I will be the first to admit that this review will be quite different from the others. But then, this restaurant experience was quite different from the others.
This was my first time dining at Palomino, and as your dedicated tour guide, I would be amiss if I said that I will be excited to go there again.
I hate to just come right out and say it, but in the interest of saving time I suppose I will: the service at Palomino was...well, shall we say, less than stellar. In fact, I've had better service at truck stops and all night diners.
I was definitely not impressed.
The food was...fine. Nothing better, nothing worse, just fine. Our appetizer choice was clams in a simple lemon butter broth. I found them a bit dry, but other than that, nothing to write home about. We split a salad that advertised itself as "mixed greens with bacon and bleu cheese, along with toasted hazelnuts." What appeared at our table was shredded lettuce that looked like something one might find on a sub sandwich, with bacon bits and miniscule bits of bleu cheese. Toasted hazelnuts? I believe I found one in the whole thing.
My entree choice was roasted chicken, served with garlic mashed potatoes and a small portion of sauteed green beans. The chicken was...forgettable, at best. I couldn't help but think it was something that I could've made in my own oven at home. The potatoes were delicious as were the green beans, but I remember thinking that I wanted more of both.
My dining companion chose a house special for his dinner: the paella. The presentation was slightly impressive, as the entree came to the table still in its individual frying pan. I had a few tastes and thought it to be rather bland. Paella is a very traditional Spanish dish, usually teeming with flavors of saffron and onion and garlic as well as various seafood, but this paella was boring and flat, and, dare I say it?
The rice was hard. Undercooked, perhaps?
The best portion of the entire meal was the bottle of wine that my companion and I shared: a delightfully lush viognier from Terra Blanca, right here in Washington. The server was of little assistance to us in choosing the wine, but that turned out to be just fine with us, in the end.
At the end of the evening, our tab came to just around $110. Normally, very reasonable for a nice dinner, complete with a bottle of wine, and an appetizer. But when one considers how disappointed we both were with everything about said dinner, it seemed like a ridiculous amount.
To sum it up:
Food:B
Service:D-
Atmosphere:C
Value:C
Will I go back? Perhaps, to sit in the bar for happy hour or something along those lines, but will I go back for dinner? Probably not, I'm sad to say. I believe I've had my first and only experience at Palomino.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The Five Spot Cafe (Queen Anne)
A place that stays open 'til midnight, serving REAL food that doesn't come in plastic baskets lined with parchment paper?? Sign me up!
That's just one appealing factor about The Five Spot Cafe on Queen Anne. It's a charming little place, really, not tiny, but not huge either. The decor matches the menu, which is currently a harvest theme, featuring pumpkin and apple pie flavored coffee drinks. The menu changes four times a year, and features "regional cuisine" from all over the country.
As I sit down on the red vinyl booth, it's just after ten o'clock p.m. and there are still a number of people enjoying dinner in the cafe, as well as a few gentleman at the bar, in varying states of sobriety, I'm sure. Being the belle that I am, I am particularly excited about the fried green tomatoes and "Honey Stung" fried chicken on the menu.
Our server appears. Pretty much the first thing out of his mouth? "We're out of fried green tomatoes and the fried chicken."
Damn.
Well, back to the drawing board. It isn't like there is any shortage of other intriguing food to order. What to drink though? Oh, it's after ten p.m.! That means $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon! We order two of those, delighted at the prospect of cheap beer, even if it is PBR.
After scanning the entire menu, top to bottom, my dining companion and I decide on what to have for dinner that evening: I opt for the mixed greens with candied walnuts, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. (Upon first tasting the salad dressing, it reminds me of Lemon Pledge, but upon further consideration I decide I like it: it's light and refreshing and goes well with the walnuts.) He orders the navy bean and ham hock soup. It's absolutely FULL of huge hunks of ham and tastes authentically homemade.
Our entrees? I decide on the New Orleans inspired fried shrimp, served with homemade cole slaw and some sort of spicy and sweet sauce that I literally wanted to lick off the plate. The shrimp are large and meaty and, even though there are only six on the plate, fairly filling. The meal is also accompanied by homemade hush puppies, of which I personally was not a huge fan. (Again, being the belle that I am, I can sometimes be a bit of a hush puppy snob. Other foodstuffs that I can also be snobby about? Grits, sweet tea and sweet potato pie, not necessarily in that order)
My dining companion orders the grilled porkchop dinner which comes with two grilled chops and some candied carrot concoction that was quite tasty. The chops are good: juicy (not dry as is so often the case with pork prepared in restaurants) and very tender. We were both impressed with our dinner choices.
