Brunching Adventure

Brunch is probably my favorite meal and being new to Seattle I needed to find a new brunch place ASAP. After doing some research (Seattle is full of great Cafe's and restaurants) I decided to head out to Glo's Diner (on a cloudy but not rainy Sunday). Little did I know Glo's is a Capitol Hill hot spot, especially for brunch and late night munchies. They're open from midnight to 4pm on the weekends, almost like a Long Island Diner. They're famous for their eggs benedict, and long lines, so be prepared to wait! I was there on a Sunday in February and I waited for at least an hour (for a table for 2) even though they told me the wait was half an hour. WARNING: there is no place to wait outside, but they do have a couple of plastic chairs outside for those who are lucky, so be prepared to whether the elements, this is Seattle after all. To add to the charm, you need to be outside for that fateful movement when they call your name, no they do not take your cell phone number to call you, and if you're not there its on the next lucky group... so beware!

Now this is not your typical diner, huge with numerous tables and barely any wait, there are maybe 12 tables at Glo's diner for a grand total of 48 guests at a time (hence the long wait). But they sure know how to do brunch right. The menu is pretty straightforward and has all your breakfast favorites, but they are flexible and super open to those picky eaters or indecisive menu gazers (me included).  They have everything from pancakes to my favorite,
eggs benedict, and even a few lunch items like salad.

So the food: first I have to mention the coffee (which my followers know by now, I am extremely picky). It was a bottomless cup of Pegasus Coffee, which is  not only local (BainBridge Island, WA) but delicious! If you ever get the chance, head over to the Island to check out the original roasting location.
Anyway.....  I ordered 2 different types of egg benedict at my waiters suggestion one egg of each type-  The Eggs florentine which had spinach, and the California, which had avocado instead of ham. This was the best decision ever. I was able to sample two delicious variations of a brunch staple. I was hesitant and curious about the avocado and eggs, and let me tell you, it was perfect, I would absolutely order that again. Also I had a aide of bacon- to die for. so good. It was definitely cooked to order, and unlike so many other places, because it came out warm, and still a little greasy from that flat top. The food did take awhile to come out, but I am ok with waiting for my meal if I know that it is being made from scratch!

After, or before, your brunch at Glo's diner, there is quite a lot to do in the thriving hipster neighborhood of Capitol Hill. You can pay a visit to the historic book shop at Elliott Bay Book Company or do some window shopping in the boutiques up and down Broadway. This is a great part of the city to do some quality people watching.

So if you find yourself in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle with a growling stomach, stop at Glo's Dinner, grab an eggs benny while reading a book from Elliott Bay Book Company, you'll blend right in!

Adventure On!
-Amanda

Seattle's Cupcake Adventure

I love cupcakes. In fact, in my old stomping ground of Boston, I went on an adventure to find the best cupcakes. So I figured its about time to make a repeat here in Seattle. I put the four most blogged/tweeted/talked about cupcake shops to the test, and have come up with a winner. The test is simple: bake the best red velvet cupcake. I judge on the cake and icing individually, then  together, and of course the ever important icing to cupcake ratio. I am looking for something worth those calories. So the contestants: Cupcake Royale, Trophy Cupcakes,  Yellow Leaf Cupcakes, and The Sugar Rush Bakery.

Shop #1: Cupcake Royale is probably the best known cupcake shop in Seattle, with 4 different locations throuhgout the city. I happend upon the Ballard location on a gorgeous rare sunny day. Most locations also have the Verite Cafe incorporated in it, that serves a decent espresso (see my thoughts about Seattle's espresso scene in a later post). And the inside of the shop itself is so cute, there is a separate section for Cupcake Royale merch, with their clever sayings such as "frostitute". There is such a great atmosphere within this shop that it really makes an afternoon. Also this location is located in the awesome neighborhood of Ballard. Here there are quite a few things to do, such as visit the Ballard Locks, where you can watch the boats come in the from ocean and go out to the sound or vis-a-versa, or find the ever elusive Ballard Fish Lader where on a good day you can watch the salmon jump upstream.

