Rich "The Artist Geek Guy" H.'s Profile

Warning: Don't judge the restaurant by its location or exterior appearance!  

Three of us went to an early dinner on a Saturday night.  This was our first time at the Kent, WA location.  There was only one other customer in the restaurant and during our stay just a takeout order and another couple arrived.  So business was not brisk, but we arrived at about 5:15 PM so we may have missed the evening "rush".

We started off with two half salads.  The Greek salad and the Shopska salad.  I can't imagine the size of a whole salad.  The three of us could have split a single half salad, so you can imagine that the portions were large.  Big portions don't always translate into good taste, but in this case both salads were excellent.  Feta cheese is one of our favorite ingredients and there was lots of it, so these both got 5 stars from the table.

Next we requested the large size (15") Margherita pizza. This is usually a good test for any Italian restaurant because it is so easy to screw up.  Not so at Amante.  The pizza was perfect, right down to the East Coast style extra strings of cheese connected from platter to plate when serving.

Service was good.  We had only two place settings (napkin, knife, fork) for the three of us and eventually had to request a third one when my salad arrive.  Unfortunately, the second salad (Shopska) took a really long time to show up at the table.  This worked out because we then ended up sharing the salad until the second arrived.

Drinks were iced tea and water which were never empty for long.

Atmosphere was better than expected after accessing the exterior.  However, it was your basic pizza joint setup, some booths and the rest tables.  Music was loud enough to hear, while not being over bearing. The late afternoon sun was an issue as our dinner came to a close, but not a real problem.  There were far more cooks and waiters than customers, but everyone was very friendly while not in-your-face-ish.

Seemed kind of spendy for the kind of atmosphere, but I think good food is worth it regardless of the decor.  

Overall, this one is a great find and we will return to test out the other items on the menu.

P.S. This restaurant is not just Italian, they have American traditional and Greek.  Very reminiscent of the East Coast Philly-style Italian restaurant with a few extras added.

Three of us went for Sunday brunch.  We had high expectations and the food was good.  We arrived at around 9:30 AM  and requested atrium seating.  There was no wait and we were placed at a street front open window.  We needed to close the window a bit because of the morning breeze.  However, this was very refreshing and the atrium was an excellent choice because of the spacing and waterfall that white-noised out the other conversations.

However, the experience was not flawless.  Service was the issue.  First, after literally pointing to the item that I wanted and the waiter confirming the pronounciation of "chorizo", the wrong dish was delivered to our table.  The other guests received the correct orders and proceeded.  After being assured that my brunch was fast tracked "on a rail", I didn't see it until those with me had completed about half their meal.  Next, a simple request for salt went unheeded until after my meal arrived.  The request was made very early in the meal.  With the additional of several smaller slip-ups the service was deemed a 2 out of 5.  For us, that is very poor.

Food wise, Cafe Flora is excellent (when the bring it right thing, let it go).  We split an order of Beignets (there were 3 so it was perfect).  These were an excellent choice.  The meal choices are listed below with how each guest rated them.

Chorizo - potato hash and eggs 3 out 5
Heirloom tomato summer scramble - 3.5 out of 5
Grilled mushroom and spinach scramble - 3.5 out of 5

The second two meals had excellent presentation and the flavor variety was perfect.  The hash and eggs was good flavor but nothing very special after that.

A surprise hit was the Black Satin tea. It was Assam blended with cocoa bits, spearmint, dark chocolate and vanilla essence. We experiemented with leaving the tea steep throughout the meal.  One of us did and another removed the basket after about 5 minutes.  Removal is a good choice.  Allowing the basket to remain longer made the tea have a bitter after-taste.  This tea is an excellent coffee alternative for brunch.

We will try Cafe Flora again to make sure that this particular Sunday brunch experience was a one-off.  More later.

For our anniversary, we headed over to Salty's.  Quite a while ago we tried their Sunday Brunch, but that was NOT very impressive.  
However, that didn't stop us from giving them a second try.
We arrived as they were opening for their Saturday business.  Arlene had called ahead and made a reservation, letting them know it was our anniversary.

