Calabria - Italian

Calabria

Dining Category: Italian

Price: $$-$$$

Address: 132 Lake Street South (Kirkland)

Phone Number: 425-822-7350

Website: www.calabriakirkland.com

Overview:

Tucked away in a corner of a strip mall near the upscale section of Kirkland’s waterfront, Calabria is an Italian place that has outside seating and a lounge in addition to the central serving area.

Food:

B: Funny story-- before I met the wife, I would have said Italian was my least-favorite food to eat when going out. It’s usually crazy overpriced, the sauces are bland, and there’s way too much cheese on everything. (FYI: more cheese does not equal better taste.) However, she opened my eyes to what Italian food could taste like, and I’ve been a bigger fan ever since.

G: Yay me!

B: A definite yay for the wife, yes. Anyway, eating at Calabria reminded me of what I disliked about bad Italian in the first place.

G: I am so glad this was not the first Italian place we went to together, or I would probably have never convinced him to try Italian again. This place was awful.

We had a basket of cold bread brought to our table first. It’s just a pet peeve of mine, but if you’re going to bother bringing out bread would it kill you to just warm it up for a second? It seems to me it’s a pretty easy thing to do.

Insalata de bietole - spinach, lemon vinaigrette, candied walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, onions and beets

Then we had salad. The general idea of the salad is one we both enjoy; a vinaigrette with candied nuts and a sprinkle of cheese, so we were looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. There was waaaay too much cheese on top and the lemon vinaigrette, to me, just didn’t go with the rest of the flavors of the salad. It seemed completely out of place.

B: It wasn’t even a vinaigrette, it tasted like straight-up lemon juice to me. I’ve made better salads after cleaning out the fridge. In addition, the description mentioned beets, but there wasn’t a single one to be found on the plate. Hello?!?

Puttanesca - spaghetti with red sauce, anchovy, olives and capers

Moving on to my main dish, puttanesca is probably my favorite pasta presentation of all time, and I usually say that if

a restaurant can do that well, then the rest of their food is probably pretty good. Let’s just say that the rest of the food here probably isn’t pretty good. The sauce was thin, watery, and lacked any bite, the anchovy taste was too pronounced, and the capers tasted like they hadn’t even been simmering in the sauce. I mean, it might have satisfied the technical definition of what puttanesca is, but it certainly didn’t satisfy me.

Pollo alla Calabria - penne pasta with chicken in a gorgonzola cream sauce

G: My dish was also well below par. I don’t normally order dishes with cream sauces because they tend to be a little on the bland side for me and usually swim in sauce. I decided to give this one a shot though-- what can I say? I was in the mood.

I was incredibly disappointed.

For any of you that have read our blog up to this point, you might recall me making mention of the fact that biting into a piece of gristle in meat is an absolute dealbreaker for me. The very first bite I had of this dish was exactly that.

I considered pushing the plate away immediately after that, but since I knew I was going to be writing for all of you folks out there, I figured I needed to do more than one bite to do the review justice. (But it was hard, let me tell you.)

The subsequent bites did little more to impress me. The sauce was a gorgonzola cheese sauce, which the restaurant claims everyone loves. I am not everyone, I guess. I thought it was the wrong choice completely. The cheese had an aftertaste that was overpoweringly bitter, and the more bites I had, the worse it got. Plus, I felt the penne as a pasta choice was all wrong. Every bite was drowning in the cheese sauce caught up inside and outside of the pasta.

Service:

B: The waiter was attentive, but a little on the smarmy side. Considering we were the only people in the place at the time, I would have appreciated a little less attitude, but he met all the requirements and I don’t really have any significant complaints in this category. We got served.

Closing Comments:

B: Just the other day, I was mentioning to the wife that we hadn’t done a negative review in a while and that the blog shouldn’t go all pollyanna every week. It looks like my wish was granted, but the downside was that we actually had to pay money for bad food - not exactly one of my favorite things. There’s nothing else to say here. With all the great Italian to be had in Seattle, this place shouldn’t even be on your radar.

G: Not only will we never be going back there, I will absolutely not be recommending it to anyone I know. I have to admit to you all, I was embarrassed at how much we paid for this mediocre to pathetic meal. Please, for all that is good and holy, do not eat at this restaurant!

Rating:

1 out of 5 - We’re never coming back.

B&O Espresso - Cafe / Dessert

B&O Espresso

Dining Category: Cafe / Dessert

Price: $

Address: 204 Belmont Ave E (Capitol Hill)

Phone Number: 206-322-5028

Website: n/a

Overview:

A fixture in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the B & O is a great spot for brunch and coffee, and they’re well-known for their wide selection of desserts. Great ambiance and lots of personality, but parking can be a little bit of a pain sometimes.

