****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things get back to normal soon and hope you will continue these local businesses****
Pilgrim Coffeehouse
Description on Pilgrim Coffeehouse’s website: Pilgrim Coffeehouse was started by a group of folks who could see the need in a neighborhood of Seattle for a community gathering spot. The goal has always been to open a premium cafe with quality coffee, delicious bites, and a welcoming environment for every guest; no matter their walk of life.
Neighborhood: North Aurora
Address: 10002 Aurora Ave N #22, Seattle, WA 98133
Music Playing:
What we ate/drank: Cortado
Comments: The first time we encountered Pilgrim Coffee, it was in the form of a cool repurposed coffee truck at a art event in Magnuson Park. In February 0f 2021 they’ve graduated to a brick and mortar location in the Oak Tree Village on Aurora Ave. It’s the first new cafe we’ve visited in 2021.
Before talking about Pilgrim Coffeehouse, we want to wax nostalgic for a bit about Oak Tree Village. When we first moved to Seattle, Oak Tree Village was a busy bustling strip mall. They had cineplex and Larry’s Market, which was the Seattle version of Whole Foods. This was in the late 90’s. Times have changed. The cineplex is gone and there is now an Asian and Mexican market. It’s nice to see the Burgermaster across the street still surviving.
A few things stood out to us when visiting Pilgrim Coffeehouse.
- They have a flap board like the ones you would see in a Paris train station. It changes every so often and displays the Seattle weather/humidity, inspirational sayings and info about Pilgrim Coffeehouse. The only other place we’ve seen a flap board used is at RN74 where they use it for wine prices/availability.
- They roast their own beans
- They have a contraption(coffee brewer) that is not only visually interesting, but combines immersion, agitation and vacuum to create a brewed coffee. You looks like something straight out of a scientist’s laboratory. You can read about the process here.
- The customer service is great. Although the Cortado I got was 6 oz. I was offered it in a 8 oz cup in case I decided to take it to go. Also, when I asked about the Ground Control coffee brewer mentioned above, the cashier offered me a free sample to taste.
The cafe location is on a corner spot and lets in a lot of light from the north and east. It’s a simple square configuration with high bar seating along the windows, built-in bench seating and separate tables. There are outlets along the bench area. A few seats and chairs are outside. Unfortunately, the view is of the parking lot. The decor is simple concrete floors, wood tables and steel chairs. There appears to be a built stage in the corner, so perhaps when things get back to normal, they plan on having live music?
For food options they’ve got both sweet and savory pasties along with cookies from Lowrider Cookies. They’ve also got a few packaged snacks. They have a rather large kitchen/prep area, so I wonder if sandwiches/hot dishes are in the future plans.
Pilgrim Coffeehouse is the furthest north we’ve ever traveled to visit a cafe in Seattle. Although it’s not so far from Greenwood or Green Lake, this area was sorely in need of a quality cafe. I love the fact that they are not only a quality cafe, but also a roaster.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: A modern space with some vintage touches in old Ballard.
Atmosphere: 4.25
Service: 5.00
Food Options: 4.25
Overall: 4.50
Eavedropping Convo:
Related:
Pouring One Out For The Homies
There were so many restaurant closures in Seattle. There were the former hot spots that we were surprised to see go – Girin, Little Uncle , Skitka & Spruce. There were some where the writing was on the wall – Sansei, Dexter Brewhouse, Il Fornaio. There just wasn’t anybody there when we visited. There were also a lot of old timers who’d been open for over 10 years and some over 20 years, so we were shocked that they closed down- Tango(19 yrs), Poppy(11 yrs) , Seattle Deli(27 yrs), Peso’s(20 yrs).
Here are some of the places we reviewed that decided to call it quits:
Junkichi Robata Izakaya– This one is really surprising. It had just opened in 2018. When we went it was packed, the food and service were great, and the location was perfect. According to some of the newer reviews on Yelp right before shutting down mentioned service issues, smaller portions and quality issues. The reason for the closure is a mystery, but the space is apparently being taken over by the owners of Suika/Tamari Bar.
Little Kitchen– Another place that just opened in 2018. According to this Seattle Times article, it just became too much work for the owners to maintain. We’re a little less surprised about the closure of Little Kitchen, but are surprised how quickly it happened. Competition is fierce both on The Ave and for Chinese dumplings.
Trove – Another surprising, but not surprising closing. Surprising in that the other Relay restaurants are super popular and successful, Joule and Revel. Not surprising in that the space that Trove was occupied was huge and in the competitive neighborhood of Capitol Hill. It must have been difficult to compete with the multitude of restaurants in the area and to fill such a huge space night after night. Also, there are so many cheaper alternative Korean BBQ places in Seattle.