They seated us at a corner window table with a great view of the Puget Sounds.  It was a wonderful start with them wishing us a Happy Anniversary as we met the hostess.

For our meals we picked two different selections from their Lunch Market Menu.

I picked the Grilled Wild Salmon crowned with King Mushrooms sautéed with garlic butter, served atop Peruvian mashed potatoes. Surrounded with a Riesling Vinaigrette and basil oil. It cost $19.99

Arlene picked the Alaskan Halibut basted with sun dried tomato-shallot butter and roasted under open flame. Set over a summer risotto, asparagus and watercress tossed with a sun-dried tomato
Vinaigrette. It also cost $19.99

Both of these were excellent choices.  I have to say they were the best we have had locally.  

They provided a surprise dessert for our anniversary of  Salty's White Chocolate Mousse Cake which is White Cake Layered With Currant Jam and White Chocolate Mousse, Covered in White Chocolate Shavings, with Raspberry Sauce.   Once again, very good.

Service was okay. Friendliness was excellent.  Contrary to our original visit this was an amazing experience.  I recommend Salty's, but be aware that some times they aren't as good as they can be.

Ah-So has been around for a very long time.  Usually the lunch crowd is large, but no waits.  Quite a few people select their takeout which consists of the same items as their eat-in fare.

Our selection of meal usually consists of the same thing all the time, but their other items are also very good.  However, since Arlene was one of the first to request this particular dish before it became a regular on their menu, it has always been our favorite.  

The dish is their all white meat Teriyaki Chicken breast.  The chicken is served over a bed of white steamed rice and then drizzled with additional teriyaki sauce.  It is served with a side salad topped with their traditional "pink" house dressing.  The portions are large and overall it is consistently great.  The dressing is the surprise winner here.  It literally gets puts onto everything, we just can't get enough of it.  Although, they would just keep it coming if we asked.

Cons:
- minimalist atmosphere, diner-like

Pros:
+ great food, huge servings, consistent quality
+ quick serving of meal

Some might not care for the fact that you first must order your meal at the counter and then seat yourself.  However, for us that provides a little of the friendly, "everybody know your face" charm of the place.  Once prepared the owners serve you, although you initially must be a little self-reliant to get your own tea and later your fortune cookie (Asian mixtures here).  If they aren't real busy, they will offer more assistance.

We would recommend this restaurant to anyone as long as they are not looking for an upscale dining experience. But if you want great food in a small town style "diner" this is the place. This is one of Renton's hidden gems.

Dropping by this restaurant on a Saturday around noon was interesting.  A total of 6 customers were there including the 2 of us.  This is the first time we tried the Mizu Japanese Steak House.  An extremely long time ago I had tried one of the Philadelphia areas Benihanas and it was so disappointing that I never wanted to go back to another restaurant of that style.  Mizu's is different much smaller and a lot more "suburban".  

Cons:
- Rice was dry and not hot.
- Music was way too loud.
- Long wait to see our cook arrive.
- Did not really know what to expect, so a Mizu 101 reference card or an explanation would have helped.
- Hoped for more choices in sauces, only two available.
- Prices a bit too high.

Pros:
+ Cook was entertaining. He called himself "Eddie Murphy".
+ Chicken and steak seasoned and cooked well.
+ Cooking and dining experience was well done.
+ Both our server and cook did a great job.

Overall, I think we will go back and take our daughter next time. She is very interested in Japanese dining and I think she will enjoy the "show" as we did.
However, this particular Mizu's did not have enough  charm, atmosphere or standout cuisine to make us regulars.  Perhaps the evening dining experience is different.  I would only say, give it at least one try, your experience may vary from ours.  
As for us, we would prefer a little "hole in the wall" restaurant called Ah-So in Renton, WA over this Mizu JSH.

This evening, after not visiting Outback for a very long time, we stopped in at the Tukwila Outback.

We arrived early and were the first customers to be seated this evening.  Having absolutely anywhere to sit, they placed us in the rear of the restaurant  a couple of booths from the restrooms.  Not bad, and we didn't mention anything about it.

Our waitress was the best.  Not one misstep.  

