Seattle WA and Victoria BC, Canada
Seattle's very much like San Francisco. Hills, beautiful water, interesting neighborhoods....and hideous traffic with confusing one-way streets everywhere. Yes, a lot of similarities, LOL.
I have relatives here, so have made eleven visits in the last thirty years. Seattle has grown tremendously in that time. Victoria BC makes an effort to remain the same, although my three visits there show some changes there, too.
In September 2010, Carlos and I signed up for an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle. We chose to drive up and back, putting almost two thousand miles on the car as we traveled around for 5-1/2 weeks. We finally returned home in late October 2010, after a wonderful trip. Details are on the "Pacific Northwest" page of our travel blog, http://notares.yolasite.com/
Double-click the active links for the full review, then use the back arrow to return.
Port Angeles WA/Puget Sound
Nisqually Bar & Grill, Olympia WA - It's a bar with pool tables. But those hot wings and fried mushrooms are way above average, and worth stopping for.
Wildfire Grill, Port Angeles WA - Generous portions of bistro food that's a lot more interesting than the tired usual stand-bys this town has always offered before. No reservations, though.
Seattle WA
We loved:
Andaluca (downtown) - Traditional tapas with a spicier kick than usual. Great service and complimentary valet parking, a real plus in this crowded city
Cascina Spinasse (Capitol Hill) - A tie with Olivar for the best on Capitol Hill. Terrific Italian with a creative twist that enhances, never detracts from the overall dish.
Crush (Capitol Hill) - CA prices from a CA-trained chef, this is no neighborhood casual bistro. Despite the location, this is a Canlis competitor. Upscale, expensive, amazing food with superb service.
Dahlak Ethiopian (Beacon Hill) - Excellent Ethiopian just over the hill east of Boeing. We made a return visit in 2010 and found the food just as good, for the exact same price. Nothing short of amazing, a real bargain.
Lola (downtown) - Breakfast was a delight, and we'll look forward to coming back. High-quality comfort food.
Olivar (Capitol Hill) - CLOSED
Palisade (Ballard) - For a solidly reliable Sunday brunch, Palisade offers a great waterside view, excellent service, and decent food at a reasonable price. What's not to like?
We hated:
Dilettante Mocha Cafe (Capitol Hill) - A disappointment after the excellent mochas from the SeaTac location, our experience was sabotaged by a sloppy barista.
The Georgian @Fairmont Hotel (downtown) - This ties with 301 in Eureka CA as the worst meal of our Pacific NW trip. In over a month's worth of nightly dining out, this beautiful classic dining room offered wildly uneven food, strange combinations, and the same "I-don't-care" service that Heathman/Portland did.
North Hill Bakery (Capitol Hill) - Can't see what the fuss is all about on this place. A serviceable bakery, but much of it was barely average, certainly not remarkable enough to warrant a 4-star rating on Yelp. Way below the level of St. Honore/Portland and Parker-Lusseau/Monterey.
Victoria BC, Canada
Albion Manor B&B - Not a restaurant, but the best breakfast, hands-down, we've ever gotten, anywhere. Innkeeper Don is an amazing cook!
Bon Rouge Bistro - Marvelous food was completely undermined by the world's worst waiter
Chocolat Chocolatier - Wonderful chocolate drinks and high quality dark chocolate truffles/creams
Matisse - Lovely, upscale French bistro, with service as good as the food.