BBQ Smith – They decided to focus on catering only and sold the brick and mortar after two years. Its being taken over by Don Lucho’s, a Peruvian lunch truck. It’s really a shame, because we just discovered BBQ Smith and they had an awesome happy hour deal.
The Hi Life – Strangely, this is a closure that we agree with. Not because the food was bad, it just sorta gets lost in the Seattle restaurant landscape. The space is staying in the CHOW Food(The 5 Spot, Endolyne Joe’s, TNT Taqueria) family and being changed into an Italian restaurant. We’re hoping they keep some of the old fire station details in the new space.
Ventoux Roasters –The few times we went there it was always crowded. It seemed like one of those coffee shops that would be sustained by neighborhood patrons of Ravenna, so it didn’t really need to be in a hip area or a busy main street. I couldn’t find a explanation on their website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Palomino – This is the saddest closing for sentimental reasons. We rarely came here, but it’s where my wife and I first met. Here’s an excerpt from the blog post of our favorite bars in Seattle:
Any Seattleite reading this is saying, “WTF”? The Palomino is a restaurant located in the City Centre in downtown Seattle. They do have a bar area with an actual bar that they claim is the longest in length in Seattle. Their happy hour is okay, but nothing special. Their beer selection and cocktails are ordinary. The atmosphere is a little strange because it’s open on a floor within a building kind of like a bar in a hotel or train station. So why is this our favorite bar in Seattle? This is where my wife and I first laid eyes on each other and met. She was in town for a convention. I worked downtown. It was easy to find and centrally located so that’s where we met. I guess we’re just sentimental fools.
Sadly, Ballard Loft , NW Peaks Brewing, Naked City & The Leary Traveler mentioned in our Favorite Bars post also closed down in 2019.
Sad to see these places go, but the Seattle economy is booming right now. People are eating out more than ever. If you can’t be successful in this environment, then maybe it’s best to cut your losses. I think the higher minimum wage is also having an affect on some of the smaller businesses. Sadly, we believe with such a high number of restaurant and the inevitability that the Seattle economy will slow down, we’re bound to see more closures in 2020.
Related:
This is one of the more fun blog posts to create as 2019 winds down. It allows us to review all the great dishes we’ve had throughout the year and debate which ones belong in our top 15. A list ranges from a relatively simple shaved ice to a traditionally poor man’s Hawaiian breakfast to a couple of Southern-inspired biscuit dishes to a few noodle dishes(both Italian and Asian) to Asian fusion and a few Mexican dishes.
We’ve already counted down our Best Seattle Dishes of 2019, 15 through 8.
Without further ado, here are our Best Seattle Dishes of 2019, 7 through 1:
7. Seattle Biscuit Co. —$14. The End – Cheese grits, collards, pulled pork, pickled red onion, comeback sauce, fried bologna, over-easy egg, biscuits
Excerpt from our blog post:
The Ed N‘ Diane(END) is named after the owner’s parents. I don’t usually order grits, but this was a winner and is definitely a contender for Seattle Best Dishes of 2019. The pulled pork, fried bologna and collards were perfect complements to the grits. The grits were not overly cheesy and the slight kick of the pork, the saltiness of the bologna and tart of the collards were a great spoonful of flavor. Our daughter devoured the thick fried bologna chunks and mini biscuit. We’re used to the sliced thin baloney, so when she saw the thick chunks, she seemed a bit surprised. Add the over easy egg with runny yolk and you’ve got a near perfect dish.
6. D’La Santa – $31.99. Tacoarte -Platter filled with a variety of delicious taco fillings: carne asada, pollo asado, cochinita pibil, pastor & refried pinto beans. Tortillas served on the side. (serves 2 people)
Tacoarte $31.99 Platter filled with a variety of delicious taco fillings: carne asada, pollo asado, cochinita pibil, pastor & refried pinto beans. Tortillas served on the side. (serves 2 people)
Tacoarte topping-cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, radishes, pickled red onion, salsa.
Excerpt from our blog post:
Another thing that makes this a perfect date spot is the dish that literally every table we saw ordered. That dish was the Tacoarte, which comes as two platters. One filled with a variety of taco fillings: carne asada, pollo asado, cochinita pibil, pastor, pork chorizo & refried pinto beans. For those keeping track at home that’s one steak, one chicken and three pork. The price of this dish is $31.99, but it serves two people, which we feel is totally reasonable. You can definitely fill up 3 people with this dish. Along with the meat fillings, came another platter of toppings, which included onions, cilantro, salsa, pico de gallo, radishes and pickled red onions. The refried beans are really creamy, not lumpy like what you see in most restaurants. This is the perfect date dish because you’re interacting, sharing, you can discuss your favorite fillings, topping and combinations. We quickly ran out of tortillas since the fillings and toppings will easily make 15 tacos minimum. We were asked if we needed extra tortillas, which we did. Every single table had ordered this dish and if when we go back, we’d definitely order it again.
