Making the most of your dining dollars
CENTS Good deal
$ Not necessarily cheap but worth it
& Bar/cafe menu
Here is a list of suggestions for making the most of your dining dollar. Some of these restaurants are a splurge, but they take care, deliver quality and are a true value nonethless. Some choices are downright cheap, and some make the list because of their special menu options. All are well worth a visit.
$ Atlas Foods
2820 N.E. University Village, Seattle, 206-522-6025.
Neighborhood restaurant kingpins Jeremy Hardy and Peter Levy (Jitterbug, 5 Spot, Coastal Kitchen) do U-Village in style, serving shop-till-you-droppers looking for gussied-up comfort food in colorful, kid-friendly surroundings. Traveling America's back roads culling recipes from not-so-haute spots, Atlas is all over the map with honey-stung pan-fried chicken, Maytag Bleu-wearin' Cobb salad, Kentucky corn cakes, huevos rancheros and Reverend Livingston Memorial BBQ pork sandwiches. Hand-cut fries don't get much better than the ones served here. Wines by the bottle are offered at $15 over wholesale price, and as the wine list rightfully claims: "This means that the more expensive the wine is, the better the deal." Amen, brothers.
CENTS Bakeman's
122 Cherry St., Seattle, 206-622-3375.
The school-cafeteria decor, snaking line and barking mouths behind the counter may be enough to send you running for some trendier soup-and-sandwich shop. Don't make that mistake. Know that things move fast at this subterranean old-timer where it's ixnay on the arugula and HELL-o to home-style hitters. Get in and get out after fueling-up on a bowl of noodle-y soup (just like Grandma used to make) or a cranberry-sauced turkey sandwich that stands up with the best of post-Thanksgiving eats.
& Brasa
2107 Third Ave., Seattle, 206-728-4220.
"Brasa," translated from Portuguese, means "live coals," but the lively setting, with a wide-open view of the kitchen and dual-tiered dining area, makes this Belltown bombshell's bar a place to see and be seen: eating. Tamara Murphy's pan-Mediterranean bar menu is an oft-changing adventure-in-dining that ranges from pissaladiere (the caramelized oniony "pizza" of Southern France) to Portuguese fish stew, Spanish-fried squid to steak frites, curried mussels to a Moroccan steak sandwich.
& The Bungalow Wine Bar & Cafe
2412 N. 45th St., Seattle, 206-632-0254.
Beautiful, flavorful and more-than-reasonably-priced food gets second billing at this cozy, comfortable, Craftsman-style bungalow-home-away-from-home for Seattle's laid-back grape enthusiasts. In the tiny kitchen, chef/owner Jeff Treistman (founder of City Cellars wine shop) prepares a few salads, a soup, noshable appetizers and a half-dozen entrees, but the spotlight shines on his impeccably crafted wine list, which offers scores of wines by the 2-ounce "taste," glass or bottle.
$ Cafe Juanita
9702 N.E. 120th Place, Kirkland, 425-823-1505.
For 20 years, chef/winemaker Peter Dow's Juanita Creek-side restaurant appealed to those celebrating occasions large and small. Today it's more appealing than ever, thanks to Holly Smith, who spent years in some of Seattle's top kitchens before buying this venerable country-Italian dinnerhouse. The restaurant's interior has been transformed to reflect a newfound casual elegance while the menu, inspired by Smith's passion for Northern Italy, relies on innovation, artistry and superior seasonal ingredients. Dow's notable Cavatappi wines - still made on the premises - grace the wine list.
$ Cafe Lago
2305 24th Ave. E., Seattle, 206-329-8005.
This Montlake trattoria recently expanded and celebrated its 10-year anniversary and remains a luscious lure for those seeking the simple pleasure of eating simply superb Italian food. Chef/owners Jordi Viladas and Carla Leonardi's small menu includes spectacular antipasto plates, sensational thin-crust pizzas, ethereal handmade pastas and wood-fire-grilled meat and seafood specialties.
$ & Campagne
86 Pine St. (Pike Place Market), Seattle, 206-728-2800.
Elegant and engaging, Peter Lewis' Pike Place Market gem speaks French with a Northwest accent and offers value-seekers more than a few reasons to pay a visit. Reason No. 1: A romantic little bar, with its own modest menu offering such classics as steak frites and poulet roti. Reason No. 2: A special three-course prix-fixe supper in the main dining room. Choice of appetizer, entree and dessert (a deal at $30) is served nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Reason No. 3: Cafe Campagne, the restaurant's casual, adjoining sibling (enter around the corner on Post Avenue), serving bistro fare extraordinaire.