The food was excellent.  Arlene gave the food a 4.5 out of 5.  Her only issue was the amount of "fat" in the form of butter and oil that arrived after asking for no butter, etc.  I gave the food a 5.  I wasn't concerned by the "fat", at least today.  

We both ordered the Out back Special Platter which consists of a 6 oz sirloin steak,  garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Arlene substituted grilled onions for the potatoes.   The onions were the "fat" culprits.  

I like it when Arlene orders steak because she always gets it well-done.  This is a challenge for most restaurant to provide a delicious steak AND make it well-done. In this case they provided a perfect well-done, delicious steak.  I requested my steak medium and it was also perfect.  

The portions for all items were spot on.  No take home bag, just pure enjoyment.

If we could record 4.5 stars, we would.  I recommend this Outback to everyone.  Too notch food, service and pretty good atmosphere.

This was our first visit to any Applebee's, ever.  I must say it was a very pleasant experience.  As usual, we went early, around 4 PM on a Thursday.  The restaurant wasn't busy. Our server was Cherie and since things were rather quiet she was able to attend to us easily but not too often, so her timing was just right.

We went to Applebee's to try out their Weight Watchers menu items.  By the way, you might think that the portions would be unusually small but that was not the case.  However, if you are eager for a 16oz steak than my dinner was under weight.  

We started out with Onion Soup au Gratin.  This was very good.  It rated a 4 out of 5.

As main courses, we had the Garlic Herb Chicken and the Steak with Portobellos.  I am the portobello fan, so that was my entree.  Here is where the steak size mattered, it was only 4 ounces. It was cooked exactly as requested and surprisingly was more than enough after the onion soup.  The garlic herb chicken was a larger portion and my wife was not able to finish her entire entree.

Both entrees came with ample portions of steamed broccoli and herbed potatoes.  Each entree gets 4 out of 5. They dropped down 1 because the chicken could have been a bit more "herby" and the sauce on the steak could have been a little less salty.  We consider these very minor issues.

We finished off the meal with coffee and the chocolate raspberry layer cake.  The cake had been taken off the main menu, but our waitress discovered that it was still available.  Speaking of our waitress, she was very, very good.  As mentioned earlier she attended to our needs and several moments reminded us of Roy's in Hawaii, where she came by and cleared away empty sweetener packets, filled glasses, etc. with the stealth of an experienced server.  Earning positive points with each visit to our table.  She gets a 5 out of 5.

The atmosphere was quiet and the decor is sports themed.  The seating area surrounds the bar and each are open to the other, so that if the bar was crowded, the noise level might be an issue.  However, it was not a problem with our visit.  There is sports memorabilia literally everywhere along with numerous TVs strategically placed so that everyone has a clear view.  This isn't important to us and they were not distracting.

Cost was very reasonable and we will definitely return.

Update:

I forgot to mention that the music at this Applebee's was just right for us, a mix of new and old.  

For folks using Weight Watchers, Applebee's listed all the nutritional values for their menu items.  This makes it easy to make good choices and be a bit more adventurous when reaching the dreaded dessert menu.

This is a new IHOP that just had their grand opening around the Thanksgiving Holiday 2008.  We went on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) arriving at around 11:30 AM.   There was a 15 minute wait and the restaurant had been open since 5 AM that morning to accommodate the early bird shoppers.

Since it was brand new we expected it to be clean and the staff to be pleasant even though this would be a really long day for most of them.  We were not disappointed.  Even though the restaurant was full, it was clean and in fact we received service from the most pleasant person in the room.  Danielle easily earned her "no points lost" tip for her attitude, attention to details and speed of service.  This was the best service experience we have had in at least the past 5 years.

The food was right up our alley on this day.  The 3 of us ordered omelets with pancakes.  One order was from the light fair (IHOP For Me) back page of their menu.  You should note that all items had nutritional information as a guide for those watching that sort of thing.  Each order was prepared perfectly.  Portions were generous on the non-light items and even the light  order was enough to be quite filling.