The filling rankings:
1) Carne Asada (my favorite)
2) Al Pastor (wife’s favorite)
3) Pork Chorizo
4) Conchinita Pibil
5) Pollo Asado
5. Fremont Bowl — $14.95. Chirashi Bowl-tuna, chopped fatty tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, shrimp, fresh water eel, masago with fresh wasabi + yuzu kosho (pepper)
Excerpt from our blog post:
The cashier advised the Chirashi Bowl is their most popular and it’s easy to understand when seeing the dish. The different cuts of fish make for a colorful presentation that makes it one of the most photogenic dishes in Seattle. What separates chirashi from poke is that poke marinated in sauce with a bunch of different toppings. This can mask the quality of fish as well as the quantity of fish. Chirashi is just pure raw fish, so the fish quality and quantity is apparent.
The Chirashi Bowl is not only a beautiful dish, but the quality of the fish is superb and the price is a bargain.
4. Tamari Bar – Shoka-do Bento Box
Excerpt from our blog post:
Next up was the Shoka-do Bento Box, which is limited to a certain count every evening. This was surely the highlight of the night. There are a total of nine squares with each being the perfect size for two bites, making it the perfect date night dish. You get nine different dishes, nine different flavors. It’s fun having so many choices at once and then discussing which are your favorites. Or both of you can try each grid at the same time and discuss after each tasting.
From the top and left to right with scores out of 5:
- Fried Crispy Salmon(4.25), Wagyu Beef Tataki(4.5) , Potato Salad (4.0)
- Aburi Scallop Carpaccio(4.5), Tamari Bar Sushi Roll(4.5), Aburi Salmon(4.5)
- Fried Oyster(5.0), Zuke Maguro(marinated)-(3.0), Tuna Tatsuta(fried)-(5.0)
Each appetizer was beautifully presented and each had at least 5 different ingredients and it was a good mixture of fried and raw. We just really enjoyed this concept.
3. Joule– $13. Bone marrow, spicy anchovy butter, leek
Excerpt from our blog post:
This was a home run! I don’t know if there is always this much marrow on their bones or if I just hit the jackpot, but usually there’s not much marrow whenever I order . This dish had so much marrow, I couldn’t believe it. Served with bread the marrow was perfect turning into a rich pudding that tasted like beef flavored butter. Add in the generous topping of leeks and you’ve got FIRE!
2. Watson’s Counter — $18. Loco Moco – Fresh ground house-blend of chuck, short-rib, and pork belly atop a bed of rice, house-made gravy, and a fried egg on top.
Excerpt from our blog post:
My wife got the Loco Moco. I know it’s early in the year, but this dish is a contender to be on our Top Dishes of 2019. We’ve had our fair share of Loco Mocos in Hawaii and around town at Kona Kitchen, Maono, Cheeky Café. This is the best we’ve had. The patty is made with a blend of chuck, short-rib, and pork belly and you have the rice and egg, but the showstopper is the house-made gravy. It’s a thick peppery flavorful smack in the mouth. Mixed with the egg yolk, generous sized patty and topped with sesame seeds and green onions = Broke Da Mouth!
1. Revel– $17. Rice w/Egg yolk -Albacore tuna, fennel kimchi, escarole
A
Excerpt from our blog post:
Not sure how we missed this one for our favorite dishes of 2018. We ALWAYS order this. The char on the escarole, the large toppings of kim chee, the sear on the albacore and off course one of my favorite foods, a raw egg yolk.
We were watching them prepare this dish and I see that the raw egg yolk is marinated in what appears to be soy sauce. This gives some additional flavor to the yolk, so when you mix it altogether it creates it’s own sauce. The combination of the 5 ingredients make for a perfect bite.
Perhaps, because we order this dish all the time we took it for granted last year, but we need to give this dish it’s due.
This was our Favorite Seattle Dish of 2019.
After reviewing the various dishes we had in 2019 and finally landing on a top 15, we really feel grateful that Seattle has such a wide variety of great restaurants in such a condensed area that. The exciting thing is that there are so many more restaurants that we have on our list to visit. Here’s to a great 2019 and an even better 2020!
