SUCH a long hiatus. But school is out the way, and we have a number of places to slap up onto this blog on top of improving the aesthetics of our baby. So without further ado!
Back in mid-April it was another trip outside the usual Bay Area and we have a pack load of things we spotted to eat. It was a 13+ hour car trip but it was worth the journey. We went through Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington sampling the best of the best of hipster environment.
Acropolis
8325 Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard
Portland, Oregon 97202
(503)231-9611
Acropolis @ Portland
Two words for you: Boobs and steaks. Acropolis seems shady from inside and out. It looks like at any moment creepy mutant clowns with chain saws will come out and attack you. However, once you are inside, you will realize that it is a strip club with the many poles and stages. What attracted me to this place was an article on Time magazine. We were on our way up to Seattle and I noticed it was almost dinner time. Time magazine stated that Portland is the land of strip clubs, so what better place to eat dinner? Acropolis is also considered a relatively good steak house. The owner supposedly also owns a farm in eastern Oregon. The cows go from his farm directly to the strip club minimizing overhead costs. Filet mignons are only about $10 and it comes with some garlic bread, bacon, and baked potato. To top that off, we are in Oregon, which means NO SALES TAX!!! Cheap dinner and show. It did get a bit awkward when the strippers started making eye contact with us, but by that time we were almost done. (This was our first time in a strip club) We went during early dinner on a weekday, so it was relatively empty and quiet. When we were leaving, more people came in and more strippers showed up. For what it is, strip club + steak I give this place a - Ducky [4/5]
Voodoo Doughnuts
22 3rd Ave
Portland, Oregon 97204
(503)241-4704
Voodoo Doughnuts @ Portland
Maple Bacon Donut
[~$2.50]
I was certainly attracted to it when I heard maple and bacon together in one place. Although the bacon offered that salty and savory accent to the doughnut, the maple frosting was overpoweringly sweet. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. -Kitty [3/5]
A Plethora of Voodoo Doughnuts
This place is known for its variety of unique flavors such as blueberry violet doughnut, mango jelly filled doughnut or Captain Crunch doughnut. The possibilities are endless. Their most signature doughnut though is the Voodoo Doughnut since it's actually shaped like a little doll with a biscuit stick stabbing it into its red jelly filled center. Overall I felt their doughnuts were all right and the hype primarily came from its novel flavors. Northern Californians, should you dare to seek out funny flavors, I recommend venturing to Psycho Doughnuts in San Jose; they also play around on this theme. -Kitty
Le Panier Very French Bakery
1902 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)441-3669
Le Panier @ Pike's Market
Apple Danish Pastry
[$3.75]
The apples were soft and juicy, and the sugary glaze wasn't overwhelming either. The pastry was flaky and buttery. I really enjoyed this, definitely a good morning pick me up. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Assorted Macarons (Pistachio, Hazelnut, Citron and Raspberry)
[$1.50/each]
I was really excited to find macarons, but when I bit into the shell it was really hard. I had to chomp my way through. Flavor wise they were sweet but no lingering impression or dazzling eye shines produced. -Kitty [3/5]
Overall this is a very cute bakery/cafe. I really recommend coming here for the pastries. Their fresh bread that come right out of the oven seem very tantalizing also. It may be a bit crowded with all the hustle and bustle of tourists but if you can manage to nab a chair and table I think it'd be worth your while. -Kitty
Michou
1904 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)448-4758
Michou @ Pike's Place
Shrimp Bisque
[~$3]
This little deli cafe is right next to Panier. It offers a variety of meats, delis, and salads. I was intrigued by the shrimp bisque and chose to sample that instead. It was a little creamy, not too salty, and had the sweet taste of tomatoes with each spoonful. However I didn't taste any shrimp flavor at all and left feeling a bit mislead. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Piroshky Prioshky
1908 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)441-6068
Piroshky Piroshky @ Pike's Place
Beef and Onion Piroshky
[$4.90]
This place was packed and quite famous even for their Russian pie pastries, so I had to go in and try. I got their signature flavor beef and onion. It was very moist and very flavorful and everything I would imagine in a meat pastry. But to my surprise it tasted very similar to the baked Chinese meat buns that I'm accustomed to eating. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Smoked Mozzarella, Broccoli, and Mushroom Prisohky
