Pam's Kitchen

After checking out the farmers market we stopped into Pam’s Kitchen for some Caribbean jerk chicken. I was a little weary knowing that this was a Triple D spot since my last Guy recommendation was awful but my brother insisted that it was a great spot. A complete dive you could tell that they were not all that interested in the décor but they did have some cool pictures of Jamaica on the walls. The one thing that really peaked my interest was the Pam herself was back in the kitchen with her one friend every day. I could even see her working in the back from my seat. Knowing that get me very excited to get some authentic cuisine.

I ordered the Jerk Chicken Sandwich and some Dahlpuri which is a roti (Bread) filled with chickpea and seasoned with cumin, the freshest cilantro and garlic. Evan ordered some spicy green beans and the Jerk Chicken also and we anxiously awaited the arrival of our lunch. When the food arrived my thoughts about the high expense per dish was eased a bit when I had two sandwiches in my order. Now you know by know that I like my bread and the bread Pam uses for this sandwich did not disappoint. It was soft and chewy and surprisingly sweet which paired really well with the spice in the jerk chicken. At first bite the sweetness of the bread smothered the spice and all you get was the juicy chicken flavor but then heat starts to build in the back of your throat and suddenly, hello jerk! I think that is was ingenious to use the sweet bread to mask the spice for a few moments it really gives the sandwich a depth of flavor that is often lost on spicy dishes that just hit you in the mouth. Oh and did I mention that it was so juicy that I had to mop up sauce off my forearm? This was truly a great sandwich and I would eat it 2-3 times a week if I could afford it.

The Dahlpuri though good was not the star of that meal aside from sopping up the extra sauce from the sandwich and the green beans so that is all I am going to say about it but now lets chat about spicy green beans. When you just look at the green beans in the dish you can see the chili flakes and you know it’s going to hurt so good. The green beans were perfectly cooked, soft and chewy, and mixed into a spicy chili sauce. Since they were not paired with bread the spiciness was the star but it they weren’t just hot, the flavor in the sauce was huge! If I could have those green beans with every meal I would be a happy man.

All in all Guy redeemed himself a little bit with this find but we shall see what the next one has in store. Though Pam’s Kitchen is a little expensive the flavors and care put into the food really shines. I would go back to eat there without any hesitation but be prepared, you are going there for the food, not for the ambiance or the interior design.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Paseo Caribbean

We took a trip up to Seattle last week to see the family and not thirty minutes after landing we were at Paseo Caribbean for some Cuban sandwiches. This place was on the Best Thing I Ever Ate and from the look of all the awards on the door we were in for a treat. Mostly a takeout joint, Paseo only has a few seats in the restaurant and the line is usually down the block. We put in a healthy order for takeout and then waited with baited breath for our number to be called. Twenty minutes later we were in the car and smelling the wonderful sandwiches.

So what did we order you ask, well only half the menu. My list item was the Roast Pork Cuban but we also ordered the Spicy Prawns, Grilled Pork, Chicken, and the Midnight Cuban. The first thing you notice when you bite into any sandwich is the bread and this place uses some great bread. It is nice and crispy on the outside and firm enough to hold up to the aioli, the juicy pork, and the rest of the delicious toppings. Piping hot and messy as hell, these sandwiches were more than respectable.

I tried three sandwiches, the Roast, Midnight, and Prawns. My least favorite of the three were the prawns. We asked for the spiciest version but were very disappointed because the sandwich was bland. When serving prawns you really need to go light on the heavy sauces because the prawn flavor is drowned out. Paseo seems to put the same about of aioli on all the sandwiches which I think is unwise. The result on this sandwich was that all I tasted was mayo, onions, and bread. You would never have known that there were prawns in the dish especially because they were bland. I would not get that sandwich a second time, which is sad because I love prawns.

