Francis "York" M.

8/18/2013

Zach let's go over the case notes for Pie Bar.  This tiny bar on Olive is a real treat.  When we first heard about Pie Bar, we didn't think it would be quite so literal.  But lo and behold, Pie Bar serves, and serves quite well.  And even though the small space may deter any from stopping in during high tide, it is worth braving the claustrophobia, right Zach?

We can't underscore how small the bar really is.  At the counter itself, there is just about a person's width in space to walk through before chairs adorn you on both sides.  It doesn't run very deep either.  You have a little more space closer to the door, but the space is very easily filled.  When we first arrived the bar was basically empty, but after getting our drink the place was packed.  Figuring out when the bar isn't filled to capacity is rather difficult, but is beyond worth figuring out this puzzle.

This must be taken as a high compliment - the pie here outshines Thomas' biscuits.  The balance here of the milk and butter, crust and filling...it is impressive, isn't it Zach?  Let's start with the Desserted Island.  If this pie were named after an island you were stranded on, you would never want to be saved.  The tart berries used in this pie really shine and make for an amazing dessert.  It's served a la mode, so even if the green apple doesn't push you over the edge, the ice cream most certainly will.  Amazing!

Sweet isn't the only kind of pie served here.  We were able to try the steak pie, and this too was very tasty, right Zach?  The steak is very tender and comes with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  It rounds out with some potato and an arugula salad.  Combine this with the Desserted Island and you've got a nice meal going.  But...

It isn't complete without a cocktail.  This is where Pie Bar may shock you, as it did us Zach.  We aren't very fond of cream-based cocktails, and though Pie Bar's selection isn't purely cream-based, most of the drinks are.  That being said, you simply must try one of the pie cocktails.  The pie crust crumble along the rim of the martini glasses is a fantastic touch, one that proves more interesting than a typical margarita's assembly.  The lemon meringue pietini is fantastic and sealed the deal for us.  There is some good alcohol in this frothy drink, and the lemon mixes with the pie crust very well.  It is as elegant as it is delicious, right Zach?

Do yourself a favor and have a drink at Pie Bar.  The only way it would be better is if it had a bigger bar.  They have mastered the art of dessert, both in pie and beverage form.

8/10/2013

Zach, remember our foray to Ristorante Machiavelli?  It was that little place on the corner of Pine with the excellent Chicken Milanese.  This cozy spot is surrounded by delicious restaurants, but Machiavelli should not be left unexplored.  It is worthy of attention, though it may not be the best you'll have in the city.

We sure weren't kidding about this space being small, right Zach?  The entryway is fairly narrow, with a tiny bar on the side.  It was no surprise that there was a wait to be endured before we could be seated despite the rather low volume of people.  But that gave us an opportunity to see how the bartender fares in his craft.  I tried the kamikaze, and it wasn't too bad.  A bit muted for me, and I'm sure you would agree Zach.  Good, but not great, which is a bit of a theme from our visit to Machiavelli.

Once seated we ordered the Chicken Milanese.  This is one of the better interpretations of Chicken Milanese we've had in the Seattle area, right Zach?  The balance of lemon, butter and breading achieved here is amazing.  The chicken is nicely prepared and very flavorful.  It is the reason we will surely return in the future.  If only Emily had decided the same, right Zach?  The Chicken Parmigiana didn't impress her as much, and we can agree with that assessment.  We tried a few bites and while good, we've had better.  We don't think we would order it again.

That being said, we will return!  The Chicken Milanese is amazing, and we saw a few Bolognese dishes that require investigating.

6/23/2013

Pioneer Square's resident BBQ hole leaves little to be desired.  Chuck's is a nice little establishment that is most certainly a hole...with a whole lot of flavor, right Zach?

There isn't much to debate about the menu.  Pick a meat, pick a side.  And it seems hard to go wrong no matter what the choice, doesn't it Zach?  Of the 3 meat choices we've savored the beef brisket thus far, and it seems a bit leaner than some other BBQ places we have visited in the Greater Seattle Area.  We didn't notice as much gristle, and this was a rather welcome feature for us.  The beef was fairly tender, absorbing the tangy sauce that drenched our sandwich.  This makes for a wonderful lunch, right Zach?

But the meal isn't yet complete without sides.  The cornbread is pretty decent, though not the best we've had.  It's not hard, but not soft.  It does crumble as you bite into it though!  It's a good addition to whatever you decide to order, but if you have to choose one choose the side spike, right Zach?  The sausage is sweet with a little spiciness added in.  It isn't quite so hot, so even those who don't have a death-wish for heat will enjoy it.

Chuck's has a lot going for it, and not just in terms of taste.  To sweeten the deal, Chuck's is right near the transit stop underground (so a trip from downtown is very doable during lunch).  It also happens to be very affordable and not as expensive as one might expect.  Zach, what more could we want?  Hopefully we do more business in Seattle.