Now, we've reached the dessert portion of our review and I feel a foreword is in order: If you are not from the east coast of the United States or have never at least spent some time there, you will probably not have the slightest clue as to what the amazing dessert is that I am about to talk about.
Whoopie Pies are one of life's little pleasures, a sweet treat that is indigenous to the east coast, particuarly Pennsylvania Amish country. They can, however, be found outside of that region and I have found them in many small mom 'n pop type places in the south as well. Whoopie Pies are, in short, nothing short of delicious.
What is a Whoopie Pie? Well, I can describe it to you, but it's just not going to do it justice. Simply put, it's the most delicious cream filling you can imagine, sandwiched between two cakes of varying flavor. (I personally have had chocolate and banana, though I've heard tales of an elusive pumpkin Whoopie Pie, as well as strawberry. I have never personally seen these.)
Anyway, The Five Spot Cafe is currently featuring a Whoopie Pie dessert as part of their harvest menu. We had it. It was fabulous.
All in all, I was a huge fan of the entire menu at The Five Spot and want to go back for that fried chicken! (I want to go back for a lot of things, like Satchmo's Red Beans and Rice found on the southern inspired portion of the menu, as well as the roast chicken supper, featured as part of the Pacific Northwest menu.)
At the end of our meal, our check totals around $54. A little much for a late night, impromptu dinner, but it was REAL FOOD, people!! And real GOOD food, at that!
To sum it up:
Food: A-
Service: B+
Atmostpher: A-
Value: A-
Will I go back? OHHHHHHHH yeah, I'll be going back. Every three months!!
That's just one appealing factor about The Five Spot Cafe on Queen Anne. It's a charming little place, really, not tiny, but not huge either. The decor matches the menu, which is currently a harvest theme, featuring pumpkin and apple pie flavored coffee drinks. The menu changes four times a year, and features "regional cuisine" from all over the country.
As I sit down on the red vinyl booth, it's just after ten o'clock p.m. and there are still a number of people enjoying dinner in the cafe, as well as a few gentleman at the bar, in varying states of sobriety, I'm sure. Being the belle that I am, I am particularly excited about the fried green tomatoes and "Honey Stung" fried chicken on the menu.
Our server appears. Pretty much the first thing out of his mouth? "We're out of fried green tomatoes and the fried chicken."
Damn.
Well, back to the drawing board. It isn't like there is any shortage of other intriguing food to order. What to drink though? Oh, it's after ten p.m.! That means $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon! We order two of those, delighted at the prospect of cheap beer, even if it is PBR.
After scanning the entire menu, top to bottom, my dining companion and I decide on what to have for dinner that evening: I opt for the mixed greens with candied walnuts, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. (Upon first tasting the salad dressing, it reminds me of Lemon Pledge, but upon further consideration I decide I like it: it's light and refreshing and goes well with the walnuts.) He orders the navy bean and ham hock soup. It's absolutely FULL of huge hunks of ham and tastes authentically homemade.
Our entrees? I decide on the New Orleans inspired fried shrimp, served with homemade cole slaw and some sort of spicy and sweet sauce that I literally wanted to lick off the plate. The shrimp are large and meaty and, even though there are only six on the plate, fairly filling. The meal is also accompanied by homemade hush puppies, of which I personally was not a huge fan. (Again, being the belle that I am, I can sometimes be a bit of a hush puppy snob. Other foodstuffs that I can also be snobby about? Grits, sweet tea and sweet potato pie, not necessarily in that order)
My dining companion orders the grilled porkchop dinner which comes with two grilled chops and some candied carrot concoction that was quite tasty. The chops are good: juicy (not dry as is so often the case with pork prepared in restaurants) and very tender. We were both impressed with our dinner choices.
Now, we've reached the dessert portion of our review and I feel a foreword is in order: If you are not from the east coast of the United States or have never at least spent some time there, you will probably not have the slightest clue as to what the amazing dessert is that I am about to talk about.
Whoopie Pies are one of life's little pleasures, a sweet treat that is indigenous to the east coast, particuarly Pennsylvania Amish country. They can, however, be found outside of that region and I have found them in many small mom 'n pop type places in the south as well. Whoopie Pies are, in short, nothing short of delicious.
