Seattle | Effed by the Wind

NFT Radar: Carmelita

Perhaps February 14th was a risky date to try someplace new, what with set menus and fact that most restaurants are booked solid. But I’d wanted to try Carmelita for a while and their romantic but laid-back ambiance and upscale vegetarian cuisine seemed ideal for Valentine’s Day. Besides, their set menu sounded foolproof. So I made a reservation for two and scored one of the last tables. Truffles and risotto are two of my favorite things so imagine my delight when one available entree involved both of these things. Unfortunately, the result was lackluster at best. Truffles have a very strong and distinct flavor and I couldn’t taste them at all. Did they forget to add them? The orzo was al dente and the whole dish was overwhelmed by cauliflower, a fairly bland vegetable when under-seasoned. It’s disenchanting to have to add salt to a $40 meal. Perhaps they were off their game on account of being so busy. Still, everything else was terrific. My guy loved his Carrot-Mascarpone Gnocchi. Our wine recommendation panned out (Malbec). The Chocolate Muck Muck was both chocolatey and muck mucky. I’d go back again for sure. But what the hell happened with that risotto?

7314 Greenwood Ave N 98103
206-706-7703
www.carmelita.net

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

February 25, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . Tags: restaurants . Author: Baxter . Comments: 1 Comment

NFT Radar: The Spectator

It’s the classic couples problem. One of you enjoys professional sports and one of you doesn’t. Fortunately, you both like to drink. The Spectator has your compromise. With 13 flat screen TVs broadcasting everything from American football to what the rest of the world calls Football, the sports enthusiast you are or love won’t miss a play. Numerous classic arcade games, pool, and shuffleboard keep the less enthused half entertained. They also have a video poker machine featuring my all-time favorite bar game: Naked Lady Poke (a.k.a. Spot the Difference). Their weekday happy hour prices almost everything below $4. The eats aren’t too shabby but they get a little too liberal with the nacho cheese. 5 minutes after your cheesy bacon tater tots hit the table, you’ll need a fork, lest you contribute to tree genocide with the amount of napkins you’ll need. That’s not all they’re liberal with. They boast about their famous pound of chicken wings but I suspect they serve everything there by the pound. Rent the mezzanine for private parties or settle into a big, cushy booth for impromptu gatherings. Go team!

529 Queen Anne Ave N 98109
206-599-4263
www.thespectatorsports.com

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

February 19, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

NFT Radar: Bengal Tiger

We’d passed the signs countless times. “NW Source’s People’s Pick for 2006 and 2007!” Every grocery receipt from the neighboring QFC had a coupon on the back. But I’ve never even heard of NW Source and besides, the Mister and I are Taste of India devotees anyway. Is there really room for more than one Indian restaurant in our lives? Well, in January, they had a new sign. Apparently, the People picked them again for 2008! We finally caved and gave it a try. And it was…pretty good! I love any place that gives you freebies and here you get Papadums (the Indian tortilla chip!) and a delicious lentil soup started included in your meal. Our curries were excellent, albeit a little spicier than we’d ordered. But what do those stars mean anyway? The sauce on my Garlic Wala was creamy and pleasant. The gentleman had the house special, lamb with mint sauce, and it was tender and…minty. No complaints about the service either. And the tiger motif is adorable. Bengal Tiger IS grrrrreat! But we live just as close to Taste of India. And frankly, it’s still OUR people’s pick. Sorry, Tiger.

6510 Roosevelt Way NE 98115
206-985-0041

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

February 9, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . Tags: restaurants . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

NFT Radar: Mae’s Phinney Ridge Cafe

Longevity is rare in these condo-riffic times. But Mae’s has managed to overcome. In 1988, Midwestern Mae turned around a divey diner. Apparently, she’s really into cows. Seated in the Moo Room, replete with cow paraphernalia, you’ll feel a bit like you’re staying with your crazy aunt. The menu’s also cow-pun laden. Fortunately, the food kicks ass. Every breakfast staple is present and in top form including Corned Beef Hash and Eggs Benedict. The grits and biscuits are perfect and they’ve provided an excuse to have ice cream for breakfast with the Shake and Eggs. They’re also famous for their cinnamon rolls, which you can purchase to go. Just don’t look at the nutrition information, lest you meet the same end as the Nazis in Raiders. Nobody is more obsessed with local ingredients than Washingtonians and Mae’s honors this institution with Snoqualmie Gourmet ice cream, in-house-roasted coffee, and Bacon Salt on every table. Lest you think vegans out of luck in this meat and dairy Valhalla, there’s Tofu Scramble and Biscuits with Mushroom Gravy. It gets pretty crowded on weekends but they have plenty of space in the back so you won’t be waiting long.

