Two Friends Who Love Food & Wine

Veggie Grill - Vegan food for the Meat Lover

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I went to yet another awesome yelp event, this one at Wine World. Veggie Grill was the honorary caterer and their vegan (that's right - vegan!) food spread was insanely good! Good...because of how it tasted. Good...because it's vegan and I didn't expect it to taste...that good!

Not only did they cater our event for what I assume was at a discount rate or free, they also gave out free entree coupons! Say what?! Yes!

Last week, my hubby and I decided to venture out to a Veggie Grill location to check out the storefront and redeem our coups. The restaurant layout was incredibly cute with bar, table, booth, cocktail table seating. Alcohol served. Iced tea and lemonade spread to go gaga for! Friendly service. Wide range of (vegan) food options: salads, burgers, sandwiches, sides.

I got the fried chickin' sandwich with sweet potato fries and hubby got the carne asada sandwich with mac & cheese. Not going to lie - vegan cheese tastes funny to me. But for being vegan hubby said it was better than some real cheese mac & cheese he's had before at restaurants - shocking! Because you and I probably agree that real cheese should taste better than cashew-based "cheese," right? My fries were too good and the sandwich was just okay...real fried chicken is way tastier - gasp! But obvious. What I really enjoyed were the fresh iced teas (black, green tea pomegranate, peach black) and lemonades (regular and strawberry). The strawberry lemonade - on par with Red Robin's freckled strawberry lemonade!

Satisfyingly full, we left for Molly Moon's - and as you've read before - an evening that ends in MM is always a great one!

Sub Zero Ice Cream: Chillingly Good

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:03:00 +0000

I am hooked on the show Shark Tank. In a nutshell, it's entrepreneurs pitching their ideas to a panel of highly successful entrepreneurs. They ask for a certain amount of $ in return for a % ownership of their company.

During one episode, the entrepreneurs were a darling couple pitching an ice cream shop called Sub Zero. What distinguishes Sub Zero from, let's say, a Basket Robbins or Cold Stone Creamery? How the ice cream is made!

The process is super cool. Choose a base (milk, cream, milk alternative, etc.) along with syrup and toppings (so many to choose from!) that they throw into a large mixing bowl. And watch as liquid nitrogen is poured into your bowl while the ice cream maker hand mixes and, voila, ice cream is made.

The entrepreneurs mentioned there was already an open location in WA. To my great joy the WA location is in Federal Way, only a 45 minute commute from my place!

My hubby and I went with our 7yo nephew and the experience couldn't have been more fun! Not only fun but also very delicious! I tried two kinds of ice cream - the mint choco chip in a chocolate waffle bowl and a Heath bar, graham cracker, caramel mix in a waffle bowl. Both were creamy, flavorful and had the perfect ice cream texture. The waffle cone was good too, though not as fresh as Molly Moon's.

Take me to the Island with Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:47:00 +0000

As 2012 came to a close my dear stepfather had another blessed birthday. I wanted to take him and my mom somewhere special…so we ended up at Island Soul Rum Bar & Caribbean Cuisine. I have to speak frankly, this place is AMAZING! If you have never been to this magical establishment you need to you as soon as you can! http://islandsoulrestaurant.net/

After Christmas with my family I headed back to Seattle and my mom wanted to join me. We hung out in Seattle for 3 days. Then, Myron, my stepdad, met us in Seattle (Columbia City neighborhood) at the restaurant.

We started by ordering two pleasing appetizers – sweet plantains and Island Soul wings (habanero style). OMG! This was so very delicious I almost wanted to get up and do a happy dance. Instead I did a happy dance on the inside. My parents loved it too. Also Myron and I decided to split a lovely bottle of red wine, which just so happened to be from a winery that I visited in eastern Washington last summer.

The Main Course – let’s go!
At the start of this meal I convinced my parents to order a couple of appetizers and two entrees. That way we didn’t over order or overeat. For our entrees we ordered the Island Soul Caribbean Jerk ribs, with collard greens and macaroni & cheese and the Island Soul curry chicken, with collard greens and smashed yams. Both dishes were epically delicious. The preparation of the meat and the seasoning were perfectly done. The collard greens were made without meat, and packed a powerhouse of flavor. The macaroni & cheese nearly brought tears to my eyes! And the smashed yams were delicious. But oddly enough my mom refused to try them. Oh! and we had the coconut cornbread muffins. Bomb! – enough said!

Lastly, as we concluded the night Myron ordered a birthday dessert – red velvet cupcakes! I happened to love red velvet cupcakes and enjoyed every second of my cupcake!!!

Awww yes, an incredible meal indeed! Now I recommend that you get to Island Soul Rum Bar & Caribbean Cuisine!!

Lunchbox Laboratory Offers Greasy Goodness

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:40:00 +0000

I recently went to Lunchbox Laboratory twice in one week. Dined in once and got takeout the other time. Verdict: okay burgers, great tots and reasonable prices.

The first time we went for happy hour, but ended up ordering from the regular menu. I got the Tear Jerker burger (ingredient list taken from website): Super-beef patty, pepperjack cheese, lunchbox onions, jalapenos, habanero mayo and Satan’s-tears ketchup with fries. The second time I got the Santa Fe Slammer (from website): Super-beef patty, Colby jack cheese, bacon, lunchbox onions, Anaheim green chilies and Papa’s housemade BBQ with loaded tots: tots, cheese sauce, sour cream and Satan's-tears ketchup.

