Dining Out: Lynn's Bistro

Dining Out:  Lynn's Bistro, Kirkland WA

l-r (top) Chocolate Mousse Cake, Rib Eye w/ Brandy Peppercorn Sauce, Wild Salmon w/ Soy Citrus Sauce
l-r (bottom) Goat Cheese Salad, French Onion Soup
Descriptions of each dish can be found on the restaurants website

A Snapshot:  Wow!  The menu is like having Seattle Restaurant Week (or Dine Around Seattle) all year long.  With a prix fixe (pronounced prefix) menu this restaurant offers a great value any day of the year.  A small, intimate and humble space that has transformed into a french bistro.  Limited seating and small staff (I counted four on a Friday evening) make for a cozy dining experience.  By the way, parking sucks but there are cheap lots around the area as well as free street parking.  Reservations are a must unless you want to wait.

The Meal:  A delicious meal worthy of the budget friendly three course offerings.  The salad had a bitter dressing, but when paired with the goat cheese was delicious.  I found my salmon and potato (galette looking) a bit overcooked but well seasoned.  The chocolate mousse cake had a delicious raspberry coulis which topped off a wonderful meal.

Comments From My Dining Companions:  I did not have the french onion soup but Tokuro and Mike said it was good in flavor, well seasoned by over the top with bread and cheese.  It was more of a meal than a soup starter.

The Verdict:  Would I return - sure (said with light enthusiasm).  This restaurant probably wouldn't be my first choice if I'm in Kirkland.  Now, I hear they have a wonderful weekend brunch...stay tuned.

Dining Out: Stone Korean Restaurant, Redmond WA

Korean in downtown Redmond?
Stone Korean Restaurant has (IMO) the best Bibim Bop in the area.  What is that?  It's a traditional Korean dish that is served in a HOT clay bowl.  Inside you'll find rice (that is sizzling from the intense heat) topped with a variety of veggies like bean sprouts, carrots, shitake mushrooms, zucchini, dried seaweed.  Some may have beef.  And it's all topped with a raw egg which gets cooked by the hot clay pot.  You are also given a bottle of hot sauce that is a combination of heat and fermented soy beans.  You pour so you determine the heat.

Preparing to eat - stir you ingredients, hear the sizzle and notice the crust that is formed on the rice.  Steam rises.  The smell of all the flavors just blend in together for a fantastic one pot dish.  It's fantastic.

In addition to this lunch special, I enjoyed a bowl of miso soup (nothing special) and a great assortment of side dishes the Koreans call banchan.  It rotates but on this day I got pickled cucumbers, kim chee, peppered bean sprouts, potato salad, colesalw, and fishcake.

They have an extensive menu - every Korean dish you can think of.

Tip: It's located in the Value Village shopping plaza.  It's way in the back.  Big parking lot but seems to be always full.  Service can be a little slow.  Clip the coupon from the Community Shopper.

Dining Out: Hitchcock, Bainbridge Island, WA

When the weather is beautiful and sunny our family heads for Bainbridge Island.  We park our car in Seattle and walk on the ferry (it's cheaper).  A few minutes walk from the ferry dock is a quaint town filled with mostly independent culinary establishments and fun boutiques.

Our most recent visit brought us to Hitchcock.  Unfortunately we were all still full from lunch, so by the time dinner rolled around we were more inclined to have small plates.

I was lame and only shot one photo: the bone marrow appetizer.  Gosh it was delicious and reminded me of restaurants in NYC where it seems that all of them had it on the menu.  I was pleasantly surprised with the smoked grey sea salt.

For the first time I had Green Garbanzo Beans that were sill in their pod (who knew?) and oven roasted.  It was like eating edamamae at a Japanese restaurant, but better.  Warm, smokey (pods were slightly charred) buttery (from the EVOO) - I bet it would be great with a cold beer.

Also had an incredibly unique interpretation of Waldorf Salad.  Small dice and stuffed in endive.

For sure I will return to Hitchcock....and I'll bring my appetite.  I'm very interested in their Name Your Price Chef's Menu.  Stay tuned.

Out and About: Issaquah Coffee Company, Issaquah WA

I rarely end up in downtown Issaquah, but if I'm there and looking for good coffee I head to Issaquah Coffee Company located on the south part of Gilman Village.  Proudly pouring Stumptown.  There is a large parking lot and relatively easy access.

Free wi-fi, lots of seating and a good cup of coffee makes for a great hang out.  You'll find lots of families, especially on the weekends.  They close early (7 weeknights, 6 weekends) so don't come if you're looking for an after dinner something something.

Ample selection of coffee shop quality pastries, including gluten free (provided by Flying Apron).  You'll find your usual selection of espresso beverages including some blended selections.

My beverage of choice:  Tall, 3/4 full americano....that's it.