6412 Phinney Ave N 98103
206-782-1222
www.maescafe.com

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

February 4, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: 1 Comment

Candy-Colored Sky

Seattle is pretty.

January 30, 2009
Categories: Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: 5 Comments

NFT Radar: Clever Dunne’s Irish House

It’s kind of dirty and falling apart. Even though they supposedly remodeled the infamous bathrooms, I can’t really tell what they did other than paint. There was a head-sized hole in the wall for a while. But for some reason, every time I go to this place, I have a blast. The occasionally Irish, but mostly punk music selection keeps everyone jaunty. The amusing graffiti in the bathroom distracts you from the grossness. You can turn a hole in the wall into a hilarious photo shoot starring your drunken friends. There’s also plenty to do besides make hard lemonade out of bruised lemons. They’ve got darts, pool and a shiny new shuffleboard table. On Trivia Tuesdays, turn your useless pop culture knowledge into cash and drinking-related prizes. If you get hungry, well, they can’t help you there. But they don’t care if you bring in your own grub from nearby taco, pizza or chicken and jojo vendors. You’ll have a lot of fun without dropping a lot of cash (unless, of course, you get so drunk that you drop your cash). Seems like a clever business model to me.

1501 E Olive Way 98122
206-709-8079

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

January 20, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

NFT Radar: Red Light

Seattle thrift stores are completely picked over. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightening than of finding a vintage gem at the Goodwill. Thankfully there’s the Red Light. The sizes tend to run a little small and ladies who still have all their ribs might have to root around a little. But it’s usually worth the effort. The prices are surprisingly reasonable as long as you stick to true vintage. Stay away from the “vintage inspired” rip-off racks of new clothes. The Capitol Hill location is superior to the U.D. in terms of selection. It’s also fun to peruse their massive costume room whether or not you have a reason to dress up. Take a minute to peek at the accessory cases containing fun wallets and purses, funky sunglasses and jewelry and seriously badass belt buckles. Whether you’re attending a theme party or just like the old timey look, Red Light should be your first stop on your shopping excursion. But try to get your Halloween shopping done early or sharpen your elbows because the last week of October at either Red Light location is a douchy free-for-all.

312 Broadway E 98102
206-329-2200
www.redlightvintage.com

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

January 16, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . Tags: stores . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

NFT Radar: Banya 5

Global warming means cold winters. A recession means busting your butt at work so you don’t get a pink slip. Banya 5, means extreme relaxation to help you forget about these trying times. Unwind like a gangster in this authentic Russian bathhouse. If you want a deep tissue massage or salt scrub, you might have to tap the mattress bank. But you can spend all day in hydrotherapy for only $35. The entry fee includes the hot tub, steam room, tepid pool, sauna and cold plunge. You’ll feel a little like a brick oven pizza in the 200 degree sauna, but a dip in the cold plunge will cool you right off. After that, the tepid pool will feel like a hot tub. Take a break from all that detox with a cup of tea in the lounge. You don’t even have to change out of your swimsuit. You’ll be so warm when you leave that every room you’ll be in for the next several hours will become a steam room. This is exactly how the Russians survive their winter. Well, that and the vodka.