The burgers left something to be desired. The meat is only available in medium well so the meat tastes too well done and lacks much flavor. For as many loaded ingredients are on the burgers they taste pretty bland. On the other hand, the fries & tots are delicious! However, they are insanely greasy. I also tried the Buff Pops, their take on poppers which I thought were pretty good. Buff pops are cream cheese and jalapeño bits stuffed inside cornbread, then fried. I much prefer the regular jalapeño poppers but they were interesting to try.

Happy hour is a great deal so perhaps check it out then if you're interested, instead of opting straight for their full-priced menu. There is an impressive milkshae menu, including boozie shakes (shakes with liquor) that we didn't try, but I hear are wonderful.

Calamari & Whiskey Sours @ McCormick's!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:57:00 +0000

Last night I got together for late night eats with my friend Amber. I met her through our mutual friend when we were in college about six years ago. She recently started working in Bellevue and I live in Bellevue, so it made sense for us to get together in... Bellevue!

We decided on McCormick & Schmick's and started out with some whiskey sours. I learned that their house whiskey is actually McCormick brand. Pretty cool. Since I had already eaten dinner, we shared some calamari and French onion soup and both had great presentation and were quite good.

The calamari plate also had fried jalapenos, artichokes, onions and carrots, in addition to calamari rings. Aioli and marina dipping sauces were the best I've ever been served (huge compliment, I know!). The French onion soup had really impressive presentation. Served in something that reminded me of a short, historic vase without handles and overflowing with thick cheese. The soup itself had chunks of onions and bursting with flavor. Borderline too salty, without going overboard.

McCormick can be a pretty pricey restaurant, but we got out of there for around $21 each after tax + tip. Expect to pay more for a sit-down multicourse meal.

List All Day Happy Hour a Great Success

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:30:00 +0000

I serendipitously stumbled upon List in Belltown while looking for a dinner restaurant near the Ride the Holiday Ducks tour. Immediately I liked that there was an all-day food & drink Sunday happy hour. And I loved the $14 bottle of red wine happy hour special. So after the tour, my hubby and I treated ourselves to a lovely dinner, drinks and dessert for an excellent date night.

We both started with Old Fashioned drinks and the burger & fries plates. The fries were steak cut and good! Made even better with some truffle aioli. The burger left a lot to be desired; for instance, cheese would've been a yummy addition. Bun was from Macrina Bakery, and though I usually love Macrina the bread would've complemented the burger substantially more if it was toasted or grilled. The beef patty was fresh but pretty bland and the veggies were almost nonexistent (one very tiny tomato slice and a couple of small pickled onions).

After the burgers & fries, we decided we were still a wee bit hungry so we split an eggplant parmesan dish. When it was set in front of us, we were both pleasantly surprised by what we saw. It was literally a hunk of eggplant smothered in mozzarella (not parmesan which was odd) that sat on a plate of delicious tomato vodka-like sauce.

As with every satisfying meal, we had to end with dessert and split the chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream. Every bite was drool-worthy, especially when paired with a glass of cab-sangiovese-merlot (worth mentioning again that we got the whole bottle for $14, yeah!).

Stop by next time you're in Belltown, especially if it's a Sunday.

Happy Birthday Keisha!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 20:01:00 +0000

My dear friend Keisha (and blogging partner) recently celebrated a birthday, hooray!

Keisha celebrated with a large group of friends in the evening, but earlier that day had a more intimate celebration with me and our other lovely friend Synthia where we treated Keisha to brunch at Barking Frog followed by wine tasting in Woodinville.

The brunch was superb. The three of us shared the crab cakes benedict, smoked pulled pork benedict and the croque madame. As a starter, we were given cinnamon bread with a delicious apple butter. Mmm! I ordered the pulled pork benedict and it was my first time having it. I cannot wait to have it again! Instead of being on English muffins, it was on jalapeno cornbread. The pork was flavorful and not at all dry. The eggs were a wee bit overpoached and could have been hotter, but overall what an incredily satisfying dish! The crabcake benedict and croque madame were equally yummy, and the croque madame was served on one of the fluffiest, tastiest breads I've ever eaten!

After brunch, we decided on a select few wineries to visit and sampled various red & white wines. My favorite tasting room was Davenport Cellars, owned by a husband & wife team who were living out their dreams of making, bottling and selling wine - even working outside full-time jobs to be able to do this.

Cheers to Keisha on another wonderful year ahead. Love you!

Going Into the Wild @ Cactus!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:41:00 +0000

I was so blessed to spend time with Jenny two Saturdays ago. We started out with the plan to go to a jewelry show, and then we added in brunch at Serious Biscuit/Pie. Upon arrival at Serious Biscuit/Pie the line was out the door – no go! Next, we tried Portage Bay Café…on a Saturday no luck, 45 min wait. Next…

...we ended up a Cactus. It was fairly empty when we entered the restaurant. We were promptly seated and started to review the menu. We browsed options and decided on some delicious choices – butternut squash enchiladas for Jenny and wild boar tacos for me! Both fine options indeed. My tacos came with rice and beans. I was a bit surprised when the server vividly described to me where the meat on a boar comes from – the neck! Goodness, sir. Leave room for mystery!