CENTS Chinook's at Salmon Bay
1900 W. Nickerson St., Suite 103, Seattle, 206-283-4665.
Let the tourists have downtown's waterfront restaurants; leave sprawling, casual Chinook's, at picturesque Fisherman's Terminal, to us. Expect solid service amid convivial clatter, and choose among a broad menu starring seafoody soups, stews, salads and sandwiches, oysters and salmon every which way, and some of the city's best deep-fried sea-treats. (P.S.: Forced to stay downtown? Try Chinook's slick little sister, the Bell Street Diner, downstairs from its fancier sib, Anthony's Pier 66.)
$ Copper Sky Woodfire Grill & Bar
550 N.E. Northgate Way, Seattle, 206-363-9911.
Avocado and chicken pizza? Texas egg rolls? Iron skillet-blackened halibut? "Cowboy"-spiced steaks? Don't ask, just eat. At Copper Sky, Southwest kitsch (cowboy boot adornments, wagon-wheel lighting fixtures) meets the Northwest's notion of fancy but not-too. So, what's there not to love about a family-friendly, casually upscale bar and eatery with swift, knowledgeable service, more-than-generous portions and modest prices for high-quality eats?
CENTS The Dish Cafe
4358 Leary Way N.W., Seattle, 206-782-9985.
Take a couple of big-hearted babes (owners Brigid McVeigh and Linda Hegg), put them in a big-as-a-minute Fremont cafe, throw in some kitschy-casual Santa Fe-style decor, add a small counter, bottomless cups of strong coffee and a gonzo all-day-breakfast. What you'll have is a cheap-eats breakfast and lunch joint of the first (short) order. Give it a go.
$ & Fandango
2313 First Ave., Seattle, 206-441-1188.
You could compose an exciting, Latin-accented repast in Fandango's bar, grazing off celebrated chef Chris Keff's intriguing bar menu. Instead, why not go for the full-effect of this new Latina cucina by dining in style in the festive, more formal main dining room? Here, entrees - from grilled quail to Brazilian seafood stew, vegetarian posole to yellow chicken mole - stay on the shy end of a $20 bill.
CENTS FareStart Restaurant
1902 Second Ave., Seattle, 206-443-1233.
Dining out is usually more about socializing than social issues, yet the two marry merrily in the dignified dining room at FareStart, a nonprofit, food-service-industry job-training program for the homeless and disadvantaged. Treat yourself to a wondrous weekday buffet luncheon ($6.95) or reserve for Thursday's oft-sold-out "Guest Chef Night," when some of the city's top toques help orchestrate a three-course meal ($14.50), prepared and served by student-trainees.
CENTS Gordito's Healthy Mexican Food
213 N. 85th St., Seattle, 206-706-9352.
Greenwood's Mexican mecca is no longer anyone's best-kept secret. Fast, fresh, fun and filling, this casual cantina lays off the lard and lays on the free tortilla chips and super salsas. Boeing-size burritos draw steak-loving enthusiasts, prawns-seeking seafood fans and vegetarians hip to tofu and spinach. Bring the kids or your beer-drinking buddies and learn why everyone's saying "Ole!"
$ The Harvest Vine
2701 E. Madison St., Seattle, 206-320-9771.
Built around a small copper-clad tapas bar, and home to a precious handful of tables, this Spanish food-and-wine lover's lair is the creation of master chef Joseph Jimenez de Jimenez. It's a trip to Spain without the pain (if you don't count the wait for a seat). You can - and should - spend big at this minuscule, mouth-watering, Madison Valley marvel, treating yourself to tantalizing morsels of simple, well-prepared seafood, game, meats and vegetables, a broad palate of Spanish cheeses and a laudable Spanish wine list.
CENTS Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant
18230 E. Valley Highway, Kent, 425-656-0999.
The anchor restaurant at Kent's Great Wall Mall truly has it all: superior Chinese food, attentive service, terrific dim sum, an elegant setting and an extensive, priced-right menu. Exotic specialties and bargain-and-a-half specials (Peking duck, carved tableside, $10!) are reason-enough to get out of town.
