Archive
Tony’s Teriyaki and Pho -9/24/11
No Website
Location: 6315 15th Ave NW
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am-8pm
Saturday: 11am-7pm
As we enter the last few months of this project, J and I are forced to visit the, shall we say, sketchier restaurants in Ballard. Places we wouldn’t normally go to unless a friend claimed the food was amazing. We try to keep an open mind about these places with the hope that we’ll be pleasantly surprised. We had this in mind when we went to Tony’s Teriyaki on Saturday.
Tony’s Teriyaki is located on 15th, near Zesto’s. The building looks like it used to be diner or coffee shop. Square with a weird overhanging roof. The interior is just as plain. A few tables and chairs. A big cooler with canned soda. The menu of teriyaki, pho and other combos hangs above the order counter, written in faded, dry erase pen.
Although the place looked clean, neither J nor I felt like eating at there so we got our food to go.
The Service:
The woman at the order counter was friendly and our food came out relatively quick.
The Drinks:
J had a can of Coke while I finished off a bottle of red wine from Wednesday’s dinner at home.
The Food:
I chose a special combo, Beef Short-Ribs and Chicken Teriyaki with rice and a salad. This particular salad was tiny, too warm, made up of limp lettuce and carrots, and the dressing was flavorless, much like every other salad I’ve had in a teriyaki joint. Why do teriyaki joints need to add a salad to their entrees? The some of the portions for the rest of my combo were huge. Two big scoops of white rice and a ton of serviceable chicken teriyaki. The chicken pieces weren’t dry and were even slightly caramelized on the edges. The teriyaki sauce was okay as well. Not too sweet. The portion of beef short ribs was rather small and what was there was flavorless and tough.
J ordered the #18 Combo, Chicken Teriyaki with rice, salad, and 4 gyoza. The gyoza were overcooked bricks that barely finished two because they were so awful. He said he’s had better frozen gyoza. He didn’t particularly like the chicken teriyaki either, saying it was too dry. Not to mince words, “It sucked”.
The Price:
Beef Short-Ribs and Chicken Teriyaki: 8.25
Chicken Teriyaki and Gyoza: 7.50
The Verdict:
Frankly, Tony’s Teriyaki turned out to be exactly what we had assumed it would be when we first saw the place. Sub-par teriyaki. From the awful gyoza to the bland short-ribs and limp salad, nearly everything was either bad or terrible. For me, the only saving grace was the serviceable chicken teriyaki.
Needless to say, J and I won’t be returning to Tony’s Teriyaki … but at least one of the sketchier places has been crossed off the list.
Wingmasters Sports Bar & Grill – 9/23/11
No Website
Location: 5811 24th Ave NW
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11:30am-2am
Sat-Sun: 10am-2pm
Wingmasters Sports Bar & Grill felt like an old school sports bar. The type found all over the United States where the only things to tell you what city/state you’re in are the posters on the wall, the games on the TV, and the theme of the menu. Dark wood paneling. Worn and torn vinyl booths. A couple of pools tables. A big elk shooting game in one corner. Pull tabs at the bar and peanuts by the handful for a quarter from a defunct gumball machine. It’s the type of place that has a bunch of regulars who hang out at the bar, watching ball games. The night we visited, a college football game, a Mariner’s game, and a soccer game were showing on the multitude of TVs.
Wingmasters, as one can guess from the name, specializes in chicken wings, offered with a choice of sauces. The menu also includes the usual array of bar food, salads, burgers, and fish and chips along with beer and a full bar.
The Service:
Our server was the only one, other than the bartender, working so service was pretty slow. Once we had finished our meal, J eventually had to stand at the bar for a few minutes before being able to pay our bill since our server never came over to cash us out.
The Drinks:
I had a pint of Widmer Hefeweizen, which turned out to be rather smooth with very little bitterness. Quite nice, actually.
J ordered a Long Island Iced Tea, which packed a punch but had too much tequila.
The Food:
I chose the Buffalo Chicken Strips and Fries. The chicken strips were of uneven quality. Some were moist while others were bone dry. The Buffalo sauce tasted pretty good with a spiciness that crept up on me. I also liked the extra crispy breading that covered the strips. The French fries that weren’t directly under the chicken strips were crispy but as the fries cooled, they turned greasy and limp.