[$4.90]
The bread is nice and buttery and doesn't seem as dry that some bread can get. It is a bit greasy feeling on the outside, but it is from the butter. The inside is filled with mushroom and onions. It is quite tasty, but I noticed that Kitty's tasted like a Chinese curry meat pastry, but with 3x the cost. This isn't something that I would crave and probably would not go back. -Ducky [3/5]
Piroshky Piroshky is a small mom and pop shop and has a variety of pies whether you're craving for savory meat pies, savory vegetarian pies, or even dessert pie pastries for the sweet tooth. Ducky and I personally felt it was not all the rave and attention that it got but it's certainly a nice snack stop. -Kitty
The Crumpet Shop
1503 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)682-1598
Maple Butter Crumpet
[~$4]
The crumpet itself was delicious; it was soft and fluffy from all the little pores that formed when it was grilled. The maple butter was a very sweet spread, but it wasn't too much for me at least. The flavor was good, sweet and simple. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Ricotta Cheese with Honey and Walnuts Crumpet
[~$5]
Originally my friend got this crumpet, and I absolutely fell in love with it. A few days later I came back and ordered the same thing for myself. The ricotta cheese and nuts gave it a more complex texture and taste the complemented the softness of the crumpet. I also felt that the honey was a better sweetener than the maple butter I had previously ordered. This is a must order if you are looking to try a sweet crumpet! -Kitty [4.5/5]
This was probably my favorite shop during our entire trip. And where else would I find a cafe that would sell crumpets like these? There's a large window where you can see the worker make batches of theses tasty golden disks. And if you peer into the kitchen you can spot the owner of the shop simmering a home made batch of fruit spread. This is a great place to relax with a cup of tea, and they offer a variety of both sweet and savory crumpets to enjoy. -Kitty
Pike's Place Chowder
1530 Post Alley
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)267-2537
Pike Place Chowder @ Pike Place
The legendary pike's place chowder. This place was a little difficult to find because the store itself is in an alley and not on the main pike's place street. The chowder overall is delicious and it comes with unlimited oyster crackers. I got the classic New England Clam Chowder from probably the farthest place from New England in the continental United States. The chowder has clam, potatoes, and creamy goodness. I feel that the clam chowder in SF Pier 39 is actually chunkier with more clam and goodies, but if you are in the Pacific Northwest it is still worth a try. If you come during vacation months, you should expect a long line out the door. -Ducky [4/5]
The Original Starbucks
1912 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
(206)448-8762
We went to THE FIRST STARBUCKS! just for the novelty effect and I had a gift card to spend. Neither me or Kitty are very big coffee drinkers, so this was basically the first Starbucks visit in 6 months. Kitty ordered the mocha frappuccino; I didn't really know what the frap it was. It is a very icy blended drink with whipped cream on top. I did not really like the flavor or texture, but I'm sure it tastes just like any other Starbucks. This Starbucks sells merchandise like t-shirts, cups, and books. It also has no where to sit. I guess they removed all the chairs and tables to make room for the usual long line that accumulates and to make room for people to look at their gifts and merchandise. -Ducky [2/5]
Paseo
4225 Fremont Ave N
Seattle, WA 98103
(206)545-7440
Paseo @ Fremont
Caribbean Roast
Pork shoulder slow roasted in Paseo's marinade and served with aioli, pickled jalapenos, and caramelized onions
[$8.50]
I have to admit this was an expensive sandwich. I also have to admit that this was one seriously delicious sandwich. Between their succulent and soft marinated pork and their fantastic aioli sauce, it was an awesome lunch item to grab on the go and enjoy it at Gasworks Park. Another must go to place to stop by! -Kitty [4/5]
Paseo Press
Roased pork with sweet banana peppers, smoked ham, swiss cheese, and caramelized onions
[$8.95]
This was an interesting combination of flavors. It was sweet, savory, sour, and spicy all between two toasted crunchy buns. I could taste the deliciously shredded pork with the ham cheese and onions combined with the juicy sweet and spicy banana peppers. Warning though, this is definitely a splash zone kind of sandwich. Juices flow out of the wrapper if you do not hold it snugly so it may get messy. I soiled myself a bit while eating this sandwich, but I will definitely come back to Paseo! -Ducky [4/5]