6/2/2013

Rum is the name of the game.  It is hard to investigate Rumba and not have a few drinks, and if you're going to have a few drinks, certainly make them of the rum variety.  The drink menu should be your first hint, as it is overwhelmingly rum based.  And why wouldn't it be, right Zach?  The caribbean and cuban facets of this bar are implemented well, and it shouldn't take long before anyone would become a fan, right Zach?

We've only been once so far, and perhaps our investigation wasn't as thorough, but we still had good impressions.  We stood by one drink in particular, The Hurricane, and truly weathered the storm, didn't we Zach?  We withstood quite a few hurricanes and kept coming back without a raincoat.  They were delicious.  And it was only one drink of many that they offer.

The food comes with a similar assessment, and unfortunately, similar circumstances.  We only tried one thing, which is shameful.  We owe the Rumba another visit to delve deeper into the menu.  But Zach, the one thing we did have - the empanadas - they were amazing.  The flaky and buttery composition were well balanced.  Neither hard nor shapeless.  And these empanadas, tiny as they were, held a robust flavor to them.  The chorizo variety in particular were excellent.  The flavor is packed in well, and the meat is moist and spiced.  They are well worth the try, though be forewarned as they are pricy, right Zach?  It's easy to spend a lot very quickly.

Rumba makes for an excellent stop along Capitol Hill.  We recommend giving them a try.

5/27/2013

When it comes to specialty popcorn, KuKuRuZa is hard to beat.  You might be able to obtain the odd popcorn here and there (Cinerama's chocolate popcorn comes to mind), but KuKuRuZa offers variety.  These often sweet variations of popcorn are very flavorful and far from subtle.  When you walk away with a bag, you walk away with a real treat, right Zach?

We've only visited once, but were impressed with the delicious options.  Cookies and Cream ended up being a favorite for us.  Each piece is entirely encased in black and white, and exudes flavor.  They've really mastered the process, haven't they Zach?  If it is available when you visit, definitely try it out.  It's amazing.  But it's not the only good favor out there, is it Zach?  In a similar vein is the Smore popcorn.  This popcorn is paired with marshmallows, and is a good stand-in for the actual thing.  It is very sweet.

The popcorn is a bit expensive, but this is hardly a deterrent.  What you walk away with is a very tasty snack.  It is top notch popcorn, something even Thomas couldn't beat, could he Zach?

5/22/2013

Zach, we recently have had quite a few trips out to Highscore Burgers, haven't we?  The area of Redmond it inhabits is slowly growing its repertoire of restaurants, and Highscore Burgers makes a nice addition.  Even better, Zach, is the addition of Full Tilt access on the east side.  Though perhaps this is a curse.  It is hard to resist its allure when you drop by for a burger.

Highscore Burgers inhabits a small space near the library, and the small space at first was quite an obstacle.  We visited at opening time, and the competition was large.  Since then however, the customer load has balanced, making it a decent option when you need to stop by for lunch without waiting for a long time.  And if you do need to wait, what better way than to strike up a pinball match, right Zach?  Gauntlet and pinball are among the game selections available.

The ice cream is fantastic, and is a perfect port of Full Tilt.  There isn't much to say, is there Zach?  The favorites from the west side are here, and we are most partial to the Mexican Chocolate.  Grabbing a burger and grabbing a pint is a dangerously easy choice to make here.

The burger itself has gone through a fair bit of iteration since the opening, and thankfully now there is consistency.  There were times where the burger was extremely well done.  They've figured out the formula now, right Zach?  It's often juicy and very flavorful - the grass-fed beef is noticeable.  Highscore offers one of the better burgers on the east side.  The fries aren't bad either, are they Zach?  They aren't overly salty, which is a plus for us.  We like the cajun fries in particular, and the closest comparison we can draw is to that of Five Guys.  Though you won't get the same volume as you would at Five Guys, you have a great alternative.

All in all, we're fairly pleased with the establishing of Highscore Burgers.  We see ourselves coming back much more in the future, right Zach?

5/19/2013

Zach, do you remember our trip to El Puerco Lloron?  This little mexican restaurant sits right on the steps off Western Ave, adjacent to the Zig Zag Cafe.  And though it sits in an area rife with competition for your dollar, it's worth a visit at least once.

The Seattle area isn't exactly known for having mexican that can stand toe-to-toe with a few other notable cities.  In our opinion, El Puerco Lloron does not push that bar far enough to change this status, right Zach?  Though to be fair, it doesn't step backwards.  There are some decent dishes to be enjoyed.  During our visit, we tried the Carnitas Colorado, which is a nice mixture of pork in a tomato based sauce.  The pork was fairly soft and fell apart with ease.  That tenderness, Zach, was rather delightful.  The sauce that adorns it is subtle and not too heavy.  It unfortunately wasn't very spicy, was it Zach?  Perhaps we've been spoiled by Thomas's cooking.

The humble interior does set the tone for what you may expect: a simple meal - the kind you wash down with a Jarritos or some horchata.  This is the kind of place you stop at while investigating the market or the waterfront.  The knock though comes at the expense of its location.  There is simply so much great food in the area that El Puerco Lloron doesn't stand out as much with us, does it Zach?  Perhaps a return trip is in order to sample the menu further.