We chatted about the wonders of the universe…then our wonderful food arrived! The presentation was beautiful! My boar tacos were delicious - super tasty & well-flavored - a little salty, but nonetheless DELICIOUS! I truly enjoyed them. The rice and beans were about average and met my general expectations. We did request a spice/seasoning rack – but who would be if we haven’t?! We both LOVE spicy food!!

Bottom line: All in all a good meal for a decent price on $11.00 before tax & tip. I am very pleased with the Cactus experience – as this was my 3 or 4^th time at one of their locations.

An unexpected visit to Cactus was satisfying indeed

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 01:14:00 +0000

Keisha and I intended to eat at Serious Biscuit, a Tom Douglas brunch spot. As some of you may recall, we are on a "Tom Douglas challenge," which is to eat at all of Tom's restaurants by the end of this year. I think we're about halfway there.

We showed up to Serious Biscuit on Saturday around 1pm and there was a 25 minute wait. Not a big deal, except I was starving. So we moseyed over across the street to Portage Bay. A 35 minute way. No way. We left and started walking towards Blue Moon Burgers, but Cactus caught our eye. Mainly because the outside of the restaurant is painted in bright colors. We go inside, confirm brunch is available, take a seat then proceed to not order brunch. Instead, Keisha got the boar tacos and I got the butternut squash enchilada. Two words: nom nom.

The butternut squah enchilada was ridiculously delicious. Great mole sauce, soft goat cheese that provided a great texture and chunks of flavorful butternut squash. Served with rice topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and black beans topped with cotija cheese. Prompt service and fun colorful decor. Oh! The enchilada was also topped with my favorite food - guacamole!

Though we didn't order any beverages, their margarita selection looked phenomenal. I will certainly return for a margarita & nachos soon. If not to this location, then to one of the other 3 they have.

Ole!

Eating pies on Orcas Island

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:52:00 +0000

This past weekend I went to Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands. Here's a summary of the food I ate: Pies. Jumbleberry pie. Salmon leek pie. Pancetta pie. Oh, I also got the perfect vanilla latte at a local cafe called Straight Shots. You can read my yelp review here.

On Saturday afternoon I was at the local farmer's market, held in a parking lot in downtown, and serendipitously enough found a pie shop called Passionate for Pies in the same parking lot. Turns out that this pie shop had been featured in Sunset Magazine in May.

I shared a slice of the jumbleberry pie and the salmon pie. Here are the deets:

Jumbleberry pie: local bluberries, strawberries and raspberries with oatmeal crumble and thick crust. Oatmeal crumble complemented berries well. Not too sweet or syrupy. Tasted very fresh and I couldn't put my fork down. I usually want my pie a la mode but the pie was just perfect on its own.

Salmon leek pie: Fresh salmon, leeks, eggs and pie crust. The savory layer seemed to split from the crust so it was a wee bit challenging to get the savory bite and pie crust at the same time, especially since you're given forks made of wood material (think material used in coffee stir sticks).

Next we went to Rose's Bakery & Cafe and split the thin crust pizza with marinara, pancetta and rosemary and split a bottle of French red wine. Pizza was amazing - cheesy, greasy and authentic thin crust. Wine was a little heavier than your traditional table red and paired nicely with the pizza.

I recommend you get some pie of your own next time you're on Orcas.

Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:05:00 +0000

This past Friday evening I was delighted after a long day’s work to head out on the town and celebrate my friend Ashley’s 30^th!

Ashley is a cool lady whom I met at the Young Professionals of Seattle networking happy hour in November 2011. Since then we’ve kept in good contact, meeting up occasionally for networking events and ladies happy hour. I haven’t seen Ashley in a few months as she wrapped up her master’s program this past August and I started my master’s program in September. Needless to say I was happy to get the invite to her birthday party so we could reconnect!

Ashley is originally from Austin, TX and loves to incorporated Texan culture into food outings! And we love her for it! So to celebrate her day, she and 20 friends ventured to Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen in Ballard.

It was rainy Friday night and parking was a pain, but I endured, found a parking spot and headed in. Ashley’s celebration was full of fun, laughter, friends and good food. Sadly I can’t say the same about the service. I’ll explain…I quickly decided that I wanted the hot wings and fried green tomatoes…to accompany my glass of Vionger.

The food was delicious, the wings tasted suspiciously JUST like those at Sazerac at Hotel Monaco in downtown. Hmmm…and how…considering that I came an hour late my service was prompt. I imagine Ashley and crew had to do a bit of waiting…as all of our food came at the same time.

On a note to service, the server was very sarcastic and borderline rude. I would not recommend anyone sit in his section. But go for the food and enjoy!

Greenwood brunch joint did not disappoint

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:42:00 +0000

I'm in love with Pete's Egg Nest, a brunch joint in Greenwood.

Do you like fresh, quality, delicious food? Prepared quickly? For under $10/plate?

Do you like leftovers you can enjoy from the comfort of your home? Friendly service?