So to the cupcake: it costs the running street price of 3.50 (with a cappuccino you're looking at almost 8$), and was a traditional "southern" buttermilk cake with a hint of coca, with a pink cream cheese frosting and a candy heart (it was Feb after all). The issue here was that it tasted like it was a day old cupcake. Unfortunately the frosting was hard, as was the top layer of the cupcake. I have a feeling that these guys are awesome when you get fresh ones, but alas I did not. The cake was almost moist, and there was the perfect frosting to cupcake ratio, however, that hard outside really put me off. For the "Best Cupcake Ever" it was really disappointing.

Shop #2: The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Shop, this bakery is less known, and yet was featured on the Cooking Channel's show Unique Sweets for their very special "Tomato Soup Cupcake"  (for those very daring individuals). This cupcake shop is located in the trendy neighborhood of Belltown, and is quite a short walk to many main tourist attractions in Seattle. In one direction you have the EMP (Experience Music Project) and the famous Space Needle, and in the other direction you have Pike Place Market.

So the famous Tomato Soup Cupcake was not in the shop when I went, they change their flavors daily, but I was able to get my hands on their take on a red velvet cupcake. Again, this was during February so the Valentines related decorations were ever present, but that aside this was a delicious cupcake. The frosting was a cream cheese frosting, with something extra that I can not put my finger on. The cake itself was just perfection. I also got a cup of their local coffee, and let me tell you, don't even bother. That stuff was not drinkable. Skip the coffee and indulge in the cupcakes.




Shop #3: Trophy Cupcakes another Seattle cupcake "chain" has quite a few stores in the area. I actually stopped in their February only "pop up" shop in Pacific Place and then went to an actual shop at a later date, so I could talk about both experiences. The actual shop was running out of cupcakes by the time I stopped in and it was only around 4, they only had vanilla cupcakes with either chocolate or vanilla frosting, the Pop Up shop had a little bit more variety, albiet still limited. The actual shop located in University Village, has some of the most amazing shopping in Seattle, while the Pop Up shop is located in Pacific Place with even more shopping. Also maybe a 10 minute walk to Pike Place, you really can't get too far away from it here. You really cant go wrong, shopping and cupcakes is the perfect afternoon.

This cupcake was good overall, a traditional red velvet cake with a cream cheese frosting. There was nothing outstanding or special about this cake despite its quality. There were a couple of good things and bad things about this cake.  The actual cake was extremely crumbly and hard to eat but at the same time super moist. The frosting was smooth and almost melting into the cake. It seems like this cake was frosted while hot, but was totally fresh, and made that day, even though it was bought at the pop up shop.

Shop #4: Coffee to a Tea with Sugar (aka Sugar Rush Bakery) is a real bakery located in West Seattle. They have huge kid friendly shop, with a separate back playroom area, as well as a front patio with a couple of tables for those rare nice seattle days. This shop also has a full menu of soup and sandwiches for those lunch time hunger pains. Their coffee/espresso wasn't bad, but not great, with all the other locations this isn't somewhere I would specifically go for coffee.  This place is about a half an hour bus ride from downtown Seattle and maybe a 15 min bus ride from an amazing national park. Lincoln Park is a great way to spend those rare gorgeous Seattle afternoons. This has a pretty rocky "beach" and awesome hiking trails. This is a great park for families, dogs, and those beginner hikers. The awesome thing about this shop was that they sell mini cupcakes at $1.50 and you can actually just get 1! Most shops in Seattle only do mini cupcakes to order and you must order at least 1-2 dozen, so that was a nice surprise to find.

The cupcake, was really quite disappointing, especially after the sign that said "voted best cupcakes in Seattle!" I was expecting a mouth orgasm from these cakes, and needles to say I was left wanting. This bakery used normal frosting, that did not even have a hint of cream cheese anywhere to be found. Also, there was not even enough of this unsatisfying frosting to go around on this cupcake, it was an extremely thin layer. The red heart was also done in plain cake frosting with food coloring, and was an unpleasant surprise to say the least.


And the winner is......
THE YELLOW LEAF CUPCAKE CO!!!!!

So, if you are in the mood for a cupcake, or something to satisfy that sweet tooth, make your way down to the Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co, sample a "unique sweet" and walk those calories off at the EMP! 

