Erin W.'s Profile

If I could give Tony 100 stars, I would in a heartbeat. He restores my faith in auto mechanics (oh stop - I don't think you're ALL bad...), and has completely lived up to his Yelp (5-star) reputation!

After some cracked-out bozo ran his car into our Forrester a few weeks ago, our insurance company ran the requisite assessment with their mechanics. $2,600 later, we were told we could choose the autobody shop to do our actual repairs. After being blind-sided by Tony's glowing - nay, SOLAR - reviews here on Yelp (among some of you notoriously harsh critics, no less), we decided to go for it and hand him our keys.

Tony was nothing but gracious, informative, incredibly helpful & generous (free touch-up paint? for me?? but that spot had nothing to do with the acciden....... *whistle whistle whistle*). What a sweetheart -- is it weird to hug your mechanic? I wanted to.

Oh, and the job they did is outstanding!! When his team got their hands into her damage, they pulled out $4000+ in repair work -- no bend or crack was left untended! All of the replacement parts are OEM, and (holy crap!!) they even DETAILED THE THING, INSIDE & OUT (and no, I don't see that unsolicited item on the bill, thank you very much)!!!

Of course it was all covered by our awesome insurance company, but the cherry on top was that Tony even saved us our deductible!!! Yes, he did! No, I don't know how he did it! Yes, it did make my week!

Thanks again, Tony -- you're a shiny shiny diamond in the grease-ridden world of auto wizards, and I really really really can't recommend you enough!

Lucky Pho = Lucky Fremont!!

We thought we couldn't have been more excited when we saw that a new pho joint was coming to town... And then we went... And it was gooooooooooooood!

I enjoyed my veggie (the medium was deliciously painful to finish -- it was huge), with lots and lots of fresh, par-steamed veggies including broccoli, snap peas, lettuce, carrots, jalepenos & tofu. The Mr. ordered a large & meaty selection, and he too was absolutely giddy at the bounty of meatness in his take-away box (it was getting late, Lost was coming on, and we had to get home).

After a few years of faithfully patronizing Than Bros in Ballard, our relationship with them had started to go downhill - fast - what with their increasingly terrible service & seemingly diminishing amount of soup in each subsequent order.

Lucky is closer to home, had awesome service, AMAZING pho, and hey! Look! Bahn-mis! (I know what's for lunch tomorrow...)

To be fair in my comparisons, Lucky is a bit more expensive than Than (just a few bucks), and there was no free cream puff in my box...  *sad face*

However, I shall just have to get my cream-puff fix elsewhere, because I'm super-sold on Lucky, and whole-heartedly welcome them to the neighborhood!

First thing's first: WHERE THE HEY IS IT?? One such as myself might ask... Well, it just so happens that I, too, now have the answer:

Nestled snuggly between Neumo's & [Old] Moe's, I frankly can't speak for the atmosphere of the joint, itself... We were early for a show at the former, and the super-cute, and very helpful doorman and the latter instructed us that we are able to order both liquor AND fried goodness from PSFF from inside the cozy cockles of Moe's.

Success!! I had this place bookmarked "To Try" for months, and we even drove by a few times, (unsuccessfully) searching for it, so imagine my delight to stumble upon it unexpectedly.

E had a fried oyster sandwich, with a side of fries. I ordered a fried catfish sandwich (why yes, I WOULD like my coleslaw IN the sandwich, please!), and we shared an order of the fried lemons. DELICIOUS, all of it! The batter is a bit heavy, but fantastically crunchy and surprisingly not greasy. Their condiment selection is intriguing, and the fried lemons are nothing short of delightful! It was WAY too much food, but oh, so appeasing.

The only reason I can't bring myself to pay forward that 5th star is the 2-day bloat-fest and gutteral displeasure that ensued. Painful, and yet something tells me it won't deter us from an inevitable return for more!

Fremont Pizza & Pasta (or whatever your name was), oh how we miss you! Alas, you were a reliable standby for those desperately hungry weekday evenings, when cooking was out of the question, as was traveling further than our stubby legs would carry us... You were the homey Italian joint down the street, and we loved you. (Clearly not enough, however -- for you have abandoned us forever, without so much as a kiss goodbye...) You had consistently decent food, friendly service, and we always felt like, among your clientele, we were among friends.

At Rialto, not so much.

Okay, call me biased. I harbored hopes and pre-conceived notions that this hussied-up version of the former establishment really OUGHT to mimic the experience of the past. We figured we'd give it a few months to adapt to it's new surroundings, and settle into the neighborhood before we ventured forth.

Tonight was the night.

Oy, vey. What a bummer.

Okay, I'll try to be fair:

Con: You've lost that loving feeling, 4307 Fremont Ave N... With your new paint job and brighter interior, you're much more stark and sharp, without the coziness and warmth of the old-you. Granted, just that one dining room is considerably brighter, while the other remains rich and comforting with it's chocolate walls... But all the same, if we're going to have a 50/50 chance of eating in a museum gallery, vs. Happyville, then excuse me but those odds are simply not worth the  gamble.

Pro: The service was very good. The server apologized more than once, and thanked us for our patience, as apparently she was one of only two servers on at the time. This clearly revealed that she felt she was "in the weeds," though her apologies were not at all necessary  -- she was on top of everything we asked for, and was very friendly, without being overly.... anything. Well done, pretty lady.