J ordered 12 Chicken Wings in Buffalo Sauce. It should be mentioned that J has been to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York where Buffalo wings originated, so his bar for chicken wings is set very high. He took issue with how the wings were made. It seemed like they poured the sauce in the bottom of the paper-lined basket, and then placed the wings in it, without tossing the wings in the sauce. He said the wings on top were too dry while the ones in the sauce were merely okay. He was not impressed.
The Price:
Widmer Hefeweizen: 4.25
Long Island Iced Tea: 8.00
Buffalo Chicken Strips and Fries: 7.95
12 Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce: 12.95
The Verdict:
There were a number of things about Wingmasters that didn’t impress us. The atmosphere of the place was very insular. J especially felt this when he went up to the bar to pay our tab. It took him a few minutes to get someone’s attention, and when he did he felt like he was intruding on a private club. The wings were really pricey for the quality and quantity. King’s Hardware offers tastier wings for a better price, especially on Mondays when wings are .28 cents apiece. Really the only thing that was good was my beer.
Neither of us sees a reason to go back to Wingmasters. We can get better wings elsewhere and I can get Widmer Hefeweizen at the grocery store.
For those who might be wondering, in J’s opinion Norm’s, in Fremont, offers chicken wings that are the closest to the Anchor Bar’s original Buffalo wings.
Kelly O’Briens – 9/18/11 – Closed
Location: 5410 17th Ave NW
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 4pm-2am
Sat-Sun: 12pm-2am
Tucked in a tiny space in the shadow of the Leva condos, Kelly O’Briens is one of the few bars located at the east end of Market street. It’s an Irish bar complete with Irish football jerseys, flags, and posters on the walls and a menu that includes shepherd’s pie and fish and chips. Along one wall is a huge, wood bar and on the other is high benches giving the place a cozy, pub feel.
The Service:
The bartender/server/owner? gets brownie points for commenting on J’s D&D t-shirt, having played Vampire: The Masquerade and reading fantasy authors like George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss. Service was friendly and quick.
The Drinks:
I ordered a cider, which turned out to be a Magner’s Irish Cider. Not one of my favorites since I prefer a dry cider to a sweet one.
J, as usual, chose a Long Island Iced Tea. After a sip, he said it was more like a Long Island Lemonade. J liked the lemonade quality but it just wasn’t a true Long Island.
The Food:
I had the Shepherd’s Pie, ground lamb, peas, onion, and carrots topped with mashers. The tidy bowl of shepherd’s pie came out piping hot and remained so throughout our meal. The mashed potatoes were a bit dry and not nearly buttery enough for my taste. The stew part, though, was pretty good, with lots of lamb. The rich gravy needed a little salt due to the sweetness of the lamb and nowhere near as greasy as other shepherd’s pie I’ve tried … The Old Pequliar, I’m looking at you.
J ordered the Fish and Chips, Guinness battered cod with batter tossed French fries. The cod was merely okay in both flavor and portion size. The fries, on the other hand, were great. Hand-cut potatoes tossed in a little batter to give them extra crispness. Crunchy on the outside and creamy inside.
The Price:
Magner’s Irish Cider: 4.00
Long Island Iced Tea: 8.50
Shepherd’s Pie: 8.00
Fish and Chips: 8.00
The Verdict:
We really liked the neighborhood bar feel to Kelly O’Briens even though the food was just typical pub fare. We’ve had better and worse in Ballard. They could definitely improve on some of the food … J likes the fish at Market Arms better … But the French fries were great.
Considering that Kelly O’Briens is nearer to our apartment than most of Ballard’s bars, we’ll go back at some point. J and I are curious about the happy hour menu which includes a few items, like mini corn dogs, curry fries, and lamb sliders, not found elsewhere in Ballard. And the bartender is a fantasy, gamer dude, which automatically gives the place extra points in our book.
