June 30: Easy Joe's American Pub [CLOSED]

[CLOSED LATE JULY 2018]

For some reason, I thought Easy Joe's* just opened, but I'm seeing mentions of it online from five years ago, and of its location on Capitol Hill from before that. Maybe it's the construction of Cherry Street Coffee's new digs next door that's made me overlook it.

On this sunny Seattle Friday before a four-day weekend, the place had maybe a dozen people in it. Some were obviously regulars; one of them switched bar seats back to "her spot" after another patron finished up. Service was friendly, happy, and helpful -- I might even say "perky" -- fast with beer suggestions, a menu, the wifi password, and refills. Despite the brickwork and dark woods, the pub wasn't nearly as dimly lit as I expected. The large windows facing First Avenue let in a lot of bright sunlight, and the early 90s pop (Red Hot Chili Peppers "Hey Oh") made it feel a bit brighter. And then "The Piña Colada Song" came on to add a little WTF flavor to my lunch.

The menu gave me some tough choices. I've been thinking about a big plate of nachos for a few weeks now, but don't really want to eat a whole pile by myself. I'm glad I found somewhere that has it, though. I considered the bacon cheeseburger, but I'm trying to cut back a bit more on my beef consumption. I almost settled on the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, readying myself for disappointment thinking it wouldn't live up to Hole in the Wall's flavor. I wanted something lighter, though, and prepared to order the chicken taco salad. At the last second, though, I turned the menu over, saw BBQ pork tacos, and knew that's what I'd be having.

The tacos arrived quickly, as described: a side of tortilla chips, and two flour tortillas with coleslaw, pico de gallo, and chili lime sour cream (not red, hot, nor very chili pepper-y). The bartender delivered it with a fork and stack of napkins, because she knew better. I messily dug in. Although I did my best, the first bite on one end of the taco sent a creamy blob of pico and pork glopping onto my plate and fingers. Yay, napkins!

It tasted wonderful. The BBQ pork was warm, the slaw was cold, and the sauce was mild. Together they blended into a perfect bite of contrasting temperatures and of sweet, spicy, and mildly bitter flavors. Before I knew it, the first taco was gone and I was about to start on the second. Several tasty globs of sauce/pork/pico were in my way on the plate, so I happily scooped them up with a couple of chips. Mmmm.

The tacos and nachos also appear on their 4 PM happy hour menu. I'm inclined to suggest to my co-workers that we stop by for future after-work socializing.

So good. Next time, maybe the chicken taco salad.

Easy Joe's American Pub
704 1st Ave.
BBQ pork tacos, diet Coke, $17.20

* Yes, I know that link points to an old page on archive.org. EasyJoes.com seems to have been pointing to their web hosting provider's placeholder page for several months now.

 

Nibbles: Kigo and Halal expand; Radici gets busted; trucks get halved

Kigo's not-yet-open 105 First Ave S. location

Kigo Asian Kitchen looks to be expanding their three Seattle locations to a fourth, on First Avenue, between Delicatus and Taco Del Mar. There's no indication as to how soon "coming soon" is, but I'm looking forward to trying their stir-fry bowls.

The Halal Guys seem to have quite a following for their chain of gyro joints, so I expect lines once their first-in-the-Northwest location opens up next to Merchants Café (101 Yesler Way). Eater.com said "this spring", but I walked past it this afternoon, and they've got a ways to go. Someday, a restaurateur will go conservative on their projected opening date and surprise me.

(Late edit: The Seattle Times is reporting that 13 Coins hopes to open its Pioneer Square location in late fall, moving out of their south Lake Union site at the same time. Their lease up north ends December 1, so maybe they'll be one to surprise me. The "coming 2017" sign has been up at 2nd and King Street for several months now.)

We're down from four food trucks to two in Occidental Park, and it looks like that's the way it'll be for a while. No idea why. Maybe other spots around town are doing better during tourist season? I think Westlake's food truck scene has expanded to five trucks, but I'm not certain of that.

And more to blame the tourists on: Three times in the last few weeks, I've tried to go to Jack's Fish Spot at Pike Place Market. All three times the line has been out to the street and I've given up. <sad emoji goes here> I ended up one day at Los Agaves, but was disappointed with their nachos. Cold refried beans? Really?

Tsk, tsk, Radici

Meanwhile, back in Pioneer Square, Radici looks like they've gotten their wrist slapped by the Liquor Control Board. In their window this morning was this notice of liquor license suspension (at right), for "sale or service of alcohol to  minor", which looks like it has been in effect since Friday. Their suspension ended today, according to the sign.

Still good, with nothing new to report: Taco Del Mar, Pizza Professionals. And Einstein Brothers Bagels (600 4th Avenue -- city hall) was fast and non-notable. I'm saving my review for a return trip when I'm not rushing between meetings and can do more than quickly toss it down my gullet.

For months, I've been craving a good quality piece of Key lime pie, or a Key lime tart, or something similar. I've had no luck. Any ideas, readers? London Plane, Café Umbria, Grand Central Bakery, and the Starbucks pastry rack all struck out.

June 19: Manu's Tacos

Actually, I've been to Manu's Tacos twice before, but just never blogged it. There's not much to say about this little window next to Flatstick Pub, other than the street tacos are $3, and are available after hours downstairs at Flatstick.

