Romio's

How is it possible this is the first time I can write about this place since starting the blog?

The fact that I forgot to take a picture until half of the pizza is gone should speak to the awesomeness of this pizza

Restaurant name:  Romio's
Food type:  Italian
Category: They should know us by name when we walk in.  No need to look at the menu, we already know what we're having
Location:  Renton, WA
Reason for dining out:  No one (me) wanted to cook... and we all love pizza
Bonus features:  The Guys were excited to take along some hard earned money from a store they have been operating (I call it a trinkets and trash store).  They wanted to put a quarter in their candy machine.  Thing is, they took out the candy machine!  This is a good thing in my book.
Food ordered:  A modified Romio's Special (see below)
Chance of repeat visit:  Absolutely!  It was delicious as always.


The Critic and I got our usual.  We love the Romio's Special, but we ask to take off the mushrooms and black olives and put on roasted red peppers and sundried tomatoes.  The Critic would like to have it named after us and put on the menu.  It could happen!  We ALWAYS get this.  I also like their four-cheese spaghetti, but the pizza really is the best thing there.  Incidentally, we ate here when it was a Cucina Presto and were devastated when it closed along with al(most all) the other Cucina! Cucina!s.  When it was becoming a Romio's The Critic was really excited because he remembered Romio's in his hometown and was hoping it was close to the "original".  It is.  We love it. And it's that pizza place that we can go to as a family and when The Guys are bigger they will tell stories of "our pizza place".  We almost never eat pizza in... with pizza this good and so close to us, there is no point.

Remainder of the trip

I had visions of photographing and blogging about a lot of places in San Antonio.  Truth is, we rarely ate out.  We had DELICIOUS food at my family reunion... but it was all cooked and prepared by family.  Things like taco salad, spaghetti dinners, and goulash were delicious but nothing could compare to the "Welcome Back To Texas" BBQ we enjoyed.  Ahhhh.... memories of brisket!  The Critic is scheming how to have one shipped up here.  I'm sure he'll find a way.

Really we only ate out three times.  One was at Splashtown water park where we just purchased their burgers... which were mediocre at best, but what do you expect?  How often do you go to a waterslide park for the food?  It served its purpose.  Second, we had a breakfast at Einstein Bros. Bagels.  It was merely okay and not a place I'd run to again.  And finally, at the airport, we had some burgers from an Alamo something-or-other burger spot.  They were tasty, but took forever.  The homemade chips weren't too bad though.

Ohhhh.... memories of that Texas brisket...

Texas Gelato

After a full day of touristy stuff in San Antonio (in just about 4 hours) our family's final stop for the night was a gelato shop right on the riverwalk.  Sadly, I never got the name.  But it was DELICIOUS and refreshing.  The biggest surprise here was the fruit flavor gelatos.  Super refreshing and actually much better than the creamy ones.  Lime was a favorite among all of us and The Guys and I enjoyed cantaloupe as well.  On this night, The Critic and I shared an english toffee cup and ate some of the guy's lime.  On a repeat visit, we got our own lime while they shared the cantaloupe (and ended up eating a good portion of that myself).

Chili's -- Welcome to San Antonio!

Family vacation at last!  We arrived hungry after flying all day to San Antonio, Texas.  We were welcomed by an old familiar friend who has escaped the clutches of Washington as best we can tell.  Chili's, we have missed you!

Restaurant name: Chili's
Food type:  A little of this and that... likely a form of Tex Mex?
Category: We used to frequent it when it was nearby.  Sadly this is no longer the case.
Location:  San Antonio, Texas
Reason for dining out:  Famished and on vacation
Bonus features:  They were piloting some new chicken in the fajitas and we got to give a raving review on a comment card.  Also The Big Guy had a chance to surprise us all with a tasty dessert that he chose.
Food ordered:  I got the fajita platter with chicken, shrimp, and steak.  We all shared a chocolate lava cake.
Chance of repeat visit:  Absolutely!  But sadly will need to be on vacation first... :-(

The food was all delicious and I truly do recommend that dessert... this coming from someone who rarely eats them and is rarely raving about them.  It was a lot of fun.  That might have been the jet lag talking though...

Thai Food... to go!

