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Caffe Vita – Phinney Ridge

posted on : September 30, 2019 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

4/23/20- Oh No! Unfortunately, This Cafe Has Closed Down

Description on  Caffe Vita’s website: We are pioneers of the Farm Direct movement, meticulously sourcing the best coffee available while developing long-term, mutually fruitful relationships with coffee growers in more than 11 countries. We work with and invest in farmers who are committed to sustainable practices. By creating an environment where the customer can see, touch, and taste the coffee they purchase, we provide a unique learning opportunity that allows our coffee to speak for itself. Caffe Vita is always fresh, imported directly from the farm and roasted on-site.

Neighborhood:  Phinney Ridge / Greenwood

Address: 7402 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

Music Playing: Yernin by Sevyn Streeter

What we ate/drank: Macchiato and Apple Fritter from Mighty O Doughnuts

Caffe Vita - Greenwood — View out on to Greenwood Ave

Comments:

We’ve already reviewed our favorite Caffe Vita location in Pioneer Square where I made a fool of myself. We’ve also reviewed their Fremont location. We’ve also noted some of the most popular restaurants (~~Wandering Goose~~(RIP 2020), Portage Bay Cafe) in Seattle who serve Caffe Vita coffee. This is a review of their Caffe Vita – Phinney Ridge location. They also have Seattle locations in Queen Anne, Capitol Hill and Seward Park as well as locations in New York(Brooklynn and Lower East Side), Portland and Los Angeles.

If you are interested in the history of Caffe Vita and it’s owner, I encourage you to read this fascinating article from the Seattle Met Magazine. I had no idea the owner was also a restaurateur and behind Via Tribulani. It also references the relationship between he and the owner of Herkimer Coffee(a co owner of Caffe Vita at one time) and the owner of Espresso Vivace (a mentor).

The Caffe Vita – Phinney Ridge location leans more towards the smaller Fremont location than the huge double level location in Pioneer Square. It’s configuration is like many Seattle business with a long narrow set up that’s very bright in the front, but very dark in the back. It’s really dark from the mid-point of the space to the back, so much so that’s difficult to read any books or periodicals. If you bring a laptop you’re fine. They also have a patio in the back that might actually have more seating than the inside.

There’s also a small front outdoor seating area and a garage style door opening which does make the small indoor space feel a bit roomier. Like the other Caffe Vita locations, they serve a few pastries including Mighty O Doughnuts and their coffee is consistently good as always.

I had my coffee here, but in observing the clientele that came in while I was there, it’s more of a grab and go location, than a sit down and relax one.

Ratings(1-5)

Atmosphere: 4.25

Service: 4.75

Food Options: 3

Overall: 4.25

Eavedropping  Convo: Guy and a gal sitting near me. The Beatles, “Blackbird” starts playing.

Gal: Ohhhhh, I looooove this song.

Guy: You know John Lennon wrote this song and people say he’s the best songwriter of all time, but I think he’s overrated. I just don’t believe it. Then he starts singing along – “…..Blackbird fly, blackbird fly. Into the light of a dark black night….”

Gal: If he’s so overrated, why are you singing along to the song? She starts laughing.

Guy: Just because I’m singing it, doesn’t mean I like it and it doesn’t mean I think John Lennon’s the best songwriter. I’m just singing because it’s catchy. I’ll probably have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Dammit.

For the record, I did some research. Paul McCartney actually wrote the song even though Lennon-McCartney are given credit. So Lennon didn’t write it or co-write it. Also McCartney is the only one that appears on the song. There are no other Beatles on the song. Also when it comes to the best songwriters of all time, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, the writing duo of Lennon-McCartney is ranked #2, John Lennon as solo artist is ranked #3 and Paul McCartney as a solo artist is ranked #5. Pretty damn good.

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Vita – Fremont

posted on : January 14, 2019 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

Caffe Vita – Fremont

Description on their web: By creating an environment where the customer can see, touch, and taste the coffee they purchase, we provide a unique learning opportunity that allows our coffee to speak for itself. Caffe Vita is always fresh, imported directly from the farm and roasted on-site.

Neighborhood: Fremont

Address: 4301 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

Music playing: I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

What we ate/drank: Espresso and an apple strudel

Espresso & Apple Strudel

Comments: You may recall the fiasco where I made a fool of myself at the Caffe Vita in Pioneer Square when asking about their logo. There was no such embarrassment this time around, just a relaxing visit in my old neighborhood.

