restaurants

Dragonfish Asian Cafe Downtown near the Paramount

Seattle’s downtown is full of choices.  The Dragonfish Asian Cafe, right across from the Paramount is fun and worth a visit, especially if you’re in the area.  It’s been called “sort of a pop-culture Asian restaurant where you can snack on cuisines from ’round the Pacific Rim” by the Stranger critic, and features a very nice Happy Hour 3-6 and 9-1 daily, and all day Mondays.  Their Happy Hour features $2.95 sake, beer and cocktail specials, and $1.95 sushi.  The roasted duck spring rolls were great, and people love the Lemongrass Lime Ricky (vodka infused with lemongrass and lime peel).  We also tried the deep fried calamari, which was different and interesting with little tempura crumbles added.  Others I’ve heard are good include Chinese bacon and scallion mini-quiche, shiitake and salmon satay with a  noodle salad, and shrimp with cashews and house-made lemongrass vodka sauce.  The Dragonfish website will provide you with four menus, lunch, dinner, breakfast (dim sum on weekends) or happy hour.  Take a look, it’s even fun to read the menu!

 

 

 

http://www.dragonfishcafe.com/

restaurants

Queen Anne Local Favorite, Julia’s Restaurant

There are a lot of great places to eat in Queen Anne, one of the favorite places for locals is definitely Julia’s.  These are the people that don’t bother to review it on Yelp because they already know where they are going when they want a meal out at a comfortable local place.  It’s not really plain, but it’s not prissy either.  Julia’s is in a converted Craftsman house on Queen Anne Ave N, with tables outside on the terrace as well.  When we went there yesterday we choose to be outside…we are not in the tripple digits anymore, thank heavens, but it’s still pretty warm even in the evenings.  Inside there are comfortable antique wooden tables and chairs in several small dining rooms, and as I said outside is the terrace with wrought iron tables and umbrellas.  A mother and daughter took the table next to us near the railing, and they were obviously Queen Anne residents since while they were eating at least 4 passersby stopped for long visits.  This is a community.

The menu is comfortable and inviting.  Our server let us know that recent revisions have added some very interesting bites to the choices.  We loved the Steak Salad.  I’ve had that at other places recently with good results, but this was the hands down winner with lovely crispy onion frittes on top, black olives, and baby romaine as well as truly excellent grilled steak slices.  There was also a great flatbread with garlic and spreads that I would recommend, and a slammingly satisfying double chocolate decadance cake.   If you happen to get to Julia’s, please let me know how you liked it!

restaurants

Costa’s, not just another Greek Diner

Something about Seattle and great Greek Diners go hand in hand, but Costa’s has been one of my family’s favorites for decades.  With two locations, one in the heart of Fremont and the other in the University, the food is outstanding and all fresh and homemade.  From the wonderful breakfasts, to the hand prepared soups and sandwiches, to the Greek specialties Gyros sandwiches, Spanikopita, and Baklava, you cannot go wrong in whatever you order.

My brother, the retired bank executive, began his long and successful career as a dishwasher at Costa’s in the University.  Thirty years ago, I fell in love with the lovely spices of oregano, garlic, and how they would bring color to these round french fries that he would bring home for us to eat.  I still love them and every bite brings back those fond memories.  On my last visit I tried a traditional chicken soup with rice and a lemon and egg whipped inside.  Very unique flavor that really balanced well.  But their Gyros Sandwich will remain my absolute favorite at this neighborhood place.  The pita bread has got to be freshly made with that just baked texture, the lamb and beef meat sliced so tender and spiced so fragrantly to perfection, and the vegetables so crisp, topped off with the yogurt sauce.  If you haven’t tried this dish, you have to do it, and soon.  After a week of the flu, this dish literally brought me back to life.

And for many of us, me included, food is definitely one of the pleasures in life.  Costas, a Seattle landmark by now, for sure, is the spice of life!

restaurants

Casa D’Italia, a little bit of Italy in Ravenna

Neighborhood restaurants are the heart of any city.   We may go as far as to say that the neighborhoods are defined by how many really great joints there are to go to.  Well, in Ravenna, one of these great places is the family run Casa D’Italia Restaurant located at 2615 NE 65th St. 12615 NE 65th Street5 NE 65th Street

 

Don’t miss the nightly specials and desserts.  Angeli bakes the wonderful breads and ricotta cheesecake and grows herbs in her fabulous on-site herb garden.  With a glass of delicious yet well priced wine to compliment your savory famous meatballs, you will feel like you are in a little cafe in Italy that you just happened to stop into off the cobblestone path.  Great neighborhood joint.

Realtor

restaurants

Dim Sum at Sun Ya Seafood Restaurant

Seattle’s Internatonal District is famous for it’s exotic flavors and a myrid of choices, and rightly so.  One of my family’s favorite Sunday morning activities is heading to one of the traditional Dim Sum restaurants sprinkled throughout the International District.  Last week it wasn’t even Sunday, but we were nearby it was lunchtime, and what are we waiting for?  Sun Ya Seefood Restaurant was nearby and we stopped in.