We had the Big Steak Omelet with 3 pancakes; the Country Omelet with toast in place of pancakes; IHOP For Me Garden Scramble Omelet with 2 pancakes.  All  were great.  The food gets only a 4 out of 5 because it was traditional fair, nothing exceptional and nothing unexpected.  

Overall: service rates 5 out of 5 and food rates 4 out of 5.

We would most definitely return to this IHOP.  I cannot say the same for any of the other "older" IHOPs that we have tried so long ago.

1000 feet above Leavenworth, Washington is where you will find Mt Home Lodge.  We have vacationed there on a semi-regular basis since 1997.  The lodge has only 11 rooms.  New additions were two cabins which are wonderful.  The views are marvelous, but it is Brad and Kathy Schmidt (the innkeepers) who make MHL what it is today.  The greatest place for a couple to get away to and still free like they are in the warm embrace of "home".

You can check out there web site to see all the activities and scenery.
http://www.mthome.com/

However, that's not all.  Chef Tom brings another refinement to this mountain oasis... FOOD glorious FOOD!  As a dinner restaurant, MHL is a  five star establishment.  On occasion, usually in the non-winter seasons, lodge guests will sometimes foolishly venture into Leavenworth for dinner rather than stay for Tom's delicacies.   This frees up a table or two for "outsiders" to make the rough road drive up to the lodge and partake of the evening's fare.  You must call ahead to assure a table and remember this might be a rare treat.

There is no possible way that I could do justice to the meals Chef Tom prepares.  

Take a look at their "dining" page and download the sample menu.
http://www.mthome.com/...

Over the 11 year period, that we have stayed at Mountain Home Lodge we only once missed dinner.  We are fast learners.

Bottom line is great place to stay and an excellent place to dine.
We have never, ever been disappointed in either.

Up until this past weekend Claim Jumper (CJ) has been one of our favorite spots.  We hadn't been there in awhile since a Cheese Cake Factory(CCF) opened nearby.  I think the CCF has had its effect on CJ.
First, CJ now offers drive up take out, just like CCF.  I guess that is a good thing.
Next, the folks that work at CJ don't seem very happy.  The hostess at the front desk said only two words to us.  "How many?" then proceeded to do other thing, never again acknowledging our existence.
There was no wait, which is unusual for CJ and we were taken to our least favorite seating location, which we refused.  We were relocated just next to this location and gave up asking for a better seat.  Please note that there were a bunch of empty spots throughout the restaurant.
There were only two bright spots in our dining experience; one was our waitress, Kristin.  She was pleasant, efficient and made sure we had what we needed, even when "her helpers" failed to deliver.  Again, "her helpers" came across as not happy that they were working.  Note: our visit was on a Sunday afternoon around 3:30 PM.  A part of the dining experience is to be somewhere that is pleasant and people actually enjoy what they are doing.  This is the norm that we have seen at CCF on every occasion.
It should be noted that CJ usually serves over sized portions, which has been a complaint by many.  On this point, I cannot disagree.  However, this past weekend things were a little different.  Our usual consists of iced tea, 1/2 order of garlic parmesan onion rings, the main course and sometimes a dessert to take home.
The onion rings are one of our favorites.  This time the portion was undersized which was a good thing because they were tough and not very hot.  These were the worse onions rings ever.
My wife's entree was chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes.  This should not be a difficult item, but it was served over cooked and wasn't up to usual standard.
The other bright spot was my entree which was spectacular!  I ordered the Jamaican sweet potato which I had never tried before.  The flavors were explosive without being overwhelming.  The tastes from the honey to the spices were clearly defined and in all cases were pleasant surprises.  BTW, I don't care for sweet potatoes.  Why order it then, you ask.  Basically, the goal is to try something new on occasion.  This was a fantastic occasion.  I cannot say enough good things about this entre.  It was exceptional.  Sweet potatoes done this way are back on my list.
As a finale, my wife ordered a red velvet cupcake to go.  As if to put a topper on the overall experience, the cupcake was crushed in its container.  We decided enough was enough and took the leftovers (from my wife's dinner) and the crushed cupcake and headed for the door.  
It is too bad that Claim Jumper has dropped so.  It will be a long time before we return given so many other excellent choices in the Tukwila area.