**** (4 stars)
Really nice restaurant conveniently located near SEATAC in a lovely resort. Hard to believe you're right next to the airport in this bucolic location!
Highlights were the appetizers, especially the brisket.
Excellent wine list. The bartender in the adjacent bar is a cocktail wizard, focusing on local spirits. Try the Letterpress Reserve Amaro.
Great service!
Copperleaf Restaurant
18525 36th Ave S
SeaTac, WA 98188
**** (4 stars)
Yes, it really is a hardware store and a restaurant! Also known as "Screw and Brew"!
Counter service with outdoor seating. Excellent fish and chips and onion rings.
Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House
1235 S Hemlock St
Cannon Beach, OR 97110
https://www.yelp.com/biz/cannon-beach-hardware-and-public-house-cannon-beach-2
***** (5 stars)
First off, a shout out to Caleb. Of the thousands of restaurants we've been to, he's possibly the best server we have ever encountered. What a delight he made our visit, acting as the perfect host. Kudos!
TMACS was our best meal during our days in Walla Walla. The food and ambiance were both just what we look for when dining out.
There is ample outdoor seating, but we chose to dine inside and enjoy the dramatic interior. The bar and tables surrounding it can be a bit lively, but the upstairs mezzanine is an intimate respite from the activity below. We loved the low lighting levels upstairs, and wish more restaurants were like this.
All of the food we had was excellent, with complex flavors and deft plating. Particularly noteworthy were the Local Melon Gazpacho, the Pear Salad, and the Lamp Chops.
The wine list focuses on local wines, and the prices are reasonable.
I highly recommend this restaurant. If you have only one dinner in Walla Walla, this is the place to go.
TMACS
80 N Colville St
Walla Walla, WA 99362
**** (4 stars)
Traditional German food, done well. We shared the Bavarian Sampler (three sausages with mustards) and the Chicken Schnitzel. Both were very good, and came with good accompaniments.
Although there was a special art fair going on in the streets and everything was bustling, this upstairs space provided a peaceful oasis overlooking the commotion.
Service was excellent.
Colchuck’s
801 Front St
Leavenworth, WA 98826
***** (5 stars)
I've been to many, many tiki bars. I even have a personal tiki bar with animated masks and thunderstorms. But then there is this one! Just look at the pictures. Nothing is going to top Inside Passage for decor, not even at a theme park. The room is a masterpiece of creative design. Best of all, it is small and intimate, making it really special.
And of course the tiki drinks are excellent. There are two pages of creative modern tiki drinks, plus a page of classics.
There is also a more ambitious approach to food than at other tiki bars. Although we didn't have time for a meal since we had dinner reservations elsewhere, all the food looked fabulous, and we wished we didn't have to leave.
Note that you enter through the adjacent space, Rumba, and that Inside Passage is accessed through a speakeasy style door after checking in. Also note that you need proof of vaccination and matching ID to enter.
Bravo!
Inside Passage
1108 Pike St
Seattle, WA 98101
**** (4 stars)
This is in the large space that used to be Crafted, a sports bar with a giant central bar and very spacious patio seating.
The space is largely unchanged, but now the menu is Brazilian. There are a few lunch-priced items on the menu, but I really wanted to try the Moquequinha Capixaba de Camarao, even though it was $25. I must say that it was worth it. The metal bowl was served literally boiling hot, and was filled with shrimp–probably close to a pound, I would guess.
My companions also liked their food: a veggie burger, and a sandwich.
Service was pleasant. The kitchen is not terribly speedy, even though there weren't many lunch customers, so don't go in a hurry.
A Brasileira Bar & Grill
2417 S Hiawassee Rd
Orlando, FL 32835
***** (5 stars)
Great cocktails and Gastroenerologist with indoor and out door seating. Happy hour is a fantastic deal. A lot of thought has gone into these cocktails, and the food is just as good. Standouts we're the tuna tatami and the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, probably the best I've had anywhere.
Alchemy
940 S Cooper St
Memphis, TN 38104
***** (5 stars)
This is a fun and creatively themed Tiki bar. They change the drink offerings seasonally, and there are some very creative cocktails using non-traditional spirits. I loved my Dopamine, the only tiki drink I've had with coffee as an ingredient.
Of course, if you want some fire, then their Zombie is the way to go, and you can also purchase the unique Robot tiki glass it comes in!
Chopper
1100 Stratton Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
***** (5 stars)
Barcelona offers a very nice selection of traditional and modern tapas in a bustling indoor or more chill outdoor patio setting. The Mussels Diablo and the chickpea and spinach dish were two standouts. The back of the menu includes a nice selection of wines by the bottle and glass, but be sure to checkout the full wine list for a much more extensive variety. Santo Assyrtiko from Santorini went particularly well with the food, and it's my favorite of all Assyrtikos.
Service was great, and they're open late.
Barcelona Wine Bar
1200 Villa Pl
Nashville, TN 37212
*** (3 stars)
Very friendly service is the highlight here. The breakfast menu features many varieties of eggs Benedict. The ones with tomato were the best as they cut the richness the "hash" was just very salty pulled pork and large crunch's of potato. The vanilla spiced latte was excellent.
Ruby Sunshine
405 Market St
Chattanooga, TN 37402