Samurai Noodle
412 Broadway E
Seattle, WA 98102
(206)323-7991
Samurai Noodle @ Capitol Hill
Tonkotsu Ramen
[$7.50]
We were walking around Capitol Hill's hipster trendy area and came across this place. I read reviews on it earlier prior to the trip but didn't think I'd run into the place. I decided to give it a try. Their broth was creamy and its umami flavor was different than the one's I've had back in California. It wasn't necessarily better, but just different. Their noodles were very good and I was able to see why. At the store front there was a noodle making station where you could see the employees make noodles with the assistance of the machine. Toppings wise...it was a bit lacking and the cha-shu pork had a more western flavor than I would have liked. Overall not a bad place. -Kitty [3/5]
Molly Moon's Ice Cream
917 East Pine Street
Seattle, WA 98122
(206)708-7947
Molly Moon's @ Capitol Hill
This was a hustling and bustling ice cream shop, but it was well worth the wait. Their flavors and quality are similar to California's Three Twins Ice Cream. They're home made with classic flavors of vanilla and chocolate but also has novelty flavors such as Thai Iced Tea and Earl Grey. They also serve sundaes such as Tea Time (which offers Earl Grey and Lavender Honey with tea cookie crumble), but they're totally open to customizing your sundaes. Molly Moon's is truly a great place to get some ice cream. -Kitty
Honey Lavender Ice Cream on a Waffle Cone
[~$3.50]
I love this flavor! I definitely tasted the honey, but the lavender not so much. I could smell/taste the lavender essence and I licked away happily. Molly Moon's ice cream was definitely on the creamier side but it was very tasty. -Kitty [4/5]
Tea Time sundae? It had bee wax sugar? or something like that sprinkled on top. I asked for a combination of earl grey and rhubarb sorbet for the ice cream with whipped cream and tea cookies. This was quite monstrous; this was just a mini sundae too! I cannot imagine how big the full sized sundae would be. This did cost quite a bit about ~$5-6. I could barely finish this and I could feel my blood sugar shoot up as I kept going. The ice cream is very smooth and flavorful, but I would not get this again. Next time I will just get a simple ice cream cone like kitty. Too much for one ducky to handle. [3.5/5] Ducky
Jade Garden Restaurant
242 7th Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104
(206)622-8181
Dim Sum from Jade Garden
Kitty and I felt like trying some of the local Seattle dim sum. We come from the Bay and have had our fair share of dim sum eating. We just got on yelp and found this place in Chinatown. It had a large number of reviews so we decided to give it a shot. We went in with little to no expectations. Good thing because the dim sum there and the experience overall was sub par. The dim sums tasted dry and somewhat bland; the wrappers weren't staying on correctly, and many of them just fell apart once picked up with chopsticks. Definitely a no return from me and kitty. The best part was the chrysanthemum tea... [1/5] Ducky
Fran's Chocolate
2626 NE University Village St
Seattle, WA 98105
(206)528-9969
Fran's Chocolate @ University District
Drinking Chocolate
[~$4]
"Drinking chocolate for four dollars? You crazy!" is what I can hear. But hear me out, I had to try once in my life what hot chocolate is like that's not made from powder. And I have to say, you are literally drinking chocolate. This thing came in a dinky little cup but it was SO rich that it was all I could handle. It was not overly sweet, and it went down very smooth. Definitely worth the $4 experience. -Kitty [3/5]
Blue Moon Burgers
920 Republican St
Seattle, WA 98109
(206)652-0400
Blue Moon Burgers
The Blue Shroom
[~$7]
We came on a Wednesday, which is Half-Off day if you buy a side. I ordered the blue shroom because I love mushrooms in everything. This was a burger with bacon, beef, onions, cheese, and portobella mushrooms. It tastes exactly how it looks. It is very diner burger style. They don't try to make the burgers look nice or any of that jazz; everything is just smooshed together quick and dirty. Toasted bun with melty cheese, meats, and thick cuts of mushroom = heart clogging goodness. Not something I would eat everyday. -[3/5] Ducky
The Blue Hawaiian
[~$7]
My burger had pepper jack cheese, teriyaki glaze, the usual veggies, and of course I had to add on some bacon for kicks. This burger was a hot greasy mess. It's everything I would want when I am craving for meat in bun. I really liked the bacon with the teriyaki sauce. Other than that though, nothing particularly noticeable about this burger. -Kitty [3/5]
Tater Tots
[~$4]
