Skillet Diner

Viv and I are very content with 2 kids, especially when we have one of each.  I often look at my friends who have more than two and wonder how the heck they do it.  Well, while in Seattle, this was our chance to experience such a thing.  Goose decided to pawn off one of his kids to us as we were planning to visit the Seattle Aquarium.  Interestingly, our SUV had no trouble accommodating him and possibly 2 more kiddies.  Oh man, I hope Viv doesn't get any ideas... 

But before we went to look at aquatic life behind glass, we headed over to the new location of Skillet Diner out in Ballard.  Lucky for us, we had made a reservation as the lineup spilled out into the street. My son, went for The Huck consisting of a crust-off grilled cheese made with Tillamook cheddar on brioche.  This was toasted up in a non-greasy manner and was quite light due to the brioche.  The side of hand-cut fries were disappointing though as they were limp and greasy.  My daughter ended up with the Mac n' Cheese made up of orecchiette pasta and Tillamook cheddar.  This was really cheesy and stringy as each piece of pasta clung to each other longingly.  As a result, there was a mild creamy cheesiness to go along with the al dente pasta.

For myself, I had the Fried Chicken Sammy consisting of fennel seed crust, pickled charred jalapeño, aioli and kale on potato bread. The ample amount of fried chicken was really crunchy while moist on the inside.  It was somewhat greasy though.  I found that the fennel really came through while the jalapeno added some bite.  The use of kale seemed to be on point since it stood up to the chicken.  I decided to sub the Poutine into my order which I would learn to regret.  Consisting of the same soggy fries, it was smothered in gravy, cheddar and herbs.  In reality, this was a wet salty mess that I only ate a few bites of.

Viv decided to go for the Toasted Pistachio and Cranberry Chicken Salad Sandwich made with poached Draper Valley chicken, dried cranberries, toasted pistachios and greens on rye bread.  This was pretty good due to the large amount of filling.  The chicken was tender while there was a good balance of sweet and savoury, yet they were over-aggressive with the mayo.  For her side, she had the Tomato Bisque which was creamy and smooth.  There was a slight tang to go with the pleasant fennel background flavour.  We ended off the meal with a serving of made-to-order Doughnut Holes.  Sadly, these were not very good as they were fried too long being chewy and greasy.  Furthermore, the thick layer of glaze totally overwhelmed the doughnut.  Realistically, for the items we tried, Skillet Diner was hit and miss.  Hence, your experience would be highly dependent on what you order.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Interesting eats
- Kid-friendly

The Bad:
- It can be hit and miss
- Super busy, make a rez

Ma'ono Fried Chicken & Whiskey

Over 10 years ago, Viv and I had a great time visiting 4 of the Hawaiian Islands.  We drove around Oahu doing the touristy things such as Matsumoto Shaved Ice, Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, the Dole Plantation and a Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  I made it a point to pick up a Spam musubi for breaky every morning and to walk by 5 ABC Stores (which was very easy to do).  When we were on the island of Kauai, we had some fantastic Saimin (which is a hybrid of Japanese ramen with Chinese and Filipino influences).  Since them, we haven't had Hawaiian food, but while in Seattle, Ma'ono Fried Chicken & Whiskey seemed to be exactly the place we were looking for (not a Jedi mind trick either).

Meeting up with Scout without Lola, we decided to share some items. The first thing to hit the table was the fabled Spam Musubi.  Yes, a concoction of rice, Spam, seaweed paste and nori was something that we were looking forward to.  To some, it may seem as attractive as Lindsay Lohan drunk at a party, but for us, it brought back memories of Hawaii.  The large amount of rice was necessary as the Spam was quite salty.  Loved the seaweed paste as it added another kick of umami.  Next, we had the Shoyu Tombo Poke which was not particularly flavourful on its own until we dug deep to reveal a very salty dressing (consisting of Ogo seaweed, sesame, macadamia nuts and chiles). The tuna itself was buttery while firm.

