If you could only eat in five Seattle restaurants for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
This was a topic of discussion at a recent dinner out. If you could only eat at five Seattle restaurants for the rest of your life, which five would you choose? (Assume you are not going to win the lottery, so you need to take your budget into account.)
This might not be the same as your "Top 5" list, because the restaurants (IMO at least) need to cover a variety of situations, seasons, and price points, and you also want a mix of cuisine types. Sometimes you want fancy, sometimes you just want your neighborhood joint or a place with sentimental value.
My five, as of now:
Monsoon (Seattle)
La Carta de Oaxaca
Matt's in the Market
Machiavelli
Delancey
I want to add The Dish here, because I think a good breakfast counter is important. Still working on the list. Other runners-up were Le Pichet, Via Tribunali, The Corson Building, Pink Door, Canlis.
What about you?
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Canlis Restaurant
2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Le Pichet
Seattle, WA, Seattle, WA
Pink Door
1919 Post Aly, Seattle, WA 98101
Via Tribunali
317 W Galer St, Seattle, WA 98119
Delancey
1415 NW 70th St, Seattle, WA 98117
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no particular order
Via Tribunali-I can eat neopolitan pizza almost everyday
Le Pichet-if we can never go to europe again..
Moshi Moshi-painfully torn between sushi & vietnamese
Pasta Bella-homestyle italian is a staple, i would put a mexican place first if only there was one
Blue Glass-someone has to serve me cocktails, beer and breakfast! -
I noticed someone mentioned Maximilens (sp?) in the market...I'm curious about this as the one time I've tried it was honestly the worst food and experience I've ever had in Seattle. It was absolutely terrible and I would never even think of going back. Seeing it on a top 5 is interesting to me.
As for my 5...
Carolina Smoke (Bothell)
Preservation Kitchen (Bothell)
Piroshky Piroshky (Seattle)
A Terrible Beauty (Renton)
Wild Vine Bistro (Bothell)Oddly many of my favorite places are in Bothell....I will say this list is pretty vague (as in its the only 5 I could think of that aren't huge chains). I have an extensive list of places I've been meaning to try but haven't yet due to time/availability/financial restraints.
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Piroshky Piroshky
1908 Pike Pl, Seattle, Seattle, WA 98121Preservation Kitchen
17121 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011Carolina Smoke
23806 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98021›5 Replies-
re: lucasaevans
ardelle
Jan 11, 2012 10:24 PM
This was a pretty expensive faux high-end meal. I'm not blaming anyone for suggesting it, but it was a pretty mediocre meal.
We had the short-rib appetizer. It had inedible thin, stringy green onion on top of the meat. Looked too much like grass or chopped sutures. Absolutely nothing to write home about. C+.
He started with the leek, potato and bacon soup. While tasty, it was ground to mush and somewhat sweet. B+
He had the rockfish. This was fairly a fairly small portion swimming in a coarse and grainy, cheezy sauce that was supposed to be Butternut squash puree. He didn't get the butternut at all and the fish was overwhelmed by the bowl-full of sauce. On top was a few sprigs of broccolini. C-
I had an order of "bibb lettuce and potato salad". Quote: "Bibb Lettuce & Potato Salad. Roasted baby potatoes, daikon, basil, onion ash marmalade". This dish was a few, undercooked potato slices with some basil puree and an egg. That's it folks... No bibb lettuce, no daikon and no marmalade and where did the egg come from? We sent the potatoes back to be cooked. They were rare-hard and not to our liking.
I asked for the drink menu and had to ask for it again.
We shared the bread pudding. It was some bread pudding mixed with a deconstructed cinnamon roll and vanilla ice cream. Perhaps a few nuts were thrown in. Tasty, but not much that was from scratch and not really a bread pudding dessert. C
This and four drinks was $101. It is a nice restaurant, setting, though loud. It is a house and the walls are hard and nothing has been done to tone things down.
Service was average. It was too pricey and pretentious for us.
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In no particular order:
Via Tribunali
Sitka and Spruce
Nishino
Hi Spot
Chez SheaHonorable mention: Spinasse, Spring Hill, 5 Guys Burgers, and Hole in the Wall BBQ
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Spring Hill Restaurant & Bar
4437 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116Chez Shea
94 Pike St. Suite 34, Seattle, WA 98101Spinasse
Seattle, WA, Seattle, WANishino
3130 E Madison St Ste 106, Seattle, WA 98112Via Tribunali
317 W Galer St, Seattle, WA 98119 -
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LOVE seeing Marination on the list! And completely adore Mashiko. There is no other sushi place as far as I'm concerned.