Do you like easily accessible street parking near the restaurant entrance?

Go there soon, and you will fall in love too.

After a walk around Greenlake and Mighty-O donuts for breakfast, I was ready for a substantive meal. I ordered the California scramble: big chunks of avocado; sauteed green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes & onions; freshly scambled bites of egg all topped with sour cream & shredded cheddar cheese with a heaping portion of fried hash browns on the side. The ingredients complemented each together very well, making every bite absolutely delightful. Since I LOVE avocadoes, I certainly appreciated the fresh avocado chunks. And sour cream on a scramble? What an ingenious idea!

I will be back very soon. I suggest you join me.

Two of my favorite things: Cabo & guacamole

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:36:00 +0000

It's been awhile since my last blog post. My insanely busy life got in the way. But even in the midst of insanity, I was still able to find many satisfying meals around a restaurant table, bar countertop and dining room tables.

As you may know (if you didn't, start following our Facebook page "Two Seattle Foodies" be in the know), Keisha and I took a fabulous summer vacation to Cabo in August, where we enjoyed sunshine, all-inclusive food & drinks and many pooltime adventures.

While in Cabo, my favorite snack was tableside guacamole. If you have spent any time with me, you'll pick up on my love for avocadoes. So loving guacamole just seems logical. Though I've eaten at restaurants where tableside guacamole was available, I had never tried it until that serendipitous evening in Cabo. The best part was it was unexpected! I thought I'd get a bowl of guacamole but when the waiter rolled over a cart with all of the fixings and started whipping it up in front of us I just knew I was in for a delicious treat.

Stay tuned for more Cabo food updates. You may also catch a photo or two of the beautiful sunsets.

Breakfast at Chocolat

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:42:00 +0000

I took a trip to San Diego with my gal pals Keisha and Synthia (girls' trip!) and we ate well during our weekend jaunt.

For one of our breakfast meals we ate at a quaint creperie called Chocolat which had a cute cow theme. I loved the decor and seating - mix of countertop and small round tables with square cushion block seats.

Not only did they serve fresh, delicious crepes (savory and sweet) but they also had an extensive gelato selection and gelato cocktails menu. Yum!

The three of us split a nutella crepe and I had a simple butter croissant sandwich with ham and cheese. With some freshly brewed joe, delish! There's something about pulling apart a toasted croissant that is as fun as it is tasty. I love the flaky texture and the way it melts in your mouth. Though I'm not fond of ham in sandwiches, this ham was a good thickness and texture. As expected, the nutella crepe was sweet and made extra sweet by the thick coat of powdered sugar on top.

Good thing we had a hike lined up for after our breakfast.

Zip, Zap, ZIN!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:17:00 +0000

I yelp! Do you yelp? Well, you should. Because there are many splendid perks to yelping. A recent great example is one day prior to a zinfandel tasting event at Wine World I received an email from yelp inviting me to the shindig at no cost. And I got to bring a guest.

The event was called Zinfandel Grand Tasting and in a nutshell it was three hours of zinfandels mostly from Sonoma County paired with a delicious food spread from Daniel's Broiler, Chandler's Crabhouse, and Spazzo Italian Grill.

Let me start by describing Wine World in one word - WOW. The selection, store layout, and prices were all incredible. There was even a Teatro Zinzanni display in the middle of the store. And now spirits are sold there too and I saw an entire back wall full of them!

The event was held in a room towards the back of the store and when I walked in my face lit up like a kid in a candy store. In the middle of one room (there were two connected rooms - one for the wine tasting tables and the other for food/espresso seating) was a table set up with huge cheese/fruit/cracker plates and along that room were tables set up by wineries that had at least 3 types of their wines to taste. The process was to grab a program that listed all of the present wineries and the wines they had for folks to taste and an empty wine glass...and you can figure out the rest.

My guest, foodie blog partner, and roommate (just can't get enough quality time with her!) started out methodically with the first table but soon randomized which table we went to for wine tastings. And within 30 minutes of us being there, the food was setup and we quickly zipped on over there, got in line, and proceeded to pile up our plates with food. Some of the foods that were there were a ravioli in a brown sugar sage sauce (drool), crab legs (so fresh), tomato bruschetta, prawns, roast beef sliders, sushi, and more (nom, nom, nom).

After chatting it up with the wine producers and drinking and eating to our hearts delight Keisha suggested we walk on over to nearby Molly Moon's to end our lovely afternoon with our favorite dessert. As I've said before, a day that ends in Molly Moon's is, by my definition, a FABULOUS one, and thank you to yelp, Wine World, and ZAP for a wonderful time at the event.

Meander's Kitchen, West Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:55:00 +0000

If you meet me and talk to me for more than 5 minutes, you will quickly find out that I love food. And if you've ever gone out to brunch with me you will know that my favorite brunch item is eggs benedict. Lastly, if you're my eating partner-in-crime, Keisha, you will know that the best eggs benedict I have ever had is on Roche Harbor at Lime Kiln Cafe.

My colleague, Christina, lives in West Seattle. I almost moved there too last year, but I digress. She had been raving about a new-ish brunch spot called Meander's Kitchen and I had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to check it out. When she sent me a picture text of her meal there last weekend and I just about drooled all over myself I knew that I had to go there soon. So the following weekend Christina and I set up a brunch date so I can experience this place for myself.