We finally saw the last Harry Potter movie.  The LAST time we went to a Harry Potter movie, we came up with an awesome tradition.  It goes something like this.  Get take-out Thai.  Walk in as if you are taking your leftovers.  Enjoy DELICIOUS food during the movie.  :-)

Restaurant name: Fairwood Thai Cusine
Food type:  Duh, Thai!
Category: Don't even need to look at the menu... and have their number on speed dial.
Location:  Renton, Washington
Reason for dining out:  Headed to a movie
Bonus features:  This has become our go-to take out place.  Quick, convenient, and delicious.
Food ordered:  Chicken Pad Si Ew, 2 stars (it was too spicy this time... even for The Critic) and chicken satay (delicious)
Chance of repeat visit:  Absolutely!  Count on seeing us there right before a movie or a possible Sunday meal after kids go to bed.

Flying Pie Pizzeria

Through a MOMS Club I am in (yes, such a thing exists... such a great group of people, too!) The Guys and I had a chance to do the ultimate kid dream... make their own pizzas!  This is our 2nd (or 3rd?) time participating, but first at the Issaquah location.

Restaurant name: Flying Pie Pizzeria
Food type:  Italian/Pizza
Category: Occasional visitor
Location:  Issaquah, Washington
Reason for dining out:  Activity for the kids
Bonus features:  This trip included a tour and The Guys got to make their own pizzas!
Food ordered:  For me, I got a slice of BBQ chicken pizza which came with a breadstick (I don't know how that was... The Guys ate it) and a side salad. Plus the ever important diet coke.
Items of inspiration: None
Chance of repeat visit:  Probably not... once you've labeled the place as a spot where my boys get to go in back it would be tough to convince them they couldn't.  Also, my pizza crust was super hard.  Salad bar was too small.  There are better pizza places (like Romio's) which are closer.  It also takes them a long time to get organized and going... our tour began 25 min. late which is a lot for little tummies to contend with.

Camping Gear? Check. Guys? Check. Critic? Check. Flat Tire? Check. (Bonus material... a fish story)

Through a series of unfortunate events (flat tire) to kick off our camping trip, we ended up eating out a couple unforseen times.  We had a repeat visit to Carino's.  On the return trip, we also essentially visited Taste of Tacoma again by visiting the Bite of Seattle on the way back.  I will say the reviews on the lobster ravioli at Carino's and the skewers at Pho Cyclo cafe dropped.  Maybe it's because we pretty much just had them and didn't have time to miss them.  Whatever the reason, neither was the stand-out it was the first time around.  That's always sad.  The good news at the Bite was that we were starving and able to get tickets to the Tom Douglas Alley which featured a number of local restaurants none of which I remember because I was SO hungry I didn't even stop to think about the amazing food I was diving into (pastrami sandwich and a meatball were a couple stand-outs.  Plus the spaetzle, which was good even with the mushrooms.  Yes Mom, I said that).

The other quick trip on the way out though, was Costco!  Ahhhh, Costco... the only place I know where you can get a TV, a mocha, Cougar Gold cheese, a billion pencils, your kindergartner's backpack, and a slice of pizza...

Restaurant name: Costco
Food type:  Cheap and fast
Category: Don't even need to look at the menu (even though it's huge and right in front of you)
Location:  Kirkland, Washington
Reason for dining out:  Waiting for a tire patch before camping for the weekend
Bonus features:  It's fast, it's cheap, it's pretty good... and I had no idea you could get pepperoni pizza at 10:00 a.m., but apparently you can!
Food ordered:  Pepperoni pizza (The Guys also had a churro and The Critic got an ice cream bar to share with them, but I just ate 1/4 of the pizza).  I also had a mocha.  It was not very good (but come on... $1!!!).
Items of inspiration: When it's this cheap, just get it from them.
Chance of repeat visit:  Absolutely!  Especially if we blow another tire on a camping trip and have to be *those* people who unload half their worldly belongings on the side of the freeway long enough to get to the full-sized spare.


Have I mentioned how cool it is that The Guys have amazing attitudes about travel... especially changes in plans?  We ended up missing the ferry to Orcas Island that we were planning to get.  The bonus?  Italian sodas at the ferry dock while waiting.  And getting a pass on cooking dinner at the campsite on night one.  The rest of the camping trip, by the way, was phenomenal.  We survived the rainy Saturday morning and all had a good time the rest of the weekend.  I even caught a fish!  Well, it was more of a "fish".  And while it has absolutely nothing to do with dining out, the story is a pretty good "fish" tale.  So here goes...


