FOOD NEWS: Dino's Tomato Pie Opens on Capitol Hill

Photo Credit to Alex Garland

Brandon Pettit, owner of Delancey and Essex, opened Dino's Tomato Pie on Capitol Hill! The new bar and pizzeria is on the corner of Denny and East Olive Way. Brandon is bringing his delicious pizza to Capitol Hill after having much success at his popular Delancey in Ballard.

The pizza is not the same as those served at Delancey. It is served square and with a thick crust. The name of the new pizzeria is an homage to a New Jersey pizzeria called Joe's Tomato Pie. I can't wait to try the pizza at Dino's!

Dino's Tomato Pie
1524 East Olive Way
Seattle, WA  98122

FOOD REVIEW: Brunswick and Hunt

Brunswick and Hunt menus.

This review has been a long time coming. Brunswick and Hunt is one of my new favorite restaurants in Seattle. The restaurant is owned by longtime Seattle restauranteurs and brothers, Barry Rogel and Scott Rogel. The name of the restaurant, located at 70th and 15th in Ballard, has a great story rich in history.

When you enter the restaurant, you will notice the beautiful front bar to the right, made of American oak and birch. There is also an accompanying back bar in front of the kitchen. They were built near the end of the 1800's in Iowa by Brunswick Balke Collender and Company. In the early 1900's, the bars made their way to Winlock, Washington. That's where Barry and Scott found them. They had the bars moved to Seattle for a complete restoration. Opposite the front bar is a massive landscape painting by RJ Bocense titled, "The Hunt". As the story goes, The Hunt was painted as a companion piece for the "Brunswick", the front bar. The bar and painting have been together for over 100 years. The brothers had them both installed in their restored glory in the aptly named W.E. Hunt building in Ballard, and Brunswick and Hunt was born.

Heavenly Brunswick fried chicken with slaw and potato salad.

Brunswick and Hunt prepares fried chicken, one of my favorite foods, to perfection. The portion is generous with a breast, the leg and thigh joint. The chicken was juicy with a crispy, golden brown skin that is drizzled with truffle-honey. I could have easily ordered another helping. It is accompanied by a delicious coleslaw and a purple potato salad.

This ain't your Grandma's cornbread!

My friends and I also ordered the corn bread with honey butter to share. That is some seriously tasty corn bread.

Open kitchen offers great views of food preparation.

Brunswick and Hunt offers seating at the back bar that faces the kitchen. I love restaurants that allow you to watch the chefs in action. You get to witness all the fresh ingredients that are combined to create their delicious dishes. Not only is it entertaining, but you can learn a few things in the kitchen!

Brunswick and Hunt delivers farm-to-neighborhood food, and they do it right. I'm looking forward to many more visits to try out all of their other tasty offerings!

OPENING SOON: Pecado Bueno is coming to Eastlake!

Pecado Bueno is coming to my neighborhood, Eastlake! I'm excited to see a business finally take over the former Quick Stop Grocery & Deli location at 2352 Eastlake Ave. E., and I'm really excited that it's Pecado Bueno! This will be the third location with the other two in Fremont and West Seattle. They are owned by James Schmidt who co-founded Taco Del Mar with his brother. James is no longer affiliated with the Taco Del Mar chain. The Pecado Bueno Eastlake location is scheduled to open the second week of September. I'm looking forward to the opening, and I'll write another post after my first visit.

FOOD REVIEW: Urbane at Olive 8

More and more local restaurants are offering fresh, local, organic food. Urbane at Olive 8 in downtown Seattle is doing it right. Urbane is committed to sustainability and featuring local ingredients. They source a majority of their raw ingredients from within a 200-mile radius of their restaurant, reducing their carbon footprint.

Summertime BLT with organic mixed greens salad.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a nice lunch at Urbane this week. Their menu offers a great mix of small plates, sandwiches and large plates. I ordered the Summertime BLT with a side salad. The sandwich comes well stacked with all fresh ingredients of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado on whole wheat bread. The BLT was delicious! The bacon was crispy and it had just enough avocado to give the sandwich some good flavor. I really enjoyed the side salad also, fresh organic mixed greens, radish, Willamette Valley aged gouda and verjusnette.

Sign of a good meal.

As you can see, I really enjoyed the sandwich and salad.

Apples and caramel dipping sauce.

For dessert, I went with the very simple, but very tasty fresh apple slices with caramel dipping sauce.

Oh, so good.

Urbane dining area.

The restaurant itself is nice, clean and minimal. Urbane is one of very few restaurants in Seattle with LEED Silver Certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide a standard for environmentally sustainable construction and operating practices. This certification adds to Urbane's commitment of sustainability, not only with their farm-to-table food, but with their day-to-day operations. I'm impressed with their efforts, and I can only hope more Seattle area restaurants take on the same commitment.

View from window towards 8th Ave. and Olive Way.

Urbane is one of over 90 restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries that will be participating in the Sunset Supper at Pike Place Market on August 14th. This is one of the best parties of the summer! Proceeds from the Sunset Supper benefit The Market Foundation. Their mission is to end hunger, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without, right at Pike Place Market. Find out more about the Sunset Supper at their website, and be sure to purchase tickets to the event to sample some of the region's best food and drinks!