I actually lived a few blocks away from this location when I first moved to Seattle. Every single business on this cross section of Fremont Ave and N. 43th St has changed and in most cases multiple times. The only businesses that have not changed is the coin operated laundry mat and Eyes on Fremont. The Caffe Vita – Fremont location is no different. When I first moved here, this spot was a hair salon and it’s the spot I used to get my hair cut. It’s now odd looking out the window from Caffe Vita – Fremont and remembering the exact view when I was getting a hair cut.

This spot is much smaller than their Pioneer Square location, but the service is just as friendly and it definitely has a neighborhood feel versus a quick grab-a-coffee-to-go commuter spot. A lot of cafes near downtown/SLU/Cap Hill/Pioneer Sq can sometimes turn into a place for work meetings or freelance workers. Caffe Vita -Fremont feels like a place for neighbors to get a quick respite for relaxation. While here, there was a couple in which one was teaching the other how to read Chinese, a grandfather and grandson grabbing a hot chocolate(?) and few folks who stopped by for a coffee pit stop while walking their dogs.

On this visit, I had an espresso and an apple strudel. Caffe Vita – Fremont is a corner, so there’s lots of light that comes in through the windows. There are a couple of tables/seats out on the sidewalk and about seating for maybe 25 people on the inside.

If you are interested in the history of Caffe Vita and it’s owner, I encourage you to read this fascinating article from the Seattle Met Magazine. I had no idea the owner was also a restaurateur and behind Via Tribulani. It also references the relationship between he and the owner of Herkimer  Coffee(a co owner of Caffe Vita at one time) and the owner of Espresso Vivace (a mentor).

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: It’s nice to have a neighborhood spot from one of the premier Seattle coffee roasters.

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 5

Food Options: 3

Overall: 4

Eavesdropping Convo: None

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Vita – Where I Made a Fool of Myself

posted on : March 23, 2018 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

Name: Caffe Vita

Caffe Vita-Pioneer Sq. Check out the huge steel supports

Neighborhood: Pioneer Square

Address: 125 Prefontaine Pl South, Seattle, WA 98104

Music playing: Conventional Wisdom by Built to Spill

What we ate/drank: Americano, Frosted Apple Fritter from Mighty-O

Comments: Unlike Caffe Ladro, that seems to have a different vibe per location, Caffe Vita locations all seem to have the same vibe-warm and comfortable. Of all the Caffe Vita locations, this is by far my favorite. Some thing to be aware of — this location is not open on the weekends, but all their other locations are. I guess Pioneer Square is generally a ghost town on the weekends. Another thing I didn’t realize is the Capitol Hill location is open until 11:00pm for all you night owls. They also have locations outside Seattle in Portland, NY and LA.

This particular location has an industrial look with huge steel supports, a huge metal staircase and bar stools made from camshafts. Because of it’s size, it’s good for groups. A huge community table is located in the front along with 3 or 4 tables for two. In the back is more bar seating. That’s not all. They have an upstairs area with a leather couch and a few more table seatings with a really interesting glass coffee table that have a huge cut section of a tree trunk surrounded by a steel mechanism.The ceilings have to be at least 25 feet high, which means the huge windows allow in a lot of light.

For all you vegans out there, you’ll be happy to know that their pastries are from Mighty-O Donuts. I had a huge apple fritter that had an unusually large portion of frosting(see pic above) with my Americano. The cashier said, “Looks like they put extra frosting on this one for you”

People call me a Looker. I don’t mean that as in, “wow, that guy’s a looker!” but more like “wow, that guy likes to look at things a lot.” This Caffe Vita location has a lot of cool things to look at-the coffee grinder in the front window, the coffee table pictured above, their huge siphon, and even the floor tiles, which are definitely original.

Their huge siphon. I don’t know if they ever use it.

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: All the cool things to look at-the coffee grinder in the front window, the coffee table pictured above, their huge siphon, and even the floor tiles,

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5 + 1 extra point(see below)

Food Options: 3

Overall: 4.5

~~Eavesdropping~~ My Convo: Let me preface the story below. I’ve always been interested in Caffe Vita’s logo. It’s dude who looks like a court jester who is offering up a cup of coffee. I was trying to make small talk with the cashier and asked about the origin of of the logo for “Caffe Ladro“. Yes, I asked her about the logo of a different cafe. As you can see from the two logos below side by side, there is nothing in common except both are humans and both are wearing hats.