Related:
- Our 15 Best Seattle Dishes of 2018 (Part 1)
- Our 15 Best Seattle Dishes of 2018 (Part 2)
- Watson’s Counter
- Revel
We’ve got a love-hate relationship with Starbucks and especially their current CEO, Howard Schultz. Living in the heart of coffee central, Seattle, we have a multitude of choices(Herkimer, Caffé Vita, Caffé Ladro, Broadcast Coffee) to grab a cup of joe. I think most locals prefer to go to small independent coffee shops. Here’s a full list of Seattle coffee shops.
When you’re in a hurry, Starbucks is probably the defacto coffee stop since it’s practically on every street corner, it’s fast and consistent. In my office building downtown, we have a Starbucks in our lobby as well as a store literally one block away in any four directions from our building.
I typically go to Starbucks if I’m short on time and absolutely need a coffee.
The things I love about Starbucks:
- Fast-Back in 2007-2009 when the economy was not doing well, they always seemed to be shorthanded. Today the line moves fast and they seem to have the system down,
- Consistent-I feel I can count on the coffee to be better than average, the line to move fast, and the store to be clean and relaxing. I have noticed that the further you move away from Starbucks HQ in Seattle, the quality seems to slowly go down. For example stores in WA, OR, CA, UT seem the best, then Midwest and TX are slightly lower, but when you get to FL, GA, MA there is a noticeable difference in cleanliness and customer service.
- I’m SBUX shareholder(cha ching!) and use their quarterly dividend to pay for whatever I spend at coffee shops around Seattle throughout the year. Their stock and quarterly dividend has consistently risen over the years.
- Clover-In my opinion one of the most ingenious moves by Starbucks was to buy the Coffee Equipment Company that owned and manufactured the Clover machine back in 2008. I love indulging in a small batch coffee made on the Clover machine. So, so good.
- Innovation– From being one of the first companies to utilize an app for payment, their partnership with Spotify and their rewards to order/pick up feature via the app, I have a real appreciation for companies that can think outside the box and be a frontrunner in trying new things. I also love the fact that they’re willing to tweak things if it’s not working out like changing their rewards plan from a purchase based reward to a money-spent based reward. It pissed off a lot of people, but it rewarded the right people, those spending the most. As an infrequent visitor, this definitely hurt, but as a shareholder, I like it. Their acquisition of Teavana and La Boulange were gutsy moves and have been met with good and bad results. I think their expansion of Reserve Roastery format is another genius move.
- The CEO-It could be coincidence but when Howard Schultz was CEO in his first go around, Starbucks was running on all cylinders. When he left there was a noticeable deterioration in quality and atmosphere in the stores. When he came back on board, the company is now back to running on all cylinders.
The things I hate about Starbucks:
- When we want to enjoy a really good cup of joe and not in a hurry I prefer a barista operated machine. Maybe it’s in my head that it tastes better, but there is a level of skill in grinding of beans, hand tamping the espresso, watching extraction time vs simply pushing a button and seeing espresso come out.
- Lack of reasonable priced food options– I think their food quality is good, but the bang for the buck just isn’t there.
- Pike Place Roast– It’s vile. You have other options in the morning , but in the afternoon and evening it’s the only coffee they brew. Yeah, yeah I know they will do a pour over on request.
- Unless you get an Americano, you only get one shot instead of two shots of espresso in a 12 oz cup.
- Homeless in the bathroom-Downtown Seattle always seems to have homeless folks hogging the bathroom. I go into the store with the mindset that the bathroom will always be occupied and not count on using it.
- The CEO- Sonics are in Oklahoma City! I put this squarely on Howard. Local government officials wouldn’t spend 220 million dollars to refurbish Key Arena, which had just gone through a remodel 11 years earlier. Yeah, I think there are better things to spend tax payer money on. So what does he do? He sells the Sonics to folks from OKC, who of course move the team to, wait for it now, OKC!! Truthfully, I’m not really a Sonics fan, but I think it’s fucked up that he sold the team full well knowing they would leave Seattle and crush the hearts of die hard fans, who’d been following the team since 1967. If he couldn’t afford to pony up the 220 million himself he should have never have bought the team in the first place. He bought the team in 2001 and sold it in 2006. I’m a huge sports fan and I saw some great players at the Key Arena-Jordan, Payton, Kemp, Bryant, Duncan, Shaq, Durant, Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Hardway, Dumars, Mullin, Ewing. It’s a crying shame that kids growing up in Seattle will not get to see NBA games in their own backyard.
One last note on Starbucks: In my previous job, I was responsible for hiring entry level employees in an office setting. One of the main things that gave candidates an advantage over others is if they worked at Starbucks. I knew that anybody who worked at a store for an extended period of time would have customer service skills, could multitask, prioritize in fast paced environment and deal with high maintenance personalities, which seems to be a common trait amongst Starbucks customers.