Seattle Restaurants

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by james_timothy

Think 40th and Wallingford.
Then you don't know what you are talking about. Wallingford's almost universally accepted eastern boundary is 1-5 (where it borders the U-District). Many of it's restaurants are on 45th between 1-5 and Stone Way (Same place they probably were LAST TIME you ignored them).

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by james_timothy

You are an archeologist, then?
No, but It doesn't take a genius to figure out that places like Bizzaro, Dicks, and etc. have been around forever. I think 86 or 88 is when Bizzaro opened. and I think that Kabul opened in the early 90's, As did the Blue Star. Like '92 I think

 

[Stavros]

Monkey Bridge in Ballard for the best family-style authentic Vietnamese.

King Fish cafe in First Hill for a memorable Southern/Creole cuisine (which is not very common in Seattle).

El Quetzal in Beacon Hill for EXCELLENT authentic Mexican (helpful to have a Spanish speaker in your party).

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by james_timothy

People stand in line for Beths?

Yeah, since at least 1996 when I came back to Seattle. Nearly every weekend. Idiots. It isn't getting any better with the Food Network coverage either. Now even more tourists or people who for some reason want to split a 12 egg omlette full of chili and sour cream for breakfast are going to be standing in a line around the corner. Now that IHOP is gone, and there isn't a Denny's closer than Ballard, I guess nobody can figure out where to get a disgusting greasy breakfast. The smallest omlette you can buy there is 6 ******* egg plain Omlette for $7.25! ( you have to eat it all yourself though, if you share it, they will charge you an extra $2 because they have to give whoever tastes an omlette "unlimited hashbrowns"... Not sure why.) Home of the $10 breakfast burrito. I don't know what it is, but I like my omlettes with at most 2 eggs. Saw someone eat a 12 egg at The Hurricane once (back when the threat of a fight, or a fire was equally real) and it grossed me out. I could probably eat a 12 egg if I wanted to, but I'd hate it.

 

[james_timothy]

You gotta understand that my view of Beth's is as the divey neighborhood breakfast joint down the hill from my house, along a run down strip of Aurora, next to the 7-11, and a block up from... the pawn-broker/vintage western store. Across the street from the Jack in the Box. People stand in line for Beths?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by james_timothy

You gotta understand that my view of Beth's is the divey neighborhood breakfast joint down the hill from my house, along a run down strip of Aurora, next to the 7-11, and a block up from... the pawn-broker/vintage western store. Across the street from the Jack in the Box. People stand in line for Beths?

Out the front door and around the side of the building sometimes. Like I said. breakfast time most weekends for the last 13 years at least. And it is still the divey neighborhood breakfast joint on a run down strip of aurora, and there is a 7-11 across the street, Two bars down the block, and... Jack In The Box is probably further away from Beth's than say... Wallingford.

it's all the way up on 85th and 99. Edit: I just checked, and if one is to believe the Google Maps scale, then JiTB is 5000 feet from Beth's. And The Blue Star in Wallingford is about 5500 feet away. Looks like I lose.

 

[james_timothy]

I guess it shouldn't make me crack up like that.

But people used to line up to get into the J&M Cafe, too, and I never understood that. But in comparison to standing in line for Beths it is entirely rational- at least there was a great bar inside.

 

[james_timothy]

Nope. It still makes me crack up.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Well that's what happens when you become famous and touristy. Red Mill is somewhat similar, but I don't even bother going to the one on Phinney anymore. I go to the seemingly secret/slightly larger one at Interbay.

The difference between Red Mill and Beth's is that Red Mill is actually GOOD.

 

[james_timothy]

You don't really live in Seattle unless you've been to Dick's.

Then I gather eating at the Dicks in Spokane doesn't count?

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by james_timothy

Then I gather eating at the Dicks in Spokane doesn't count?
Different restaurant. Completely unrelated. To clairfy, Dick's in Spokane is not affiliated with in any way, Dicks Drive-In restaurants. In my opinion, Dick's Spokane sucks, Zips isn't too bad. But Spokane is a backwater shithole. I'll be glad if I never see it again.

 

[james_timothy]

Ahh, you admit to having been there.

 

[zippyh]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Not sure how long ago you are talking about, but at least half of those restaurants were there when GWB was elected the first time. A few were there when Reagan was re-elected.

If you were there before that, I don't think frat boys were as big a concern.

The Blue Moon is a block from Wallingford. Which means that it's a block from pizza by the slice. It's also about five blocks from Dick's. Frat boys can't walk five blocks?


Frat boys have always been a concern at that Dick's.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by zippyh

Frat boys have always been a concern at that Dick's.
Notice I said "As big"... The kind of judgemental person who avoids going to Wallingford because of "frat boys" is probably worse than the frat boys themselves.

 

[mmkn]

Originally Posted by philosophe

Please recommend your current favorites and share any other Seattle food secrets.

There used to be no connection I could make from the West to Tru/Alinea [Chicago] to Jean-George's in the East, but now, there is.

My wife and I tried this, and you can see the genius of Belickis in the recipe. The man's also a fanatic purveyor of fresh product. We had some scallops that were never frozen from catch to table, and Yeowza.

- M