The Critic used to fish with his dad when he was a kid and looks forward to the same activity with The Guys.  Never really understanding the draw, I've politely waited in the wings far away from a 3-year-old's access to true lures and hooks.  Yikes.  On this trip, it seemed necessary to offer an assist so I tried my hand at casting.  And I did pretty well!  I found I did a better job backhand than forehand or overhead.  Kind of hard to practice with so many people in such a little space too.  And did I mention these are real hooks?  I'm not a big fan of things that can lodge in your skin and need to be surgically removed.  And while we're at it, I should also probably mention that while I love *eating* fish, I'm not especially fond of *touching* fish.  Or worms.  Or anything that's slimy, or wiggly, or floppy, or... okay, you get the idea.


The point is, those few casts were actually FUN!  And I began to be as sad as any of us that we hadn't caught anything.  Not one little nibble.  I suggested we go out after dinner before s'mores and try again.  That didn't quite work out but we did go after s'mores.  But then The Little Guy was tired and wanted to go to bed, so I put on my mommy hat and put away the fishing pole.


Fast forward a bit to about 5:30 a.m.  There was, ahem, some snoring by two unnamed male people in my tent and a bit of sleep shifting which kind of edged me out.  Not sure how to pass the time, I began thinking it'd be fun to practice casting without Guy distractions.  So I grabbed one of their poles and headed to the spot we tried the night before.


On the way, I had a thought.  What if I actually caught something.  I nearly turned back, but remembered how we didn't catch a thing the day before and quit worrying.  I headed to the spot that was about a 5 min. walk from our site and cast.  A good cast, too.  Overhead!  Yay.  I'm not too bad at this.  And as I pulled in my line, I saw a very small little fish dart among the rocks.  In my head, I suggested he not be so stupid as to attach himself to my line.  We'd been getting snags on the seaweed the night before so I was going to try and calm my fears if I got that tug on the line that told me I'd got something.  I cast again (so this is my second cast).  Again overhead.  Again a good cast!  I'm feeling great and reel in the line.  No tug (thank goodness) and I pull up the line.

You have GOT to be kidding me.

Or, "Craaaaaaaaaaappppp" as the word actually rang through my head.

I don't know if it was the same stupid fish who didn't listen to me mentally tell him to stay off my line or not, but the dumb thing was about 4 or 5 inches long and very much attached to the hook on the end of my line.  And it flopped.  And I kept wishing it off my line.  Finally, I decided I had nothing left to do but get it off, somehow, preferably without touching it or killing it.  Or impaling myself with that stupid hook.  I reach out my hand....

And the stupid fish gets some smarts, flops up one way, and jumps off the line!  Hooray!!!!  I didn't have to touch it after all!  I began laughing in my head at myself... I have a fish story about "the one that got away" and I could not be more thrilled!!!  I promptly headed back to camp with my fishing pole, put it away, and headed back to bed for a bit more sleep. 

So sadly, that's the only fish caught on this trip.  Hopefully The Critic will be with me next time and I can catch something I'll be proud of and he can do all that icky stuff for me.  Better get, I can experience the joy of seeing The Guys reel one in... and we'll hope it's a big one that doesn't get away that time.

You CAN Go Home Again!

I am SO glad I have this blog, if for no other reason than today's entry.  I want to remember that experience forever!

Restaurant name: Cucina! Cucina!
Food type:  Italian
Category:  Used to be frequent flyers... first time back in I don't know how many years
Location:  Issaquah, WA
Reason for dining out:  Lunch while The Guys were at camp... again.
Bonus features:  Everything was a bonus today.  Diet coke, food I remembered, decor... the fact that it was THERE!
Food ordered:  Linguine con pollo
Items of inspiration: "Balsamic Cream Sauce".  I might work on that!
Chance of repeat visit:  Without a doubt... With The Critic (and likely The Guys). 

