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****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****
Salare
Recommended by: We’ve been to Edouardo Jordan’s(Two time James Beard Award winner) Junebaby and Lucinda Grain Bar.
Salare is his first restaurant and will complete our trifecta of visiting all 3 of his restaurants.
Description on the Salare’s website: Salare is a chef-driven neighborhood restaurant, nestled in the heart of Ravenna in North Seattle. We capture America’s diverse culture of food with influences from America’s South, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean Islands.
Neighborhood/Type: Ravenna
Address: 2404 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115
What we ate/drank: See Below. We ordered a lot!
Comments: From Salare’s website:
salare, v. to season; to salt; to preserve
The name Salare draws its origin from the Latin word sal which means “salt” and the term “salare” which is the act of using salt to season, preserve, or cure. The term “salare” was introduced to Chef Jordan while spending time in Italy studying the art of salumi making. Chef Jordan’s philosophy is rooted in his passion for cooking traditions, primal techniques, and ancient methods for preserving foods; the name Salare embraces this philosophy.
Salare was opened in 2015 and since it’s opening has garnered rave reviews and awards. The one thing that has always stood out to us about Salare is their family-friendly stance that includes a children’s menu.
It happened to be one of the last restaurant we visited prior to the quarantine at home back in early March due to Covid 19. So glad we were able to squeeze this Saturday evening visit in.
Nothing about the decor stands out and the space is dimly lit giving it a romantic vibe.
Here are the dishes the two of us ordered. Our server was skeptical we could finish and hinted about getting some to-go boxes prepared for leftovers. We knew our eyes were too big for our stomach, but there were so many dishes that looked so good we couldn’t help ourselves.
All the dishes, as expected, were superb. The Octopus Guanciale was a bit of on the salty side, but flavors were there. If a little less salty, this would have been our favorite dish. Our favorite dish was the Squid Ink Trompetti with clams, mussels and sausage. It was just the perfect amount of spicy. The Cavatelli with bacon and parmasean was another winner. The pasta is so unique and the lamb bacon, name somewhere else you can find that? And if you’ve read any of our other reviews, we are suckers for beet tartare and order it wherever we go. Two words- sooooooo good.
Sunchoke Chips, Capers & Smoked Egg Vinaigrette (Score: 5.0/5.0)
We did it. The two of us finished every single dish, so no boxes for left overs needed. Our server was impressed doubting we could do it, but the food was that good. Salare definitely feels like the type of restaurant for special occasions due to the price point. We can’t wait to go back. This could easily be one of our top 5 favorite restaurants in Seattle. There were so many dishes that are surely in contention for the best dishes of 2020.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.50
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 5.00
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.75
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:
Related Articles:
****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****
Lucinda Grain Bar
Recommended by: We are huge fans of both Edouardo Jordan’s Junebaby and Salare. We had reservations at Salare, so we decided to arrive a little early for a cocktail at his Lucinda Grain Bar.
Description on the Lucinda Grain Bar’s website: Lucinda Grain Bar is a 25-seat Bar and Cafe located in the heart of Ravenna. Lucinda is a place for people to relax, gather with old friends, meet new friends, and explore the wonderful world of grains through food and drinks.
Neighborhood/Type: Ravenna
Address: 2120 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115
Music playing: Let it Whip- Dazz Band, Got To Give It Up – Marvin Gaye
What we ate/drank: Barley Old Fashioned-Bourbon, Barley Syrup, Cardamom 13, Long Grain Iced Tea – Moonshine, Calvados, Gin, Grain Tea 14, Rhubarb Daquri – Rum, Rhubarb, Lime – 14
Comments: When you think about the best cocktail bars in Seattle, you think about Capitol Hill, Ballard or Downtown. These are the usual suspects, but Ravenna?!? Ravenna is a neighborhood made up mostly of families and former yuppies who have decided to settle down in a nice quiet area relatively close to downtown.
In a way, the location is not surprising because Lucinda Grain Bar is part of Edouardo Jordan’s(Two time James Beard Award winner!) growing empire and located right next to his renowned restaurant, Junebaby and down the street from his equally renowned, Salare. Still, I think it’s pretty brave to open a cocktail bar in Ravenna. We were thinking about it. The closest cocktail-centric bar might be The Backdoor all the way in Fremont. We’re not complaining since we live close by and now have an option for quality cocktails.
Unlike many of the swanky cocktail bars around Seattle, Lucinda Grain Bar has a casual inviting atmosphere. It’s an intimate place with about 20 seats, a few seats at the bar, and L-shaped counter along the window and wall and a few tables.
