Black Bottle

JOEY is one of the best options for a decent and casual dinner on the Eastside.  All of their appetizers and salads are consistently pretty good  The service isn't usually the best, but they advocate for a more laid back and bar like atmosphere anyways.  My mom considered trying Lot no. 3, the Pub-like restaurant next to Purple Cafe and Wine Bar (which are both owned by Heavy Restaurant Inc), but decided against it.  Purple is overrated, over priced, and not that fun.  I kind of assumed that Lot no. 3 would be the same   Instead of JOEY, or the expected overpriced pub, we decided on Black Bottle Postern.  This "across the lake" descendent of Black Bottle Seattle, is located right on Bellevue Way across from JOEY.  Opened in February 2011, the gastro-tavern is quickly gaining a name for itself in the thriving Eastside nightlife.  I'd read some reviews of it, and have had it on my "wish list" for sometime now.

The decor was modern industrial style with high ceilings and long wooden tables.  Definitely very causal and not ideal for an intimate night out.  As a great best place to come after work with coworkers for happy hour drinks and snacks, it was quite crowded for a tuesday evening.  Probably due to the somewhat nice weather we were having in Seattle, these Eastsiders refrained from hibernating in their houses and apartments.

After a quick glance over the drink menu, I spotted the "Major Danger" a Strawberry-infused lemon drop.  That is a definite "must-try".  We were greeted by a quirky waiter in his early 30's wearing yellow tinted glasses.   The service was not exceptional.  It looked like they only had two runners, and with a large party at one of the long wooden tables, my Mom and I were only attended to a couple of times.

yellowfin tuna sashimi poke

We ordered three items to share.  Our first choice was the yellow fin tuna sashimi poke.  The poke was thinly sliced and displayed beautifully.  The sauce was quite salty. It could probably use a tablespoon or two less of soy sauce, but the green onion and sesame still brought out some flavor.  I could have done without the large strips of ginger, but that's just my personal liking.    Even my mom said the strips were pretty overwhelming, and she loves ginger!

Both of our eyes and stomaches were directed towards the beef short ribs.  The malbec glaze gave them a nice sweetness and the meat literally fell off the bone.  It was a little fatty, but had a nice overall consistency.  The oyster mushrooms almost acted liked mashed potatoes, as the soaked up all the of the juices from the glaze.  My mom ordered a basket of bread to dip into the juices, but unfortunately the staff failed to bring it.

beef short ribs
malbec glaze oyster mushrooms

Mom and I needed some veggies to compliment our poke and ribs.  We wavered between the taverns' well known "broccoli blasted" and the roasted vegetables verjus.  Even thought the broccoli is all the rage, our server actually directed us toward the mixed vegetables.  If you like a big plate of broccoli then go for it, but otherwise the other dish offers a lot more variety.

roasted vegetable verjus

The medley of veggies ended up being the side as it came out with the ribs.  The vegetables were nicely roasted and not too overwhelmingly oily.  The carrots and peppers could have been grilled a little bit more to my liking, but I still snacked on them like candy.  The veggie that stuck out the most was definitely the parsnip.  I don't have much experience with this root, but the taste was surprising and refreshing.  The white, carrot-like taproots held a certain sweetness matched with the acidity from the verjus.  The combination created a tangy punch that really zinged in your mouth.  A definite shocker for a vegetable.

Now we could not go home without trying the bread pudding.  If this dish is ever on the menu, my family rarely resists.  The bread base was dense and thick.  The spongy texture was perfect to soak up the caramel-like bourbon sauce.  Atop lied giant cubes of bread, with a nice crunchy baked texture.  I prefer the overall crunch of my mom's version due to her thinner slices of bread, but it was fun being able to pick off the large croutons. The best part of the dish was definitely the Makers Mark bourbon sauce.  Very thick and caramely-almost creating a creamy sensation.  I spooned the extra sauce on to each bite, in order to maximize the flavor.  Because of the bread mix up earlier in the night, the bread pudding actually ended up being comped.  I'll take bread pudding over bread any day!

bourbon sauced bread pudding (maker's mark)

My Mom and I really enjoyed our meal at Black Bottle.  Even though the service wasn't the best, the food was such a treat! It's a great new tavern located in Bellevue, definitely an alternative to the popular Palamino, JOEY, Maggiano's, and other large chains available.  The plates are great for sharing, but you could also easily finish one and a side on your own.  The service wasn't the most attentive, but the layout of the restaurant is perfect for bringing large groups.  A definite go-to for happy hour after work with the co-workers or a late night out with friends.


