Trophy Cupcakes- Bellevue

A few years back, I heard someone decry the oversaturation of Seattle cupcake market. I called those people fools. But there is certainly varied levels of cupcakeries in this area, and I am sad to say that Trophy Cupcakes is at the low end of the spectrum, at least as far as cupcakes can be “bad.” Trophy Cupcakes has some things going for it, such as its new Eastside location in the swank Bellevue shopping area, the Bravern. Its nice to have a cupcake house on the Eastside, but I find that for quality I will drive a few extra miles into Seattle to hit Cupcake Royale. Trophy does have a nice selection of flavors- Chai, S’Mores, Green Tea, Raspberry Buttercream and PB&J are just a few examples- I find the flavor to be lacking. The cakes always seem to be oily, and the frosting is a gooey mess. It tastes like you are easting whipped oil, and not in a good way. I have had some good experiences at Trophy- this summer’s Blueberry Pie flavor is one notable highlight- but in general I am not the biggest fan. When you live in a city with over a dozen cupcake shops, you can afford to be choosey. Sorry Trophy, you wont win the prize today!

Picture via Trophy website

Licorous- Capitol Hill

Sometimes you just need a drink. And for those “feeling boozy” nights let me highly recommend Licorous as an upscale alternative to your local dive bar. Jason and I hit Licorous up early on Saturday on April 5th, so we had the benefit of being the only customers present. The menu had a lovely spread of cocktails, but I chose to sample the infused liquors. I chose a ginger vodka, Meyer lemon vodka, and pear gin, and I was highly pleased with my choices. The flight was served with a glass of ice so you could add to the shots as you wished. I thought they were very generous pours for an $8 sample flight, and I decided to take half the shot room temp and half on ice. Licorous uses a Pacific Northwest company to provide their base- Crater Lake Vodka and Cascade Mountain gin, both made by Bend Brewing Company out of Oregon. The vodka was smoother than any expensive well known brands I have tried before, and I was pleasantly surprised how good straight liquor could taste, being a mixed drink consumer in general.

Jason and I also ordered a desert with our drinks, which was delightful as well. We had the Brown butter-hazelnut financiers with espresso caramel on the side. The financiers were chewy like a nutty little brownie, and the espresso caramel added a great deal of flavor, plus I love anything coffee related. I feel comfortable recommending Licorous for all your fun time drinking needs!

XO,
Julia

Photo from http://www.licorous.com/

Delancey- Ballard

I am a lover of "new". I have rarely met a fad I didn’t love. I once owned those pink pointy J-Lo boots that looked like modified Timberlands. I only cook with Meyer lemons. I have completely stopped wearing nylons and I will only wear leggings with long, flowing t-shirt dresses. My current goal is to fit into skinny jeans. Hence, when I discovered that my very favorite food blogger Molly Wizenberg (Orangette) and her husband Brandon Pettit were opening a wood fire pizzeria in Ballard, I knew this was going to be big news. I figured Delancey would be delicious, but could it live up to the hype of a famous food blogger opening up a upscale pizza joint in one of Seattle’s hippest areas, or would it fizzle out like my short lived flirtation with Ginger-Spice style chunky highlights?

Resisting all temptations, Jason and I waited several months after the opening before attempting to visit, and an even several months later the wait time for a table was over an hour. Jason and I settled into the tiny waiting area and did some people watching. The first thing you notice walking into Delancey is the giant, wood fire oven behind the bar. Its enormous, and the heat can be felt the minute you walk in the door. Most nights you will see Brandon behind the counter working the oven, and on the night we were there Molly was saddled up to the bar, chatting it up with customers (I was far too uncool to go tell her what a fan I was, but in case you ever read this Molly, I love you!)

When we were seated, it only took a moment to review the menu, mostly because there were only a few options! The menu rotates regularly, and I was told to watch for the special deserts (Oh goodness, be still my heart, I drool just thinking back on them!) More on that in a moment… For dinner, I chose the Brooklyn, a taste-bud tickling mix of tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, aged mozzarella, and Grana cheese. How something so simple can be so delightful is still a mystery to me, but I think it has a lot to do with high quality ingredients, super tasty thin crust, and just the right amount of time in the wood-fired oven. I have never tried New York pizza (shameful me!) however if this is what food in Brooklyn actually tastes like, I have a trip to make! I washed that all down with Rachel’s homemade ginger brew, which was marvelous, as I adore ginger and this was a way less sweet version of ginger ale.