Good ol' classic tater tots: fried to delicious, crispy, golden outside and hot, roof of the mouth burning fluffy potato on the inside. I may have ordered the burger for the sake of getting these tater tots even! There's no mystery to these except how they can bring you to reminiscing about those middle school hot lunches...-Kitty [3/5]
Garlic Fries
[~$4]
Garlic fries that tastes like garlic fries. They add oil and garlic on top of the fries to really sink in the garlic flavor into the fries. Ok, I would order again. [3/5] Ducky
Elliot's Oyster House
1201 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98101
Dungeness Crab Cakes
Crab Cakes with Sweet Chile Lime Sauce and Jicama Slaw
[$17]
Oh these crab cakes were delicious! I could taste the morsels of crab mashed together with the complementing lime sauce. I've always felt stingy towards crab cakes, but these ones were worth it. No extra batter, no random fillers, and no nonsense. Just jam packed full of crustacean goodness grilled into a patty. -Kitty [4/5]
Oyster Rockefeller
Baked Oysters with Spinach, Bacon, and Hollandaise Sauce
[$14]
I know raw oysters is an acquired taste that I have yet to achieve. I do like cooked oysters though. Since we were in Seattle, I might as well get some seafood. I ordered a platter of cooked oysters done rockefeller style with spinach, bacon, and hollandaise. The bacon, spinach, and sauce really complemented the seafoody taste of the oyster. I tasted little to no fishiness from the oyster that I was expecting. However, I do feel like the hollandaise could get a bit too heavy, so I ended up scraping a lot of it off the oyster before I consumed it with the bacon. Although I do like it done this way, I still prefer a simple green onion with black soybean steamed oyster that my father makes occasionally. I would order it again, but not often. [3/5] Ducky
Cioppino
[$17]
Tomato and Herb Stew with Cod, Mussels, Crab, Clam, Scallop and Prawns
I do enjoy myself a nice hearty seafood stew. Though I have to admit I had to work for my food. As classy as this restaurant was, the sophisticated and friendly waiter still put a bib on me before I dug into this fine piece. Although I appreciate the fresh variety of seafood served, the tomato broth was on the salty side. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Fresh grilled Halibut with Black Pearl Barley Rice with Asparagus
[$34]
Halibut, rice, and asparagus. The rice was probably the best part of this dish. It had raisins and beans and other grains. It was a savory, sweet, and crunchy. The halibut was kind of rough and bland and the portion really did not deserve such an expensive price tag. However, I must note that this was in a very touristy area of Seattle, the pier. [2/5] Ducky
The lone soldier. The one raw oyster that I got for "free" from our generous waiter. I wanted to order some raw oysters just to try it out, but mentioned to him that I am not too fond of the fishy and slimy taste of raw oysters. He offered to give me one free to try out. I put free in quotations because this deserved a good tip, which more than covered the one oyster. At the end of it, I still don't like raw oysters... Ducky.
Umi Sake Sushi
2230 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206)374-8717
Albacore Sashimi
[~$5]
The albacore sashimi was pretty good. It came with some seaweed, ginger, and wasabi. It was not too slimy and little to no fishy flavor. Even kitty thought it was ok palatable, but obviously not Kappou Gomi good though. The albacore was slightly sweet and quite smooth. -[3/5] Ducky
Seattle Roll
[~$4]
Not much to say about this. It just tasted like a roll with some salmon, cucumber and avocado. Tastes very california roll like. -Ducky [3/5]
Garlic Short Ribs
[~$4]
They were a bit chewy (but that may just be the nature of having short ribs); for a happy hour item it was very well worth it. There was nothing particularly outstanding about these but definitely a suggestion for fans of this sweet and savory beefy snack. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Bad Boy Roll
[~$6]
I ordered this because, well, I'm a bad boy. It has eel, cream cheese, and avocado. The roll is deep fried and served with a crab-mayo mix. It was a sweet and savory roll plus it is deep fried. Very standard still...-Ducky [3/5]
Chawanmushi
[~$6]
I was so excited to find savory steamed egg on the menu! I just had to try! Although the egg was over steamed, all was not lost. The broth was still wholesome and the chawanmushi was filled with all sorts of goodies from seaweed to the pink spiraled fish cake. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Seaweed Salad
[~$4]
Nothing out of the ordinary with this seaweed salad. It was served with a sweet and tangy vinaigrette which was a refresher from all the fried/hot foods we were eating. Nothing more, nothing less. -Kitty [3/5]
Tuna Sashimi
[~$5]
The tuna was just like the albacore; it has a very clean taste and not too slimy. -Ducky [3/5]