One of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods, the International District was at first Seattle’s Chinatown, which emerged at the edge of Pioneer Square in the 1880’s as Chinese immigrant workers arrived to work on the city’s emerging railroads, coal mines, and salmon harvests.  Now over 100 years later it has matured into the only neighborhood in America where Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asians live and work together, side-by-side.  For Seattlites, the bounty of authentic and diverse asian cuisines is first rate.  But as I said, my family can’t resist the dim sum.  The restaurant we went to has a long history in Seattle, not to mention it’s own parking lot which is important in the crowded area where parking is at a premium and the lot charges are pretty high.  Inside are tanks with live fish, shrimp, crabs and lobster, and a row of roast ducks hangs invitingly behind glass as well.

You can also take a Chinatown Tour, and there is the yearly Seattle’s Chinatown-International District Summer Festival 2009 taking place on July 11 and 12 at Hing Hay Park! There are dancing dragons and lion dances, firecrackers popping, taiko drumming and a whirl of food and treats.  There is also a special kid’s activity corner where the whole family will find enjoyable themed activities.

 

605 Seventh Ave. S.
Seattle, WA
Phone: 206-623-1670

by Edy Kizaki,
Realtor & Team Leader

restaurants

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar in Woodinville

 Stop at this Woodinville Wine Cafe with a widespread reputation for a meal or a tasting experience!
Just 35 minutes East of Seattle, Woodinville is wine country.  It is also a great place to vacation or to live, near all

that is central to the Eastside and close enough to Microsoft’s campuses.  It’s natural that it would be in demand as a great place to raise kids.  But the wineries make it unique in the area and a wonderful afternoon or evening destination if you’re coming out from the City or surroundings.

Vinyard tasting rooms, summer concerts, and great restaurants offering a wide selection of local vintages.  One of our very favorites, and with a name that echos far beyond the borders of the Seattle Metro area, is Purple Cafe & Wine

Bar.  There are now three locations.  In 2001 the first Purple was opened in Woodinville by Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky.  The Kirkland location opened in July of 2003 in Kirkland, and July of 2006 in Seattle.  By the way,

check out their Purple website not only for addresses and information, but to read the great foodie blog as well.  June includes something about “sippers” with wonderful suggestions for tasty summer wine choices and sangrias.

When we stopped by the Woodinville Purple’s recently it was the top suggestion from the folks at a nearby tasting room.  No question, a wonderful choice.  The soups, salads, and entrees were seductively delicious and we vowed to be back soon.  We sat on the patio enjoying the sunshine and the side game of admiring the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cool sports cars in the parking lot.  This is a place to bring your friends, a real destination!  We also saw families dropping by to take a patio table and share a thin-crust pizza with Mom and Dad sipping a glass of local wine in the twilight.  Don’t you love waiters with sparkling eyes fussing

over you?  I do, and the parade of friendly and energetic waiters with a bounce in their step and a sharp interest in whether we had what we needed definitely added to the experience.

Inside a few early patrons sat at the bar which stretched the length of the restaurant, which was vaulted high and dim.  Soon the tables began to fill with crowds of friends out to enjoy what is definitely one of the highlights of the restaurant scene in a town very well endowed with great places.

If you’d like to go wine tasting or visit some of Woodinville’s finest, why not take a look at the Winery Map and get a sense of what’s available.  It would be impossible to cover everything in one day, but there’s a great Woodinville Wine Country website that will help you get started.

 

Edy Kizaki, Realtor & Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
cell:  206-402-9155

 

 

 

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirkland-Seattle-Woodinville/Purple-Cafe-and-Wine-Bar/98942589187#/note.php?note_id=90909056595&comments&ref=mf

restaurants

Happy Hour in Queen Anne

Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood is one of the nicest places to take a walk (it’s no secret that if you want to live in a wonderful walkable neighborhood this is one of the best choices in the city…if you don’t believe me just plug the address of any home you’re looking at into the Walkscore.com site and you’ll see a high rating!), do some shopping, meet a friend for coffee or lunch, or plan a romantic dinner at one of the small restaurants that abound.  But let’s not forget the lively pub scene that is justly said to be, especially in Lower Queen Anne which blends into Westlake near Seattle Center, one of the best hangouts in the city to drink, gab and get together. 

Some of my FAVORITE PEOPLE IN SEATTLE, the Seattle Weekly crowd, has issued a great little guide in this week’s free Weekly, their Happy Hour Guide.  Be sure to grab one at your favorite coffee house, or if you are out of town drop me an email and I’ll put one in the mail to you, as I have a stack in the office.

The Seattle Weekly Happy Hour Guide has five picks for Queen Anne, which are The Spectator, Genki Sushi, McMenamins Pub, Paragon, and Ozzie’s Restaurant and Lounge, with Happy hours listed below.

