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Hi.
Butterfly Embarcadero B
Minus my favorite fellow foodie, I had to make do with my second-best culinary pal Elly to try out Butterfly on Embarcadero. We had both been itching for some upscale dining, so a few weekends ago we headed to SF to try out this SuperFusion restaurant. Located on Pier 33, it's not really Bart-able, although you can Bart to Embarcadero and take the F Trolley along the water. Stop at Bay St. and you'll see the restaurant on your right. Inside, the decor is industrial chic with bright slashes of color and a lot of metal. A dj spins tunes on the weekend and the bar is busy.
We have reservations and we are seated in the quiet corner of the restaurant away from the people-watching and with the other young people. Strike one. Our waitress is nice, but unremarkable. Also, there is no free bread while you wait at Butterfly. Strike two. Okay, I realize it is an Asian fusion restaurant and it's a very Garden-state moment to ask for bread. But, for God sakes give us something to do while we wait for service! The food does make up for some of the resaurant's lack of warmth. We order a starter salad of basic greens and a yummy vinagrette ($6) and the pork lettuce wraps ($10) as appetizer. This is a delicious dish that is almost worth the visit. The pork is pulled and piping hot, and the butter lettuce is farm fresh and in copius amount. There is a type of hoisin sauce on the side, which works very well with the soft pork. I highly recommend this dish. Our main courses were next: Elly splurge on the filet mingon with a macamadamia nut and cheese crust($28). It came with some grean beans and mushroom and some other stuff. She thought it was heavenly, and I have to admit the crust was a great touch. I ordered the pork tenderloin ($19), and in the ultimate fusion move, it was served like cha shou, the red barbeque style that you see hanging in Chinatown windows. The three medalions were tender AND wrapped in bacon, with a plum sauce and a goat cheese souffle on the side. Quite the unusual blend of tastes, but it turned out very well. I'd highly recommend my dish as well.
And while we were at it, we splurged on desert as well. The chocolate cake came with coffee ice cream and was very tasty, but the highlight of the last course was our banana lumpias. 3 flakey lumpias served in coconut ice cream were a great way to end the night.
Overall, the food was inventive and tasty. However, the service and ambiance left a lot to be desired, as they seemed to cater to the hip and trendy bar-hopping set. If you want to have a lot of girlfriends for a celebration, this could be the place.
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Seattle Food!
Ovio Bistro A
The owners of this bustling restaurant in West Seattle call this a “Bistro Eclectico” and the menu fits the name- departing from your usual bistro fare while keeping many of the classics. The entrees here are all very moderately priced for the quality, presentation, and ambiance of this establishment. Jason and I were greeted by a very apologetic hostess who informed us it would be a short wait for a table. As we waited the 5 minutes, 4-5 parties came in to request seating and 3 parties were seated before us. It was a Friday night, but Ovio’s reputation has definitely spread beyond just the suburb of West Seattle. I make it a practice to check out the restaurant’s website before and check out a sample menu to see the food, but more importantly, the prices on the desired dishes. As a note: all fancy or expensive restaurants you consider should have a website and a sample menu if you don’t like to be surprised. I had looked earlier that day and was dying to try out as many flavors as I could. The nice thing about a special occasion dinner is that, in contrast with your usual dinner at the Cheesecake Factory or Chevy’s, you order drinks and appetizers at your whim because you’re spending so much you might as well. We ordered the seared ahi appetizer ($13), which came with seared foie gras and an herb salad to start. This was Jason’s first taste of foie gras and my first real taste. The buttery texture went great with the fresh tuna, and the pinot noir sauce was a nice compliment. We both also ordered the soup of the day ($5.50), which Ovio is also known for- Friday’s was a cream of cauliflower with a goat cheese croquet floating on top. Delish. For our main courses, I let Jason get the pepper-crusted scallops ($19) while I got the fried chicken ($16). See? Eclectic. Jason’s scallops came perfectly cooked, accompanied by a bacon and green chile hash and some greens. My buttermilk infused chicken came atop cheddar cheese and bacon mashed potatoes and long beans. The chicken was tender and juicy and the spices in the skin were just right. The potatoes left a little to be desired, as they were not hot enough to quite keep the cheese from forming big solidified lumps. Enjoyed with a glass of Pinot Noir ($6.75), the meal was very memorable and enjoyable. No dessert here as we were both stuffed and required a digestion-aiding after dinner stroll.
