for better or worse (dine around seattle)

If you head out for dinner tomorrow night, you may find yourself in for a long wait. Over 40 restaurants in the greater Seattle area will be participating in Dine Around Seattle, resulting in unusually busy dinner service on Sunday through Thursday nights during the month of March. Formerly known as 25 for $25 (25 restaurants offering three-course dinners for $25), Dine Around Seattle offers three-course dinners for $30; a three-course lunch for $15 is also available at select restaurants. 

I have mixed feelings about Dine Around Seattle. It suffers from many of the flaws I described previously about Seattle Restaurant Week, but it does have a few things going for it -- primarily, smaller crowds. I think this is in part due to the fact that it's not as loudly advertised given that it's not sponsored by The Seattle Times and blasted above the website's masthead like Seattle Restaurant Week typically is. Most people learn about Dine Around Seattle by seeing a flyer at a participating restaurant or through word of mouth. Some don't even know it's happening until they're offered a special menu at their table. In addition, it is spread out over an entire month so people aren't rushing to make reservations like they do during Seattle Restaurant Week (which is actually a misnomer because it lasts two weeks, albeit only Sunday through Thursday; still, people feel an urgency to go out and take advantage of these "great deals"). And lighter crowds generally means better service and food. 

Don't get me wrong: I'm excited that people are taking the time to try new restaurants or re-visit their favorites. I also understand that restaurants need to stay busy in order to be successful. If occasional promotions like Dine Around Seattle are beneficial to the restaurant industry and make diners happy, then I'm all for it. Just don't expect to find me wading through any of those crowds this month. (Betty, I'll miss you.)

On another note, Le Rêve's new hours begin tomorrow: 7am to 6pm daily!

Related Posts:

here come the crowds! (seattle restaurant week)

unpretentious and utterly delicious (betty, queen anne)
wintry lunch special (le rêve, queen anne)

a very happy snow day (betty & molly moon's, queen anne)

italian, not so plain and simple (cafe lago, montlake)

It's not often that I find myself craving dinner at an Italian restaurant, but dinner at Cafe Lago is an exception. This charming, neighborhood restaurant in Montlake exudes comfort and familiarity and serves the best of rustic Italian cuisine. It has a wonderfully casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, as evidenced by the diners who fill the tables: on any given night, you can easily find families dressed in their favorite fleeces seated next to couples dressed up for a night out.

Cafe Lago: 2305 24th Avenue East

I first visited Cafe Lago a few years ago after reading an article by Molly Wizenberg in the September 2008 issue of Bon Appétit. A fellow Seattleite and co-owner of Delancey in Ballard, Wizenberg hailed it as her would-be neighborhood restaurant if she lived in Montlake and raved about the pomodori al forno. After reading her mouthwatering description of this basic dish, I had to check it out.. and I've been happily returning for the past three years.

On this particular evening, we started off with the pomodori al forno (of course) and the City of Seattle eggplant. I don't know why I ordered that way, since it really was an unfair pairing -- the eggplant didn't stand a chance next to the pomodori, though on its own I would have been perfectly happy. The eggplant is grilled to create a charred outer skin and marinated in olive oil, tomato, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parsley. It's served slightly chilled with a wedge of tangy gorgonzola cheese. When it arrives, it sort of looks like a pile of mush in the dim lighting in the restaurant. But it is tasty. Just try to order it with something other than its beauty queen sister, the pomodori.

City of Seattle grilled eggplant with gorgonzola.

The pomodori al forno is the perfect tomato antipasti dish. Four slices of deep red, slow-roasted San Marzano tomatoes are fanned out between expertly toasted slices of crostini. In the middle of the plate is a ball of herbed goat cheese, a perfect complement to the sweet tomatoes and fruity olive oil. The cheese spreads easily over the golden crostini, which is just the right size and thickness for the slices of tomatoes. It's no wonder that Wizenberg dedicated an entire article to this dish.

Pomodori al forno: Slow-roasted San Marzano tomatoes with
herbed goat cheese and crostini.

For our main courses, we wavered between two orders of the lasagna or one lasagna and the special pasta. We decided on the latter, again setting up an unfair competition against a clearly superior dish. The special pasta of the evening was a tagliatelle carbonara con radicchio, consisting of fresh handmade pasta, pancetta, radicchio, garlic, parmesan, egg, and freshly ground pepper. The noodles were excellent, but overall the flavors of the dish were not of the outstanding quality that I have come to expect from Lago.

Tagliatelle carbonara con radicchio: Fresh handmade pasta, pancetta,
radicchio, garlic, parmesan, egg, and freshly ground pepper.

The lasagna, however, was its typical, spectacular self. Surprisingly thin sheets of handmade lasagna noodles are layered between creamy ricotta, smooth béchamel, and rich and fruity tomato sauce. Combined, it is perhaps the most luxiously light, creamy, and flavorful lasagna I've ever tasted. I'm not sure how "creamy" and "light" can go together or how any pasta can avoid being heavy, so this dish is like magic to me. It's also vegetarian, which makes it absurd that I love it so much.