If moving into the mobile food field, I would also add Where Ya At Matt. The shrimp and grits are insane, po boys heavenly, and beignets ... well, there are not words.
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Sorry, I had to include a couple of out-of-towners.
Cafe Vignole, Rainier Beach
Georgia's Greek Deli, Greenwood
Dahlia Lounge, downtown
Bai Tong, Tukwila
Naan & Curry, in Renton-----
Georgia's Greek Deli
323 NW 85th St, Seattle, WA 98117Cafe Vignole
9252 57th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118Bai Tong Restaurant
16876 Southcenter Pkwy, Tukwila, WA 98188Dahlia Lounge
2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 -
Le Pichet
Sitka and Spruce
Either Bamboo Garden or Szechwan 99
Noodle Boat
Huong Binh
Either Kisaku or Maneki
(OK so I have 6)and I may consider substituting Five Guys for one of the above for my greaseball hankerings
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Le Pichet
Seattle, WA, Seattle, WABamboo Garden
202 106th Pl NE, Bellevue, WA 98004Maneki Restaurant
304 6th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104Noodle Boat
700 NW Gilman Blvd Ste E104B, Issaquah, WA 98027Huong Binh Restaurant
1207 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 -
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I've lived here about 9 months now, and have eaten some good food (and of course some not-so-good; such is life) but so far the only place I will enthusiastically put on this list is Paseo (even tho' I've only eaten there 3 or 4 times so far).
I will very much miss Paseo if I ever move elsewhere.
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Seriously in need of a Like button for others' lists.
Green Leaf
Sichuanese Cuisine
Paseo
Crow
Japonessa (as long as they have that HH going)Was tortured not to put down seafood, italian, pizza, and hamburger places, but cheered up that no one will hold me to just this list for ever and ever. My precioussesss
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Sichuanese Cuisine Restaurant
1048 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104 -
Paseo - LOVE this place. Been going for 10 years.
Mashiko - the best sushi, and sustainable
Samurai Noodle - love the rice pork bowl
Fresh Bistro - Pork belly bahn mi
Circa for burgers and La Costa for margaritas - both because we adore the peopleDon't think I could ever live in a city without an International District. We don't eat there every week, but love to shop and cook at home.
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La Costa Mexican Restaurant
206 SW 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166Samurai Noodle
606 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104Fresh Bistro
4725 42nd Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 -
Only 5...OK
1. Sichuanese Cuisine in Redmond, behind Sears. Most authentic Sichuan food anywhere in US, IMHO, and I have been to Sichuan many times, and tried many Sichuan restaurants in US and Canada.
2. Cafe Vignole, south of the "hot" neighborhood on South Rainier Ave. A tiny one-man Italian band of a restaurant, with amazing food. www.cafevignole.biz
3. Italianissimo in Woodinville. Not as comfy as Vignole, but also great food. And closer to my Mom's house.
4. Trellis. OK, so I couldn't afford to eat there every day, but never a disappointing meal.
5. Copper Leaf Restaurant at Cedar Brook Lodge, Sea-Tac. Yes, you read it right, Sea-Tac. A beautiful setting, wonderful service, great food AND near the airport.-----
Sichuanese Cuisine
15005 NE 24th St, Redmond, WA 98052Italianissimo
15608 NE Woodinville Duvall Pl, Woodinville, WA 98072Cafe Vignole
9252 57th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 -
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Yummy Teriyaki - downtown hole in the wall, but it's the best teriyaki in Seattle, especially when you're hungover
Buckley's in Queen Anne - awesome pub with good food and fun vibe
Peso's - for delicious breakfast and mexican dishes
Serious Pie - best pizza in Seattle, hands down
Pink Door - gotta have some good Italian food in the mix
*Elliot Bay Pizza Co (Queen Anne) - I know this is the 6th restaurant I've listed, but I love sandwiches, so I had to include a sando shop on the list. I've lived in Seattle for two years and haven't had a better sandwich anywhere else.
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Paseo's - my latin-inspired fix for a cheap sandwich or a bowl.
Tat's - my sandwich fix that will dual as my greasyspoon.
Flying Squirrel - because you just have to have pizza.
Green Leaf - Viet fix that can duo for both casual lunch and dinner. i can do pho and salads here.
Sushi Kappo Tamura - sushi and hq japanese cuisine, my night out pick*honorable mention would be Yea's Wok and Mike's Noodle House but I can cook Chinese at home.
