Mike_Ratto "Food is art."

  • Last Ate: Finals
  • Location: Redmond, WA
  • Member Since:May 25, 2008
  • Awards:1
  • Fans:2
  • Total Reviews:6

I am a student studying art and animation. Food to me is art. I appreciate simple and good art, as well as food under that same principal. I hope to help anyone looking for good eats, be it a chain resturant or a hole in the wall. So let’s eat!

My Dining Journal All my restaurant activity, easily findable by restaurant.

Displaying all 5 favorite restaurants

Sichuanese Cuisine

15005 Ne 24th St
Redmond, WA
(425) 562-1552
Cuisine: ,

May 25, 2008

  • 5.0 star rating
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3 Votes
 

A Group favorite.

Me and my friends have been coming here since we started school 3 years ago. Every time I go, there are fun times to be had. The place is usually crowded around dinner and lunch but it is just a testament to how good it is. The staff is comprised of many friendly and good people. The portions are great (probably bringing home left overs) and the service is fast. They have food for just about every palette, especially those people who like their food spicy. There are a few places around this area and they don’t compare taste and price wise. I recommend trying it out if you are in the area.

Dishes I tried:

Mongolian Chicken

  • 5.0 star rating
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My personal favorite. It’s got a little bit of spice and little bit of sweetness. The onions are great and the chicken is wonderful. Everyone I’ve had try it, enjoyed it.

Fried Dumpling

  • 4.0 star rating
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I’ve had better dumplings, but you get alot for what you pay for. For somewhere near $5 you get 20 dumplings that taste pretty good. I haven’t been anywhere else where you can get that many decent dumplings for that price. Definitely great for a big group.

Buffet Hot Pot

  • 5.0 star rating
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Not much to say other than it was good hot pot for a great price. I could write more but this place is just worth checking out yourself.

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May 26, 2008

  • 4.0 star rating
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3 Votes
 

A Good Pizza.

Frankie’s is a Great place to eat. It is located near the Redmond Town Center and is an ideal spot for a small family ,or a couple looking for a nice place to eat. The Inside is very nice but small, which can mean delays in seating come dinner hours. The pizza is one of best restaurant pizzas I have had since moving to the Seattle area. The only downside is it is moderately pricey for what you get. But that is totally outweighed by the fact that they have fried raviolis.

Dishes I tried:

Italian Wedding Soup

  • 4.0 star rating
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I really enjoyed this soup. The only problem I had was that mine was a bit too cheesy and that made it tough to eat without looking a bit ridiculous. Otherwise it’s a solid choice hands down.

Breaded Cheese Ravioli

  • 5.0 star rating
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These guys are delicious. Whenever I go to Frankie’s it’s a must. The only downside to them is, people might like them too much. Which means you may only end up with a few in the end.

The Italian Stallion

  • 5.0 star rating
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A great pizza topped with tons of meat. If you like all meat pizzas this is for you. It can get unwieldy with so many toppings, but it’s worth it.

Spaghetti with Sicillian Meat Sauce

  • 3.0 star rating
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This pasta was a letdown. I figured since the pizza is excellent I should try the pasta. Sadly they were not created equally. The sauce just didn’t seem to work for me in this occasion, and for an extra dollar I could of had a pizza that was much better, and was bigger. In the end it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either.

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Mexico DF

139 Steuart St
San Francisco, CA
(415) 808-1048
Cuisine: , ,

April 2, 2009

  • 5.0 star rating
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4 Votes
 

A Challenge met.

I was attending a conference in San Francisco, which allowed me to get back to my old stomping grounds along with a few friends from school in Seattle. I met up with my buddies from the bay and introduced them to my Seattle friends and the inevitable debate over California having superior Mexican food was sparked. But no one knew that this spark would turn into a fire. Instead of going to places we knew, we were cocky and said any place is better than Washington. With that mindset it made sense to go to the Mission District to get something there, but that was met with a “Just as good as Chipotle.” That would not do at all; California’s reputation was on the line. And still refusing to go to our own favorite restaurants, as we wanted to be surprised as well, we eventually found or way to Mexico DF. On arrival we could tell this was going to be a different case, this was destiny. The restaurant was decorated nicely and seemed to have a trendy vibe. Paintings displayed through LCD frames changed to provide an always-interesting view. And the staff was all attentive and well dressed. Ready to order we all choose dishes we liked and asked for a recommended drink, then set on a voyage to try as much of the spread as we could, and we would not be disappointed. The reviews for the food we ate are below. California was saved; its reputation in the restaurant department was restored. Inspired to show our own favorite Taquerias at this point since Mexico DF was a restaurant, we totally destroyed the “just as good as Chipotle” review and found new pride in a great cuisine, restaurant or not thanks to Mexico DF.

