Recent Stories in Restaurant

Yesterday was National Pancake Day according to IHOP, who were offering free pancakes. The crowds of pancake dilettantes meant that was out as a breakfast option. The SunBreak Breakfast Team are not amateurs, however. Our list is deep, and on it is the University Village Burgermaster.

Yelper Ryan sets the Burgermaster breakfast table for you: "It was a whole different scene. Old people sat, reading the newspaper, and the menu was expansive. The Burgermaster I usually go to in Bellevue is a Drive-In only, but this place is an actual restaurant."

I got the short stack, eggs over easy, and bacon; Roger got the short stack, scrambled eggs, and sausage. Both $6.99 (see menu in photo gallery). The serve-yourself Boyd's coffee was...mildly coffee-flavored. We joined a row of mostly men of a certain age, all with the morning paper spread out, at the tables next to the window.

Two retirees shuffled in. One sat down, one kept heading for the order counter, then turned. "You're not gonna eat?" he called to his friend. "You don't eat nothin'. A muffin, what's that?" He paused. "You want somethin'? Well, I'll get ya somethin'."

Burgermaster's pancakes are "fluffy," the high-rising style, and don't come around here trying to peddle your multigrain. My over-easy eggs were cooked just right, but it was hard to discern if actual eggs were involved with Roger's yellow scramble. In compensation, his two greasy brown sausage links had it all over my two dry, chewy slices of bacon. The heat lamp extracts a costly due.

At $6.95, this breakfast runs a little high given the quality, but you are paying for the University Village ambiance, don't forget. And without irony, men of a certain age need all the diner-style breakfast spots they can get.

Today about wraps up our sunny spell. Tomorrow afternoon we return to more conventional Pacific Northwest weather fare. Cliff Mass says, "On Tuesday a weather system will approach with a chance of showers later in the day. Then we switch into a cloudier, wetter pattern...but not too extreme." So if you have an "errand" to run, better get to it. And bring your camera.

An expedition to West Seattle for a Lincoln Park getaway led me, on the way back, through the hallowed burger shack doors of Zippy's Giant Burgers. The hallowing has come early, since Zippy's was just born in spring of 2008, but there was no question from day one that the burger shack was a winner. At the moment, they've won over 93 percent of Urban Spoon visitors, and they're a solid four stars on Yelp.

The owners claim to be vegetarians, personally, which might strike you as odd. But then you probably don't charbroil over 85 pounds of hamburger a day. I can see how that might quell your appetite.

My group ordered the Zip Burger ($4.25), Zip Royale ($6.50), and the Zip with bacon and cheese ($5.50). Zippy's is a with-all-the-toppings kind of place: secret sauce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, iceberg lettuce; but the burger is where they do themselves proud. They grind the chuck fresh each day--no frozen patties allowed. And as the pictures indicate, they taste deeply, smokily of the grill where they were forged.

The interior is tiny, and there's very limited parking in front. Regulars advise ordering by phone (206-763-7347) and getting your order to go at busy times. The guy at the counter was friendly and helpful. Payment is cash-only, but there's a small ATM that--sit down, you won't believe it--charges $0.25 per transaction. (That's right, a quarter. Not $2.50. A quarter! I almost want to go back just for the ATM. It also politely asks if you'd like to check your balance before you withdraw, to prevent overdraft.)... (more)

Seattle's first Hard Rock Cafe, located at 116 Pike Street, is open for business today, as of 11 a.m. Josh and Audrey went on a tour yesterday (see full photo gallery); after the fact, they discussed the tech-heavy new digs, the tons of memorabilia, and the unironically awesome rooftop deck.

The third floor is home to a magnificent roof deck with views of the market and sound and populated with weatherized couches and firepits. This is the feature most likely to make you a Hard Rock Cafe regular.

Josh: Let me begin by saying that before I saw that this place was under construction, I was not entirely aware that the Hard Rock Cafe was still in business, let alone opening new stores. Score one for the themed casual chain dining economy; times aren't as tough as I'd assumed.

Audrey: According to the Hard Rock's Wikipedia page, these are the other cities getting a new Cafe this year: Costa Maya, Los Angeles (Hollywood Blvd), and Krakow. To which I say: Seattle: Slightly More Culturally Advanced Than Krakow. Even Ho Chi Minh City got their Hard Rock last year!

Josh: We had no idea what we were missing! But I wonder if the EMP was strong-arming them out of the city for all of these years?

Audrey: A knife fight between the two awaits for sure. How did the EMP not get custody of Jimi Hendrix's green hat? Which brings us to a very important topic: memorabilia, though everyone at the Hard Rock likes to refer to it as "memo."