Atlas Foods B
Seattle has this thing with chains that make you think they aren’t chains. Elliot Bay and Union Square Grill (reviewed later) are part of a chain, as is Atlas Foods. But the key is to name all the restaurants something different, even though ownership is the same. Atlas is your usual Seattle-style American restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By Seattle-style, I mean that there is always a fish special and crab cakes on the menu. Jason ordered the BBQ Pork Sandwich ($8.75) and I got the Joe Scramble ($9.25), which consisted of eggs scrambled with shrimp, onion, mushroom, and spinach. Large sides of hash browns and fries accompanied these meals and I also got a glass of tomato juice. There is nothing better than tomato juice in the morning (or afternoon). Plus it makes Jason gag. The rest of the brunch menu looked okay, although the corned-beef hash at the other table looked great. Food envy, sigh.
Elliot Bay Oyster House A-
The boys like to pretend to be oyster connoisseurs, so we went to a fancy, shmancy restaurant on the waterfront downtown. It was a late dinner, so the crowd had died down but the service was excellent as the waiter gave us a dozen of his favorite variety of raw oysters to start with ($24.50) along with our very fresh fried calamari ($8.75) with a lemon-garlic sauce. The oysters were all very good, with the American Eagle variety my favorite and the Chefs Creek the boys’ fav. Very good, but very expensive. Hog’s Island spoiled me, dammit. For our main courses, Paul got the Sirloin Oscar ($32) which consisted of a sirloin topped with Dungeness crab meat and a béarnaise sauce and your standard sides. He reported it being very good, although the steak, like most restaurant steak, wasn’t big enough in contrast to the big ass plate. Jason got the Dungeness-stuffed prawns ($27) and I got a cup of red clam chowder ($4) and the Crab Chop salad ($17) which featured lots of crab meat on top of a cobb salad. Very large portions for the salad, although the crab meat was eventually picked out and the leaves left. ;) It did happen to be Dungeness month at the restaurant, so all entrees were ordered off the special menu. Again, no room for desert although the chocolate soufflé looked incredible as it passed us. The service at Elliot Bay was great- our waiter (let’s call him Charlie) was very personable and made conversation with us even though we were younger and scruffier than their standard crowd (middle-aged tourists from the looks of things).
Union Square Grill A-
Doesn’t the name just conjure up the image of old people sitting around on dark wood chairs and booths? Well, that’s exactly what it was but with delicious food. I had read that this was the best steak place downtown, so I made reservations for that night. The décor was very Art Deco swanky with lots of crystal and business types. Let’s get down to the food: Butternut squash and tomato basil bisque ($5 and $4) and their delicious truffle fries ($7) to start. I got the pear martini ($7) which was heavy on the vodka (grey goose if you wanna get loose) and Jase got the pomogranate martini ($9) which went down very very smooth. As the main course, I got the jambalaya ($17) which was HUGE with scallops, shrimp, sausage and chicken over rice. Jason got the top sirloin ($27), served with greens and buttery potatoes. Overall the service was impeccable and the food was delicious, if pricey. I would highly recommend the jambalaya as it’s enough for two meals. Again, no room for dessert dammit. I didn’t get desert once on this trip! But we did hit $100 for the first time on the trip. Woot. And of course, it was my treat.
Blue C Sushi B
This is basically a very pop-cultured version of the sushi boat. Plates are color coded to match prices, and the plates also feature different subway lines in Tokyo (or wherever). On the walls, video of breakdancing Japanese youth play alongside of still photographs. The sushi is served on a conveyer belt on little stands that tell you what you are eating. At around $2.75 for your standard Nigiri (tuna, salmon, mackerel), the whole meal cost us around $30.00 for 2. Very good saba, and they also had a sockeye salmon that I thought was better than usual. But it’s kinda a novelty and they love their sushi in Seattle. I’d recommend Chiso in Fremont where we ate last time as well. Very fresh sushi and very good cocktails.
