Volunteer Park Cafe

This hidden little gem is worth seeking out. True to its name, Volunteer Park Cafe is only a couple blocks away from its namesake - Volunteer Park. Located on the north side of the Hill in a decidedly residential area, you feel a bit like you are at your neighbor's house for dinner. Only this neighbor happens to be a terrific chef and baker, with a penchant for all things fresh, local and delicious!

A group of six of us were fortunate enough to attend the last of their popular "Summer Supper Series" for the season. This is a once a month occasion at the cafe, featuring three courses of the whatever the chef fancies for the night. We were given our own table in a cozy pocket of the cafe. But those that came in smaller groups were seated together at a long table running down the entire dining room area. We were slightly jealous of this arrangement, but soon forgot as we became engrossed in our own conversation and the cozy but rustic surroundings.

The first course was a creamy carrot ginger soup. Up next, we had a delicious bread salad with onions peppers and a flavorful vinigarette dressing. The main course was clams over a bed of fresh basil-seaweed-flavored angel hair pasta. Everything was completely delectable. None of us could agree on a favorite course, which we decided was a great disagreement to have.

This supper series is well worth checking out. Just be sure to call ahead to save a spot. You may not even have to wait until next summer. According to a neighbor who I met at dinner, it's been rumored that they may be extending the series to other seasons. We sure hope so. But regardless, I know I will not be waiting a whole year to go back!

That's Amore

Photo snagged from their website (My iPhone's lack of flash made our candlelit dinner difficult to capture.)

Perched just above downtown, That's Amore Italian Restaurant provides delicious Italian fare with a spectacular view of Elliott Bay and sometimes the Olympics (if mother nature is on your side that day).

Although I just visited the restaurant with a friend, it would be a perfect romantic date venue, if you hadn't already assumed this from the name. The quaint restaurant offers an intimate environment with a delicious food and wine selection.

We were warmly greeted by the chef as we entered the restaurant. According to their website, he used to cook at the exclusive Columbia Tower Club, among other well-known Seattle restaurants. I'd say he is a little more in his element here in the relaxed and friendly kitchen, in view of the dining area. His food seemed to confirm this.

Hearing about the specials from our server almost had us convinced, but our pizza craving won out in the end. We ordered:

• Insalata di Spinaci (spinach prosciutto salad) - Fresh and flavorful. A bit too small to actually be considered splittable, although we did it anyway.
• The Leschi (chicken, artichoke, red pepper, pesto pizza) - Very tasty! This was definitely big enough to share. We even took a couple slices home.
• Bottle of Cesari, Sangiovese Riserva (Italian red wine,  recommended by our server) - Divine. A bottle is always the perfect amount for two, at least in my book.

Until next time...ciao!

Victrola Coffee Roasters

Victrola's not so subtle, environmentally friendly views are made evident here 

Victrola is my favorite coffee shop right now. And let me tell you, that is saying a LOT.

Victrola's coffee is all fair trade, organic, and tastes exquisite! The vibe in each of their three locations is extremely "Seattle" - local art hung on the walls, Mac books out, and skinny jeans galore. The baristas here know their stuff too. They are to espresso as Michelangelo was to art, Michael Phelps is to swimming, or Lady Gaga is to weirdness. You get the point.

Want good coffee? Victrola is your place.

The Kingfish Cafe'

The Kingfish Cafe may very well be the best authentic soul food Seattle has to offer. In fact, it may be one of the best soul food restaurants, period. The restuarant is tucked away on the back side of Capitol Hill, conveniently located less than a mile from my house! But even if I sprinted to and from my dinner, I would not put a dent in the calories earned from a hearty meal there. This is yet another factor contributing to the authentic nature of The Kingfish Cafe'. Real soul food is about flavor, tradition and history...not so much about health.

Started by two sisters and UW grads, the resturant uses several family recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. The dining room walls are scattered with framed pictures of their relatives. The famous corn bread comes from mom's special recipe. Needless to say, you feel like you're at home while dining here...just maybe not necessarily your own home, unless you grew up in a large African American family down South!

Three of us went there for dessert. Once we got there, we couldn't resist odering some other food to try as well. We decided on the mac & cheese. Like all of the cafe's entrees, it was a massive portion with a big flavor to match. For dessert, we ordered just one serving of the strawberry shortcake. As you can probably tell from the picture above, this was more than enough for three of us to share!

Note: there is no dessert menu, but just ask your server what's for dessert. On this particular Wednesday, it was strawberry shortcake, and it was delicious! I am willing to bet that there will always be something for dessert, and it will always be a good choice.

Essential Baking Company

If you live in Seattle, you have likely enjoyed some sort of baked good created by Essential Baking Company. Their all certified organic products are distributed to grocery stores and other establishments throughout the Puget Sound.

But you may not know that they also host a handful of cozy cafes, serving up delicious soups, sandwiches and espresso. Their cafe in Wallingford was one of my frequent studying haunts in college. Located right up the street from Gasworks Park, the location could not be better for frequent and scenic study breaks.

I recently revisited this cafe while in the area for a delicious soy latte, a double tall soy latte to be exact*.  As any soy-lover knows, ordering espresso drinks with soy costs more, usually by about $.50. This has never made sense to me since the price for regular milk and soy milk is now basically equivalent. But enough ranting. My tasty caffeine fix was still well worth the $3.60. I'd also recommend splurging for one of their delicious cookies while you're at it. My favorite (and likely the most caloric) is the delctable white chocolate-dipped chocolate cookie. Probably a good thing I spent my last dollars on the latte instead!

*Essential uses an espresso blend made exclusively for them by another one of my local favorites, Victrola Coffee (blog post coming shortly) and Pacific Blenders soy milk.