-red meat slicer. We were sitting at the table which overlooked the side yard where they keep the chickens , so we almost forgot that we were still in Seattle,  right next to the freeway, an airfield and railroad tracks.

Sunday brunch, which cost $23 per person, consisted of an open buffet and a choice of one of two entrées available that day. The buffet was very substantial and I ended up making two trips - one for savory dishes and then another one for sweets. The buffet dishes were: rice with squid and deep fried shallots, beets and parsnips salad with walnut sauce, roasted squash with chanterelles and pumpkin seeds, and small plates like bread, home-churned butter, cheese, crackers, quince spread, poached pears, plum sauce, home-made yogurt, ginger snaps and lemon cake.

Roasted squash with chanterelles was by far everyone's favorite. The chanterelles had nice body, both as far as flavor and texture, the squash was slightly sweet, crispy on the edges and not at all oily. Rice with squid was also very good, although fried shallots seemed a bit overpowering. I thought that the parsnips and beets were bland and the walnut sauce didn't seem to help. The rest of the buffet was good, especially the ginger snaps and poached pears.

OK, so if everything was so good, why only 3 stars?

First, one star off for the entree. The choice of entrees consisted of a quiche with salad and a halibut lox with potatoes and pickled vegetables. I ordered the lox and it was a huge disappointment. The pickles were pure vinegar. You couldn't tell whether you were eating carrots or fennel - all you could taste was vinegar. Although the dish was beautifully presented, it was swimming in a puddle of oil, which I personally didn't find appetizing. Finally, the halibut was gooey and fishy. Since it was described as 'halibut lox', I was expecting the halibut to have firmer texture, be a little salty and not fishy. Instead it tasted like fish-flavored jello pudding. I barely touched mine, although I didn't send it back because there was plenty of other food to go around and, after all, maybe I'm just not clued in to what halibut lox is supposed to taste like.

Here's where the second star comes off. For a restaurant of this caliber, I would have expected that I would be at least asked why I barely touched the main course. Yes, I'm not a food critic, so who cares that I didn't like the halibut, but wouldn't it be courteous to ask? Don't get me wrong - our server was very attentive; and that made it even more surprising that there was no interest at all shown why the main course went back to the kitchen almost untouched.

Overall, I still think that it was a good experience and worth the money; I will likely go back there for dinner some time in the summer - they have an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven and a grill, so I'm curious to see those in action.

I had dinner there with a group of friends on a (slow) Sunday evening. I had the tasting menu which  on that day included a tomato salad, creamed corn soup, grilled salmon with mushrooms and chocolate cake. The service was attentive, the presentation was nice, the food was average. The 'salad' consisted of 3 or 4 tomato slices and a couple of salad leafs; the vegetables were fresh, the dressing  - light and well-balanced, but the salad portion could have been a little bit larger to actually resemble a 'salad'. The corn soup had nice sweet flavor, but I didn't like its texture - it was gritty, as if they mixed some sand into it. My guess is that maybe they blend the corn but don't strain it afterwards to remove the bits of bran; you can taste every bit of it in the texture. The salmon especially was a disappointment, because it was completely dry and overcooked. The chocolate cake was rich and moist, but a little too sweet. Overall, in my opinion the food is overpriced and mediocre. For a special evening, Matt's in the Market is still my first choice.

My favorite gelato spot in Seattle, the best gelato in town as far as I am concerned. Great place to have dessert before heading over to Benaroya for a performance. My favorite flavor is Frutti di Bosco, I like ordering it with Fior di Latte in a small 2-scoop cup. If you have it there, they will serve it in a chilled metal cup. Service is friendly and prompt; good coffee (I think they serve Umbria). Only 4 stars because (1) their pastries need some work and (2) they are closed on Sundays!

Pricier than other Vietnamese places in Ballard, but they have nice ambiance and friendly service. I like their sandwiches and salad rolls, but don't care much for their pho. A good lunch spot.

A group of 3 of us showed up around 8 pm on a Friday night; the place was busy, but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. We ordered several pieces of unagi, hamachi and saba, a seaweed salad, an agedashi tofu and a tempura (just under $50 total for 3 people). The tempura was a bit heavy, but the seaweed salad was nice and crunchy. The sushi was average. Not much of an ambiance, but good value for the price.

I have been coming to this place for years, back when it was still called "China Noodle". It's a good thing they changed their name, because the noodle dishes aren't really their forte. I like their hot pots, although they recently changed their menu and discontinued my favorite hot pot, chicken and eggplant; fortunately they will make it, if you ask. Their hot chicken wings, mongolian beef and stir-fried vegetables (esp. pea vine with garlic sauce) are consistently good. In my experience, the service has always been very friendly and fast. This place is a good value; they are also open late (until 3 am) on Fri and Sat.

I want to like this place, but after trying it a few times, I don't crave it any more - time after time their ramen has been a disappointment. I've tried their chashu and shoyu ramen and last time I got the new Tampopo ramen. The broth is bland (especially the shoyu variety); the chashu itself is usually tender, but the overall flavor is mediocre.

I have been a member since this summer and I am happy so far (I mostly go to the pool). The facilities aren't new, but they are well-maintained and clean. The locker room near the pool is a bit small and gets crowded after classes, so I usually use the one upstairs: it's bigger and has more showers. It also has a dry sauna, hot tub and a steamroom, all in working order since I've been there. The steamroom is very plain (simple white tile), but it gets hot and steamy quickly - you can't see the walls or the person next to you. The pool is very chlorinated, so it's probably a good idea to use an anti-chlorine shampoo/bodywash afterwards. I like all the pool instructors I have met so far, although I wish that Joannie (who typically does evening aquafit) would vary her routine a little bit more.
Before I signed up with OAC, I did a trial over at LA Fitness. Overall, I decided to sign up with OAC because of (1) more classes, (2) friendlier staff, (3) more convenient location, (4) women-only work out room, (5) lower rates.

We had our carpets cleaned by Bill this afternoon and they look excellent. Scheduling was easy - I emailed the address listed on their website and he replied shortly (even though it was Saturday afternoon). Bill called 10 min before getting to our place and he was on time. He is not yet set up to take credit cards, so make sure that you have your checkbook ready. Overall, a it was a great experience: on time, professional, great results. Highly recommended.