Golden Beetle – 9/16/11
Location: 1744 NW Market St
Hours:
Sun-Thurs: 5pm-11pm (Kitchen closes at 10)
Fri-Sat: 5pm-12am (Kitchen closes at 10:30)
Brunch:
Sat-Sun: 10am-2pm
Happy Hour:
5-6
For our monthly “nice” dinner, J decided we should try Golden Beetle, one of the newest high end restaurants in Ballard. Located in a space that has been home to at least 2 or 3 restaurants before being vacant for a couple of years, Golden Beetle is the second restaurant of local chef, Maria Hines. Her first restaurant, Wallingford’s Tilth, has earned national acclaim for its organic and locally sourced menu. Hines has garnered a James Beard award and is one of the few challengers to have won on “Iron Chef America”.
Golden Beetle reflects Hines’ interest in the cuisine of the Mid-East and Mediterranean. Ingredients and spices like goat, lamb, sumac, harissa, and preserved lemon are cooked using indigenous methods. The full bar uses house made infused alcohol and bitters. They also offer a weekend brunch with some interesting options you don’t see everyday.
A word to the wise, Golden Beetle is, as J puts it, “the new hotness” in Ballard so getting a table without a reservation may take some patience. J and I waited 15 minutes before we were seated in the bar section. We were told that on busy nights, such as the Friday we visited, only a few tables in the bar area are saved for walk-ins. It’s a relatively small space with a subdued Mediterranean themed décor and packed with tables.
The Service:
As I said, we had to wait to be seated, which was to be expected on a Friday evening. J eventually had to ask someone how long the wait would be since he hadn’t been told when he gave the hostess his name. Once we were seated, our server was friendly if a little distracted. Considering how packed the place was, our food came out rather quickly.
The Drink:
Golden Beetle offers an interesting array of specialty cocktails so J and I ordered from the cocktail menu rather than having wine.
I chose the Kirsch Sour, Bulliet bourbon, kirschwasser and cherry. A perfectly mixed cocktail, in which I could taste each ingredient. The sweetness of the bourbon complimented the tart cherry. I’m contemplating making my own version at home since it was so good.
J ordered the Swashbuckling Sangree, Flor de Cana aged rum, simple syrup, lemon, Golden Beetle spiced bitters, and port. He declared it “the best cocktail I’ve had during the project so far”. All the flavors melded perfectly so it tasted like true sangria.
The Food:
We chose three appetizers to get a sense of Golden Beetle’s small bites.
First, the Muhammara Dip, walnut, pomegranate molasses, and extra virgin olive oil. An interesting mélange of flavors. It was almost like a walnut butter with a strong punch of pomegranate and just a hint of spiciness. Interesting but, as is usually the case, they didn’t offer enough pita for dipping.
I chose the next appetizer, the Grilled Halloumi Cheese, halloumi cheese, padron peppers, sea salt and peppermint. I liked this better than J, who was put off by the squeaky texture of the cheese. Even though the grilled halloumi was a bit over-burnt in places, I still liked the salty flavor and the hint of peppermint. The bland padron peppers were improved when dipped in a little sea salt.
The final appetizer was the best. Kibbeh, ground lamb, date sauce, and eggplant relish. Awesome. We easily could’ve have eaten a full plate of these and gone home happy. These lamb stuffed falafels were delicious. Moist lamb. Crunchy exterior without being tough. The date sauce added a perfect note of sweetness. I’m not usually a fan of eggplant but the relish went really well with the meatballs.
For an entrée I ordered the Chicken Bisteeya, braised chicken, carrots, and potatoes in phyllo, topped with mushrooms. The chicken in the phyllo was quite good on its own. Flakey phyllo. Moist chicken with just a hint of Mid-eastern spice. The cinnamon sprinkled around the edge of the plate mixed with the chicken quite nicely. However, the mushrooms threw the entire dish off with their overwhelming vinegar flavor. I ended up pushing them to the side, uneaten. I would have loved this dish if not for the mushrooms.
J had the Goat Tagine, a goat stew with apricot, couscous, and walnut. Although he felt the portion was rather small, he really liked this dish. Except for one large piece, the goat was cooked perfectly. Moist. Rich. All the component parts harmonized when eaten together. The sweetness of the apricot worked well with the onion and the slightly gamey goat. He commented, while eating, that he could easily imagine having a similar dish at someone’s home in the mid-east.