Anyways, here’s how it went down. I had just put in my order.

Me-You know the logo for Caffe Ladro, the guy with the trench coat? What’s the origin? What does it represent? Remember, my dumbass is in Caffe Vita.

Cashier – Looking perplexed. You mean……..

Me- You know the silhouette of the guy in a trench coat.

Cashier- Well different coffee places have different logos, but Cafe Ladro’s owners probably had their logo of what they envisioned a typical Seattle person looking like, bundled up in a hat and trench coat. She even physically showed me how a bundled up person looks similar to the logo!

Me- Ahhh…. Ok.

Cashier- Yeah, no problem.

I sat at a table and waited for my drink. I started thinking of the conversation. By the way she phrased her answer, it finally dawned on me. I was mortified when I realized I had asked her about another cafe’s logo.

After I realized what I had done, my first thought was, wow I can’t believe she was so nice and actually tried to explain a another cafe’s logo. She was not condescending in any way and was genuinely trying to answer my question. I never did find out about Cafe Vita’s logo, but I did find out about the Cafe Ladro’s logo from Cafe Ladro, which I’ll write about next.

When I do find out about the Vita logo, I’ll report back.

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Fiore – Ballard

posted on : June 15, 2020 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses

Caffe Fiore – Ballard

Description on  Caffe Fiore’s website: We are grateful to have a business that can create a hub for the neighborhoods we operate in. Over time, each hub has created its own community and given our customers that “third place” that can make us feel more connected to our city and our neighbors. We encourage community interaction by providing community tables at all of our locations.

Neighborhood:  Ballard

Address: 5405 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

Music Playing: Broken Finger Blues by Richard Swift

What we ate/drank: Doppio Macchiato, Drip coffee(Caffe Vita-Peru Rancho Sabancaya)

Comments: It’s been awhile since we’ve been here, but we do remember Caffe Fiore used to have a really nice patio that looked on an open lot that was used for vendors for the Ballard Farmer’s Market. You could relax out there and see the world go by as you enjoyed your coffee.

Fast forward to the present. Caffe Fiore still has a patio, but it looks straight into a concrete wall of a newly constructed building where once the open lot existed. Ahhh…. another casualty of Seattle’s insane growth these last few years.

Inside it’s just as we remembered it. Caffe Fiore is long and narrow and pretty dark due to the minimal lighting provided by Edison bulb lamps. The dark interior is also caused by the deep dark wood floors, tables and counters.

There is ornate steel work on the ceiling and woodwork on the walls. Of course they also have a Seattle coffee shop standard in an old building, exposed brick.

Most of the seating at Caffe Fiore are stools and high tables or counters. We happened to grab one of the few normal height tables, but if you intend to stay there awhile just be aware of the seating styles there.

I didn’t realize that Caffe Fiore is owned by Caffe Vita, but according to this Stranger article they are. That would explain why they were serving Caffe Vita coffee, when their website claims to have their own beans. They have limited pastry selection(similar to Vita) if you’re looking to have some food.

Caffe Fiore kinda has this romantic vibe to it-dark, warm lighting. There’s just something about Caffe Fiore(for us), that just doesn’t feel inviting. Perhaps it was the workers who seemed a bit robotic, the high hard seats throughout, the lack of sunlight in many areas of the café. We love Vita coffee so know issues there, but when in the Ballard neighborhood, we’ll opt for Bauhaus, Anchored Ship Coffee and Caffe Umbria.

Ratings(1-5)

Favorite Thing: Ornate details

Atmosphere: 4.00

Service: 4.00

Food Options: 3.00

Overall: 3.70

Eavedropping  Convo: None

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Ladro – Union Street

posted on : October 8, 2018 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

Caffe Ladro – Union Street

Description on the Caffe Ladro website: CHOOSE WHOLE BEAN COFFEE YOU LOVE- Your personal preferences will determine the type of roast you choose. Many coffees provide tasting notes on their labels. Tasting notes are quick guides to the aromas and flavors you will find while brewing and sipping those coffees. These descriptors are for flavors that naturally occur in coffee a result of the region in which the beans grew, the weather their harvest year, and the way the farm and miller processed the beans after harvest.

Neighborhood: Ballard

Address: 108 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

Music playing: Helicopter by Bloc Party

What we ate/drank: Macchiato

What we ate/drank: Truthfully much like the Caffe Ladro on 1800 9th, there’s not much to report here. It’s a smaller cafe.