The runner up was the Roast Pork Cuban. The roast pork was delicious and this succulent, juicy pork could definitely hold up to the aioli and the other toppings. This was a three napkin sandwich which is always fun and the bread was awesome. You take the crunch of the bread and to melt in your mouth pork and combine them with caramelized onions and the aioli it really was a sandwich to remember. I truly enjoyed that sandwich.

So now let’s switch the jalapeños with banana peppers and add smoked ham and swiss cheese to the roast pork and we are in business. Take that sandwich and melt the cheese on a Panini press and you have the Midnight Cuban Press. Even though I would have preferred the jalapenos this sandwich was my favorite. How can you go wrong when adding a second type of pig to a sandwich and smother it in melty, gooey cheese? Jump it up to a four napkin sandwich for this one; I could have eaten a few of these no matter how much meat was on the sandwich. The best part was that the Panini press made the bread even crispier which contrasted beautifully with the cheese and aioli. What a great sandwich and only $8.95.

Next time you are in Seattle make a point to swing by Paseo Caribbean, you will not be disappointed. Try and show up after the lunch rush or you will be waiting a long time but trust me no matter when you go it is well worth the wait. Just a heads up, cash only!

Overall Rating: 8/10

Confectional

List Item: Quadruple Chocolate Cheesecake

Confectional is a shop in Pike's Place where you can get individual sized cheesecakes of different varieties. When you walk in you can smell the cakes because they cook them on site. I bought a Quadruple Chocolate and was not disappointed. The cake was so smooth and creamy, chocolaty and cheesy and just melted on the tongue. If you wanted a different texture you could peel back the wrapping and eat the crispy crust. This cheesecake was a perfect individual dessert and you can buy them in a freezer pack to take home. I would definitely recommend that you swing by Confectional every time you are at Pike's Place market and are in the mood for a truly delicious confection. Next they need to expand so you can actually sit down and enjoy your cheesecake fresh out of the case.

Rating 8/10

Etta's Seafood

List Items: Mussels, Tuna Sashimi, Crab Cakes

The one and only sit down list restaurant we ate at on this trip was Etta's Seafood. Esthetically, the restaurant was nothing special just a well put together and nice place with a sizable bar area. We sat down and I ordered a bloody mary which had a pickle in it instead of celery. A little different but a good addition. I tried to order everything off the list but they did not have the mussels which was a little disappointing.

Food wise, I ordered the tuna sashimi and a shrimp roll. My mom ordered the crab cakes and Virginia ordered the burger. The burger apparently took 15 minutes to make so I expected it to be wonderful but in reality it tasted like an ordinary burger. It was actually overcooked so maybe 15 minutes was a bit overzealous. The crab cakes which were on my list were a little odd. The best word I could think of was stringy. Instead of lumps of crab it seemed like they shredded the crab over a cheese grater. The texture of the cake was jarring and outweighed the wonderful fact that the cake had almost no filler. I really don't think that I would order the crab cakes a second time.

So now to my meal. The tuna sashimi, a list item, was really great. The crispy pita type bread was a great holder for the tuna and the wasabi. The soy marinade for the tuna made it a little salty and which was balanced out by the spiciness of the wasabi and the sweetness of the butter on the bread. A truly great appetizer which I was thankful for after the disappointing crab cakes. By far the best part of the meal was the shrimp roll. It appears that it is only on the brunch menu but this was a dish I would eat again. Just like the crab cakes, the shrimp roll was filled almost entirely with sweet shrimp. I truly appreciate a restaurant that knows not to add filler (Breadcrumbs) to its seafood dishes. The bread was toasted and crispy which always goes well with a savory and creamy shrimp filling. A great shrimp roll at a somewhat unremarkable restaurant.

Overall Etta's is not my favorite seafood restaurant in Seattle. In reality, it tries to hard to be upscale without the food chops to back it up. The biggest problem I had with the meal was the burger. How pretentious is it to say that you burger takes 15 minutes to make and then bring out an overcooked and mediocre dish. One that Virginia did not finish and I did not have them wrap up (A rare sight indeed). They didn't even give you ketchup to use on the waffle french fries. At its price point ~$35 per person, I would not go back. In a city with fantastic seafood, you can get it better for much much cheaper.

