hillside (not-so)quickies

when i was in school, hillside quickie, a goofy, tiny, somewhat-ramshackle sandwich shop on the corner of brooklyn and 41st, provided me with countless delicious, vegan lunches. however, don't be deceived! don't expect to go to hillside quickie for lightening-fast takeout; it generally takes 10-15 minutes to prepare any of the sandwiches on its lengthy menu.

recently i convinced my coworker that these sandwiches are the bomb, so i called in an order from work, then walked down to the shop just in time for the seitan to come hot out of the pan.

i went with the jamaican seitan sub with light vegannaise. this was served on a toothy, seven grain roll with a tangy red cabbage coleslaw, caramelized onions, potato salad, tomato slices, and hot (temp), jerk seitan. although quite messy, this sub was delectable and filling. i suggest slowly unwrapping the foil to maintain the sandwich's integrity.

my coworker went with the TLT (tofu, lettuce, tomato). she said it was refreshing, tasty, and perfectly satisfying. she said that it was incredibly flavorful and the perfect size for lunch.

i really enjoy hillside quickie, i just don't love the wait. i always have to make sure to plan ahead if i want HQ for lunch since it's perfectly timed to walk there from my work if i call in an order.

HQ also offers non-sandwich items such as pizza, macaroni and yease, fries, soups, salads, burgers, breakfast, and even sweets! i think even the most anti-meat-free diners will find something to enjoy here.


Hillside Quickies Vegan Sandwich Shop
4106 Brooklyn Ave
Seattle Wa. 98105
11 am - 9 pm Monday - Friday
12 pm - 9 pm Saturday
closed Sunday
(206) 632-3037

Hillside Quickie's Cafe
324 15th Ave E.
Seattle WA 98112
12 pm - 8 pm Monday - Tuesday
12 am - 9 pm Wednesday - Friday
12 am - 7 pm Saturday
closed Sunday
(206) 325-6429

Quickie Too
1324 So MLK Way
Tacoma, WA 98405
11 am - 8 pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday
11 am - 5 pm Tuesday, Tursday, Saturday, Sunday
(253) 572-4549

The Saint

We arrived to The Saint at about 4:45pm....they do not open until 5pm and after we waited for a few minuets outside we were invited in and told we could wait until they were ready. awesome. The service was fun and casual...our bartender and self-proclaimed capitol hill rock star made casual convo and provided entertaining banter with me and my friend. We started with the Flight to Tequila, which features 3 selected cocktails. Our flight consisted of the Honeysuckle (tequila, lemon and honey), Fresas (strawberry infused tequila) and the Sayulita (tequila, campari and elderflower). My fave was the honeysuckle...I did not taste the fresas (i do not do strawberries)...but my co-diner happened to really like it! The presentation was fun with the wood tray and the small cocktail glasses.

We started with the guacamole which also comes with three fresh salsas. I really liked the smokey flavor of the red sauce and the tangy taste of the green. The pico was also really nice and had a strong cilantro back. The chips were hot and perfectly salted.

We also got down on some of the ceviche. The fish was tilapia and it was very mild, not fishy at all! The citrus marinade was also very mild. I think this dish could have used more heat but overall it was very tasty. The marinated slaw in the center of the plate also served as a nice salad not just a garnish.

We also shared the empanadas with chicken. I thought they were a bit greasy and not the baked flaky pastry that I truly tend to love about them. They were also served with the marinated carrots, onion and cabbage slaw and some of that nice smoky salsa.


Other menu items included camarones, tacos, carne asada and chicken mole. The overall menu is very small but I think it is perfect for the size of the place. The food is simple but tasty, I am happy to know that chips this good are available on the hill. The happy hour from 5-6pm allows you to cash in on their dishes for half price. The 11 or so specialty cocktails do not go down in price and will set you back about 11-14 bucks or 16 for the flight. If you really want a to cash in on your deal you can drink the tecate and that will only drain you 3 bucks. I hear this place gets pretty busy on the weekend, but at 5pm weekdays it is still a quiet place to grab a drink and head home. RIP Wingdome, you were good but this food is way better.

