Richard "the hungry panda" U.'s Profile

Great little shop in Georgetown!

Looking for a good lunch option and stumbled upon this place.  Special of the day was pork shoulder panini with side of gravy for dipping!  hello!  
Tasty and juicy, I only wish there was more! The interior is comfy and quaint.   It looks like they have a a lot of baked goods which I did not partake in during this visit but will defnitely check out!

warm soup and for a good cause!

I have been spending a lot of time down in Georgetown lately.  Lect has been a nice little find in this corner of Seattle.  Basically a tiny shack with take out only.  They have few park benches around but thats about it.   The soups are pretty tasty and somewhat creative.  The italian sausage and squash soup comes to mind.  I also can't resist the miniature grilled cheese panini you can also get with your soup.  The sandwiches I have had are of the deli variety and don't stand out as much as their soup.  Check them out!

One of the most amazing deals ever!  $22.95 for all you can eat sushi?  Are you kidding?  All the stuff is made to order so nothing is sitting out like at a sushi buffet.  Hence, the quality here is much, much better than your average all you can eat sushi places but say not on par with higher end traditional sushi houses.  

Particular standouts

quail egg shooter:  we ordered 2 rounds of this!  GET THIS!
salmon skin rolls: crispy salmon candy goodness!
unagi nigri: generous fish to rice ratio

other stuff we ordered (2 orders of each)

hamachi nigiri
albacore nigiri
spider roll
joey ramone roll
salmon skin octopus hand roll
mackrel nigiri
seared tuna nigiri

The desserts which came with the deal did not stand out  Choice of a fried banana topped with whip cream and a small parfait.  However, the total bill between 4 of us including non-alcoholic beverages was about $100 which included tip.  This could easily have been $175-200 of sushi at another sushi joint.   This is the best deal in Reno!

Reviews of the place are all over the map!  Stopped by here as I have craving fish in a big way.  I went with the hamachi kama (yellowtail tuna collar) which was amazing!  Also had the grilled mackrel with rice which also came with miso and salad. The mackrel was also pretty great, perfectly grilled with just the right amount of salt.  For dessert, sushi of course!  Tried the super white tuna nigiri which I liked.  I think if I could do a half star it would be  3.5 star place.  Try this place out!

Kafe Berlin is an interesting tiny coffee shop housed in what is essential the german heritage center.  I guess that is why that have the unique business model of having coffee, espresso and oh yeah, knockwurst!  so far have tried one of the pastry items which was a chocolate filled croisant like pastry which was fabulous.  Also tried one of the wursts (one of the porky, ones) which was tasty.  The sausages are legit as they come from (if I recall correctly) the Bavarian Meat delicatessen downtown.  The menu also has sandwiches and paninis which I have not tried yet.  The space is pretty tiny with only about seating for 5.  The staff is friendly and helpful.  Proabably its selling point for me is its location.  There are very few options for food or caffeine in that part of First Hill (Harboview Medical Center area).  This place opens at 5 am!  Yay! I can grab grub before my 6am shift!  Because of its location though parking could be a pain.  They are only open til 7pm which is about standard for First Hill non-hospital establishments.    Check them out if you are in the area for a doctor's appointment!

Local 360 is the kind of eco-conscious place that sort of embodies the PNW food culture. Locally sourced flora and fauna.  Free range beasts who lived a full and happy life prior to meeting the butchers knife.   I came here with a rather large contingent of peeps with brunch on our brains.  
I got my usual chicken fried steak which was a decent rendition, smothered in gravy but a bit on the small side.  I also got the pork belly which is pretty much a hunk of well...pork belly with a nice and crispy skin.  Service was great and I really liked the spacious high ceiling interior.  They are open a till 12am which is respectable for a place that isn't a bar.  The cons would be the portion sizes and the somewhat higher cost you might pay for such meticulous attention to sourcing.  Either way, these things shouldn't stop you from checking this place out.