REVIEW: The London Plane

Last weekend I had Brunch at The London Plane in Pioneer Square. I have been wanting to eat at this cafe since it opened a year ago. The London Plane is owned by Mathew Dillon who also owns the popular Sitka and Spruce, The Corson Building, bar ferd'nand, and bar Sajor. It is also a partnership between Katherine Anderson, owner of Marigold and Mint. The London Plane is one of many new restaurants that have opened in Pioneer Square over the last year that has started a revitalization of Seattle's oldest neighborhood.

The London Plane is located at 300 Occidental Avenue South. It is a corner space in a beautiful historic building. The space has huge floor to high-ceiling windows that just flood the space with natural light. When you enter the cafe you are greeted by a large table of beautiful flower arrangements from Marigold and Mint. The counter to the right offers fresh bakery goods and an array of salads, soups, and other delicious looking food items. There is seating available upstairs on the second level that offers up a great view of the main dining area and cafe bar.

I was really looking forward to trying the food at The London Plane. Matthew Dillon had huge success with Sitka and Spruce, so I had high expectations. I decided to start with one of the baked goods, as they all sounded so delicious. I wanted to go with the orange scented morning bun, but they were unfortunately out of them that morning. I went with my second choice, the warm biscuit with seasonal preserve and crème fraiche. I'm not going to lie, this biscuit with the preserve and crème fraiche was one of the best biscuits I have had in a very long time. So I'm kind of glad they were out of the morning bun. 

I love Brunch. It gives me an excuse to have an alcoholic beverage in the morning. Not that I really need an excuse. The Mimosa was very tasty and it was a generous pour. So we were off to a good start. Next came the main dish.

I ordered the salt cured king salmon with marinated beets, fennel, crème fraich and a boiled egg. First off, the presentation of the food was amazing. The food almost looked like a floral arrangement, and it tasted as good as it looked. Everything was so fresh and full of flavor. I really liked the paper-thin shaved radishes. I'm a big fan of fennel, and this dish had just the right amount to not overpower the salmon, which was delicious! The boiled egg was just slightly more than soft boiled and the yolk just slowly oozed when I cut into it. I would definitely come back for more of this dish.

The London Plane is also a specialty foods store. They offer foods, gift ideas, cookbooks, soaps, cards, tableware, and other great food-related items. I highly recommend stopping into The London Plane,either for some delicious food, or to wander through their store items. If you do plan on going for dinner, I would suggest making reservations, as they tend to fill up very quickly.

 

FOOD REVIEW: Loulay Kitchen and Bar

Loulay sign above kitchen.

It was my birthday recently and for my Birthday dinner, my friends took me out to eat at Loulay Kitchen and Bar, Thierry Rautureau's newest restaurant in downtown Seattle. I'm a big fan of Chef Rautureau's other restaurant, Luc in Madison Valley, so I was excited to try out his latest restaurant. Loulay is named for chef Thierry Rautureau's hometown of Saint Hilaire de Loulay in France. The restaurant is located at Sixth and Union on the Sheraton Hotel block.

Huge mirror and lights at Loulay.

The interior of the restaurant is very spacious. There is seating at the chef's counter, similar to Chef Rautureau's other restaurant, Luc. There are high-backed booths and tables in the main dining area on the first level, as well as, a 24-seat bar area. There is a balcony area that gives a perfect bird's-eye-view of the kitchen and main dining area. There is also a mezzanine level that seats about 30 diners and can be used for private parties.

View of dining area from balcony at Loulay.

I loved the energy of the restaurant. All areas were full of diners enjoying their food and wine. I can easily see Loulay becoming one of my favorite Seattle restaurants.

Amuse Bouche of Ceviche on toasted baguette.

Almost as soon as we sat down in our booth, we were greeted by Chef Thierry Rautureau himself! Thierry is well-known to visit with guests at his restaurants. He loves to chat with his patrons and get to know them. I've had the pleasure of talking to Chef Rautureau at Luc, and I was very pleased to see him yet again at Loulay. He mentioned that everything on the menu was delicious, and after looking it over, I agree, it all sounded very good.

Appetizers of Beet Salad, Duck Sliders, and Crab Beignets.

For a started, we were treated to an Amuse Bouche of Ceviche on a toasted baguette. It was the perfect little starter to what would be a most enjoyable dining experience. For our appetizers, we ordered the Beet Salad, Duck Sliders, and the Crab Beignets. All of which were spot-on and delicious.

Lamb and Polenta

For my main course, I chose the Lamb and Polenta. As expected, I was not disappointed. The lamb was tender and the delicious sauce gave the dish so much flavor.

Beignets with sour apples, malt ice cream, and caramel.

For dessert, we ordered the Beignets with sour apples, malt ice cream and caramel. The powdered beignets were reminiscent of the ones I've tried at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 

Chocolate Truffle Cake with a praline bar, lemon cremeux, roasted white chocolate ice milk.

I also ordered the Chocolate Truffle Cake. It was complete with a praline bar, lemon cremeux and roasted white chocolate ice milk. This dessert was the perfect finish to an amazing night of delicious food.