1416 E Olive Way
Seattle, WA 98127
They do take reservations, and I would do it...the place is small.
(206) 323-9922

The Mark: Olympia

Do you crave for Italian, Spanish, Basque Influenced Rustic Cuisine? Then the next time you are in Olympia check out The Mark. I dont even know how to describe what this food was about because it was perfectly simple, yet very flavorful and delicious. The simplicity of the dishes and the use of fresh, organic ingredients fired on their apple wood grill created a tasty dining experience. The space itself is also worth talking about because the wood interior was beautiful and rich. I felt like I was in a upscale wood paneled basement from the midwest.

I was in Oly to check out a tour date that some friends had in our states capital. I use to live in Olympic circa 97-99-and I am pretty sure I only went back one time since I packed up and moved to the 206. I really don't remember much about the restaurants back then because I was a student and I rarely went out to dinner. Anyway, this is a friend of a friends restaurant who was also on the party train down south--we arranged to have dinner prior to the show just to give you some context on how we made it to The Mark. Her friend was out of town but had arranged for us to get seated which we did and started in on the drink menu.

Drinking out of Seattle is a nice treat when well drinks set you back a cool 3 bucks all the time. We went with cuba libre. Hell yeah. rum and coke plus lime...very fancy.


I was really interested in trying a few things so we decided to share a starter salad. This salad was made up of mixed greens and a light vinegar/oil dressing topped with some breaded and toasted goat cheese. The fresh grilled bread was a nice addition to the salad. This salad was my first taste on how the rest of the items would be delivered simple yet full of flavor. When the salad was put down on the table you immediately smell the wood grill. I was very excited to get down on the cheese too.

We decided to share two entrees. The first being the italian turkey sausage and roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic. The dish tasted very fresh, but the sausage was way too dry. Again, I was really enjoyed the simpleness of the plates because it truly allows you to taste the main elements not covering them up with sauces or salt.

We also shared the butternut squash ravioli. The pasta was perfectly cooked and filled with a very sweet squash topped with two big slices of butter. You really cant go wrong with butter and pasta. The fresh cheese our server added was also the missing salt element the dish needed.


We talked about dessert but at this point the richness of the food and the sugar from our drinks was starting to set in. While we were waiting for our bill we received a small plate of apple slices which ended up being exactly what we needed. How did they know??? The apple was crisp and refreshing...exactly what we needed before going to the bar down the street for some more drinks and music.


Menu is all fresh prepared in the moment. Menu contains vegetarian friendly food as well as items for wheat intolerant folks. Plates run $6-$24. Other things on the menu included a wide range of pasta dishes, steak, salmon, chicken and veggies. The cocktail menu is large and offers wine and standard as well as creative drinks.

I want to go back to this spot again and spend more time at the venue and meet the owner. The Mark is also a gallery space which features a rotating array of local and regional artwork...might be fun to go to an upcoming event--maybe I will go back down there sooner than 10yrs.

The Mark
407 SW Columbia
Olympia
Reservations Recommended. 360-754-4414
Open Thur-Sat 5pm-2am (Dinner until 10pm)
Private Hire Mon-Wed (oh boy!)

little thai: a u-district favorite

a little while back, i had the craving for thai food, and where else would i go but little thai, an underground (literally), family-owned restaurant i've been going to for years. i needed that green papaya salad!!!

this photo doesn't do it justice, but the green papaya salad is the bomb. shreds of crunchy papaya are mixed with iceberg lettuce (yeah, so what, i like iceberg), carrots, tomato, cucumber, onion, red cabbage, and green beans. the salad is super simple; topped with peanuts and dressed with chilies and mirin (rice wine vinegar + simple syrup). damn, it was so perfect.

m was in the mood for rice noodles, so he ordered another oldie but goodie, the phad see iw, which is basically wide rice noodles stir-fried with broccoli, beef, and egg in a thick soy sauce. i love this dish as well; shoot, i even eat the egg it's so deliciously-imparted with that sauce.

instead of ordering my usual (crispy fish in red curry or broccoli in basil sauce), i selected the green curry with white fish. i'll be forthright and tell you that i have no idea what kind of fish i ate, but it was damn good. the curry was immaculate; the fish was tender and clean-tasting; the coconut milk sauce was light, tangy (galanga root), and complex; and the bowl was full of bamboo shoots, green beans, carrot, mushrooms, spring onion, and zucchini. the green curry was a fantastic choice. after i had eaten all of the "stuff," i dumped my side of brown rice right into the bowl to sop up all the curry juices. delicious.

little thai
4142 Brooklyn Ave NE # 105
(206) 548-8009

Half Ass Ranch

Since I spent the entire holiday weekend away from restaurants this post will feature Uncle Bob and his outdoor cooking at the lovely Half Ass Ranch. The Half Ass Ranch is a amazing place located just off I90 on Killmore Road. A group of friends of mine spent the weekend camping at the ranch when we were in visiting eastern washington for Sasquatch.