Hi.
Butterfly Embarcadero B
Minus my favorite fellow foodie, I had to make do with my second-best culinary pal Elly to try out Butterfly on Embarcadero. We had both been itching for some upscale dining, so a few weekends ago we headed to SF to try out this SuperFusion restaurant. Located on Pier 33, it's not really Bart-able, although you can Bart to Embarcadero and take the F Trolley along the water. Stop at Bay St. and you'll see the restaurant on your right. Inside, the decor is industrial chic with bright slashes of color and a lot of metal. A dj spins tunes on the weekend and the bar is busy.
We have reservations and we are seated in the quiet corner of the restaurant away from the people-watching and with the other young people. Strike one. Our waitress is nice, but unremarkable. Also, there is no free bread while you wait at Butterfly. Strike two. Okay, I realize it is an Asian fusion restaurant and it's a very Garden-state moment to ask for bread. But, for God sakes give us something to do while we wait for service! The food does make up for some of the resaurant's lack of warmth. We order a starter salad of basic greens and a yummy vinagrette ($6) and the pork lettuce wraps ($10) as appetizer. This is a delicious dish that is almost worth the visit. The pork is pulled and piping hot, and the butter lettuce is farm fresh and in copius amount. There is a type of hoisin sauce on the side, which works very well with the soft pork. I highly recommend this dish. Our main courses were next: Elly splurge on the filet mingon with a macamadamia nut and cheese crust($28). It came with some grean beans and mushroom and some other stuff. She thought it was heavenly, and I have to admit the crust was a great touch. I ordered the pork tenderloin ($19), and in the ultimate fusion move, it was served like cha shou, the red barbeque style that you see hanging in Chinatown windows. The three medalions were tender AND wrapped in bacon, with a plum sauce and a goat cheese souffle on the side. Quite the unusual blend of tastes, but it turned out very well. I'd highly recommend my dish as well.
And while we were at it, we splurged on desert as well. The chocolate cake came with coffee ice cream and was very tasty, but the highlight of the last course was our banana lumpias. 3 flakey lumpias served in coconut ice cream were a great way to end the night.
Overall, the food was inventive and tasty. However, the service and ambiance left a lot to be desired, as they seemed to cater to the hip and trendy bar-hopping set. If you want to have a lot of girlfriends for a celebration, this could be the place.
________________________________
Seattle Food!
Ovio Bistro A
The owners of this bustling restaurant in West Seattle call this a “Bistro Eclectico” and the menu fits the name- departing from your usual bistro fare while keeping many of the classics. The entrees here are all very moderately priced for the quality, presentation, and ambiance of this establishment. Jason and I were greeted by a very apologetic hostess who informed us it would be a short wait for a table. As we waited the 5 minutes, 4-5 parties came in to request seating and 3 parties were seated before us. It was a Friday night, but Ovio’s reputation has definitely spread beyond just the suburb of West Seattle. I make it a practice to check out the restaurant’s website before and check out a sample menu to see the food, but more importantly, the prices on the desired dishes. As a note: all fancy or expensive restaurants you consider should have a website and a sample menu if you don’t like to be surprised. I had looked earlier that day and was dying to try out as many flavors as I could. The nice thing about a special occasion dinner is that, in contrast with your usual dinner at the Cheesecake Factory or Chevy’s, you order drinks and appetizers at your whim because you’re spending so much you might as well. We ordered the seared ahi appetizer ($13), which came with seared foie gras and an herb salad to start. This was Jason’s first taste of foie gras and my first real taste. The buttery texture went great with the fresh tuna, and the pinot noir sauce was a nice compliment. We both also ordered the soup of the day ($5.50), which Ovio is also known for- Friday’s was a cream of cauliflower with a goat cheese croquet floating on top. Delish. For our main courses, I let Jason get the pepper-crusted scallops ($19) while I got the fried chicken ($16). See? Eclectic. Jason’s scallops came perfectly cooked, accompanied by a bacon and green chile hash and some greens. My buttermilk infused chicken came atop cheddar cheese and bacon mashed potatoes and long beans. The chicken was tender and juicy and the spices in the skin were just right. The potatoes left a little to be desired, as they were not hot enough to quite keep the cheese from forming big solidified lumps. Enjoyed with a glass of Pinot Noir ($6.75), the meal was very memorable and enjoyable. No dessert here as we were both stuffed and required a digestion-aiding after dinner stroll.