The Spectator   …   Monday all day, Tue-Sun 4-7 p.m.
Genki Sushi   …   daily 3-7 p.m., 9 p.m. to close (beer $3, sushi $1, side dish $1, daily cocktail $5)
McMenamin’s Tavern & Pool   …   daily 4-6 p.m., 10-close
Paragon Bar & Grill … Mon-Fri 4-7 p.m. (Very Live Music)
Ozzie’s Restaurant & Lounge … daily 11-7 p.m., food 3-7 p.m. daily (5 bars and a summer patio)

There is also a great Happy Hour in Seattle website I recently found, which lists 15 spots in Queen Anne, with ratings (note I found 3 had closed, so I took them off my list…check before you go).  Hands down winner is Peso’s, which a client of mine who bought a condo in Queen Anne also told me is his top choice most times!  Here is my list of places to visit as they got a 4 or 5 rating on the site (I’ve been to Peso’s to meet clients and it’s great, but got no photos for a blog…sorry, next time!):

Jabu’s Pub … 4:30-6:30 daily … “fun little place,” Monday night Bingo
          (Home Fries $2, 2 baby BBQ Onion Burgers or Beer Battered Shrooms $2.50, Wells $3, Drafts $2.50)
Ozzie’s Restaurant & Bar … 3:30-6:30 daily…offers happy hour during Seattle Center events, unusual in QA
          (2 Salmon or Beef Tacos, Shrimp Cocktail, Cheeseburger & Fries, Mini Pizza, Fish & Chips  all $1.95,
            Drafts $2.25, Wells $2.50)
Peso’s Kitchen and Lounge … 4-6 p.m. & 10-1 a.m. daily … busiest & most popular happy hour on QA!
          (22 different appetizers, $4 each)
Ponti … 4-6:30 & 9-close daily … it’s on the Queen Anne side of the Fremont Cut, next to the Fremont Bridge
          (Calamari $5, Scallops $5, Prawns $5, Cheeseburger w/Bacon $5, Wells $3.50, Beer $3.00, Wine $5)
Sport Restaurant and Bar … 3-5:30 p.m. M-F (near Seattle Center, award winning martinis)
          (Pizza $3.55, Wells 4.95, Bud Lite/Kokanee Drafts $1.50)
The Sitting Room … 5-7 p.m. daily

Two other sites that offer great insight on the Happy Hour scene in Queen Anne are SeattleTravel.com, which has great resources for travel here, and the website for Seattle’s nightlife rag, The Stranger, a full resource website that includes a neighborhood bars section.

Edy Kizaki, Realtor, Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
cell:  206-402-9155

restaurants

Queen Anne Sushi Land and Silver Platters Shopping

restaurants

Gorditos in Greenwood…my vote for Best Mexican Food

Admittedly I went to college in a beach town and the tradition of bopping down to a local favorite in flip flops and an old shirt is burned deep into my soul.  I guess that’s why as I see the casually dressed very happy looking patrons in Gorditos passing from the pick up counter to head for their tables I feel a thrill of joy.  On a casual Sunday afternoon I will never ask for anything better than this tip top Mexican Food place in the heart of Greenwood where those in the know show up for the best food in this category I’ve had in these parts.

You can have a huge platter complete with rice and frijoles,

along with choices of salsa, smoky hot sauce and an onion cilantro fresh mix, or order some of the smaller plates.  This time I got the ceviche lime tostada topped with fresh avocado ($4.55), while my

companion choose the fajita taco with chicken and sour cream ($3.90).  I got the cantelope juice drink and loved it…but was way too full!  Yes, they have Corona & some other beers.

Clients of mine, a hip young couple who lived in Fremont and ended up choosing a great townhome in Queen Anne, first introduced me to this great place while we were in Greenwood looking at interesting possible properties.  If the pub scene (see my last post) doesn’t provide enough hot sauce for your Cinco de Mayo celebration, why not try Gorditos?

 

Gorditos in Seattle 213 N. 85th St. Seattle (Greenwood) 206 706-9352   Sun-Thurs 10:30 – 9:00 Fri and Sat 10:30 – 9:30

Edy Kizaki
Realtor, Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
206-402-9155

restaurants

Cinco de Mayo at the Pig N Whistle in Greenwood

Well, everyone must be making plans to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and if you like local beer, select wines, a full bar

and a place that combines laid back Seattle quirky style with a glance back to traditional Irish neighborhood pubs, try the Pig N Whistle tucked happily between  Cobblestone Furniture (used and antique furniture and repairs) and Space Travel Supply (an after-school tutoring and space equipment supply store)

on Greenwood Avenue N, one of my favorite little neighborhood locals in North Seattle.

In celebration of the holiday festivities, they have $2 coronas all day.  Pair one up with Risotto and Dungenous Crab Cakes or (hold on to your hat) Crunchy Pig Ears with Spicy Mustard.  Or maybe Sweet Potato Fries with Smoked Tomato Jam.  If you want a sandwich, how about a Brick Pressed with Salami, Ham, olive spread and roasted green chilies or a Classic Rueben?

With friends, great art on the walls, great local beer, and time to “live laugh and love” as you will see on garden signs in this villagelike Seattle neighborhood, how can you go wrong?  And by the way, seems the kitchen’s open till midnight Mon thru Thursday, and till 2 a.m. Sat and Sun  for when you need a late bite.  Check out the Pig N Whistle website for more info…”Eat well, drink often, happy hour 7 days a week…”

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

 

Edy Kizaki
Realtor, Team Leader
edy@seattlepowersearch.com
206-402-9155

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