Once again, I had the opportunity to spend 4 hours alone in Issaquah while The Guys were at camp.  First stop was Panera where I kept up the mantra "I will not order food so I don't have to blog about it... I will not order food so I don't have to blog about it..." until I saw the four cheese souffle and realized I hadn't eaten anything all morning due to rushing around for swim lessons.  So Chai and souffle started my morning off.  Incidentally the Panera souffle is not a bad option if you need a fast food breakfast item.  But I prefer the four-cheese mini quiche (or the roasted veggie one) Specialty cafe in Bellevue Square and have been known to drive a LONG time for one of those when I'm hungry.  They are worth it every time.  And I nearly drove out there after eating the Panera souffle simply because I spent so much time comparing them in my head.  But I didn't.  And it was a GOOD thing!

Instead I tried to find a Trader Joe's.  Trader Joe's is one of those elusive stores around here that just will NOT build close to me, no matter how much campaigning my friends do.  There are certain foods you can only get there so I figured if there was one in Issaquah that would be good use of a portion of my 4 hours off.  Check the GPS... score!  As long as it's still there, right....

So I follow the directions and pull in to where it should be.  Then utter and complete disappointment, not because of not finding TJ's, but seeing a beautiful sign for Cucina! Cucina!  Flashback 10 years ago to a time pre-Guys when The Critic and I would go, often.  Cucina! Cucina! offered my favorite pasta dish that seems simple enough to appear anywhere but only was ever THERE.  Even when the Southcenter one was taken over by new management and took it OFF their menu (horror!) they kept it on as a secret "in-the-know" kind of thing because it was so good.  That time, I ordered it and, well, it wasn't right.  And that was YEARS ago and I have never really been the same.

So I drive around staring at that sign longingly... so sad that the amazing chain has disappeared.  And then I see the banner.  It looks new and, assuming it's the actual restaurant which contains the building, I read it (it says something about steaks I notice). 

"Now serving grilled steaks at Cucina! Cucina!"

Now?  As in NOW???  As in TODAY?  No way.  They closed years and years ago.  Man that banner looks good for being tattered in the wind for so long!

And then I see the reader board.  With dry erase marker.  That says "Lunch Specials at Cucina! Cucina!"  WHAT?!?!?!  As in TODAY????  This can't be happening.

Fast forward... found Trader Joe's across the parking lot... still thinking about Cucina Cucina.  Still rationalizing.  How on earth is that even possible?  I had all but decided to go to the gastro-pub I found last time in Issaquah and really wasn't hungry after the souffle anyway... but it kept gnawing at my brain. 

Finally I write it off.  Even if it is the "same" restaurant there is no way they would have the same food.  Sigh.  It's all too good to be true.  But.... yeah, I have to at least look at the menu.

Still not hungry I get out of the car and look at their specials reader board (nothing stands out).  Then I see their dinner menu behind glass.  Walk over.  There it is.  "Chicken Linguine with Goat Cheese".  Uhhhhh... ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? I read the description... "roasted garlic, balsamic vinegar cream sauce, broccoli, creamy goat cheese, and toasted pine nuts".  And I have one thought.  THAT'S IT!!!!  And now I know I have to come back for dinner.  Tonight.  Forget that we have circus tickets.  Not important.  Okay... I suppose I can wait until the next day.  If I must.  Sigh.

So I head in just to see what is for lunch.  "Oh, our dinner menu and lunch menu are the same."  As casually as I can muster I ask if they serve Coke or Pepsi and when I hear Coke I simply faint inside a bit and decide that I will FIND the ability to eat lunch right then and there. 

I walk in and it's CRAZY how nostalgic I am.  It's the same walls, same decor.  I get to the table and it's the SAME WHITE PAPER!  Oh my gosh, I think, they used to write their name upside down with crayons on the table.  We used to color while we waited!  I have my jaw on the floor and am shocked at what a time warp the whole experience is.  I wish more than anything that The Critic was there to experience all this with me.  I entertain the idea of waiting, but I just can't.  I'm totally drawn in. 

Then I read the lunch special and GUESS WHAT'S ON THE LUNCH SPECIAL FOR TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!  Yes, "Linguine con Pollo" *is* Chicken Linguine with Goat Cheese.  It is!  It's the same dish!  Okay, well it won't likely be the same dish, but it's the same ingredient list!  I am thrilled.