The Price:
Kirsch Sour: 10.00
Swashbuckling Sangree: 10.00
Muhammara Dip: 3.00
Grilled Halloumi: 8.00
Lamb Meatballs/Kibbeh: 11.00
Chicken Bisteeya: 20.00
Goat Tagine: 24.00
The Verdict:
Golden Beetle was good but should have been better for the price. The drinks, kibbeh, and J’s entrée were great but J felt the portion sizes left something to be desired. We’ve been to a good number of high-end restaurants in Seattle and elsewhere in the US and, for the same price, have had better and larger meals.
I felt the quality was uneven. A few good items, a couple so-so ones, and my disappointing entrée. I would expect the quality to be more consistent now that they’ve been open for over six months … especially for the price.
Having said that, J and I will most likely return to Golden Beetle for happy hour or brunch. The cocktails were outstanding. I’d like to try some of the other small bites and the weekend brunch menu includes some intriguing items … especially the spiced donuts.
Snoose Junction Pizzeria – 9/12/11 – Closed
Location: 2305 NW Market St
Hours:
Sun-Thurs: 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am – 3am
Within the boundaries and rules of this project, there are really only two pizza joints in Ballard, Flying Squirrel and Snoose Junction. Sure, places like Palermo and Zayda Buddy’s offer pizza on their menus but it isn’t the main thing. So when J and I decided we felt like pizza for dinner, we chose Snoose Junction so we could declare our favorite pizza in Ballard … kind of a foregone conclusion.
Snoose Junction is located on Market Street right next door to India Bistro. The non-nonsense interior includes a few wooden booths and a couple long picnic tables in the front seating area. There are a few more tables and chairs in the back area along with a couple of pinball machines and a wall of gig posters from Seattle’s heyday in the music world.
Snoose, especially in the back seating area, is not a quiet restaurant. Something about the acoustics magnifies everything. Music. Pinball machines. Any sort of noise above normal speaking level. If you want a quiet dinner, I’d suggest going elsewhere.
Along with a large menu of specialty and build-your-own pizzas, Snoose offers appetizers beyond the usual breadsticks, salads, calzones and Panini. They have a couple of good lunch specials as well. Soda, wine and beer, both on tap and bottled, are available.
Honestly, possibly the best thing about Snoose Junction are their weekend hours. On Friday and Saturday nights, they are one of the few … if not only … places in Ballard open until 3am. It’s a perfect place to grab a late night slice after Ballard’s many bars have closed.
The Service:
Our server was very friendly and helpful. She turned down the music when we started to move because it was so loud. After I ordered wine, she noticed the cork was askew and came back to make sure it tasted okay. Also, the pizza came out very quickly.
The Drinks:
J chose a bottle of Wyder’s Pear Cider, which he said was okay, and very “Peary”.
I ordered a glass of Naked Grape Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine turned out to be very mild with a slightly sweet flavor. Not bad.
The Food:
In order to bring some variety to the review, we opted for a specialty pizza with each half being different.
The half I chose was the Aglio di Capra, mushrooms, roasted garlic cloves, goat cheese, and fresh tomatoes on a garlic oil base. I liked this half quite a bit. The garlic oil base gave the crust a salty, garlicky flavor that was subtle. The huge roasted garlic cloves were a neat addition but they were just too big and completely overwhelmed the other flavors. I set the bigger of the cloves aside most of the time. The goat cheese was a nice alternative to the usual pizza cheeses but I wish it had been a bit stronger. Both J and I were impressed, though, by the fresh and not at all mushy tomatoes.
J chose the Porcellino, prosciutto, provolone and red onions on a tomato base, for his half. He felt it was a “serviceable” pizza but I wasn’t all that thrilled. The red onions could have been distributed better. Instead they were clumped together in overly sweet piles. The prosciutto was bland and, oddly enough, too fatty for my taste.
