Phoenicia at Alki anybody??

[cruiser]

So I owe Mrs.C a nice dinner’cause she’s cool,sexy and a great Mom:) Anybody been here? Whatya think?..

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[cjboffoli]

We went there recently after seeing some very positive reviews here. It was easy to get a table. The owner, Hussein, and his staff were incredibly friendly and warm. Our recommendation going in was to ignore the menus and just let Hussein bring you whatever is best that night. We did so and were brought out a fresh, simple salad with a sweet balsamic and a plate of hummus. Both were basic and tasty, though the bread served with the hummus (which was surprisingly not pita) was on the dry side as it had been cut long before the meal.

Dinner was wonderfully roasted lamb (succulent and so fresh it tasted more like beef than lamb) served on a cardamom-spiced rice. It was a big disappointment that the rice was very dry and had the tell-tale signs of not having been cooked that day. It seemed the wine list had not been updated in a while as I saw some wines on the bar at the back that were not listed. Hussein asked me to walk over with him to choose one of the bottles. That was fine but it would have been nice to see the prices before making a decision. Also, the dessert plate was tasty (as expected, an excellent piece of baklava was included) but the very young waitress wasn’t able to answer our questions about some of the other items on the plate.

So in all, not a bad experience. It could be better. Though I must say there is not a restauranteur in town with more charm and who is more concerned with making you feel welcome. If you’re seeking a dining experience which approximates being doted on my a long, lost charming uncle, Phoenicia might be worth a try.

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[livingonthebeach]

Been there several times and love all it stands for. Done the “random whatever the owner wants” order and the order off the menu. I’ve been pleased every time.

I would recomend if you are ordering random, let him know your budget, ie..$20 pp or so. You will get a wonderful meal and not be surprised at the price as CJ was.

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[cjboffoli]

Where in my review did I say I was surprised by any of the prices?

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[beachdrivegirl]

my review is similar to Cj’s. I enjoyed the service very much. The owner and staff could not have been friendlier. They even gave us a miniture bottle of wine to take home with us for coming in. My husband to be’s plate was awesome! My plate was okay – I was not blown away by my meal. (Sorry I dont remember what we ordered.)It was also nice because it was quiet while we were there which you cant always get in West Seattle.I would go back and thought the prices were very very reasonable. :)

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[mike0323]

I took a date there once and it was really nice. I also did the random order thingy but told him that I don’t like fish. The result was very good. I’m pretty cheap, and I don’t remember being disappointed I think it was around $50-60 (with 1-2 glasses of wine) for two people. I would definitely recommend it. I’ve been meaning to go back there.

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[squareeyes]

I was there last month with a date. We got the host’s choice and a good bottle of wine. Food and wine were wonderful! We were a little surprised when the bill came, but really shouldn’t have been when the wine alone is half the bill. As a bonus the host brought another bottle (a different wine) to the table and told us to take it home. To be precise he said “happy anniversary”. My date and I just looked at each and laughed.

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[PDieter]

One of the better dining experiences in Seattle, Hussein not only knows what you want to eat he knows what you NEED to eat. One of those places you like to hand your money over to.

One of our favorite places to take folks from out of town.

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[Jo]

I loooooove Phoenicia. But unfortunately can only afford to go there on special occasions.

Best bouillabaise I’ve had or a long time, very pricy, but worth it.

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[livingonthebeach]

Hi CJ, sorry for the attack, not my intent. Was just making reference to your wine situation. The situation you had with not know the price is similar to my ordering random, you don’t know what the price with be. Mine ended up being a little higher than I thought, but was pleased.

Hope I didn’t put words in your mouth, I hate when that happens.

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[Jo]

Don’t want to scare people about my reference above to ‘very pricey’ above, because there’s some very affordable items on the menu.

All in all, Phoenecia is my very favorite restaurant along the beach.

AND Hussein my very favorite restauranteur. He really cares that you experience a pleasurable dining occasion.

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[cjboffoli]

I’m not opposed to spending money for good wine. I’ve had my share of Cayuse, Opus and Hillside Select at local restaurants. But as it is the item on the menu with the highest mark-up I’d like to have the benefit of seeing the wines side by side. As wine is where most restaurants make their profit, Hussein would do well to update his list.

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[cruiser]

Thanks for the feed(get it?)back everybody.

We went last night and had a very enjoyable meal. Mrs. C had the calamari whilst I had “Green soup” as Hussein called it. Very very good:) He asked did we like lamb and after the reviews I’d read we said yes please. So he made us “magic lamb”, and it was.

All good so far, the dessert was a little disappointing however ,maybe made the day before.

When we paid our bill ($130 before tip) he presented us with a bottle of white and wished us a happy Christmas. Our first visit not our last,however still have a special place for La Rustica in my heart

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