Rating: 5/10

Portage Bay

After a 10 mile run we felt that a great brunch place was necessary so we headed to Portage Bay. First of all they had the coolest food shirt ever. Quote on the back "Eat like you give a damn". To bad they are not selling them anymore. At noon on a Saturday it was a 45 minute wait for 7 people but we only waited about 25. The restaurant was very open, basically one big room. The bathrooms were funny with pictures of toilets from history but I digress. As you will see from the first picture, they had a huge toppings bar that came with any pancake or french toast order.

Now for the food. The menu looked exciting with fun items like cheesecake french toast and the rancher's breakfast. In addition they had items for gluten free and vegan diets. I ordered the rancher's breakfast which was 3 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and two pieces of challah french toast (and the toppings bar). I also ordered some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice which was refreshing. The rancher's breakfast was really good. The eggs were cooked well and the bacon was crispy but I could have gotten those items anywhere. The real star of the show was the french toast and the toppings bar. I covered my sweet and fluffy french toast with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and a few pears. The also had what looked to be homemade whipped cream which melted slowly on the toast and added a richness to the whole ensemble.

I admit that I was hungry but it was quite easy to finish that whole meal in less than 10 minutes. I was also introduced to organic ketchup and now ask the question, why does anyone eat the bright red and pathetic non-organic version? All in all Portage Bay was a fun, family friendly restaurant with some delicious and hearty food. I would go back again and try one of their hash options or a benedict. If you are looking for a brunch place in Seattle go to Portage Bay.

Rating: 8/10

Top Pot Doughnuts

This will be a quick review since we just picked up a dozen doughnuts and left. The restaurant looked nice and next time I will sit and stay. When we got home I tested a piece of each doughnut and I do admit they were pretty tasty. The list item was the pink feather boa doughnut which was frosted pink with a coconut topping. This doughnut was good but not the best one in the box. The best doughnut in my opinion was the simple glazed. It was light a fluffy with a sweet glaze. I do not eat many doughnuts but I could have eaten a few of these. My biggest recommendation which is true for all baked goods in my opinion is that you should get these fresh in the morning. Even great doughnuts age poorly in a few hours so next time I go it will be nice and early to get them hot and fresh.

Rating: 6/10

La Bete

Evan and I stopped in here for drinks and some small plate dishes. At first blush this high end restaurant was very cool. It was set up with the most open kitchen that I had seen before. You could sit up at the counter and watch the chefs cook your meal almost completely in front of you. The bar, where we sat, was a little behind the kitchen area so you could look down across the whole line and see everything that was going on. All in all this restaurant had a nice ambiance with a modern look and a very friendly staff. We sat down and ordered some drinks and I got a very well made martini.

Let's talk about the food. Since it was late, we only ordered a two items. First we got the salt and pepper chicken wings. The wings were tasty and well fried, nice and crispy and just enough grease. The unfortunate piece was that the wings did not have much meat on them so the flavor was really in the bones. At a restaurant like this it was a little odd to suck the bones of chicken wings. The other dish we ordered were the pork rinds. Evan said that these were recommended so I had high hopes. The reality was that the pickled onions were the best part of the dish. I admit that this was the first time I ever tried pork rinds but they tasted like nothing. I really didn't understand what I was eating, I had never eaten something that was a complete blank slate. I am unsure if I will ever eat pork rinds again but I was disappointed with this experience.

Overall, La Bete was a really nice place with some decent food. While eating and talking we saw many different dishes that I would be interested to try and Evan said he had eaten meals before that were wonderful. I plan to go back to this restaurant and try a full meal next time we are in town. Then I will be able to give it a full review.

Rating: 5/10