I've had the chicken tacos all three times, which are small yet satisfying, and come with onion, black beans, cilantro, green sauce, a wedge of lime, and messy fingers. Good stuff, quick, close, and tasty. Grab extra napkins.

Manu's Tacos
Three chicken tacos, $9.90
210 S. Main St.

Food safety: Spotted an "OK" in the wild

On the way to Tat's today, I noticed the new food safety rating sign in the window of Nirmal's. If you haven't yet noticed these signs everywhere, it's because the Seattle/King County health department just started rolling out the new signage system in January.

Restaurants get rated Excellent, Good, Okay, or Needs to Improve. I've only seen Excellents and Goods before today, which according to the health department accounts for 90% of the restaurants. But today, I encountered one of the 10%:

The health department says "Okay" means "the restaurant has had MANY red critical violations over the last four inspections." In Nirmal's case, it was handwashing issues and food storage temperatures that earned them the "Okay". During Nirmal's routine inspections, it received a score of 80 at its May 8 , preceded by a clean scores January 27 and last year on September 14, but received a 75 last July. A subsequent inspection on May 22 shows they remedied their defects, getting a clean score again.

Meh. It's probably Okay to eat there.

May 26: Delicatus

Earlier this week, a co-worker came back from Delicatus complaining about their Reuben. It just wasn't very good. Another co-worker chimed in agreeing: avoid the Reuben.

Nevertheless, it's been on my list of places to eat ever since I started this project, After failing to get lunch at Jack's Fish Spot (encountering tourist crowds like I'd never seen there before -- it is the Friday before Memorial Day), I wandered back down to Pioneer Square. Sure, I'll take my chances.

The first choice: table service downstairs, or get it to go upstairs? I can bus my own table, and getting a seat overlooking this gorgeous space sounds appealing.

The next choice: something from their extensive menu. Even though it was a warm sunny Seattle day, I like warm sandwiches. I love how their menu is humorously northwest focused (Ballard Lox, The Duwamish, The Ciscoe). I settled on the Mudd Honey, described as "roast beef, smoked turkey, bacon, white cheddar, horseradish aioli, house BBQ toasted on an Italian roll." I added potato salad and iced tea.

It took longer to order than it did to get my food; I grabbed the bag and headed upstairs. The potato salad came in a plastic tub with a lid, which means it was probably scooped out that morning or the night before. Unwrapping the foil from the sandwich revealed that the white cheddar had once melted but quickly re-congealed. Did they really just make this?

The Mudd Honey was dripping with BBQ sauce, which made it messy and -- I'm not complaining -- completely covered up any of the horseradish taste. Unfortunately, it also covered up the porcine smokiness of the bacon and any of the subtleties of the beef and turkey. In retrospect, without looking at the menu description, I could have pointed out the BBQ, the turkey, the roll, and remember seeing a few bacon chunks fall out onto the foil, but don't remember the beef at all. It wasn't a bad sandwich, and I did like the BBQ sauce, but a little warmer and a little less sauce would have made it a little better.

The potato salad, on the other hand, was not good. It tasted to me like bland, cold mashed potatoes. No chunks of potato, no perceptible chives, celery, peppers, cucumber, pickles, or other greenery. Worse, no tanginess of vinegar or mayo. I had three bites and gave up. Cold mashed potatoes aren't my thing.

I've read a few reviews of Delicatus, and it really seems hit-or-miss depending on the food item. Avoid the Reuben. Avoid the potato salad. The Mudd Honey is good enough. The Chief Stealth (not Sealth?) and Fire of 1889 sandwiches get promising coverage. I'll try one of those next.

Delicatus
103 1st Ave S.
Mudd Honey, potato salad, iced tea, $15.69

Mapping Weyer's Lunch

Thanks to co-worker Ryan Wasell, we've got a map of locations visited in Weyer's Lunch. You can find the direct link in the sidebar. I think it makes navigation so much easier. Give it a try.

May 23: Aloha Plates

"OK, Google. Find Wendy's near me."

Ballard. Tukwila. Too far to go, even with ReachNow's $5 one hour special today.

"OK, Google. Search best cheap lunch in Seattle."

Eater.com has a list. Number six is Paseo in Fremont, but they write, "There's even a second location now in Sodo." A Cuban-style sandwich sounds good. Salty pork sounds really good. But a look at their menu reveals they're not quite what I was looking for. At around $11 per sandwich, the $5 drive will make it a pricey lunch. Above that, I'm now remembering my parking rage from using ReachNow yesterday. What else comes up in the search results?

Well, there's this article from The Stranger. The very first recommendation is for a Hawaiian/fried chicken place on Capitol Hill. Hey, there's an idea: Spam. Rice and Spam would hit the spot. Salty pork. Mmmm.

"OK, Google. Find Hawaiian food near me."

Bam. Top hit: Aloha Plates. Just inside the International District area, it's an eight-minute walk. It's sunny. It's cheap. Time for lunch. I check out StreetView, see the entrance and storefront, and head out.

Don't use the entrance. Don't go in the storefront. Turns out that even though it's got a glass door with the name of the place and the hours on it, it's the entrance to the back of the kitchen. "UberEATS?" asks the cook when he sees me. No, I'm not picking up to deliver someones food. He helpfully points me to the door on the other corner of the kitchen, which leads me into the bustling Uwajimaya food court.

