Fifth Avenue Corner Cafe - American, Seattle

1900 5th Ave, Seattle WA 98101
(206) 728-1000
Parking: street and hotel parking
Hours: Daily 6am - 2pm

Last Visited: March 31, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere:3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Located at the Westin Hotel, the Fifth Avenue Corner Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch.  The staff is cheery and friendly even during early morning hours.  I was looking for something fairly substantial and settled on a waffle.  They have oatmeal, cereal, omelettes, fresh fruit, bagels, and other choices available too.

- Belgian Waffle - While the menu above the counter never mentioned it, the waffle came with fresh berries - blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.  They also served it with warm maple syrup.  Yum!  The texture of the waffle was good - slightly crisp on the outside and cooked through, but soft on the inside.  Great.  $8.50

- Odwalla $4.50

If you're staying at the Westin, this is a convenient stop for breakfast.  Much of the food is made to order and done well.  Prices are a little higher than other cafes, otherwise, fresh and good.

Pam's Kitchen - Trinidad/Carribean, Seattle

5000 University Way N, Seattle CA 98105

(206) 696-7010

Parking: street parking
http://pams-kitchen.com/
Hours: Closed Mondays, Sun and Tues - Thurs 5:30pm - 10pm, Fri - Sat Noon -3pm, 5:30pm - 11pm
 

Last Visited: April 1, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars

Service: 3 to 4 stars

Price: $$ to $$$

I had heard about Pam's Kitchen through an episode of Guy Fieri's show on the Food Network, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  While on an overnight trip to Seattle, my cousin, his girlfriend, and I decided to check out Pam's to see what it was all about.  From the outside, Pam's is located at the corner of the university district with lots of eateries available to choose from.  University students lovingly refer to the street as The Ave.  Further down the street, more businesses are close together, and the action is even more lively.  We were fortunate to find a back-into parking space (something you rarely ever see in California) about a block away.

Whenever I think of Carribean food, I think of jerk chicken - not because of personal experiences in the Carribean, but more because of stereotypes about Trinidad and the nearby area.  After trying the food at Pam's, I think of Carribean food as having Indian influences - the garbanzo beans and curry were reminiscent of the type of food I would have in Berkeley Indian joints, but with slightly different spices.  A friend of mine told me during a conversation a few weeks later that many Indian people immigrated to the region, so their ingredients and spices have influenced those of the natives.

Enter Pam's and it's a little surprising to see patrons facing the front door as you walk in.  The high tables have stools behind the table so you see rows of people facing you.  There are also high stools lined up on one side of the restaurant too.  We sat at one of the few regular tables.  The music was a little louder than I would have preferred, and the table top was strangely sticky and I still don't know why that is.   

The menu is fairly simple with a listing of roti entree choices, four which are curried curried with meat and the remainder are vegetarian.  A listing of sides and drinks are also shown.  Drinks like peanut punch, rum punch, and mauby, made of boiled tree bark, are sure to be inviting and interesting conversation starters.  Our server was really nice and offered to answer any questions we had about the food.  She was genuinely friendly and ready to share about her native culture. 

After ordering, the three of us each received a small side salad containing lettuce, carrots, and apple strips.  Crisp and refreshing, it was a nice way to start the meal. 

- Curried Chicken Roti - Each roti comes with a choice of roti.  We selected the parantha since the server told us that was her favorite.  The parantha, shown in the picture above, looks like it might come in smaller pieces, but it's one piece folded to fit into the basket.  The menu describes it as thin and fluffy with a flakey croissant-like texture.  While the description makes me think of the outside of the croissant, it's more appropriate to think of it more like the layers inside of the croissant.  The chicken was tender and flavorful and served with a cumin-spiced garbanzo bean and potato mixture.  According to our server, you tear pieces of the roti apart and while holding the roti with your hands, you use the roti to scoop up pieces of chicken.  It's a lot like eating Ethiopian style with the injera bread. The curry is flavorful and fairly mild.  Good.  My cousin liked this dish the best between the two main dishes we tried. $13