CENTS JaK's Grill
4548 California Ave. S.W., Seattle, 206-937-7809; 14 Front St., Issaquah, 425-837-8834.
Fat cats looking for a swanky steakhouse need not apply. But smart meat-eaters with a hankering for corn-fed, Nebraska-raised, dry-aged hunks of hoofer should think casual and come hungry. Go to the top of the price-range for a 21-ounce porterhouse and if $26.95 sounds steep for that pleasure, know that you're getting USDA prime and that JaK's is no a la carte bank-buster. You won't need an appetizer (good thing, since there are none), portions are more than generous and dinner includes a swell house salad, side of veg and potato: fried, garlic-mashed, baked or the choice choice-potato pancakes.
& Jimmy's Table
2805 E. Madison St., Seattle, 206-709-8324.
Two Madrona restaurant-refugees, chef Jim(my) Watkins (late of Plenty) and hostess Sharon Woo-Luke (as in Cool Hand Luke's), teamed-up to create this warm, inviting Madison Valley neighborhood bistro. Chef Watkins' self-styled "New American" fare, borrowing ideas from the Mediterranean, Asia and the American South, is creative and generously bestowed and has personality to spare. It's-a-steal lunches and an intimate bar are part of the charm.
& Kaspar's Wine Bar
19 W. Harrison, Seattle, 206-298-0123.
Swiss chef Kaspar Donier's elegant, Northwest-accented dinner venue adjoins this secluded wine-centric sanctuary, a respite from the screaming restaurant bar scene in nearby Belltown and a short walk from Seattle Center. A 25-item by-the-glass wine list accompanies fancy-restaurant-quality eats from a bar menu that nods to the season, changes nightly and runs from a classy take on spicy chicken wings to an impressive three-tiered "Sampler Tower" ($23) - a sharable, best-of, chef's-choice appetizer extravaganza.
CENTS Kingfish Cafe
602 19th Ave. E., Seattle, 206-320-8757.
Spirited soul food shines at this perpetually packed Capitol Hill corner storefront, one of Seattle's hippest hang-outs. Priced-right "down-home" Southern specialties aim to thrill and always fill. Kicky potato salad, sassy greens and killer corn bread star among the satisfying sides that put BBQ ribs, cornmeal-coated catfish and old-fashioned buttermilk fried chicken on the greatest-hits list. Sharing dessert is a religious experience.
& Lead Gallery and Wine Bar
1022 First Ave., Seattle, 206-623-6240.
Savvy art-maven-cum-proprietress Marsha Sleeth mixes the business of art with the business of socializing in this sleek, chic, downtown setting. An artist's palette extends to the other palate with lunch and dinner selections that are modest in number and price. Patrons should feel free to browse, lounge or to get right down to the business of sipping (with 40 selections available by the glass or bottle) and/or supping. A Med-spread trio, other round-the-world appeteasers as well as artfully dressed salads are available throughout the day.
$ Le Gourmand
425 N.W. Market St., Seattle, 206-784-3463.
Chef Bruce Naftaly celebrates the season - whatever the season - by offering French cooking traditions, carefully procured Northwest provisions, an extensive French/Northwest wine list and excellent service at this sweet little destination-dinner-house in beautiful Ballard. Entree choice determines the cost of the three-course feast for the senses ($24-$42), which includes a choice of appetizers and entrees (organic meats and poultry, line-caught finfish) and concludes with tender salad greens garnished with edible flowers.
$ Le Pichet
1933 First Ave., Seattle, 206-256-1499.
A Francophile's dream come true, this petite cafe takes its name from a small ceramic wine pitcher and its cue from the neighborhood bistros of Paris. French-schooled chef Jim Drohman and gracious host Joanne Herron cater to customers intent on cadging an early-morning coffee and croissant, an afternoon pink wine and pate, or a lovingly prepared evening repast. The latter honors the likes of house-made charcuterie, beautifully composed crudites and flawless roasted chicken. A solid selection of inexpensive, mostly French wines are available by the glass, demi-pichet, full pichet or bottle.
CENTS Malay Satay Hut
212 12th Ave. S., Seattle, 206-324-4091.
Malaysian ex-pats, Buddhist monks and thrill-seeking culinary adventurers from all over throng to this Vietnamese strip-mall hot spot. Here they seek and find the flavors of Malaysia and its marvelous melding of Chinese, Indian and Thai cuisines. Griddle-fried roti, with its soupy, curry-stoked dipping sauce, is a must. Fresh seafood, fine curries, exotic spices and great service go a long way to making this the most intriguing Asian-food deal in town.