As casually as I can (can you imagine how freaked out my server would be if she knew what was going on in my head at this point???) I keep saying how I didn't know this place still existed.  Apparently this is it.  The last one.  After Joey's bought them all out then sold them off one-by-one, the current owner bought it.  AND THE RECIPES! I tell her how much I loved that dish 10 years ago and she says "It's so good... I hope it's as good as you remember it."  And guess what?  Like I have to tell you... it's the same dish.  Exactly. 


I was not The Coach Foodie the last time I ate at this restaurant.  No idea about amuse bouches or mis en place.  The only chef names I had heard of were Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse, and I wasn't at all starstruck by the idea of them.  Yet I have always, always remembered this pasta.  It's probably the first food I ever really craved.  And now that I know it is back and exactly the same?  Well... I'm simply giddy.

Thanks for reading.  I really wanted to share that experience with you.  :-)

The Pancake Chef

Today was an example of how the entire experience just seemed to scream "Write a blog entry about me!"  I give you... The Pancake Chef

Restaurant name: The Pancake Chef
Food type:  Diner/Dive
Category:  First timers
Location:  Burien, WA
Reason for dining out:  Last stop on our anniversary weekend
Bonus features:  People watching!  Also we were able to share some food with a neighboring table... mostly because the table was that close that they could smell our food an ask what we ordered
Food ordered:  Corn Fritters, German pancake, bacon, coffee
Items of inspiration: I need my mom's recipe for the Dutch baby, as she calls them...
Chance of repeat visit:  Still looking for that perfect breakfast spot, other than The Original Pancake House.

When walking into this place it was a bit like stepping back into 1977, not that I really remember what things were like back then.  The formica table tops, the "swivel" brown chairs which don't really swivel, the grey dishes with brown flecks which match the brown coffee mugs (filled with coffee which tastes like the grounds haven't been cleaned out since 1977)... do NOT expect to order something like poached eggs on brioche in a place like this.  In fact I think it can best be categoriezed by looking at their "light breakfast" options, which included biscuits and gravy, corn beef hash, and "ground beef" (which most people know as a hamburger patty).  Light options because they only came with one egg and a slice of bacon instead of two, I think.They also list "healthy options" and, of course, item number one is a scoop of cottage cheese.  Anything becomes a diet plate as soon as you add, cottage cheese, right?




 It's just really not our scene... quite comical actually.  I asked the waitress what was popular and she looked at me like I asked if she had a third eye.  The descriptions didn't really leave your mouth watering either... the special of the day was the "high fiber banana pancake".  And I danced around the creamer bowl for half-and-half as opposed to the "aseptic non dairy creamer".  Probably funniest was how, above the typical warning about undercooked eggs/meat contributing to the chance of getting a food born illness, was the disclaimer that "We're sorry that we are no longer allowed to serve our meat rare or medium rare" which just begged the question of "Why no longer??".  But we never asked.

Corn fritters and bacon

The place lost immediate credibility with The Critic when they didn't have chocolate chip pancakes on the menu.  Yes, 38 years old and this is important to him.  With whipped cream.  Just don't give him a marachino cherry nose on a clown face (the rest of the face is ok).  But they did have corn fritters, which was ultimately what made him decide we needed to head in this direction.  The corn fritters were ok, but a small order would have been more than enough.  And they needed honey.  We have been conditioned by those nuggets of goodness from the Puyallup Fair.  Sadly I'm finding there is nothing like them on the planet.  And the German pancake, also fine.  I tried mine with some lemon squeezed on it for the first time.  They always seem to be served that way and I've never understood why.  Now I've tasted it... just still don't understand why.  It's a bit like drinking fresh squeezed lemonade on a pancake.  My mom always puts strawberries on hers which is DE-LISH! 

German Pancake

Ultimately, it's not our scene.  At least not today.  We probably would have loved it in 1977.

The Salish Lodge... Again

Welcome back to The Salish Lodge.  A place we love for its tranquil beauty, it's sense of calm, and it's reminder (for us) of romance.  The Critic proposed on "our rock" nearly 13 years ago.  We've stayed at the lodge 3 times for our anniversary.  This meal likely represents our swan song though, as too many glitches to the trip are having us consider making memories elsewhere in the future.  Still, the food is beautiful and fresh and the views cannot be matched.