Lasagna with layers of fresh egg noodles, ricotta, béchamel,
and tomato sauce.

For dessert, we ordered the lemon tart. The flaky almond shortbread crust is filled with creamy lemon custard, and it's topped with a dollop of honey whipped cream and confectioner's sugar. It's not fancy, but the flavors are just right. This is the way I wish my lemon tarts would turn out at home!

Lemon tart with an almond shortbread crust and honey
whipped cream.

I think what I appreciate most is that Cafe Lago serves seemingly simple, traditional Italian dishes, packs them full of flavor, and executes them well. The marinara sauce is light yet complex in flavor, and the fresh pasta noodles are just the right consistency. Even the basic fettucine with meatballs are outstanding. The menu doesn't really change, so you'll always know what to expect and can have your favorite dish every time (for me, that's the lasagna). The special pasta and pizza offerings are another story -- sometimes they're on par with the regular menu items while other times they're just so-so.

hhf says: Cafe Lago is easily my favorite spot for rustic Italian food. If you go, you'll definitely want to try the pomodori al forno and the lasagna, although any dish made with the marinara sauce is usually excellent.

Manolo Blahnik pointed-toe Mary Jane heels in grey flannel.

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik pointed-toe Mary Jane heels in grey flannel. It was only 35 degrees outside, but at least it wasn't raining!

out & about in the city of roses (portland, or)

The 3-day weekend seemed a perfect time to visit the City of Roses and catch up on hhf-dining and tax-free shopping. However, upon arriving at our hotel, we learned that we weren't the only ones with the Portland bug. Despite the forecasted wind and rain, people were flocking to the city for a late Valentine's celebration, the Portland Jazz Festival, and the Portland Film Festival, resulting in a sold-out weekend for hotels in the downtown area -- it seems I'm making a habit of traveling during peak weekends (remember Indy?). It's times like these when I'm especially pleased with my neurotic tendencies to make dinner reservations weeks in advance. Read on for highlights of our food-centric 51 hours in Portland..

Hello, Portland!

Wong's King: Our first stop in Portland was at Wong's King for potentially the best dim sum in the Northwest. We were starving after the 3-hour drive from Seattle, and we mistakenly assumed that the lunch rush would be over by 1:00 pm. Of course this wasn't true, and we waited with rumbling stomachs for about 20 minutes for a table in the crowded dining room. If you've had dim sum before, you know that it's a socially awkward experience: ladies push steaming carts around the dining room and aggressively try to convince you that you want what they are offering. Har gow (shrimp dumplings in a translucent wrapper)? Sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves? Yes, and yes! Chicken feet? No, thank you. Service is practically non-existent, but the food is delicious. It's definitely an experience you shouldn't miss, but I'd advise that you go with someone who's done this before.

Shu mai: Pork dumplings. (Apologies for the subpar photo. We
were so ravenous that we almost forgot to stop and document.)

Brasserie Montmartre: Happy hour is a wonderful thing, and at Brasserie Montmartre it's happy hour practically all day long (2-6:30 pm and 10-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays). I recommend their daily selection of oysters on the half-shell ($1.50 each) and frites -- there are five kinds of preparations to choose from! We went for the duck fat and rosemary frites.. thin, crispy, and very tasty. Service was spotty, but the live music mostly made up for our inattentive waiter.

Duck fat and rosemary frites with garlic aioli.

Laurelhurst Market: A trip to Portland isn't complete without dinner at Laurelhurst Market. A butcher shop by day and lively steakhouse by night, this place is all about the meat. I love the big flavors, playful dishes, and generous cuts of natural, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meats; my only complaint is that they seem to be a bit inconsistent in their execution. On this visit, we ordered the smoked Wagyu brisket and ribeye steak. The brisket, slathered in a sweet and slightly spicy BBQ sauce, was extra smokey and tender. The ribeye was topped with a creamy, tangy blue cheese butter and crisp, golden onion rings; a seemingly unusual combination, each bite was a wonderful burst of flavor and texture. A limited number of advance reservations are now accepted, but you should still plan to arrive early and enjoy a handcrafted cocktail or two before your meal. Whiskey lovers will want to try the Smoke Signals, a whiskey concoction served over a large, chiseled piece of smoked ice.

12-hour smoked Wagyu brisket with a side of cole slaw.
(This is never well-plated.)

Grilled ribeye topped with blue cheese butter and crispy,
fried sweet onion rings.

Papa Haydn: Our day plans on Sunday centered around our Portland Film Festival tickets to see the new sushi movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi (see below). We ended up at Papa Haydn in the Nob Hill/Alphabet District as it was conveniently located two blocks from the theater and came highly recommended by a reader. We took our server's advice and both ordered the sausage polenta hash, a savory mix of chicken herb sausage, fried polenta bites, mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes topped with a poached egg. The dish was good, but I'm hoping it wasn't actually their best dish on the brunch menu. The flavors didn't quite come together, and our poached eggs were overdone with solid, only slightly wet yolks. On the other hand, I happily devoured the entire basket of fluffy and moist breakfast pastries delivered to our table.

