Review: Punjab Sweets

Thali with Bhindi, Chana, Mattar Paneer and a Gulab Jamun

Iqbal and Gurmit Dha and their daughter Harpreet Giil have done something terrible, and I'll never forgive them. Their vegetarian restaurant, Punjab Sweets, offers my favorite Indian snacks, entrees, and sweets. And it isn't in walking distance of my house. I find this to be deeply cruel.

Seriously, I'm always on the lookout for the Indian snacks known as chaat. I love them all, but my favorite is the Pani Puri (also known as Golgoppa) that you see below. A plate of little crispy fried shells is served with a savory filling, and an intensely flavored dipping "water" with lots of tamarind, mint and spices. You poke a hole in the top of a shell, fill it up, dip it in the sauce and hurry it to your mouth before you douse your shirt. The versions I'm most familiar with include potatoes and chickpeas in the filling. Punjab Sweets does a wonderful, more minimalist version with just potatoes. Their sauce is the freshest I've ever tasted.

Pani Puri aka Golgoppa

I wanted to try as many of the entrees as possible, so Harpreet suggested the thali you see in the first picture. I chose the bhindi (okra), matter paneer (fresh cheese cubes and peas), and the chana (chickpeas), which were served with basmati rice, homemade yogurt, homemade pickled carrots, and a gulab jamun for dessert.

These were not the dumbed-down curries that you find on lunch buffets throughout our fair city. Each looked alive and fresh, and had a distinct flavor. The curries at Punjab Sweets are not generally mild. Be prepared for a decent level of heat that complements the other tastes.

Then there is the matter of dessert. As you can see below, you are going to have a difficult decision on your hands. My recommendation is to ask for a mixed box of Harpreet's favorites so you can try them all.

The sweets here are better than the best I had in Delhi, including the famous Haldiram. Many Indian sweets are based on flavored cream reduced to the consistency of fudge, and chickpea flour (besan). Flavorings include shredded carrots, pistachios and other nuts, rosewater, cardamom and other sweet spices. As with everything else at Punjabi Sweets, the desserts are a cut well above average, with smooth consistencies and well balanced flavors. I find them less tooth-achingly sugary than other shops, and that allows the caramelized brown-butter flavors to shine. A box would make a terrific hostess gift or an interesting platter at a party.

The Eponymous Sweets

Can you tell I love this place? All of the food at Punjab Sweets is 100% vegetarian, so that is a major bonus. And everything is prepared with obvious love and care, using first-quality ingredients and no shortcuts. I highly recommend a visit.

Details:

Punjab Sweets
23617 104th Ave SE C
Kent, WA 98031
(253) 859-3236
Open daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m

New Restaurant Review 360 + An Unexpected Surprise

Naomi over at Gastrognome has kindly volunteered to host the next Restaurant Review 360. (What's a Restaurant Review 360?). Her choice is excellent: Jasmine Provincial Vietnamese Cuisine. It has been on my list to try, and I'm looking forward to reviewing it along with her and my fellow bloggers. Deadline is May 20th, so if you write about food in Seattle, be sure and participate!

And, wow, Naomi told me in her email that there would be a surprise. The "360" concept has won me the inaugural SFBA (Seattle Food Blogger Award). I'd just like to thank my wife, my daughter, my 5th grade teacher (Mr. Peake), and of course the members of the Academy. No, seriously, thanks Naomi!

Review 360 Roundup: Txori in Seattle (Belltown)

Marcona Almonds with Pimenton and Sea Salt

Welcome to the roundup of our inaugural Seattle Restaurant Review 360! If you missed it, the idea is that we invite all the bloggers in the city to visit the same restaurant whenever is convenient for them, and then publish a review on the same day. For this first event, the venue was Txori, a Basque-style pinxtos (tapas) joint in Belltown.

Kathy Casey of Dish D'Lish fame is so "in love with this romantic cuisine" that she was inspired to create her own (awesome sounding) sherry and vodka cocktail with a smoked paprika and sugar rim!  Very cool that she expanded the concept of a review to doing her own riffs on the flavors.

Tofu Hunter, like me, was looking for the vegetarian options, and enjoyed the cauliflower and the chickpeas with spinach. She really made me want to try the Cava Manzana Verde a sparkling wine and apple cocktail "made absolutely alluring with the inclusion of  arbequina olive oil." How good does that sound?

GatroGnome found "the meal, to me, fulfilled exactly what a tapas place is truly supposed to. We enjoyed a drink, we munched a little, we hung out". On her recommendation, next time I'm trying the Kalimoxto ("red wine and coke with a hint of orange.")

Hungry Girl dined solo and fell in love with the octopus. "One bite and I was in a whole different world. It wasn't just tender, it was juicy, like a piece of pork. And flavored with smoky paprika and spicy olive oil." If I ate tentacles I'd be right there.

SeaDevi of Capitol Hill Triangle experienced more of a mixed bag. She "loved the atmosphere, the space, the design and vibrancy of this place", but the "salt cod and the onion tart disappointed" her, and found "the drinks are not as affordable as the eats". 

Sig of Sig and Siv snuck over with some girlfriends awhile back, right after she came home from Spain, so she can "say without doubt that the taste was very authentic!" She has pictures of many of the dishes. Her favorite bite was the pera a la plancha con valdeón - a baguette slice with grilled pear, blue cheese and walnut, which I also enjoyed.

Dawn and Eric of Wright Eats had a completely different experience. On Monday nights, Txori has started hosting a family style dinner called Txoko ($45). In addition to a couple of pintxos, they had beet salad, fish soup ("salty"), a suckling pig ("delicious"), a cheese course, and dessert! They "like this type of communal dining event because it’s fun to meet like-minded people and swap Seattle dining tips."

And finally, from the vegetarian point of view, I was a huge fan of the bocadillo (little sandwich) of potato tortilla (Spanish omelette) on a Columbia City Baker roll, and the marcona almonds (pictured above). I really enjoyed the opportunity to taste lots of little bites of great food in an informal environment.

Thanks everyone who participated! I think we may have a couple late entries coming in, which I'll add above. If I missed anyone, please email me right away.