Comments: This review ain’t much, but I had a doozy of a eavesdropping conversation(see below).

This location has three natural wood tables all against the left wall with an upholstery bench running the length of the space . Each of these tables seats four. Then there’s one “living room” space with four chairs and a coffee table. The only other seating area are two stools at a high counter in the front of the space facing out on to Union St.

Caffe Ladro - Union St — “living room area”

They have pastries that Caffe Ladro bakes themselves. This is a good place to come to if you are visiting Pike Place Market or the SAM(Seattle Art Museum). Due to it’s small size, I’d recommend coming here for a solo pre-work coffee or maybe a solo after lunch coffee or if you’re meeting up with a friend, but it’s not configured for a bigger group setting.

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: This would be my number one choice for coffee if near the SAM(Seattle Art Museum) or Pike Place Market

Atmosphere:   3.5

Service:   5.0

Food Options:   3.75

Overall:   4.0

Eavesdropping Convo: Since the review wasn’t much, I do have a doozy of a eavesdropping convo. This was definitely a recruiter for administrative roles. He was interviewing a candidate(lady in her 40s) for potential positions.

Recruiter(RR): Decaf right?

Recruitee(RE): Yes

RR: Bringing a to go cup without a sleeve for RE. I didn’t see any of those sleeve things.

RE: I don’t think they have them. I looked. I wonder if it’s due to the environment?

RR: Yeah, I don’t know why. How are you? So we talked briefly over the phone and I mentioned there are plenty of positions. We currently have 5 opening for Amazon, 4 for Microsoft and one at Starbucks.

RE: I’m really shocked that Amazon has that many openings.

RR: They are hiring like crazy. We placed 7 last week and I think 4 the previous week.

RE: I don’t know if Amazon is the right fit for me. 15 years ago I did a stint there at the front desk, so I know the environment. I want to protect myself, you know. I don’t want to be in the hot seat. I want a job that is low stress with a good life balance. Otherwise, you just think about work while you’re at home and you can’t relax. I don’t want that.

RR: No, I hear you. But at any job there’s a level of accountability and with the wage range you’re looking at there’s going to be some level of expectations and deadlines. There are lower accountability jobs that are purely admin with little to no knowledge of excel, but those are below your price range. So you did work there before?

RE: Yes, it was 15 years ago. What would I do? I just don’t want to put myself in a position where I’m busy and frazzled all day long.

RR: Like I said on the phone I’m the main recruiter for Amazon, but they don’t really provide details, but it’s $20/hr. Amazon is very secretive. There are some hospital admin positions, but those are on the east side and I know you wanted to be in Seattle.

RE: Do people stay?

RR: It’s hit or miss. Some, it’s not a right fit. Others, get hired or stay long term.

My Commentary: It seems like with the unemployment rate being at record lows, companies are really competing to find positions lately. It gives people who are available and looking for work getting to have their pick of the litter, so to speak. When somebody says they want a high paying job without the stress, you know the area is doing well. You can also see it in the restaurants and bars. People have money to spend right now, which is a far cry from 2008-2010 when it was a ghost town.

Related:

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!

posted on : July 9, 2018 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!

Description on  Caffe Ladro  website:  At Caffe Ladro, we strive to provide profound service.
We believe that profound service improves the world.

Neighborhood:  Pioneer Square

Address:  1800 9th Ave , Seattle, WA 98101

Music playing: Wild Horses by The Sundays

What we ate/drank: Latte, Gibraltar

Comments: Debated on whether or not to even review this Caffe Ladro location. I’ve been to many of the other Ladro locations and really this is just a coffee stand in a lobby of the 1800 9th Building. It has no real cafe feel. The lobby area does have nice seating and there are three high top tables against the window right next to the Caffe Ladro counter. And of course you get the Caffe Ladro quality coffee drinks, but the atmosphere is an “eh”.

I can see coming here for a to-go cup, if you were meeting somebody in the building and arrived early or if you worked nearby, but the “Jetsons” Caffe Ladro is only a few blocks away and has a better atmosphere to kick back for awhile. If I worked in this building I’d be super stoked to have a Caffe Ladro in my lobby though. The building I work in has a Starbucks in the lobby, so I’m envious. There were the normal limited bakery goods that are made in their bakery offsite.

