An upscale 7-11. That would be an apt descriptor of Porcella Urban Market. On one side of the store you have dry good and a refrigerated section, just like 7-11, though the stock on those shelves is more of the imported variety. From pickled vegetables, to sweets, canned octopus and even escargot - this is where you go, in Bellevue, if you’re throwing a gourmet cocktail party and need last minute supplies. But it is the other side of the store that will interest most people. Again, like a 7-11, Porcella offers a selection of ready-to-eat items but unlike the ubiquitous corner store, the fare in Porcella’s display case is of a much higher quality. Cured meats, house-made sausage, roasted vegetables and various beasts and fowl are what one will find in a glass case that stretches over twenty feet long.

But it’s not what’s in the case or what’s on the shelf that brings me to Porcella. Unlike a 7-11, I come for the meals they cook up in their glass-walled, semi open air kitchen. The day of my visit, around lunch time, I made a selection from the list of sandwiches of a Warm Lamb Baguette ($11.00). The pressed baguette arrived layered with thin slices of slightly wild tasty, meaty bits of lamb. Slow cooked the meat was tender, juicy and easily enough bitten through with only the mere hint of fattiness to it. Dotted here and there within the sandwich were bits of melted cheese that, while fairly mild in flavor, reminded me of a fresh goat’s cheese. It was the olive and lemon relish that really helped to make the sandwich overall from becoming a heavy, leaden affair. Adding brightness and flavor contrasts, the relish takes the place of lettuce and tomato in cutting the heaviness of meat and cheese. Aside from the relish, or as a side to the relish (And the sandwich in general), my plate served with pickled vegetables that were restrained in their pickle-ishness but which still held a near fresh picked crunch. Of course what sandwich would be complete without chips? At Porcella they are referred to as frites or more accurately, truffled gaufrettes but whatever you call them you will eat them as though it was Crack-In-A-Bowl ™. Feathery, light, lacy and doily delicate are just a few words I can think to describe these little waffle cut jewels. I for one never fell victim to the whole truffle craze. You know, the one where everyone wanted truffle oil, truffle salt or truffled truffles in truffle sauce? I never really got it. It wasn’t quite my thing, however, in this application the truffle oil combined with salt and warm potato had an effect on me that prohibited me from eating just one (Sorry Lays!).

While I can’t see myself living in Bellevue, having to work there, near Porcella wouldn’t be too terrible of a proposal. Warm sandwiches, deli plates and a case full of prepared food to take home for dinner, what more could a person ask for? Slightly lower prices perhaps. At an average of ten dollars for a sandwich you’d have to live in Bellevue to be able to afford such extravagances on a daily basis. But if you are on the Eastside, shopping at the mall, working or buying a car, stop in for lunch or dinner. You’ll have the best convenience store meal of your life.

It is so rare that I get to be one of the first to check out a restaurant. Blame this on the fact that I don’t buy or read Seattle print newspapers but instead get my news from their online versions. So, typically, by the time I get to a new restaurant everyone and their brother has heard of, and reviewed, the life out of it. But this time I happened upon The Station Bistro on the night of its grand opening, and while I already had dinner plans I vowed to return on my first free night to check them out. That night turned out to be two days later.

Originally I had found The Station Bistro just by driving up Leary Avenue and noticing that the old service station was looking in better shape than it had been in years. While I love modern design and architecture there is something satisfying about seeing an old, abandoned building, one whose use was very opposite its future intended use, transformed from something of an eyesore into a functional member of the neighborhood. The sign painted on the door states the open hours as 4 PM to 2 AM, seven days a week but when I arrived at 4:30 I was asked to return in about twenty minutes. The staff is small and I could see they were busily trying to prep the restaurant from their late night the previous evening. A few times around the block taking pictures of the warm Fall evening was enough. As I strode back towards the awkwardly angled corner I could smell the savory aromas that the breeze had picked up from the kitchen and absconded with down the sidewalk.

Inside the space is hip and cool, both figuratively and literally. First the glass, roll-up garage doors were open to the elements, allowing free wandering breezes to mingle with the diners. As for literally, all the horizontal surfaces were a charcoal black, the table tops made up of slate of the color (Bits of chalk are provided for your dinner drawing pleasure), while most walls were a medium grey. The exception was the burnt crimson wall behind the bar. The menu was abbreviated; a letter sized sheet of paper folded in half, food on one side, wines on the other.