I had some preconceived notions about Meander's Kitchen, from Yelp reviews and Christina's experiences there: that it would be a tiny, smoke-filled room with rude waitstaff and you'd have to wait two days to be seated and have your food ready. What I got instead was an overall pleasant experience! Christina was kind enough to get there before me and secure a table and order our food. So when I arrived to that area, I quickly found parking, walked into a larger-than-expected restaurant (I'm told that the room we ate in was the addition), friendly service, and food that arrived within 20 minutes of ordering it.

As for the meal itself, it was pretty darn tasty. The hashbrowns had a crunch to them and though good by themselves were definitely magical dipped in the homemade ketchup-Tabasco Chipotle mixture I had created. The eggs benedict looked pretty small compared to what I'm used to and one of them had a very small sad-looking piece of ham on it, but were seasoned perfectly and had a great texture once the yolk started running down everything. I scarfed down my meal and was left full and satisfied, and not too full which is often the case.

I hear that Saturday before 12pm can get pretty crowded, but after that it's easier to get seated. We went around 12:30pm. And they are also open 10pm - 4am on the weekends, perfect for a fourth meal after a night of partying.

Guest blog post by Na'Imah Tillman

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Sun, 27 May 2012 06:40:00 +0000

9:30 am can make for a rough start if you are not an earlybird, did I mention it was Sunday morning? Well I am an early bird so I gothooked up! I walked out onto the steps of my apartment and on my 2nd step therain began to fall. Oh well I said. It is only 6 blocks and I am meeting someone new today. That is worth a morning walk in some light rain. I meet up with my friend Lakeisha Jackson, extraordinary woman and her friend Jenny. Dothey put all the awesome women in one place? Today they do!

It was my first time meeting Jenny so I was excited but I wondered if I would be able to spot her. I realized I had forgotten to get her physical description from Keisha. Luckily she was on her p's and q's and got mine. She walked into Citizen with a wave and a smile and I thought, this is gonna be a good start to my day.

The whole reason that brought us together is yummy food; I am not to that part of the story yet, but close. I chatted with Jenny and she had many lovely praises about dining at Citizen. She said any choice I made I would not be disappointed, and she was right. I settled on the B. L. T. A. I believe bread and fresh toppings make a sandwich come together. I am old fashioned and I prefer chips with everything! They nailed it with the B. L. T. A. The bread tasted fresh baked, if it wasn't it was at least fresh. Tomatoes are not that tough to come by but a good avocado is that has a fresh taste to it. I savored my mouth watering bites and it made me wonder if I was listening to everything the lovely ladies were saying. I was thinking to myself, Jenny forgive me for the blank stare, your food looks tantalizing while I am taking huge bites of my own.

I would definitely allow these ladies to pick the next place where the food adventure continues!

Girlfriend Breakfast at Citizen

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:35:00 +0000

Apologies for months of blog silence. Be reassured that Keisha and I still indulged in many wonderful foodie meals but haven't had time to blog about them :) We will try to be more disciplined about updating our blog, starting with this one - our comeback blog post!

Today was a great day. Weather, aside. We are, after all, in Seattle. It started out with a lovely breakfast where I was introduced to Na'Imah, one of Keisha's friends. She is an awesome lady and even committed to writing a guest post on our blog. Stay tuned. We bonded over our love of Keisha, foremost, as well as mimosas, prayer and professional networking.

Since I had been to Citizen before, I made a recommendation to Na'Imah - basically, everything is amazing - and since she was in the mood for a lunch sandwich, I recommended the Citizen and BBQ pork sandwiches. She decided to order a B.L.A.T, a solid choice.

I decided to order something I hadn't before - a breakfast baguette! Description from the website: Black Forest ham, white cheddar cheese & tomato on a buttered baguette. And added an egg, over easy. Sounds simple. Tasted incredible. Ordered a side of rustic herb roasted potatoes and drip coffee to complete the meal. The baguette has got to be from Macrina Bakery. I've never had a better baguette than from Macrina. At least in the states. The ham was not too salty, not too thick - just right. The potatoes were generally seasoned and a tasty complement to my sandwich.

What I like about Citizen is it's inexpensive delicious food in a cute atmosphere. I first discovered it through a LivingSocial deal, probably the best deal I've ever purchased - 12 meals & 6 bottles of wine for $29. I've tried pretty much everything on the menu - from crepes, to sandwiches to weekend brunch items. I'm quite fond of the savory crepes here. Actually I think I ate exclusively sweet crepes until coming to Citizen. I appreciate how their menu hasn't changed much since my first visit in 2010, shortly after they opened. Consistent menu, taste and prices. What has changed though is now it is incredibly busy and crowded it gets! It's a small venue to begin with - actually would be great for an intimate social party - and during the weekends there can be quite a wait! And since they only have a small kitchen - referred to as a "dollhouse kitchen" on their menu - there could be a wait for your meal, start to finish. Well worth it though if you have the time.

Citizen is one of those restaurants that I many not come to every week (especially since it's in Queen Anne and I live in Renton) but I definitely love returning to it and knowing I will have a satisfying meal.

