Checkout this video from their Kickstarter campaign:
****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****
La Conasupo Market
Recommended by: In our D’La Santa review we mentioned La Conasupo Market in our list of Mexican restaurants in Seattle.
Description on the La Conasupo Market’s website: They ain’t got one.
Neighborhood/Type: Greenwood
Address: 8532 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
What we ate/drank: Barbacoa Taco, Carnitas Taco, Asada Taco, Carne Asada Quesadilla.
Comments: As we have mentioned before there are three tiers of Mexican restaurants in Seattle.
- The fancy modernish ones like Barrio, Mezcaleria Oaxaca,
Chavez(RIP), Fogon Cocina Mexicana, Poquitos, Pablo Y Pablo - The mid-tier ones like D’La Santa, La Carta de Oaxaca, El Quetzal, Casco Antiguo, El Borracho,
418 Public House(RIP), Senor Moose - The hole-in-the-wall cheaper ones like La Conasupo, Mendoza’s Mercado, Taco Chukis, Gorditos
This is our 200th post on Seattle Unexplored and La Conasupo Market is a fitting review for such a milestone as it’s one of our favorite eateries in all of Seattle and bonafide secret.
Of all the “secrets” on this blog, this is the one I’m most scared about being “discovered”. What makes La Conasupo Market a secret. First it’s located in the back of an unassuming Mexican general store. It doesn’t stand out while your driving down Greenwood Ave, because it’s one of a long line of businesses located in the area.
Parking is hard to come by around here, so the only way you’ll find La Conasupo Market is if somebody tells you about it or if you happen to be walking in the area and accidentally stumble upon it.
As you enter the door it looks like it’s just a normal general store, but if you head all the way back you’ll see a small restaurant with a few tables in the back. We’ve never actually eaten here. We normally do take out and eat at home, but we often take it down the street to Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery and enjoy our meal with brews.
Our favorites are the tacos and the La Conasupo Market tacos actually made Our Top 15 Best Seattle Dishes of 2018 post and came in at #5. Here’s an excerpt from that post:
5. La Conasupo – Carne Asada and Carnitas Tacos
Take a look at these bad boys in the pictures. Each dish pictured below is just two tacos! If you take this home and have some extra tortillas you can easily turn this into 4 or 5 tacos. These are definitely the best tacos when looking at bang for your buck due to the portion size, but these are also the best tasting tacos in Seattle. I defy anybody to name me a better taco in Seattle.
As mentioned in the excerpt above, these tacos are huge. Not only are they huge, but for what you pay, it’s a total bargain. And not only are the portions huge and a bargain, but they are yummy as hell. Ordering just two tacos will have our family of four happily fed and full without breaking the bank.
Quesadillas are another option. Like the tacos, the quesadilla is huge, a bargain and yummy. It’s the perfect dish for sharing. Whenever we meet friends at Flying Bike Coop for beers and bring back a quesadilla from La Conasupo Market, their eyes widen in astonishment how big it is and then they start tearing off pieces of it and stuff it in their mouths.
Truly one of the best kept secrets in Seattle. Whenever we mention La Conasupo Market, most people are aware of it, but have never been there because they think it’s just a general store, not knowing what deliciousness lurks in the back of the store. Us Seattleites also know how badly we are lacking in really good, authentic and reasonably priced Mexican food. Check them out, but don’t spread the word. We want this to remain a secret.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 4.00
Service: 5.00
Food/Drinks: 5.00
Bang for the Buck: 5.00
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****
Herkimer Coffee – Phinney Ridge
Description on Herkimer Coffee website : At Herkimer Coffee our purpose is to create a coffee experience of the highest possible quality. Whether it’s your double espresso, latte to go, or the bag of beans you brew at home, we want your experience to be the best it can be.
Neighborhood: Greenwood
What we ate/drank: Macchiato
Comments:We previously reviewed the Herkimer location in Ravenna. If you want to learn about the origin of Herkimer’s name, their relationship with their pastry supplier, Café Besalu, and the reason for their odd pricing, you can read about it here.
Herkimer Coffee is a well regarded roaster in Seattle as evidenced by their coffee being served at Brother Joe, Analog Coffee, Porchlight Coffee & Records, and Revolutions Coffee to name a few.
The Herkimer – Phinney Ridge location is their flagship and where their roasting takes place. They have a nice seating section that allows you to look directly into the roastery. The only two other roasters I can think of that do their roasting on premises and allows you to watch are Lighthouse Roasters in Fremont and Elm Coffee Roasters in Pioneer Square. I think Victrola Coffee Roasters in Capitol Hill has one too. But at the Herkimer – Phinney Ridge location you’re encouraged to watch the roasting process with seating set up facing the roaster. The other locations have the roasting process going on, but mainly going on in the background.