Adventure On!
-Amanda

Pike place chowder

So I made the mistake of thinking that getting chowder on the weekend would be a simple thing. And hence the chowdhaaa adventure. I got to the market at 2pm on a Saturday, and decided to go to the world famous Pike Place Chowder after failing to go after work during the week because they close when the rest of the market does (5pm). The line was huge!!! It wrapped down the store and around the corner. And when one has a hungry stomach it only makes for a cranky experience. But I was hoping this "world famous" chowdhaaa would be worth the wait and hold its own against my Boston favorite. A word to to the wise, this is a food stand, yup that means barely anywhere to sit! Maybe 4 tables, most sitting is outside an let's be honest in Seattle that means there's no seating. Even with that long line it only took about 20 min to get my food they have mass service down to an art, it's impressive.

I got their famous "Traditional New England Clam Chowder" in a bread bowl the first time (if you're a real adventurous person try the 4 bowl sampler). I paid 11 for the bread bowl, which I don't think was worth it. Get a large bowl for 3 dollars cheaper, you get a huge hunk of sour dough bread anyway. And also you don't want to fill up on bread, because you're going to want to devour the whole bowl of chowder.Yup that's right, it's THAT good.

All those awards are well deserved. My only complaint if I had to have one would be too many potato pieces and not enough of that amazing broth. In this chowder you get hug hunk of clams, basically whole clams, so you know they came from the famous fish market just a couple of steps away. But in each bite I was getting more potato than clam,  and by the end I was fishing around the potatoes trying for just the clams and broth. But enough negativity, that broth. O MAN. It was creamy perfection, there were subtle hints of bacon, but not too over powering, it had the right texture, creamy but not chunky. It was down right perfection, and I could eat more than a large bowl of that soup. There was something else about this soup that I just could not pin point, some other main ingredient that just added to it. Also, the broth did not over power the delicate clams when you got one on your spoon, they were able to handle their own. This really was the best chowder I've ever had. Kudos!

So "Pike Place" Chowder, yup thats right the best thing to do around this shop is explore the world famous Pike Place Market. This is an intricate labyrinth of levels of indoor markets, which include seafood stands, fresh farm produce, flowers, and local Seattle artists. You can spend the whole day exploring the many hidden treasures located in Pike Place/Post Alley. The lower levels (below street have many interesting craft and hobby shops, where the locals are extremely nice and helpful, you can come out of here with not only a unique experience but gifts and treasures. Pike Place is my favorite spot in Seattle, and is the great start place to explore downtown Seattle. There are so many great food options here that this is a hot spot in Seattle not to be missed!

So on those inevitable cold and rainy Seattle days, grab a cup of chowder and see what mysteries the Pike Place Market has to offer. 

Adventure On!
-Amanda

Bobby's Burger Palace

My most recent adventure has been to Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, Long Island to the newest branch of the Bobby Burger Palace chain. This location recently opened, within December of 2011, and I was able to go twice within a week, and had varying experiences. The first thing about this restaurant is the concept behind it. It is semi fast food, with communal seating, meaning you order your food at the registers and have the option to sit in the restaurant at these long tables, or take the food to go. Both times I was in a party of 2, and had no trouble finding seating. The interior is really clean, and quite striking. There is a wait staff that will bring your order (they give you a number when they take your order) and clean the tables and even offer free refills. They were all extremely friendly and helped to add to the experience. This portion of the service both times was incredible. The menu for this place is relatively simple, burger, fries and milkshakes (which can even be spiked!) There are some non-burger options such as salad, and there is the option for a turkey or chicken burger instead of the beef patty. The surprise on this menu is the beverage selection, which includes beer, wine, and Bobby's famous margarita from his MESA Grill.

The first trip was below par in my opinion, and that was because of the register service of the person taking my order. I understand that when the place is packed and they're trying to take the orders as quickly as possible, however, skipping the most important question is a big No-No. He did not ask my how I would like my burger cooked (which is always rare) and when I reminded him, he made some movements on the computer and said that he fixed the order. When my original CrunchBurger arrived it was actually cooked to Medium (at best) it was still juicy and delicious, so I ate it anyway, but it detracts from my opinion of the place. I really could not get over the fact that my burger was not rare. So the CrunchBurger, (I got mine with bacon) Is a simple yellow american cheese burger with a stack of potato chips add on top. "Crunchifiying " your burger is a big thing being advertised at the joint, meaning you can add chips for no extra charge to any burger, it is even the slogan on the back of all the staff shirts. However, after eating a crunchified burger, I did not feel that it was worth it, and in reality after that first bite, the chips did not add anything special to the burger. That texture that should have been there from the chips became lacking after the initial bite and after holding the burger. I had the regular fries, they were good and came with the BBP Fry Sauce, which was interesting. The sauce had an unexpected kick to it, making it a tad spicy, but overall I was not a fan of the sauce, and the fries themselves were only OK. I would not order these again. I also had the dark chocolate shake, which was like drinking a thick and creamy version of hot fudge, which I really enjoyed. The shake variety is awesome, however, I did wish that the "adult" versions had better combinations of flavors and alcohol.