- Pelau - Boneless chicken is cooked with chopped carrots, celery, and white rice browned by pigeon peas or red beans.  It's a lot like jambalaya.  Accompanying this dish is the refreshing side salad we had earlier.  This was a nice mixture that was well-spiced and flavorful.  Good.  $14

- Callaloo - This vegan dish is made with fresh spinach simmered in coconut milk and okra.  I was expecting it to taste like creamed spinach because of the description, and although it's not pictured here, it looked a lot like creamed spinach, but because of the okra, the texture was more glue-like.  It was flavorful, but if you're not accustomed to the okra, it may seem too glue-like. $5

Dessert offerings include homemade coconut ice cream, Guiness stout ice cream, cassava-pone cake, and more if you have saved room for it.

While it's not entirely clear why the pelau came with another salad, considering we all got salad, I found the meal to be filling and satisfying overall.  Two main dishes and a side easily fed three people who were not starving, but hungry.  It's a nice change of pace and the folks are friendly.  If I had to the chance to visit again, I would love to try the other roti that they make as well as some of their eclectic drink offerings.  Dining is fairly leisurely in terms of the pace of food being served, so make sure you come here with plenty of time to enjoy the experience.   

Icon Grill - American, Seattle

1933 Fifth Ave, Seattle WA 98101
(206) 441-6330
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon - Thurs 11am - 11pm, Fri 11am - Midnight, Sat 10am - Midnight, Sun 10am - 11pm

Last Visited: March 30, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$

I was in Seattle for a short stay at a hotel across the street from Icon.  Since I got in somewhat late, I decided to order takeout and relax back at the hotel.  When I got inside Icon, I was surprised at how much blown glasswork was displayed.  The ceiling is a feast for the eyes with lamps and lots of bowl shaped wonders.  The stairwell in the middle of the dining room creates these great lines that lead your eyes towards the ceiling.  If you like your environments clutter free, this is pretty much the opposite of that where no matter where you look, the decor is filled with color and lights.

Service would have gotten a better rating  if it hadn't been for the hostess.  I found her tone and demeanor to be very stuffy and not particularly welcoming.  When I told her I wanted to order takeout, she didn't seem too happy about it, but directed me to the bar to look at the menu.  The bartender was very professional and did a great job managing the couple of us ordering takeout, fielding drink orders for the dining room, and serving those at the bar. 

The portions are good, but there were a few surprises. 

- Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce is dressed in caesar dressing and with it, comes parmesan, garlic croutons, and Asiago cheese doodles.  The cheese doodles aren't small like you might expect.  Instead, they are gigantic cracker like things - notice how they take up almost half of the salad.  The salad is fairly standard.  It's these doodles that were way too cheesy for me - a quarter of the doodle that was given would hav ebeen plenty.  I found the quantity to be overwhelming and only managed to take a few bites of the doodle.  Okay.  $5.99

- Warm Granny Smith Apple Pie - The menu describes it as having a brown sugar and streusel crust and topped with a scoop of Olympic Mountain vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce.  That's accurate for the most part.  The apples are sliced thin and stacked layers upon layers.  The outer crust was flaky and good.  It was quite delicious until I got to the surprise.  There is cheddar cheese in the bottom crust, and a lot of it too.  Had it been mentioned, I would have been okay with it, but it's a bizarre surprise if you don't know it's coming.  The cheddar made the dish incredibly rich and while the quantity is enough for two, the cheese became overwhelming. $7.99

The food was okay, and the decor was nice, but the cheese in these two dishes were a little too strong.  I would have preferred that they at least mention the cheddar in the pie in the menu description.  It also took a while for the food to be available, probably 20 minutes, which seems a bit long for salad and a pie.  Also, maybe it's because I'm from California, but I found the reception of the servers to be a bit on the cold side. 

