Nosh Pit

Fatty’s Corner Pizzeria Opens in Greenwood

East-Coast style pies, subs, cannoli, etc.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 24, 2010 at 08:35AM 0 Comments

A few weeks ago, Fatty’s Corner Pizzeria opened quietly at 10401A Greenwood Way. The pizzas come in one size: large (18 inches), and will run you between $15 dollars (for a cheese pie) and $23 (for a pie with six toppings of your choice.)

Also on the menu: salads, wings, “bombers” (subs), calzones, etc.

For desserts there is ice cream from Husky Deli, awesome, and cannolis.

Let’s see if Fatty’s ends up being the best East Coast-pizza place in Seattle. Because frankly, the competition is pretty gradual (the opposite of steep.)

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Tags: Cheap Eats, Pizza, Greenwood, East Coast Foods

Baguette Box Lowers Prices

Now all sandwiches cost less than $8.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jun 14, 2010 at 02:12PM 0 Comments

Now cheaper.

I’ve really been hoping that when the time came to report on Baguette Box again, it would be to announce another outpost for the sandwich shop.

Unfortunately, nothing to report on that front, but I do offer other good news. The already-cheap banh mi counter recently softened its prices. The price drops are nothing dramatic—70 cents here, 40 cents there—but it does put all of the sandwiches at less than $8, and most of them under $7. Especially of note here is the braised berkshire pork belly. It used to ring up at $8.20; now, it’s $6.90.

Wonder if this has anything to do with Homegrown moving in around the corner?

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Tags: Bargain Bites, Cheap Eats, Lunch, Sandwiches

Monday Night Dinner Specials at Art of the Table, Fresh Bistro, and Spring Hill

Good reasons abound for going out on Mondays.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 07, 2010 at 02:53PM 0 Comments

Monday night is spaghetti night at Spring Hill, unless you opt for the family-style-for-four fried chicken special. To partake of the latter, you’ll need to reserve in advance. Way in advance.

Every Monday night at Dustin Ronspies’ Art of the Table you can partake of a well-priced small plates selection, plus $26 bottles of wine, $5 wines by the glass, and $3 beers. Learn more about it here.

And Monday means Wagyu steak night at Fresh Bistro in West Seattle. The dinners cost $15, $16, or $18, depending which cut you chose, and that price includes sides. Here’s the menu.

Then there is the ever-popular fried-chicken-for-four menu every Monday at Spring Hill. Two crispy-crusted birds, herbed dumplings with Beecher’s cheese, mashed potatoes, and jalapeno cornbread are all part of the $80 deal. Don’t expect to just show up and start crunching away, however: The weekly dinner is so popular you have to reserve way in advance.

A more impromptu option is the $10 Monday pasta special. You receive a heaping bowl of red or white spaghetti (there is a meatball sandwich option for the same price) accompanied by garlic bread. Here is Spring Hill’s Monday-night menu.

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Tags: Wine, Cheap Eats, Deals

Cheap Date: Baguette

Seats or no seats, the new banh mi stand is worth a visit.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Mar 31, 2010 at 02:10PM 7 Comments

The chicken is sautéed in ginger.

Baguette doesn’t offer much in the way of atmosphere. Nestled under the sign of C.C. Attle’s, the just-opened banh mi bar operates behind rolled-up doors in the former BTG Coffee space. Cars whiz perilously close to the Madison Street sidewalk on which you’re waiting. There isn’t a place to sit.

That’s okay, you’re here for the sandwiches.

Slightly warmed, chewy baguettes like the In House Favorite bulge with three types of Vietnamese ham, barbecue pork, and spiced pork pate; or for the veggie crowd, vegetarian ham and chicken and mushroom pate. Let’s not forget the dressings: pickled daikon and carrots, jalapenos, a garlic pepper and soy sauces, cucumber, and cilantro.