Questions to bloggers and readers both: Was this fun? Useful? DId you get different perspectives? Should we do it again? Any suggestions for the next venue?

Restaurant Review: Txori in Belltown, Seattle

This is my own entry in our first Seattle Restaurant Review 360. Here is the roundup of all the other participants.

When we first walked in Txori, Sarina said "no wonder you wanted to come here, this is (basically) the restaurant you want to run". She has a way of cutting to the chase like that.

Txori, pronounced CHO-ree, is on 2nd St. in Belltown, and is the younger sister of Chef Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez' Harvest Vine. Although Harvest Vine is a fairly expensive restaurant, it has always had an informal feel, especially at the counter. Last time I was there, Chef was handing out (incredible) raisins he had house-dried and sparking lively conversations between tables.

Jimenez cuts a noteable figure with his sizeable girth, handlebar mustache, and floppy Basque beret, and he has a way of keeping a room lively. When I was working at Cafe Flora, we were part of a multi-restaurant benefit for Bailey-Boushay house with him down at the waterfront. Seeing Jimenez clown around in the walk-in freezer with Chef Janine from Cafe Flora was priceless!

Anyhow, Txori enshrines the informality of Harvest Vine in a great little pinxtos bar, which gives you the opportunity to sample Jimenez' cuisine at a much lower price point, and without the commitment of a full meal. What are pinxtos? Simply the Basque word for tapas.

When you walk in to Txori, the entire small open kitchen is on your left, with a standing bar where you can hang your coat and have a nosh on the run. Your other options are a few high tables near the bar, or a few more in back where you can sit down for a more leisurely visit. The cooks are very much engaged with the customers, ready to discuss the dishes with you and your server.

Plates come in two sizes: pinxtos, which are just a couple of bites and range in price from $1.50 to $4.00, and raciones which are a bit larger and more expensive. There is a printed menu, and always several specials on the board as well.

From a vegetarian point of view, Txori has plenty of good options. The menu is heavy on ham and seafood of course, but there are always at least a half dozen choices for us herbivores, and the servers are happy to help figure them out.

On our first visit, I was excited to see the fried cauliflower on the chalkboard. I'd had that at Harvest Vine and was in love with it. Simply fried in olive oil until tender and brown, drizzled with more oil, and then prettily arranged back in the shape of the original head, it is much more delicious than I can explain.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, it didn't get enough sea salt before coming to the table. And it led to the only slightly uncomfortable moment we had. The dish is much too good to eat underseasoned, and there was no salt on the table. So I had to ask our server for some salt, who in turn asked the cook. And it was provided, but there was a vibe from the cook that he was none too happy. What can I say? I prefer that a restaurant provide a good salt on the table. Everyone's tastes vary, and in any case there is no doubt that this cauliflower needed some.

On that trip we also had a trio of marinated olives, and a little ramekin of melted tetilla cheese in tomato sauce, both of which were delicious with a glass of Basque wine. Other choices from the full bar include a house sangria, specialty cocktails, and espresso.

For my return visit, I again tried 3 dishes (all pictured above). The first was fried marcona almonds with smoky paprika (pimenton) and sea salt. A perfect salty bite with a drink. Next was a magnificent bocadillo (little sandwich) of Spanish tortilla (cold potato fritatta) on a small torpedo shaped roll from Columbia City, with a spicy aioli. It was so tender and tasty, just a total winner. My final pintxo was a tasty baguette slice with melted blue cheese, roasted pear, and walnuts. With an orange soda, the total came to just $15.

It gives me a lot of pleasure to see more places offering top-notch flavors and presentation outside of the confines of a traditional full-service and white tablecloths environment. Seattle is kind of a hotbed of these experiments right now: Sitka and Spruce, Cache, Art Of The Table, Quinn's, Skillet, Elemental, and One Pot, to name a few, are all pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a restaurant in America, 2008.

Txori is an excellent addition to that company. I love the ability to just drop in and have a few great bites, without breaking the bank or setting aside a whole evening. I'll be dropping by whenever I'm in Belltown.

LA Trip Restaurant Roundup

We just got back from a fun trip to Los Angeles, which by definition means a lot of great eats. I don't have it in me to do individual reviews for each of these restaurants, but I thought I'd at least post a roundup. Obviously you could eat for a lifetime in LA and not go to every good restaurant, but we were really happy with our choices. D.M., who is a frequent commenter on the blog and one of Sarina's dear friends did a lot of research and pointed us in great directions, and my old pals Nic and Lorna showed us some of the best Middle Eastern food we've had outside of Israel.

The address and phone info for all of the restaurants is at the very end of the post.

Our first night in town we had an early reservation at Osteria Mozza, the upscale Italian restaurant from the powerhouse trio of Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich on Melrose Ave. We shared a starter of magnicifiently fresh burrata with leeks. My entree was a giant ravioli filled with ricotta and a sunny-side egg that spilled into the brown butter sauce when cut. It was quite spectacular but maybe a bit underseasoned. For dessert we had bombolini (little fried donuts) with vanilla gelato, and grappa. This is definitely a treat and a dining event, but well worth the splurge.

Bookending our trip, our last meal before leaving town was right next door at Pizzeria Mozza. The pizzeria is considerably less formal and expensive than the Osteria, but man oh man the pizza. It was really a revelation. The crust was cracker thin, but somehow crispy and chewy at the same time, with not the slightest hint of sogginess. The outer rim of the crust puffed up about an inch high, but was light as a feather, filled with enormous holes like you find in great artisan bread. Which is of course the explanation - Nancy SIlverton knows a thing or two about flour, water and yeast and she's used her decades of experience to design a pizza dough unlike any other. Gotta have it. You need reservations here even for lunch, but if you go 15 minutes before they open and wait in line you could get a first-come seat at the counter.

Brunch at Cafe Vida in Pacific Palisades was pleasing. The Cafe has a light, happy neighborhood feel and the food was fresh and tasty. If you go on the weekend you'll probably have to wait a bit and arm wrestle dogs and babies for a seat, but  it will be worth it.