We didn’t order food since we were having dinner at Salare, but both their food and drinks are grain inspired and Edouardo’s great grandmother’s name was Lucinda thus the name, Lucinda Grain Bar. We’re sure the food is great, but when you have Salare and Junebaby in such close proximity, it’s hard to envision ever eating here.
The drinks as expected were top notch and again a quality cocktail you could not find anywhere in at least a 3 mile radius.
Moonshine, Calvados, Gin, Grain Tea
14, Rhubarb Daquri – Rum, Rhubarb, Lime – 14
We love the idea of having a quality cocktail bar so close to where we live without having to make a trip out to Capitol Hill. It’s the perfect spot for entertaining out of town guests without having to go very far and a place for a night cap after a night out on the town. It’s has a neighborhood intimate feel, but with top notch bartenders and liquors.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.75
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Overall: 4.75
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 posted about Junebaby and now Lucinda Grain Bar. We’ll next visit Edouardo Jordan’s Salare.
Related Articles:
*****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****
Koa
Recommended by: We were having friends over for a visit and craving Hawaiian food. Since we were going to the University Farmer’s Market, we decided to head over to nearby Koa for take out.
Description on the Koa’s website: Hawaiian Food. Coffee + Food
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address: 4754 The Ave, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Japanese-style curry (beef or veggies) with rice, kahlua pork and cabbage with rice, or Portuguese sausage & eggs with rice
Comments: We’re big fans of Hawaiian grub. It’s the ultimate comfort food for us. Seattle has a wide variety of Hawaiian food places from the upper scale, Ma’ono and Super Six, to the more relaxed casual places like Kona Kitchen and Kauai Family Restaurant. Koa is even more “relaxed” and “casual”. It’s located on The Ave. That’s all you need to know.
Koa is actually in the old location of Morsel, which moved down the street to a brand new building. And the owner of Koa also happens to be the owner of Morsel, but that’s where the similarities end. The menus could not be more different. Where Morsel specializes in fancy biscuit sandwiches, Koa specializes in just three Hawaiian dishes.
- Japanese Style Curry
- Portuguese Sausage & Eggs
- Kahlua Pork
That’s it! When you only have three dishes, you can run lean and mean with the number of ingredients needed and you can really concentrate on those three. Although they only have three dishes and it’s easy to try each one on it’s own, Koa allows you to split dishes. For example you can order half a plate of curry and half a plate of Kahlua Pork.
The Portuguese sausage and eggs is pretty basic. Can’t really screw that up. But still it’s nice to have a place to get it when you have a craving.
Kahlua Pork is also a simple dish, but it’s gotta be seasoned correctly. Koa’s has the perfect amount of salt and smoke and is tender and juicy. It’s topped on top a bed of shredded cabbage and rice.
Japanese style beef curry are normally thicker and a little sweeter than say Thai or Indian curries. Koa’s curry is indeed thick with beef and huge chunks of potato and carrot. This is the perfect dish for those cold PNW days.
When we first discovered Koa in the beginning of 2019, their prices were lower as you can see in the table below:
We really don’t have an issue with the higher prices for one reason. Let’s talk about the portions. Take a look at the photos. On this particular visit we bought three large portions and split it amongst 4 hungry adults and 2 kids. We didn’t even make a dent. We had left overs for a few more nights. When you look at the portion size even with the price increase, it’s still a screaming deal.
Koa fits the bill for when our family has a hankering for Hawaiian food. They have 3 simple dishes that they do well, huge portions, quick service and guaranteed leftovers.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.50
Food/Drinks: 4.25
Bang for the Buck: 4.75
Overall: 4.40
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:
Related Articles:
****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****
Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery
Recommended by: We stopped in for coffee at Caffe Fiore, which only has pastries. We asked if they could recommend a place close by that served heartier breakfasts. There were three people working there and they kinda gawked at each other and had no answer. A customer overhead our conversation and piped up, “There’s a cafe across the street that has really good breakfast sandwiches. I think it’s called Alison’s”.
Description on the Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery’s website: To provide high quality scratch baked goods, coffee and eats for the people of Seattle. At the same time serving the community of Ballard and mentoring teens as employees and leaders in their schools and communities. We don’t serve seafood…we just LOVE the Coast and it makes us feel at home. So our space is your space and we want you to feel at home!
Neighborhood/Type: Ballard
Address: 5404 Leary Ave NW Seattle WA 98107
What we ate/drank: Bacon Waffle Sandwich – Buttermilk bacon waffle, stacked with avocado, fried egg, cheddar and spinach, Cinnamon Roll, Famous Sandwich – House biscuit, egg, spinach, cheddar,, sausage, B.E.C.A. – Bacon, Egg, Cheddar, Avocado on house bread.
