Well, the end of the year is almost here, which means that it's time for bloggers everywhere to put together their "Best of" lists. Everyone loves being a critic, and nothing is more satisfying for bloggers than to dish out their opinions on unsuspecting readers; it makes us feel smart and important. In keeping with that grand tradition, I am presenting you with my annual list of the best (and worst) restaurants of 2007. Obviously, I can't include all of my favorite restaurants, so I am limiting it to the places in Seattle that I tried for the first time in the past year. Also, keep in mind that most of these are not new restaurants, but they're new to me, and that's what counts.
Best (in no particular order):
Monsoon- Very nice Asian restaurant on Capitol Hill. A little pricey, but worth it. Everything was delicious, and the scallops were the best I've ever had.
Fu Man Dumpling House- About a quarter of the price of Monsoon, but equally satisfying. The green onion pancake was awesome: layers of soft dough, pan-fried to perfection. Actual Asian people eat here, unlike Monsoon.
La Spiga- Very large, industrial-looking space, but comfortable and stylish. I had some kind of gooey pasta dish with cheese and ground buffalo...like a really good version of Hamburger Helper, if you can imagine that.
Wing Dome- I avoided this place for so long due to a particularly bad chicken wing experience (not at the WingDome) many years ago, but this place has fantastic wings. The least-gay restaurant in Seattle.
Ohana- Hawaiian/Japanese restaurant in Belltown. I had a bento box with some of the best beef teriyaki I've ever tasted. Lots of tacky Polynesian decor inside, if you like that sort of thing.
Worst:
Kona Kitchen- Terrible Hawaiian food, sort of like the opposite of Ohana. The Kalua pork was soggy and salty, and everthing else tasted like it came out of a can. The place looked sad and run-down. Owned by a former child actor, which probably explains a lot.
Kalia- I went here because it's owned by the brother-in-law of one of my co-workers, and it's in my neighborhood. Indian food is usually fairly dependable, but not this place; everything was awful.
So there you have it...the best and worst of Seattle. Feel free to send me any tips on your fave/least-fave eating establishments. Bon appetit!
4 comments:
Wait just one minute. I am confused. As an avid reader of you highly informative blog I await your every word. However, I just made a disturbing discovery that leads me to question every thing that I had grown to trust about you ad the insightful words that you share with the world! Now I do not intend to offend, but I need to ask do you have an identity issues, are you hiding from the mob or part of a witness protection program, or something of that nature? For your sake I hope that something like is not the case. However, for the sake of my stability, I hope that there is some hidden part of your past that is not apparent in this blog that can not be shared publicly. As I said, it is not my intention to insult you (you who I admirer so much and hold so close to my heart) But I now think there is something you cant tell us (oh god I hope that is the case) OR you are a LYING RACEST out to destroy my world. I say this after seeing your so called picture (see post dated Nov 19), that depicts you as a man of color in chains and glasses. However, in your post dated Nov 11 you describe yourself as “a pasty-faced gringo “ It is this apparent contradiction that has shattered my fragile world. Not to mention the fact that you then went on to make fun of that poor retarded boy who everyone loves….. it is not his fault that the show got canceled, so keep your pent-up hostility on the inside. It really is better that way. We all must live with the truth like it or not. SO what is it GRAPE BOY are you raciest or do you just think it is funny to deceive your reading public?????? Remember it is you who set out to brighten our worlds…… that is not a task that should be taken lightly.
With love and concern
Hi Michael,
Thanks for writing. I'm sorry if I caused any confusion in regards to the picture I posted of myself on Nov 19. I am indeed a white man, although I do enjoy dressing up like a young black rapper from time to time. Let's just say that it's a personal fantasy of mine, and I'd rather not discuss it in a public forum such as this.
I would also like to apologize to anyone who was offended by my post about Urkel. Concords Are Better loves people of all colors, religions, and mental abilities. At the urging of my life trainer, I am currently undergoing an extensive course of sensitivity training, and I expect to be fully cured in about six weeks or so. Until then , please forgive my occasional outburst of negativity.
Love, Grape Boy
You're so weird...
When I first heard that Brian was planning to start this blog, I felt the same emotions that many of you probably felt as well. Admiration. Pride. Wonder. A little bit of awe. And above all, anticipation. I envisioned this blog as a forum for learning and discussion, where Great Thoughts would be bandied about by author and reader alike for the enrichment and enjoyment of all. Perhaps some cogent commentary on current events and political affairs ... educated discourse on art and music ... passionate debate on the future pathways of man and civilization. You know: kind of like an online Reader's Digest. And above all, a celebration of the Life Ophthalmic. Little did I know that it would quickly degenerate into a mere recitation of the various foodstuffs which Brian aspires to cram into his gaping, ravenous piehole. And the saddest part is, it didn't have to be this way! I know Brian, probably about as well as anyone else around, and I know that there's so much more to him that we're just not seeing here.
Like beverages. If you read this blog from cover to cover, you still wouldn't even begin to get a sense of Brian's abiding interest in libations and potables. Often they contain exotic juices, such as mango, or blueberry (interestingly, he has a fairly low regard for grape juice!). Sometimes, they contain alcohol. I would estimate that Brian's focus in beverages is about one part alcoholic drinks and three parts non-alcoholic drinks, no pun intended. His devotion to things imbibable has resulted in a number of new, unique creations: the Pap Smearnoff (papaya juice and Smirnoff vodka), the Lumberjack (Canadian Club and maple syrup), the Flaming Brian (later modified and used in a Simpsons episode), the Emmanuel Lewis (Shirley Temple with a squeeze of Hershey's syrup), and the Night Stalker (Captain Morgan dark rum and celery). At one point, he even contemplated publishing his own mixed-drink manual; but that was before he bought a Fry Daddy.
But that's just scratching the surface. As a longtime friend and acquaintance of Brian,, I could go on for hours about the other things that command his attention. Such as phad thai. And gyozas. Sweet jesus, does the man like gyozas! (I would share a few anecdotes to illustrate this point, but I suspect Brian will tell them himself here in due time.) And ...
Now that I think about it, those are just other kinds of food, aren't they? So what else is he interested in??? Have to think, have to think hard. I mean, I've known him since the early 80's! You wouldn't expect this to be so difficult ... Video games. There we go. He definitely likes video games. And ... ice cream. And ...
You would not believe what a chore this is turning out to be! My head is literally throbbing from exertion right now. I'll have to get back to you all later ...
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