All sandwiches—there are six on the menu—cost $4. Each one is made according to this bold claim: “Our BIG sandwiches have 2x the filling than most Vietnamese sandwiches—2 of theres [sic] or one of ours.” Those at Baguette Box, the Hill’s other noted banh spot, actually are a tad plumper, but points do go to Baguette for length, which rival that of a foot-long sub.

Right now Baguette is only open Mon-Fri 11am-2pm (or until supplies run out), but the owner is hoping to soon expand hours. There is also talk of serving lunch box sets.

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Tags: Bargain Bites, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Cheap Eats, Cheap Date

Dumplings at Dumpling Dojo

$10 buys you five jumbo meat parcels, seared to order.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 29, 2010 at 12:44PM 2 Comments

When a Chinese friend of mine moved back in with her parents after college, I went to visit her in their apartment on the millionth floor of a beige highrise near NYC’s Port Authority. We went out big the night I got there, but what I remember most about that trip was that her mom greeted us, at around 5:30 in the morning, with a plate of 25 pork dumplings and two glasses of orange juice, and that the juice glasses had paper towels placed flat on top of them.

My friend made a barf-me face, grabbed her paper towel-shrouded juice, and went back to bed. But I couldn’t be so rude, so I sat down at the dining room table by myself and picked up a pair of chopsticks. As the sun rose over Manhattan that morning, I showed that heaping plate of dumplings who was boss.*

The lesson I learned from that was this: it is never to early in the day, and one can never be too underslept and still-drunk, for homemade dumplings.

Unfortunately Dumpling Dojo, the pop-up—that means temporary—restaurant on Broadway in the former Siam space at 616 Broadway E, doesn’t open until 5:30pm. But it’s worth the wait. Owner Uyen Pham pan-fries her meat-and-veggie-filled parcels to order. They’re delightfully crispy and fresh, about three times the size of your typical sushi-bar gyoza and with none of the flavor loss brought on by freezer fatigue. An order of five costs $10. Choose from six varieties including shrimp, beef lemongrass, wild mushroom, and pork, and two dipping sauces: soy sesame or chimichurri. You can opt to have your dumplings “souped” instead of pan-seared.

*I was boss.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Cheap Eats, Dumplings

What’s a Liege Waffle?

And was it sent to Seattle to bewitch us?

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Mar 24, 2010 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

A co-worker just popped into my office to tell me about her breakfast this morning: A Liege waffle from Sweet Iron downtown. Place opened on Third and Seneca last year.

Actually she didn’t even open her mouth: Her glazed, beatific expression did the talking.

Once she regained her composure she mumbled something about the goat cheese and pistachio waffle…its sinking toothsomeness, like a good Danish…its gentle sweetness, almost like brioche…its sugar-crisped edges…its many sibling varieties, from strawberries and whipped cream to caramel-drizzled bruleed banana.

Not caramel-drizzled bruleed banana, I sighed. Mercy.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a Belgian waffle; an even longer while since I’ve been to the actual place called Liege, in Belgium, land of Charlemagne and, well…Belgian waffles.

Won’t take quite as long to get to Third and Seneca, however. Care to join?

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Tags: new, Cheap Eats, Food Finds, waffles

How Far Does $15 Get You at a French Restaurant?

At La Côte Crêperie, very far.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Mar 10, 2010 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

Crepes are delightful little things, aren’t they? So Euro, so subtly filling, so delicate.

There’s no shortage of food shops serving ’em in Seattle, and of these, La Côte Crêperie sure is a gem. Positioned on E Madison St, it’s a stone’s throw from Mad Valley’s other French staples, Rover’s and Voila! Bistrot. But unlike them, La Côte is cheap. And especially so after 5pm.

Here’s the deal: Order a glass of red or white wine, choose from the soup of the day or a salad, and pick any savory crepe off the menu. The bill? A bargain: $15.

The special runs Tuesday-Saturday until close, but several words to the wise. The crêperie stops serving at 5pm on Sundays, but ask for the $15 fixed menu before that and you’re likely to get it anyways. If you’re thinking of popping in late on other nights, call ahead. When it’s slow La Côte’s been known to close shop early. How Euro.