The owner of Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery started out as a caterer prior to opening a brick and mortar in the Summer of 2014. They are open everyday for breakfast, which makes them a rare option in Seattle on weekdays. They have normal sandwiches that they start serving at 11:00, home made bakery items(scones, cookies, banana bread, cinnamon rolls) and take-home items like quinoa salad, lasagna, fruit salad, burritos. But we believe their real specialty is their breakfast options, specifically their breakfast sandwiches.
Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is made up of a small outdoor seating area and an assorted mixture of tables and chairs inside. There’s definitely a beach/ocean vibe with octopus and starfish prints with walls painted sea foam blue. A print out on the wall says the Oregon coast is the inspiration. Pictures and information about the staff is a nice touch, especially if you’re a regular.
The mish mosh of furniture and themed décor definitely creates a very laid back and comfort feel to the café. The kids nook in the corner was definitely an area we appreciated when we brought our 9 month and 2.5 year old with us. There’s also an impressive collection of cake photos which I assume is from the catering side of the owner. If so, it’s quite remarkable.
Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery serve their breakfast dishes all day long and everything is made in house, which is pretty impressive because there’s a wide variety of options-baked goods, prepped to go meals and to order meals. They use Lighthouse Roasters for their coffee.
We’ve been to Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery a few times and each time it appears there’s been some training going on. I’m not sure if this lead to orders taking a bit longer, but our orders did take a tad longer to make than expected during our multiple visits. This is definitely where the kid’s nook and ordering a cinnamon roll to start definitely helped.
Everything we ordered was delicious including the cinnamon roll, but the best by far was the Bacon Waffle Sandwich. Instead of using regular bread or a biscuit, waffles are used. The buttermilk waffles are fluffy and airy with bits of bacon in it and it’s such a unique presentation that we’ve not seen anywhere else. It includes avocado, fried egg, cheddar and spinach.
Buttermilk bacon waffle, stacked with avocado, fried egg, cheddar and spinach
The Famous Sandwich, which is a house biscuit with egg, spinach, cheddar and a choice of meat, in this case sausage, is sufficiently good. But when compared to Morsel and Biscuit and Bean, who both have very similar biscuit sandwiches at slightly lower prices, it’s hard to not place this sandwich a distance 3rd.
The B.E.C.A. sandwich is made up of bacon, egg, cheddar and avocado on house bread. How can you go wrong with runny egg yolk mixed with cheese, bacon and avocado in between toasted house made bread? This hit the spot.
Summary: Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is a nice comfortable café. Due to its size it’s probably not a good option for larger groups, but definitely a good option for take out. We saw many food delivery drivers come in to pick up meals while we were there. The breakfast options we’ve tried are very good, but a bit on the expensive side for what you get. It’s an ideal spot for early risers in Ballard who want more than just a pastry with their coffee. A quick search shows that Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is the only breakfast option at 7:30 on weekdays in downtown Ballard area south of NW Market Street. We will be back and we’ve got our eye on the Cinnamon Roll French Toast.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.25
Food/Drinks: 4.50
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.25
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!
Related Articles:
****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.
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.
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:
Related Articles:
****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****
Bok a Bok Fried Chicken
Recommended by: While eating our Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwiches at Lil Woody’s., my co-worker mentioned Bok A Bok Fried Chicken. And said they don’t have burgers, but have the best chicken sandwiches. We had to check it out.
Description on the Bok a Bok Fried Chicken website: It’s air-dried, hand-dipped and double-fried to order. This process isn’t fast but it makes for super juicy chicken with an unforgettable crunch. It’s fresh, never frozen, antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken. It’s hand-made biscuits and sides made from scratch, using fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients that we prepare with care and integrity.
Neighborhood/Type: University District
Address:5201 University Way Unit D, Seattle, WA 98105
What we ate/drank: Bowl O’Shame-Kimchi mac n’ cheese, spicy tater tots, chopped fried chicken thigh, 4 chili hot sauce, green onions, crispy garlic, crispy shallots and a poached egg, Umami BBQ Chicken Sandwich-Soft bun, gochujang bbq sauce, ginger cabbage slaw, mint and cilantro. Served with boneless chicken thigh. Bulgogi Chicken Tacos(3) on flour tortilla with ginger slaw, kim chi, cilantro and spicy lime cream. Yuzu Green Chili Chicken Sandwich – Charred pasilla peppers, dill pickles, pea sprouts, yuzu aioli. Boneless Chicken Thigh. 10 pc chicken wings.