Upon arrival on Saturday late afternoon we were greeted by Bob and friends. Bob was in the process of setting up his grill and preparing lots of bbq. When the grill was lit and Bob was cooking, I knew this would be a top notch food weekend. Our first meal included ribs, chicken, corn, bread, potato salad and lots of beer. I wish I had a picture of my plate...but I was way too busy eating and fighting off bugs to take a flick.

After a late night of partying we were woken the next day from the smell of burning wood which meant it was time breakfast.

We enjoyed bacon, sausage, grilled potatoes with onion, hard boiled eggs and pancakes. This special sausage was thin and perfectly crispy. It is amazing to have a greasy breakfast cooked on a wood fired grill after a late night of drinking. It truly couldnt have gotten better than this.


We left after breakfast and headed to the festival where we had a blast enjoying local rap-rock group Cancer Rising among others.

After another late night, we woke up to MORE breakfast. Monday we enjoyed some 5.5 icehouse, omelets (made to order), sausage and hash brown potatoes. I gotta say this omelet was so tasty with cheese, green onions and peppercinis...I ended up eating 2!


I had a great time at the ranch and plan on going back again this summer. Uncle Bob was such an amazing host and one of the kindest people you will ever cross paths with. Amenities at the ranch included a huge hot tub, tractor rides, gun range, unlimited beers, fire pit, horseshoes and more property than you knew what to do with. I had an amazing weekend with friends and made a couple more along the way (not including the bugs). Big shout out to the Half Ass Ranch!

My parking lot prejudice did me wrong

a few nights ago, one of my best friends, who was visiting for her sister's graduation, invited to me to enjoy italian food with her lovely family. for several reasons, i had never dined at grazie in all my years living in the area. first, this place is located in a lonely corner of the giant factoria mall parking lot; i never heard anything, good or bad, about this place; and it was in general, just off my radar. little did i know that it was my bff's little sister's favorite restaurant! what a treat!

as we were parking, S noticed that there was smoke billowing out the top of the small building....apparently they roast their own coffee there; no cause for alarm. the restaurant was filled with that rich, intoxicating coffee aroma. our party of 5 was seated in a mafioso-style corner booth; complete with quilted leather cushions.

the requisite bread and oil appeared on the table soon after, and it was very pleasant. the bread was pretty standard, nothing special, but the red pepper flakes and fresh garlic in the olive oil were a nice touch. one thing i did notice about the table was that our server cleared the salt and pepper shakers off the table after she brought the antipasti plate, never to return. very interesting.

E ordered the antipasti plate for the table, which is a chef's choice sort of deal. that day we had a variety of cheeses, including an emmental of some sort, a smoked provolone, and asiago; a couple different kinds of salame; a caprese salad; a skewer of grilled chicken seasoned with pepper and oregano; and some spreads, including a salmon mousse, olive tapenade, and a chopped roasted peppers. the plate was pretty impressive and tasty. i don't think we even finished it all before our entrees arrived.

S ordered the pesce special, which was a medium-grilled salmon dish served with a white wine sauce and grazie's signature risotto. S said it was delicious. i had a bit of the salmon and it was perfectly grilled; soft, moist, and flavorful. mmm.

since M was the grad girl, she ordered her absolute favorite dish ever: filetto gorgonzola, which is a seared, balsamic-marinated tenderloin topped with a gorgonzola pan sauce and a nest of fried onions. this dish is usually served with rosemary patate al forno, but M requested the risotto, which is also her favorite. there were no words when it came to this plate; it disappeared entirely, and that was testament enough.

