Picnic

Picnic
6801 Greenwood AVE N
Seattle, WA 98103
206.453.5867
www.picnicseattle.com

By Julien Perry

This review almost didn’t happen.

The crazy December weather delayed my visit to Picnic, the Greenwood food and wine boutique that opened three months ago, until the very last minute. Thanks, snow.

‘Zaw

‘Zaw
Artisan Pizza in the Raw
1424 E Pine ST (at 15th)
Seattle, WA 98122
206-325-5528
www.zaw.com

By Erin Thomas

In this city of REI-endorsing-Lake Union-jogging-Whole Foods-shoppers, I was surprised to see negative online reviews over the concept of gourmet take-and-bake pizza requiring too much effort to endure.

To be perfectly honest, when I arrived at ‘Zaw, “artisan pizza in the raw,” at their Capitol Hill location, I was a little disheartened that I wouldn’t be dining out.

Bin Vivant

Bin Vivant
1200 Carillon Point
Kirland, WA 98033
425.803.5595

By Erin Thomas

I got schooled in my restaurant critiquing etiquette at Bin Vivant, the “vinocentric” restaurant and latest addition to the swanky caliber of the Woodmark Hotel in Kirkland.

I learned that one shouldn’t roll up to the bar-top moments before a Riedel seminar is released, and that stemware professionals, vineyard proprietors and winemakers with stained chops take service priority.

Eva

Eva Restaurant & Wine Bar
2227 N 56th
Seattle, WA 98103
206.633.3538

By Erin Thomas

The only change to the menu at Eva for the night was the rabbit to quail transfer. Devastated by this modification and after performing a Hail Mary for my deceased childhood pet, Cocoa the Bunny, I shamelessly wanted to try the rabbit.

The rare occasion should be taken up, as the wine bistro, in Tangletown on 56th and Kirkwood (Greenlake), has a frequently rotating menu to match the frequently rotating seasons of Seattle.

Quinn’s Pub

Quinn’s Pub
1001 East Pike ST
Seattle, WA 98122
206.325.7711

By Naomi Bishop

You will enjoy your food immensely at Quinn’s Pub. I’m not one to make assumptions about other people’s taste, but the food is delicious in a way that is enjoyable to all. The luxury studded menu (foie gras, anyone?) can seem intimidating and the lights are turned low, giving the air of a top tier restaurant. The service is impressively polite and well trained as they bring you trendily crafted cocktails.

Asteroid Café

Asteroid Café
3601 Fremont Ave
Seattle, WA 98103
206.547.9000

By Erin Thomas

I walked past the Asteroid Café on 36th and Fremont Avenue a minimum of three times before I realized it was what it was. One meager neon-lit “open” sign might hint at its existence, but the mini restaurant/bar combo is discreetly tucked behind Dad Watson’s British pub and the blaring Fremont bar scene. However, if you are looking for a hip spin on a quintessential Italian dining experience and a comprehensive wine list to boot, you’ve found the right place—you just might have to walk past it a few times.

Capers Fine Dining

For when you must eat indoors in Chelan

Capers Fine Dining
127 E Johnson Avenue
Chelan, WA 98816
509.682.1611

By Naomi Bishop

Eating in Lake Chelan, I found, was best done outdoors. Preferably, having just grilled a steak oneself, or having pulled a deli sandwich from the grocery store. However, sometimes occasions call for eating indoors, perhaps even (gasp!) with shirts and long pants on. Capers Fine Dining has an old world elegance about it, which seems oddly out of place in Lake Chelan, a town of all-American pursuits like jet-skiing and fishing from motorboats. The ambiance, the food and the service were all very European in style. In the case of the service, perhaps a little too Euro—the waiter seemed to enjoy using a different accent each time he served us. “You done your duty there, matey?” he asked my little brother in the style of a British sailor (“Ay Ay, Captain” was the only answer he could come up with). Other than being a bit disconcerting, the voices didn’t interfere with the otherwise elegant and impeccable service.

Local Myth Pizza

Local Myth Pizza
122 S Emerson St
Chelan, WA 98816
509.682.2914

By Adrianne Dow Young

Inevitably, after a tour of Chelan wineries, you will be sunslapped, wine-stained and hungry. It is likely that such a state will push you into restaurants and sports bars that you would otherwise shy away from.

Do not falter; be strong. Head south on Emerson Street to Local Myth Pizza, where you can find the town’s most diverse and sophisticated flavor combinations.

The wine list is regional, reasonable and well-intended. Salad dressings are made from scratch, as is the organic whole/white wheat dough. People like working at Local Myth. Above all, you’ll have avoided the rue of eating prepackaged food under wine-induced optimism.

The Herbfarm

The Herbfarm
14590 NE 145th Street
Woodinville, WA 98072
425.485.5300

By Tara Dezao

I’m really big into “breakout stars”. I love the surprise winner; that sneaky race horse that hangs out in the back of the pack and dashes forward in the end to take the crown. As I sat down to dine at the 5 diamond rated Herb Farm in Woodinville, I expected the meal of a lifetime, a French Laundry-esque explosion of the freshest and most delectable food that the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I wasn’t wrong by any stretch of the imagination, the food was amazing, but the break out star of the meal was the wine.

How to Pick a Perfect Pair

Good things happen to those who wait in Ravenna.

Pair Restaurant
5501 30th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105

By Naomi Campbell

The first (and only) time I went to France, I discovered the amuse bouche. Literally “to tease the mouth”, this is that little course that comes out free at, for the most part, fancy pants restaurants. So color me surprised when a miniature ramekin of crunchy chickpeas, fava beans and sunflower seeds landed on my table as we were sat. Pair, as a restaurant, kept me a little bit surprised throughout the meal, to tell the truth. Luckily, most of those were the good kind of surprise.

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