Dining Out - Serious Biscuit, Seattle WA

This South Lake Union eatery is hopping!  Tokuro and I happen to be in the area and stopped in for a late breakfast.  The atmosphere is very open and Serious Biscuit is shared with a wine shoppe and Serious Pie (upstairs).  Seating is limited and on this particular Sunday it was PACKED.  Table service is available upstairs but the wait can be long.  There is a quicker, self service option at the counter - just order your food, wait and then sit and eat.  We chose the latter.

We ordered "the Zach" which is pictured above (one to share).  Fried chicken, Tabasco black pepper gravy, fried egg and bacon graced this glass plate.  In addition we had the Kentucky bourbon & bacon beans and a bottle of Panna.  It's probably worth mentioning that their menu includes biscuits topped with a variety of goodies, side dishes and beverages.

The verdict - well, that was a lot of food.  It was what I expected in a Tom Douglas southern breakfast cuisine.  Our dish was rich and creamy with the gravy (but lacked in Tabasco and black pepper, I expected more).  Chicken was nice and crispy, but I would have liked it hotter (we noticed a bunch of pre-fried chicken piled high, just waiting to be used - I get it, saving time).  The beans were made fresh and had a distinct taste of cumin which my husband just LOVED.

OK, I'll be on a treadmill burning this breakfast off!

Read My Mind - Molly Moon's Booking Signing Party

Molly Moon's new cookbook is out!  She recently hosted a book signing party - complete with entertainment and lots of ice cream.  We got there right at 8pm, but by 9pm the place was packed.  Lots of food, drinks and of course, ice cream complete with make-your-own sundae toppings galore.

Molly Moon, the queen of ice cream, has really made her mark here in Seattle.  She currently has five locations and a roving ice cream truck.  For eastsiders, you'll find the truck at various markets (see schedule once the markets open).  Using locally sourced ingredients she creates flavors you can't buy at your grocery store.  My favorite is honey lavender.  The scout mint and Stumptown coffee flavors are popular in our household.

Support local business!  Have a scoop (or two) of Molly Moon's ice cream.
You can read more about her in the Seattle Times.

Out And About: Cafe Cesura, Bellevue WA

Yes, Cafe Cesura serves coffee (Stumptown) but I like to head to this cafe for lunch or a quick bite to eat.  It's in downtown Bellevue and parking sucks (street parking and a limited number of stalls in the garage) but if I can park, I will eat.  Service is great, very helpful folks behind the counter.  Lots of seating (tables and chairs), especially with the big communal table.  They were recently featured in Seattle Met magazine.

They offer a soup of the day (aka Market Inspired Soup) which I have found to be delicious in flavor and freshness.  They also top them with things like roasted nuts and infused oils.

Pair the soup with the Mt Townsend Creamery New Moon Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  It lends for interesting flavors with the caramelized onions.

I've also had their Smoked Salmon w/ Picked Onion and Caper Aioli on Baguette - great flavors, but I was a bit put off by the baguette.  I (as well as my son who ate the other half) found it to have a pretty tough crust.

Finally!  A place in Bellevue that serves delicious coffee and delicious food to go with.  That's a rare find on the eastside.

Out And About: Seattle Coffee Works

I never knew this place existed until I saw it featured on Andrew Zimmerman's Bizarre Foods America.  Nothing bizarre with a cup of coffee but the brewing method was indeed, bizarre!  I cannot explain the physics behind this vacuum pot but I can tell you this:  I've made the trek to Seattle Coffee Works several times to enjoy this coffee. Each time a different bean (you choose the bean), and I've enjoyed Burundi the best.  Allow for a good twenty minutes at the slow bar for the entire experience.  Ask questions, your barista is a wealth of coffee knowledge.  Try without modifiers (sugar, cream, etc.) because you might be pleasantly surprised with how good it tastes.  As the coffee cools, the flavor changes.  Forget the paper cup to go.  Have a seat.  Smell, sip, taste and enjoy!

In The Kitchen: Smoked Paprika Chicken with Potato & Onion

I'm an avid viewer of the food channels.  I even take notes for future food field trips and anything important for future use. I happen to catch "The Best Thing I've Ever Made" which featured Alton Brown and this recipe.

I've never used smoked paprika and had to trek to Seattle's World Spice Merchants to get it (Whole Foods didn't have it).  Wow!  If you're in the market for spices I highly recommend this place.  Every spice they carry is displayed in jars of one ounce so you can look at it, smell it and determine how much you want to buy.  It's located on Western below the market - so parking is terrible and if you drive too fast, you'll miss it.

My family loved it.  It really was a delicious dinner - full of flavor. I used 4 thighs and 2 breasts - organic, free range chicken which I don't think really made a difference (except in price).  Bonus was the crunch from the skin.  The "smoke" really came out and gave it that smoked flavor without the grill.  I would definitely make it again and not change a thing.