If you find yourself in the San Fernando Valley and in need of lunch, check out Villa Piacere. The decor was somewhat dated, but all of us were really happy with our big entree salads. LA really gets big salads in general, much more than Seattle. Probably because of all the diet nuts down here, but for whatever reason it is nice to lay into a big bowl of lettuce and veggies that look alive and carefully arranged. That is all we ate, so I can't speak to the rest of the menu. The hostess was really sweet too, obviously very proud of her restaurant.

Ok, let's talk about Middle Eastern, specifically Lebanese food. Sunnin, over on Westwood just north of Santa Monica was outrageously good. We're talking paper plates and flourescent lights here, so not much ambiance but the waiters are nice (and gruff at the same time). But man alive the food. We liked it so much we went back a second time. Hummus, tabbouleh, foul muddamas, rekakat, yogurt salad, fried cauliflower, and fatayer (a pastry filled with bitter greens and pine nuts) were all deep soul food for me. I wasn't as crazy about the mujadarah (kinda goopy) and the fried potatoes. The falafel was really decent but not world class. That fried cauliflower in particular was really something special. It wasn't battered at all, just fried to a deep golden brown and served with tahini for dipping. I would be so damn happy if a place this good opened up in Seattle. How about a glass of Jallab (date syrup and rose water on ice, topped with pine nuts)?

Chaya Venice is a hopping spot on Main Street. Wall-to-wall busy with a lot of beautiful people, and a menu that spans the globe from sushi to pasta. I was frankly a little skeptical, but I have to admit that my gnocchi was really well prepared, rich and flavorful.

Later in the week, Sarina's Dad took me to M Cafe de Chaya on Melrose, the casual dine-in or takeout place with the same owners as Chaya Venice. M Cafe's concept is modern macrobiotic food and they are doing a great job. We had a bright red quinoa and beet salad, a sweet potato salad with wasabi, a chickpea salad, a few pieces of sushi, and a tasty dairy-free chocolate pudding. Everything had a lot of flavor, and the restaurant itself has a good, high energy vibe about it. Even though I was looking out on LA traffic, it felt like a spot on the beach.

Back in Venice, make your way over to Abbot Kinney and stop at Jin Patisserie for remarkable modern Japanese pastries, tea service, and beauteous chocolates. They have a pretty little courtyard to enjoy them in. Stop in at Tortoise Life next door for a killer collection of high-design housewares, stationary, idiosyncractic bits of clothing, and fabric that looks like wood veneer.

We stayed at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. The Penthouse bar on the top floor of the hotel is a fancy-pants night club when the sun sets, but in the morning it is an incredibly pretty (and rather spendy) place to have breakfast. Windows run all the way around, giving you a clear view from the Valley, all along the beach, and over to the airport and downtown. The room is painted stark white, so when you ascend the elevator before your first cup of coffee and the sun is streaming in, you kind of feel like you entered heaven. It wouldn't be surprising if Morgan Freeman showed you to your table. And the food was surprisingly tasty, what with organic eggs and carefully cut fruit plates.

So you can see we had a terrific time! Whether you love LA or love to hate it, you can definitely eat well. Here are all the details:

Review: Good Karma in Park City, Utah

My brother and I were recently in Park City for a few days of skiing. Opting for "cheap" on President's Day Weekend, we stayed well off Main St. and the resorts, over in the Prospector Square area. The hotel was kind of a dump, but it turned out we had the good fortune to be only a short walk from a really good restaurant.

I saw Good Karma on the list of nearby chow at the hotel, and thought we should try it, based solely on the name and a hunch. I figured at worst we'd be in for some hippie vegetarian food, and maybe luck would turn up something better. Luck was on our side; in fact we liked it so much we had two breakfasts and a dinner there.

When I first walked in, I was immediately struck by the good vibe of the space. It is simple and light, with a few well-placed pieces of art from India, and a stencil of the word "imagine" on a brick wall. Things just look clean and in the right place, including a view into an immaculate kitchen. Even the bathroom is cool, with a wall covered in striking close-up photos of people from around the world.

My breakfast of Huevos Rancheros confirmed the initial assessment that we were somewhere that cared what they were doing. The homemade ranchero sauce was lively and just what I wanted before a day on the hill. My brother was equally happy with his quiche.

When we returned for dinner, we had the good fortune to be waited on by co-owner Howard Moffett, so we got to learn a bit more about the restaurant's history while eating a really enjoyable meal. Howard told us that my expectation of a hippie veg place wasn't wrong, it was just a year or so late: the previous incarnation of the restaurant was right downtown in two old quonset huts, with counter service, a very laid back vibe, and food run between buildings on dim sum carts! They have come a very long way with the new space.

My favorite dishes were an amuse-bouche of butternut squash soup with chai foam, a little spicy beet salad, and the Key lime sorbet. The curries were also very tasty. We didn't even get to delve into the Japanese or Persian portions of the menu.

If I had to pick one small nit with the food, I think the dal would be a bit better if it was pureed smoother and a little thinner, so that it had more of a contrast with the curries.

Good Karma is by no means a vegetarian restaurant, but there are extensive vegetarian and vegan items on the menu so that makes it especially good for mixed groups. If you are in Park City, you gotta check it out - I promise it will be a fun and tasty experience.

Review: Senor Moose Cafe

Well, sorry about the cell phone pic folks. My Dad is in town, and we were wandering around the wilds of Ballard when he declared his hunger. Immediately my mental food tracking GPS went in to gear, and said "Senor Moose!! I haven't been to Senor Moose in far too long!"

The Moose is one of the most amazing restaurants in the Seattle area. When you walk in, you feel like you are in a humble backroads diner, with cozy but rustic furniture. You would think that this is going to be a pleasant ham-and-eggs joint, but then you notice all of the Mexican decorations, and you hope against hope, maybe there will be huevos rancheros too.