While I thought dinner was remarkable, I could tell just from review the menu that desert was going to be mind-blowing. I saw six simple words that I thought might change my life: Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies w/ Grey Sea Salt. Unfortunately, due to extreme popularity, they were sold out. So, Jason and I ordered each of the other two deserts and played our sharing game. I started with the Meyer lemon budino with candied pistachios and anise caramel. It’s almost like they played a game called “how many things that Julia loves can we put in one desert?” For those playing at home, there are four things- Meyer lemons, pudding, anise and candied nuts. My mind grapes were sufficiently blown and I could have floated home from there. However, I gave up half of my budino in order to trade for Jason’s whole roasted pear with honey caramel, cardamom oat tuile and crème fraiche. That was lovely, but not being such a huge fan of whole cooked fruit I could have lived without it as well.

Despite an hour long wait, which I have never stood for before, I give Delancey four stars and two real big thumbs up. I cannot wait to go back again when the desert menu changes again and I can be blown away a second time around.

XO,
Julia

Photo via http://delanceyseattle.com/

Tutta Bella- Issaquah

The opening of Tutta Bella in Issaquah was a thrill for me on several levels. First, it was moving into the former home of Chili’s, a restaurant (if you can even call it that!) that I loathed. Second, people whose opinions I respected had raved about the downtown Tutta Bella locations for years. Third, I discovered they specialized in exceptionally thin crusts. The key to really good pizza for me is crust no thicker than a credit card. Nothing is worse than that doughy, gooey crust you find at your popular chain restaurants. The Neapolitan-style of pizza making requires thin crusts cooked in wood-fired ovens. This sounded like something right up my alley, and located in our own backyard, so Jason and I went to Tutta Bella just a few weeks after its grand opening (A grand opening that included our dear friend and parish priest blessing the pizza ovens and joining in a rousing version of “Sweet Caroline” in honor of the owners’ mother). For dinner I ordered rosemary lemonade, Insalata Di Napoli, and the classic Regina Margherita pizza.


Salad wise I had nothing to complain about- a tasty mix of greens, tomatoes, chicken breast, pancetta and gorgonzola cheese tossed in a Cesar/white balsamic. Crisp, delicious, made my mouth happy, as did the rosemary lemonade. I like very tart lemonade and this did not disappoint. When the star of the show arrived- aka the pizza- I was as excited as a freshman girl going to prom with upperclassman! It looked like the worlds perfect food- an ultra thin crust with a nice soft edge, dotted with little fire burns. The pizza topping were sparse, a bit too sparse for my liking mostly because after the first bite the little bit of topping would slide right off. But, what a delicious first bite it was! Salty, fresh, with a high level tomato explosion in the sauce and a delicious level of soft, fresh mozzarella, it was the most delicious pizza I have ever had, or have had since (Edit: I did have better pizza a few months later at Delancey, more on that later). The pizzas at Tutta Bella only come in one size, which is about 10 inches, or four good sized slices. I could have easily finished it myself, but I always save some Jason to try and I was eyeballing the gelato menu.

For desert I tried a trio of gelato, while Jason tried the tiramisu, which, as tradition dictates, we swapped half way through so that we could both enjoy what the other one ordered. Both created a dance of pleasure in my mouth. The gelato flavors I tried were lemon, pear, and Nutella- all smooth and delicious without being too sweet. It was a fight to make me trade when it was time, but I was glad I did! Tiramisu is hit or miss for me, and Tutta Bella did tiramisu right, at least that day (I have noticed the sog factor was higher on subsequent visits). I love a rich espresso, and this tiramisu had just the right mixture of sweet pudding with espresso coated (but not drenched!) lady fingers.

I give Tutta Bella 3.5 out 4 stars, lacking half a star mostly because it’s cold as a freezer every time I go in there, and they are still working out the kinks for large groups and split checks. But I will certainly be a repeat guest, especially since it’s so close to home.