What is a Whoopie Pie? Well, I can describe it to you, but it's just not going to do it justice. Simply put, it's the most delicious cream filling you can imagine, sandwiched between two cakes of varying flavor. (I personally have had chocolate and banana, though I've heard tales of an elusive pumpkin Whoopie Pie, as well as strawberry. I have never personally seen these.)
Anyway, The Five Spot Cafe is currently featuring a Whoopie Pie dessert as part of their harvest menu. We had it. It was fabulous.
All in all, I was a huge fan of the entire menu at The Five Spot and want to go back for that fried chicken! (I want to go back for a lot of things, like Satchmo's Red Beans and Rice found on the southern inspired portion of the menu, as well as the roast chicken supper, featured as part of the Pacific Northwest menu.)
At the end of our meal, our check totals around $54. A little much for a late night, impromptu dinner, but it was REAL FOOD, people!! And real GOOD food, at that!
To sum it up:
Food: A-
Service: B+
Atmostpher: A-
Value: A-
Will I go back? OHHHHHHHH yeah, I'll be going back. Every three months!!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Stanford's (Northgate Mall)
Stanford's has been open at the Northgate Mall for only a couple weeks now, so I try to keep that in mind as I sit down to eat. The first thing one notices upon entering the restaurant is the decor: deep reds and dark wood, with some Asian-inspired lanterns hanging in various places. It's...unique, for lack of a better word.
The host seats us with a promise that someone "will be right with us." About five minutes later, we are still sitting. Waiting for that someone. (As I'm waiting, I can't help but notice the abundance of water spots on the silverware, though I suppose that can be overlooked.)
Finally, we're greeted by an obviously nervous, and definitely new to the industry young lady, who offers us an iced tea or a strawberry lemonade. Intrigued by the large variety of cocktails, I order a pineapple mojito and my dining companion orders a "hand dipped" milkshake, of the vanilla persuasion. (Upon arrival, the milkshake is really more like a glass full of soft serve ice cream, impossibly thick and not fit for drinking with a straw.)
It takes quite some time for our drinks to make it back to the table (a little over five minutes, probably) and upon their delivery, our server asks if we are ready to order, laughing nervously, as she continues to do throughout our limited conversation with her. I feel as though I'm having to prod her for any and all information. She doesn't seem to be extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and she freely admits she hasn't had many of the items her restaurant offers. We finally decide on our selections: salmon off the fresh sheet for me (normally served with the seasonal veggie and wild rice and orzo, but I opt to sub out the rice for garlic mashed potatoes for $1 more) and for my companion, the blueberry pork tenderloin. I decide to start with the wild greens tossed with candied walnuts in the walnut vinaigrette, and he with a house salad. We are also offered bread with our salads, which turns out to be a traditional sour dough.
Our salads arrive promptly and I immediately fall in love with my choice. The vinaigrette is perfectly tart and sweet, the pecans are crunchy and plentiful and the bleu cheese crumbles are a delightful compliment to both. The house salad is standard, though the presentation is quite pretty. The produce on both salads is extremely fresh.
We finish our salads, anticipating the main course, but the timing of the meal has been a little off, from the beginning. We wait nearly ten minutes between the salads and the entrees. (Though I did say at the time that I would rather wait a little while for my meal than have it arrive while still eating my salad.)
Finally, the main courses arrive, on dinnerware reminiscent of Mom and Pop diners. Quite frankly, I found the plating to clash with the rest of the decor; I might even use the word "tacky."
We dig in to our meals, and immediately I notice that my "seasonal veggie" is exactly five green beans, no more, no less. It was more like a garnish, really, just something green on the edge of the plate. My salmon is...fine. Not great, not terrible, just...good. I might go as far as to say "pretty good." The pork tenderloin? A bit of a disappointment to the both of us. It's slightly dry and the sauce is a bit indiscernable. It too, is...fine. We both eat about three quarters of our meals before throwing in the towel, either full from the food...or maybe just bored with it.
I request to see the dessert menu, as dessert is my favorite part of a meal. We settle on the Texas Pecan Pie, a la mode. (We ask our server if the pie is baked in house but she doesn't know. We later learn that it is.) The pie is quite good, and we figure that it must be called Texas pecan pie because of the size of it. We eat as much as we can, but do not succeed in finishing it.