Comments: The northern part of The Ave(University Ave) has become quite a hot spot lately. Bok a Bok Fried Chicken is another addition to the area in between Morsel & Koa and Xian Noodles & Snowy Village.
Bok a Bok Fried Chicken’s first branch was opened in 2016 in the White Center neighborhood and soon gained huge following and lines out the door and wings being sold out prior to closing. It was created by a former Skillet Diner chef, Brian O’Connor. He had been cooking fried chicken for many restaurants during his career and decided to make a go of it on his own and Bok a Bok Fried Chicken was born.
This particular branch in the University District is a walk up window only. There are no seats or benches outside either, so take out is your best bet, unless you want to eat it right there on the sidewalk. Their other locations in White Center, Capitol Hill and Burien all have indoor eating areas.
Just a warning, be prepared to tack on some calories. Heavy sauces, fried foods, mac & cheese. Ohh..but your mouth will thank you.
The first thing we noticed was that the fried chicken was not greasy and yet the inside was really juicy. We later found out that a special batter is used the covers the chicken for a crispy outside, but locks in the juices from the chicken keeping it tender. We understand the chicken is brined which also seasons and preserves the chicken and increases the flavor.
We got the wings and a boneless chicken thigh, which is the chicken in it’s simplest form at Bok a Bok Fried Chicken. There are four sauces for $.50 each. They are four-chili hot sauce, sesame soy garlic, bok a bok ranch, and Korean BBQ. Trutfully you don’t need them. The chicken stands on it’s own and is flavorful without using any of the sauces.
The bulgogi tacos weren’t our favorite, but the sandwiches are on a whole nother level. Both the Umami BBQ and Yuzu Green Chile Chicken Sandwiches will be repeat orders for our family on future visits to Bok a Bok. I have no idea where they get these chickens from but they are so big that they dwarf the buns they come on. We especially enjoyed the Yuzu Green Chile Sandwich. It’s spicy, sweet and the slight tart from yuzu all blends very well with the chicken.
The one dish that was truly life changing was the Bowl O Shame. The name of the dish is so apropos, because we did feel shame devouring the whole thing, but we just couldn’t help ourselves. It was so good! We broken open the poached egg and the yolk mixed with the chili sauce along with the kimchi mac n cheese, tater tots, fried chicken bits was sinfully good.
Who cares about the 2000 calories we just put in our body. This is the perfect meal for a hangover or a meal where you just want to cheer yourself up and don’t care about the consequences like when you just got dumped or got fired from your job. Here’s a video from Food Network extolling it’s virtues:
The fried chicken at Bok a Bok is in a different category than Ezells or Heaven Sent. The way their chicken is integrated into their bowls and sandwiches is distinctive.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: N/A It’s a take out stand
Service: 4.25
Food/Drinks: 4.75
Bang for the Buck: 4.50
Overall: 4.50
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: After publishing our Bok A Bok review, we noticed another Korean fried chicken restaurant, bb.q Chicken opening up in the old Radio Shack spot down The Ave.
Related Articles:
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
- Our 15 Best Seattle Dishes of 2019 (Part 1)
- Snowy Village
- Seattle Food Wars
****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****
Sea Wolf Bakers
Recommended by: We have friends whose daughter shares the same daycare as our daughters. They were aware of our love of cinnamon rolls. They had recently visited Sea Wolf Bakers in Fremont and said we were the first people they thought of when they ordered the cinnamon roll. They said we had to try it. So we did.
Description on the Sea Wolf Baker’s website: Sea Wolf is a Seattle bakery opened in 2014 by brothers Jesse and Kit Schumann, two native Washingtonians. Following the practices of craftsmanship and local sourcing, Sea Wolf offers bread and pastry in a space that’s comfortable and welcoming to everyone.
Neighborhood/Type: Fremont
Address: 3621 Stone Way N Suite D, Seattle, WA 98103
What we ate/drank: Cinnamon Roll – $7
Comments: Ok, first things first. We already mentioned in our Cinnaholic post that we love cinnamon rolls so much, that during our wedding we did not have a wedding cake, we had a pile of cinnamon rolls from a bakery in Pike Place Market arranged into the shape of a wedding cake. My co-workers had two baby showers for us prior to both of our daughters being born. They main course was cinnamon rolls. Wherever we go, if we see a cinnamon roll on the menu, we will typically order it. There is nothing better than a cinnamon roll and a cup of espresso or coffee.