To try next time---
major danger- strawberry infused lemon drop
crispy fried chicken with ginger soy dipping sauce
ceviche and tortillas
chola batura eggplant potato chickpeas hot
roasted baby artichoke hearts & chickpea salad curry vinaigrette
pastrami and slaw crostinis on house marble chocolate rye


  

Grandpa is in Town

The whole family was up in Seattle for LuLu's Bat Mitzvah this weekend.  After all of the festivities, Grandpa P said he would treat the family to dinner.  After visiting many times, he's been to quite a few restaurants in Seattle with us.  I recommended the restaurant we all went out to after my high school graduation in 2011.

The three sisters with Grandpa P

We made a reservation for 7:45 at Serafina, an Italian restaurant close to Lake Union on Eastlake.  Even though our reservations were for outside under the decorative lights, we ended up sitting inside due to my grandfathers wishes (his California blood wasn't quite used to the cold Seattle weather).

Although this is probably not customary, my dad insisted to order an entree as an appetizer.  We asked for the specialty of the house, the Mellanzane all a Serafina.  This is a vegetarian dish that resembles eggplant parmesan.  The thin slices of eggplant are rolled up tightly and stuffed with rich ricotta.  I love eggplant, and the light slices soaked up the flavors of the dish very well.  I didn't really like how they were served over cappellini, but makes sense if it is meant to be an entree.  I think the eggplant rolls a la carte would actually be a great appetizer idea for the restaurant.  The eggplant was a sufficient way to start the meal, but I personally like my mom's eggplant parmesan better.

Insalata della Casa
Delicate butter lettuce dressed
with champagne vinaigrette,
topped with pickled red onion

Zuppa del Giorno
Split Pea Soup

For the my appetizer, LuLu and I split the Insalata della Casa.  Because we split the dish, we each only received 2 leaves of lettuce on our plate.  It was a very light starter, but with a little bit of fresh ground pepper it cleared my palate perfectly.  I really liked the sweet pickled onion on top, not usually one of my favorite sides.  Zoe ordered the Zuppa del Giorno (split pea soup) for her appetizer.  I was contemplating between this and the salad, so I made Zoe promise that she would let me taste it.  I don't usually order soup at a restaurant, but the cold weather kind of put me in the mood.  I'm glad I actually went with the salad because the soup was not as sweet as I would have liked.  It was was pretty bland with a slight earthy taste; definitely needed some pepper or other spices.  But Zoe liked it and finished the entire cup.

Polpettine di Vitello
Veal meatballs simmered in greenn olive-tomato
sauce; tossed with penne rigate and finished
with Ricotta Salata

For dinner I felt like it was classic spaghetti and meat balls kind of night.  Zoe and I both ordered the Polpettine di Vitello.  The meatballs were big and dense and the homemade pasta was cooked al dente.  Theres nothing I love more than homemade pasta but this did not completely inspire me.  The sauce was good; the olive oil base made the dish very unique ( I was just craving something a little more tomato-y.  I was only able to finish two of the meatballs, they were just a little dry for my taste.

LuLu ordered my other possible option on the menu.  The vegetarian Ravioli con Piselli looked light and zesty.  I tried a bite and could taste the black truffle infused potatoes inside.  The butter sauce was quite watery, but overall very light.  

We decided to skip dessert and just have the leftover gelato in the freezer at home. Dinner was nice, but I think our experience 2 years ago was slightly better. The service was excellent and I would still recommend this authentic italian restaurant for anyone wanting to dine outside on a nice summer night in Seattle.

Promenade and Pizza

Spinach and Crispy Purple Kale Salad.
pecorino romano, medjool dates, shaved
radishes, mustard vinaigrette.