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Tags: Bargain Bites, Cheap Eats

Cheap Date: Roast Chicken for Two

You’ll have to wait an hour for the feast, but this Cafe Presse specialty is worth it.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Mar 04, 2010 at 10:00AM 1 Comments

In the back is where it’s at.

When it’s the middle of the week, and the days have been long, and you need to ditch reality for a few, go to Café Presse. Request to sit in the back, where the narrow bank of tables is beset by cascading, candle-lined windows. Order the whole roasted chicken for two. Order it as soon as you sit. Because, as is stated on the menu in underlined letters, it takes one hour to cook. To the weary traveler, this seems like a long time, almost not worth it.

But it is, and it’s not when you have a pichet of red wine, which can cost as little as $14, and a frisée salad with beets, bleu cheese, and pear. All finished? Ask for a demi-pichet, which starts at $7 and gets you two more (generous) glasses of wine, then nibble on the eye candy: a fashionably boho bunch of servers who wear Euro-waif in that only-in-Seattle way. If this tasty scene doesn’t, hearty baguettes will hold you over until the chicken finally arrives.

When it does, your server brings two ramekins filled with seasoned mayo. Ask for four. Gluttonous, yes, but also necessary to soften the salted crunch of pomme frites against the insanely tender chicken, which is conveniently apportioned for two, and, at $26, is a ridiculous deal.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Cheap Eats, Cheap Date

Another Burger Joint Comes to Ballard

Seattle Burger Co celebrates its grand opening on Wednesday, March 10, but you can try one of the bargain-priced burgers today.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 02, 2010 at 01:19PM 2 Comments

Nine days ago Ballard’s newest burger joint, the Seattle Burger Co, opened softly at 2008 NW 56th Street. Today owner William Wen reports the restaurant has “ironed out the kinks” and is ready for its grand opening next Wednesday, March 10.

In a neighborhood replete with burger joints, Wen says his burgers stand out not only for quality ingredients like Tillamook cheese and ground chuck from Oregon, but also their “aggressive” low prices. Those prices range from $3.85 to $6.59 for beef, veggie, and chicken burgers augmented with lettuce and tomato, peppered bacon, wasabi mayo and sweet teriyaki sauce, and other such edible accoutrements.

Seattle Burger Co also serves shakes, floats, fries, and onion rings. Stop by and see how it compares to the likes of Zak’s, The Counter, Lunchbox Lab, and all the others.

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Tags: Hamburgers, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Cheap Eats, Ballard

Cheap Date: Naam

Finally! An afforable Thai restaurant hired an interior designer.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 11, 2010 at 09:00AM 2 Comments

Photo courtesy yelp.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Photo courtesy yelp.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Photo courtesy yelp.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The kee mao noodles.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

God knows there’s no shortage of Thai restaurants in this city. But ones with character, sleek design, ambience—heck, any kind of design scheme? We’ll take more of those, please. Chalk one up to Naam, the newish joint tucked in Madrona’s darling strip of storefronts, for realizing interior can stimulate just as much as four-star-spicy som tam.

Here cushy beds with triangular lumbar pillows line the window wells and take the place of traditional tables. Don’t worry, they’re not of the we’re-in-the-club, Sex and the City–type, but rather cozily re-create the Thai way of eating. A narrow snack bar divides the drinkers from the diners—if the beds are occupied, this is where you want to sit. Though the table space is tight, so much so you bump ’bows with yours truly, it’s great for conversation. Not to mention the ideal spot to catch rousing whiffs from the nearby kitchen.