This space has an “L” shaped configuration with the balance of the space being used for the roastery. Apart from the sitting area where you can watch the roasting process, there’s a few chairs on the outside store front, lots of window seating, a large community table a separate smaller tables throughout.
One of the quirky items they have is a pencil sharpener on the wall for those doing their crosswords or sodoku. One thing to note, during the roasting process it can get quite loud if you intend to have a conversation or bring in a sleeping infant.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: There’s a pencil sharper on the wall! So bring your pencils when doing your NY Times crossword puzzles. Also the seating looking in on the roastery.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 4.25
Eavedropping Convo: Two guys having coffee on a counter near the window
Guy 1(G1) – Awe, hell no!
Guy 2(G2) – Stands up really quick from spilled coffee. What happened?!
G1 – I wasn’t paying attention and spilled my drink. Damn, all over my phone too. Can you grab some napkins?
G2 – Rushes to get napkins and brings back.
G1 – Well might be time for a new phone. Attempts to power up his phone. Oh good, it’s still working. Phew. Honestly, there’s a part of me that wishes it was busted, so I could get a new phone.
Related:
**********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
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.
Related:
Preserve and Gather
Description on Preserve And Gather’s website : A Neighborhood Cafe
Neighborhood: Greenwood
Address: 358 NW 85th St. Seattle, WA 98117
What we ate/drank: Cortado, Mocha and Carmelized Onion & Gruyere Cheese Bun
Comments: Our children’s daycare is nearby and we’ve been told about Preserve and Gather but it’s been an afterthought as a cafe to visit. I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much when I saw the outside. Preserve and Gather is at the bottom of a newer condominium right on busy NW 85th St in Greenwood. As we walked up we noticed the nice patio that had a long bench and few tables and thought, “well, at least they have a nice patio”.
As soon as we stepped into Preserve & Gather our whole perspective did a 180. The first thing we noticed was how bright and airy it was. We also noticed it had a neighborly vibe-tables with families, people enjoying newspapers, lots of people in conversation. It was a lively atmosphere. It didn’t have the commuter feel like so many cafes have of ordering a drink to go and leaving. Nor did it have the library feel of dead silence in a packed cafe with computer campers. There’s a time and place for both of these types of cafes, but there’s something about the feel of a community/neighborhood focused café like Preserve and Gather that makes you want to hangout, enjoy the space and return for more visits.
We intended to just get a quick drink and ordered a mocha and cortado, but we couldn’t help but notice the case full of both sweet and savory baked offerings. We asked if everything was made in-house and the person at the cash register said, “Yes, everything in made here” pointing to their open kitchen. The barista spoke up, “She’s being modest. She made everything in that case”. I believe the cashier and barista were the two owners. We asked the cashier/baker what her favorite is. She mentioned she likes savory more than sweet and recommended the caramelized onion and gruyere cheese bun, which we ordered. It was a reasonable $3.75. It did not disappoint. It was light, flakey and was like eating French onion soup as a pastry. The cortado was perfect and the mocha had a huge marshmallow added. I believe they use Conduit coffee beans, but I did notice they were selling bags of Silvercup from Everett and Fulcrum Coffee from Seattle, so I’m not sure.
Once sitting down to enjoy our drinks and bun, we really got a sense of the details of the cafe. You can’t help but notice the huge geometrically stenciling in gold against a blue wall. You’ve got the industrial feel with exposed piping and ventilation, concrete floors, Edison bulb lighting and the use of pipes to create magazine racks, coffee tables and high counters. But you’ve also got the pops of homeiness-the various potted plants throughout, the bright yellow wooden benches in front, the umbrella stand, the old-fashioned water jug, the community newspaper and magazine racks. It’s a perfect balance.
We already mentioned the seating on the patio and the yellow benches in front, but there is ample seating all around the space with 3 tables of 6 for groups or community sharing, 6 high counter stools looking out on 85th Street and at least 4 tables of two along the east wall. Besides coffee, they have around 10 choices for loose leaf tea, kombucha, beer and wine. I already mentioned they make all baked goods in house, but for other food options they have yogurt, toasts with toppings, sandwiches and various plates.
One thing to keep in mind is that they don’t have wifi or a lot of outlets, which might be a deal breaker for some who want to work or study there, but I can tell you it doesn’t seem to have hurt business. It may very well have helped business, knowing you are likely to find a seat since there won’t be any “computer campers” taking up a seat for hours. It may make this a first option for those who want to meet up with friends over coffee. I’m sure this was a conscious decision by the owners which I presume helps define the “Gather” in “Preserve and Gather”. It’s a place for people to gather and encourages conversation instead of silent laptop zombies. Another thing is that parking might be a challenge since there is no dedicated parking spaces.