Oh, dear hungry sir or madam, you have not dared to dream big enough. Open your eyes, and you will find yourself rewarded with Calabacitas Guisadas (zucchini, corn, and onion stew from Michoacan, $8.75), Papas Con Rajas (poblano chilis and potatoes in cream, from Mexico City, $7.95), the Huevos Con Nopalitos pictured above (eggs with fresh cactus paddles, black beans and cotija cheese, and corn tortillas, $7.95), or the magnificient Huevos Ahogados (poached eggs "drowning" in a tomato broth, $7.95).

And that just begins to scratch the surface of the menu. Out of a tiny kitchen, owner Kathleen Andersen and chef Abraham Mata offer dozens of regional specialties from all over Mexico. Kathleen lived and traveled throughout Mexico for decades, and collected recipes from every abuela and tia she was lucky enough to spend time with.

Vegetarians as well as carnivores will find plenty of options, though the menu might be a bit tough for vegans.

If you have any of the cookbooks of Diana Kennedy or Rick Bayless (or have eaten at his restaurants), you will be amazed to find the same level of authenticity and flavor in an inexpensive joint in Ballard.

The menu also includes some American-style breakfast items, and more familiar tacos and enchiladas for those who aren't in the mood to stretch their culinary horizons first thing in the morning. Dad was really happy with his Havarti, Mushroom and Spinach scramble ($7.95).

Breakfast is offered from 8:00 - 3:00 everyday, and dinner starts at 5:00, running until 9:00 on weekdays and 10:00 on Friday and Saturday.

The Sounds of A Restaurant Kitchen

I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was in the kitchen at Cafe Flora, pureeing the lentils, onions and pecans for our pate platter and feeling vaguely irritated with myself for choosing a messy way of dealing with the several batches that needed to go in the robocoupe (a big food processor). I was tired at the end of a long shift and ready to go home and catch a nap before Mini-Me was up and ready for an afternoon of fairy-fireman-spin-dancing. (You'd have to see it for yourself).

Anyhow, I turned off the robo, and suddenly I heard every sound in the kitchen at once. It was one of those strange moments of hyperawareness. Behind me to the left, in the dish pit, I could hear plates banging, the dishwasher running, and accordions on Spanish language radio. In front of me, the brunch crew was prepping for the weekend and the radio was playing the Decemberists on KEXP. From my right came the whing-whing-whing sound of the big Hobart mixer straining to grate parmesan cheese, while a few feet farther was the low whir of a KitchenAid mixer churning icing. And behind me on the right I could hear the crackle of sauteeing while the line cook called orders to the pizza station and passed plates to the intermittent stream of servers coming in and out.

The funny thing was that rather than making me grumpier, all the noise completely lifted my mood. I could feel the whole rhythm of the kitchen as we went about our various tasks, wrapping up lunch service and preparing to hand off to the dinner crew. I felt my sense of place in the larger organism that is the restaurant and it was comforting.

Isn't it cool when those little spiritual moments sneak up on you from nowhere?

[where: 2901 E. Madison St, Seattle, WA, 98112]

Review: Tamarind Tree Vietnamese Restaurant, Seattle, WA

Vegetarian Coconut Rice Cake at Tamarind Tree

Hidden in the back of a business complex in the Little Saigon neighborhood, tucked into an impossibly overstuffed parking lot, Tamarind Tree serves up the most sophisticated and tasty Vietnamese food in Seattle, and is very vegetarian friendly.

From the moment you walk in the door, you know you've stepped up a level from most of the (often wonderful) neighborhood restaurants. The decor is sleek and modern down to the slick cast concrete bathroom sinks. The outdoor patio features a waterfall, and indoors there is a fire pit surrounded by three tables.

The menu offers many dishes you won't find at any other restaurant I'm aware of, and makes an effort to preserve regional flavors instead of turning everything into either a rice plate, a vermicelli bowl (bun), hot pot, or soup (usually pho).

The steamed coconut rice cake (banh man cu cai chay) you see above is a perfect example. The rice cake itself is soothingly warm and tender, delicately scented with coconut and topped with faux shrimp. Ignore that they are supposed to be shrimp, the resemblance ends at the visual. But they are wonderfully tasty little charcoal grilled morsels, with a pleasant chewy bite. The dish is served with vegetarian dipping sauce (like nuoc mam, but without the fish sauce), and a little shredded carrot salad. At most restaurants the salad would be an afterthought, but here is has been doused with coconut water or vinegar, providing an exciting, different coconut taste paired with the rice cake.

Vegetarians are well treated at Tamarind Tree. There are probably a dozen dishes clearly marked as vegetarian, and they are conscientious about making sure there really is no little bit of meat or fish in them. And many of the staff speak excellent English, so you can clarify any questions you might have. One small nitpick: several of the vegetarian dishes include a grilled lemongrass tofu. It is good, but it is the same in all of the dishes so if you pick more than one of them, it can feel redundant.

Today I also had the excellent Tamarind Tree Rolls, pictured below, which are the soft rice paper rolls wrapped around green leaf lettuce, mint, fried tofu, peanuts, and little crispy packets of fried wonton skin for a crunch factor, served with the same vegetarian dipping sauce.

The total for a very satisfying lunch was only $9.25. Generally speaking, dinners will run maybe 20% more than at competing Vietnamese eateries, but that is easily justifiable for the more sophisticated cuisine. At dinnertime and especially on weekends, Tamarind Tree does a roaring business, so arrive early, make a reservation, or be prepared to hang out for awhile!

Eat Ethiopian Tonight (Including some Seattle Recommendations)

When time turns to thoughts of lunch (for me, that is usually before breakfast), one of my first dreams is always of a good Ethiopian combo plate. If you are a vegetarian and haven't tried this cuisine, you should run, not walk! It has everything you could want: it is crazy cheap, filling, nutritious, super-tasty, and there are lots of 100% veggie options.

The basic starch of Ethiopian food is a bread called injera. It is traditionally made from teff flour, not wheat so it could be good for folks who don't eat gluten - but be sure and ask because apparently some restaurants substitute part or all wheat. The dough is fermented and then baked into big, holey, spongy and slightly sour flatbreads which can be served warm or at room temperature. As you can see in the picture above, one injera is always served under the food, as a sort of delicious plate that soaks up the flavors and is savored last. A bunch more injera are served on the side to scoop everything up.