Another Hawaiian favourite, the Ma'ono Saimin was also very salty where the shoyu & smoked pork broth was a bit too powerful.  On the other hand, the noodles were nicely al dente and plentiful as well as the soft yolk egg.  Of course there was the usual Spam along with country ham, fish cake and nori.  The main event, aka Whole Fried Chicken, arrived majestically on a platter along with kimchi, rice and chili sauce.  In a dark shade of fried goodness, the chicken was crunchy while not incredibly oily.  The chicken itself was mildly brined so it had enough seasoning while remaining juicy.  I found the kimchi quite mild while really crunchy.  The hot sauce was more sweet than spicy.

We got 2 vegetable sides including the Sesame Roasted Carrots and Garlic Green Beans & Watercress.  The carrots were accompanied by coriander & coconut chutney, goat’s milk yogurt and sesame puffed rice.  They were soft, but not mushy while being quite sweet and accented by the 2 sauces.  The green beans & watercress were a touch soft, but loaded with flavour including a noticeable spice and slight sweetness.  In the end, we enjoyed our meal despite some curiously high prices for a few items.  However, our meal did fulfill the interesting and different quota.  Consequently, we went away with good memories of Hawaii.

The Good:
- Something different
- Attentive service
- Spam!

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Some portion sizes were small

Brown Bag Cafe

*Restaurant is permanently closed*

Staying at 2 different hotels on 2 consecutive nights sounds like an unnecessary inconvenience especially with kiddies involved.  However, the Asian in me prompted me to do so.  Why?  Well, Marriott has this deal where after 2 stays, you get a free night.  However, that means staying at the same hotel for 2 days only counts as one.  Now you see the method to my madness...  That meant we had to find eats near the second hotel that led us to the Brown Bag Cafe.  After circling around for an eternity, we found a parking spot.  With all the people coming out with takeout containers, I should've figured out the portions sizes.

Ah yes, the portions sizes...  Look at the picture of the Farmer's Skillet consisting of 4 large eggs, crispy bacon pieces, diced tomato, button mushrooms and a tonne of cheddar atop a generous helping of fresh hash browns, that was meant for more than one person (well, a regular sized person that is, not an NFL linebacker!).  I liked the soft slices of potato underneath that were only lightly crisped up (it got wet from the ingredients though).  I thought the top was a bit too crispy and brown, but it wasn't difficult to eat.  The bacon was meaty and plentiful as well as the mushrooms.  For Viv, she had the BBQ Beef Sandwich which was, you guessed it, large.  A huge mound of fairly tender beef (albeit a bit dry) was smothered in tangy, yet overly sweet BBQ sauce.  There was a nice kick to it though.

For the kiddies, my daughter had the Fish n' Chips which featured house-cut fries.  As much as we appreciated the non-generic fries, they were not crisp at all being soggy.  The 2 pieces of fish were fried crispy with mostly flaky fish in the middle except for the ends.  We really liked the tartar sauce as it was clean-tasting while being creamy with a slight tartness.  My son went for his standby being the Chicken Strips and Fries.  The strips were textbook Sysco, hence they were predictable.  They were crispy though, but the meat was a touch dry. If you didn't already guess it, there was some doggy bagging going on at the end.  I wouldn't classify the food as memorable, but the portions are very good for the price.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Reasonable pricing
- Friendly service

The Bad:
- Food is alright...
- That is not a sufficient parking lot

Old Country Buffet (Bellevue)

*Restaurant is permanently closed* 

Sometimes, eating is only a means for subsistence.  This was the case when we had 2 hungry and tired kiddies while we were leaving Factoria in Bellevue.  I had visions of eating something tasty and interesting while the kids were eying Old Country Buffet...  Fine.  I guess my plans were out the window.  Hence, we did what we had to do - eat mediocre buffet food.  To be fair, I personally don't mind Old Country as it serves a purpose and is easy on the wallet.

By now, I'm sure most of you have experienced the fine American cuisine (I hope you know I'm being sarcastic here...) of Old Country. One can find the classics including Mac n' Cheese, Meatloaf, Roast Chicken, Fried Chicken, Steak, Ham, Fish with all the fixin's.  I give them this though, the chaffing trays are always full and quickly replaced with fresh food (oxymoron?).  Personally, I didn't mind the Fried Chicken as it was crispy while the meat retained some moisture.  It was seasoned just enough and most importantly, my kids willingly ate it.  The sides were okay except the green beans which looked deader than Keith Richards (wait, he's not dead...).