Keisha & Kingfish: A reason to celebrate!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:46:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago on a very pleasant Sunday evening I had the very awesome honor of dining with the amazing Antonio Esqueda! We got together to celebrate my recent acceptance to Seattle University. Graduate school has been on my mind and in my plans for the past five years since I graduated from Western in March 2007. So it was a great time to get together with my long time mentor and friend and to share a delicious celebratory meal!

Let’s dish:

I arrived at Kingfish Café a few minutes after Antonio. He was eyeing the menu pretty seriously when I came in…hugs & pleasantries! We sat for a few minutes chatting about this and that. Then, I shared with him my “highlight” entrees since I’d been to Kingfish quite a few times. A note to Kingfish: this place has delicious food, is great, service is good, people come and line up outside before opening time and fill up the seats. It’s popular! It’s small. The capacity has to be around 60-70. But it’s worth the wait, if you have the time!

After perusing the menu we decided…..Antonio ordered the “My Way or the Highway Buttermilk Fried Chicken”! The chefs do not share their recipe for this amazing chicken, but it is divine! Served with mashed potatoes and spicy collard greens! Whoa Nelly! Antonio certain enjoyed and as I always say sharing is caring; he graciously gave me the leg from his three piece combo.

I ordered the “Simply Griddled Catfish.” The catfish was good, but not as impressive as the chicken. My meal also came with herb grits (so delicious!) and spicy collard greens! The greens were indeed on point. It is a favorite side dish of mine. But between the two I would recommend the fried chicken entrée. Oh, lest I forget, Antonio also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese! It was the bomb.com and then some. I was so happy with his mac & cheese, it became our mac & cheese!

All in all we were stuffed beyond words! Kingfish Café is such a treat! I high recommend to anyone and everyone who enjoys good soul food, but get there earlier in the day if possible. It gets packed in Kingfish Cafe!!

Our First 10K

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:20:00 +0000

On Saturday, 2/18, Keisha and I ran our first 10K together at Magnuson Park in Seattle.

It was pouring down rain on the drive from Renton to Seattle but by the time I had parked it had stopped raining. But it was still very, very cold.

By the time I had picked up my bib number there were only 5 minutes left until showtime.

After a quick stretch, Keisha and I lined up with the masses and off we went!

There were a couple parts of the course that had huge, deep mud puddles, which unfortunately we had to run through. This happened two different times since the course was 5k in distance and we did that course twice. Even though my feet were drenched in mud and water, I trekked on.

Approximately 80 minutes from the time we started, with sore legs but in excited spirits, Keisha and I crossed the finish line together and made a beeline for the water.

Here are some commemorative photos we took:

Revel: To engage in lively and noisy festivities, especially those that involve drinking and dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Folks, sorry that we have been MIA from our food blog. As you may have guessed, the holiday season was very busy and though Keisha and I managed to meet up for many delicious meals we haven't had time to blog about them.

Last week we made plans to go to Revel and I made a decision that I would blog about it. So here it goes...

Dez joined us for dinner as our guest blogger. The three of us - Dez, Keisha and I - shared the pork belly, kimchi and bean sprout pancake; the shrimp and bacon, pickled ginger and cilantro dumpling; and the short rib, sambal daikon, mustard green rice with egg yolk. Dez and Keisha both got an alcholic beverage, while I stuck to soda water. Because the three of us were so wrapped up in conversation I don't remember how long the wait for food was, but soon enough the pancake arrived at our table with a 4-sauce/condiment rack to accompany it. We dug into the pancake and it was delicious! It actually resembled my mom's homemade pancake quite a bit! Next we were served the rice with egg yolk. It was placed in the middle of our small table and Keisha proceeded to mix the different ingredients together and dish a serving onto each of our plates. To complete the meal, our server brought out our dumplings. Let me pause here to rave about these dumplings. Being Korean, I have eaten my fair share of dumplings in different shapes, sizes and fillings. These shrimp and bacon dumplings are definitely in my top 3!

BUT I have to say, overall, the food didn't taste much different from the traditional Korean food I grew up with. The restaurant has more class, style and flair than a Korean restaurant but you definitely pay for that experience. The food, though sounded interesting and different on the menu, tasted like straight-up, delicious Korean food. For 3x the cost of a Korean restaurant. If you liked Revel you should also check out Korean restaurants. Same great taste and usually quality but for a lot less.

After our Revel dinner, the three of us took a drive over to the Wallingford Molly Moon's where Dez tried the ice cream there for the first time! And the best part is that Dez treated us to our ice cream cones! Keisha stuck to her usual - scout mint - and I stuck to mine - maple walnut. A sweet way to end our Monday evening.

Enjoy the pictures below. They have also been uploaded to our Facebook Two Seattle Foodies' page.