After the meet, and my mom visited her parents in the valley, we decided to spend our afternoon shopping (once again).  She loves to treat me when she visits because I don't get to see her much anymore!  We headed west to Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.  I like Third Street a lot more than The Grove because there are a lot more options, and its close to the beach.  After going to Victoria's Secret we looked around in Forever 21 (where I finally found my sweater).  After an hour or two we decided it was time for dinner.  The decision was between Umami and Stella Rossa Pizza Bar, both places we visited last time she was here in the summer.  Because I had just been to Umami the other week, I advocated for some pizza.  After a short 3 minute drive, we made our way from the shopping center to Main Street.  We were seated at the bar in the middle of the restaurant immediately.  I'm a big fan of the island style bar, it has a modern feel and breaks up the room nicely.  Our waitress/bartender was pregnant, which I thought was pretty funny.  My mom ordered a glass of wine and we decided to start with a salad.  I was bummed because they didn't have the same arugula and strawberry salad that I had over the summer.  I specially remember thinking it was delicious.  Must just be a summer menu item.  We went with the only salad on the menu that didn't contain bacon or eggs-- the Spinach and Crispy Kale Salad. Even though we had a kale appetizer just the other night, we thought it would compliment our pizza well.  Even though the mustard vinaigrette was drizzled on very sparsely, it complimented the saltiness from the pecorino.  Once again, my hunger led me to start eating before I was about to snap a picture.  The leaves were piled high in a nice dome like structure.

Shaved Mushroom (White Pizza)
gruyere, melted onions, black truffle,
torn parsley, thyme.

Oven-Roasted Tomato
fresh mozzarella, roasted
garlic, sweet basil.

Now its pizza time.  I already walked into the restaurant with a special pie on my mind.  I ordered it last time and was entranced by the salty truffle aroma.  My eye was on the Shaved Mushroom.  I almost never order pizza's without marinara sauce, but this is definitely an exception.  The sweetness of the onions combined with the black truffle and rosemary will knock your socks off.  Truffle oil is something I have come to cherish in the past year or so, not really being exposed to it when I was younger.  Stella Rossa has the option to order their pizzas "Thin Slim" style, which is almost like a flatbread cracker, or just on their normal dough.  Because their normal dough is already light, thin, and crunchy, we decided to stick with that.  Last time I had the "Thin Slim", and although it was good, it was definitely "cracker-like".

We also ordered the Oven-Roasted Tomato. We decided to go for this one instead of plain old margherita.  The big sweet slices of tomato on top made it a little more original.  It was super saucy, just the way I like it, and a perfect compliment to the saltiness of the Shaved Mushroom.  I ate a total of 7 slices of pizza. Probably my new record (I think it was 6 at Tutta Bella, my favorite place in Seattle).

Apple Oatmeal Cookie
with vanilla ice cream
(The size of my fist)

For dessert, we walked into the entry hall where the Pizza bar is connected to the M Street Kitchen.  There is a small cafe (The M Street Bakery) that carries some dishes to go, and most importantly, cookies!  I decided to order the apple oatmeal cookie (my apple crisp craving was getting to me).  And I of course had a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  The other option was peppermint, which would have gone nicely with all the chocolate chip options, but I wasn't really in the mood for chocolate.  The cookie sundae was huge! But warm and dense, just what I needed after my seven slices of pizza.  My mom ordered the chocolate chip with fleur de sel.  That was my second choice.  The salt wasn't too overpowering, but it still had almost a salted caramel taste to it.  The night was filled with shopping, pizza, and cookies with ice cream, basically all you could ask for.  

Bagel Lover

After waking up, my dad follows a very specific ritual each morning.  He goes downstairs and sits in front of our Apple computer on the kitchen table to watch his stocks go up and down.  This coincides with his two cups of coffee and bagel with cream cheese.  Although sometimes he may have some scrambled eggs, or on a special occasion, huevos rancheros, you can almost always count on a bagel popping out of the toaster.  This is then followed by him yelling "Gail, where is the cream cheese?", when it is on the first shelf in the fridge.  Now my family is very picky when it comes to bagels, bread bagels from the grocery store or Starbucks won't cut it.  Instead, we stock our freezer every week with fresh bagels from the Eltana bagel shop on Capitol Hill. They start by boiling the dough in honeyed water.  And then wood-fire them to perfection.  This gives them that sweet yet smokey taste. Their chewy and crunchy outer shell goes perfectly with simple philadelphia cream cheese any day of the week (and sometimes locks, when we have them).