Mystery Really Solved: You may remember how I made a fool out of myself at Caffe Vita getting mixed up where I was and asking them about the logo of Caffe Ladro. I was then determined to get the scoop on where the name Caffe Ladro came from. When I went to visit the Jetson’s Caffe Ladro they told me the logo of the silhouetted man represented a cloaked mysterious in-the-shadows thief since Ladro is Italian for thief. Well I got the real scoop now! I don’t know if it’s real but it’s a more clever origin. When the owner of Caffe Ladro decided to open his first cafe, he opened it right next to Starbucks in Queen Anne hoping to steal it’s customers with a better quality coffee and environment, so he picked the name Caffe Ladro or “Coffee Thief”.

Ratings(1-5) 

Favorite Thing: How bright the space is due to having windows surrounding on all sides.

Atmosphere:   3.5

Service:   5.0

Food Options:   3.75

Overall:  4.0

Eavedropping Convo: Took place on May the 4th.

Customer(C) – Have you gotten any Star Wars references today? You know, May the 4th? May the Force?

Barista(B)- Ohhh…..so that’s why I’ve seen so many Star Wars themed shirts today.

C-Are you a fan?

B- I mean I’ve seen them all. but I’m not a Star Wars nerd.

C- Yeah, I’m a fan but I couldn’t name every single character.

B- Oooooh..I should come up with a Star Wars theme drink for the day. How about the “Death Star”?

C – How about “Darth Mocha”?

Seattle Coffee Shop Reviews

Caffe Ladro- The Jetsons Coffee Place

posted on : March 25, 2018 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

Name: Caffe Ladro

Description on their web: At Caffe Ladro, we strive to provide profound service.
We believe that profound service improves the world.

Neighborhood: Downtown, but has 15 locations(9 in Seattle, 2 up north and 4 on the East Side)

Address: 801 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101

Music playing: What Do You Love? by YG

What we ate/drank: Medici, Gibraltar

Comments: Although each Caffe Ladro location is different, this one is way different. Some locations are inviting/homey and others are minimalist modern. I always felt like this location is straight out of the Jetsons. Even though the walls and cashier/barista station are covered with dark wood, the rest of the space looks like what one would envision as futuristic in the 60/70’s. This location is on the bottom floor of the 801 Tower, which was constructed in 1970. Most Seattlites know about this apartment building because it’s a circular building like a rocket and was one of the few high rise apartment buildings in NE part of downtown until recently. The cafe has slanted floor to ceiling windows all the way around the front and side which makes this Caffe Ladro location super bright. Another reason for the Jetson feel might be the 5 planetary-looking hanging lamps.

Caffe Ladro is known for their Medici. And though I’m normally an espresso/americano person, when in Rome….

The Medici is a doppio esprseso poured over chocolate syrup and orange peel, with whipped cream on top. I thought it would be super sweet but it wasn’t and quite good. The Medici was actually created in Seattle at an espresso bar no longer in existence, Last Exit on Brooklyn, which was located in the University District near UW.

They have some limited pastries

As for the seating options. There’s only a short bar with stools facing out on Pine, a few individual leather seats and few small tables with stools. There’s also a small bar near the cashier that seats three and a very small patio section.

The grand Hyatt hotel is one block away, so all the taxi drivers line up on the street right next to Caffe Ladro. One thing I noticed is the number of taxi drivers who come in for their cup of joe at Caffe Ladro while waiting for the hotel to call them to pick up a fare.

~~Mystery Solved~~– I asked the workers what the logo of the silhouetted man represented(Got the coffee place right this time). They said Ladro is Italian for thief, so the figure is supposed to be a cloaked mysterious in-the-shadows thief. Ah-ha…..

Mystery Really Solved– See review of Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)

Ratings(Scale 1-5)

Favorite Thing: The unconventional “Jetsons” architecture.

Atmosphere: 4

Service: 5

Food Options: 3.25

Overall: 4.25

Eavesdropping Convos: A regular comes in…

Barista(B)- Hey, haven’t seen you in a while. Normal macchiato?

Customer(C) –You got it. How’s your morning so far?

B-So far, so good. Does it feel hot in here? *Waves her hand at her face to cool off* I’m feeling hot.

C-And I’m a heating seeking missile. **laughs**

Where Seattle Locals Eat

RIP 2020 – Seattle Restaurant & Bar Closures

posted on : January 11, 2021 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

RIP 2020 – Seattle Restaurant & Bar Closures

In last year’s RIP 2019 Seattle Restaurants & Bar Closures, we mentioned some of the surprise restaurant and bar closings. For 2020, there were no surprises due to the Covid-19 situation. No local small business was immune to the challenges this year. Here are some of our favorite places that decided to permanently close this year that we previously wrote about.

