Shari's Restaurants
2303 N Pearl St
Tacoma, WA
(253) 752-9331
Cuisine:
American
February 28, 2007
Not hip, but huge menu. Hazelnut pancakes special were good
My family and I eat here occasionally with my dad. Prices are reasonable and some of the items are pretty good – though I’d recommend sticking with something you like rather than explore the whole menu. This place is alot like a dennys but with a weird layout of booths. This location on has replaced a bank of booths with tables so it’s more of an open resturant.
We went here recently for the hazelnut pancake special they were promoting. I’m not sure these are still available unfortunately – but you never know they could add them to the menu or bring them back.
Service is friendly but sometimes inattentive/slow.
Dishes I tried:
Hazelnut pancakes
These were good pancakes. Not too heavy or greasy. Good flavor. I’d eat them again.
Mega Melt Panini
My favorite sandwitch I’ve tried here – seems very fresh. Good flavor – perhaps a bit salty, variety and good balance of ingredients.
Asian Breeze
366 Roy St
Seattle, WA
(206) 285-6713
September 10, 2008
New gem of a resturant! Best rolls in the city!
The decor is beautiful. The place is immaculately clean, the service is exceptional. The food, oh the food…absolutely outstanding – best happy hour food in the city!! I am looking forward to taking my family here for dinner soon!
I’ve tried happy hours all over Seattle and the eastside including expensive great places but I’ve never found a place with so many fresh, delicious and healthy appetizers.
The breeze rolls are the freshest, best looking – you have to see this presentation!, best tasting, most fun to eat – love the bits of crispy tofu – rolls I’ve ever had.
Looking for something absolutely delicious and different – try the Four Season Wraps. They are a house specialty where there’s an absolutely delicious mixture of stir-fried tofu, carrots and other yummy ingredients I can’t remember in a delicate, savory sweet, delicious sauce atop beautiful fresh crisp lettuce you use as a wrap. This is very fun to eat, unique, and absolutely delicious – probably my favorite appetizer.
Today I tried the Dungeness crab cake for the first time. Truly wonderful! The sauce is an amazing complement to this handmade crab cake – that is nearly a perfect circle rather than the usual patty shaped. These are different but just as yummy as the crab cakes at Palisades, Ray’s, and Chinooks.
The happy hour prices for these dishes are amazingly low. In addition to the wonderful food they have great/inexpensive specials on excellent wine, local micros and other fine beers and wells.
Just try this gem once for happy hour – you’ll really be happy with this wonderful place! Currently I believe their happy hours are from 5-10pm Monday and Tues, and 8-10 or 11 Wed-Friday.
Dishes I tried:
Breeze Rolls
Amazing presentation, fresh, delicious, fun to eat – love the texture variety with the bits of crispy tofu, finally – comes with the most delicious peanut sauce on the side that I’ve every had.
Four Season Wraps
Awesome flavor, unique, fun to eat! Favorite dish so far. See main review for more details.
Crab Cakes
Delicious, different than the usual, wonderful sauce which is a better accompaniment than most others in that it complements the crab cakes flavors better rather than being too much of a contrast or overpowering.
Shanghai Garden - Seattle
524 6th Ave S
Seattle, WA
(206) 625-1688
Cuisine:
Chinese, Noodle Shop, Vegetarian
Original Pancake House
8037 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA
(206) 781-3344
Cuisine:
Breakfast, Brunch, Bakery & Pastries
February 27, 2007
Big hit's and a few misses.
We first went to Original Pancake House on the weekend and it was VERY crowded. Recommend the weekdays even though they have free coffee and pastery to those waiting in the lobby.
Atmosphere is old fashion and a bit crowded. Service is good but not great. They take your order efficiently and that’s about it. The host is friendly and quick.
I’d rate this place higher for a couple dishes we really love, if the prices were lower and there were more basic breakfast items that were better than fair.
Dishes I tried:
Cherry Kijafa Crepes
These are really delicious and my favorite item on the menu. The Cherry sauce tastes wonderful – sweet but also slightly tart. The crepes are very good though I’ve had better (lighter/fluffier) at specialty crepe places and homemade.