The last observation we noticed and find refreshing is that among the people working at Preserve and Gather they exhibited a sense of pride in their café. Many cafes in Seattle feel like they phone it in and although they make a great coffee, the place is a mess or it feels like the worker is just biding their time until they can clock out. They don’t really care about making the café a comfortable and clean place to relax. The short time we were at Preserve and Gather, I saw the workers constantly cleaning, constantly straightening up, making sure the water jug was full, wiping counter tops and tables of crumbs and spilled liquid. They were not standing around, looking at their phone waiting for the next customer. This type of pride shown by the workers at Preserve and Gather really made an impression on us.
Preserve and Gather won’t be at the top of my list if I need to work remotely, but it will surely be at the top of my list for meeting and catching up with friends, getting a coffee/snacks/pastries with my wife and kids or bringing out-of-towners to a one of a kind Seattle café. I know it will be clean, I know we are likely to get seats, I know we will get quality coffee and food and I know that first time visitors will be impressed with the space like we were.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1456834651/preserve-and-gather-a-cafe-in-greenwood-seattle-wa
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Made from scratch pastry/food, ambiance
Atmosphere: 5.00
Service: 5.00
Food Options: 4.75
Overall: 4.90
Eavedropping Convo: None
Related:
Little Ting’s Dumplings
Recommended by: Friends who live in Greenwood. We’d never heard of it and it’s outside of our normal radius, so we would have never found it without their suggestion.
Description on the Little Ting’s Dumplings website: Little Ting’s Dumplings is a cornerstone in the Seattle community and has been recognized for its outstanding Chinese cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff. Our Chinese restaurant is known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes and its insistence on only using high quality fresh ingredients.
Neighborhood/Type: Greenwood
Address: 14411 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133
Music playing: None
What we ate/drank: Onion Pancakes, Pork and Chive Pan Fried Dumplings, Pan Fried Pork Buns, Lamb Steamed Dumplings, Hot & Sour Cucumbers, Pork & Pickled Napa Dumplings, Handmade Noodles w/Spicy Sauce, Pork & Fennel Dumplings.
Comments: When most people mention Chinese dumplings you mainly hear about Din Tai Fung or Dough Zone. Some others mention J’Dumpling House(Ravenna)RIP, Ping’s Dumpling House, Xian Noodles, Jiaozi! Dumplings House (RIP), Chiangs Gourmet. We believe we’ve found the best dumpling place in a small strip mall with a total of 8 parking spaces way up north in Broadview. They not only get points for doing the classic traditional dumplings better than anyone else in our opinion, but they also have the not-so-common dumplings you don’t see too often like Chive and Scallop, Sea Cucumber and Pork, Uni(Sea Urchin), and Spanish mackerel.
As of the writing of this post, we’ve been to Little Ting’s Dumplings three consecutive weekends and to ensure we don’t make it four, we decided to buy a bag of 50 pork & chive dumplings to either steam or pan fry at home. Timing is very important if you decide to come here to eat. We try to come first thing Sunday when it opens at 11:00 right after our daughters swim classes nearby. We can easily get a seat. Invariably, when we leave the place is packed. Don’t ask where everybody parks. As mentioned there are only 8 parking spots and Little Ting’s Dumplings shares it with another restaurant. At any other time, we just order take out so we don’t have to wait. If you have a party of more than four, it’ll be difficult. Although they do have a separate side room with a big table, but I think you have to reserve it. If possible, I’d encourage you to try and eat in because there’s is level of presentation that you miss when you take out. In total they probably have about 8 tables with only a few meant for four people. If you have a party bigger than this, they’ll have to more individual tables together. The space looks like it used to be a sushi restaurant due to the counter on the right, but instead of a sushi chef behind the counter, there’s usually two people making the dumplings that have just been ordered. With the exception of the store front, there are no windows, which can make it dark.
According to this Seattle Times article, the owner’s husband’s family owned a dumpling shop in China.
When they got to Seattle, Guo says, “We couldn’t find [an] authentic Chinese restaurant. For us, it’s American style. Some dishes, we’d never heard of … orange chicken, Mongolian beef. “In China, we never had that kind of dish,” Guo observes. “So it’s very funny for me: ‘Oh my god, it’s Chinese food!’ Sort of! Maybe!” She laughs.
“I like to eat; I love to cook,” Guo says. “I’m thinking, why don’t I open a restaurant?”
The location has been open for three years now, but as mentioned we just recently found out about it. Amazingly, they’ve never used advertising and have grown their business through work of mouth just like how we found it.
