Loving Seattle

Restaurant Review: Il Bistro

Last Friday, for my birthday, Diana made reservations at Il Bistro, a terrific Italian restaurant just a stone's throw away from Pike Place Market. It is not the easiest place to find -- online directions said it was in the Post Alley, though reading more clearly it is the Lower Post Alley. To get there it's best to walk along first street and RIGHT at the cobblestone corner entrance to Pike Place at 1st and Pike, turn toward the sound and you'll see a side-street heading down. Il Bistro is off that street.

The atmosphere is great for a romantic dinner -- low lights and candle-lit tables. The bar area is especially cozy, set next to a beautiful 12" frosted glass window that must be at least 80 years old. Truly outstanding.

Diana and I both expected the ambiance to be the main draw and planned on the food being so-so. Boy were we surprised when we ordered the bruschetta and spinach salad (which we shared) and found that they were both amazing (an accomplishment made even more outstanding by the fact these are standard Italian-restaurant staples).

The entrees themselves were great too -- Di had the Gnocchi and I had the Salmon (ok, I know Salmon isn't standard Italian fare, but on this b-day occasion I had Diana order for me). Both were cooked well and tasted great.

The service was terrific, the food came out fast, but at no point did we feel rushed. For a romantic birthday or anniversary, this is a great choice. Come Valentine's Day, you'll want to book early!

Il Bistro - 93A Pike Street - Seattle WA 98101 - 206.682.3049

Going all in.... jail?

Before moving to Seattle, I was an avid online poker player. Sure, I hardly ever won money, but I enjoyed the thrill of playing a great game, with others, and having a little money at stake.

I can't remember how I came across it, but when I moved to Seattle from Texas a little over a year ago, I stumbled upon an article online about how "online gambling" in Washington was illegal. Illegal? You bet. Not just that, but it's in fact a felony if you're caught. Pretty ridiculous, right? It gets worse. In an article from over a year ago in the Seattle Times, check out what happened to someone writing about online gambling:

What a Bellingham man did on his site was write about online gambling. He reviewed Internet casinos. He had links to them, and ran ads by them. He fancied himself a guide to an uncharted frontier, even compiling a list of "rogue casinos" that had bilked gamblers.

All that, says the state — the ads, the linking, even the discussing — violates a new state law barring online wagering or using the Internet to transmit "gambling information."

"It's what the feds would call 'aiding and abetting,' " says the director of the state's gambling commission, Rick Day. "Telling people how to gamble online, where to do it, giving a link to it — that's all obviously enabling something that is illegal."

Before I run afoul, I will end the article. Tell us what y'all think about this whole business.

Honking Horns Illegal??

I almost couldn't believe this when I heard it -- did you know that honking your horn in Seattle could be illegal? Yep, it is unless you're honking it "in an emergency". Here's an excerpt from a story the Seattle Times carried in July.

The other day Mark Cruz, of Renton, was waiting to turn left at a green light in downtown Seattle. The car in front of him was sitting under the light, turn signal blinking, but had not budged even though all oncoming traffic had passed.

Cruz honked his horn to urge the driver to move. "Then I was pulled over by a Seattle police officer on a motorcycle. He let me off on a warning for honking at the car in front of me.

"Dumbfounded, I said, 'Of course I was.' What am I supposed to do when someone just sits there at a green light?

"He then told me that use of your horn is only for emergencies."

Insane.

Tavolata: Seattle's Best New Italian Restaurant

If you are looking for great Italian food in downtown Seattle, Tavolata is the place. The fresh and contemporary atmosphere is second to none. A collection of mirrors provide visual focus behind the bar. The beautifully sculpted wood bar and elegantly detailed booths along the wall give the restaurant an intimate warmth. The interior though is only one aspect of what makes Tavolata so great.

The food is amazing. Fresh made pasta is the key to making this restaurant so wonderful. I have tried almost every dish at Tavolata and have enjoyed every one. The combination of fresh pasta and local ingredients give each plate sensational flavor. The menu changes daily based on the availibility of these ingredients.

The gnocchi is definitely my favorite. It literally melts in your mouth. The fresh mozzarella as a starter is also another delicious favorite.

The family style concept is a real winner. The shareable plates allow you to sample all of what Tavolata has to offer.

This restaurant also has excellent and friendly servers. While it may take awhile to get a table your wait will surely be a pleasant one.

Tavolata

2323 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 838.8008

Hours are 5pm-1am Everyday 

Food: Serious Pie Pizza

Honestly, I'm surprised this wasn't the first place I blogged about when we started LovingSeattle.com! Serious Pie, a restaurant owed by famous Seattle-area chef Tom Douglas, is without a doubt the best pizza in the downtown area. But it should be made clear -- this is not your average pizza parlor.