Dutch Baby
My wife and daughter love this dish. I think it’s a bit heavy and not too interesting but they order it for the flavor, the fun eating it, variety of texture and I also think the fun name is a small part of the appeal. Filling and rich. I prefer more variety of flavors.
Potato Pancakes
Fair. Decent flavor but too greasy/oily and heavy. I like a much lighter less greasy pancake that you can add a bit of maple syrup to – so it doesn’t just run off and form a puddle next to the pancake.
Thick Sliced Bacon
Mediocre so so taste I remember old fashion bacon having from so so breakfast dives and at home growing up in the 70’s. Today’s specialty maple and other cured and smoked bacon served at some of the better breakfast places around town – and 3rd place books on their sandwiches puts this bacon to shame.
Palisade
2601 W Marina Pl
Seattle, WA
(206) 285-1000
Cuisine:
Brunch, Seafood, Fine Dining
February 28, 2007
Great weekend brunch. Great service, view, fun place.
This has been a favorite resturant for some time. Occassionally when the family is feeling well off enough we’ll splurge and enjoy the delicious weekend brunch.
I’m writing today specifically to mention the maple rum hazelnut pancakes. I’ll add more dishes shortly.
Dishes I tried:
Hazelnut rum pancakes
These are made on the spot in front of you and are some of the tastiest pancakes I’ve had. Very rich taste w/out too much rum taste. They use real rum but don’t worry if you don’t drink as the alcohol cooks off completely. Have as many as you like but save room for all the other great food at the buffet. My only very minor criticism is that the flavor is pretty much one note – except for when you bite into a hazelnut.
The Hi-Life
5425 Russell Ave Nw
Seattle, WA
(206) 784-7272
Cuisine:
Breakfast, Brunch, International
February 28, 2007
Great pizza, pretty good breakfast
We used to go here for breakfast pretty often last summer but have cut back a bit due mainly to the big wait to get in.
Breakfast is good in general and a step above many places. Bacon is way above average, potatoes are good and flavorful yet sometimes burned in places and a bit oily. Coffee is strong.
Excellent unique atmostphere. Really love the bar. Recommend this place for happy hr especially. See a movie at the nearby theater and then go enjoy the late night happy hr. They have outstanding small pizza’s, some other good hr specials – no drink specials. Boundary Bay beer on tap.
Dishes I tried:
Blueberry Cakes
Pretty good overall. Nice big blueberries, not too heavy but still substantial cakes. Decent flavor. Not that memorable but good nonetheless. I’m going to try the Corn Cakes Suzette next time.
Chinook's At Salmon Bay
1900 W Nickerson St
Seattle, WA
(206) 283-4665
Cuisine:
Seafood, Brunch
February 28, 2007
Beautiful, interesting view, good food, fun atmosphere.
This place has a unique atmosphere. Very bright and cheerful inside with a whole wall of windows to look out at a fishing and pleasure boat marina.
The food here is very good, sometimes it’s slightly better than other times but only once did my wife have some oatmeal that wasn’t as good as usual.
Brunch on the weekends starts with delicious scones w/ marmalade butter. They are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside w/ granulated sugar on top.
Quality, friendly service.
Dishes I tried:
Huckleberry Pancakes
Not always available. They are a bit on the heavy, doughy side, but they are elevated by having very very good huckleberries cooked throughout. They are high quality berries, not too tart. Not many places offer these berries in pancakes. If you like huckleberries I’d recommend giving them a try.
Fruit Plate
Wonderful, huge plate of fresh fruit – nice variety. My daughter and wifes favorite here.
Sunflour Bakery Cafe
3118 NE 65th St
Seattle, WA
(206) 525-1034
Cuisine:
Breakfast
February 28, 2007
Very good breakfast place. A bit expensive.
Old fashioned bakery/breakfast place. Very nice friendly service. Sometimes it takes a little while for food to arrive. Tables are a bit crowded. Menu has a few unusual items, and offers a few higher end choices than traditional.
Sides such as home made (baked) toast are excellent. I haven’t tried the pancakes here because I love their crab omelet.
Dishes I tried:
Dungeness crab omelet
Guessing at the price – but it’s at least $12. This is the item I always order. It’s rich, tasty and delicious. Great items make up the omelet besides the top notch crab. Wonderful flavor.
john
02/28/2007Wow, the omelet sounds great…