Ethiopian food is almost always served family style, with a big plate in the middle, and you eat with your hands and the bread. Of course if you really want individual entrees and a spoon to eat with, I'm sure they'll take care of you, but a lot of the joy is in the communal meal. Naturally kids love this. The grownups are eating with their hands! Customarily you use only your right hand to eat (reserving the left for less sanitary purposes). Believe me, that is much easier to do with nice soft injera to tear than it is in India, where the nan requires a deft maneuver

As to the dishes themselves, the basic vegetarian items are usually a few types of lentil stews (wots), some mild (alicha) and some deeply spiced, long-cooked greens, cabbage and potatoes, and a salad. There are usually a few other vegetable choices, and maybe a different salad of torn up injera and tomatoes which is a type of fit-fit that can be quite nice. At least until you become familiar with the dishes, you should go for a veggie combo plate. Individual entrees are usually around 8 bucks, but the combo plate you see pictured above (at Assimba) is $11 and is easily enough for two meals (or to feed two people at one sitting).

I believe the vegetarian dishes and the injera are all vegan as well, but if that is important to you, be sure and ask.

Many US cities have concentrations of Ethiopian immigrants and their restaurants. Seattle is especially lucky in this regard. On and near Cherry Street between say 12th and Martin Luther King are at least eight options. Below you will see my current favorites. The food is great at all of them. Ras Dashen is the newest and has the nicest decor. Meskel has a lovely deck for eating outside in the summer. Assimba has great flavors and is really fast, and Cafe Selam across the street is tiny and homey, with really warm folks running the place. They also do breakfast, which is another realm of deliciosity with fascinating bowls of fool beans with eggs and tomatoes and crusty french rolls. But I digress!

Foraging In Belltown and Downtown Seattle (With Mini-Reviews of Lola, Local Vine, Sazerac, and Wild Ginger)

Catholic Seaman's Club, Seattle, WA

Saturday night. A rare date night, even rarer now that I'm working some restaurant hours. Normally we would plan a dinner someplace nice, but we know we have our first trip to the Herb Farm coming up soon, and it seemed unnecessary to be too specific. Instead we decided to catch a bus to Belltown and just see what caught our eye.

Stop #1 - Lola - Tom Douglas' Greek venture in Hotel Andra is one of our favorites, often for brunch. This time I tried one of their several ouzos and we had an appetizer that was uncannily similar to the phyllo wrapped feta and citrus salad I made the other day. Their version had a creamier, non-spicy filling and an arugula and grape salad, and was served with a thyme and honey oil, so the flavors were different but it was plated so similarly it was a bit freaky. We also had their incredibly smooth and garlicky tzatziki which is served with just-baked pita. Like all of Douglas' ventures, Lola is reliable and stylishly excellent.

Stop #2 - So we are walking down 2nd Ave. and out of the blue, there is my friend from Adobe, Kevin, walking his Bijan Frise. No, that isn't a type of lettuce, it is a dog, smarty pants. Turns out he lives in Belltown, and he recommended Local Vine, which is a very stylish and modern wine bar owned partially by Jason Wilson of Crush fame and one of Food and Wine's Best New Chefs of 2006. Definitely very hip. You can order a glass anywhere from around $8 up to something like $2000 for the 2003 Screaming Eagle. Sure. I'll probably settle for some Whimpering Crow but whatever. One fine thing is that you can taste before you commit to a glass. I had a nice Bordeaux and Sarina had a glass of bubbly. We shared the truffled popcorn and speculated about the rather odd customer a few tables away in his all-white cult clothes. I was probably raised by wolves, but I didn't know about the cool trick with the champagne flutes that are etched so that all the bubbles emanate in a tight funnel in the center of the glass. Whoa dude.

Interlude - After watching the baker at Macrina ice a cake, we were peering in the window at the Catholic Seaman's Club (pictured above), a haven for sailors on shore leave and a landmark in Belltown that is a throwback to an era in Seattle's maritime past. We chatted for a few minutes with a gentleman who turns out to be none other than Father Haycock. He told us sadly of how leaves are often only a few hours now, and many of the sailors don't have visas that allow them to safely wander the streets anyhow. Yet another consequence of 9-11.

Stop #3 - When I first started visiting Seattle regularly as a telecommuter for Adobe, like 8 years ago, I'd stay at Hotel Monaco. For some reason Sazerac seemed really cool to me then. Anyhow Sarina mentioned it for some reason, and it brought back memories of their hush puppies so I insisted we cab down there. Man, the 80's called and they want their giant thumbtack wall sculpture back. No more hushpuppies. I had a classic Sazerac cocktail, which turns out to be sweeter than my preferred beverage style. The appetizer pizza was good, but I think this place is kind of due for a makeover.

Stop #4 - At this point we just wanted a quick dessert before grabbing a cab back to the homestead. Wild Ginger was in sight and I was too addled to think harder, though 611 Supreme sounded appealing too. We had a really good chocolate torte and a very moist polenta cake, which I washed down with a pear brandy from Oregon's magnificent Clear Creek Distillery. It has that intensity of an eau de vie with crystal clear pear flavors. Dang.

Wha a fun and romantic date night! We might not have hit the single most interesting four spots in walking distance, but it was a treat to do dinner and drinks as all individual plates at a pace that suited our mood, with a nice stroll in between and no plan needed upfront. And this is a very vegetarian friendly way to dine, since even the most meat-heavy restaurants tend to have a few veggie appetizers.

Details:

Lola
2000 4th Ave
Seattle, WA
(206) 441-1430

Local Vine
2520 2nd Avenue at Vine Street
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-6000

Sazerac
1101 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA  98101
(206) 624-7755

Wild Ginger
1401 3rd Ave.
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 623-4450

Review: Flying Apron Bakery - New Vegan, Gluten Free Bakery in Seattle, WA (Fremont)

Sorry for the poor picture quality today, all I had was my cell phone when I wandered in to the new Flying Apron Bakery in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood with a few minutes to kill before a doctor's appointment. My eyes lit up to see a happy looking bakery in the spot where a tasty but doomed crepe restaurant had hung around for a few years. Turns out Flying Apron has been around for years, but has recently closed two old locations and consolidated all operations over to Fremont.