The cashier is ringing up customers at a feverish pace, and it's quickly my turn. I order the Freestyle Combo with teriyaki chicken, brown rice, macaroni salad, and Spam. About five minutes later, I spot an open table and grab a seat. Three minutes after that, my order's up. I pop open the clamshell tray and dig in.

What can I say about Spam? They fried the two slices up well, with light browning around the edges. The teriyaki chicken was mildly sweet, but a little stringy. The brown rice was puffy and filling -- I couldn't finish all of it. The macaroni salad was unremarkable. Overall, pretty decent, like I'd get from L&L Hawaiian BBQ. Authentic? No idea.

I'd never been in Uwajimaya before, and spotted at least five other places in the food court worth a try. That's more spots to put on my to do list, I guess.

Aloha Plates
503 S. Weller (in the Uwajimaya food court)
Spam, teriyaki chicken, rice, macaroni salad, Diet Pepsi, $11.43

May 19: Orient Express (and bonus Georgetown Brewery)

Last Friday, on the way back from running errands, I spotted the Pick Quick in SoDo and stopped for lunch, just like I used to when the office was in Federal Way and I ran errands into Fife. While waiting for our burgers to arrive in the pouring rain, my co-worker and I spotted the Orient Express across the street. The bright yellow paint somehow still gave the appearance of fading and neglect, and the rail cars that make up the dining space seemed to have been assimilated over time, like a scavenger's Mad Max vehicle.

"What do you think it's like in there?" I asked. From the outside, it looked a little scary. "We should have lunch there," my co-worker dared me. No way. And then, on the way back to the office, I read aloud "The Crazy Things That Happen Inside Orient Express" from The Stranger to my captive co-workers:

[Orient Express] is composed of seven antique train cars, one of which was once Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal transport. Flashing neon lights and a Candy Land color scheme reminded me of the dives near the house I grew up in. ... The voices in the karaoke cars (yes, they exist, and are rumored to contain lasers) were audible through the layers of polished wood and photos of FDR chomping cigars ... The upholstery tacks in the car's tall, luxurious leather booths are topped with huge fake diamonds [near] the fluorescent glow of a huge fish tank where orange, football-sized fish swim in slow circles. There seem to be entrances to 10 different rooms in the lobby—a woman at the front desk directed me to the bar car. Old photos lining the walls give the place a museum quality.

—Sarah Galvin, November 2014

"OK, we've gotta go there next week," my other co-worker said. Fine. So I sent out a meeting notice titled "Dare to eat lunch at Orient Express", warning "while out running errands, we spotted this scary looking dive. I read a review from The Stranger, and it looks quirky, even by their standards. Care to lower your expectations and meet up here for lunch? Chinese and Thai food. Allegedly. You’ll have the weekend to recover."

I got four takers. One backed out. So today, we checked our antacid levels, noted the "$7.95 Lunch Specials!" sign, and headed inside.

It's just as the article described. The fish greeted us from their tank as a noontime karaoke singer's voice wafted from the back. The hostess asked use to take any seat we'd like, so we took the one next to the entrance to FDR's train. It smelled sweetly musty, like a hotel room where the air freshener is successfully covering up years of cigarette smoke. Three bins of pull tabs perched behind the bar, where another patron was nursing the end of his morning whiskey. Bright sun filtered heavily through the curtains on one side of the car, casting a yellow glow on everything, making it all look a little older, a little smokier, a little grittier.

Service was quick, and our waiter apologized for the cold air inside of our train car: "we just opened".  The menus are heavy on Americanized Chinese and Thai foods, which is fine. If I wanted authenticity, I'd eat in the International District.

While we waited for our food, the waiter opened up the Presidential Car, perhaps to help raise the temperature of the room (its windows face south), perhaps to let us take a look. I poked my nose in, looked around, and shrugged. It was less fragrant, more musty, but I can check that off of my list of things I've seen.

Diet Cokes and tea arrived shortly after, and our food wasn't far behind. The appetizers arrived with the meals, but that was really the only service faux pas, and they were good. The BBQ pork was warm and cut thickly, unlike the cold ones I've come to expect. The pot stickers were outstanding.

I ordered the chicken pad thai; the 3-star spiciness level was hotter than I expected. The crushed peanuts were sparse or missing altogether, and the noodles were slightly mushy, but it still went well beyond my expectations.

One co-worker had the kung pao chicken, which he said was really good. Another had the Mongolian beef, which she said was flavorful, but was mysteriously close to room temperature. My third co-worker had pad see yew, which unfortunately had what my family calls "lumberjack noodles", which is when strands of noodles stick together during cooking, leading to a mass of solid noodle with no way for the sauce to penetrate.

The Chinese meals came with Hot and Sour soup. My co-workers reviews are mixed: one thought it was just OK, the other thought it was pretty good.

I didn't experience it, but I've read the trip to the restrooms is labyrinthine. My co-workers confirm.

Would I go back? Sure. At the $7.95 price point, it's one of the best deals in town. Our waiter made sure to let us know that they deliver for free anywhere downtown, but really, it's more about the experience than the food. The food itself is well above mall quality, which put it way, way above my expectations.