The interior is cozy, with seating for no more than 40-50 people. It's done in communal tables, so there's a good chance you'll be bumping elbows with folks next to you -- which often means terrific conversation! The menu is short but sweet. Generally no more than 4-5 appetizers and 5-6 pizzas. Here's an idea of what type of pizza you'll find here:

Mozzarella Di Bufala, San Marzano Tomato Yukon Gold Potato, Rosemary, Olive Oil Cherry Bomb Peppers, Sweet Fennel Sausage Penn Cove Clams, House Pancetta, Lemon Thyme Lobster Mushrooms, Soft Egg, Arugula Roasted Chanterelles, Truffle Cheese Delicate Squash, Sage, Gorgonzola Lucifero Roasted Eggplant, Bagna Cauda, Pecorino

The food is terrific, the atmosphere is great. The only downside is the slight dent it will take out of your pocketbook. The average person will need their own pizza to leave full -- and with each pie costing about $15, between just a pizza and beer you're into more than $20/person.

Other great Tom Douglas restaurants worth checking out include Lola's, Etta's, Dahlia Lounge and Palace Kitchen. Don't worry, we'll post our $0.02 on each of those before long! In the meantime, check out Serious Pie.

On the corner of 3rd and Virginia in Belltown. (206) 838-7388. Mon-Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 4pm-10pm, No Reservations

Zazzle: Nice Seattle T-Shirts!

In stumbling upon Zazzle.com, a site that sells user-generated clothing, I found the following Seattle T-Shirts that I liked. Check 'em out:

	Nice, Retro Bellevue T-Shirt
	Funny Shirt - Check out Larger View
	Retro Olympic Hotel T-Shirt

Click here to check out other cool "Seattle" products at Zazzle.com.

Eating In: Designed Dinners

Looking to eat healthier but don't have the time to prepare meals yourself? No sweat, check out Designed Dinners. You can place your order online for up to 12 meals for 4 (which can be split into 24 meals for 2) and they can be delivered for a small charge. Also, for folks dieting or watching calories/limits they give you the nutritional information for each of the meals.

What kinds of food is available? Right now, the menu has:

Boneless Pork Loin Chop - With ginger orange barbeque sauce
Chicken & Shrimp Pot Pie - Simmered with vegetables and herbs, baked with a puff pastry crust
Cioppino - Shrimp, Sea Scallops, Mussels & Salmon simmered in a Tomato Herb Broth
Cornmeal Crusted Alaskan Cod Filet - With tomato salsa
Crab Wellington - Snow Crab, Button Mushrooms, Roasted Peppers & Swiss Cheese baked in puff pastry
Curry Spiced Chicken Tenderloins - With mango cilantro dipping sauce
Fettuccini Carbonara - Rich with smokey bacon, white wine and Parmesan, a necessary indulgence...
Flat Iron Steak - Chef's favorite steak with our signature steak spice
Gingersnap Crusted Roast Loin of Pork - With spiced demi-glace
Grilled Chicken Mole - Tender Chicken with the deep smoky flavors of the South
Herb Crusted Wild Salmon Fillet - Sautéed in citrus herb butter
Honey Ham Steak - Glazed with molasses and rum
Lemon & Roasted Garlic Chicken - With white wine, herbs & fresh minced parsley
Pizza Lorenzo - Italian sausage, caramelized onion, sliced mushrooms and quarto formage
Pulled Pork Enchiladas - Filled with roasted onions & peppers and salsa verde
Savory Meatloaf - Herbs, ground beef & pork with a mushroom red wine demi-glace sauce
Sundried Tomato & Swiss Cheese Quiche - With roasted peppers and spring onion
Tiger Shrimp - With Designed Dinners fresh basil pesto & spinach fettuccine

Di and I have been using this service for almost a year now and the food is absolutely outstanding.

Pike Place: Pigs on Parade Auction: October 12th

Register now for Pigs on Parade Auction on Friday. October 12, at the Westin Seattle. The Pigtacular evening will include a cocktail reception, Pig Preview and sit-down dinner. There is also a Dessert only option. The live auction will be presided over by Hogtioneer extraordinaire John Curley. Reserve your tickets today! Read the Frequently Asked Questions about the auction.

View photos of the pigs.

Whole Hog Ticket Levels (includes cocktail reception, Pig Preview, sit-down dinner and live auction, beginning at 6:00 p.m.):
Big Pig Benefactor - $500 per person
Patron of the Pork - $250 per person
Passel of Pigs (table of 10) - $2,500

Dessert Only (plus live auction of course; doors open at 7:30 p.m.):
Pig Pal - $75 per person

Can't attend but interested in purchasing a pig? Please fill out and return an Absentee Registration Form.

Take-Out Review: Bell Thai

Ok, so staying in on a Friday isn't the typical idea of a "good time", but yesterday Di and I were both absolutely exhausted from a long week. Instead of cooking, we decided to order take-out from Bell Thai, which is only a few blocks away.

We had the Gyoza dumplings (a terrific blend of Vegetables and Chicken) with a sweet plum sauce and ordered the Chicken Pad Thai which was outstanding. We were both hungry, so our full order included two Pad Thai orders and the dumplings though we were only able to finish a single order of Pad Thai and half the dumplings. Looks like we know what's for dinner tonight!

We had trouble finding the Bell Thai Restaurant Menu online, and upon calling them they indicated it isn't available online. To help others, we decided to scan it and post it.

Click here for the Bell Thai Restaurant Menu in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

Enjoy!