I was midway into a maple-pecan muffin before I read the sign that told me that everything here is vegan, gluten free, and wheat free. I was pondering a familiar but just off the tip-of-my-tongue (no pun intended) flavor, which turned out to be chickpea flour. It is a common ingredient in Indian sweets, with a somewhat peanuty character that I really enjoy. It made good sense in this quite tasty and very moist muffin.

I'm a vegetarian of course, but not normally a huge fan of vegan sweets. I have to say though, I've had some impressive ones lately including the German Chocolate cake at Cafe Flora (not to mention the savory waffle). Flying Apron is doing this in style, producing treats you'd be happy to eat even if you normally love butter and wheat. Those of you with stringent food requirements will also appreciate that they clearly label each and every item with the ingredients.

I can't call this a full review since I only had one muffin, but if you are vegan or need to avoid wheat, I think this place would be well worth a trip. Please add a comment if you go and let us all know what you liked or didn't like.

Details:
Flying Apron Bakery
3510 Fremont Ave North
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 442-1115
http://www.flyingapron.net

Hummus Showdown - Abu Shukri vs. Taami

Hummus with Chickpeas and Falafel at Taami in Jerusalem

One of my very favorite days on our recent trip to Israel was the day that Sarina and I had stupendous hummus for a late breakfast and equally astounding hummus for lunch. In the morning we visited the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem and walked around the outside the Dome of The Rock and Al-Aksa mosque, then walked out through the Muslim quarter. Right by the fifth station of the cross we found Abu Shukri, and though it was a bit early we weren't about to miss this legendary experience. We weren't disappointed. You can see in the bottom picture, incredibly creamy chickpea puree topped with a few whole chickpeas and a puddle of fruity olive oil. The garnish tray included pickles and a few balls of falafel.

Then after a tour of the Israel Museum and a flustered circle through mad traffic with a sleepy toddler and an expensive parking ticket, we made our way to Taami, which Hillel had told me about. We waited a few minutes for a seat in the tiny place at the top of Shamai street and once again stuffed ourselves silly, stopping only to top each other with adjectival glee.

Those of you only familiar with hummus (which can also be spelled humus or hummous) outside of the Middle East are probably thinking: (1) a whole restaurant devoted mainly to hummus? (2) even if so, why would anyone care? Answers: (a) yep, all over, and everyone has their favorite place (b) because most of the hummus in the rest of the world would be better suited to mortaring bricks or caulking bathroom fixtures than eating. The real thing is a velvety smooth, silky puree of chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Certainly not Thai Pepper Hummus or any other absurd flavor. You can often have it garnished with more chickpeas, falafel, pine nuts, tomatoes, or other tasty bits, and there is usually a side tray of pickles and olives, but the main event is that puree.

When I was in Delhi a few years ago, I was struck by the fact that the top-shelf Bukhara restaurant at the Maurya Sheraton was known far and wide for their dal, basically a simple lentil soup. (It was damn good, with a lot of kidney beans and ultra buttery.) I was seated about 10 feet from Rahul Gandhi, considered likely to be a future Prime Minister of India. In America, a restaurant that caters routinely to future presidents isn't going to be famous for lentil soup, or chickpea puree. It made me feel proud as a vegetarian to see folks so passionate about humble, delicious dishes.

One thing is for sure, if you want to get an Israeli talking, just ask them where to find a good hummus restaurant.

As far as these two places go, I think you should visit both. I'd give a slight edge to Abu Shukri for the hummus itself, but I liked the lively atmosphere at Taami more (of course we were there at a better time of day).

If I ever manage to make hummus this good at home, I'll definitely pass on the recipe to all of you. My first attempt was a bit too grainy. Current theory is that I need to find true Middle Eastern chickpeas instead of Mexican garbanzos. There are so many recipes on the web and in cookbooks it is a bit mind boggling to know where to start. Feel free to add comments below if you have an opinion!

Details:
Taami
3 Shamai St
Jerusalem 94631 Israel
+972 2 561 9265

Abu Shukri
63 Al Wad Rd. at Via Dolorosa
Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

Hummus with Chickpeas at Abu Shukri in the Old City of Jerusalem

How To Find A Good Restaurant on Short Notice

I imagine many of us have intentions of doing lots of research before we visit a new place to find out the restaurants we really want to try. However, sometimes we don't do enough planning, or the place we want to visit is closed, or we're simply out and about when suddenly the need to eat strikes. How to quickly pick a restaurant that stands a good chance of being delicious? I've developed a few tricks over the years. None of them are perfectly reliable of course, but I think they do improve your odds.

1. Look where all the tourists are going - and then run the other way. Almost any restaurant that caters mainly to tourists just doesn't have the motivation to do a great job. They don't have many repeat customers, and most of the people they serve are only interested in having a fake "authentic" experience and getting out cheap.


2. Look where locals are eating. For example, I was strolling through Rome with my daughter, getting a bit desperate for lunch and despairing of all of the obvious tourist traps. I happened to spot a restaurant in an alley where there were obvious locals eating. The men were in nicely tailored suits and an older woman was having a panini and a glass of white wine, all speaking Italian. The meal was nothing spectacular but it was quiet and quite decent and the proprietress was personable and took great care of the bambina.


3. Ask a local, but be skeptical. Remember that a lot of people don't have great taste, and others, especially in tourist areas, will simply send you to their cousin's great uncle's place. That is especially true when asking at your hotel - they might even get a cut.


4. Grab a free paper. Especially in the US, one of the local "free papers" you find at a cafe or street stand can be an excellent source of independent reviews. You can also study the ads to figure out what the more promising areas of town are for your preferred type of venue.


5. Surf menus. Many restaurants put a menu outside, and you can learn a lot from them. Check out whether what is offered sounds good and whether the price is right. Of course as a vegetarian, I'm specifically looking to see if they have at least one entree that meets my needs. If the vegetarian options sound like an afterthought, I'll move on.