The second trip was even better than the first because my burger was cooked to a perfect rare, it was delicious. This burger was red throughout and juicy to the point that it was leaking from the burger. This was the burger of the month: Pacific Northwest Burger, which had white american cheese, cremini mushrooms, and a red wine BBQ Sauce. One word: AMAZING. I do wish there was more of the sauce on the burger, because not every bite had the complete flavor, but other than that, it was perfection. I had the onion rings, which were good and huge! I want to know where they find onions that big. Also had the sweet potato fries, which I think are the winning side here. They were perfection, they had the honey mustard horseradish sauce, which had a great taste, a little on the honey sweet side, but paired well with the sweet potato. I would absolutely order those sweet potato fries every time I come in.

If you missed the location of this great place, its in Roosevelt Field mall, need I say more? The only thing to do before and after (to work off all those calories) is SHOP! This in my humble opinion in the best mall on Long Island, has all stores from high to low end, and everything in between.

Overall this is a great concept restaurant, and perfect location, I expect it to do extremely well. The menu is affordable, and simple, it keeps to the basics (burgers, shakes and fries) and Bobby Flay threw a couple of well placed surprises as well. So when you need a break from shopping at Roosevelt Field Mall, grab a Burger of the Month and a side of sweet Potato Fries, and relax (and make sure you double check that order)!

Adventure On!

-Amanda

Roxy's GC Adventure

Since the onset of the Food Network show, The Great Food Truck Race, food trucks have been all the rage. There are too many to count in NYC and they have started to take Boston by storm. From the second season of TGFTR, the "cinderella story" truck, Roxy's Grilled Cheese quickly became the fan favorite, but unfortunately was sent home before the finale, and I was dying to try their creations. Being so mobile has its advantages, such as a couple of locations throughout Boston (Coolidge Corner, Northeastern, Boston Public Library, and BU), if you want an update on when and where they will be, follow them on Twitter! I was lucky enough to live down the block from their tri-weekly spot on the Northeastern University Campus! YAY. Let's just say that location has led me to be an expert on their menu. 


Roxy's grilled cheese has a solid menu of various grilled cheeses (and even a few for the vegetarian as well) and different side dishes, (fries, tomato soup etc). I have gone to this truck too many times for lunch after class (or hungover), and the guys on the truck are always amazing. They have such energy, even on the crappy weather days, have great taste in music, and crank out those GC's with speed and perfection. I haven't had a sandwich I didn't enjoy. They bring the upscale flavors, combinations and ideas to a downscale concept. If you see them, the line is worth the wait! 

The Mighty Rib

I had the pleasure to try a majority of their menu, and there are two classics that are my hands down favorite: the Mighty Rib and the Green Munester. These are there staples on their menu, and sometimes sell out! The mighty rib was the first GC I had from them and still my favorite, it is a perfection combination of fontina, caramelized onions and braised short-ribs. (And its the right price.) This gc hits the mouth with such amazing flavor, its hard to believe it came off of a truck. It does have the tendency to get messy and melty, so I suggest eating it as quickly as possible. The Green Munester is munester cheese (obvi) guacamole and bacon! This really struck me as such a unique combination, and I was almost afraid to deviate from my fav mighty rib, but these guys can not steer you wrong. This was heaven. 


As for the sides, handcut truffle fires, sausage gravy poutine, or beer battered Grillo's pickles (sometimes they even have home made tomato soup!) the poutine is where it's at. I had never heard of such a thing before seeing it on their menu, and so I took that flavor adventure, with not knowing at all what it was, and it was one of the best decisions I made. Poutine is fries with gravy and cheese curds, in its most basic form. The poutine at Roxy's is just elevated to perfection, and again, not something you would expect from a food truck, but with these guys its always better to expect the unexpected. 