Revel with a cause: Antonio treats Keisha!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that when I was 17 I had the happy privilege of going to college at Western Washington University in beautiful Bellingham! One of the first people I met was Antonio E. He was my advisor and mentor for a scholarship program that I was a part of. The first time I saw him I was standing in the middle of campus in Red Square and he quite literally skipped across the way over to me and the person I was chatting with (Erin the co-advisor and teacher for the campus orientation class I was going to take with the other scholarship recipients). Since that day, Antonio and I have developed a great relationship – its foundation being moving toward success/graduation in my undergraduate education, and later a friendship based on our mutual love of one another, wine, food, traveling and our careers (which both center on higher education)! He’s everything I never knew I should expect in an advisor/mentor turned great friend!

With all that said, Antonio could not make my 26th birthday party (11/11/11) due to his work schedule. So he offered to treat me to dinner later in November. On the recommendation of the fabulous Sarah G (aka my boss), Antonio and I ventured to Revel in Fremont. Antonio arrived a few minutes before I did and he was enjoying a glass of red wine – a syrah I believe, but I honestly cannot remember as I had a sip of his wine, and I was unimpressed. By the time our server came back I decided on a white wine from Austria. The exact name is escaping me right now. But it was delish! Our conversation topics ranged from my graduate school applications and essays, the letter of recommendation he’s writing for me and his recent travels for both professional and personal reasons.

The FOOD!

First, we ordered a salad. It was lovely, pretty and packed! Shrimp, bulgur, kale (btw I LOVE kale, especially when its cooked into a soup or another warm dish), dukkah, and tossed in a raisin vinaigrette. It was tasty! Fresh, light, slightly cooled. I am a fan of salad and seafood and this salad was very good – but it was by no means my favorite item of the night.

Next, we ordered a pancake. It is worth stopping to note before we started eating Antonio told me he wouldn’t be eating much as he attended a late afternoon potluck with students. Um yeah, I know Antonio. He’s a foodie, so I knew he would eat plenty! That’s also why we share food. Our next dish was a pancake filled with pork belly, kimichi, and bean sprouts. Chopped up, cooked in some type of oil – this could be dangerous! The flavor! The exact temperature when it came out on that little plate! It was ideal!! This was close to being my favorite dish, but then it was followed by...

The dumplings! Cooked in stages. Combining shrimp and bacon in a ball cooked with exactness, then enclosed in a dumpling for the finish! Topped with pickled ginger and cilantro. It came on a lovely serving dish with five excellent dumplings. 5/2 = 2.5 each. I believe sharing is caring! The dumplings were divine! They are served with four different sauces – only two of which I tried and loved – a spicy chili sauce and a soy garlic sauce. They added a welcome POP! to the dumplings! It was all so very good. My favorite dish by at least a mile.

As it was my birthday Antonio and I got a dessert. A slice of unimpressive cake. Hey, I’m just being honest. I am glad I had a second glass of that cool, crisp wine from Austria because the dessert was not the truth. Sad.

But the rest of the food was so very tasty! Hence I will overlook the dessert situation. Also, any time spent with the amazing Antonio is time well spent.

Do you want some urban-style Korean comfort food? http://www.revelseattle.com/

Food, Wine and Friends: A Perfect Evening

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 19:40:00 +0000

Keisha, the hostess with the most-est, invited some friends over for dinner and fun. She cooked chicken cordon Bleu, I made some curry cous cous (out of the box), Jilian brought a homemade apple pie and Teddy brought over a bottle of sauv blanc.

The three of us - me, Jilian and Teddy all arrived within minutes of each other, to be greeted at the door with tantalizing smells oozing from the kitchen. We took off our coats, grabbed seats at the dining room table in Keisha's kitchen and chatted away while Keisha put the finishing touches on the kitchen. I briefly got up to prep the cous cous, one which Keisha introduced me to about six months ago. After eating said cous cous for a month straight I quickly tired of it and when I made it that night I wasn't sure if I was ready to have it again.

chicken cordon bleu, steamed seasoned asparagus, curry cous cous, red & white wines

The dinner items were ready and Keisha dished us out some steamed, seasoned asparagus; cous cous and a serving of chicken cordon Bleu. Teddy prayed the shortest blessing over our food and we proceeded to e-a-t. Need I mention that there was a moment of silence, if you don't count my loud munching of food, while everyone was enjoying the delicious meal prepared with love. The sauv blanc was a great accompaniment, and everyone soon switched over to a red wine blend.

When the three of us finished eating, Keisha suggested a game of UNO. In the middle of Keisha reading game directions Dez arrived and we chatted while he ate the plate Keisha had set aside for him. After Dez finished eating was when the real fun began. The UNO cards were dealt and even though we were going to play a practice round, that game ended up lasting over two hours, as all fun and exciting UNO games should. Though Jilian won the game almost immediately, Keisha, Teddy, Dez and I continued to play to determine who would take second place. And this is where the friendly banter, competitive spirits and
light teasing came out. We all wanted to do all we could to keep one person from winning!

Though Dez had an early flight to catch and Teddy and I had long drives home, nobody left until a second place winner was determined. It was thrilling as one person called UNO, only to pick up close to ten cards the next round. And this happened to each of us. We were so sure we would win, when we were down to one card and proudly shouted UNO. But the next round, we would be dealt a +4 wild card or +2 by the person preceding us. So it wasn't until past 11p when everyone piled out of there, only after Keisha got second place bragging rights.

evolution of apple pie

In describing all of the game craziness, I cannot forget to talk about Jilian's homemade apple pie which she kindly dished out to us, a la mode, while we were heads down in the game. The pie was heavenly. Great flaky yet thick crust, soft apple slices with a kick of cinnamon and nutmeg seasonings, topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Perfection. Thanks to all for a fabulous evening! Just what I needed to get my Thanksgiving holiday off to the right start!