Places to Go - Pike Place Market, Seattle

Shops and their specialties at Pike Place Market, Seattle that I didn't get to, but were on my list:

Cafe Yarmaka
DeLaurentis - cheese
Dozen Doughnuts
Etta’s Seafood
Falafel King
Frank’s Quality Market - apples
Le Panier - baguette
Market Grill - salmon sandwich
MarketSpice - iced tea and smelled salt
Maximillion Bistro
Pike Place Fish - smoked fish
Sosios - OMG peach, cherries
The Crumpet Shop
Three Girls Bakery
Turkish Delight - baklava

Also try:
Anthony's Pier 66 and Bell Street Diner, 2201 Alaskan Way, Seattle WA 98121, (206) 448-6688

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood, Seattle

Pier 54, 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle CA 98104
(206) 624-6852
Parking: pay street parking (except Sundays and certain evenings)
Hours for Fish Bar: Open until 11pm
Hours for Acres of Clams Restaurant next door: Mon - Thurs 11am - 10pm, Fri - Sat 11am - 11pm, Sun 9am - 2pm, 3:30pm - 10pm
http://ivars.com/

Last Visited: June 30 2009

Food: 4 star fried fish
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

As I walked along the waterfront on my way to Pike Place Market, I walked past Ivar's fish bar. It was open, but it was way too early in the morning for fish and I had my mind and stomach set on touring Pike Place. Knowing that I would more than likely pass Ivar's on my way back to the rental car, I was not feeling a loss about walking by.

Located along the pier, you'll find Ivar's Fish Bar, a walk by/order counter with a covered seating area right next to Ivar's Acres of Clams, a sit down restaurant. If you're like me and stuffed when you visit, the Fish Bar is the perfect place to go because they'll let you order a la carte.

- Fillet of Cod - The cod was lightly battered and fried crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Look at how beautifully golden it is. It was delicious. Something is very addictive about their tartar sauce - I could probably dip a whole bunch of stuff in their sauce - fries, fish, scallops, you name it. You just want to keep eating it. $2.39 a piece

As you can see from the menu, you can get salmon, cod, prawns, scallops, chicken and there are many other options. Once you have ordered, you go into the covered seating area containing picnic tables and enjoy your food. Beware of the seagulls - if you are fearful of birds, you may want to try to find another location. They are rather harmless birds, but you do feel like you've entered into the movie The Birds because of the quantity in the seated area hanging out there.

Also note that if your timing is right, you can get a great deal at the restaurant. The Beat the Tide Menu is available weekdays from 3pm to 5:30 p.m and you get a starter, entrée and dessert for only $19.38. 1938 is when they opened. Also enjoy some great views from the restaurant.

I would love to go back and try more of their dishes.

Top Pot Doughnuts - Seattle, Washington

124 5th Ave, Seattle WA 98121
(206) 728-1966
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 6am - 7 pm, Weekends, 7am - 7pm
http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/

Last Visited: April 1, 2011

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $

We had just taken the Ride the Ducks Seattle Tour and as we were driving along 5th Avenue, our tour guide, Flip, mentioned how Top Pot Doughnuts had just been named #1 on evening magazine’s best of western Washington. Of course, since we were walking back to our car from the starting point of the tour, Top Pot would have to become one of our stops along the way.

Like so many other well-known businesses, Top Pot has a great story. They started off with a concept that a doughnut shop doesn’t need to be a fluorescent-lit fast food place. It could be something cool, and indeed, when we walked in to this Top Pot café (there are currently seven locations in the Puget Sound area), we were impressed of how it reminded us more of a bookstore than a doughnut shop. It was super quiet (of course, it was later in the afternoon), and the display case showed a lovely assortment of donuts.

With a limited stomach, we opted to select four doughnuts. My favorite is an old-fashioned so that was definitely one of them. We also got a cake doughnut, glazed old-fashioned, and chocolate cake doughnut. To get something a little unique, we tried their seasonal cherry blossom cake doughnut. I forgot to take the photo before enjoying a bite, so the photo is one in the process of being eaten.