Restaurant name: The Salish Lodge
Food type:  Northwest cuisine, probably with some French influence
Category:  Frequent Flyers, at least in the fine dining category.  We certainly don't go every night!
Location:  Snoqualmie, WA
Reason for dining out:  Happy Anniversary!
Bonus features:  Breathtaking views
Food ordered: First course, scallops.  Second course, catch of the day... halibut.  Also enjoyed a glass of Eroica and a complementary chocolate truffle for dessert.
Items of inspiration: None... this is without a doubt the food I love to order, not cook.
Chance of repeat visit: Probably for dinner, though there are other fine dining places we'd like to try before a repeat visit.

This is one place where the food simply speaks for itself.  Enjoy!

First course -- scallops with dehydrated pineapple, sweet potato puree, "dehydrated grapes (most people call those raisins!), spinach, and some type of "foam" or "froth" on the top.  A lot to this dish... scallops are probably my favorite food on Earth

The Critic's Lamb "Lollipop".  We both thought it was going to be lamb on a bone (as the "stick") but no... that "stick" is a sweet cookie.  Very odd.  Otherwise big bold flavors in this dish.  That wrapped up thing is a zucchini "cannelloni" with lamb sausage inside.  Yum!

My catch of the day.  Halibut.  I hardly ever order halibut because I like food with bold flavors.  This one was very mild and timid.  It's beautiful to look at.  It was seasoned well, and I would have loved more of the creamed leeks underneath it.  But ultimately I should have indulged in the beetroot gnocchi I was eyeing (but the black olive sorbet scared me off).

Best part of the meal -- complementary dark chocolate truffles rolled in sugar in the raw (or some similar product)

Snoqualmie... Pizza??

Found a cool new (to us) area of Snoqualmie while on our anniversary get away weekend.  Fun spot to have lunch... just The Critic and I.

Restaurant name: Uncle Si's Pizza
Food type:  Italian... if you had to ask
Category:  First Timers!
Location:  Snoqualmie, WA
Reason for dining out:  Lunch spot on a weekend away, just the two of us
Bonus features:  Diet coke!  Also a new area we have literally never seen before.
Food ordered: Ciao (Alfredo sauce, caramelized onions, spinach, Gorgonzola, mozzarella, garlic, walnuts)
Items of inspiration: There was a sandwich called "The Mountaineer" that I originally thought was a pizza and was super excited about.. so since it was a sandwich, I think I'll try and turn it into a pizza sometime on my own. It had garlic chicken, Canadian bacon, feta, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, sundried tomatoes, and Italian dressing (I would likely use balsamic too)
Chance of repeat visit: Probably... would make a neat spot to eat on the way home from rock climbing at Exit 38 with The Guys.

We enjoy trying to find fun pizza spots you can dine in at.  Romio's tops our list.  Close 2nd is The Rock.  Both are really close, but the hope was maybe this would be a runner up, even though it's no where near us.  The menu looked intriguing and they had lots of creative pizzas without being completely out there.  They drew us in with their promise of a $6 lunch.  They DO have that, but it's not the good pizzas.  Just a small cheese, pepperoni, or Hawaiian.  So, um, yeah.  Didn't go for that this time.  But the good news was that we could split a medium sized pizza with two specialty pizzas.  A good thing, too, since The Critic's pizzas need to have red sauce, all the meat you can grunt at, and mushrooms and olives.  Mushrooms and olives are the two things I really can't stand to eat.  And I like my pizzas to be what the critic calls "Girly pizza" meaning it has such atrocities as leafy greens and smelly cheese.  Usually I lose and The Critic loses out on the mushroom/olive yuck.  So this time, we were both winners!  Although I will say that a split pizza with black olives and mushrooms always and I mean ALWAYS ends up with mushrooms and olives on the wrong slices.  Always.  Today was no exception.

That said, the pizza was good.  Not blow your mind incredible, but good.  I ate two of my girly slices with chicken and gorgozonla and spinach while The Critic enjoyed his meaty mushroomy black olive feast as well.  We left satisfied.  The crust was a bit "crackery" for us, more of a yeasty thing than the hand-tossed crust we love at Romio's.  Bottom line, we will likely go back.  When we are in the neighborhood, at least...