Bonus: After lunch, we hopped back in the car and went a little further south to the Georgetown brewery. They've got a free tasting counter and rapid growler exchange. I tried a shot of the Gusto Crema coffee ale, which smelled just like the coffee we've got in our kitchens (because that Caffé Umbria product is exactly what it's made of). It was so good, I grabbed a growler that I'll somehow need to figure out how to bring on the train. Worth it.

Orient Express
2963 4th Ave S.
Chicken pad thai, half an appetizer, Diet Coke, $15.40

Georgetown Brewery
5200 Denver Ave. S
Growler of Gusto Crema ale, $10.00

Kung pao chicken

Pad see yew

Mongolian beef

Chicken pad thai

May 18: Wood Shop BBQ

I've gotten several food suggestions from co-workers and other locals, but this is the first I received from out-of-state. Las Vegas-based acquaintance Mitzula tweeted out last Friday, announcing the grand opening of Wood Shop BBQ's brick and mortar location out in Leschi:

Hey Seattle Peeps....go eat BBQ, seriously it's good!@Adarael @Viking_Lass @chinbeard @smidgemcduff @Goobers515 @DomesticDan @Hyper_RPG https://t.co/PDHBB3u8he

— Mitzula (@Mitzula) May 12, 2017

That's a long walk, a set of inconvenient bus rides, or a couple of cheap Uber rides. However, their food truck has recently appeared in Occidental Park for lunch on Thursdays, just a few feet from my desk. I considered ordering them on Uber Eats last Friday, but by the time I tried, they were unavailable. I circled today on the calendar and waited.

Meanwhile, I asked Mitzula what was good.

@laurict @Adarael @Viking_Lass @chinbeard @smidgemcduff @Goobers515 @DomesticDan @Hyper_RPG Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Beef Ribs are all great, the Mac & Cheese is LEGIT

— Mitzula (@Mitzula) May 12, 2017

I ordered the "Woody": pulled pork, smoked jalapeno mac & cheese, pickled red onions, and BBQ sauce. A few minutes later, a tray of goodness was handed over. I grabbed a fork and some napkins, headed back into the office, and dug in.

Mitzula's right. The mac & cheese is legit.

The macaroni is a firm pipe rigate (thanks, Google!) that holds the creamy sharp cheese like an open-ended tortellini. The jalapeno is subtle at first but wakes up after a few moments. The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy. The pulled pork was, perhaps, a little too moist, but that's a matter of personal preference; it was till very good. The pickled onion was crisp and mild.

So, next time I'm craving BBQ pulled pork, do I get it here or at Hole In The Wall? Tough choice. Hole's pork is slightly smokier and chewier, but their cornbread isn't as good as Wood Shop's mac & cheese. I think it'll come down to this: if it's Thursday, Wood Shop. Any other day, Hole In The Wall.

Wood Shop BBQ
Food truck on Occidental Square (and 2513 S. Jackson)
The "Woody": pulled pork over mac & cheese, $12.11

F.X. McRory's closing June 11, will re-open nearby

The Seattle Times reports that F.X. McRory's is closing June 11, after 40 years in its Pioneer Square location. No worries -- it will be moving to a yet-to-be-announced location somewhere nearby. Details at Pioneer Square’s F.X. McRory’s is moving .

May 8: Zocálo

Zocálo. That accent on the "a" seems... odd.

Zocálo had their soft opening on May 5, and readily admit that they're still working out the kinks. For a new place, that's to be expected. Their full opening is Wednesday, May 10. You should eat there. It's pricey, but very good.

Led by partners Greg Smith (Urban Visions, Cherry Street Coffee) and Joe Bisacca (Elysian Brewing), I'd worried two weeks ago that Zocálo would have the same lack of focus that I felt from its sister property, Cherry Street Public House. While Zocálo's menu doesn't have a laser focus, and isn't exclusively "modern Mexican as is currently being executed in Mexico City" as early reports indicated (rockfish?), it's also not diffused or scattershot.

For my first meal here, I did aim for central Mexico, ordering the chilaquiles: "tortilla chips with queso fresco, salsa rojo, and egg." I chose well -- the meal was delicious and filling. If everything else on the menu is this good, I might be spending way too much time here.

Full bar, really a requirement for anywhere in Pioneer Square

The tortilla chips were thick and a little heavy, making them easier to eat with a fork. Swimming in a light rojo sauce, they took time to soften up. That's fine -- who wants soggy tortilla chips? A lightly fried egg was delicately placed atop the chips. My first poke at it released the yolk. Diced avacado, mildly pickled (?) onions, and crumbled queso fresco were sprinkled across the top, and pepper was freshly ground tableside upon delivery. Coarse salt is served in small square tasting dishes. Let me be the first (and hopefully last) to point out that this isn't Margaritaville; don't go looking for lost salt shakers.

Chilaquiles

Individually, the chips, egg, and rojo sauce would be fine. Combined with the other flavors, they shine. Yes, it's become the hipster thing for restaurants to put a fried egg on everything they serve, but chilaquiles have been that way for centuries. Here, it really works.