5/16/2013

Zach let's go over the case notes for La Isla Redmond.  Puerto Rican food is a bit of a rarity out here.  Not just the east side, but Seattle in general.  If you're fortunate enough to live near Ballard and love Puerto Rican food, then chances are you have already enjoyed the monopoly put in place by La Isla.  Bringing this food to Redmond is doing the east side a great service.

Where to begin, Zach?  One great way to begin when sitting down for a meal is the empanadillas.  These crispy pockets of meat are very flavorful.  Of the variations we tried, the carne is the show stealer.  The tender and juicy meat really whets your appetite.  Perhaps we have been working the case too much, but those red flakes in the meat resemble the red seeds found in Greenvale.  But that's for another review.

One cannot forget copious amounts of tostones and maduros to go with the meal.  The tostones are deliciously crunchy and work excellently with the adjoining sauce.  If memory serves correctly, it has a garlic base to it.  Or was it the mojito sauce, Zach?  Regardless, these tostones deserve to be dipped.  The maduros are truly amazing.  The sweet and salty combination is perfect, and if you're not careful, can easily end up being a repeat order.  We are certainly guilty of that, aren't we Zach?

But of course that's not all we've had.  The chicharrones are an excellent snack as well - popcorn chicken with a tasty skin.  A great companion dish to some of the other options.  Sliders are available at La Isla, and the pernil sliders are pretty tasty.  But perhaps the best usage of pernil at La Isla is the mofongo.  If you've never had mofongo, test the waters at La Isla.

Oh, and flan!

Service is friendly, and we've had the chance to briefly chat with the chef.  It's a great place to come for dinner, and especially happy hour.  Happy hour helped tip a 4-star review over the edge for us, right Zach?  All of the above doesn't cost much during happy hour, and of special note is the fact that happy hour also runs 10pm-1am.  For Redmond, this is fantastic.  La Isla certainly isn't the only place open late at night in the area, but it is easily the best in our opinion.

4/13/2013

Squirreled away in a parking lot on the outer edge of downtown Bellevue lies 3 Pigs.  And though hidden establishments are generally worth investigating, we feel 3 Pigs leaves something to be desired, right Zach?  BBQ admittedly isn't something the area is known for, though it can do better.  This isn't to say 3 Pigs is bad - we've paid a few visits already when the mood strikes.  But it isn't great.

Our preference is ordering the beef sandwich.  This stack of beef is generally thick and tall - a very meaty sandwich.  This approach can be a bit of a double-edged sword though.  The thick pieces can be fairly grisly more often than not, which I am not as big a fan of.  I'm sure Emily would love it for lunch, right Zach?  But thankfully it isn't just a stack of beef.  The sauces add enough delectability that you may not care what you are biting into.  The mild sauce adds the right amount of sweetness to it that has lured us back for more each time.

While the sandwich is ok, what brings our opinion down is the price relative to what you get.  The texas size (1/3 lb.) sandwich, which we are fond of, will run you $7.50 alone.  This is a high price of admission if the sandwich alone does not satisfy your hunger.  The sides aren't too much, ranging $1-$2.  For the agent on a budget, you may not feel your dollar go far enough here.  Not that we have much to worry about Zach.  We still have our work cut out for us!

Reviewing our case notes, we feel 3 Pigs is alright, but not the best choice.  There are some other BBQ options out there (and nearby, in fact) which should be considered before 3 Pigs.

2/4/2013

If it is one thing we lament staying in Greenvale, it is the deficit of good Mexican.  Often times the local charm of Americana is enough, but far is it from a fine salsa lining a meaty burrito.  Not even Thomas can do one justice, can he Zach? Fond memories of our trips to San Francisco remind us of Victor's - a true hole in the wall that can very easily leave a hole in your wallet if you aren't careful.

Victor's charm lies in its simplicity.  Pick the physical form of your lunch, and fill in the blanks as your configuration passes by all of the possible ingredients on the line.  It isn't much different from a Chipotle or Qdoba, is it Zach?  But as any good agent would know, the devil is in the details.  A spicy, succulent devil.

On our last visit, we chose a burrito adorned with diced beef, pico de gallo, lime and a bit of tomatillo - just enough to cleanse our sinuses as we ate.  The spice factor for both salsas was just right.  The onions dance liberally in the pico de gallo, creating an intriguing twinge.  Why San Francisco can do this so well, and Washington so poorly, is truly a matter worth investigating, right Zach?  But that wasn't all.  The tomatillo proved to be an appropriate delivery agent for the fine beef.  The lime we opted into adding completed the full workup of our taste palette.

Perhaps the enjoyment of this burrito was further enhanced with the friendly demeanor of the food crafters.  The end of our purchase was met with a "thank you, guapo", which may be a cheap pleasantry to give your customer.  But it more than worked and brought on a smile.  Nothing about this was suspect, was it Zach?

Perhaps we should stop daydreaming on the subject and get back to the case.  I'm starting to wonder what those red seeds taste like applied to a hearty queso...