Kent Cornucopia Days

See, this is when I don't know how to add things in.  We went, we ate.  I should blog.  Problem?  No pictures... I don't even know the name of the places!  One was an asian place that had a hum bao, some egg rolls, and chicken on a stick.  Good stuff, mostly the chicken.  The other was a bar-be-que place, most likely a version of Famous Daves.  BBQ pork sandwich.  And of course we got Shave Ice... the REAL Hawaiian shave ice thing that comes around to some of these festivals with its little hut that is shaped like shave ice and isn't a snow cone at all.  Good stuff.  If you're in the area, head to Kent Cornucopia Days for some fun and free swag... the food is not bad if you've been walking around for hours and hours. 

Cheesecake Factory

Vacation over!  We returned home and had one more meal out... Cheesecake Factory.  A quick post, as we are all very tired and had a fabulous fun-filled trip.

Restaurant name: Cheesecake Factory
Food type:  Huh... I don't know!  A bit of everything, I guess!
Category:  Frequent Flyers
Location:  Tukwila, WA
Reason for dining out:  Last stop on a fun vacation
Bonus features:  We were tired, they fed us!
Food ordered:  Southwest chicken soup, corn tamales
Items of inspiration: I could make that soup
Chance of repeat visit: Without a doubt

Cheesecake Factory has been in Southcenter for a while now, but it's still a very special thing to get to go there.  I can't imagine how crazy and chaotic that kitchen is... they have a BOOK for a menu!  The problem is that so many things look good going in, but you end up returning to the same ones over and over and over.  Case in point, the corn tamales.  Everytime I've been, in Las Vegas, in Anaheim, in Bellevue... these always seem to be something I order.  A few years back, when they started posting the nutrition information (BAD idea, by the way), I decided I needed another alternative and often get the ahi tar tare.  So it was a tough decision, but I ultimately decided on the corn tamales because I was beat and they sounded best.  And they were DELISH as always!

The soup was a surprise... hadn't heard of it before.  Spicy shredded chicken in a tomato based vegetable soup, garnished with tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro (NOOOO.... Not cilantro!!!!  Sorry.... inside joke for The Critic there), sour cream... and they pour it over white rice.  It was REALLY tasty and flavorful.  The Little Guy easily ate half of it, and The Critic snuck in several bites as well.  Which family did The Big Guy come from, anyway??? He wouldn't look at it...

So a very tasty dinner and a good end to our vacation.  And for the record, The Critic and I love cilantro.

Little Caesar's

Restaurant name: Little Caesar's Pizza
Food type:  Italian?
Category:  Frequent Flyers... cheap and easy for sure
Location:  Birch Bay, WA
Reason for dining out:  Food available at the water slide park
Bonus features:  WATER SLIDES!  And when you've been running around (oops, I mean walking carefully!) the water park, ANYTHING tastes good.  Also The Critic went on a successful hunt for a Diet Dr. Pepper.  Love him!!
Food ordered:  Pepperoni Pizza and Crazy Bread
Items of inspiration: Yeah right...
Chance of repeat visit: Without a doubt, but hopefully not for a while.

Bobs Bugers and Brew

Still on vacation!  (Birch Bay this time)

Restaurant name: Bob's Burgers and Brew
Food type:  Probably "American Gastropub", but I'm not entirely sure...  I think the burgers and brew thing says enough
Category:  We've been, but don't go often
Location:  Birch Bay, WA
Reason for dining out:  Dinner with famished family... Hangry alert!
Bonus features:  The BOO on Pepsi is replaced with a YAY on Diet Dr. Pepper... an appropriate substitute for me.  :-)
Food ordered:  Stuffed Potato with beef/side salad
Items of inspiration: Ummmmm.... No.
Chance of repeat visit: If there aren't any other options readily available.

Not a huge fan here.  The side salad that came with was fine, but that was because they had big cucumber slices that my kids will eat and whole baby carrots.  Staved off the hangry feelings for sure.  Overall, this was just one of those meals where we were all tired and grumpy and just needed to get it done and get to bed. 