XO,
Julia

Red Mill Burgers- Greenwood

Full disclosure- I am not a burger eater. I almost never eat beef, and when I do I destroy it by ordering it well done to the point of charred. Yet one dark Saturday night in March, Jason got the hankering for a big, juicy hamburger, and I did not want to disapoint him. Jason had heard many good things about Red Mill Burgers so we drove downtown to see what all the fuss was about. The nice part of the Greenwood location is the ample street parking- a big issue for us after several accidental parking tickets in this city! The building is tiny, and when we arrived the line stretched out the door. However, the wait time was minimal because of how efficent and friendly the service was. Within in minutes of ordering we had our bag and were ready to go. I ordered the Red Mill Deluxe with included: Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle, Red Onion, and Mill Sauce, their own secret recipie that seemed to be a liquid smoke style mayo. It was gianourmous so I was only able to finish half, but Jason was happy to polish it off for me. As far as burgers go, I would say it was one the best I have had. The meat was high quality, the inredients were fresh, and they included the key topping- pickles! Most burger joints have  tendency to forget about the pickle, a burger sin as I see it. I would say if you or your spouse is into burgers, take them to Red Mill for a low key, tasty night on the town.
XO,
Julia

Picture courtesy of http://www.redmillburgers.com

Cupcake Royale- Capitol Hill, Ballard et. al.

ome have said the Seattle area is oversaturated with adorable little cupcake bakeries. To those people I say "You are the wrongest anyone has ever been," To even suggest there are too many cupcake spots in Seattle is kind of like saying there are too many stars in the sky or too many flowers in a garden. However, this doesn't mean you cant have a favorite cupcake establishment. For me, the clear winner in this fight is Cupcake Royale. Two words friendos- Salted Carmel. Readers of this blog will come to learn that salted anything brings a smile to my face, but taking incredibly moisty chocolate cupcakes, topping them with a rich, creamy caramel frosting then dusting the tops with sea salt brings a full body "OMG this is even better than I remembered!" smile forward. Jason has called it my happy place. There are several other reasons that CR wins the cupcake war for me. 1. Easily accessible- you can be almost anywhere in Seattle and only be moments away from cupcakey goodness. 2. Superior frosting. Some cupcake joints- I'm looking at you Trophy!- believe that greasy, thin frosting is acceptable. CR does not, and uses a high quality buttercream base for most flavors. 3. Rotating flavors. You can always count on CR to have their lemons, chocolates, vanillas and red velvets in order, but the real draw is the monthly specials. In honor of Elvis's birthday they had a Banana Chocolate cupcake. For St. Patricks day it was an Irish Whiskey Maple. Yesterday, I tried their new spring flavor, Lemon Mascarpone. That was a treat- lemon cake with a lemon mascarpone cheese frosting. A ray of sunshine in an otherwise windy, wet day. Thank you Cupcake Royale, for always being there when Jason feels the need to make ammends for something!
XO,

Julia

I am not really a sweets guy, I don't "do" candy bars, fancy chocolates or desert that often. I know that's hard to believe considering that two of the first three reviews are of  dessert places, and I am way more chubby than I should be. When Noodles told me about Cupcake Royal I was like "ahh whatever" its just another niche Seattle fad. To my surprise, I have to change my mind. Other than the occasional stupid soccer mom, old lady, or super hip Seattlite (that can't choose a flavor and refuses to read the sign that tells you what the cupcake of the month is), its quick easy and worth it. The different flavors and tastyness of the cakes and sweet, sweet frosting, make all the aggravation of getting to Ballard worth it. Besides the frosting, the thing that separates them from the rest of the pack, is the cupcake itself. Unlike the competition their cakes are not so thick, that it looks like they used way too much oil, or take themselves too seriously. I really like this place. Tasty, innovative, and all in all a good time. When you hit Captiol Hill, Ballard or anywhere near Cupcake Royal's home turf give it a chance you will not be disappointed.

I feel confident in saying that if I ever get caught with three prostitutes and a pocket full of syringes, I am confident that nothing will get me back into Noodles good graces like a cupcake from Cupcake Royale. I usually choose the flavor of the month as everyone likes something new once and while.

Take it sleazy
JP.