6. Also look at the seasonality. If they are offering asparagus in June or a fresh tomato salad in December, you are asking for trouble. Also, if the menu has a hundred different items, ask yourself whether they can possibly do that many things well.


7. If there is no menu posted, so much the better. Now you can walk in and ask to see one, and get a better look at the inside of the place. Don't be the least bit ashamed to walk away if it isn't what you want.


8. Try to get a look at the food. If you can peek in a window or see someone already eating on the patio, often a quick glance will tell you whether it looks good.


9. Take advantage of technology. If you have a laptop with you, find a place with wireless and spend 10 minutes doing some quick searches for recommendations. Try chowhound or citysearch, or just google the neighborhood plus the word "restaurant" and read a few reviews. If you are savvy with your mobile phone, you can do it that way too.


10. Trust your instincts. Take a second to just feel the overall vibe of the place. If you sense there might be some love of food here, trust your gut and wander in. If not... hey, is that another menu I see down at the end of the block?

If you have other tricks that have worked for you, please add them as a comment!

Review: "Jovani" Restaurant, Tiberias, Israel

Delicious ravioli at "Jovani" TIberias, Israel

We're on our way from Jerusalem up to Vered Hagalil. No GPS, but this looks easy on the map. We just need to pass through Tiberias, stay on the same road headed north around the Sea of Galilee (Kinerret), and we should be there in half an hour. Pretty much follow the coast. Hmm, the road is turning inland. We must have missed the turn. Let's try again. Hmm, no obvious main road headed up the coast. All these side streets dead end. Maybe the turn was earlier. Argh! Three tries later we are punchy and very hungry and worried about a nap for Mini-Me.

Tiberias is one of those resort towns that I would normally avoid, especially for eating. But since we are desperate, we just park the car and pick the first place that looks half decent and hope they can give us directions along with lunch. The sign in English said "Jovani" and "Espresso Bar", but in Hebrew it is something closer to "Giovanni".

Boy were we glad we got lost! I'd been avoiding ordering pasta since we were headed shortly to Italy, but I broke down here. The ravioli in the picture above was simple but stellar, with a homemade tomato sauce that was practically vibrating with fresh flavors. We all shared that along with huge, beautiful Greek and Israeli salads.

And thus my continued amazement with food in this tiny country. Nothing fancy - in fact, ultra casual. The owner's daughter is chilling with her friends at the next table and the tab was maybe $40 for the four of us. It is just that the ingredients are insanely fresh and flavorful, and prepared with simple care, an experience that seems so infrequent in the US but the norm here. Like most Israeli restaurants (either kosher-dairy or non-kosher), it is a vegetarian paradise with lots of options and no stealth meat.

And the owner, who spoke excellent English, gave us directions too. We simply needed to follow that road that was headed inland for 7 Km, and it would head north again, have faith. Mmm. Not... so... much. We ended up making a huge box, going an hour out of our way and swearing that after we got settled we'd have to drive back south and figure out where the road really was just to satisfy our curiosity!

So I can't give you exact directions to Jovani, but if you enter town from the south it is one block left of the main street, in what seems to be the older downtown area filled with normal shops. I can't find anything about it on the web, though maybe someone who does Hebrew on their keyboard can track it down for us and add a comment? I've included a picture of the exterior below, and I'm sure a local could point you to it easily.

"Jovani" Restaurant in Tiberias, Israel

Review: Obika Mozzarella Bar, Rome, Italy

So the review in our travel guide (and most of the online listings) gushed about Obika Mozzarella Bar in Rome, and it wasn't hard to seduce me. A restaurant entirely devoted to artisinal Mozzarella Di Bufala, each with the DOP seal of approval? Are you kidding me? I practically had to be restrained from clawing my way down there the minute we arrived in the city.

I need not have rushed.

And really, part of me knew. I liked the schtick of using great ingredients from all over Italy, but fresh mozzarella simply doesn't travel like that. All three varieties that we tasted were ok but not earth-shatteringly good, without that amazing sweet milk flavor I was expecting. Actually the smoked one was most interesting. I'm sure they were terrific when they left the caseificio, but nothing special when they landed on our plates. And they were served on beds of the saddest, oldest, most pock-marked, thick ribbed spinach I've ever seen served in a restaurant. Popeye wouldn't have touched it if Olive Oyl was tied to the railroad tracks.

Then came our entrees. The only two that were both vegetarian and could be done without nuts (because Snacky Pants is severely allergic) were eggplant based. She ordered an eggplant parmigiana and I got a mozarella bomba di risa with grilled eggplant. The bomba was excellent, but served with pesto containing nuts so SP couldn't even try it.

The parmigiana was inedible because the eggplant was barely cooked, not even penetrable with a fork. Mind you, this isn't some special Italian style. Eggplant isn't served al dente. When SP informed the waitress, she said "oh, yes, that is because our eggplants are maybe a little hard", and walked away!

The Obika website claims they are a "a research project based on Italian high-quality products". My suggestion: don't volunteer as a lab rat.

Breakfast In Israel - So Amazing! (including Reviews of the Dan Panorama Jerusalem, Metropolitan Suites Tel Aviv, Vered Hagalil, and Yotvata)

Breakfast at Yotvata Kosher (Dairy) Restaurant in Tel Aviv

Breakfast in Israel is kind of an amazing thing, and a vegetarian's paradise.

Our first venue was the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem where we were treated to an unbelievable buffet that is included in the room price. Five enormous tables had perhaps fifty or more choices including cheeses, yogurts, and labnehs, breads of all sorts, sweet and savory pastries such as borekas, half a dozen fresh salads that changed daily, an omelette and pancake station, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, great mounds of halvah, and I'm surely forgetting some things! Most everything was impeccably fresh and the amazing Israeli produce and dairy products made it unforgettable. The biggest problem I had was not to stuff myself so much that I couldn't eat falafel at a reasonable lunch hour.

When we moved to the Vered Hagalil Guest Ranch in the northern part of the country near the Sea of Galilee, there was again a buffet though of more modest proportions, appropriate to the small and rustic resort. Still all of those superb salads and dairy products to die for, and much needed espresso too.