Wandering Goose- The place we deemed, “Our Favorite Breakfast Spot in Seattle” and home of The Sawmill, our 10th best dish of Seattle in 2019. Announced their permanent closure the last week of December. Needless to say, this place(and their dishes) will be sorely missed.

Il Corvo – The place we deemed, “The Best Pasta in Seattle”. This is perhaps the place we’ll miss the most. So good, so cheap. There were lines out the door up until stay-at-home directive shuttered the restaurant in March. We’d been huge fans of Il Corvo ever since it was a one burner lunch spot located in a gelato shop near Pike Place Market. All is not lost though. Chef Mike Easton still has Il Nido out in West Seattle.

El Diablo Coffee– In our Seattle Coffee Shop Awards blog posts, we deemed El Diablo the Best Coffee Shop for Big Groups and one of the Best Coffee Shops to Make Visitors Feel Like Locals. El Diablo was located up on Queen Anne Hill, but it stood out for its unique quality of being in a house. The space was one of the biggest in Seattle and for us parents, the dedicated room for kids was a god send.

Tempesta Coffee – This closure is a double punch in the gut, because not only did we think it was the most underrated coffee shop in Seattle as documented here, but also had some of the best doughnuts in Seattle. Located in Belltown, we understand we they are closing since they really rely on downtown and SLU commuters for the majority of their business. Damn, we’ll miss their Americanos.

Caffe Vita – Phinney Ridge – Don’t worry folks, the other Caffe Vita location around Seattle remain in business. You can visit those or nearby Herkimer Coffee – Phinney Ridge a few yards away. We’ll best remember this location for a conversation we overheard where a guy thought John Lennon was over rated as his girlfriend called him out for humming along to the song playing overhead. We documented the conversation in our review.

Some others that we’ll miss:

Steelhead Diner – We never created a blog post for this spot, but we would eat here occasionally for lunch. The real reason this closure hits us in the feels is that we had our wedding reception here in their secluded room off the main restaurant area. They were excellent in working with us creating a menu for our guests and concocting a signature themed cocktail for the event. Whenever we revisited, we could reminisce about that special day, but no more. 🙁

Suika – We had a blog post all tee’d up to be published when we heard the news that they were closing. Luckily their sister restaurant, Tamari Bar remains in business

Cafe Racer – We frequented this bar and had brunches there occasionally. It closed down once before after the tragic events that happened here in 2012, and was reopened a few years later.

Bamboo Garden in Lower Queen Anne was a long time institution and I remember it being one of the first restaurants i frequented with co-workers as poor young 20-somethings.

Bastille– Even with the present environment, this one was a bit of a surprise. Bastille always seemed to be crowded and their croque madame was one of the best in the city. Their Paris subway decor was also unique for Seattle.

The Ram in University Village. Alas, there are no more Ram restaurants in the greater Seattle restaurants. We’d come here frequently to watch football and basketball games in their massive bar area pre-kids. It was a great place to meet up with friends to watch games because there was plenty of seating. Post-kids we were relegated to the restaurant area, but they had decent solid burgers. The nearest locations are now in Kent and Issaquah.

Nate’s Wings and Waffles – Owned by NBA 3x Slam Dunk Champion Nate Robinson, my most memorable meal was doing take out and sneaking in fried chicken into the gym at Rainier Beach HS to watch future UW and current NBA player Dejounte Murray play against Lakeside HS with Clippers owner, Steve Ballmer, cheering on in the crowd.

Toronado – This bar never failed to have one of the best assortments of beer in Seattle. You could always find beers that you had never had before. Their whiskey selection wasn’t too shabby either. Huge loss to the Roosevelt neighborhood.

After work memories – The Brooklyn in downtown felt like one of those old school restaurants that had a long history. Remember having oyster shooters for happy hour. Pintxo was a go-to Tapas spot where you could sit and watch the cooks prepare. There also used to be a speakeasy called, The Upstairs, that was the perfect nightcap. Local 360 in Belltown was known for sourcing ingredients within a 360 mile radius, hence the name.

Sadly, Brave Horse Tavern, The Neighbor Lady, Burgundian mentioned in our Favorite Bars post also closed down in 2020.