Standard doughnuts sell for 99 cents. A premium doughnut (like the cherry blossom) sells for $1.49.

Apple Fritters are huge and taste absolutely delicious.  Just look at this gigantic thing - it's crispy on the outside and glazed and the pieces of apple are prominent. 

The doughnuts were all very good and the cherry blossom was so fragrant and you could taste hints of cherry throughout each bite.

A fun experience for any Seattle visitor, these hand-forged doughnuts will be a treat. However, what stood out for me most was how they had set up their unique cafés.

Mike's Noodle House - Chinese, Seattle

418 Maynard Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104-2917
(206) 389-7099
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tue-Thu and Sun 9:30am - 8 pm, Fri-Sat 9:30 am - 9 pm

Last Visited: June 29, 2009

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Frank and Grace recommended that I try out Mike's while visiting the area, so I met up with my friend Alie for dinner, and we tried some of their more popular dishes. The atmosphere is like that of a cafe - light colors and brightly lit, the tables are spaced fairly close together. Most of the dishes are plastic, so there are cute patterns on them as you can see in the photo.


- Won ton noodles - The noodles were al dente and the won tons were good. The broth was tasty and typical of what you would find in the best Bay Area won ton shops. I would give this dish four stars. Topped with Chinese yellow chives, it's authentic for sure. Price was reasonable and under $6.

- Beef stew noodles - Like the won ton noodle dish, the noodles and broth are made the same way and turned out equally good. The beef was tender and flavored well with five spice. Another great and reasonable dish.

- Congee - I can't remember the exact meat that I chose for the congee, but I do remember that it was not as good as what I can find in Hong Kong, bit it was at least comparable to what you can find in the Bay Area.

- Fried doughnut - This was the most disappointing of all the items that we ordered. It was unfortunately getting a little stale. It appears that it wasn't fried to order, but probably fried earlier in the day.

- Gai lan - Fresh and a good portion, this was topped with hoisin sauce.

Service was friendly, and when they noticed us struggling with the long noodles, they quickly came to our rescue with some scissors. If I lived nearby, this would be the type of place I would drop in at frequently to get a bowl of hot noodle soup. However, as a tourist, unless you're craving Chinese food or maybe someone in your party must have it, I would probably opt for more local fare at Pike Place, especially if you have a won ton place near you.

Also note the hours - this is not a place for late diners, so get their early and enjoy a quick and tasty meal.

Pike Place Market - Seattle, Washington

1501 Pike Place, Seattle WA 98101
Parking: Pay parking and shuttles are very accessible.
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/

Last Visited: June 2009

Located at 1st and Pike in downtown Seattle, just walking to Pike Place Market is scenic since you're right by the waterfront. The vision of this public street market, which was founded in 1907, stemmed from the desire to give consumers a true farm to table experience. While during those times, the market was intended to address the skyrocketing prices of onions due to the price-gouging practices of middlemen, today, it also addresses the desire to reduce the supply chain process and get farm fresh food to our tables, not to mention the other crafts and goodies being sold.

There are some pretty expensive parking areas nearby. If you're planning on just dropping in, then the metered parking is accessible. If you're willing to walk, then park about a mile away and spend your savings on more delicious treats, plus you get the extra benefit of working off the calories). We ended up walking around the downtown and extended areas while gnoshing all along the way to sustain our energy levels.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese
Best: Mac and Cheese
1600 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101 (north end)
(206) 956-1964
Hours: 9am-6pm daily
http://www.beecherscheese.com/

- Mac and Cheese - You can order a small or large sized Mac and Cheese. If I had known how wonderful this was, I would have ordered a large one. You get penne pasta cooked with a creamy blend of cheeses that create a melt in your mouth biteful of goodness. They even scoop a little of the browned top of the mac and cheese with each cup. Heaven on earth! Small $5.23

There are other items on the menu, but you must get the mac and cheese if you're anywhere in the vicinity.