CENTS Matt's in the Market
94 Pike St., Seattle, 206-467-7909.
Matt Janke (waiter, wine steward, dishwasher) is the man behind this fabulously funky, second-story hideaway just a fish-toss from the stalls at Pike Place Market. A local's favorite, Matt's boasts five tiny tables, nine counter-seats and a globetrotting wine list sporting 20 by-the-glass options. Chef Erik Cannella mines the Market to gain inspiration for his short, seafood-focused menu; his "specials" live up to the name.
CENTS The Original Pancake House
130 Park Place Center, Kirkland, 425-827-7575.
OK, so it's not exactly original (the first opened in Portland in 1953), but it is the ultimate answer to the pancake question. Expensive? Comparatively speaking. You, my friend, are worth it! And it's worth a drive to Kirkland just to ponder the prodigious pancake options (including buttermilk, buckwheat, sourdough, Swedish). Of course, you'll want to consider the crepes and savor the scent of big-as-a-hat specialties such as apple pancakes and Dutch Babies. Bacon and eggs float your boat? Ride high here.
CENTS Pecos Pit BBQ
2260 First Ave. S., Seattle, 206-623-0629.
Forget your credit cards, your checkbook and your cholesterol. Forget about showing up on weekends or after 3 p.m. Vegetarian? Just forget it. The only thing you'll need to remember when queuing-up for 'cue at this picnic-table paradise is cold hard cash and a hearty appetite. Five bucks buys beef brisket, pork, hot-links or ham slabs, each piled high on an onion-spiked bun dripping with peppery barbecue sauce. Big value. Bigger mess.
CENTS Piecora's
1401 E. Madison St., Seattle, 206-322-9411.
Displaced New Yorkers look to Piecora's for what many call the closest thing to the Real Thing: thin-crusted, oily-mozzarella-oozing pizza at a price that won't evoke a Bronx cheer. Tattoos, nose-rings and wafting cigarette smoke let you know you're on Capitol Hill, but the minute that hand-tossed, monster-sized pie hits the table, you'll be in a New York state of mind. Toppings range from A(nchovies) to Z(ucchini) and they'll gladly sell you half a pie or a single slice.
& Ray's Cafe
6049 Seaview Ave. N.W., Seattle, 206-782-0094.
When the sun comes out - watch out! Then head to the upper deck for a brew or two with a Shilshole view. Raining? Pouring? Why sit home snoring? Upstairs from Ray's Boathouse, this casual cafe with the seafaring menu is a fine place to weather the weather - especially if you're living it up in the bar. There, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to closing, a long list of everyone's favorite bar foods, including burgers, chicken wings, deep-fried calamari, steamed clams, fish 'n' chips, Caesar salad, plus a few ethnic-mainstays like hummus, satays, can be had at sale-price: half-off.
CENTS Red Mill Burgers
312 N. 67th St., Seattle; 206-783-6362; 1613 W. Dravus St., Seattle, 206-284-6363.
When vegetarians flock to a burger joint, you know it's got to be great. Behold Red Mill, where the "Verde Veggie Burger" is a meatless thrill and the bosom-y cluck-burger sets a juicy standard with its lemon-honey marinade. But, oh! The mighty meat! Thick, beefy and flame-broiled, these bodacious quarter-pound burgers come dressed in every possible guise, from blue cheese to bacon, barbecue sauce to onion jam. Hand-cut fries and spicy, cornmeal-coated onion rings are a revelation. Call ahead if you're in a rush - and pray for a seat if you hope to eat in.
CENTS Salumeria on Hudson
4918 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, 206-760-7741.
La Medusa's down-the-block sibling started out as an Italian retail emporium-cum-cafeteria-style eatery offering panini, antipasti, pizza-by-the-slice and pasta, and at lunch that's just what you'll find in this sophisticated cafe. But dinner proved so popular, there's now table service at night, along with a lengthy main-course menu that includes house-made sausage, calf's liver sauteed with bacon and sage, and smoked stuffed pork loin. A simple plate of cured meats, olives and imported cheeses paired with fresh bread, good olive oil and a bottle of wine makes a fine meal, too. Like the dishware? It's for sale, along with kitchen gadgets, Italian specialty foods, cookbooks and vino.
$ Sapphire Kitchen & Bar
1625 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle, 206-281-1931.
The crown jewel of Queen Anne Hill, sexy little Sapphire has it all: an inviting bar scene, delicious Sunday brunch and chef Leonard Rede, whose house-baked breads and impressive desserts are worth a walk, in the rain, up the Counterbalance. Dinner is modest-priced for fare so impeccably prepared; the flavors of Spain and North Africa, France and Italy dominate. Enjoy a martini and a mezze plate at the bar or at one of barely a dozen tables where the scent of mussels Catalan, Algerian-marinated chicken and paella Valencia perfume the air.