Atlas Foods B
Seattle has this thing with chains that make you think they aren’t chains. Elliot Bay and Union Square Grill (reviewed later) are part of a chain, as is Atlas Foods. But the key is to name all the restaurants something different, even though ownership is the same. Atlas is your usual Seattle-style American restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By Seattle-style, I mean that there is always a fish special and crab cakes on the menu. Jason ordered the BBQ Pork Sandwich ($8.75) and I got the Joe Scramble ($9.25), which consisted of eggs scrambled with shrimp, onion, mushroom, and spinach. Large sides of hash browns and fries accompanied these meals and I also got a glass of tomato juice. There is nothing better than tomato juice in the morning (or afternoon). Plus it makes Jason gag. The rest of the brunch menu looked okay, although the corned-beef hash at the other table looked great. Food envy, sigh.
Elliot Bay Oyster House A-
The boys like to pretend to be oyster connoisseurs, so we went to a fancy, shmancy restaurant on the waterfront downtown. It was a late dinner, so the crowd had died down but the service was excellent as the waiter gave us a dozen of his favorite variety of raw oysters to start with ($24.50) along with our very fresh fried calamari ($8.75) with a lemon-garlic sauce. The oysters were all very good, with the American Eagle variety my favorite and the Chefs Creek the boys’ fav. Very good, but very expensive. Hog’s Island spoiled me, dammit. For our main courses, Paul got the Sirloin Oscar ($32) which consisted of a sirloin topped with Dungeness crab meat and a béarnaise sauce and your standard sides. He reported it being very good, although the steak, like most restaurant steak, wasn’t big enough in contrast to the big ass plate. Jason got the Dungeness-stuffed prawns ($27) and I got a cup of red clam chowder ($4) and the Crab Chop salad ($17) which featured lots of crab meat on top of a cobb salad. Very large portions for the salad, although the crab meat was eventually picked out and the leaves left. ;) It did happen to be Dungeness month at the restaurant, so all entrees were ordered off the special menu. Again, no room for desert although the chocolate soufflé looked incredible as it passed us. The service at Elliot Bay was great- our waiter (let’s call him Charlie) was very personable and made conversation with us even though we were younger and scruffier than their standard crowd (middle-aged tourists from the looks of things).
Union Square Grill A-
Doesn’t the name just conjure up the image of old people sitting around on dark wood chairs and booths? Well, that’s exactly what it was but with delicious food. I had read that this was the best steak place downtown, so I made reservations for that night. The décor was very Art Deco swanky with lots of crystal and business types. Let’s get down to the food: Butternut squash and tomato basil bisque ($5 and $4) and their delicious truffle fries ($7) to start. I got the pear martini ($7) which was heavy on the vodka (grey goose if you wanna get loose) and Jase got the pomogranate martini ($9) which went down very very smooth. As the main course, I got the jambalaya ($17) which was HUGE with scallops, shrimp, sausage and chicken over rice. Jason got the top sirloin ($27), served with greens and buttery potatoes. Overall the service was impeccable and the food was delicious, if pricey. I would highly recommend the jambalaya as it’s enough for two meals. Again, no room for dessert dammit. I didn’t get desert once on this trip! But we did hit $100 for the first time on the trip. Woot. And of course, it was my treat.
Blue C Sushi B
This is basically a very pop-cultured version of the sushi boat. Plates are color coded to match prices, and the plates also feature different subway lines in Tokyo (or wherever). On the walls, video of breakdancing Japanese youth play alongside of still photographs. The sushi is served on a conveyer belt on little stands that tell you what you are eating. At around $2.75 for your standard Nigiri (tuna, salmon, mackerel), the whole meal cost us around $30.00 for 2. Very good saba, and they also had a sockeye salmon that I thought was better than usual. But it’s kinda a novelty and they love their sushi in Seattle. I’d recommend Chiso in Fremont where we ate last time as well. Very fresh sushi and very good cocktails.