Sausage polenta hash: Chicken herb sausage, fried polenta bites,
mushrooms, peppers, and tomatoes topped with a poached egg.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi: Okay, so we didn't exactly eat here this past weekend. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary about a chef and his Michelin 3-star sushi restaurant in a subway station in Tokyo -- I definitely want to eat here. All I need is a plane ticket and 30,000 yen. Check out the film, and you'll be convinced to go with me. 

Jiro Dreams of Sushi: In theaters March 9.

Urban Farmer: I'm generally not a big fan of hotel restaurants, but Urban Farmer is an excellent exception to the rule. Located on the 8th floor atrium of The Nines hotel, it's sophisticated-chic without the pretentiousness that typically accompanies places of this kind. Urban Farmer self-identifies as a "modern steakhouse," but unless you're there for dinner, you won't get that particular vibe. We dropped by during happy hour to enjoy a few drinks and small plates, and we weren't disappointed.

Overlooking The Nines' atrium lobby and
Urban Farmer restaurant.

Chicken Pops! Trimmed chicken drumsticks with a red pepper
glaze. Served over a blue cheese sauce.

Andina: A last minute change in plans and good luck led us to Andina for dinner on Sunday night. This novo-Peruvian restaurant is always packed regardless of the day or time, but somehow we managed to secure a dinner reservation that evening. There are dozens of tapas to choose from, and I'd say they're hit-or-miss and a bit overpriced. With that in mind, I'd still recommend the conchas a la parilla (grilled diver scallop with tamari-brown sugar butter and crispy onions), chicharrones de langostinos (crispy golden prawns studded with quinoa), and causa mixta nikkei (tuna and crab salad on top of a purée of Yukon gold potato, topped with a crispy breaded shrimp).

Causa mixta nikkei: Tuna and crab salad atop a purée of Yukon
gold potatoes. Topped with a crispy breaded shrimp.

This was my first time here for dinner, and I will definitely be back. Both the seco a la nortena (slow-cooked lamb shank in a cilantro-black beer sauce) and arroz con pato (Peruvian duck served two ways: crispy duck confit and pan-seared duck breast) were flavored beautifully and cooked with expert precision. I now understand why Andina has such a loyal following. (Tip: The full menu is available throughout all areas of the restaurant; arrive early and snag a table in the bar if you aren't able to get a reservation in the main dining room. If you time it right, you can even enjoy some happy hour priced items with your dinner.)

Seco a la nortena: Slow-cooked lamb shank in a cilantro-black

beer sauce. Served with creamy beans and garlic rice. 

Arroz con pato: Crispy duck confit and pan-seared duck breast.
Served with cilantro-infused rice and a sweet passionfruit sauce.

Meat Cheese Bread: I love this place. Meat Cheese Bread is simple, funky, and serves great sandwiches all day. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Inside Meat Cheese Bread.

Breakfast sandwich: Smoked ham, fried egg, gruyère, and
garlic aioli on a housemade roll.

Pulled pork sandwich: Roasted pork shoulder, grilled

broccolini, salsa verde and aioli on a rustic baguette.

hhf says: If you're looking for an easy weekend trip filled with excellent food and drink, look no further than Portland. Consider making dinner reservations in advance, especially if there are places you don't want to miss!

Prada knee-high boots in black stretch nappa leather.
(Relaxing in our room at The Nines.)

Hunter mid-calf rain boots with a wedge heel.
(Outside my favorite paper store in PDX, Oblation Papers & Press.)

Shoes: Boots! It was rainy and we typically do a fair amount of walking throughout the city, so it was Prada and Hunter boots all weekend long.

planning for portland

It's official: I'm obsessed with food. This isn't a new thing, but it's much more apparent now that I am writing about food on a (semi) regular basis. My whole day revolves around what and where I am going to eat. I barely finish one meal before I start thinking about the next, and I'm starting to wonder if this is a problem.

The real obsession reveals itself when I am making travel plans. Looking into where to eat is one of my favorite things to do, and I've been known to make reservations months in advance. It kills me that OpenTable only allows one reservation within a 2.5-hour time period -- this really puts a dent in my ability to plan ahead and keep my options open, but luckily phone reservations still exist.

With an upcoming trip to Portland and more options for delicious food than we have time, thorough research is of the utmost importance. Below is the list of current contenders. Some I've tried before and loved; others are new. hhf-reader suggestions are welcome!

Laurelhurst Market
Le Pigeon
Little Bird Bistro
Andina
Park Kitchen
Meat Cheese Bread
Veritable Quandary
Grain and Gristle
Bunk
La Petite Provence

Notes:
1. Laurelhurst Market is a non-negotiable. I love meat.
2. Food carts are off the list. It's not that I have anything against street food; it's just that I've never been able to get a local Portlander to give me a recommendation about which one to try (or to admit ever eating at one). Sure, there are lots of "best of" lists to be found and both Seattle Magazine and Sunset recommend Lardo, but I'm starting to wonder who actually eats at these food carts. Also, many of them close early and/or aren't open on the weekends. That creates a problem for a weekend visitor!