It was a pleasure meeting The Chef in the Hat, Thierry Rautureau.

Chef Rautureau was nice enough to take a picture with us. He is an amazing Chef and I wish him all the best with Loulay. I will definitely be back for many visits.

FOOD REVIEW: Skillet Diner's Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Skillet Diner's Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Friday night I tried the grilled pork tenderloin at Skillet Diner in Ballard. It was delicious! It is herb crusted and comes with parsnip puree, cider demi, scapes, and white bean ratatouille. The pork itself was very tender and juicy. The flavors of the puree, demi and ratatouille were a perfect combination with the pork tenderloin. I was surprised by the large serving I received. I could have easily saved half to take home for lunch the next day, but it was so tasty I couldn't stop eating. This dish could easily be shared between two people, but I was a pig and ate it all myself. No regrets! I must also comment on the excellent service we received. We had 12 in our party, and our server was amazing! A must try are the made-to-order doughnut holes. You get 6 per order, and they come out piping hot!

REVIEW: Golden Beetle

I finally made a visit to a restaurant I have been wanting to try for some time now. Golden Beetle is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It is owned by Maria Hines who is the winner of the 2009 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest. In 2005, she was named one of Food and Wine magazine's 10 Best New Chefs. Maria has competed on "Top Chef Masters" in 2010, and also appeared on Food Network's "Iron Chef America". Maria's first restaurant, Tilth, which opened in 2006, was named one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the country in 2008. Because of all of these great credentials, I had high expectations for my visit to Golden Beetle. I was not disappointed. First off, I loved the décor of Golden Beetle. It has a Mediterranean vibe with a lot of Moroccan-style lights throughout the restaurant.

 

Now for the food. I started with the Summer Greens and Pickled Cherry Salad. The salad was a generous portion of greens with sumac vinaigrette, feta cheese and chopped hazelnuts. This salad had the perfect flavor, and I really enjoyed the pickled cherries, something I had not previously had on a salad. 

 

Summer Greens and Pickled Cherry Salad.

For the main entrée, I tried the Fire and Honey Chicken. At first I thought this might be too hot for my liking, but I was feeling adventurous. To my surprise, it wasn't all that hot. It had the right amount of heat to make the dish very enjoyable and flavorful. Not to mention that the chicken was cooked perfectly and topped with some Freekah. The chicken came with a side of lemon cucumber and some greens. I would definitely recommend this entrée on your next visit to Golden Beetle.

Fire and Honey Chicken

For dessert, I tried the Chocolate Truffle Torte. All I can say about this dessert is that is was delicious. Just go in and try it for yourself, you won't regret it.


Chocolate Truffle Torte

I'm looking forward to my next visit to Golden Beetle. I also want to visit Maria Hines' other two restaurants, Tilth and Agrodolce.




FOOD NEWS: Tom Douglas to Open New Falafel Restaurant

Tom Douglas

Eater Seattle reports that Tom Douglas is set to open a new Falafel restaurant next to the Paramount Theater in downtown Seattle. The opening is set for sometime this Fall. The new eatery will also serve beer and wine. Tom Douglas is a James Beard Award winning chef with over a dozen restaurants in Seattle.

REVIEW: LloydMartin

Tonight I joined some friends for dinner at LloydMartin on Queen Anne. This was my first visit to LloydMartin. The restaurant opened its doors back in October. It's a great little place. There is a full bar to one side of the restaurant that is adjacent to the tiny, open kitchen in the back corner. The opposite wall has windows with a view into the wine room. I love a restaurant that prints up small menus daily. LloydMartin offers a few new items each day. It's nice when the menu changes up quite a bit.

We started our meal with the house mozzarella, fava bean vinaigrette and focaccia bread. This was very tasty! I love good bread, and this was good bread. The fava beans with vinaigrette were delicious, and the house mozzarella was the perfect consistency. All three make a great combination.

Next I went with the arugula salad. I can honestly say this was one of the best salads I have had in a long time. It had a generous portion of cut up warm bacon, dates, Oregon bleu cheese, rye & sherry vinaigrette, and toasted pecans. I could have easily eaten this as my main course. So delicious.

My main course was the rabbit. I haven't had much rabbit in my life, but if it's this good, I will definitely eat more of it! This was prepared almost like a hearty soup or stew. The rabbit was accompanied by cipollini (onion), gnocchi, carrots, asparagus and rabbit jus. The rabbit jus was so flavorful I wanted to lift up the bowl and drink it! This meal would be perfect on a rainy autumn day, Hell, it's good anyday!

For dessert, we ordered the chocolate-hazelnut cake with chocolate-toffee ice cream. Both, of course, were so good. The cake wasn't too heavy or rich. The top of the cake had a chocolate shell coating sprinkled with hazelnuts. The ice cream wasn't as chocolately as I was expecting, but it was still very good with small bits of toffee throughout.

I will definitely make a return visit to LloydMartin. Every item on the menu sounded very tasty. Our server mentioned to us that all the pasta is made fresh daily. I can't wait to come back to try some of the other deliciousness LloydMartin has to offer.