Food:

Blackjack Chicken Sandwich - jerk chicken, pepper jack cheese, red peppers, guacamole and chipotle spread on herbed foccacia

B: This chicken sandwich is a real favorite of mine. It has a nice, complex set of flavors, but contrary to appearances, it’s actually quite light. You wouldn’t guess so, but the spices and spread aren’t overpowering at all.

G: I agree that the flavors work well together. In the description, the sandwich almost seems like there’s too much on it, but you really can taste each element.

Hummus plate

B: The hummus plate is eye catching, and tastes just like it should. The only real complaint I have is that it would have been nice to have a little more of it. I hate it when the dip runs out and you’re left with a few lonely pita triangles and nothing to put on them.

G: Yeah, there wasn’t really anything unique about the hummus plate-- it was exactly as you would expect it to be. There’s nothing wrong with that; we can all find comfort in the familiar.

French Press

B: I love the French Press coffee here. The B&O used to roast their own beans in the past, and I was sorry to see them let go of that part of the business, but I’m pretty particular about my coffee and I can say I have never been disappointed here.

G: We do tend to lean toward coffee snobbery, don’t we? If you enjoy a nice cup of coffee with your dessert, theirs can’t be beat.

Strawberry tart

B: Speaking of dessert, cherry pie is one of my all time favorite desserts (quite possibly the favorite) but the strawberry tart looked so good, I knew I was going to get a piece two seconds after walking in the front door. The tart was good, but not as good as it looked. It may sound funny to say, but it was a bit too sweet and the crust wasn’t as delicate as I would have liked. Having the French Press to balance it out worked all right, but after having a forkful of my wife’s completely dee-lish cherry pie, I was regretting my decision.

Cherry pie a la mode

G: You totally should have gotten the pie!! I can’t say that cherry is my first pick of pies, but this one was fabulous. It had that great balance of sweet and tart, and was warmed slightly with a side of ice cream. That along with a good cup of coffee... good lord, can’t do much better than that.

Service:

G: I wouldn’t call the service at the B&O bad, but I wouldn’t exactly call it good either. It tends to be pretty mediocre. The waitress was pleasant enough, but we didn’t see much of her.

B: Yeah, being at the B&O sometimes makes me think that I’m lunching at some cozy European cafe, but that doesn’t mean I want European service. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing the wait staff bump it up a notch.

Closing Comments:

G: Overall I really enjoy the B&O, but as we said at the top, parking can be a bit of a hassle though I did see a few signs posted on their doors claiming “parking spots available” at random business around the area. Despite the inconvenience, the food is good, the atmosphere is comfortable and it’s a unique place to bring someone from out of town.

B: Even though the B&O isn’t quite a five-star place, it’s got a special place in my heart. To me, it really encapsulates the ‘Seattle experience’, and it’s been high up on my list of places to go for as long as I’ve been living here. Truth be told, I chose this place as a good spot to take Gina and impress her when we were still early in the courtship phase. Since we’ve been married almost three years now, I think you can guess how that turned out.

Rating:

4 out of 5 - We would recommend it to a friend.

Phuket - Thai

Dining Category: Thai

Price: $

Address: 517 Queen Anne Avenue North (Lower Queen Anne)

Phone Number: 206-284-3700

Website: n/a

Overview:

It's been a long week of 12-hour days, so for this Friday's entry we're pulling out one of our go-to restaurants for a quick and confident rundown. We've been to Phuket several times, and it's been absolutely fabulous every single time. Without further ado (and because we're both freakin' exhausted right now) here's the Cliff's Notes version…

Best. Thai. Food. Ever.

Food:

Chicken Satay - Sweet, tender, and co-co-nutty, they're always done to perfection and come served with a piquant little salad of cucumbers and onions.

Phad Thai with prawns - Unlike most Thai restaurants that phone it in, Phuket's phad thai is always freshly-cooked and full of flavor. If it's the male chef on duty, you'll get a slightly sweeter mix; the female leans a little more savory, though both are excellent.

Broccoli with tofu - a very simple dish, yet one that clearly communicates the complex mix of tastes Thai cuisine can offer. It's absolutely delicious—trust us, you'll be scraping your plate and licking the sauce when the broccoli's gone.

Service:

Phuket is one place where it really depends on who's on duty. Usually things are prompt and attentive, but during the most recent visit, we felt it was a little lacking. Neither of us recognized the server, so maybe it's a new person in training… regardless, it was good enough, and no amount of bad service could ruin food this good.

