Tiffany "Never had a middle name, never needed one" S.'s Profile

Chris and I both had great, thorough eye exams here by Dr. Dubicki. They take VSP insurance which has a $15 copay and then Chris got a really good deal on new frames. Yeah, there are some really expensive frames (like $400) but his were about $100 with the VSP discount. They have a great selection too.

The staff is super nice and helpful, and I told them how happy they were that they were open on Saturdays. The Dr. understands that a lot of people can't get their eyes dilated in the middle of workday.

I feel like our sight is in good hands.

PS. The map's not totally right for this location - it's in the apartment building with Chase (around the corner) right where Queen Anne Ave jogs to the east to continue down the hill (if you're coming from the north). Trader Joe's is about two blocks west of it. There's a parking garage just to the right of the entrance.

Awesome menu - great selection! My non-veghead mom loves Seitan now!

Service could step it up a bit but being hungry makes me a little impatient. Even I know I need to Zen out a little.

I think I had the Mojo y Rojo and it was delish. I can't wait to go back.

And the peanut butter dessert is everything I've heard it was! Worth the trip from the PNW!

Hole in the wall place with great tacos. The guy next to us was having a gordita, and not like a Taco Bell gordita, mind you. It looked awesome.

Authentic and sooo worth the minor wait. I'd go once a week if I lived down here.

Cardenas is like the Disneyland of Mexican grocery stores. My mom had never been so my visit was the perfect excuse. It's like a wonderland in there!

We went in looking specifically for this jello dessert thing that a friend of hers once brought to a party. We found that and so much more! (plus beef lips -eeeewwww. If I hadn't thought about being a vegetarian yet, I would now.)

I have a piece of chocolate flan cake waiting for me in the fridge right now!

Read MY lips: chocolate cake bottom layer, flan layer on top. Ohhh yeah!

Yummy sushi - a little pricey. Great selection of rolls. Place gets busy so get there early!

We had great California Rolls (the test by which I hold all sushi joints), a shrimp tempera roll, a dragon roll (something with eel on it), and a veggie roll. I don't normally order veggie rolls but this one was excellent: seaweed, cucumber & gobo (some kind of carrot).

Gobo = carrot. Who knew?

Yes, it's dark and can be busy but sometimes you can leave 15 mins after the one hour free period and they won't make you pay. Plus I like staying dry. Not the best parking lot in Seattle but not the worst. (I think the under-the-freeway parking is the worst - for the Convention Center)

We had a gift certificate from Chris' folks whose club has a reciprocal membership. After a great deal of rigamarole, it was determined that we could indeed use the gift certificate in the main dining room, but not the buffet at the Stratus Lounge. That was a bit of a bummer as we were first assured the buffet was good on Fridays only to then be told, "Oh, but you can't use your gift certificate there."

We decided the best time to use the afore-mentioned gc was when my dad and his wife were in town - show off a bit from 75 stories why don't we?

The view was cloudy but blowing briskly by and really the whole experience after the complex elevator shuffle was lovely. Jacques, the Director of Catering, and I have mutual friends, and he was kind enough to stop by for a proper introduction. Service was a tad slow even though we were only one of three tables seated at the time (we started at 12:30 and didn't get out of there until 2 pm, but that was after a lot of chit chat and photo ops).

The menu is great (though mine was the only one with prices so I guess they knew I was paying), and we each thought our lunch was very good. They told my dad's wife that her sandwich was very big, worrying her that it was going to be too much, when in fact in came out a little undersized. But we all know food portions are relative.

All in all, a nice experience and something fun to share with out-of-towners.

It is a bit of a wonder that I'd never been here before.

However, the wait was certainly worth it. We had a spectacular table in the back of the bar overlooking Lake Union. Our server, Wanda, was fabulous and the sommelier was extremely helpful. Seriously, when Wanda asked Chris if it would be alright if she could move his plate to set down more cutlery I decided right then that all people of all nations should take manners training from Canlis staff. She called my father by his surname all evening and the whole visit was high class.

The muse bouche was delicious pumpkin soup served in a sake glass, and I had the Canlis salad (all it's cracked up to be) and the Peter Canlis Prawns appetizer for my entree - 5 prawns in a rich butter sauce. What more could you ask for? Oh, the truffle fries - you should ask for those! My dad had the lambchops, which were rich and delicious, and we even ordered dessert to go to bring a friend who was doing us a favor. Every aspect was handled quickly and courteously.

All in all, it was a very special evening, and we were treated like royalty. What a treasure.

What's not to love?

Opened by a fellow high school alum. Employs one of my favorite people. Serves all the crazy stuff I love (kale crackers, raw apple pie, yes please).

Yeah, it's a little pricey but the folks are super friendly and know their stuff. We're not in that hood all the time but we will be now!

I love all Bartells, but this is my least favorite. The layout is crap and the check out area is a mess. If I'm down there and need something, I'll pop in but there a million others I would go to first.