Slick wood paneling and plush oversized banquettes further the mod and clean styling. Taken as a whole it’s the perfect stage to showcase Naam’s vibrant food, which, given the swank surrounds, is surprisingly down-to-earth and cheap. About three-fourths of the menu is $9.95 or less, and you’re hard-pressed to find a dish costing more than $13. House cocktails are $7, glasses of wine average the same, and beer, $3.75. If you’re in the mood for noodles, try the kee mao, though it’s best with meat and not tofu. The yellow curry also comes highly recommended.

All this yet Naam never loses sight of the down-home charms—an all-too-hospitable (and adorable) wait staff, menus with a bagillion options—that make Thai restaurants so lovable. Looks like Naam has found a winning combo.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Bargain Bites, Cheap Eats, Thai, Cheap Date

Cheap Date: Oddfellows for Brunch

The city’s best breakfast panini is perfect in the park on an unseasonably warm day.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 28, 2010 at 12:35PM 1 Comments

View Slideshow » Illustration: View Slideshow » Illustration:

You know what is a little strange? When people say “global warming” every time there is an unseasonably warm day. I’m no global warming naysayer, but are they crazy? Do they think it’s that simple? When it’s cold and rainy like it’s supposed to be in winter, does that mean there’s no such thing as global warming? I’m pretty sure I just committed some kind of logical fallacy but come on now.

Let’s move on.

Next time there is an unseasonably warm day, I suggest you do this. Grab your significant other or that friend with whom you are basically living until one of you finds a significant other, and go to Oddfellows. Order two breakfast panini ($8 each, worth it) and two iced americanos and take them on over to Cal Anderson park—I like that grassy knoll near the playground equipment.

The breakfast panino is two ginormous pieces of toasty-but-soft, spongy, buttery bread between which are smashed cheddar, tomato, and bacon and onto which are tossed two fried eggs. It’s a little piggy, but it comes with a green salad, which squares things up nicely. Have a jog around the park if you’re feeling guilty, or listen to your shrink when she says that guilt is an emotion that you choose whether or not to feel. Either way, you’re gonna have a very, very good breakfast.

Go on more cheap dates!

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Cheap Eats, Brunch, Cheap Date

Cheap Date: Crumpet Shop

Behold the remedy for a dreary winter day.

Posted by: Nick Feldman on Dec 17, 2009 at 12:00PM 1 Comments

Photo: Nick Feldman

A toasted crumpet topped with tomato, English cheese, and pesto.

View Slideshow » Photo: Nick Feldman

A toasted crumpet topped with tomato, English cheese, and pesto.

View Slideshow » Photo: Nick Feldman

Combat winter chill with a bowl of red lentil soup.

Crumpets have long been a staple of British cuisine, but here in Seattle, not so much. Thank goodness, then, for the cozy Pike Place Market staple The Crumpet Shop, where the wee, spongy cakes are baked daily in-shop, and then toasted, buttered, and slathered in scrumptious toppings. If ever there was a remedy for a dreary winter day, it’s one of these guys paired with a piping cup of tea.

Dress them up with sweets (preserves, Nutella), savories (pesto, cheeses, ham, smoked salmon), or choose a “toasty” topped with an egg; all are $1.55 to $4.75. The crumpets’ trademark pocks (created when extra baking powder is added to the yeast) really absorb these accoutrements, so know the nibbles are surprisingly dense and filling. If you don’t quite feel like branching out, there’s also a delicious sandwich menu ($4-$7.60) and homemade soups ($3.50), which are definitely not to be missed.

With a $10 bill, I ordered a crumpet topped with imported English cheese, tomato, and pesto, along with a bowl of tomato-ginger red lentil soup (topped with an ample dollop of sour cream). The toasty combination was a perfect way to ward away December chill, and I know I’ll be back to pick from the sweet menu—those fresh preserves are calling my name.

MORE CHEAP EATIN’:

Unicorn Crepes
Rizzo’s French Dip
Po Dog
Zhivago’s Cafe
Samurai Noodle
Pike Street Fish Fry
Thai Tom
Homegrown
The Counter
Baguette Box
Citizen

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Tags: Cheap Eats, Cheap Date