Josh: That's what it's all about: the stories. It is also the part of the HRC experience that is kind of baffling. It's as if someone realized one day that the biggest flaw in most museum experiences is the absence of a Hickory BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger on hand. Or, that what most restaurants were lacking were sufficient distractions from the usual dining experience. This is where the revamped HRC really shines. They know that obsessive music fans can be a little introverted.

Audrey : The Hard Rock Cafe seems to be the best place to go if you don't wish to interact with your dining companions (in other words, families on vacation).

Josh: TRUE. So they answer this by setting up those booths with the family/friends/social contact avoidance devices.

Audrey: Why talk as a family if Bobby can be voting on which video should be shown throughout the restaurant, while Mom takes a handheld survey on her dining experience thus far, and Dad is on his phone having a voicemail tour of the objects around him?

Josh: The family that avoids together stays together. Those screens are perfect for the surly teen who doesn't yet have an iPhone/iPad/iPod but still wants to see pictures of "memo" on display in Fiji, where he would have preferred the family take its annual vacay.... (more)

Seattle's first Hard Rock Cafe, located at 116 Pike Street, is open for business today, as of 11 a.m. Josh and Audrey went on a tour yesterday, and here are the photographic results. Here, they chat about what it all means for Seattle.

In honor of screaming chicken day--and the offer of a free Denny's Grand Slam until 2 p.m.--we skipped the potential clustercluck at Seattle's one Denny's and headed to IHOP #612, the venerable 24-hour establishment (950 E Madison) now, the sign informed us, under new management.

The SunBreak breakfast team--RvO and MvB--came equipped with a Seattle Times to flip through and a reasonable appetite to satisfy. We hadn't experienced the old management, but new management was running a tight ship, to our eyes. Tables were clean and fully stocked, and our waiter Victoria stuck to us like maple syrup on a waffle. Granted, only two other tables were seated.

"I'm disappointed with the feeble sports coverage in a major U.S. metro area," announced Roger, brandishing the Times, to which Victoria responded, "You and me both." Placated, Roger ordered a Two by Two by Two (eggs, pancakes, bacon/sausage). I got the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'n' Fruity (essentially the Two by, but with two bacon and two sausage, and fruit on the pancakes).

Both were under $10, but I should note that "all you can eat" pancake offerings start at $4.99.

The market had climbed back to the sunny side of 10,000. Our pot of coffee was bottomless. The eggs were over easy. The pancakes, fluffy. The whipped cream on top of the cinnamon apple compote towered Everest-like. It seemed unlikely that much of it was, by any stretch of the imagination, healthy. I only wished I had ordered a side of toast to mop up the eggs.

Over the weekend I stopped in at the Varsity for District 13: Ultimatum, which gave me the chance to eat at Ruby's, closed for renovation the last time I visited the Ave. Just across the street from the Post Office, Ruby's used to look like a dorm basement that had fallen on bad times, but after being turned on to the rice bowls, I learned to ignore the sketchiness (which makes me just like 78 percent of visitors, I guess).

A few months after renovation, I almost didn't dare walk in. Why would such an upscale-seeming spot be serving my delicious rice bowls? A full bar gleamed. The lights were low. I was seated (another first!) and ordered a Manny's while I perused the menu. The tables, happily, were still mismatched.

There was a red coconut curry rice bowl (with pineapple) that caught my eye at first, but eventually I settled on the yellow curry dahl. "We're out of spinach," the bartender/waiter told me. I fixed him with the van Baker stink-eye. "I guess we could use some of the fresh spinach for the salads," he said, displaying a sterling brand of adaptability. Ah, problem solved. In a few minutes, a bowl as big as my head, piled high with curried rice, potatoes, and spinach was plunked down. You can choose your carne (or tofu) and the price varies accordingly. My chicken version came to $9. Lamb I seem to recall being $11? There's also salmon, in between, price-wise.

Ah, breakfast. It sits right at the heart of mealtime ironies: widely considered essential for a healthy day and almost universally skipped by everyone beyond the age of ten.

The gap between importance and neglect is probably due to a traditionally narrow range of breakfast options. Let’s face it, not much has changed in the morning meal in the centuries since someone discovered that an egg can be scrambled, fried, boiled and beaten, and bacon and sausage come from our friend the pig.

So it came as a pleasant surprise when our friends at vegetarian-oriented Café Flora invited us in to try out their new breakfast menu, now being served every day during the week, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with their always popular brunch still going strong during the weekend.