With a selection of 2 soups including Chicken Noodle and Clam Chowder, I had to go with the chowder to Viv's chagrin.  Why you might ask?  Well, let's just say creamy and my stomach agree with each other like Obama and "red states".  But I went for it anyways and it was not bad.  Lots of tender potatoes with a smattering of clams in a roux-thickened broth.  For my second plate of food, I went for some Sirloin Steak, Fried Shrimp, Fish and Meatloaf.  Other than the decently charred tender steak, the rest of the food was terrible.  The fish was stiffer than Ron Jeremy while the shrimp were so well hidden in the soggy batter, a search party would be needed to find them.  The meat loaf was dry and mealy with a ketchupy sauce on top.

To do things backwards and begrudgingly eat some greens, I had a plate of Salad topped with unhealthy ranch dressing.  I'll give it to them that the veggies were fresh and regularly refilled.  I added some bacon on top to balance the dish off.  As you can really clearly see, there is both good and bad here.  Depending what you choose from the buffet, it can be decent all the way to crap.  But for the low price where kiddies can be kept happy, well, that is the main draw here (oh and the use of disposable plates was due to a dishwasher malfunction).

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Lots of choice
- Keeps the kids happy

The Bad:
- Some stuff is not-so-good
- Drinks are no longer included for adults

Grinders Hot Sands

On our yearly Spring Break visit to Seattle, we stopped by Family Fun Center in Edmonds.  With all the games meant to eat your money for the hopes of winning a few measly tickets, the kids were having a blast.  Luckily there was bumper cars, go-karts and mini-golf to pass the time (which was good for the adults).  However, I succumbed to the lure of tickets-for-crappy-prizes syndrome and started to play those games myself.  I squealed like a little boy when I got the jackpot and won over 200 tickets with one shot.  Yes, I do believe that men do not mature... ever... 

So after "winning" some candy, a squishy ball and other useless knick knacks, we headed up to nearby Grinder Hot Sands for some lunch. I started with the Clam Chowder which was unlike most cream-style versions.  It was thin while still creamy in taste with a considerable lingering spiciness.  It was filled leeks, potatoes, onions and tender clams.  As heavy as it was, due to the thin broth, it was not hard to eat all of it.  We also got the Chili and it was more of a BBQ style with a considerable chili powder aftertaste.  It was meaty and chunky with lots of green peppers.  Hence, that was the predominant flavour.  

For our sammies, we had the Sauball first consisting of half sausage and half meatball slathered with caramelized onions, marinara sauce and melted cheese on all a crusty bun.  The sausage had a nice girth (um... why did I take the picture like that?) and was meaty while being moist.  It was mild with a nice fennel flavour.  The meatball was equally moist while not being fatty or filled with too much filler.  Our second sandwich was the Shrimp and Catfish Po'Boy that was big enough to feed 2 people easy.  The corn-meal crusted catfish was soft and moist while crunchy on the outside.  The spices in the corn-meal added both savoriness and spice.  On the other hand, the shrimp were overdone being a bit rubbery.  All of this was covered with a considerable amount of coleslaw with bits of onion and banana peppers.  Hence, in addition to the tang from the dressing, there was sweetness and a kick.  Lastly, it was topped with roasted red peppers. The kiddies had the Kid's Sand which was simply topped with cheese, salami and pepperoni. They seemed to like it. For the price (around $12 per sandwich), we got enough food to feed 4 people.  Worth a try if you're in the area.

The Good:
- Huge sammies
- Most items made in-house
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Very messy and a little wet (but we didn't mind)

L.A. Grill

While surfing the internet, like I usually do, I stumbled upon a coupon for LA Grill in Richmond.  Not that I was itching to visit the place (think X-Site), but for $28.00, I could get two 3-course meals.  Yes, the Asian in me took over and I looked at the bottom line rather than what I was getting myself into.  I'm actually quite familiar with LA Grill and its rock-bottom pricing and large portions.  But with that, something has to give and that would mean food quality.  Whatever the case, I invited Whipping Girl to come join me on my adventure deep into Richmond.