Molly Moons Ice Cream- Capitol Hill

To kick off this little blog project/stroll down memory lane, Jason and I are going to go back in the food archives and talk about some of our favorite places that we have previously visited. We decided to start with Molly Moons Ice Cream (we have tried both the Queen Anne and the Capitol Hill locations, and we handily prefer the CapHill store). Some of Jason and I's happiest summer memories are going up to Molly Moons late at night (open til' 11pm!), grabbing a cone, and walking around the neighboring Cal Anderson park. On the weekends you can often catch a rousing game of dodgeball or modified polo on bicycles, which is often an experience in itself. But back to the most important part of this story- the ice cream! I became a MM devotee after my first visit; I remember it like it was yesterday...*cue dreamy harp music*...I ordered the salted caramel and the cardamom. Since then I always get a split single scoop in one of their amazing fresh-baked waffle cones. Some of my favorite combos have been scout mint/vivace coffee, balsamic strawberry/lavender honey, pumpkin/apple cider sorbet, and, mostly recently coconut chunk/lemon sorbet. I think the ladys over at MM really out did themselves on this last round. I have never tasted sorbet as heavenly as their lemon- smooth, not too sweet, and perfectly, refreshingly lemon. I dare not buy MM by the pint, although it is a reasonably priced option, as is their many sundae and milkshake flavors. For me, however, the prize is the waffle cone, now and forever.
XO,
Julia

Reviewing the places we go and the things I do with my soon to be wife (T-19 days and counting until wedded bliss) I want to make sure I am not just an echo of her thoughts. I want to strike out on my own and deliver a fresh take. Unfortunately the first place we are going to throw up here on our little blog is Molly Moons, which Julia can go on about for hours. But I will do what I can to deliver my take.

Have you ever been out and about and smelled something so good that you had to have it? That is what this place was to me. Noodles (Julia) had read about this place somewhere and we decided to give it a run. We pulled onto the Capitol Hill streets, and I took a whiff of one of the sweetest things I have ever smelled: fresh waffle cones. Judging by the smell and the line going out the door, I knew this was our destination. I was so busy looking for parking that I didnt even notice the sign. I parked in a parking lot one street up and from MM and thought I could get away with not filling the meter. (We got a ticket in the mail a few weeks later after being caught by a Meter checker). We got in line, the first thing I noticed was a lack of flavors. Strike one. A man likes his choices. The other things I noticed was this place was packed, I mean nut to butt, all seats taken, and, line out the door. Strike Two. But next they hit a monster homerun blast for the win. When we got to the front, the girl working a very, very  busy counter was super sweet and patient and helpful. I really enjoy great service and reward it. I ordered a Balsamic Strawberry and a Vivace Coffee double scoop in a waffle cone. I was skeptical of the flavor, as I am not as refined as my Noodles, but OMFG that balsamic strawberry was an explosion of greatness in my mouth. I could taste the fresh strawberries and sweet balsamic. It was thick and rich and everything I think ice cream should be. The coffee was much the same, it was so vivid that it was like drinking coffee. I cannot not recommend MM enough. We then took a stroll through Cal Anderson Park and watched dodgeball at the tennis courts. We went back to our car and talked about the magical powers of this ice cream for about an hour.

On a side note, this place has the power to change the whole course of an evening. One night after a rough day for both of us I came home late and we were both moping around. Noodles looked at me and said "Molly Moons?" I said "YESSSSSSSSS" and off we went. We live 35-40 minutes away from MM. That should say it all. I love this place.

Take it sleazy,
JP

Welcome!

When Jason and I realized that we had both been thinking about starting a blog about our adventures in dining around Seattle, I was thrilled, until I really started to think about it. Doesn't Seattle have more than enough food bloggers? What makes us qualified to rate and discuss restaurants? We are certainly on a limited budget, we hardly ever order desert, and for goodness sake neither of us have ever had a dish that includes marrow! Marrow! Every good food blogger exalts the joy of marrow! However, I realized that maybe we aren't the only two people in Seattle who don't enjoy the idea of spongy animal bone filling. Maybe there are other people who are on a budget in this fair metropolis. And really, in the end, this is just our way of documenting the places we go, the foods we try, and the things that interest us in and around our city. This is the diary of our lives together, memorialized ad infinitum on the internets, and open for a public audience. With lots of dog pictures included for free.

XO,

Julia

The love of our life, Baby Bella