The biggest downside to the dish was the temperature. Everything, including the egg, was lukewarm. Perhaps the chips were stored at room temperature, the red sauce was refrigerated, the bowl was chilly, and these took whatever heat the fried egg brought. If it's 20 or 30 degrees warmer, we've got near perfection.

Chandelier of keys

Service was solid. I ate at the bar, and never waited more than a few minutes for my drink, the check, or answers to my questions. Yes, there's a few kinks (iced tea isn't brewing yet, a TV is struggling for a signal), but those will work themselves out soon. The menu says that the larger plates are served with tortillas, but the chilaquiles aren't. When I asked, however, they were offered anyway. Made in-house, they were warm and comforting -- and heavy.

The space is large and, well, spacious, and has one of the largest ceiling fans I've ever seen. Light fixtures are artistic -- pages of a novel or old keys soften and reflect the bulb.

The happy hour menu will come out on Wednesday, May 10. I'll update this post with that info when I see it.

Also, it's on the expensive side, even for Pioneer Square. Craft cocktails are $12-$15. Glasses of wine start at $9. My entreé was $14. Overall, though, it's a good, good choice with a promising future. I see at least three more things on their menu I'm looking forward to trying, including the chicken Milanese.

Zocálo
200 Occidental Ave. S.
Chilaquiles, corn tortillas, and Diet Coke, $22.22

Sit in the right spot, you've got
company wifi access!

May 2: Kraken Congee

[Closed July 29, 2017]

I'm sure that this is amazingly good congee. It's a tad on the expensive side but it gets great reviews and folks who know congee recommend it highly.

Unfortunately, after trying congee at Lucky Dragon (Las Vegas) and now at Kraken Congee, I realize this: I don't like congee. I can't give it a fair review. So instead, I turn to my good friend Stefon for a tour of their menu.

"Opened in 2013, its deep underground vibe has everything. Steep stairs, bricks, and a soundtrack from the playlist of a 1997 syphilitic leprechaun. Travis had a dish I call 'Piggy had nothing.'"

And what's that, Stefon?

"That's when you get pork belly, congee, corn nuts, Depeche Mode crying, and a creepy girl hiding from a coyote wailing about his caviar-filled flowers."

Ooookay. And what else?

"Your co-worker liked his 'Barenaked Swaduckenee.' Remember that?"

I don't think that's on the menu, Stefon.

"Well, they call it 'duck confit,' but it's a bowl with duck parts, bok choy, a raw chicken egg, congee, and chickety-china, the Chinese churro, served while Björk questions your life choices while wearing feathers from your meal."

OK, I think that's enough, Stefon.

"Shout out to my Wu-Tang brother, Ghostface Killah!"

Kraken Congee
88 Yesler Way, downstairs
Pork belly adobo congee, Chinese donut, lemonade, $23.70

Zócalo "hopes to open by May 5"

An article in yesterday's Puget Sound Business Journal quotes Zócalo owners Joe Bisacca and Greg Smith: they hope to open by May 5. The 7500-square-foot restaurant is scheduled to be a music venue for Upstream Fest on May 11, so my fingers are crossed that they'll hit this date. Previous missed dates include "late March or early April" (Seattle Times) and "the first week of April" (deleted Monster.com bartender job posting).

As I mentioned in my February 14 post, the PSBJ article says the restaurant wants to avoid Tex-Mex and create "something different and better than just rice, beans, and tacos."

Chef Jeffrey Hunter says he'll start with Mexican cuisine, but looks forward to adding "cool things going on in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Peru."

On the way into the office today, I was chatting with a co-worker that I feared Zócalo would have the same lack of focus as its sister property, Cherry Street Public House (waffles, quiche, Persian stew, and BLT?). The chef's inspiration here -- Mexico, plus most of the South American continent -- doesn't assuage me.

"Opening soon: Elysian CEO and developer Greg Smith team up for Zócalo restaurant (Photos)" (subscription required, or the ability to parse the hidden parts of the article out of the HTML)

April 26 and 27: Radici

[Closed June 13, 2018]

I walk past Radici on the way to work every day, yet I've always thought "it's too expensive" or "it's mainly a bar with Italian food as a side thought." I was so wrong.

I'd stopped in here a few weeks ago, not for lunch, but for the happy hour. The steamed manila clams were some of the best I've had, with cloves of garlic in the broth so flavorful and delicate they nearly dissolve on the tongue and are worth trolling the bowl for. The crispy polenta bites with honey are like little puffy cornbread squares, slightly crisp on the outside and rich and gluttonous in the middle. But that was happy hour. How's lunch? We went here to celebrate our hard-working admin, and...

O.M.G. I ordered the $9 "Rudy's Red" spaghetti, no meat, and they knocked this one out of the park. The pasta was cooked perfectly, al dente, not the slightest bit mushy or crunchy. The sauce didn't commit the sin of wateriness; tomatoes are mostly water, but it's important to cook it down, filter it out, or (scandalous!) add a thickener for a good American-style spaghetti sauce. It's also very possible that any small bits of residual liquid were absorbed by the pasta, another reason to very slightly undercook it. A few flecks of basil sprinkled across the top presented the best spaghetti I've had in months. It looked, smelled, and tasted so good, I didn't stop to take photos.

