moose knuckle

last friday i decided to invite a few friends out to dinner, and we had quite the e-maelstrom trying to figure out where to go. it's a little funny with our group since we have one veg, one gluten-free, 2 no-caribbean's (we ate that the night before), and one writer looking for a breath of fresh blog air. three days and three thousand emails later, senor moose was the winner. please see their full menu online.


i never imagined chips and guacamole could be so incredibly delicious. the chips are hot, salty, and made-to-order. they're made from incredibly thick-cut tortillas, so it's almost like eating two chips in one. the guacamole was refreshing, chunky, and integrated chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime. i'm normally not a fan of guacamole because i don't like it pulverized and competely mashed. for me, guac is entirely about texture, so i prefer the chunks of avocado. this was bomb. even after dinner, we were all commenting about the guac. holy shit.


our server was awesome....he brought out the cinco salsas y unos chilitos for all to sample. the chilitos were marinated chipotles (hot and smoky), a crema de guajillo, a pico, a simple chile salsa, salsa verde, and a mint chutney-like salsa similar to the condiment you get at indian restaurants. bomb-naners.


next came the queso panela in salsa. the cheese is a slice of queso freso warmed until semi-melted, then served in a dish of smoky tomato salsa. it was pretty tasty wrapped up in a tortilla with some chipotle.


here's another view of the queso panela.


both suge and rio ordered the special, which was grilled pork that was marinated overnight in a vinegar, guajillo, and pasilla chile blend. it was served with sides of pinto beans topped w cotija, shredded cabbage, and basically mexican home fries. suge enjoyed his dish, but he was jealous of gats' carne asada.


akg ordered the enchiladas suizas which were filled with grilled chicken and queso fresco and smothered in a creamy salsa verde. it looked bomb. she noted that the chicken had a crispy skin which enhanced the texture and her overall enjoyment :).


ah, the coveted carne asada. gats feasted upon seared carne asada, an enchilada verde, sauteed strips of poblano, refried beans smothered in salty cotija, and guacamole. i think you can pretty much figure out how he felt about this dish.


let me mention that pep asked the waiter what the cheesiest dish on the menu was. let's just say that the enchiladas de puya were stuffed with two types of cheese, covered in the same smoky tomato salsa as the queso panela, and then hit with more cotija on top. delicious. black beans and a small salad finished off the plate.

senor moose is really where it's at. this place was awesome, the vibe was great, the dining room was small and friendly, and the waiter was awesome. he kept the modelos and margaritas flowing all night, and when it came time to settle, our party of six came to a paltry $180.

5242 NW Leary Ave
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-5568

Breakfast:
Everyday 8am-3pm
Dinner:
Sunday-Thursday 5pm-9pm
Friday-Saturday 5pm-10pm

manzana of myne eye

{click to enlarge}

welcome to manzana in bellevue (@ in-your-face-eastside lincoln square), home of pan-european appetizers lacking any sense of cohesiveness. i had to run over to crate and barrel for some christmas shopping, and after looking at the hot mess that was belle square parking, i decided to park in lincoln center. then i realized i had to get my damn parking validated, so manzana, you were my unsuspecting victim.

the entrance to the bar is confusing and labyrinthine, but once we entered the dark room, we were left to fend for ourselves to find a spot. we nearly circled the entire room until we found an open seat (it was just after happy hour), but once we did, we laid claim. the bar itself is nice, sumptuous, simple. they have a decent wine list (it is a restaurant after all), and the specialty drink list is intriguing.

we went with the manzana signature margaritas: i sprung for the bartlett pair, and ack went with the pomegranate. mine was good...not too sweet (which i was afraid of) and just tart enough. however, any hint of bartlett pair was lost on my fairly sensitive palate. ack's was good! the pomegranate was tasty and a great holiday flavor.

we went with the trusty chips and salsa (gluten-free, of course). the temperatures were on point: the guac was super cold, the chips warm and crisp, and the salsa was room temperature. the salsa was surprisingly flavorful with a full, smoky flavor....and it was less of a pico de gallo and more of a salsa. perfect.


we also chose the white bean hummus. it was great. the warm, toasty pita was the perfect dipper for the warm, garlicky white bean hummus. the chopped tomatoes and olive oil float was a nice touch, too.

all-in-all, manzana serves its purpose: tasty, simple food that is cheap enough to justify eating just for parking validation. if you find yourself shopping in the bellevue square neighborhood and have the munchies, i recommend stopping by manzana for happy hour. i've never eaten entrees there, so i won't speak on that, but manzana is nothing special. it's just solid.


610 Bellevue Way NE # 120
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 455-7600