All in all, I think "mediocre" may have too negative a connotation to use it when describing Stanford's, though I can't really think of a better word. I do want to stress that when I dined at Stanford's, it had only been open a very short time. It usually takes a restaurant a good couple months to iron out the kinks and really start working like a well oiled machine.
At the end of our meal, our check totals just around $60: not bad considering two specialty drinks, two salads, entrees and dessert.
To sum it up:
Food: B-
Service: C+
Atmosphere: B
Value: B
Will I go back? Yes, I'll return to Stanford's in a month or two, to see how they're doing after settling in a bit. I have a feeling that this restaurant has a lot of potential: the menu is quite large with a big variety of foods, and it's priced from around $13 to around $35. The location is great too, and I wouldn't be surprised if Stanford's is in full swing by Thanksgiving.
The host seats us with a promise that someone "will be right with us." About five minutes later, we are still sitting. Waiting for that someone. (As I'm waiting, I can't help but notice the abundance of water spots on the silverware, though I suppose that can be overlooked.)
Finally, we're greeted by an obviously nervous, and definitely new to the industry young lady, who offers us an iced tea or a strawberry lemonade. Intrigued by the large variety of cocktails, I order a pineapple mojito and my dining companion orders a "hand dipped" milkshake, of the vanilla persuasion. (Upon arrival, the milkshake is really more like a glass full of soft serve ice cream, impossibly thick and not fit for drinking with a straw.)
It takes quite some time for our drinks to make it back to the table (a little over five minutes, probably) and upon their delivery, our server asks if we are ready to order, laughing nervously, as she continues to do throughout our limited conversation with her. I feel as though I'm having to prod her for any and all information. She doesn't seem to be extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and she freely admits she hasn't had many of the items her restaurant offers. We finally decide on our selections: salmon off the fresh sheet for me (normally served with the seasonal veggie and wild rice and orzo, but I opt to sub out the rice for garlic mashed potatoes for $1 more) and for my companion, the blueberry pork tenderloin. I decide to start with the wild greens tossed with candied walnuts in the walnut vinaigrette, and he with a house salad. We are also offered bread with our salads, which turns out to be a traditional sour dough.
Our salads arrive promptly and I immediately fall in love with my choice. The vinaigrette is perfectly tart and sweet, the pecans are crunchy and plentiful and the bleu cheese crumbles are a delightful compliment to both. The house salad is standard, though the presentation is quite pretty. The produce on both salads is extremely fresh.
We finish our salads, anticipating the main course, but the timing of the meal has been a little off, from the beginning. We wait nearly ten minutes between the salads and the entrees. (Though I did say at the time that I would rather wait a little while for my meal than have it arrive while still eating my salad.)
Finally, the main courses arrive, on dinnerware reminiscent of Mom and Pop diners. Quite frankly, I found the plating to clash with the rest of the decor; I might even use the word "tacky."
We dig in to our meals, and immediately I notice that my "seasonal veggie" is exactly five green beans, no more, no less. It was more like a garnish, really, just something green on the edge of the plate. My salmon is...fine. Not great, not terrible, just...good. I might go as far as to say "pretty good." The pork tenderloin? A bit of a disappointment to the both of us. It's slightly dry and the sauce is a bit indiscernable. It too, is...fine. We both eat about three quarters of our meals before throwing in the towel, either full from the food...or maybe just bored with it.
I request to see the dessert menu, as dessert is my favorite part of a meal. We settle on the Texas Pecan Pie, a la mode. (We ask our server if the pie is baked in house but she doesn't know. We later learn that it is.) The pie is quite good, and we figure that it must be called Texas pecan pie because of the size of it. We eat as much as we can, but do not succeed in finishing it.
All in all, I think "mediocre" may have too negative a connotation to use it when describing Stanford's, though I can't really think of a better word. I do want to stress that when I dined at Stanford's, it had only been open a very short time. It usually takes a restaurant a good couple months to iron out the kinks and really start working like a well oiled machine.
At the end of our meal, our check totals just around $60: not bad considering two specialty drinks, two salads, entrees and dessert.
To sum it up:
Food: B-
Service: C+
Atmosphere: B
Value: B
Will I go back? Yes, I'll return to Stanford's in a month or two, to see how they're doing after settling in a bit. I have a feeling that this restaurant has a lot of potential: the menu is quite large with a big variety of foods, and it's priced from around $13 to around $35. The location is great too, and I wouldn't be surprised if Stanford's is in full swing by Thanksgiving.
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