Altura

617 Broadway E
Seattle, WA 98102

Occasion: Friday night fine dining in Seattle. We both decided to pick a restaurant of our choice to dine at.  Friday night was up to me and I did some research online and on yelp and came to the conclusion of choosing this relatively new spot to dine at. We opted for the chef's tasting menu. 08.31.12

Complimentary shots

We got to sit right at the bar and watched the chef and sou chefs prepare meals.  It was definitely a different experience; something that we enjoyed. A lot of times, we don't get the opportunity to appreciate the art and the work that a chef puts into our dishes.  I'm definitely glad we got to sit at the bar.

Amuse bouche:

Sweet corn Panna cotta with green olive oil and cured salmon

How do you not like complimentary dishes. The light creamy panna cotta went surprisingly well with the cured salmon. There's definitely a good balance of flavors there.

Complimentary bread

Peach and melon salad

Tomato two ways

Tomato with burratta

Reminded me almost of a caprese salad

Tomato bisque

Tagliatelle

Probably my favorite dish of the night! Chunks of crab meat! Soft pasta. Cripsy guanciale(?); which reminded me of bacon but a lot thinner. The sauce was delicious and the cherry tomatoes were super sweet.

Risotto

Creamy with flavorful speck and mussel

Ravioli

stuffed with veal and procini with sweetbread picked onion and lemon reserve

Lamb: Two ways! Loved it seared

Steak: truffles orange and delicious! Crispy fried rice like things. Puree was sweet and great compliment

Foie Gras

I think the chef overheard that we were from California and our reminiscing of the banned luxury good, so he prepared this foie gras torchon for us. It was amazingly delicious. The acidity of the variety of fruit chunks helped lighten the richness of the foie gras and complemented it very well.  Not only was the presentation itself a pretty sight, but the flavors were there too. Thank you for preparing this dish for us!

Cheese plate

Since Henry is not a fan of cheeses, I basically devoured most of this.  There was definitely a bleu cheese in there that had a distinct smell that made it unbearable for him.  How can you not like cheese?

And then, there was dessert. By this dish, I regretted going with the chef's tasting menu and wished that we just chose what we wanted. Don't get me wrong, I love desserts, but when I go fine dining, I like to save all my appetite for the food.  It wasn't anything extraordinary...even though I did almost finished everything. #fatgirlproblems

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

1600 Pike Pl
(between Post Alley and Pine St)
Seattle, WA 98101

Occasion: After happy hour at Lola's we decided to walk back to the pike's place market which is a block away from where we were staying. We probably had about 15 minutes between Lola's and this next destination. As if we didn't eat enough already...we stumbled upon beecher's, known for their house made cheeses 08.30.12

World's Best Mac and Cheese

Let me just say one thing. It is definitely NOT the best mac n cheese I've had.  The cheese wasn't all that creamy and it was honestly lacking some flavors. Perhaps I'm spoiled by all the wining and dining at restaurants in San Francisco, where some of the best chefs work.  In my opinion, I don't think it was that great.

Lola

2000 4th Ave

Seattle, WA 98121

Occasion: After a whole morning of being tourists we decided to try some of Giada's favorite eats in Seattle. As featured on The Food network's Best thing I've ever eaten: we ordered their donuts. We called in an order, but when we picked it up, it was happy hour so we decided to sit down and have a drink. 08.30.12

Doughnuts

They're made to order and served with vanilla mascarpone and house made apricot jam.  I can totally see why it's on Giada's best things she's ever eaten list.  I mean what isn't good when it's fresh out the oven, warm and fluffy?  What did it for me were not the donuts itself, but the pairing with mascarpone and their absolutely delicious apricot jam.  I love how they're bite sized.  

Drinks were about 4-5 dollars during happy hour and it got me pretty buzzed.  What a great mid day snack and drink session.  The doughnuts were so good that we placed an order to go.

Tilikum Place Cafe

407 Cedar St
Seattle, WA 9812

Occasion: Lunch after Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project and the Space Needle. 08.30.12

Avgolemono soup

It reminded me of a chicken noodle soup type of broth, where it was light, but still full of flavors.  It was and light and not too overwhelming; just what we wanted.

Salmon Sandwich

I actually did not expect it to come out the way it did, not to say I was disappointed or anything.  It reminded me of a tuna salad sandwich and I was expecting some kind of seared piece of salmon.  It was light and perfect for what we wanted. 

Dutch Baby

We opted for a savory dutch baby with bell pepper and chorizo.  It's a baked pancake that puffs up and not flat like a regular pancake.  It's not your typical pancake and it's a lot fluffier and soft.  I love the idea of a savory pancake filled with chunks of chorizo and pepper.  You still get the eggy taste of pancake with a breakfast feel that reminds me of an omelet.

Portage Bay Cafe

391 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109

Occasion: Breakfast before we explore Seattle as tourists. On our list of places to try. 08.30.12

Harmony Chai Latte

Lemon Curd French Toast

Three slices of organic country white bread French toast, homemade lemony ricotta cheese, tart lemon curd sauce, organic blueberries 

Everything organic definitely tastes healthier.  The bread wasn't as fluffly as I'd wanted it to be.  It was decent, but it wasn't spectacular.  I suppose I haven't exactly learned how to appreciate the taste of organic food?

Dungeness Crab Cake Benedicts

Dungeness crab cakes, sauteed organic spinach, poached eggs and homemade hollandaise

Not your typical benedict.  Instead of english muffin or some starchy bread to support the poached egg, the crab cake acted as the bottom layer.  I love the idea of this healthier alternative, though the BF on the other hand did not feel the same.  I liked the idea and thought it was pretty good.