Monday, June 25, 2007

Jumbo Chinese Restaurant ^^½

4208 Rainier Ave S, Seattle

Date of visit: 6/25/07

What we had:
Dim sum

We got to the restaurant later than expected and just caught the tail end of dim sum being served.
An over brewed jasmine tea was automatically brought to the table. Two standards, sui mai and ha gao were freshly steamed and flavorful though that wasn't the case for other dishes. A low budget version of lo mai gai, made only with pork was passable, but other dishes are probably more worth your while. The taro dumpling and char sui bao were tasty, but served at room temperature.

Before leaving, we attempted to order char sui bao, dan tat, and jin deui to take home. Instead of getting the baked goodies, we received a rather long lecture about how we should have ordered it at the beginning of the meal. Apparently the kitchen ran out of food, though seeing as how we were only 1 of 2 tables occupied, I'm not sure the food would have been available 20 minutes prior.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Tugboat Annie's ^^^

2100 Westbay Dr NW, Olympia

Date of visit: 6/18/07

What we had:
Seafood saute, Jambalaya

They were out of the fish and chips darn it. At 5:30pm even.

Rice pilaf, steamed zucchini and broccoli, prawns, salmon, and scallops all complemented each other in the seafood saute. In a lemon/garlic/wine/butter sauce, this was one of the lighter entrees available.

The spicier the better in my book, so I ordered the spicy hot version of the jambalaya. The heat seemed to be from a vinegar-based hot sauce, similar to Frank's Red Hot Sauce and lent a nice crispness to the dish. Large shrimp, andouille sausage, and large slices of green pepper, tomato, and red onion make each bite a little party in your mouth.

Get a table that overlooks the water and watch the kayakers and boaters while you enjoy your meal. The view outside will take your mind off the wannabe upscale and hip, yet nautical casual theme that doesn't quite mesh on the inside.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Original House of Pizza ^^^¾

1200 N Montesano, Westport



Date of visit: 6/11/07 - ^^^½

What we had:
Fish and chips, "Heartburner" pizza

Keep in mind that a "mini" 8 inch pizza turns out to be more like 12 inches. These folks are generous with toppings and portion sizes. The "Heartburner" consisted of spicy sausage and pepperoni, a red pepper flake pizza sauce, and large slices of jalapeƱo. This one's not for the meek.

Even on a weeknight, this place was packed but they managed to provide fairly attentive and quick service.

The fish - cod, specifically - was piping hot, moist, tender, and quite flavorful. I would expect no less from a restaurant located less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean. The batter was flaky yet held together well through my grasp. Also included with the fish were criss-cross-cut french fries. They were not seasoned, as I was expecting. This did not detract from their taste, though. Dunking them in a generous portion of what tasted like house ranch dressing made them all the better.

This was definitely a family-oriented establishment with courteous servers who did a fine job, considering how busy the place was. For that and for the food quality, they received a generous tip.

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Date of visit: 7/02/07 - ^^^^

What we had:
Pizza Feta (Chicken, olives, red onion, mushrooms, feta cheese, tomatoes, and basil)
Taco Salad
Family Dinner Salad

Once again both the service and food were wonderful.

Toppings on the pizza were generously piled on. The crust tasted like freshly baked bread with liberal amounts of toppings reaching the edge.

Both the italian and greek salad dressing are made in-house and we played a little guessing game as to which herbs were used. The family dinner salad (romaine, mozzarella cheese, olives, and tomatoes) is great for 4-6 people.

Fresh salsa for the taco salad was a pleasant surprise. This restaurant has a fantastic understanding of the importance of using fresh, quality ingredients.