Unlike 2019, where we were shocked by a few of the closings, we’re not surprised by any of the closures in 2010 based on the current messed up environment. We’re hoping that we start seeing more openings in 2021.

Where Seattle Locals Eat

Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge

posted on : July 27, 2020 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses

Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge

Recommended by: While eating at Skillet, we mentioned to the patrons next to us that we were at Skillet early in the morning, because our daughters woke up early. They mentioned that Lost Lake Cafe down the road is actually open 24 hours, so when we wake up early in the future, this could be an option.

Description on the Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge’s Google Description: 24-hour spot draws a hip crowd with its American diner fare, happy hour & mid-century modern decor.

Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill

Address: 1505 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

What we ate/drank: Chicken Fried Steak – A huge CFS, country sausage gravy, two eggs any style, hash browns and Texas toast. Carnitas Breakfast Burrito – Slow braised pulled pork, three scrambled eggs, spicy black beans, pico de gallo and queso fresco wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with salsa verde. Served with sour cream and guacamole on the side. Kids pancakes, Caffe Vita coffee.

Comments: First thing you need to know about Lost Lake Cafe is that it is one of the rare diners in Seattle that’s open 24 hours, 7 days a week. It really has that old school diner feel -the long counter with swivel chairs, booths along a wall made of wood paneling and large rocks and rows of tables in the middle. And the coup de grâce, plastic covered menus. You can’t get more “old school diner” than that.

The theme is cabin lodge with forest landscape paintings, taxidermy fish and a log fireplace on the lounge side of Lost Lake Cafe.

The menu choices here are extensive and Lost Lake Cafe have different menu choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Even with the extensive menu, our server told us that they had honed their menu over 7 years to concentrate what they’re good at.

After being paralyzed by all the choices and sugestions from our server we decided on the carnitas burrito, chicken fried steak, pancakes from the kid’s menu and coffee from Caffé Vita. The Hash and Scrambles were also recommended by our server and she advised if we don’t like what we ordered, she’ll get us something else.

We were definitely happy with our choices. The chicken fried steak was huge, the over easy eggs cooked perfectly and when cutting into the yolk and mixing with the gravy, it creates a near perfect bite. The gravy, thick with bits of sausage is the standout here.

Lost Lake Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak — Chicken Fried Steak – A huge CFS, country sausage gravy, two eggs any style, hash browns and Texas toast – $15.65 (Score: 4.75/5.0)

The Carnitas Breakfast Burrito is the dish that really surprised us. We were expecting a rather generic breakfast burrito since the diner doesn’t really specialize in Mexican food, but the braised pulled pork was really tasty and the light topping of the salsa verde was a good complement.

Carnitas Breakfast Burrito – Slow braised pulled pork, three scrambled eggs, spicy black beans, pico de gallo and queso fresco wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with salsa verde – $13.15 Score: (4..75 / 5.0)

Lost Lake Cafe - Kids Pancakes — Kids pancakes – $5.50 Mouse ears!

Our server was a superstar. She not only spent an inordinate amount of time helping us with our order decisions, but she made our kids feel welcome and I believe she was the only person servicing the entire restaurant on a Sunday at 8am.

Most restaurants in Seattle are kid-friendly to a certain degree with kid menus and high chairs/booster seats, but Lost Lake Cafe goes above and beyond. They had the Disney Channel on their TV and had a giant jar of toys for our kids to choose from.

For you club goers in Capitol Hill, new parents with babies that wake up at 3am, insomniacs, college students pulling all-nighters, keep Lost Lake Cafe in mind. They have something for everybody and their service is top notch. With the many choices we are sure to be back to try more dishes.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.50

Service: 5.00

Food/Drinks: 4.75

Bang for the Buck: 4.25

Overall: 4.60

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

Servers recommendations to visit in the future:

Where Seattle Locals Eat

Via Tribulani – An Oldie, But A Goodie

posted on : June 21, 2020 posted by : seattleunexplored@gmail.com 0 Comment

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses

Via Tribulani

Recommended by: A local reader of the blog suggested Via Tribulani as an Italian alternative since we’ve talked about Il Corvo , Tavolata, Pasta Casalinga, Cantinetta and now Bizzarro Italian Cafe.