My co-workers had a meatball sandwich ($12, "heavenly!"), italian sausage ($11, "really good"), and a Lyonnaise salad featuring a breaded poached egg ($12, "it's great; I don't know how they did this!"). Service was attentive but not intrusive. A full bar is available, although the waiter wasn't sure what pilsner was on tap.

This may have jumped to the top of my list of places to suggest for informal business lunches. Il Terrazo Carmine was great, and for fancy Italian, sure, it's not a bad choice, but the food's just as good, and the prices at Radici are significantly lower.

(April 27: It was so good, I recommended it to another team of mine for lunch today. I had the meatball sandwich. Not quite as good as the spaghetti, but maybe in the top ten meatballs I've had.)

Radici
314 2nd Ave S.
April 26: Spaghetti and a drink, $15 plus tax and tip
April 27: Meatball sandwich, $12 plus tax and tip

April nibbles

Nibbles: quick reviews of new places for which I didn't take time to write a full review.

Raney Brothers pulled pork and fries

Raney Brothers BBQ: This food truck frequently appears on the north side of Occidental Park. The pulled pork with the regular non-spicy sauce was pretty good. Shoestring fries were very slightly overcooked, but spiced with black pepper and a specialty salt of some kind. The pork had a few chewy charred chunks in it, which I really like, and didn't encounter on my visit the previous week to Hole in the Wall (where I'd again had the Hole Pile and devoured it). Raney Brothers Sandwich and fries, $11.00; Hole in the Wall Hole Pile and bottled Diet Coke, $13.49

Post Alley Pizza: My return visit on Good Friday was as good as the first, except their specialty pizza of the day was "pepperoni". An excellent alternative if the line at Pizza Professionals is too long, or if you're in the area. Two slices and a fountain drink, $9.25

Taco Del Mar: What can I say? It's my "I don't want to think about where to eat" destination now. Consistent. Solid. Heavy. Fox News is on the TVs, for what that's worth to you. Mondo burrito, chips, queso, and fountain drink, $11.18

Tat's Delicatessen: Disappointing this time. I ordered the pizza sub, which ended up with a watery tomato sauce, which didn't do the bread any favors. It comes with fries inside the sandwich, too, which is brilliant, but wasn't enough to sop up the puddle. Messy as heck, but even the 8-inch sandwich is a heck of a lot of food, especially when you add another "small" mountain of fries. At least I didn't get the 12-inch like last time. With fountain drink, $14.80

Wet Buns: It's a French dip sandwich, with the interior of the buns pre-dipped. Not as soggy as it sounds, but still a little gloppy. A good food truck choice if you're not craving Mexican, greek, fried, or salads. Shredded beef sandwich, $9.00

Jack's Fish Spot: Nothing new to add. Ordered the same as last time, just as good as last time. 3-piece fish and chips and a can of Diet Coke, $9.90

Zocalo, not yet open

Zocalo: That's the name of the new Mexican place downstairs, opposite Cherry Street Public House, and it's not open yet. The last report from the Seattle Times said it was supposed to have opened "in late March or early April," but that deadline's passed. They had the front windows open last week, and I snapped this shot of the interior. Not shown: an amazingly cool chandelier made of keys, and two more ceiling lamps made of pages that appear to have been ripped from old novels. They don't have much longer to wait, because they're listed as one of the venues for Upstream Fest on May 11-13.

April 12: The Great Northwest Soup Company

My social media stream was full of #NationalGrilledCheeseDay posts this morning, which gave me a craving. So, internet, where's the best grilled cheese in Seattle? The consensus seems to be the Cheese Wizards food truck, which was in Bellevue, so that's no help. The runner up is Beechers, which I found to be disappointing last October. Ballard and Capitol Hill have a few spots, but the former is too far and I just don't feel like taking the light rail and wandering the Hill. Surprisingly, no recommendations for Grand Central Bakery, which I avoid because it's an expensive place with long lines.

That leaves The Great Northwest Soup Company. Confusingly, their website lists locations on Eastlake and Westlake, but the recommendations I saw were for their hole-in-the-wall location in Puget Sound Plaza, right above the University Street bus tunnel station, and across the street from Seattle's best cheesesteaks at Calozzi's.

The line's a bit long, which gives me time to look at the menu. There's ten soups on the menu, several cold sandwiches, and two hot sandwiches, one of which is a Spanish grilled cheese, with chipotle aioli. Sounded good. I ordered combo number 1, a whole grilled cheese and an 8 ounce tomato basil soup. How could someone get a grilled cheese and not get tomato soup? Anything else would just be wrong. I also grabbed a glass-bottle Coke from the cooler. They struggle for a moment to find a bottle opener, but the cook has a well-loved one on his keychain, which opens the bottle after a few attempts.

My order's up a few minutes later. Seating is virtually non-existent. Three fixed stools are in the each corner of the building lobby, and a few metal tables are outside in the rain. I'm lucky enough to get a stool and dig in.

The cheese is a white and yellow blend, probably cheddar, swiss, maybe colby and provalone? Their web site mentions an eight-cheese blend, which seems like overkill, but it was mild and smooth. The oozy strings of cheese between the sandwich halves snapped off at just the right distance, and the sourdough bread didn't suffer the flavor of burnt grill scrapings like I had at Beechers. The bread was, perhaps, just slightly underdone, more spongy than crisp, but not really bad at all -- just 15 more seconds on the grill would have made it a tiny bit better.