Closing Comments:

Long story short, we've been to a ton of Thai places in Seattle and this one is hands-down our top pick. The prices are cheap, there's no pretension that some of the swankier places exude, and the food is so good, the words 'diet' or 'restraint'don't exist within its walls. For Thai, this one is (so far) the best place in Seattle, if you ask us… and honestly, we're having a hard time imagining something better.

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 - We would recommend it to a friend. (the missing .5 is for the hit or miss service)

El Taco Loco - Mexican

El Taco Loco

Dining Category: Mexican

Price: $

Address: Corner of 15th Avenue NW and NW 49th Street

Phone Number: n/a

Website: n/a

Overview:

A small taco trailer in the middle of an empty lot, it’s immediately visible to the west of the Ballard Bridge (on the Ballard side). Unlike other similar setups, the owners have built a weather shelter/awning sort of thing to provide diners a place to eat away from the elements.

Beans and rice; Spicy pork taco with lettuce, tomato, rice and beans

Food:

G: The thing I hate most when ordering a dish with meat in it is biting down on a piece of nasty. You know what I’m talking about-- that gristly, chewy piece that anyone who has any sense whatsoever throws away when they are preparing their meats to be cooked. Well I’m relieved to say my pork tacos held no such pieces. Yay!

B: Wish I could say the same, wife. Chicken is usually the safer way to go when you’re talking tacos, but in this case my chicken taco had an enormous piece of cellulite and a hard knob of cartilage.

G: Ok, that’s disgusting!

B: True true. Anyway, the actual edible portion of the chicken taco was bland, oily and tasteless. I definitely wouldn’t order it again. The pork on the other hand, was delicious.

Taco regular - choice of meat with cilantro and onion on corn tortillas (there's gristle hiding in here)

G: I agree with that statement. I was fortunate enough to order the Taco Loco with the spicy pork. Although it wasn’t exactly “spicy” it had a nice flavor and there were a couple of salsa accompaniments that were quite tasty.

B: Good call, the red sauce was a great mix of flavor and heat, while the green sauce came off as being quite fresh. Both were unexpectedly delicious. The beans and rice we put the sauce on was the standard stuff, nice and filling but nothing to write home about.

G: I concur. The beans and rice were just so-so, nothing awful, but nothing great either.

Horchata - rice-based drink made from ground up rice and sugar

B: On a side note, I always like when a Mexican place offers horchata-- a sweet, refreshing drink that’s best described as rice water with cinnamon.

G: Only it tastes a heck of a lot better than that description makes it sound.

B: So I ordered a cup and was horrified to find that it was sour and gelatinous, two things good horchata should never be. The owner of the truck must have recognized the look on my face because he immediately asked me how it was. Normally, I would just say “Fine” and toss it in the trash, but for some reason I felt like I could be honest with him. Could have been his eyebrows. Anyway, to his credit he mixed up a new batch on the spot and replaced it, the new stuff being exactly what I was looking for. Disaster averted.

Service:

G: Refer to previous statement... both gentlemen in the taco truck were very friendly and our food was ready in minutes. It’s refreshing to eat somewhere and have it recognized that if the customer isn’t happy, they won’t come back.

B: Yeah, they were super friendly and I can’t imagine that it’s easy to keep a smile on your face when you’re stuck inside an aluminum fry pit on wheels. Kudos to these guys.

Closing Comments:

G: I am hyper critical when it comes to the food I eat, I admit it. If I don’t like something that’s put in front of me, I have no issue with writing the place off (I can’t help it, it’s just the way I’m wired). Except of course when the staff are so freaking nice. It makes me want to tell everyone to run right over to that taco truck and order your hearts out. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be doing much of a service to you foodies out there to tell you to run, not walk, to get some mediocre food, which overall, is exactly what it was. It was okay, but nothing more.

B: Yeah, I agree. The guys working there had a good vibe, and although I might have another one of those spicy pork tacos, the truth is the food there really wasn’t anything to go out of your way for. If you have a couple of bucks in your pocket and you happen to be right there, great. If not, no big loss.

G: But they were super-duper nice!

Rating:

3 out of 5 - We could take it or leave it.

Ocho - Tapas

Ocho

Dining Category: Tapas

Price: $

Address: 2325 NW Market St (Ballard)

Phone Number: 206-784-0699

Website: n/a

Overview:

Located in the space formerly occupied by Matt’s Famous Hot Dogs (We miss you!) on Market Street. It’s a very small, cozy space dominated by the bar and with just a small handful of tables on the opposite wall. For those who may not be familiar, tapas is Spanish-style dining consisting of small plates, almost a series of appetizers.

