**** (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
**** (4 stars)
Good Americanized Mexican food in a beautifully decorated space with unfortunately bright lighting that makes it seem like a Home Depot's lighting department! Half the customers were wearing baseball caps, and I wishe dI had one, too!
The food was exactly as you would expect form a small chain sit-down Mexican restaurant, with nothing standing out, but all certainly fine.
The Cadillac Margarita was excellent, especially with an added sqeeze of lime to cut the sweetness.
Service was just okay.
El Sombrero
4 W Oak St
Walla Walla, WA 99362
**** (4 stars)
Very cozy, welcoming restaurant that offers both counter and table seating for (currently) a five-course set menu. It's really more courses than that, as there is also a two-part amuse bouche and and intermezzo.
Highlights on our particular night were the various sauces and compotes, the sorbet and intermezzo, the succotash that accompanied the salmon, and the carbonated(!) blueberries. Lowlights were the rather tough duck breast.
A wine pairing option perfectly matched each dish, with some interesting and surprising selections.
Services was friendly, precise, and professional.
Art of The Table
3801 Stone Way N
Seattle, WA 98103
***** (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
***** (5 stars)
Excellent wines and such wonderful hospitality. Really a relaxed setting for wine tasting. I particularly like their reserve reds. Thank you
Gard Vintners Wine Tasting Room
311 N Pearl St
Ellensburg, WA 98926
https://www.yelp.com/biz/gard-vintners-wine-tasting-room-ellensburg-3
***** (5 stars)
Excellent sandwiches at this cheery cafe and coffee shop. The gyro was a perfect combination of super fresh pita, juicy meat, crisp vegetables, and creamy sauce.
Three types of iced tea are on offer, too.
Cherry Street Coffee House
700 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
***** (5 stars)
Aurora provided a wonderful interpretive tour with lots of background on the history of Seattle and its relationship with the Yukon gold rush. Very informative!
Beneath the Streets
102 Cherry St
Seattle, WA 98104
***** (5 stars)
Finally there's a good restaurant in this spot! Third try at Italian, plus Cajun and sports bar, too. The secret was to get rid of the huge ugly bar that dominated the middle of the room.
The bar is now in a cozy back corner, and the dining area has been divided up into smaller spaces.
The extensive menu includes both classic Italian dishes and a full range of pizzas, plus a limited wine and cocktail list.
We were comped an order of Piesano rolls, which are fresh baked with garlic and parmesan. We agree with other commenters and some tables around us that it's weird that there is Italian dressing poured over the rolls. Maybe serve it on the side?
The hot antipasto appetizer sampler included fried mozzarella, ravioli, calamari, and peppers. All we good, and not greasy.
Ceasar salads were excellent.
The pepperoni pizza had nice crisp crust from the wood oven, and very flavorful pepperoni.
Shrimp and mussels fra diavolo was okay. The seafood was good, but the sauce was not as flavorful as other versions I've had, and was not spicy at all, although the shaker of dried peppers on the table helped.
Mini chocolate covered cannolis were a nice, reasonable sized dessert.
Service was good. There were a LOT of servers here mid-afternoon of their first Saturday after opening, and things were running smoothly. A few details like meal pacing still need to be worked out. but everyone is obviously very engaged, and working hard to make this, the space's sixth go round, a success.
Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza
7782 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
https://www.yelp.com/biz/piesanos-stone-fired-pizza-windermere-2
***** (5 stars)
I’ve been going to Josie’s on Hiawassee for more than twenty years, but somehow missed the opening of this one, which is much closer to my home. The space is much brighter and more open than the old location. Although there is a sort of bar in the back, this is primarily a table service place, with plenty of tables both inside and outside.
On our visit there were a handful of inside tables occupied, and the sole server was doing a fantastic job of keeping up with everyone. We shared a large Greek salad, an order of ten hot garlic wings, and a pepperoni, ricotta, and basil pizza. Everything was excellent, and the hot food arrived literally steaming from the kitchen.
The Greek salad was a nice mix of fresh veggies on top of crisp lettuce, and the Greek dressing was delicious.
The pizza didn’t have a crisp crust, but the sauce had a great oregano flavor, the cheese was plentiful, and the pepperoni was very flavorful.
The wings are the wet style, and some of the best in town. I love that they use fresh garlic on top of the hot sauce rather than mixing in powdered garlic.
A lot of places have been having staffing issues, and we had the impression there might be just two people working here on a Monday at lunch, but they were certainly doing a great job, and I give them full points for food and service.
Josie’s Pizza & Wings
5855 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
*** (3 stars)
I wanted to like this place more because of its lovely setting on the lake, but everything about it was pretty mediocre, from the so-so cocktails to most of the brunch food. The charcuterie plate was the best thing we had, particularly after we asked for the surprisingly absent mustard. The Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Shrimp Salad would have embarrassed the Vietnamese restaurants in town, with the bland vermicelli-like stuffing in the rolls and the mostly undressed greens. The Breakfast Club sandwich was essentially avocado toast with club sandwich ingredients and an egg inside, but it was surprisingly flavorless, with the ingredients fighting with one another and the "secret" sauce keeping its secrets to itself. We probably won't be in a hurry to return.
Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe
1414 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804