To us, the dumplings and pan fried buns are the stars. We’ve tried the soups, pancakes and handmade noodles and it’s just okay. We do like the Hot & Sour Cucumbers, though. Unless we’re with friends, who want something else, we load up on just dumplings and buns. I love the presentation and taste of the pan fried dumplings. They put a layer of flour on the bottom so when it’s fried it creates a crunchy floor that connects all the dumplings. When you break apart the individual dumplings the crunchy layer creates some mini “crackers” that our daughter loves to eat. I love the taste of the pan fried dumplings, but it does cost a dollar more than the steamed dumplings that my wife prefers, so we normally get an order of each. Either way that it’s cooked, the dumpling wrappers are strong enough not to fall apart when biting the dumpling, but also thin enough so that the dough doesn’t dominate the taste of the filling. The pan fried buns are also really good(and also have the crunchy floor). The inside of the bun is so juicy. You best eat it over the plate or you’ll be throwing your shirt in the wash. As mentioned above, they have a huge selection of different types of dumplings and we’ve yet to go through all of them. My wife’s favorite is the steamed pork & chive. My favorite is the pan fried lamb.
One note, they do not serve alcohol. You can ask the
Hot & Sour Cucumber
If you are interested in taking frozen dumplings home with you, just ask what they have available. They come in bags of 50 and the bag of pork and chive dumplings we got were $26, so a little over fifty cents a dumpling. This is the perfect solution for an emergency meal.
Ratings:
Atmosphere: 3.75
Service: 4.75
Food/Drinks: 5
Bang for the Buck: 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!
Eavesdropping Convos: None. A funny anecdote, though. The last time we did take out my wife and I wanted to hoard all the Little Tings dumplings for ourselves, so when we got home we also prepared frozen dumplings we got from the Asian Food Center in hopes of giving these to our 18 month old daughter while we ate the Little Tings dumplings. We figured they look exactly the same from the outside and she’s too young to notice the difference. We put both the Little Tings dumplings and the pre-packaged frozen dumplings from Asian Food Center onto a single big plate. My wife and I took the Little Tings dumpling and we gave our daughter the other dumplings. She noticed the difference right away and refused to eat. We then gave her the Little Tings dumplings and she started stuffing her face.
Servers Friends recommendations to visit in the future: When we were raving about the dumplings at Little Tings, a friend of ours recommended we try a new place in the University District that recently opened called Little Kitchen.
Related:
Diva Espresso – Greenwood
Description on Diva Espresso website: It was, and continues to be Diva’s belief that the inestimable effect human dignity has on anything produced through heart and sweat is essential to the quality and success of that product. By being involved in the process from inception to resolution, it is Diva’s belief that not only the end product be superb, but that all is right in the world…every step of the way.
Neighborhood: Greenwood
Address: 7916 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Music playing: Fantastic Voyage by Lakeside
What we ate/drank: Double Espresso
Comments: As far back as I can remember since moving to Seattle, Diva Espresso on Greenwood Ave has been a constant on this ever changing street, which is a testament to how well the business is run. We all know there’s a lot of competition out there and to have been around for that long is an achievement.
Diva Espresso has 7 locations in the Seattle area. All their brews are from Highlands Coffee Co, which happens to be their sister company. There is ample parking in the back, which is rare for Greenwood coffee places. If I’m not mistaken Chaco Canyon, Coyle’s Bakeshop, Caffe Vita and Herikimer on Greenwood Ave have little to no dedicated parking.
It’s not that big on the inside, but there is a big patio in the back next to the parking lot and some sidewalk seating in the front on Greenwood Ave. Inside there are 6 square wood tables all the same size each fitting 3 people. There are also 3 stools for counter seating looking near the front counter. There are a some pastry choices and snacks for sale.
The inside is bright due to big windows and they are open relatively late until 8::00(7:00 on Sundays) for you evening drinkers. In the evening the space is filled with warm lighting from the “diva”ish chandeliers. The space does feel a little dated with carpeted flooring, peeling paint on benches on the patio and pink/mauve walls. We all have personal preferences, but I’d come here for a quick to go drink due to the ample parking and good coffee, but the atmosphere is not my cup of tea for working or relaxing. I’m sure others love the décor that some could describe as “comfortable”
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: Ample parking, nice big patio for nice days although it needs a new paint job.
Atmosphere: 3.00
Service: 4.5
Food Options: 3.75
Overall: 3.75
Eavedropping Convo: None. There was nothing but people typing away on their computers. Although there was one property manager negotiating a lease with a new tenant with an offer of $3000 in a brand new apartment in Ballard.