Food:

Lomo - Spanish cured pork loin, valdeon blue cheese and grapefruit

B: Starting with the pork dish, the meat wasn't as salty or as rich-tasting as I would have liked. It was still a good way to start, with the flavors blending in a pleasant way, and the grapefruit’s sweetness was a good complement to the tang of the blue cheese.

G: I’m not as big of a fan as my husband is of meats paired with fruits. However, I did enjoy with tang of the grapefruit with the pork. The taste of the blue cheese was a little stronger than I would have hoped for, but overall the dish had a nice variety of flavors.

Huevo del Diablo - Deviled eggs, capers, chorizo bits, manchego, and pickled asparagus

B: This dish had a stunning presentation; I can honestly say this is the first time I've had purple eggs. However, the taste was too understated and subtle for something so visually impressive. I could barely register the chorizo bits on top, and it tasted like a standard deviled egg for the most part. Kinda boring.

G: I have to agree with that last statement. I was looking forward to the chorizo and capers, but I can’t say that I tasted either of them. The yolk mix was a nice consistency, but come on... my grandmother can make that stuff for me whenever I ask. I would expect a little something more from a new “hot spot”.

Alcachofas - Fried artichoke hearts with allioli

B: In what became the theme of the afternoon, the dishes all had noticeably impressive presentation, but the flavors left me wanting more. These fried artichoke hearts were hot and oily, but the sauce with them had almost no flavor. I really felt as though this plate was missing an element needed to make it pop; perhaps a vinegar or spicier dipping sauce.

G: I also felt that this dish was following in the footsteps of what we had so far. It was beautiful, sounded great, but packed very little flavor punch.

La Carolina - Blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in pancetta

Gambas al Ajillo - Spicy garlic prawns

B: I hate to repeat myself, but ditto this dish what I said about the artichoke hearts. The plate on the right (the "spicy" garlic prawns) had the garlic and they were actually prawns, but there was no spice at all. The sauce was rich, but it was nothing I’d ever order again. The dates were better, but again, too subtle. Tango on Pike does a nearly identical thing, but with twice the flavor. None of this was bad, just not bold enough.

G: The prawn dish was just okay. I could taste the garlic but not much else, and the prawns were a little underdone for my tastes. The date dish would have been better if the flavors had been turned up a notch or two and had a little less of the overwhelming blue cheese.

B: I can understand working with what you have, but the blue cheese was showing up in too many dishes. A little variety would have gone a long way.

Pan con Chocolate - Chocolate almond toast, flor de sal, and truffle oil

B: At this point in the meal (the end) I was feeling pretty full, but not at all satisfied. We decided to try the only listed dessert for the hell of it, and it ended up being the best thing we had that night. There was a touch too much truffle oil soaking into the bread, but the hot spice and salty flavor atop the chocolate was mind blowing, and something I would come back for.

G: Not that I don’t have my own opinions on things, but I would have to once again agree with the husband. So far in the meal I was feeling more than a little disappointed that things were not living up to their exotic descriptions, but when it came to this little dish, I got more than I was expecting. The taste was an interesting and intense mix of flavors. It’s one of those things where you take a bite and there is this amazing underlying essence you can’t quite put your finger on, because although it makes the dish outstanding, it was a bit unexpected. I could be convinced to come back for one of these and an cup of coffee.

B: The thing was so oily that having coffee on top of it would be an invitation for heartburn, but I feel ya.

Service:

G: The service was quite good, I must say. The waitress was prompt to our table, very friendly and kept a good eye on us through out our stay. True, there are only about 6 tables in the tiny serving area, but good service is good service. No complaints here.

Closing Comments:

G: I realize that after reading this review you all may think we hated the place. Actually that’s not true. Although I felt completely underwhelmed by almost all of the dishes, the flavor choices and pairings were quite good, just not enough. The dishes each have maybe one or two bites per person. For something so small I expect a good punch. If I was having an entire plate full of dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in pancetta, then absolutely tone it down. For a bite or two, wow me! I thought the atmosphere was very nice, warm, intimate great place to take ladies on a date.

B: My feeling was that the food was good, not great, and although the prices were about right and the place had a cute vibe, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that things weren’t tastier. That said, I do admit that the dessert was awesome and I might come back just for that.

One final note, I was a little appalled to see that there was a dog hanging out inside the restaurant. I am a dog guy, but I don’t want dogs in places that I eat, and I really didn’t appreciate being snuffled in the crotch as soon as I sat down. Maybe some of you would call me uptight for saying so, but the dog has got to go.

Rating:

3 out of 5 - We could take it or leave it.