$ Sans Souci
10520 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue, 425-467-9490.
This quiet, elegant dining room-in-hiding is perched above Bellevue Place's Wintergarden, offering a menu that border-crosses between Italy and France, a wine list leaning closer to Pisa than the Tour d'Eiffel, and a perfect spot for business lunching. A newcomer with a longtimers' pedigree (peripatetic restaurateur Luciano Bardinelli is at the helm), it offers good value at dinner, too, particularly where pastas and the wine list are concerned.
CENTS Sergio's Mexican Cuisine
703 N. 34th St., Seattle, 206-632-6685.
Though a lively cantina dispenses classy cocktails in the rear of this bright, contemporary space, the tortilla grill takes center stage turning out soft, buttery masa cakes that may be the perfect margarita munchy. The menu corrals all the Mexican favorites - enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, tamales, burritos - but here even the beans and rice have verve. For a real treat, try some of the house specialties such as chile verde (pork chunks simmered in a tingly tomatillo sauce) or shrimp sauteed with mushrooms, aromatic vegetables and a splash of brandy.
CENTS 74th Street Ale House
7401 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle, 206-784-2955.
The name doesn't say it all. Sure, it hugs the corner of 74th Street. Of course there's a multitude of brews on tap. But it's the food that's the real draw on a pocket-friendly menu offering made-from-scratch soups (gumbo!), salads (whole or half, your call) and sandwiches (that's fresh kraut on the hot pastrami), all bolstered by weekly specials. This great neighborhood joint is one of a trio of neighborly, nonsmoking, swell-eats taverns including Queen Anne's Hilltop Ale House and the new Columbia City Ale House.
CENTS Southern Hospitality Family Restaurant
6400 Martin Luther King Way S., Seattle, 206-760-8505.
Inside and out this prim white house with the bright blue trim looks as though it's all dressed up in its Sunday best. It's impossible to spend big bucks here no matter how much you eat; portions are so huge you'll have to loosen your belt long before you deplete your wallet. The succulent oxtails are as big as baseballs and there must be half a dozen oysters in the po' boy and two fistfuls of hand-cut fries alongside. Gumbo, jambalaya and shrimp etouffee are as good as any you'll find in the Big Easy. And with corn bread this rich, who needs dessert?
$ Szmania's
3321 W. McGraw St., Seattle, 206-284-7305
Why leave Magnolia? That's what happy neighbors have been asking for the past decade, ever since German-born chef Ludger Szmania showed up, showed off and showed the 'hood how well he can marry the Old World with the new. Jaegerschnitzel with spaetzle meets the likes of seared ahi with Thai curry and Alaskan halibut with saffron and leeks on a menu that nods to light eaters with a two-tiered pricing system. Half the (already reasonably priced) entrees are available in a smaller size at a smaller price. Sit at the comfortable counter fronting the kitchen and Ludger and crew throw in the "entertainment" for free!
CENTS Than Brothers Restaurant
7714 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle, 206-527-5973; 516 Broadway E., Seattle, 206-568-7218; 4207 University Way N.E., Seattle, 206-633-1735.
Sit-down fare doesn't get much faster than at these utilitarian cafes, purveyors of Vietnamese noodle soup and cream puffs. The latter comes free of charge, though only a fool leaves without buying a trio or trayful to go. Souper-size your main course: an aromatic broth floating rice noodles, onions and beef in multiple guises. There's a negligible price-difference between "small" (large) and "extra-large" (enormous). The big boy ($5) only half-eaten is two, two, two meals in one. Herbs, bean sprouts, lime and jalapeno are for garnishing; squirt bottles for saucing. Slurping encouraged.
CENTS Toyoda Sushi
12543 Lake City Way N.E., Seattle, 206-367-7972.
Sushi fanatics from all over town make the pilgrimage to Lake City to wait in a clogged entranceway for their chance to sit in the shadow of Natsuyoshi Toyoda at this nothing-fussy Japanese cafe. Lightning-fast fingers and superior seafood are Toyoda's claim to fame, though Lake City neighbors prefer a table to the sushi bar and the tiny kitchen's priced-right "complete dinners," as well as multiple variations on the sukiyaki, teriyaki, tempura and udon theme.
Nancy Leson is the Seattle Times restaurant critic. Benjamin Benschneider is staff photographer for Pacific Northwest magazine.