Most bites of the sandwich made a visit into the soup before I ate it, the way it should be. The soup was thick, almost a tomato cream, with confetti-sized lumps of creaminess. The basil is subtle, nothing like the overpowering spaghetti sauce I bought a few weeks ago (Paul Newman, your food is disappoint). Once the sandwich is gone, I spoon out the rest. Really, really good.

Wait a second. Chipotle aioli? Where was that? Turns out the Spanish grilled cheese was different than the combo grilled cheese. But I didn't miss it at all. The best grilled cheese in downtown Seattle? Found it.

The Great Northwest Soup Company
1323 4th Ave, in the Puget Sound Plaza
Grilled cheese, tomato basil soup, Coke, $12.09

March 29: 7-Eleven

One of my guilty pleasures is heat lamp chicken strips. Something about letting the chicken sit under the lamp for hours often crisps up the exterior, infuses the meat with the spices in the breading, and just taste delicious. Maybe it's the extra flavor from the risk I know I'm taking, but, yeah, that's a comfort food for me. Safeway's deli does it particularly good. A gas station near Longview did it particularly bad.

Today, I'm craving food so bad it's good. I almost grabbed a Car2Go to drive down to Jack In The Box to get some of their nasty, greasy tacos, but decided to search for chicken strips instead.

So, internet, where's the best chicken strips in town? Ezell's gets great word of mouth. But many blocks from the Link station? Too far. Nate's Wings and Waffles on Capitol Hill? Too sit-down, and if I want pub grub, there's closer. Chicken Valley Farm at Pike Place? Maybe. I'll head that way if I can't find anything closer.

Instead, I head south, vaguely thinking that I remember a deli with chicken strips between here and the stadiums. I poked my head into the Kingdome Deli, but with the undercooked tuna melt they served me a few months ago, I was kinda glad they didn't have fried foods. The King Street Kafé next door also didn't look like a heat lamp chicken strip kind of joint.

I eventually wandered into McCoy's Firehouse, enticed by the chicken strips on their menu, but there weren't any open seats. Fine. I'm headed towards Pike Place, though I'm hoping to find something on the way.

And there it is. 7-Eleven. I get in line behind three down on their luck folks flowing chili onto their hot dogs, and ask the clerk for three chicken strips. "Two?" "No, three please." "I'll give you three, but just charge you for two." Sweet. I grab a drink from the fountain and check out. $3.70, the cheapest meal I've had to date.

Back in the office, I chow down. The breading is thin and soggy. The meat is dry and mostly flavorless. I didn't grab any sauces to go with it, which would have helped. But it's heat lamp chicken strips. Judging by some of the other folks in line, literal beggars can't be choosers. Maybe I should have gone for the Jack In The Box taco bombs. Guess I'll find out in a few hours.

7-Eleven
621 1st Ave.
Chicken strips and a Diet Dr. Pepper, $3.70

March 28: Din Tai Fung

When I first heard we were moving the office to Seattle, one of the highlights, in my mind, was the proximity to the International District and the potential of dim sum for lunch every week.

TThose expectations escalated in December 2015 when I learned that Din Tai Fung was due to open last summer. My expectations were tempered somewhat by a Las Vegas discussion forum, when I'd mentioned that the only dim sum I'd had was at Din Tai Fung in Bellevue and the U District, and at Yong Kang Street at the Paris hotel in Vegas. "You've had the best in the country," I was told, meaning all other dim sum would be lesser quality.

Din Tai Fung missed their opening date, and for my first meal in town, I instead made the mistake of eating at Ping's Dumpling House. Gritty pork is bad pork.

DTF was supposed to open for the holiday, and then got pushed out to early January. I'd given up on them, but was surprised at lunch on Monday (Shanghai Garden, same great food as last time) by a co-worker's statement that they were finally open. Apparently, they opened in early March.

I expected to encounter a long line, and I did, but as a solo diner, I was able to get on their special "bar seating" list and got a seat almost immediately. There were other parties of two and three on that list, so there's a hack for you.

It's the best dim sum in the country, and the price reflects it. As always, I ordered the pork xiao long bao: outstanding soup dumplings that literally spout scalding broth into your mouth. Paired with a side of rice and a pot of tea, it was again the best Chinese food I've had.

Din Tai Fung
600 Pine Street (Pacific Place)
Pork xiao long bao, rice, tea, $24.00

Zócalo? Todos Santos? Opening in early April.

[Edit: Zocálo opened May 5; I reviewed it May 8.]

A job posting this morning on the window of the soon-to-be-open Mexican restaurant downstairs asks for applicants to send e-mail to "zocaloseattle@gmail.com". Zócalo?

I expect that'll be the name of the place. Last November, the liquor license application listed "Todos Santos" as the name. Last month, I dug a little deeper, and found job postings for a general manager position and a chef position at Todos Santos, along with what looked like a placeholder beach logo.

I also pointed out that "Todos Santos," is the name of a coastal Mexican town, and that the name and the beach logo were at odds with the job posting description of "modern Mexican as is currently being executed in Mexico City (not Tex-Mex rice & Beans)." Mexico City is 170 miles from the coast, and the town of Todos Santos is 800 miles away. That would be like opening a Chicago-style pizza place in Washington DC and naming it "Memphis." The name just doesn't work.