Description on the Via Tribulani’s website: Located in the bustling, trendy neighborhood of Capitol Hill, our first pizzeria has become a primary meeting spot for a variety of visitors. With an open patio that echoes conversations and laughter to the streets, cozy booths that make a dinner more welcoming and a buzzing bar that serves fantastic drinks, Capitol Hill’s location features unique and traditional Italian décor. With a private dining room that is romantic, yet comfortable for parties of up to 16, our first restaurant has everything one needs to feel at home.

Neighborhood/Type: Capitol Hill

Address: 913 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122

What we ate/drank: Carbonara Pizza – Fresh Mozzarella, organic egg, pancetta, extra virgin olive oil, Polpette Al Pomodoro – Veal Meatballs, pomodoro, grana Padano, Rigatoni Bolognese – Giuseppe Cocco rigatoni giganti pasta, house-made bolgnese, grana Padano, Lasagna Al Forno – House-made meat ragu, fresh ricotta, smoked mozzarella, parmigiano, Andrew Will Merlot

Comments: Much like Bizzarro Italian Cafe, “Via Trib” has been around for so long we almost take it for granted. They’ve been around since 2004 and currently have locations in Georgetown, Queen Anne and the one we most recently visited, Capitol Hill. They had a location in Fremont, but no longer.

Via Tribulani has pasta and antipasti, but their claim to fame is their Neopolitan pizza. And they take great pride in it. A snippet from their website:

We opened our first pizzeria in 2004 in the burgeoning Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Months before we opened curious onlookers poked their heads in the former auto body shop, and outlandish rumors spread quickly throughout Seattle. One person saw a team of masons reportedly flown in from Naples to build a gargantuan wood-fired oven, someone heard that the bricks also came from Naples rich with Vesuvian ash, a reporter ran a story about a taxi driver leading our owner down a dark Neapolitan street to meet a talented pizzaiolo who was then whisked to an airport…
As it turns out almost all of the tall tales are true – on opening night people began lining up for the authentic Neapolitan pizza and since then our ovens have only gotten busier. Via Tribunali has been called “more authentic than the pizzerias of Naples,” and even though that is a flattering exaggeration, it is fair to say that our pizzerias have grown out of an almost unnatural passion for the food and wine of Southern Italy.

Via Tribulani even has a certificate from the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, which is an international organization officially established to give special designation to pizzerias who meet strict requirements that respect the tradition of the art of Neapolitan pizza making by the Italian government.

So here’s that special oven made of brick from Naples and assembled by masons flown in from Naples:

The oven is supposedly kept running 24/7 and is kept at 1,000 degrees, which allows the pizza to cook in just one minute. We’ll admit the pizzas are damn good. I personally like the thins crust and the ingredients are top notch. The price is a bit on steep side.

On the other hand, the veal meatballs were a hit. Two baseball-sized meatballs in pomodoro sauce with grana Padano cheese sprinkled on top. I always wonder when I see meatballs of this size, how they get the meatball perfectly cooked all the way through.

The other interesting fact about Via Tribulani is that it was created by the same person who created Caffe Vita as mentioned our our Caffe Vita – Fremont post. And for a time the Caffe Vita in Pioneer Square had the same pizza oven in it. This same owner also a financial backer of Lil Woody’s, Hitchcock and Wandering Goose. Wow! What a diverse group of restaurants! This dude seems to have the magic touch.

Update:It seems that Caffe Vita was recently sold by the owner of Via Tribulani to the owners of Bastille, Poquitos, Stoneburner, and Rhein Haus.

In summary, the atmosphere at Via Tribulani -Capitol Hill is romantic, the pizza and meatballs were our favorites, the wine menu had a good variety of locals and Barolos. It’s a solid choice for those who don’t want only pasta or only pizza.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.50

Service: 4.50

Food/Drinks: 4.50

Bang for the Buck: 4.25

Overall: 4.35

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

- Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
- Most locals know about it
- Locals “in the know” know about it
- Only those who live close by know about it.
- You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

~~Servers~~ recommendations to visit in the future: We’ve mentioned Cantinetta in a couple of our Dish of the Year blog posts, but have never reviewed it.

search results for

caffe vita

**********4/23/20- Oh No! Unfortunately, This Cafe Has Closed Down**********

Caffe Vita – Fremont

Name: Caffe Vita

****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Caffe Fiore – Ballard

Caffe Ladro – Union Street

Caffe Ladro(1800 9th Building)-Mystery Solved!

Name: Caffe Ladro

****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge

****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Via Tribulani

4/23/20- Oh No! Unfortunately, This Cafe Has Closed Down

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses

NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses