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(49 posts)

Best eats and best drinks in WS?

Started 1 year ago by Elizagrace
Latest reply from AlkiDebbie

Elizagrace
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I would like some suggestions of the best place to grab a bite in WS, also the best cocktail/drink. It doesn't have to be the same place, just looking for some new suggestions to keep it local.
Cheers.

Posted 1 year ago #
Curtissimo
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sadly no good restaurants in West Seattle.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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geez, curtissimo, have you been to them all?

Cocktails...try the Feedback...

Restaurant? Ephesus for kebabs, Avalon West Seattle (new on Avalon), has yummy food, and a nice bar. Steak? Jak's. Breakfasts? Meander's on Calif. Ave. SW near Graham. Burgers? Elliot Bay Brew Pub, Highstrike Grill at West Seattle Bowl, Zippy's, soon to be in White Center from Highland Park.

Don't listen to Curtissimo...he's in a foul mood today :D

Posted 1 year ago #
Curtissimo
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I agree about Zippys at least and didn't know they were moving! Seems dumb since the ghetto mart next door shut down they should have knocked out the wall and finally added some seating... maybe then they could splurge for a CC machine so people could actually go there more regularly!!!

Posted 1 year ago #
Genesee Hill
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I recommend Curtissimo's Restaurant. The food is lousy, the wait staff pathetic, and the owner a troll.

Posted 1 year ago #
Curtissimo
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Oooh! I moved to West Seattle from North Seattle about 5 years ago and have been quite dispappointed at the quality of eats, shopping, etc. That is all I am saying. Tell me to move but it doesn't disprove my thesis. West Seattle is a ramshackle hillbilly enclave in an otherwise sophisticated city. The saving grace is White Center Mexican food.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnnyblegs
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I just tuned in here after having another awesome take-out from Buddah Ruska (crack chicken anyone?)and can't really believe this Curtissimo fellow. Ramshackle hillbilly enclave??? No quality food? I want names because I believe you're just trolling around and don't know anything.

Posted 1 year ago #
Genesee Hill
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Nah. The saving grace is you moved out of North Seattle. Now, just keep movin'.

Posted 1 year ago #
Curtissimo
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genesse hill you are very immature. how old are you? don't answer, but really if you are over 30 your parents really failed you.

johnny blegs- where is buddah ruska and what kind of food? i will give it a try.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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So, once living in North Seattle qualifies you as a social and restaurant critic?
Yawn, sure, whatever.

West Seattle MAY NOT have the SINGLE best example of any one type of cuisine Eliza (Spring Hill is really very good, though troll probably has some truly insightful criticism of it), but it DOES have a significant number of very good restaurants at generally better prices than much of the rest of the city.
That, and the fact that Downtown, the ID, the CD, South Park, White Center, and Burien are all close and easy to get to and all have a bunch of very exciting and very authentic restaurants representing a wide variety of ethnic cuisines at all price points.
As someone who actually gets payed to cook, and has lived all over Seattle (including N. Seattle, from Ballard to Lake City and EVERY place in between), the country, and the world, I can assure you that you will be able to find a lot of very satisfying dining options living over here in W. Seattle.
We also have, hands down, the best French bakery for many hundreds of miles around in Bakery Nouveau.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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Quite the expert curtis. Does your knowledge of W. Seattle restaurants start and end at Taco Time?

Posted 1 year ago #
redblack
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curtis: so you poked your head out 5 years ago, saw your shadow, and ducked back in, never to be seen in public again.

seriously?

a lot has happened here in 5 years, and 80 - 90 % + has been positive. (table 35 notwithstanding.) i should know. that's how long ago i moved here from queen anne.

furthermore, i was just in ballard over the weekend, and i will match them restaurant-for-restaurant.

forget buddha ruksa for now. start with "pub food" at the bridge.

(that goes for eliza, too. they have good food and creative cocktails.)

Posted 1 year ago #
datamuse
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Ephesus is my favorite restaurant in the entire city, bar none. Mashiko is a close second. I haven't had better sushi anywhere in town.

I've never been too terribly impressed with Buddha Ruksa, admittedly; they aren't terrible, but I go to Kaosamai Thai in Fremont when I want Thai food.

Curtissimo, I gotta ask where in North Seattle you were living, because I've never been that thrilled with the restaurants up that way. What have I missed?

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
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We liked Chupacabra tonight...I think I'd love it for a Margarita and chips and dip on some blustery evening. It has a cave feeling and a great view. My everything burrito filled that burrito craving--though as good as a SF burrito? Well...

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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I suppose I equate the North End with Shoreline, Edmonds,Northgate. etc. and I can guarantee you, the restaurants in W.Seattle are far better than whatever you might find in the strip malls up that way.

Curtissimo needs a good night's sleep, and a shot of good humor.

Posted 1 year ago #
crackedmachine
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The north end actually has some great food, and I drive up there from West Seattle whenever I have the craving and enough time. It's definitely the place to go for Korean food, and El Camion on Aurora bests any of the Mexican food in White Center (but maybe not Burien) by a wide margin.

That said, West Seattle also has some excellent places. Mashiko is absolutely amazing for sushi. Nothing that I have had elsewhere in the city compares. It's my favorite place for a night out in West Seattle. Buddha Ruksa is great for Thai food. Bakery Nouveau is a good choice for a pastry or a unique slice of pizza. Blackboard Bistro is offering some interesting and tasty dishes. Pretty much everyone knows that the burgers at Zippy's rule.

The one thing I have not found in West Seattle is a great cocktail.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucky chick
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Cocktails - 5 West and Cactus (also good for food). Kamei gets my vote for sushi!

Posted 1 year ago #
squareeyes
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Feedback is on top for inventive and quality cocktails.
Blackboard Bistro and Fresh have the best eclectic menus. Others above have already covered the best ethnic food. I second (or third) Ephesus for lamb kebabs - nobody does them better.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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Agreed Cracked, no Korean food in W. Seattle that I'm aware of.
Not a big fan of El Camion though. The only one I've been to was the Sodo location and they were extraordinarily slow, considering there were three people in the truck, and I was their only customer. A torta shouldn't take 15 minutes to make, but somehow they managed to take that long. And then? Mediocre.

I usually go for the Salvadorean food in Burien. You should try El Trapiche on S.W. 153rd, just off 1st Ave. Best pupusas I'VE ever had, but I'm a gringo, so what do I know?

Posted 1 year ago #
The Velvet Bulldog
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This is an ongoing discussion on the blog. You'll find other options in the following discussions. Some of these restaurants may now be closed, but there seems to be less of the annoying negative commentary:

http://westseattleblog.com/forum/topic/what-is-the-best-restaurant-in-west-seattle

http://westseattleblog.com/forum/topic/best-places-to-eatdrink-with-your-dog

http://westseattleblog.com/forum/topic/best-hamburger-is-west-seattle

Posted 1 year ago #
HamiltonsBrain
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Try Beveridge Place you can bring in any food you want and they have all sorts of good brew on tap and good wine as well :D. You can bring your dog.

Posted 1 year ago #
Curtissimo
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OK great comments all I will try each of these five places before commenting again: the Bridge, Buddha Ruska, Ephesus, Mashiko, Bakery Nouveau.

As for North Seattle eats, I lived between
Green Lake and the U-District while in college and every day had my pick of falafel (cedar's on 43rd) pizza (pagliacci and not the crappy one on California Ave), greek food (fremont or crown hill), korean, sushi, china town was closer by, the list goes on and on.

I've had quite disappointing pizza at giononi's, pegasus, & the place in south park. + the pagliacci on California can't seem to do anything right. It's like it is being run by some degenerates from Vashon who would rather be growing peaches; it isn't even the same pizza as the other outlets.

As for Mexican food I always get a laugh at the California transplants who think they know what real Mexican food is. I've lived in Mexico and they don't know much in SFO about Mexican food.

Posted 1 year ago #
angelescrest
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You do pisseth me off, really curt (as in rude) dude!
Of course a burrito from SF(0) ain't the real Mexican thing, 'cause a friggin' burrito ain't Mexican food. Jeez...good ole Tex-Mex, and San Francisco's burritos rock in that heavy, hearty pile-it-on, yummy way.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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So, let me get this straight Curtis, you came on here to comment on the dearth of dining options in W. Seattle, yet you seem COMPLETELY unaware of the food that's available over here.
Sounds like you're a real pizza expert; don't believe that qualifies you as a restaurant critic, and definitely does NOT qualify you in any way to come onto this thread and state, as you did in your first post:
"sadly no good restaurants in West Seattle."

And your sense of geography sucks, too. Chinatown/ID is WAY closer, and easier to get to, from W. Seattle than it is from the U. Dist.

Posted 1 year ago #
roddy3
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crackedmachine, the best cocktails I've had in WS are at Fresh Bistro. Strong, tasty and imaginative!

Posted 1 year ago #
GoGo
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Another vote for Fresh Bistro! Blackboard Bistro is fabulous too. Haven't been to Meanders yet, but can't wait to go.

Posted 1 year ago #
datamuse
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Try Proletariat Pizza in White Center, Curtissimo. Personally it's a favorite (and I used to order from Pagliacci so often that I got free pizza regularly--but they don't deliver to Highland Park, so no more).

Definitely a dearth of good SE Asian cuisine in WS. I go to the ID (except for Thai; the aforementioned Kaosamai in Fremont is my favorite).

None of the sushi I've had anywhere in or near the U District holds a candle to Mashiko. That place is the bomb.

Posted 1 year ago #
2 Much Whine
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Curtissimo, as you can tell there are a lot of folks in West Seattle that are happy with our little peninsula and the food options it offers. I'm surprised that you've been here 5 years and haven't tried the places you agreed to go to (bravo to you for agreeing to give them a shot) but I'm surprised you have been to some of the places you listed - pizza-wise most places are mediocre at best. I know you mentioned lack of good Mexican food but you didn't comment on any of the taco trucks that are getting rave reviews - is that another avenue you have yet to expolre? For those of us that have been here 20 years or more we are generally thrilled with the food options that we now have available as the selection used to be far more sparse. If you're looking for a good pizza I'd suggest you give Phoenicia on Alki a try and pretty soon we should be seeing Pizzeria 22 in the Admiral District. You're absolutely right about the lack of Korean food within a reasonable distance but I'd have to say overall we've got a pretty good selection of yummy food - if you go to the right places.

Posted 1 year ago #
Michael Waldo
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OMG! I can't believe nobody chose Circa in the Admiral district. I have been going since it opened. Great food, friendly staff, micro brews on tap, seasonal menu and it is not foo foo or precious. Ephesus Turkish restaurant is excellent, it feels like you are eating in someones home and they have the new decks for summertime.

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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MW..love Circa, always have...and it's within walking distance of me. Small selection of microbrews, but always stellar, IMHO.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnnyblegs
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If pizza is all you eat, then yes, I have to agree with you a little bit about Pagliacci's. They seem to like their crusts underbaked aka raw. It took some back and forth but if you order, ask for a golden crust. Pagliacci is fine for convenience but when you have time go down and try Phoenicia on Alki. The pizza down there is amazing. While you're at Bakery Nouveau buying your crusty baguette or twice baked croissant, buy a slice of their pie. Pretty tasty.

Posted 1 year ago #
redblack
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pizza? i might be going out on a limb, but i love abbondanza's pizzas. wood fired, carmelized onions, add from there.

no mention of 'rico's so far, either. i've heard comments recently that they've changed, but a new york-sized slice for $4? with fresh tomatoes? and fresh basil? come on. derek's a good bartender, too.

and - hello!? la rustica??

wtf is going on here?

[edit: and treinta due (sp?) is coming to admiral soon, too. amirite?]

Posted 1 year ago #
JanS
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redblack...here's the website for our new pizza place "opening soon". Our=Admiral District :)Check out the menu

http://www.pizzeria22.com/Home.html

Posted 1 year ago #
thansen
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Jeez people, Curtissimo was simply expressing his/her opinion which he/she should be able to do without being personally attacked.

I've live in West Seattle my whole life and I too have been dissappointed with restaurants. We've tried tons of restaurant and the quality has been hit and miss, and in this economy it's hard to justify spending the money when you may not get a quality meal.

I want all WS restaurants to succeed but that means the quality and consistency needs to be there and sometimes it's not.

Posted 1 year ago #
Jiggers
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It's hard to find value,good food and good service all in the same restaurant anymore.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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Maybe we were a BIT harsh thansen, but with a little bit of prodding, it became VERY apparent that curtissimo had no idea what he was talking about.

As far as consistency goes, well, the ultimate reason people go to a restaurant is the food, and most restaurants don't pay their cooks, who create and cook the food, enough for us to feel any loyalty to the establishment. A great meal at a restaurant one day will have been prepared by a cook probably not making more than (or NEAR) $15/hr. with NO benefits. And loyalty on the part of the employee is rarely recognized in any case, so we cooks skip around a lot.
If you have a great meal, find out the name of the cook, and ask them to keep you informed about there next job. Then you can follow the skilled person around, rather than depend on the restaurant owner to keep the cook happy and employed.
It's cheaper for them to hire the dishwasher's cousin.

Posted 1 year ago #
datamuse
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Thansen, it's a bit of a leap from "hit or miss" to "no good restaurants in West Seattle".

That said, I've yet to find good Chinese over here.

Posted 1 year ago #
villagegreen
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I would say West Seattle has a bunch of good and very good restaurants, but not many great ones. Spring Hill comes to mind as the only place I would really say might be poking around the great category. I have to slightly disagree with redblack, though. Ballard is lousy with awesome restaurants. I just don't think West Seattle can match up (at least yet).

Here's what I wish WS had:

A French Bistro (ala Cafe Presse)
Korean food
Ethiopian
An oyster bar (god I miss Ama Ama)
An awesome barbecue joint
Great inventive burger joint
A true gastopub, similar in quality to Quinn's
Great Chinese

I know Zippy's will be in WC, as is Mike's BBQ (of which I've heard mixed reviews), but I think WS proper is large enough to support something within the city limits. I have no idea if this is actually true, but it seems to me some chefs are still scared of WS. It's definitely changed a lot in the past five years, but most really talented chefs still seem to be looking at Ballard and Cap Hill when they want to open something a bit forward thinking and adventurous.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cait
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Jiggers - I would contend that Pho Aroma is a good candidate, on those criteria!