The only bagels I have found to remotely enjoy since moving to cali are those from Western Bagels.  I've been to to the one in North Hollywood, and the location by my aunts house in Calabassas.  Western Bagels offers the original, but best, bagel flavors along with a few specials (I noticed they currently have pumpkin bagels and spread).  I've tried their cream cheese and lox, pretty good.  And their wild berry cream cheese, good when you're in the mood for something sweet.  Must say my favorite is still the everything bagel toasted with cream cheese.

Everything bagel toasted with plain cream
cheese and a Naked Orange Juice.

This weekend my mom and I stayed the night at my aunts house in Calabassas.  We had to wake up early to drive back to school for my dive meet on Saturday morning.  We stopped at the Western Bagels right by the freeway entrance and got our breakfast for the drive back down south.  Just hit the spot.  I was feeling like something salty rather than sweet, especially because I had my meet in the next hour.  Didn't want to load up on sugar.  I decided to get my favorite.  Although it was ready quite quickly, I would have liked the bagel to be toasted a little more. It was still basically room tenperature. They do glob on the cream cheese like you haven't had it in months. When I was younger I used to put half a container on one bagel, but I've leaned to use it more sparingly as I entered high school.   I definitely think this is ok every once in a while, but with a good bagel, you even need that much. Here's my pre-competition breakfast:

Whole Foods sells Western Bagels.  I will definitely have to start buying packs there because the bread bagels they give to the athletes for free aren't up to par.

MB Post

This weekend, my mom came down to visit her family and watch the swim and dive meet versus Arizona and ASU.  Thursday morning she flew down from seattle and visited her family in the Valley.  Then, after my second practice of the day, she met me at my apartment.  After catching up for an hour or so, we made our way to Manhattan Beach.
Our reservations were for MB Post.  My mom made them months in advance, but it must be very popular because they still didn't have an available table until 8.  We decided to pass the time by shopping on Manhattan Beach Blvd.  After passing though a few cute boutiques, we decided to check out Free People (one of my favorite shops).  I've been looking for some new fall and winter clothes, with the cali weather slowly starting to change.  2 years ago I would have been disgusted with myself (thinking that 60 degrees was cold weather).  But hey, I'm a cali girl now.   I am especially in need of a big comfy sweater, and Free People always has a great selection of such items.  Although I didn't find a sweater, I did get two really cute pairs of jeans (on sale!), a long sleeve thermal, and a pair of earrings.  I knew we did some damage on the credit card when the registrar had to call the credit card company and confirm my mother was at the store (she bought some Hanukkah presents too, so I wasn't just me).

Tuscan Kale and Quinoa Salad,
roasted beets, pinenuts, tomato,
drake farm's goat cheese.

We walked to MB Post, just a block away, and were immediately seated by the hostess.  The decor had a dark modern feel, with industrial type furniture (the restaurant was the original post office of Manhattan Beach).  The waitress seated us immediately at our table for two at the booth.  I love how this restaurant has community tables, that is something I will definitely want in my own restaurant one day.  When we were seated there was an envelope on our table addressed to "Pinczower".  I assumed that it was the the name card reserving our table, but inside were our menus!  The waitress explained to us that all the menu items were meant to share, so we should order a few and then they will be brought out once ready.  We started with the kale salad, recommended by the table next to us.  I'm usually not a big fan of kale, but it was light, and the olive oil dressing almost sweetened it up.  The thin strips of the leaves made the dish less earthy tasting.  The goat cheese was creamy but not overwhelming.  I left the beets for my mom, never have liked them.

Spaghetti Squash, Garijet
Yam Puree, cider gastrique,
pecans, apple chips.

White Oak grilled skirt steak,
grilled broccolini, red
 chimichurri

Next came the spaghetti squash appetizer.  This was definitely different, but delicious.  It was a thicker item, that really packed a punch.  The squash was covered in a yam puree, that almost tasted cheesy.  My mom and I actually thought it was a cheese because of the orange color associated with it, until we looked at the menu again.  The cider gastrique (a reduction of vinegar and sugar) gave it an acidic kick, a great way to lighten it up a little.  I also loved the sweet apple chips on top.  I think I ate all of them.  I've never had an appetizer quite like this one.  It was a great way to whet our appetite while waiting for the rest of our meal.  Next came our skirt steak.  Grilled medium rare with a spicy chimichurri sauce and broccolini.  The steak was thick but fiery with the  mustard based sauce.  I definitely had to spread it thinly across each slice, if I didn't want to grab for my water every other bite.  The broccolini was a little tougher than the usual grilled vegetable, which added more crunch to the dish.