The Price:
Wyder’s Pear Cider: 4.00
Naked Grape Cabernet Sauvignon: 7.00
½ Aglio di Capra: 12.00
½ Porcellino: 12.00
The Verdict:
Snoose Junction does have a number of things to recommend it. Their specialty pizzas, with fresh ingredients and a good crust, are certainly better than Domino’s or Papa Johns. They do bike deliveries in Ballard, which is nice when you’re too lazy to leave the house. And being open until 3am on weekends is not only a good move financially, but a slice is a good option for after hour’s munchies. It’s not bad pizza …
But it’s just not as good as Flying Squirrel Pizza at the Sunset Tavern. Their pizza is sublime and a far better deal. For the price of our pizza and drinks at Snoose, we could have easily ordered either an appetizer or a couple extra drinks at Flying Squirrel.
Yes, we’ll order pizza from Snoose again. Their hours are far better than Flying Squirrel and the fact that they deliver mean we will be repeat customers but we both agree that we feel a bit of relief having finally reviewed Snoose Junction if only so we can go back to Flying Squirrel for our pizza fix without feeling guilty.
O’shan Sushi – 9/3/11
Location: 5809 24th Ave NW
Hours:
Tues-Sat: 4:30pm-9:30pm
Sunday: 4:30pm-9pm
Since it was warmer than usual early Saturday evening, J and I decided we wanted sushi for dinner. I looked at the Ballard restaurant list on our fridge and realized we could finish off the sushi restaurants in Ballard by choosing O’shan Sushi.
O’shan Sushi, located on 24th Avenue, looks like the tiny sushi bars I’ve seen on travel programs. Limited seating. Shoji screens on the walls. Large bottles of sake wrapped in white rice paper lining one part of the bar. Dark wood. Soothing blue walls. It really is an atmospheric, romantic little place.
They offer a surprisingly large menu of Japanese food for such a small space. A long list of appetizers. A few dinner plates like yakisoba and udon. And sushi menu with many unique roll options. Our interest was immediately piqued by the choices.
The Service:
Our server was friendly and fast even though she was the only person working the quickly filling restaurant.
The Drink:
I ordered a small glass of Kurosawa Kimoto Junmai, a crisp, refreshing sake with fruity undertones of melon and berry. Very nice.
J chose the House Cold Sake which he declared was “Passable.”
The Food:
The sushi roll choices at O’shan were so varied and interesting that rather than ordering our usual gyoza appetizer and two rolls, we opted for three sushi rolls.
First, the O’shan Roll, spicy salmon and cucumber topped with albacore, avocado, house ponzu sauce, and scallions. The server had described this roll as being topped with “seared tuna” so we expected the tuna to be obviously seared. Instead it was more like a lit match was held above the roll for a couple of seconds. Just the faintest sear. J found the tuna to be slimy while I just thought it completely lacked flavor. Not the best roll.
Next, the Tuna Poke Roll, tempura fried scallion and cucumber topped with tuna, avocado, and sweet chili sauce. This roll had the same issue as the first. Slimy, flavorless fish. The weird, tempura fried scallion were too slippery to eat. And until I re-read the description, I honestly thought the sweet chili sauce was a melon sauce. It didn’t have any chili flavor and was far too sweet. Not a good roll either.
Finally, the Salmon Skin Roll, crispy salmon skin, gobo, avocado, kaiware, and cucumber. The best roll of the three. The crunchy texture was fairly tasty change from the limp, sliminess of the previous rolls. The flavors melded well. Another reason for preferring this roll is because it had the least amount of O’shan’s sushi rice.
Overall, the rice at O’shan was not good. Gummy to the point of almost being like glue. Horrible texture. The rice was also way too sweet. So sweet, in fact, that the cloying sweetness interfered with the flavors of the rolls. Even the salmon skin roll, that we actually liked, tasted too sweet. Since rice is the foundation of sushi rolls, if the rice is bad then the roll can’t be saved … unless it has a minimum amount of rice.
The Price:
Kurosawa Kimoto Junmai Sake: 7.00
House Cold Sake: 8.00
O’shan Roll: 10.50
Tuna Poke Roll: 12.00
Salmon Skin Roll: 5.00
The Verdict:
O’shan Sushi turned out to be a real disappointment. We had high hopes when we walked in. The atmosphere is lovely, calm and romantic. The service was good. My sake, at least, was tasty and refreshing. But none of that changes the fact that the sushi did not taste good. Gummy rice. Flavorless, slimy fish. Weird textures. The bad rolls overwhelmed the positive impression we had of O’shan.