Despite that, I was pretty sure that Todos Santos was the name. The next week, I deliberately ignored a Seattle Times article with a one-line preview of the place: "Zocalo will open late March or early April in Pioneer Square, a 7,000-square-foot restaurant in Occidental Square that will focus on the kind of modern cuisine found in Mexico City, the owner said." What does the Times know? They don't even spell it with the accent on the "ó".

The Zócalo in Babylon 5

My first thought, because I'm a nerd, is that the Zócalo was the central marketplace on the cult favorite show Babylon 5, and denotes a plaza for commerce. I guess it works.

But then I checked for job postings again, and on Monster.com, see two positions at "Todos Santos Restaurant & Bar":
- Bartenders for a "Mexican Restaurant in Pioneer Square [for] a large, high-volume scratch cocktail bar"; and
- Cooks and dishwashers for "Mexican cuisine with a focus on local and sustainable ingredients. We will be open seven days a week, for lunch and dinner."

(The bartender job posting also states that it's set to open the first week of April. That's just over a week away!)

Then, finally, on a whim, I decided to see if zocaloseattle.com was a thing. It's a registered domain, but there's nothing there yet. But looking at the domain registration information, I see that Joseph Bisacca is the name of the person who registered it. If you remember, he's one of the founders of Elyssian Brewery, and was one of the names listed on the liquor license application.

The Times was right. Zócalo it is. Or Zocalo, without the accent, but that would be wrong. Todos Santos LLC is likely the name of the parent company. And it's opening next month.

Bring on the tamales. And the ó.

March Nibbles:

Nibbles: quick reviews of new places for which I didn't take time to write a full review.

Blue Water Taco: Ordered the chicken burrito, enchilada style. Tasted OK, but they counted on the heat of the steamed tortilla to melt the cheese on top of it. Just as good as Taco Del Mar, which isn't a high bar to reach. 1000 Second Ave, with a Diet Pepsi, $12.28

Nosh: Had the fish and chips again. That's still a huge piece of fish. Tasty, despite the floppy French fries. Food truck on Occidental Park, with a Diet Coke, $14.25.

Thai Taste: I've walked past here dozens of times. Fast, generic thai food, but big portions. I ordered combo #1: cashew chicken, a spring roll, soup, phad Thai, and rice. Served in a cafeteria tray, but not as bad as that sounds. 601 Second Ave., with tea, $12.50

Samurai Noodle (International District): Smaller than their location on The Ave that I ate at last fall, the menu's just as complete and the ramen is just as good. Seating's tight. 606 Fifth Ave. S., some earthy hearty ramen and tea, $14.18.

Metropolitan Grill: Happy hour here might be one of the best deals in town. The sirloin skewers were wrapped in bacon, a tangy sauce, and a meat coma. 820 Second Ave; meat, two Old Fashioneds, one beer, one mild headache the next morning, $41.77.

March 13: The People's Burger

It's a heavy drizzle today, and I'm avoiding the cafeteria because I hear in the news that the microwaves are spying on us. I want somewhere close, and I'm strongly considering hitting up Pioneer Square Market for something greasy. I'm in that sweet spot of time between the day I get my annual blood draw for checking my cholesterol and the day my doctor says "hey, don't eat that." Hitting the elevator, I consider Asia Ginger Teriyaki instead. It might be a little bit healthier, but I had teriyaki chicken a few nights ago. Grand Central Bakery would probably be a better choice still, but those lines, though. Maybe there's a food truck out there worthwhile.

I step out into the rain, and -- what's that, comrade? -- there's a food truck I haven't seen out here before. The People's Burger? Da svidahnia, other options. The line's short and there's about a dozen others milling around waiting for their order. The guy in the window tells the customer in front of me that it'll take about 10 minutes. I'm getting wet, but decide to order the Drive-In Burger and fries anyway. No vodka nor caviar on the menu.

The sign in the window says their Angus burger is "NW prairie raised", which means something, I guess. Maybe my burger was raised by the farmer 10 miles north of Quincy who yelled at several of us in 2015 for geocaching on the road near his fenceposts. I hope so, because I'm sure yelling makes the beef more tender, but perhaps armed defense of privately-owned prairielands isn't in line with the truck's communist theme. But I digress.

I grabbed an umbrella from the lobby and waited only about five minutes for my order. Rainwater mixed with the ketchup as I pumped it into a cup, and I carried the whole tray back into the office.

It's pretty good. The burger was cooked all the way, no pink, but not overdone and far from tough. It sat in a very thin layer of grease, just enough to make the bun glisten, my keyboard discolor, and my doctor cringe. The fries were floppy, and a few didn't separate from their frozen pals in the oil, so they were a bit underdone. On the plus side, they're tossed with seasoning salt, something that isn't done enough around here. The web site description mentioned a tomato, I found pickle slices instead, which is a huge win. Stupid tomatoes.

If you're young, or you're otherwise healthy, or you don't care what your doctor or babushka says, then this should be on your short list of food trucks. I hope I don't see it again, because I might order another burger.

The People's Burger
Drive-In Burger, fries, Diet Coke, $12.99 (dollars, not rubles)
Food truck in Occidental Park