The Green Munster

I have two different qualms with the guys on this truck, the first is that the special "Fall Melt" was not added to their permanent menu. (understandable i guess when you think of seasonality of ingredients). It is Vermont cheddar, butternut squash, apples and rum soaked rasins. Instead the The second is the price of the duck gc, $11. While I understand food costs, and labor costs, and that you want to make a profit in this world, it's hard to really justify buying a sandwich (off a truck) at that price, hence why I have only had that once, and I know a lot of people who had to go with other options because of that high price.  With that being said, it is absolutely delicious and the epitome of the high class flavor profiles Roxy's is known for to such a rustic and traditional menu.  

Poutine

I would go to the GC truck when its parked either on Heminway or in fron the the Boston Public Library, because these locations lead into a couple of great things to do/see in Boston. The location on Heminway is down the block from the Museum of Fine Arts, which is one of the best museums in Boston. The MFA has recently opened a new wing containing the "Art of the Americas", and always has such amazing collections. Currently, there is a Degas and the Nude being showcased, but keep checking their website for the most up to date information. The location in front of the Boston Public Library leads for some great adventuring of Boston.  This really is a central location, and has many sites to see within in a 5 minute walking radius. Here you can explore the Copley Church/Square, the Boston Public Library, and even some shopping down two blocks on Newbury Street. Or walk down the street to the Prudential Center, where you can pick up the famous Boston Duck Tour, or even do more shopping! 








Grab a Mighty Rib, walk down the block, and go stare at the brand new wing in the MFA. This is a great way to spend any day in Boston. 


Adventure On! 
-Amanda 

Tortilla's Cafe

So most recently, while in Washington DC, I decided to forgo the typical foodie adventure to such locals as We, The Pizza (made famous by Chef Spike of Top Chef) or Georgetown Cupcakes and go for some real authentic Mexican/ Salvadorian cuisine thanks to one of my favorite guides, Guy Fieri. So my friends and I decided to adventure out to Tortilla Cafe.This place has been seen on Diners Drive-ins and Dives, and the interior decor wont let you forget it!  With that being said, this establishment has some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten, period (and my foodie friends agree).

I have to diverge from my food indulgence for just a moment here, to tell you that this place really is a hole in the wall, and quite tricky to find, especially when using Google Maps. My friends and I had quite the adventure trying to locate it, and its unassuming exterior really did not help our cause. We first ended up at a very cheesey Mexican restaurant, also by the same name, so Watch Out! Don't fall into that trap. 

Anyway, this place is amazing, not only for the quality of food, but the value. You get a real bang for your buck here, which just adds to the long lists of reasons of why you need to eat here. Our total per person was less than $10.00 and we ordered, a cheese quesadilla with guacamole and sour cream on the side, 2 different papusa's filled with cheese and chicken, fries (cause why not?) and a Margarita chicken sandwich. Each order came with choices of two different sides from a long list of options: plantains, chips, beans, rice, fries etc.

The papusa's were actually the main item that was shown on Triple D, and in reality not the groups favorite. The chicken quesadilla won for best lunch choice overall. However, with nothing to compare them to, I can say that the papusa's were unique in flavor and texture, and over all just scrumptious. The most off putting thing about them was that they were just a tad on the room temp side, instead of being steaming hot. They were also really reminiscent of pancakes. These make a great side dish to any main order, but I would not recommend only getting these Salvadorian specials for the whole meal. The margarita chicken sandwich was good. It was hot off the grill and has some really good flavors to it, so if you're in the mood for a good sandwhich, this is definitely an option to consider. BUt overall that quesadilla just had something perfect about it. The right cheese mixture, the appropriate amount of time on the flat top, so many reasons for a perfect bite. As for the sides, the plantain chips were soggy, the rice was excellent as were the beans.

Overall you will not be dissappointed with anything that you order in DC's best kept secret, if anything you will come out of there saying this is a top 5, if not number 1 Mexican/Salvadorian restaurant ever. 