Even though we really liked the feel of O’shan, unless someone tells us the food has improved, we won’t be back.
Now that we have eaten at all four of Ballard’s sushi restaurants (Shiku, Moshi Moshi, Sam’s Sushi, and O’shan), J and I feel that we’re ready to declare our favorite sushi restaurant in Ballard.
We agree that our favorite sushi place is Shiku. Great atmosphere. Tasty gyoza. Huge rolls. A rotation of interesting specials. Fresh, flavorful fish. The best Long Island Iced Tea (so far) and the neatest women’s restroom in Ballard.
Moshi Moshi comes in a very close second for their great Happy Hour menu. I would Sam’s Sushi is third for the size of their rolls and the price. O’shan gets fourth place only because their rolls were not good.
The Counter – 9/2/11 – Closed
Location: 4609 14th Ave NW
Hours:
Sun-Thurs: 11-9
Fri-Sat: 11-10
On our continuing search for the best burger in Ballard, J and I stopped in at The Counter, one of the newest of Ballard’s burger joints.
The Counter is a national gourmet burger restaurant located in the Ballard Blocks, next to Trader Joe’s. It’s large, open interior is sparse with white walls, metal chairs and tables and a bar along the far wall.
They specialize in burgers with gourmet ingredients. When you order, you’re given the choice between constructing your own burger from a list of meats, cheeses, veggies, sauces and buns or pre-constructed burgers. They also offer various styles of French fries, soda, a full bar and milkshakes.
The Service:
J and I were there for a late lunch so there were very few people in The Counter. Our server was friendly, helpful and the burgers came out pretty quickly.
The Drinks:
Both J and I chose bottles of Ace Apple Cider, a crisp, dry hard cider that is one of our favorites.
The Food:
As an appetizer, I chose the Fried Dill Pickle Chips, thick sliced dill pickles dipped in a corn meal batter then fried with an apricot sauce on the side. I liked the idea of fried slices of dill pickle as opposed to the fried dill spears I’ve had at the People’s Pub but the batter was too thick and a little tough. The molten hot slices kept sliding out of the batter coating and burning our chins. The dipping sauce was nothing special. In fact, I ended up dipping the dill chips in the sauce that came with my burger instead.
French fries come a la carte at The Counter so J ordered the Parmesan Fries, shoestring French fries tossed with Parmesan, rosemary, parsley, and garlic aioli. Fabulous. Amazing. The huge pile of fries were brought to us on a large, hot plate that kept the fries hot for longer than I expected. Tossing the garlic aioli, herbs, and cheese with the still hot fries was a brilliant idea that made sure that each fry was coated with salty, cheesy goodness. We are already planning on returning to The Counter for a drink and these fries sometime in the future.
I chose the Market Select Signature Burger, a 1/3 lb. lamb burger topped with fried pepperocinis, roasted red pepper and feta spread, mixed baby greens, red onion, tomato and tzatziki. A pretty good burger. The delicious lamb patty was so juicy that it squirted juice all over my shoulder with the first bite. The fried pepperocinis were and interesting addition like spicy onion rings. The tzatziki sauce tasted clean and refreshing with notes of dill. While the roasted pepper and feta spread was okay, I thought it could’ve been executed better with a couple of slices of roasted pepper and chunks of feta. The toasted bun wasn’t quite sturdy enough to stay together through the entire meal though. Next time I might choose a heartier bun or go with their “burger in a bowl” option.
J ordered the Counter Burger, a 1/3 lb. beef patty topped with provolone, crispy onion strings, lettuce blend, sautéed mushrooms, and tomato with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. The patty had a good beef flavor that stood up well to all the toppings. J liked the use of the lettuce blend rather than a full lettuce leaf because the blend kept the burger together rather than sliding all over the place.