Agedashi Tofu
[~$4]
I'm starting to develop an appreciation for agedashi tofu, which is deep fried tofu served with a savory dashi flavored broth. This one came with topped seaweed and dancing bonito flakes. The outside was still crunchy, even the part that was swimming in the broth! The inside was all-the-way smooth tofu. It was a good way to finish our happy hunt here. -Kitty [3.5/5]
Yellow Leaf Cupcake
2209 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206)441-4240
Yellow Leaf @ Belltown
Acai Berry Cupcake
[~$3]
Flavor wise, I did not taste much acai. It came closer to tasting like an ordinary vanilla cupcake instead. Texture wise, I loved it! This cupcake was on the moist side and they used a creamy frosting instead of its thicker/starchier brother. Plus the little beads offered a little fun crunch here and there. -Kitty [3/5]
Frozen Custard
[~$4]
I'm not a fan of sweet stuff usually. This was no exception. All I can say is how can anyone finish this by themselves?!?!? It was so sweet and SWEET. I bet if I left this out in the sun, no mold will grow on it because of the massive sugar concentration in this thing. It might as well be honey. The only thing that made it palatable to me was that it was cold. Me and kitty could not finish it and just tossed it in the end. Good to try once, but that's it. -Ducky [2/5]
Portland oregon food carts/truck block
SW 9th Avenue & SW Alder Street
Portland, Oregon 97205
Portland, Oregon is like the mother of all food trucks. This was literally a block lined with food trucks. When I found this block I was dying to try every single stall. But due to my limited stomach capacity and the horrified pleas of my friend and Ducky, I restrained myself to trying one food truck from each side of the block.
'
Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a Pickle @The Grilled Cheese Grill
[~$3.5]
This was hands down the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever eaten. I know it may sound horrifying to pay so much for a grilled cheese sandwich, but these guys got the ratios down! The right amount of cheese so it doesn't feel nauseating by the end, the right amount of butter spread to produce a golden crispy outside but grease doesn't start dripping out, AND they cut the crust. Plus a pickle (which I never thought would work so well as a side). I felt so much joy with each and every bite -Kitty [4.5/5]
Pad Thai @ E-San Thai
[$5]
I have to admit I was a little skeptic at first because I thought it would be overpriced Americanized Thai food. Boy was I wrong. For only five dollars, I got a whopping package of gourmet pad thai that beats a number of other places I've been to in the bay area. I was pleasantly shocked. I couldn't finish it all because I had to leave room for other items, but it was still dang delicious the next day. -Kitty [4/5]
BBQ Ribs @ PBC
[~$7]
Can sound a bit pricey, but not a bad deal for four pieces of ribs....four juicy, smothered with sweet smoking barbecue sauce, so-soft-where-it-just-falls-right-off ribs that is. Nuff' Said. -Kitty [4/5]
SAUCE, RIBS, TENDER. -Ducky [4/5]
Jerk Chicken Bao @ BaoPDX
[$3]
It was a piece of small grub that blended a fine fusion of East and West. Originally I ordered the Pork Belly Bao, but they thought another girl was my friend and picked it up for me. Since it was the last one, they felt bad and gave me this bao for free! Plus a can of soda. I am rarely impressed with customer service, but this booth shined. But I digress...I love the bao because it's soft and slightly sweet just like the ones served when you order Peking duck. The inside was a myriad of sweet, tangy, savory goodness that reminded me of the sandwiches from Paseo (scroll up). -Kitty [4/5]
Pork Sandwich @ The People's Pig
[$8]
This was a very fine pork sandwich. The roll it was served in was toasty warm. The salad was fresh arugula with of a bit of a lime dressing. The meat itself was soft, roasted and glazed in its own fat, and unadulterated of any sauce. -Kitty [4/5]
The arugula salad on top of the pulled pork was a very nice touch. It was a nice blend of savory flavors from the pork and citrusy crisp taste from the arugula to complement one another. I would definitely get it again. -Ducky [3.5/5]
Liege Waffles @ The Gaufre Gourmet
[~$3]
Last but not least came dessert. I was very excited to try a liege waffle, which is known for its chewier texture and caramelized sugar coat. Saying it was positively delightful would be an understatement. Albeit a small piece, it was satisfying from its rich batter and crunchy sugar bits. -Kitty [4/5]
Whew! This was a monster of an entry to write, but it was an overwhelming gastronomical experience. Even now we feel appreciative to have had the opportunity to seek out the gourmets of another state. Until next time....!
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