Sea Wolf Bakers opened their brick and mortar location in August of 2016 by two brothers, who according to their Kickstarter, really toiled into the wee hours to hone their skills and hustled from space to space to get their breads made. They are exceptional in all things a baker makes-breads of all types, baguette, rolls, croissants, muffins, even burger buns. And of course cinnamon rolls!
Sea Wolf Bakers is so good at their craft that they were a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Outstanding Baker in 2019. Surely, this is all you need to know about their quality. If you need any more evidence they apparently provide the bread for Renee Erickson’s restaurants, The Whale Wins, located across the street and The Walrus and Carpenter as well as previously reviewed Vif Wine | Coffee and Preserve and Gather.
Their cinnamon roll is a bit on the steep side at $7, but it is huge. Take a look at the picture of the cinnamon roll compared to our daughter’s hand. The cinnamon roll can be ordered with frosting on the side, but it honestly doesn’t need it. Most cinnamon rolls are soft and dense. The Sea Wolf Baker’s roll has a hard crunchy sugary glazed exterior and a soft doughy middle chalk full of raisins and cinnamon. The inside is almost like a croissant, flaky.
It reminds me of the cinnamon roll they serve at Storyville Coffee Co , which is a tiny little thing that can’t be shared, but it’s delicious and very similar with a crispy outside and soft inside. The main difference is that Sea Wolf Baker’s cinnamon roll is about 10 times bigger. It easily fed our family of four.
Sea Wolf Baker is located right next to Manolin and right down the street from a couple of our favorites, Stone Way Cafe and Joule. The bakery has an open layout so you can see them prepping and baking. It really looks like a commercial spot with a few tables for retail. There’s also a lot of outside seating. You can normally spot Sea Wolf Baker by looking for a line of people on weekend mornings.
Wholesale remains their bread and butter for the business, but luckily they’ve made their cinnamon rolls available to the public.
Summary: As we enjoyed the cinnamon roll out on the patio, we started to debate where this fits into the Seattle cinnamon roll landscape. This roll with its crunchy exterior and flaky croissant-like middle with raisins and perfectly gooey cinnamon is so unique compared to the normal icing topped cake-type cinnamon roll. There was a consensus, Sea Wolf Baker’s cinnamon roll is the best in Seattle. If you want to enjoy this treat. Just a warning, they run out quick so get there in the morning.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 4.50
Food/Drinks: 5.00
Bang for the Buck: 4.25
Overall: 4.50
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!
Related Articles:
****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 this particular trip we also ordered the lasagna, rigatoni bolognese and veal meatballs. The lasagna and rigatoni were good, but nothing to write home about. We’ve been lucky enough to have had some great pastas in bolognese sauce at Il Corvo – Best Pasta in Seattle, Bizzarro Italian Cafe and even at Japanese restaurant Kokkaku. So when comparing Via Tribulani’s to the aforementioned restaurants, it falls short in our opinion.
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.
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****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
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****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 Migliore – Downtown
Description on Caffe Migliore’s website: We are an independent coffee roasting company and coffee shop. Coffee is fresh roasted weekly by owner and operator. Please visit us to enjoy a truly Italian coffee experience.
Neighborhood:Downtown
Address: 1215 4th Ave #100, Seattle, WA 98161
What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso and Apple Filled Croissant
Comments: Caffe Migliore is centrally located in downtown Seattle. It’s closed on the weekends, so that gives you a pretty good indication who their main clientele is – people working in downtown during normal business hours. Caffe Migliore is centrally located, which makes it a great place to meet up for coffee if you have other friends who work in downtown. It’s also a ideal to meet up, because although it’s a very small space, there always seems to be space to sit. That’s because most people take their drinks to go back to their offices. So many times, especially in the morning, they’ll be a line out the door, but many seats available.
Caffe Magliore definitely gets lost in amongst the vast sea of Seattle coffee shops. We rarely think about it unless meeting another downtown working friend for a coffee meet up. They have outsourced pastries and their website states they have paninis for lunch from DeLaurenti in the Pike Place Market, although I’ve never had one here.
We didn’t know this, but they roast their own beans and I really do like their espresso, which I believe is an Italian Roast.
Not much else to report here. It’s a convenient downtown spot that is rarely packed that serves really good espresso with some food options.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: They make a damn good espresso.
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 4.50
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: Two gals having a coffee at the table. One of them hears a woman with an Australian accent ordering a latte and then yells to a man, “Do you want a watah(water)?” One of the gals at the table turns to the other and says, “Oooooh. She has a Australian accent. So hot!”
Related:
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Seattle Coffee Shops
- Our New Seattle Coffee Shop Discoveries in 2019
- The Relationship Between Coffee and Cycling
- Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts – Updated/Revisited 2020