Piroshky-Piroshky
Best: Piroshy
1908 Pike Place (north end)
(206) 441-6068

I had read about Piroshky-Piroshky as one of the places to stop by at Pike Place. While I had had piroshky at home, it was kind of dense and it made me not want to order it ever again, but with the rave reviews at this place, I figured I would give it another try. And I am so glad that I did!

- Spinach, Egg, and Cheese Piroshky - You can see that the filling is plentiful and the bread is light and fluffy. The blend of filling - from the quantities to the flavors - is wonderful. The amount shown in the picture is only half of one. The best part was that it was served warm. Absolutely delicious! $4.84

If you've never had one, this is definitely the place to get one to make you fall in love with piroshkies. If you had a bad one like I did, this will convert you for sure. There are plenty of choices if these ingredients aren't your favorite. There are several meat piroshkies - beef and cheese; chicken, rice and mushroom; smoked salmon pate to name just a few. There are quite a number of vegetarian piroshkies and dessert piroshkies (who could say no to chocolate cream hazelnut roll?) too. You are bound to find something that you'll love.

Pike Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley (Triangle Building & Post Alley Market)
(206) 267-2537

Pike Place Chowder is almost always featured in Pike Place food tours. They are best known for their clam chowder - voted Nation's Best - and for their dungeness crab roll.

I had a taste of the clam chowder walking in the door, and it was good, but I wanted to try one of their specialty chowders. There are four traditional chowders offered - clam, smoked salmon, southwestern chicken and corn, and manhattan clam chowder. Each is served with sourdough bread. There are also four specialty chowders - seafood bisque, seared scallop, vegan chowder, and market chowder.

- Seafood Bisque - One of their specialty chowders, Pacific cod, wild Northwest salmon, calamari, and Oregon bay shrimp are blended in a creamy tomato-basil broth. This was a super rich. Good, but not something you can eat often. Cup 12 oz $5.95, Bowl 6oz $6.95, Big Bowl 32oz $11.95

- Dungeness Crab Roll - Dungeness crab is mixed with mayo, diced celery, lemon juice, and spices. The mix is served over chopped lettuce in a warm baguette. By the time I got my crab roll, the baguette was back to room temperature. The crab is chilled and although it was fresh tasting, since I'm so accustomed to warm lobster rolls, I was expecting the crab to be warm too. Since it was cold, I think some of the flavor was lost and they should consider taking the chill off a little more to really maximize the flavor. Just okay in my opinion. $11.95

If you can't decide what to get, there are several combos available - Combo 1 is chowder with a side salad and soft drink. Combo 2 is an 8 oz cop of chowder, half a crab sandwich roll, and a soft drink. Combo 3 is an 8 oz cup of chowder, choice of half a curried chicken roll or shrimp roll, and a soft drink.

No matter where I go, I always compare seafood rolls to my favorite lobster roll at Old Port Lobster Shack. When it comes to the roll, Old Port wins again.

Rose's Chocolate Treasures
1906 Post Aly, Seattle, WA 98101-1015
(206) 441-2936

I walked into Rose's and they sell more than chocolate. It's like walking into a tea shop or a place that sells lots of unique trinkets. The glass case features a ton of chocolates. I tried a matcha green tea chocolate. It was so beautifully decorated and a little shiny and green on top. Very nice, but also expect to pay for the niceness too.

Of course, the original Starbucks Coffee is located here, so if you're a coffee lover, that will definitely be a stop. If you have access to a kitchen, then you'll love some of the produce available. Just look at these lobsters! And you can get gorgeous flowers at a great price at the market too.

Also visit MarketSpice for another interesting shopping experience. If you love to cook, you should enjoy it quite a lot. Other places to check out - Dozen Doughnuts, Pike Place Fish for their smoked fish, Frank's Quality Market, and Etta's Seafood. You definitely won't go hungry at Pike Place.

Also check out a list of Pike Place shops and restaurants that I didn't get to try, but that I hope to get to next time.