The restaurant has been serving weekday breakfast since the beginning of the new year, and MvB and I, who sampled the Flora breakfast menu this morning, were told that business is steadily growing.

The coffee, from Stumptown, was the perfect eye opener. Michael remarked that it was hard to tell it was drip. The compact breakfast menu features seven items, four egg scrambles, a breakfast quesadilla, biscuits and gravy, and an old-world-style porridge served with dried fruit and almonds. The menu also includes a fruit parfait, a cinnamon roll, and a fresh pastry.... (more)

Amy Vanderbeck, her sister Katy, and Daniel Perry, all graduates of the Vivace empire, built Watertown Coffee on the grave of Coffee Animals, on 12th Avenue just south of Seattle University.

They opened in early 2009, and look to have been squirreling away board and video games in the cavernous interior ever since. (After months of "meaning to stop in," I was challenged to a ping pong tournament on their new table. The less said about that, the better, although the bourbon and hot apple cider took some of the sting out of defeat.)

There's Vivace coffee, a real bar, and a sandwich/soup/salad food menu. The "rec room" atmosphere--seriously, besides board games, there's an Xbox--surprises people expecting a standard coffee shop, and people used to Starbucks' consistently genial service are clearly taken aback by the staff's "attitude" and the music volume that's at the whim of the barista. (For better photos of the interior than an iPhone can provide, click here.)

Yelpers and Urban Spooners are divided into love it/hate it, and it's-just-a-coffee-shop-relax camps. However, if you are sensitive flower and need quiet study time, you might want to try somewhere else. That is not the aim of Watertown, which has a clubhouse vibe, and where--if you consistently miss ping pong returns and have to chase the ball as it thwocks and pwocks across the room--the baristas won't glance at you twice.

Last night, the members of the South Warsaw Street Social Club assembled at an eatery called Taste of Chicago, at 52nd Avenue and University Way NE. The majority of the club's members were from Chicago, and boasted names that ended in "-ski." Their plans to visit Taste of Chicago, announced on Facebook, had triggered a flurry of responses from other Chicago transplants along the lines of "I've got my coat on! Where is it?"

"Realistic, from the good food to the lame decor," was the verdict. The club sampled a gyro ($5.75), an Italian combo ($8.50, combining the gustatory pleasures of the Italian beef sandwich and Italian sausage sandwich), and cheese fries (cheese $0.50, everything comes with fries), and--between discussions of Wisconsin ski resorts and the cost of heating oil--plans were made for a return visit. The menu's low-end entrée seems to be bratwurst ($3.50) and it tops out at $8.50 items. Onion rings are $2.50.

Taste of Chicago has a new co-proprietor who arrived in town in October. "How do you like Seattle?" a table asked him. He shrugged. "I don't see anything but the restaurant. I wake up, I come here, I go home."

Here is a squat shoebox space with one of those hanging-tile ceilings you suspect has asbestos on the reverse, a linoleum floor, and a counter at the far end from the door. Chicago memorabilia--a painting of the skyline, a photo of the American Giants--hangs from the walls. Above the cashier is a genuine plastic diner's order board; a plastic menu is also taped to the counter. On one table sits a chess set, with foot-tall wooden pieces. On another, a Connect 4 game.... (more)

Near the end of October (thank you, CHS), Zhivago's Café (Facebook) opened on Broadway, where the old Dilettante's used to be. It's a piroshkis-and-more shop (including Wi-Fi), founded by Geno Sabra, who is half Russian and half Middle Eastern. I have walked past it for weeks until today, when I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a piroshki.

I ordered the lunch special (piroshki + borscht + bread roll = $7.95), and had a seat. The server had my food ready before I sat down. As The Stranger promised, the borscht was remarkable, served warm with a dollop of sour cream. The piroshkis are baked on the premises daily (Time to make the piroshkis! is 4 a.m.), and there's a variety of carnivore and vegetarian options ($4-$6), as well dessert pastries and Russian tea cakes.

I had the beef, potato, and cheese piroshki, which was perfectly acceptable, if outshined by the borscht in terms of yumminess. But don't take this as a review, anyway--I've only stopped in the once. Take it as encouragement to pop in the next time you're in the mood for a piroshki and see for yourself.

Coastal Kitchen's happy hour is from 9-11 p.m. every day, with $3 small plates, and $3 wells, drafts, and wines. These items are from the Cuban menu. I might give the Midnight Cuban sandwich (right) a miss, but the rest satisfies.

It is on, bitches. After a couple delays, Capitol Hill gourmet hot doggery Po Dog is all set for their official opening tomorrow. Today's the soft opening, and our good friends at Capitol Hill Seattle were lucky enough to attend the friends and family gathering that took place last night. 

I've perused the menu several times, and I'm not still not sure what dog to try first. My brain knows that the best way to judge Po Dog's quality would be their classic hot dog, but my heart pines for a Chicago dog, while my stomach is tempted by the menu's wackadoodle offerings (hot dogs with guacamole and wasabi aioli sound NOM NOM NOM). I suppose I will have to go back more than once. Darn.

Full press release after the jump.

Dog Days - New Gourmet restaurant opens on Capitol Hill by first time Restaurateur

While her friends and co-workers were being laid off left and right, Laura Olson, 25 decided to take a risky and unique path. She quit her job as a recruiter and began the full time planning of Seattle’s first gourmet hot dog joint, Po Dog. Working all hours of the day and night, Ms. Olson created a substantial business plan. Inspired by hot dog institutions like Pinks in L.A., Laura spent the first few months researching, tasting and thinking everything hot dog. Her next struggle was finding the capital required to open a business in the worst lending environment in recent history. She ran into road block after road block and was turned down at every door. But she persevered and was finally able to interest investors and raise the capital required. She was ready to embark on her new venture.

First, she hired local modernists Pb elemental to design her space inside a vacant Auto Battery shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The design of the 1100 sq ft interior and storefront in Capitol Hill (Seattle) is based on the desire to offer something as unique as the owner’s toppings (ranging from peanut butter and bananas to deep fried egg roll wrapped wasabi dogs) and a desire to leave everything in the open. A 30’ Caesaerstone counter is the centerpiece of the 16' wide restaurant, housing the open kitchen and bar area. The bar is clad in wainscoting and lined with white bar stools. Built-in mahogany plywood seating lines the back half of the restaurant along with Lyptus community tables. A twelve foot tall pixelated photograph of Olson’s pet pug hangs at the end of the tables watching over the customers as they eat. The original fir beams and concrete block wall were sandblasted and exposed to regain the original character. A series of framed 8'x4' mirrors line the western walls, reflecting the Thug Stripe wallpaper (a blend of colt 45's, bullets and floral print). A 4' wide vertical lift window allows Po Dog to open up to its patio in the summer as well as provides access for deliveries. Next, Laura planned Po Dog's menu with input from local culinary celebrity Josh Henderson, founder of Skillet street food. Henderson will be appearing as a guest chef at Po Dog for the month of November.

After managing the construction of her space for four months, Laura is set to open this Saturday, November 14th. Her menu features twelve signature gourmet hot dogs all on Macrina brioche buns, including the Deep Fried Danger Dog (bacon wrapped, deep fried), Texas Dog (Tillamook cheddar cheese, homemade onion crisps and mesquite BBQ sauce), Wasabi egg roll Dog (deep fried roll wrapped dog, covered in a wasabi aioli) and the Dub’T Dog (crushed potato chips and cheese sauce) to name a few.

Actually, the last time I was in Ivar's, I noticed the $0.75 cup of chowder, but settled on the bowl, thinking I'd pay full freight. When the bill came, it was $1.50. So, full disclosure, I'm not all that worked up about the billboard hoax/prank, even though I asked my waiter for the straight dope. An underwater billboard campaign aimed at nonexistent submarines strained credulity.

The Seattle Times sounds a little nettled though. Executive Editor David Boardman says they are reviewing their relationship with Paul Dorpat, the local historian who vouched for the authenticity of the underwater billboard campaign, saying "As far as I can tell, it's the real thing."

The Times took Dorpat at his word, it sounds like, and never checked to see if the price was correct for 1955 (it wasn't) or noticed that the "wrong governor was put on the letterhead from the Department of Fisheries." But maybe this is the attitude a very important newspaper must take. Public trust, and all.

The important news here is that the... (more)

I just got a tip that the Marination Mobile (which I just posted about yesterday) is rolling their Hawaiian and Korean cuisine over to the new Belltown Key Bank branch on First Avenue at Wall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone that visits the Key Bank branch--ask about the interest rates on 6-month CDs--will get a coupon worth $10 of Marination munchies. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict there will be a line.

A street foodie commented on my post about creating a street food corral downtown, so I gave Parks & Rec a call to see what they thought about my genius idea. I believe I got waved off the street-food take-over of Occidental Square, but in general they were supportive of "legalizing it." (It turns out the hugely successful "Mobile Chowdown" in Interbay wasn't permitted quite as strenuously as it could have been.)

The person to talk with about creating a street food corral may be Virginia Swanson, of the city's Special Events Committee (scroll down for contact information). The Parks & Rec... (more)