That said, I wouldn't order the stuffed potato again.  On the menu, it read like a tasty post hangover meal... beef, grilled onions, swiss cheese, baked potato, all the fixin's like bacon, butter, sour cream, etc... in reality, well, that's what it was... only it was about the size of Mt. Rushmore on top of everything else.  It was simultaneously like eating a brick and not being filled up at all.  Weird.

S'mores and roasted twinkies at the campfire later?  Definite win!

Carinos!

Through a comedy of errors we ended up missing out on joining my extended family for lunch as a kick-off for the family vacay.  Oh well... What ever will we do?  Go to Carino's!!

Restaurant name: Johnny Carino's (known just as Carino's)
Food type:  Italian
Category:  Frequent Flyers
Location:  Mount Vernon, WA
Reason for dining out:  Lunch with the fam as a kick off to vacation
Bonus features:  FUN kids' menu, delicious real food we all love, the ever necessary diet coke, the BREAD!
Food ordered:  Lobster Ravioli
Items of inspiration: Apple sticks?
Chance of repeat visit: Without a doubt

The Critic and I found this place years ago... might even have been before we had kids.  It's like a fancy Olive Garden with different food options.  Even we like the occasional chain sit-down restaurant, especially with the kids.  Especially when the food is unique.  Especially when they have paninis with housemade potato chips with parmesan (for The Critic).

First thing we noticed... the kids' menu is REALLY unique!  Sure you can get a few standards (like The Big Guy getting, wait for it... pepperoni pizza!... surprise surprise).  But other options include pizza sticks, pizza pasta, and a simple turkey panini which was what The Little Guy ultimately chose.  He LOVED the "apple sticks" which were just julienne cut granny smith apples.  I think I can manage that, if he'll put them away like he did at Carino's!

But enough reading... next comes the favorite about Carino's.  The bread!  They toast up this roasted garlic until it's like chips, then they swirl around their oil with spices and seasonings in it and pour it into a little dish table side for you.  Who isn't a sucker for a little table side presentation?  This one delivers on taste as well.  The Guys would tell you all about it, but their mouths are too full from diving in.

I opted for a new dish on the menu, the lobster ravioli.  It was AMAZING!  So good.  The Little Guy loved it as well.  I think there is nothing better than an adventurous eating 4-year-old.  I hope next time I remember how much he loved it so we can share it (and I'll ask if he could have a small dish of apple sticks on the side).

Overall a wonderful meal and a tasty start to a 5 day family vacation.  All I ever wanted!

The Little Guy likes to eat lemons, so this is all that was left at the end of my meal!

38 Years...

I have lived in or near the Seattle area for the past 14 years.  I have lived in Washington State for more than 33 years.  Yet this afternoon, I went somewhere for the first time.

Restaurant name: Dick's
Food type:  Greasy spoon
Category:  First time!
Location:  Seattle, WA
Reason for dining out:  Lunch with the fam
Bonus features:  That's the only place I know of in Seattle that has free parking (while you eat there)
Food ordered:  Cheeseburger, french fries, diet coke
Items of inspiration: None... but at least they had diet coke!
Chance of repeat visit: I can wait another 38 years...


My official review:  Meh.  This is the greasiest of greasy spoons.  Not my cup of tea.  The Guys loved it.  The Critic likes their fries.  At least it was cheap and fast!  Well, cheap except you have to pay for condiments.  And objects in pictures may appear larger than they really are... that 5 cent mustard package is about 2 inches tall!

Condiments 5 cents extra... each. 

Art and Dessert Pizza

Long story short... in order to acquire some art, The Critic drove past Pulcinella's one too many times and my suggestion that we could get their signature dessert pizza was only 3/4 of the way uttered before it was received with a resounding OKAY!

Restaurant name: Pulcinella's
Food type:  Italian
Category:  Repeat customers
Location:  Seattle, WA
Reason for dining out:  Dessert
Bonus features:  Live music on Friday nights 
Food ordered:  Signature Dessert Pizza
Items of inspiration: None
Chance of repeat visit:  More than likely

Every time I find "dessert pizza" on the menu, it hardly intrigues me.  The Critic and I don't really go for the "fruity" desserts and usually dessert pizza involves apples, pears, or something similar.  Not so at Pulcinella's!  Chocolate, coffee, whipped cream... on pizza crust.  Genius and delicious.  It was worth the quick stop tonight for sure!