Dishes I tried:

Duck Flautas

  • 5.0 star rating
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We started out our adventure with these delicious flautas. The outer shell was crispy and delicious, while the meat inside was a great soft tender contrast. They went by quickly and left most of us wanting more as there was only one for each of us but there was much more to experience.

Lengua Tacos

  • 5.0 star rating
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Next up were the Tacos. Having never tried tongue before I decided today was a good day to start. They used Kobe beef tongue, which sounded like it would be great. Well, it was. The tacos came out simply presented with the salsa on the side. Each of us grabbed a taco and went to town. The meat was so tender and had a different yet wonderful texture. Mixed with the salsa, fresh cilantro, and onions I was floored. I’ve heard plenty of different reviews when it came to tongue but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it to the extent in which I did.

Cabrito Tacos

  • 5.0 star rating
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Probably the biggest wild card of the night was some goat tacos with cactus. I had also never had goat but we were determined to take it to the limit and try a few well-known things and some new dishes. I started off trying a bit of just the goat and it was pretty good but not amazing, next some of the cactus stuff which was also ok, but when all the components were mixed together an amazing union exploded in my mouth and I enjoyed every second of it. Had I not tried all of the components together I would have missed out on one of the most exciting and amazing foods of the night.

Chuleta Tacos

  • 3.0 star rating
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This seemed like standard fare how could it go wrong? It didn’t really, but it was over shadowed by the other amazing foods Mexico DF offered. The meat was tender but the whole thing was overwhelmed by the fact it all tasted like a pineapple. It wasn’t bad and it was a pretty cool feeling to know you were eating pork, but it tasted like pineapple and just wasn’t as good as everything else.

Carne a la Tampiqueña

  • 4.0 star rating
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The dish I personally ordered a safe bet no matter where you are. This was a solid dish, no surprises, nothing fancy, and a perfectly cooked steak. That being said you can get this experience from any other higher tier Mexican or steak restaurant. It was delicious, masterfully prepared, and presented but it had no surprises, which can always be just what you want.

Carnitas

  • 5.0 star rating
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I’ve had carnitas before but after this it felt like it all had been a lie my whole life. This was the hands down crowd favorite of the night. The meat was crispy and tender all in one. The flavor was intense and delicious. I could try and describe every delicious bite, but that would not do this dish justice and I believe it best if experienced in person.

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Taqueria Los Perico's

101 Pelton Center Way
San Leandro, CA
(510) 352-7667
Cuisine: ,

April 2, 2009

  • 5.0 star rating
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4 Votes
 

Great for a quick bite.

I lived in San Leandro for most of my life and Los Perico’s has been around since I could use money and walk 5 blocks from home. The insides of any of these are pretty fun and offer a nice feel. The staff is amazing and always there with smiling faces. The food is good the prices great and they have proven to be a San Leandro gem for a long time now.

Dishes I tried:

Regular Burrito Carne Asada No Salsa

  • 5.0 star rating
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This is the dish I have been eating ever since I discovered it as a kid. The meat is tasty and the beans and rice make for a delicious treat wrapped in a tortilla. For many this isn’t exactly what they would get, but I like to stick to the basics and the basics here are wonderfully executed.

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LA Pinata Restaurant

2699 Merced St
San Leandro, CA
(510) 352-8901
Cuisine:

April 2, 2009

  • 4.0 star rating
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4 Votes
 

If Size Matters.

LA Pinata is a great restaurant to take family members or people that don’t enjoy or want a taqueria experience. The prices are a bit more than a smaller place and the food isn’t as great but it is hardly noticeable. They offer a dining area that accommodate big groups and the staff are all very capable. The waits can get long on some nights as it is a very popular place, but there is a bar to pass the time. If you want a sit down experience, and you want to eat like a king this is the place for you.

Dishes I tried:

Chicken Burrito Fumoso

  • 5.0 star rating
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My favorite dish at this restaurant. When you first see it you will wonder how you will ever finish it. A huge burrito overtakes the plate, it is covered in delicious sauce and cheese, and when you take your fist bite this mountain of a burrito pleases until one can no longer eat. The chicken is juicy and the rice and beans add a nice bit of taste but the star here is the sauce and chicken. I highly recommend this dish or any other as they are all pretty solid.

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