E and i ordered the halibut genovese, which is a grilled fillet topped with basil pesto over tomato fonduta (like a par-cooked salsa). the halibut also came with the parmesan risotto. the halibut was nice. it needed a little bit of salt, but the lemon wedge helped with the overall zestiness of the dish. i'm a little finicky with white fish; it was a little underdone for me in the thickest part, but it would be suitable for most diners. the only thing that i thought could use reworking was the risotto. it was fundamentally well-cooked, in terms of texture and doneness, but it needed major salt and flavor!! i mixed up the tomato fonduta with the risotto, and that was much more enjoyable.


DESSERTS!

below S ordered the pannacotta; her favorite. we were all pretty full from our main courses, but it was a special occasion so we just went for it. the pannacotta was deliciously cool and smooth; the perfect contrast to the fresh berries served with it.

i love sweets, but i'm in general not much of a dessert orderer at restaurants. this place was so old school. everyone else knew what they wanted since they had been to grazie several times before, but i made the mistake of asking what they have. our server was very friendly, so it wasn't her fault, but what ensued was something i had never experienced before. she went over to the front of the house and grabbed the dessert display tray, then went on to explain in great detail all of the different (approx 8) desserts that were available and was able to show me what each one looks like in the process. :) i don't know why this was so hilarious to me at the time, but i could not stop smiling as she directed all her efforts toward me since everyone else was familiar with grazie's offerings.

i went with the torta di frutti, which she explained was imported from italy, oh my!! :) it was quite tasty; a basic pastry shell with a thin layer of creme anglaise overflowing with various frutti di bosco (raspberries, blueberries, marion berries, and blackberries) and then served on top of a generous helping of their house special, marsala cream sauce. mmm. that actually sounds pretty good right about now.


M again went with her favorite; the pistacchio canolo. the waffle tube was filled with tasty, sweetened ricotta, pistacchios, and chocolate. what a great finale to a great evening with friends and family. grazie, i apologize for letting my parking lot prejudice stand in the way of a beautiful friendship.



NB: there are three different grazie locations in the greater seattle area: factoria, southcenter, and canyon park.

bro-town

unfortunately, some friends and i were hungry before a show in fremont several weeks ago. the worst part about heading to a show around 9 is that if you forget to eat or don't have time to before you leave, you have to eat some crappy bar food right before the performance. we were all pissed to have to order something, but dammit, we were hungry.

the nearest food haven happened to be norm's, and since we had eaten here loooooong ago, we figured it would be our best bet. we arrived a little bit after 9, and the place was nearly empty. we chose a table in the rear of the restaurant next to an area with couches surrounding a low table.

at first we just ordered drinks from the bar, but then we decided to eat. big mistake. there was one waitress running around serving both everyone and no one, since she looked assiduously busy, yet she never acknowledged our presence. in fact, we had to walk to the bar to ask for menus.

after about 20 minutes of sitting with our menus, we finally flagged down the waitress who took our order as if we slapped her in the face and then asked her to polish our shoes. needless to say, she was not a happy camper.

L ordered the meatloaf prior to our arrival, and below is what he received:


the meatloaf was an intriguing choice for a pre-performance meal, but hey, to each his own. L said the loaf was tasty, the asparagus was well-cooked, but the mashed potatoes were more like a wet, gooey mess than actual food.


by the time we got our order in and received our food, the couch area next to us was quickly filled with a gang of douche-/ho-bags; very loud, obnoxious, tequila-and-then-jaeger-shooting a-holes. at least the fries were so bomb that i could focus on how hot and delicious they were rather than the loud idiots next to us.

the fries were super hot, perfectly golden, and served with substantial salt and freshly-cracked pepper. there's just something about potatoes with fresh pepper. wow. i'm getting hungry.


S ordered the veggie burger. little did she know that she would receive an overly-toasted, dry-ass bun with a lone, tasteless, crusty, freezer-burned veggie patty on top. a slice of tomato, pickle, and lettuce were served on the side, which is a nice touch, but there wasn't a damn element that added any moisture or richness to the sandwich!!! THERE WAS NO CHEESE NOR MAYONNAISE, WHAT THE HELLL?!?! her fries were bomb, as were mine, but shoot, what a sorry excuse for a veggie burger!

thank god we quickly finished our meal, then departed for the show; away from the traveling band of D.B. gypsies taking random shots and clinking bottles of bud light together. thanks for the fremont friday night experience, norm's.

460 N 36th St
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 547-1417