VilliageGreen, I LOVE the list and I think you're right. I will say I had some damn fine Jones BBQ last weekend. I had heard that the old restaurant in West Seattle Bowl had awesome chinese, I never got to try them. And a MAJOR "amen" on the burger joint thing too. There are good burgers to be had here on the peninsula, but I want a place that specializes in it!

Can I take this opportunity to say YET AGAIN how upset I am that the Bohemian closed? Can't say it enough.

Posted 1 year ago #
AlkiKmac
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@dawsonct - what you do or don't get paid should have nothing to do with how you perform your job, loyal or not. Based on your "logic", no chef in WS should have to cook the best they possibly can because they don't get paid enough.

Posted 1 year ago #
squareeyes
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I've been to Jones BBQ just once, about a month ago. Waited 20 minutes for my order (2 x rib dinners) and, other than the end piece, the meat was the opposite of falling off the bone. Both dinners did have a fairly tender end piece which approached what I was expecting, but we had to gnaw around the fat and struggle to get the meat off the bone on the rest of ribs. Truly a waste.

Posted 1 year ago #
scapri
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I have to say I feel pretty lucky to be so close to Bakery Nouveau, pizza included...

However I am also a huge fan of the pizza and all the specials that pop up over at Phoenecia. Wonderful food and wonderful family that runs the place. We'll pick them over Spring Hill any time, no matter what Seattle Met tells me.

Posted 1 year ago #
chrisma
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@AlkiKMac: I think you need to re-read dawsonct's post. I don't read anything there about any cook not doing their best cooking as a function of their pay/loyalty. Just that given the pay and lack of incentive to be loyal, turnover is high...so if you want a reasonable guarantee of a good meal, be sure to follow the cook and not the restaurant.

Correct me if I'm wrong here dawsonct, but if you're looking for a profession with a reasonable expectation of making fat stacks of cash, I don't think cooking is high on that list.

And in my experience at least, compensation is a fairly unreliable predictor of competence.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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Alki mac, all I was saying is that the low pay of our profession does very little to engender loyalty to our employers.
Whether I am working in fine dining, or slinging burgers in a bar & grill, I will ALWAYS put in my best effort, but I am ALSO going to look out for #1, and as soon as a better job comes along, I'm outta there!
I don't cook because I think it's an easy road to riches, in fact it is a difficult road, and never seems to lead out of the poorer parts of town. I cook because I LOVE TO COOK. I fortunately don't have any dependents, and I am fortunate to have good care from a government-run hospital, so I don't have to sell my soul for medical insurance, but expecting any cook to remain loyal to an employer who is wringing as much profit out of their cooks as possible is simply not logical.
But yes, you can be assured that me, and most cooks I know, have FAR too much pride in our work to intentionally put out a lousy product.

Posted 1 year ago #
dawsonct
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I hadn't read your post when I posted my reply to Mac, chrisma, but that is exactly what I was saying. I had a hard time not being snarky with Macs reading comprehension, since he seems to think my sense of logic needs to be put into quotes, but I guess I'll let it flow anyway.

Fortunately for me, as I pointed out, access to health-care is assured, so I am allowed to pursue my dreams, which will ultimately make me a happier and more productive citizen. Financial gain would simply be a pleasant by-product of a career I love.
I know that isn't the conservatives ideal for America and her citizenry, but it's working for me.

Posted 1 year ago #
carter
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Curtissimo, your naiveté is typically so right wing republican - judgement without knowledge. West Seattle has an amazing variety of quality, creative, world-class, and professional dining experiences. I worked in all aspects of the business for 17 years and an amazed at the local possibilities worthy of my dollars. Put your taste buds and dollars out there - including your obvious preference for pizza - and you'll find you don't need to travel or pine for north Seattle any more. Finally, regarding your comments, are you kidding? Seriously!

Posted 1 year ago #
sun-e
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West 5 - Best Mac'n'Cheese and Martini
Jak's Grill - Best Steak and Martini
Talarico's - Best Pizza and Smith & Wesson
Ho-Win - Best Chinese Food (so sad they are closing)
Circa - It's all good... never had a bad meal
Bamboo Grill - Great seafood
Luna Park - Best milkshakes & breakfast (not necessarily at the same time)
Avalon - Delicious food, dessert and love the Italian Lemon Drop
Tuscan Tea Room - Best desserts and tasty tea (of course)

Posted 1 year ago #
sun-e
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Oh yeah, and I should have added:
The Bridge - Tastiest burger and great martini!

Posted 1 year ago #
AlkiDebbie
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I think the food at Angelina's is simply amazing and the service is great. Going there with my family this Friday.

Posted 1 year ago #