Houes made cavatelli, tomato and lamb ragout, feta, and basil.

Our final small dish was the house made cavatelli.  This pasta was similar to a gnocchi type texture with potatoes mixed in.  When it comes to normal pasta, I like it aldente, but I do also love the soft and chewy texture of gnocchi, and this cavatelli (that I was having for the first time).  It was mixed with a light lamb ragout that had the freshest tomato base.  This was definitely my favorite dish of the night.

Buttermilk panna cotta,
first of the season citrus,
almond streusel.

Now we couldn't go home without having dessert.  We ordered the buttermilk panna cotta and the house speciality.  The panna cotta wasn't my favorite.  I did like the almond streusel on top, but I wasn't a fan of the mandarin oranges mixed with the milky flavor of the dish.

The "Elvis" a wonderful
mess of chocolate pudding,
peanut butter mousse
(w/o the bacon brittle).

This dish, the house specialty, is called the "Elvis".  It's a chocolate pudding with a peanuts butter mousse and caramelized bananas.  Talk about a dream.  It usually comes with a bacon brittle, but we asked for the dish without. The chocolate pudding was rich, but because it was milk chocolate I was still able to continue spooning it into my mouth.  I loved the peanut butter mouse.  The mouse aspect made it lighter than a normal scoop of peanut butter, which complimented the pudding texture very well.  Now I want to try and caramelize my own bananas! They were the perfect sweetness and added a little more depth to the dish.  I wish we hadn't ordered two desert dishes of similar pudding like texture, because they didn't compliment each other very well (but I am glad we did order two!).  The gave us the check in a small book where we could write comments about our visits.  I left my mark:

   

Call me Type A

When I was younger, I didn't like change.  I liked to stick with what I knew, because that was what always seemed right.  What was comfortable to me.  Whenever my family suggested going somewhere new for vacation, or simply trying out a new restaurant, I always resisted.  I just really wanted to go to Plaza Garcia, the family mexican restaurant up the street from our house.  Even though I did enjoy the spontaneous trips we took to the Galapagos and trying out new restaurants in downtown Seattle, I still insisted the old way was the better way (even when I knew I was wrong).  My opposition to try anything new designated me as the "picky eater" of the family.  I was far from picky, compared to my elementary school friends who refused to eat anything but PB&J, chicken fingers, and french fries.  I did try new foods, and enjoyed them, I still just liked eating food I knew was good.

Eating my first Oreo.
I've always had a sweet tooth.

Part of my critical taste I blame on my mother.  As a amazing chef, a delicious, healthy, and full meal was put on the table every night of the week (besides the days we did decide to go out, or when I convinced the Pinczower clan to go to Plaza Garcia one more time).  Little did I know that her superb cooking every night was something I began to take for granted.  Because 99% of the time the meals were healthy, I would jump on the opportunity to eat pizza at my friends house whenever given the chance.  Now, after living out of the house for almost a year and a half, and being forced to eat in the vile dining halls, my attitude towards a good healthy meal has completely changed. Now, when visiting home, I would rather eat with my family, and then catch up with my friends for just the movie at one of their houses afterwards.  I now know that I would eat my mom's baby lamb chops and cucumber salad any day of the week over some greasy costco pizza and a box of dryers ice cream.  You can drool over some of her delicious home cooked meals here: http://gailsgalley.blogspot.com/.  After years of eating perfectly cooked chicken marsala and a carrot cake you will die for, I unknowingly became a food snob.

Now my "Type A Appetite" has nothing to do with being "picky".  I will try almost anything you put on a plate in front of me (as long as it is somewhat kosher... and nontoxic looking).  Especially with the amount that I work out as a D1 diver at USC, I'm always up for eating.  What I will not waste my time and tastebuds on is food that is not appetizing, high quality, or somewhat distinctive.

Since moving to the vibrant city of Los Angeles, I have spent much time researching and venturing to restaurants all over the area. My appetite is always up for trying something new, and my critical taste will not be afraid to share its opinion.  Here are some of my stories and adventures throughout Los Angeles with friends and most importantly, FOOD.