Yea's Wok - because i have to have some Chinese food
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Mike's Noodle House
418 Maynard Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 -
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Oh there are so many places on this list I haven't been to yet that I HAVE to try!
OK, so my five 'must have' Seattle restaurants would be:
1. Spiced - I actually dread the day I cannot have this food anymore. It will like a loss in the family.
2. Monsoon - The food is essential to my idea of good food and some of the most talented bartenders in the state reside at Monsoon's Eastside location.
3. Shiki is absolutely on this list, because not only do they have some amazing sushi but what really shines for me are the home-style dishes, such as sakura braised sardines (very seasonal) and chawan-mushi. Which is funny, because so few people mention them in their reviews.
4. Before they closed, Crement may have made this list. I only went once and it made a real impression. Unfortunately it closed very soon after I went, so I never had another opportunity. Eating their country French was like a day at home though, and I've always felt sorry I didn't have more than one experience there. I still dream about the cassoulet and potage we had that night.
So, apparently I have only been to three places that I feel I could not live without. I will keep thinking about it...
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terrier
Feb 5, 2011 07:11 PM
Right now:
Pho Bac (on 7th Ave S)
Taqueria La Estacion (in Burien)
Palace Kitchen
Thai Curry Simple
Big Mario's Pizza-----
Palace Kitchen
2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121Mario's Pizza
616 1st Ave Ste A, Seattle, WA 98104Taqueria La Estacion
14820 Ambaum Blvd SW, Burien, WA 98166 -
My five:
Nell's
Salvatore
Etta's
Ray's
NishinoMatt's used to be a fave but I think they are losing their momentum somewhat...had a pretty expensive and medicore dinner there a few weeks ago. I also love Tilth and Cafe Juanita but don't eat there often enough for them to make the list. Le Pichet gets honorable mention for sure. When I worked near Pioneer Square, I could not do without Salumi but now just buy their meats at the Met Mkt.
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In no particular order ~
Chez Shea
Steelhead Diner
Bizzaro
Serious Pie
Maximillian's in the MarketHonorable mention: Brown Bag Cafe (Kirkland), The Shanty, Ray's Cafe,
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Steelhead Diner
95 Pine Street, Suite 17, Seattle, WA 98101Chez Shea
94 Pike St. Suite 34, Seattle, WA 98101Serious Pie
316 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101 -
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babette feasts
Feb 4, 2011 07:06 PM
Good one. My choices for today (may change tomorrow):
Le Pichet, Harvest Vine, Green Leaf, Quinn's, Via Tribunali
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re: babette feasts
babette feasts
May 9, 2012 05:35 PM
Hmm, time to update. I do love Quinns but in truth I've probably always loved Zoe more. Pizzeria 22 boots Via Trib, and I need to make room for Mashiko somewhere. Need to go to Harvest Vine, seems like its been years.
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So since I do not really have the opportunity to eat out much because I work early in the morning and my husband wants to stay home ALL the time I have not been able to go to a lot of different restaurants but my top choices are.....
1.Dennys
2. IHop (in Des Moines on Pac Highway)
3. Sharis (in Kent on Meeker)
4. White Center Pizza and Spaghetti House (my parents have been going there for 35 years, it used to be Alfies Pizza)
5. The Rocksport (love love love their nachos but can not eat them now since I am on WW)›5 Replies -
Jak's - for the Burger
Firenze - for the Bolognese (Crossroads mall)I can only think of 2 that I couldn't live without, these are my goto comfort places that make food I cannot hope to duplicate at home.
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re: pairswellwithwine
Wow - I didn't know anyone else felt the same way about the bolognese at Firenze. That is one of my favorite dishes. Everything I've tried there has been fantastic!!
Another place I cannot live without is House of Hong - the best dim sum and since they got their new chef, their regular dinner dishes are amazing!!
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House of Hong Restaurant
409 8th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
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Paseo
Salumi
Veraci Pizza
Perche No
El Camion-----
Veraci Pizza
500 NW Market St, Seattle, WASalumi
309 3rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104›2 Replies-
re: mrnelso
I'm pretty sure Rainin Ribs just made the list (first trip, last night) Skyler (sp?) smokes his brisket 2 days. Ask for a quick look at the smokers. I may need to take my father in law there tonight.
Do not get the sauce of Bhut Jolokia too close to your food. That stuff is not food, it's a parlor trick.
A fun one, though. Dip the tiniest point of your little plastic fork into it and touch it to your tongue.
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