Con: Good lord, can someone please tell me how you can call yourself an Italian restaurant, and yet your red sauce is NOTHING more than pureed tomatoes??!! I swear, there was not a hint of salt or pepper, much less a mother-loving dash of oregano!! And are you KIDDING me with the bowl of Barilla, tomato-puree, and a whole sausage just chillin' on top?! Not even sliced, or otherwise... Just -- pasta-sauce-sausage = here ya go! I don't think I'm even remotely snobby when it comes to plating, but frankly it occurred to me that the plate looked... LAZY. According to E, it tasted as exciting as it looked.

Pro:
MY plate looked nice, and was well-cooked, too. It was a special tonight: seared scallops over lemon risotto with blanched green beans. The scallops could have been pulled off the heat about a minute earlier, but overall, the dish was very good. The risotto was delicious, and the beans were perfectly crispy, so nice work on Saute.

Con (with the disclaimer that this is UNDERSTANDABLY NOT within the control of the establishment):
The clientele tonight was HORRIBLE. You could honestly cut the pretentiousness with a knife and serve it on bread (oh, that reminds me -- their bread was quite tasty and fresh, but the salad that comes before your meal is absolutely nothing to hold your breath for). I don't know whether there was an a$$hole convention at the church across the street tonight, or what... But geez-louise, I haven't experienced that many dildos in one room since my last trip to [insert favorite erotica store here]. Gah...

Anyway, it'll be a while before we try it again. I HAD felt badly for it when Via Tribunali went in DIRECTLY next door just a few months ago (Dude, Rialto was there FIRST!!). They're both neighborhood-y Italian joints, right? AND just a few blocks up from Brad's...  But after tonight's experience, I think we're going to give both VT & Brad's a fair shot, and then decide who's team we're on...

While I understand some of the other commenters, who took away stars for the high cost of a room, my feeling is that NOTHING on Friday Harbor is cheap, so to think that your hotel/motel room is going to be any different is just wishful.

E&I stayed here during our anniversary weekend, and had a wonderful stay! The staff could not have been friendlier, and graciously held our luggage while we wandered the island before & after check in/out.

The room itself was very comfortable, relaxing & clean, which in my book, are the three cornerstones of a good hotel. (We got what we paid for.)

It was also easily accessible from the ferry (on foot), quiet & well-kept.

The spa next door, Lavendara is charming and DEFINITELY worth a visit! We treated ourselves to a couples massage, and were in total ecstasy.

I don't think we'll stay anywhere else when we venture to the Harbor again, and we both recommend that you check it out for yourself!

Some of the toys were a little (or a lot) pricey, but I assume that goes with the antique, vintage & old-school toy-trading experience... E did have some great finds, though -- and great prices.

The overall selection was a bit overwhelming (for me, but E was totally blown away). They truly have some of everything -- from Care Bears to Star Wars to TMNT... They have loads of lunchboxes, and even the original Atari consoles (with joysticks & paddles)!

The guys working in the store were totally friendly and helpful -- we'll surely be back.

E loves this place, and I can tell it shall become an absolute must-stop when we're in the Portland area (which sadly, is too rare for our liking).

Today was my first (E's second) venture, but I have to say: I was impressed (and what I know of beer occurs via osmosis from E's hoppy head). But I do know that I love a good Belgium, a nice rich, dark porter, and anything with the words "dubbel" or "trippel" on the label. There was a veritable beer buffet from which to choose, and we racked up a fat bill faster than you can pop a cap (off a bottle, that is).

We didn't stick around to try out the restaurant/tasting bar -- but the 2 gentlemen behind the counter were friendly enough to me, when I asked to use the restroom...

So beautiful and peaceful -- a great place to sit and allow your thoughts to float away for as long as you like (or until they kick you out, I guess).

Its not an overwhelming space, but the nice thing is that you can simply "wander" around and not really see the same thing twice. Definitely a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon (after plowing your way through the Market, of course!).

So fun! Bar + old school arcade & pinball = happy night out with the Mr.

The bar has a limited selection of brew, but you're not there to drink anyway... You're there to kick some Donkey Kong ass!!

Just mind the obnoxiously oblivious girlfriends who don't bother to move out of your (paying customer) way, so that they may have full view of their frat boy du jour's hilariously pathetic beating by MK's Johnny Cage. (Seriously. What could be less fun?! Except for date rape, maybe...)

Anywhozzle: GO. It's fun.

Truly as good as it gets. If I were a chef, I just may give my left arm (or best knife, as may be more valuable to some) to work in that kitchen. It's the best seat in the house, as it should always be -- afterall, the chefs are the mysterious stars of every great dining experience!

But I digress.

We went for brunch while in town for the great Oregon Brewer's Festival of '08, and were totally thrilled. E had been there before, so he knew what to expect -- but even with his wonderful review of his first visit, I had no idea of the magic that was to come!

So: hollandaise. Pretty much the most perfect sauce (when done right, that is -- and it sadly so frequently is not) on the planet, am I right? Seriously, on eggs, on muffins, on meat, from a straw -- it couldn't be better. Oooooooooohhhh, was I so very mistaken! Let's pour some over a crispy potato cake with fresh greens (arugula & basil?) and a generous portion of perfectly blackened catfish. Two poached eggs ride side-saddle, and when all components collide in your mouth, you will experience pure culinary bliss.

E ordered the "Housemade Umbrian Sausage, Two Eggs & Potato Cake," which was also a tremendous hit (dudes know how to pack some serious meat...!).

Okay, so enough from me. On the next sunny day in beautiful Portland, go to VQ for brunch on their gorgeous patio. Trust me, you'll be SO GLAD you did!