So figuring that this is a hole in the wall, secret restaurant of amazing proportions, this has to be in the middle of no where right? wrong. This is actually located right across the street from DC's historic Eastern Market. This market had to be one of my favorite spots in all of DC (yup it beats out some of the most recognized monuments of America). It is really a unique place, and changes depending on when you visit. During the winter months, there is a Christmas market (outdoors!) with so many great gift ideas from various artisit, including unique jelewry, photos, paintings etc. There is also an indoor food market. This is where you are able to get some really unique food items, or even those things you are craving from the various parts of this world. Inside there is literally everything you can think of, from traditional italian meats and cheeses to the freshest seafood that DC can offer. It truely is a unique experience and one where you will not leave hungry!

So when in DC, grab lunch at Tortilla Cafe, and leave some room for samples as you walk through the historic Eastern Market on your way to see all the many historic sites this great city has to offer.

Adventure on!
-Amanda

The (Rainy) 5-0 Adventure

So my wonderful mother turned 50 this year! (and I am sure she is thrilled I am telling the blog-o-sphere her actual age) but because this was such a momentous occasion, I decided to return home from University and grace her with my presence, (as a poor college student, its the best present I can give). To celebrate this we decided on a family trip into NYC for an amazing dinner at Bobby Flay's first restaurant, the MESA GRILL.

We went on a Saturday night, and let me tell you, if you were to only walk into this restaurant you would have no idea there is a double dip recession going on right now! Every table was packed, and there were multiple couples eating at the bar! Also, even with our reservation we still had to wait a half an hour! It was a local hot spot. Since we did have to wait, I decided to try a Mesa Grill speciality cocktail. I went with the only non-margarita on the menu, and it was quite forgettable (case in point I cant even remember what it was called) It was a cocktail of lime juice, grapefruit juice and tequila and it was also too strong for me. My first reaction was  too make sure I had indeed ordered a mixed drink and not a tequila on the rocks, and then I had to ask the bartender to put more juice in the drink to make it even drinkable for me, even the best tequila still packs a punch! However,everyone in the bar area had these gorgeous pink cactus pear margaritas, and if I ever go back, that is definitely what I am ordering. Also, for those waiting patiently for their table there were bread sticks that really had a kick. From the first small nibble it tasted like  an ordinary herbed breadstick, however with a larger bite, the fire really hit my mouth. I don't know where it came from or how he hid it so well, but those breadsticks were like a drug, even with such a spicy twist, I couldn't put them down and kept going back for more! 

So we finally get to our table, and I powered through that tequila, and our server was quite energetic, maybe even a tad frantic. He was hard to find when we needed him most, and some things we had to remind him about. He did tell me that my cocktail choice was not the favorite on the menu, so for dinner I selected a lovely prosecco (which is my current obsession).  For appetizers I choose the Blue Corn Pancake with bbq duck & habanero chile-star anise sauce but also stole some of the Crispy Squash Blossoms with ricotta, corn, basil and Hot & Sweet Yellow Pepper Sauce. For dinner I went with the waiters favorite, Grilled Lamb Porter House Chops (photo) and  we ordered the roasted corn with chipotle aioli, lime + cotija side dish for the table (even after being told that there would be a wait because they had already ran out of the ingredients for the evening)! And for dessert I got the churro's. The lamb really did pale in comparison to both the duck and the corn, the duck was moist and had such a unique flavor. The lamb here was cooked perfectly, and the tamale was awesome, and not something I usually eat. Overall, I'm not sure this is a dish I would order again.

Its really hard to decided what was my favorite dish I had all evening, it really is a tie between what little corn I was allowed to eat, and the Blue Corn Pancake with duck. My sister will tell you it was the corn, because even after making fun of my mother for ordering a side of corn, she basically ate the whole thing, and wanted to get another. The corn just had the amazing and interesting taste to it, the combination of flavors was so unique, and it was just the right creamy texture. It was not your normal cream corn, and it is an absolutely must have. 

This restaurant is located in one of my favorite parts of the city, right by union square! There is always something going on in this part of the city, and if you are there during the day you should definitely check out the Green Market great local produce that can get you excited for your season appropriate meal at Mesa Grill. Additionally, there is just some hands down great shopping in this neighborhood, for both men and women. 

So to recap: Check out Union Square, grab a Cactus Pear Marg and get the Blue Corn Pancake with Duck and Dont Forget the Cream Corn! (But in all honesty you cant go wrong with anything at the menu)!

-Adventure On! 

Amanda