Breakfast Buffet At Vered Hagalil Guest Ranch near the Sea of Galilee

In Tel Aviv, the buffet at the Metropolitan Hotel and Suites was shockingly bad. It was fairly large, maybe half the size of the Dan Panorama, but everything was sad looking and dirty and tasteless. It was like finding myself at a Residence Inn in the States trying to eke out a breakfast from reconstituted waffle strips and imitation egg curds. We didn't go back after the first day.

Instead we started breakfasting at Yotvata, a kibbutz-run, kosher dairy, diner-style restaurant with several locations. The plate in the pictures at the top of this post costs  all of 42 shekels (about $10), and that includes also a huge pitcher of an absolutely fresh fruit smoothie of your choice (get the mango!), and warm bread.  Served on a patio across the street from the Mediterranean no less. Incredible. I don't think the $10 would even cover the food cost for a restaurant in the US. Denny's should take one look at that picture and lock its doors in shame.

And of course if you have been out partying all night in Tel Aviv, a plate of salads might not sound so good. This fellow below opted for fries and a snooze, then dined-and-dashed after the security guard woke him up!

Asleep in the French Fries After A Long Night of Rosh Hashanah Partying in Tel Aviv

Review: Vegan Garden Vietnamese Restaurant, Seattle, WA

It is a strange sensation for me to be presented with a restaurant menu where I have 110 legitimate choices of what to eat. As a vegetarian I'm so used to having a choice of one or two appetizers and a single entree, it is bewildering to be faced with all of these options. At Vegan Garden, a bright, clean, and relatively new restaurant in Seattle's Little Saigon at 12th and Jackson, the options are both numerous and delicious. Not only that, there are items on the menu with no English translation that I can order with impunity! They are rapidly becoming one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants, so I hope to simply eat my way through the entire catalog.

Vietnamese appetizer rolls come in both fresh and deep fried versions, and they can both be spectacular. On a recent visit with Mini-Me we when for the fried Cha Gio Chay, which came out piping hot, super crispy, and filled with little bites of tofu, mushrooms and cabbage. I haven't had any as good as these since my love affair with the first dilapidated and then departed White Lotus in San Jose, CA. Then we shared Bun, the classic Vietnamese bowl filled with a bed of lettuce, a big bunch of soft, cool and thin rice vermicelli noodles with fresh and pickled vegetables. At Vegan Garden you have a choice of multiple toppings, inlcuding Egg Roll and Shredded Tofu, Lemongrass Tofu, Egg Roll with Grilled Pork and Shredded Tofu, Lemongrass Chicken, and Lemongrass Beef.

Naturally none of the Pork, Chicken or Beef is actually animal product. They are made from tofu, wheat gluten and lotus root. We chose the Lemongrass Chicken today, which had a pleasing texture, not too chewy, and a peppery lemongrass glaze. If you enjoy the mock-meats, Vegan Garden does a solid job of them, and if they aren't your cup of tea there are plenty of straightforward tofu and vegetable options.

One of the glories of Vietnamese food is Nuoc Cham, a  sauce that includes lime juice, garlic, shallot, sugar, shredded carrots, and ... fish sauce. Vegan Garden makes a lovely version that omits the fish sauce and includes some pineapple vinegar. We used it both for the rolls and to pour over the rice noodles of our Bun.

The folks at Vegan Garden are absolutely serious about being vegan, right down to soymilk in the iced coffee and eggless fortune cookies. The fortune cookies also provide insight into the spiritual beliefs underpinning their cuisine. The first one we opened said:

"When we are pushed into a situation, we realize our wisdom"
        - Supreme Master Ching Hai

and referred us to godsdirectcontact.com for more information. (But don't worry, other than the fortune cookies you won't be subject to any other religious instruction while you dine).

Our large lunch of rolls and bun came to $12 plus tip, and you could get out even cheaper if you skipped the appetizer. They were also very kind to Mini-Me, providing her with small chopsticks, asking her lots of questions, and looking bemused at her shouts of "no take my plate! I still eating!", which scores plenty of points with us dads.

NOTE: see the comments for this post - when I try new dishes at VG I'll add a note.

Details:
Vegan Garden
1228 S. Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 726-8669
Daily except Tuesday, 10 AM - 9:30 PM
Carryout available
Parking lot immediately east of restaurant

Review: The Legendary Abulafia Bakery in Jaffa, Israel (near Tel Aviv)

Sambusac Stuffed with Potato, Mushroom, Cheese and Hardboiled Egg

Here are your directions. (1) Board plane for Tel Aviv (2) Clear immigration and customs (3) Ask taxi driver to take you to Abulafia. You could tell him that it is in Jaffa, but he already knows.

SP's dad, you mention anything related to the Middle East and his eyes glaze over with desire as he tells you about how you have to make it to Abulafia.

Do you get what I'm trying to say here? This 24-hour streetside bakery has been located at the same corner in Jaffa since 1879. They pretty well have the recipes tweaked out at this point. That turnover, calzone looking item you see above is called a sambusac, and this one was filled with silky smooth mashed potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. Big deal right? When you order it, they put it on the grill for a minute, then cut it open and add a sliced hardboiled egg. The warm, creamy potatoes, the rich egg and cheese, slightly chewy but tender dough, lots of black pepper. Dang! Suddenly I understand what all the other pastries I've ever eaten filled with cold, dry mashed potatoes were referring to.

Just up the street, Abulafia has another location that serves sit down meals and apparently has unbelievable hummus, according to Hillel. I didn't have room for it today.

If you are doing any more web research about the bakery, be sure and check multiple spellings. Even on their own sign they have both Abuelafia and Abouelafia, and I've also seen Aboulafia.

While you are in Jaffa, you can stroll up to beautiful overlooks of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean, and walk through one of the nicer, cleaner Old City areas I've seen, with some high quality, not so touristy art dealers.

Just to whet your appetite further, here's a picture of Abulafia's pita with zatar, if you don't mind looking through the glass.

Pita Bread Covered in Zatar

"Panzanella" Salad at Spaghettim, Jerusalem, Israel