The Price:
2 Bottles of Ace Cider: 4.25 ea.
Fried Dill Pickle Chips: 4.29
Parmesan Fries: 5.29
Market Select Signature Burger: 11/49
The Counter Burger: 10.79
The Verdict:
The Counter offers a darn good burger. The meat and toppings were fresh and very flavorful. The Parmesan fries alone will bring us back. They were that awesome. The Counter also offers something called “Adult Shakes”, which I assume are milkshakes with liquor in them. I am intrigued by this idea …
J still likes the burger he had at Hamburger Harry’s better but I preferred The Counter’s Greek style burger. We both think King’s Hardware has the best burger in Ballard so far but the best French fries, so far, are at The Counter.
Ballard Restaurant News – August
It seemed like there was quite a bit of Ballard restaurant news in August so I thought I would gather it into one post.
Seattle Weekly is having a Neighborhood Snack Down, pitting the restaurants of differing Seattle neighborhood against one another. Check their website to keep track of Ballard’s standing.
Ballard’s Walrus & Carpenter made Bon Appetit magazine’s list of Best New Restaurants, coming in at #3.
It looks like Bad Albert’s (one of our favorite places in Ballard) will reopen soon. They seem to be renovating the interior.
The owner of Cafe Mox, Dan Tharp, is the focus of a Chow Bio in The Stranger.
Renovation at Red Mill Totem House is moving along. They hope to be open sometime this month.
Benito’s Chicago Eatery is coming to 15th Avenue this month.
A new Cuban food truck has been sighted in Ballard. Even though food trucks aren’t counted in the Ballard Restaurant Project, I’ll post a short review whenever I try their food.
The Sexton, where Madame K’s used to be, looks like they may actually open. The window has been painted with their name and “2011” so they’d better open before the end of the year.
And Sunny Teriyaki is open once more.
Pho Than Brothers – 8/29/11
Location: 2021 NW Market St
Hours:
Mon-Sun: 11am-9pm
After a hectic weekend spent Downtown at the Penny Arcade Expo (Pax), J and I finally managed to squeeze in a Ballard restaurant. Since we mostly ate heavy food … burgers, Mexican, etc … we opted for pho at Pho Than Brothers for lunch on Monday.
Pho Than Brothers is a local chain located on Market Street, in the same strip mall as Thai Thani. In a spare, bright dining space, they serve only one thing, Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup. Each huge bowl comes with a plate of condiments (bean sprouts, Vietnamese basil, jalapeno peppers, lime) and a cream puff.
Time for a bit of honesty. Both J and I have tried pho and neither of us has ever been that impressed. J prefers the thicker noodles of Japanese udon and, other than Greek avgolemono soup, I’m not much of a soup person but we were willing, for the sake of this project, to give pho another try.
The Service:
Astonishingly fast.
The Drinks:
J ordered a can of Moutain Dew (aka Gamer Fuel), having not had enough at Pax.
I chose the Hot Chrysanthemum Tea that was quite nice with a honey sweet, floral flavor.
The Food:
J had the Pho Bo Vien, rice noodle soup with meatballs and extra noodles. Once he added an array of condiments, including plum and Sriracha sauce, he felt the broth was quite nice. However, the “meatballs” tasted more like slices of vaguely meat-flavored sponges than a traditional meatball. Their texture was very unappetizing.
I ordered the Pho Bo Tai Chin, rice noodle soup with sliced eye-round and brisket. Before adding the same condiments as J, I found the broth to be rather flavorless. It seems like the broth is a canvas for the other flavors to mingle. Once the additions were made, the doctored broth was the best thing about my bowl of pho. At least my choice of meat actually tasted like meat. The brisket was tender but lacked flavor, as did the thin slices of eye-round.
The cream puffs were okay. The sugary cream filling overwhelmed the rather light puff part.
The Price:
Can of Mountain Dew: 1.00
Hot Chrysanthemum Tea: 1/25
Medium Pho Bo Vien with extra noodles: 6.35
Medium Pho Bo Tai Chin: 5.75
The Verdict:
Pho Than Brothers did nothing to change our opinion of pho. The flavorless meat and weird texture of the meatballs overwhelmed the tasty (doctored) broth. Neither of us plans on returning to Pho Than Brothers, especially since pho is the only thing on the menu.
That being said, on some cold, winter night, I may give pho another chance … at Monkey Bridge where I know they use high quality ingredients.
Ballard Restaurant Project 