A Drift from Our Normal Program: Keisha and Joe Do Cedars!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:24:00 +0000

I love food of many different varieties, spices, and cultures! Food preparation, presentation and enjoyment really make me happy! Especially when accompanied by a good wine. Oh boy are we in business!

I was really excited last summer when a friend told me about Cedars Restaurant in the U-district (on the corner of 50th and Brooklyn). So I went with friends and enjoyed some awesome Indian cuisine. Fast forward to this fall I went once with Jenny after a road trip to Vancouver, B.C. in mid October. We got our order as take out and it was a little messy – quality take out containers can be hard to come by. But I went again with my friend Joe for a post birthday dinner for me (thanks Joe, great idea!) and all was lovely.

A week ago, Joe and I met at Cedars for dinner. Similar to my previous dining in experience there the restaurant was packed! Good food + decent prices = returning customers! Successful Business Practices 101. Recognize. After some catch up convo we ordered. I quite fancy the VINDALOO with chicken. I have ordered it many times in various restaurants. I thought about ordering it with lamb, BUT the server who is also a personal trainer (as he informed me) told me “…the chicken is better for you. Restaurant-prepared lamb is too fatty and not good for your heart…” Really, sir. Okay, fine. At least he was looking out for my health. Joe ordered the CHICKEN BOTI KABAB.

Let’s talk about this vindaloo. It was delish! From the menu: ‘zesty curry cooked in a tangy sauce of wine vinegar, ginger, and potatoes.’ It’s always a mixed bag of tricks for me to have curry because I don’t like the taste coconut milk and most curries have coconut milk in them. So I am cautious when ordering. On the flip side I really have a liking for a potato that is peeled, chopped and cooked to tender perfection. Not to mention well-seasoned, spicy even. But not over done on the spice. (Side note: I had a spicy Thai seafood soup the day after my birthday and the temperature and spice level were too much for me. But it was a learning experience: lesson learned.) The chicken in my vindaloo was decent, a good compliment indeed, but not the focus of the entrée by any means. (That’s why the meat is an add-in.) The curry and the potatoes were definitely the stars of this party!

Joe’s chicken boti kabab looked oh so tasty on his plate. From the menu: ’succulent pieces of boneless chicken rubbed with Indian herbs and spices. Served with sliced onions and lemons.’ I love the colors of herbs, seasonings and spices and how they change the look of food. It changes food from simple nourishment to ART! That is indeed a beautiful thing. I did have a taste of Joe’s chicken and it had a nice kick! And I like a nice lil kick. It makes something worth remembering…and trying again.

All in all, our dinner was tasty and enjoyable. The company was even better. An evening is well spent when you can enjoy food, friendship and laughter! Thanks for the birthday dinner Joe, you’re fantastic!

OH! Before I omit, the server/personal trainer came back with a piece of baklava as a birthday treat! He, Joe and another server sang happy birthday to me. So kind! So many free birthday desserts this year! Thank goodness my office has a small gym!

To be treated like royalty you have to go to the Palace!

noreply@blogger.com (Keisha & Jenny) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Oy vey! I have been so busy. It has taken me a LONG time to post this review on TD’s Palace Kitchen (PK). Many apologies to my friends who read and to my blogging partner J Kor. Here we go…

I got to PK just a few minutes ahead of our 7:00pm meeting time. I was so excited to see a Top Pot donut location just doors away. So I went in and grabbed a couple of donuts for us and stored them in my purse for safe keeping!

We got into PK and the reservation Jenny had made online earlier that day had not gone through. We waited a few extra minutes and were seated. Let the fun begin! Jenny and I started talking about our weekend happenings. It was a fun catch up time! Yay! I’d had a great weekend and was excited to share. Honest note: sometimes I get a little eccentric in storytelling. True fact! I am sure people sitting near me in restaurants are either a – very entertained or b – annoyed. Moving on…

After a serious look at the menu we both decided on the burger. Let’s pause for a moment. As I have mentioned in a previous post I stopped eating beef and pork about a year and a half ago. However, I welcomed it back (to restaurant ordering only) when Jenny and I decided to take on our TD challenge.

This burger was fit for royalty! The palace burger royale - wood grilled Oregon country beef, dahlia bakery bun, pickled green tomato and fries. Boom! Check out the picture. I had mine well-done and boy was it well done! Fresh, delicious, juicy, cooked to perfection…served with tomatoes that were “brought over from the boss’ farm” our server informed us. Very nice! To accompany this very fresh Northwest packed burger there were fries. I tried to avoid those for the most part. But a fair share disappeared.

Jenny and I also order some red wine which did not impress. At all. It is only worth noting that it was ordered to enhance the flavor of the meat – and it did not. Enough said.

After it was all said and done we decided to forgo the dessert menu as we had some treats waiting in my purse.

Lesson of this posting: to be treated like royalty you have to go to the Palace!