217 9th Ave N 98109
206 262-1234
www.banya5.com

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

January 13, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

NFT Radar: The Honey Hole

It’s a “hole” because it’s dark and warm. The “honey” part comes from the retardedly delicious sandwiches and drinks. Both the veggie and regular BLTs will satiate that persistent bacon craving. A series of Hollywood monikered sammies feature the meats you love uniquely complimented by the perfect cheeses, veggies, and condiments. No less than 3 of them involve honey roasted ham. You can choose to go hot or cold. It doesn’t really matter. Almost everything is heaven between two slices of bread. The only thing I don’t recommend is the too-literally named Dirt Burger. Nothing helps wash away a bad day at work than a Honey Hole happy hour. $3 pints and $3.50 fresh juice wells are the ideal accompaniment for your comfort food. It’s time to relax under the warmth of red lighting in a cushy booth and pack on the winter calories and this is the place for it. They have also have pizzas and stuff but trust me, you’re gonna want the sandwich. No, it’s not a sex shop, but if you’ve ever considered a carnal relationship with your sandwich, it would probably be one from the Honey Hole.

703 E Pike St 98122
206-709-1399
www.thehoneyhole.com

X-posted from Not For Tourists.

January 8, 2009
Categories: NotForTourists, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: Leave a comment

Give Me Down to There Hair

Why is it so hard to get a decent haircut in this town. Seriously. Is it me? Is it something I do? Because I’m really getting tired of this. There are irritating innate aspects of a haircut which I am happy to put up with like the small talk and having to pick tiny hairs off your neck and face for the rest of the day. But I am only happy to put up with these things if the end result is satisfactory.

I used to see a girl at Vain who I LOOOVED. When I first started going to her, her cuts cost $30. Over time, they increased in $5 increments until they were $50. This was too rich for my blood. But she couldn’t be the only decent girl at Vain, could she? So I made an appointment with someone else. They sucked. They missed large chunks of my bangs and my layers were weird.

So I tried a place close to my house. The haircut was OK. The bangs were even good. But the girl wouldn’t stop complaining about her life. It was kind of stressful. And when I got home, I noticed a big chunk of bang which she’d missed.

A while later, I got another recommendation for a girl at Vain who was in the $35 range. So I went to her and was pretty pleased. We still had the bangs issue, but she got everything else right and she was affordable. She also minimized the small talk. She was my new girl. She even did my hair for my wedding.

And then suddenly and without warning, she moved out of state. Crap!

So I picked another girl in the $35 range. She was kind of OK but still messed up my bangs. Plus, she had a sign posted which read that her haircuts were going up to $45. She was not worth $45 so I decided that after my free touch-up trim, I would go back to my old girl. $50 was apparently the going rate for someone who knows how to cut my hair. Even though my hair is perfectly straight and very fine, it seems to pose a problem for people. Even cutting my bangs in a straight line seems to be problematic. Didn’t we learn to cut in a straight line in kindergarten? And the missed bang chunks thing is especially baffling to me because my bangs have long been a different color than the rest of my hair.

But guess what. My original girl at Vain is gone too. She moved to the Ballard location. That might have been fine. A bit of a pain but I have a car. Only now her haircuts are $60! This is a LOT of money for me right now. And short hair must be cut every 2-3 months.

Which brings us to today. Whilst walking on the ave recently, I noticed a new salon had opened up which boasted “all haircuts $20”. Better yet, they had online appointment scheduling. Any time I don’t have to talk to an actual person, I am a happy camper. So I made an appointment and…

Sucksville.

I told her I wanted chunky layers and straight bangs. Surely, she could tell what I’d had previously based on how it’s grown out, right? I mean, isn’t she TRAINED in this business? But the layers are WAAAY too chunky. Furthermore, there are two weird side-burn like chunks in the front now. I’m really not sure what she was going for there. I suspect something like this. But at least the bangs seemed OK. I was happy she at least got one thing right. When she was done, she said “We don’t blow dry. That’s extra. If you want a blow dry next time, you have to schedule more time”. So not only do they charge you to blow dry, but you have to pre-schedule the 5 minutes it would take to do it. I put my hat on my sopping wet head and walked home in the cold.

Upon blow drying my own damn hair at home, I noticed that she’d missed a chunk of bangs.

$60 and a drive for a haircut is starting to sound pretty reasonable.

January 6, 2009
Categories: Dear Diary, Seattle . . Author: Baxter . Comments: 5 Comments

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