Dollar theater!!  
The answer to the sky high prices for overpriced mega-over CGI, over the top 3-D IMAX movie prices!  Well, so its not quite a dollar ($3) but its still pretty darn cheap to go here.  Most of the flicks are second run but they also run a few recently released indie flicks here as well.  Your dearly earned $3 will get you reasonable service and fairly comfortable if not true stadium seating.   Definitlely worth a try if you want to see flicks on the the cheap!

Great little gem in First Hill!  
George's is the quintessential mom and pop place. Aside from the deli sandwiches which are decent, you should go for the polish specialty items like th pierogis!  I got the beef pierogi and they were excellent.  Nice homemade tasting and oh so filling!  The store is also filled with many Polish specialty items like preserves, packed foods and cookies.  Its only open during lunch hours and has no seating so its a striclty get your grub and go.  I recommend taking your food over to Freeway park for a nice outdoor lunch!

OOoo!  speak easy!  sounds kind of pretentious in a chic novelty sort of way.  Reservations are highly recommended and by text message only!?  Is this a rave or a crack house?  After coming here a few times, there is a practical side of things.  The place is beyond tiny so general open door policy might muck up things.  The non-descript door opens right onto the intersection of Bellevue and Olive way.  You ring the door bell and tell them the name of the party you belong to.  You are then led past a set of curtains into a tiny area that the fire marshall should probably not see.  Cozy is a nice way to put it.  The atmosphere is great though.  I came for some food (big shock)  and had the mini lamb burgers, tater tots and lumpia.  All three were actually quite good.  Despite my inital misgivings, I actually like this place and wouldn't hesitate to come back !

Ba Bar is my new local hang out.  Its close to my abode, and the hours work great for my crazy schedule.  2am on weekdays and 4am on weekends?!  Sign me up!  Its sits in what used to be the Watertown coffee location so expect some of the same perks.  Nice high ceilings and a sort of unfurnished feel to the place.  The vibe is nice and chilled out.  They have a focus on Viet street food with sort of  twist.  Its not quite fusion but not your standard food from the little Saigon neighborhood a few blocks away.  That being said, things are a little pricier than what you would expect.  

Pate Chaud ($4):  a nice flaky pastry stuffed with ground pork!  Yummy

Boiled Cabbage wrap ($7) comes on with sort of a tomato based sauce,  different but tasty

Muscovy duck tofu paper wrap ($9) again with the tomato base sauce, and tasty!

Steamed clams ($11) I'm a sucker for shellfish.  Get this

Pho ($9).  Not your mama's pho!  yes, it does start out a little more expensive than Pho down the block.  BUT they use the much touted Painted Hills Beef for their brisket!  you know, the no hormone, grass fed, cruelty free etc. etc...Yup, kick in a few bucks for that.  Some of the normal stuff you get in the pho like beef tendon, beef balls,  and  shitake mushrooms are added cost ($2 per  addition).  Some pho traditionalists may thumb their noses at such a price hike, but the quality of ingredients makes this bowl a standout, as long as you don't mind the price!  I get ALL the extras added when I order bringing my pho to about $15.

Mi Vit Tiem ($10) again, an interesting twist on your standard vietnemese duck and noodle soup.  The duck is tasty, and I wish  there was more in it.  The broth is a little different too, studded with longan and chinese dates.  Would be better if they added another duck leg!  

Com Tam Roti - with roast chicken.  Chicken was juicy and tasty.  This comes with rice, large lettuce leaves, sliced cucumbers, a soft boiled egg and sauce.  I wasn't sure exactly how to approach this, perhaps like korean bbq when you wrap everything in the lettuce wrap?  It tasted good either way

Spicy Berkshire pork belly ($9)
Pork was good, not very spicy though.  Some of the vegetables didn't mesh too well with the flavors.  Maybe an off night?

The menu I gather is somewhat evolving as they get their feet wet.   I suspect some of the kinks with food consistency will also seem to iron themselves out.  Service has always been extremely friendly and you can tell they are trying to make a good impression.  I would highly recommend any of the baked goods in the case for dessert!  Amazing!  I had one of the best, carrot cake slices ever here and I don't even particularily like carrot cake!  
They also show kung fu flicks on friday night and late night on other nights as well!

please come out and support this place!  We need more late night eats in Seattle!