Unlike many other restaurants, our server gladly accepted the coupon and offered up some really great service throughout the meal. As per the coupon, we both started with the Clam Chowder.  This monstrous bowl was a meal in itself packed with tender red potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, clams, shrimp and a whack load of bacon. So much so, the flavour profile was predominantly bacon (in terms of flavour and fattiness).  Whatever the case, the soup was creamy, flavourful and overall decent.  Next up, I had the Chicken Caesar while Whipping girl had the Shrimp Caesar.  The romaine lettuce was crisp and fresh, however, the dressing was quite weak as we didn't get any hits of anything.  The baby shrimp were fine, but the chicken tenders were quite dry and bland.

Seeing how we didn't want to be limited as what we could eat, we added 2 additional appies starting with the Calamari.  These tender squid rings were very easy to eat while maintaining a slight chew.  Despite being light, the batter was only crispy in parts while some portions were a touch soft.  We weren't even sure what the accompanying dip represented as it had absolutely no taste.  Next, we tried the Salt & Pepper Wings.  These were unmistakable as we could see and taste the seasoning.  We liked how they did not wimp out here.  Furthermore, these were lightly crispy where there was still moisture inside.  Hence, rather than being super dry and crunchy, they were soft and juicy.

Onto our entrees, we picked the most expensive stuff (darn that Asian in us!).  Whipping Girl had the Steak and Shrimp.  Despite being a touch uneven, the steak was prepared medium-rare as requested.  Moreover, it had a nice char as well as being properly seasoned.  Best of all, it was tender and juicy.  As for the shrimp, they had a light snap while being very garlicky.  We didn't like the garlic bread though as it was not toasted enough.  Now for myself, I had the Salmon and Shrimp.  I'll be blunt here - the salmon sucked.  It was already dead to begin with, why did they have to kill it again?  It was woefully overcooked (and too quickly/hot, hence the coagulated protein), bland and dry.  Yet in the end, we accepted the food for what it was.  It's not gourmet, nor is it even far removed from home-cooking.  But it serves to feed people at a very reasonable cost.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Good service
- Decent decor

The Bad:
- Underwhelming eats
- Cheap, but the larger plates are not

Sean's Good Eats (Avalon Dairy Store)

Sometimes simple is better.  Just because there is a big menu (with fancy descriptions) and/or a glitzy dining room doesn't mean it will yield great results.  Furthermore, it is really impractical to eat like that everyday - wait, that would be Mijune...  Anyways, I wanted a basic meal with a twist.  That twist happened to be that we would be visiting Sean's Good Eats located within the Avalon Dairy store right at the plant.  Yes, there is more than milk products to be had here.  Since the kiddies were off on Spring Break, they happily joined this food adventure.

Why you might ask?  Well look no further than organic hard ice cream Chocolate Milkshake and Chocolate Milk. As such, with the quality milk, the milkshake was thick, creamy and chocolaty.  The chocolate milk was also thick and rich.  It was sweet, but not incredibly so.  For myself, I had to get some food of course...  I went for their daily special being the Sheppard's Pie with Corn Chowder.  In addition to the lean ground beef, there was corn and red peppers which added some pop and sweetness.  Also, there were herbs in the mash potatoes which added another layer of flavours.  However, it needed gravy badly as it was kind of dry.  As for the soup, it tasted strangely like cream of corn, but not in a bad way.  I liked the sweet corn taste.

Viv had the Chicken Panini with sundried tomatoes and goat cheese.  It was prepared nicely and benefited from the purposeful flavours of the tomatoes and pesto.  We liked how it was grilled nicely as it was crispy on the outside while still soft on the inside.  The kiddies shared the TBC (or Turkey, Bacon and Cheddar) grilled sandwich. No rocket science here but a solid sammie with loads of turkey.  However, the main draw here are the Avalon dairy products and if you've never had them, they are definitely a cut above the regular supermarket fare (unless it is Island Farms).  The food only serves to be a side for this.

The Good:
- Wonderful Avalon products
- Eats are cheap
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- Eats are fine, but pretty standard fare