From the short menu I ordered Russian Steak Dumplings ($9.00) and Herbed Mushroom Risotto ($9.00). The dumplings consisted of bite sized bits of filet, wrapped in dough and floated in a shallow pool of beefy broth. With a dollop of crème fraiche and some chili sauce streaks the presentation itself was spare, clean and modern. It was with the first few bites that I realized the chef had intended something much more complex than what the look lent itself to. The steak was tender and each dumpling cut in half easily. Inside, studding the dough’s interior were bits of cracked, black pepper adding heat and bite to the steak bits while at the same time the crème fraiche, sticking to the outside of the dumplings, added cooling, creamy richness. As I was eating I thought to myself, “This is sort of like beef stroganoff”, and that is exactly what it was like. A much more modern version to be sure but the steak in the place of ground beef or stew meat, the dumplings where noodles would be, crème fraiche instead of sour cream and a broth that, when allowed to blend with the crème fraiche, was beefy, rich and creamy. But I will warn you that this dish can be messy. If you haven’t speared your dumpling just so, and it falls back into the broth, expect to splash yourself and anyone who’s nearby - be forewarned!

The risotto was a little on the unexpected side. While the menu had described something that I thought would be spiked with mushrooms, I instead got a bowl of risotto that was studded with oven roasted vegetables. Large chunks of cauliflower, butternut squash and whole Brussels sprouts blanketed the surface of a rich, cheesy risotto. The first bite was filled with roasted garlic flavor and coated in grated parmesan cheese. As a matter of fact, nearly everything was covered in the finely grated cheese. The vegetables found themselves attacked so that I could get to more bites of the star of the bowl. But they had their own claim to fame. The cauliflower was lightly browned on the edges but cooked just so to bring out their natural sugars, the butternut squash, much like its name was smooth and buttery rich and the Brussels sprouts were mild without a hint of the bitterness you sometimes get from poor preparation. It was after eating past these vegetable toppings that I had realized my mistake; I had allowed the risotto to cool down too much. With the roll-up doors half-way up and a slight chill in the air my creamy, buttery risotto turned more into a leaden, clumpy mass. So if you decide on this dish, eat it first and quickly if the doors are open.

Something to keep in mind with The Station Bistro, the dishes I saw were presented in smaller servings. Like many restaurants, The Station Bistro is participating in the trend towards a variety of small plates that are intended to be shared amongst friends. But don’t let that deter you from dining, like me, solo. A meat dish and a starch or vegetable dish are enough to make a meal for one. Think of the menu at The Station Bistro as something akin to a happy hour menu. One that you browse for tasty treats, of which these are, and nice wines to share with friends or indulge in alone, as you watch the traffic pass by on Leary Avenue.

UPDATE!

After two poor showings involving steaks I had decided not to revisit two of Chow Foods network of Seattle restaurants - Coastal Kitchen and The Hi-Life. But I realize that things change, from people to places, and that I should try, once again, to find something positive about the food from at least one of these places. Since The Hi-Life is closer to me than Capitol Hill’s Coastal Kitchen I decided upon dinner at that Chow Foods location.

First let me start by saying that, “The service, even upon entering, was far superior to that of my first review”. I was greeted immediately upon entering and shown right to a table. Within minutes my server had arrived to walk me through recent changes to the menu. Not only had the service improved but The Hi-Life was now offering tapas. Kind of strange as I had always felt their menu was more Mediterranean inspired and less Southern European/Basque-ish but I was happy to see that they were willing to mix up their offerings a bit.

So for dinner I decided to try one of their ’small bites’ as well as a menu item which I felt would be fairly easy to prepare well. I asked for both to arrive at the same time; the Prawns Adobo ($8.50) came on a small, square-ish dish and the Wild Mushroom Pizza ($10.00) on a dinner plate all to itself. I sampled one of the three presented prawns first and was immediately disappointed. Just trying to cut one in half was like sawing through a rubber chew toy. Dry and stringy the shrimp were far too over-cooked and despite coming with a smoky, spicy adobo sauce there was little that was overcoming the lack of flavor from the prawns or the silver dollar sized, polenta corn cakes. Pushing the small plate away I drew closer the dinner plate that let off a heady aroma of freshly chopped herbs and cheese. Piled with mushrooms from cremini to button and oyster I’d say the pizza was less wild and a little milder but still had good flavor. The combination of mushroom and fresh thyme, combined with a savory tomato sauce with just a hint of sweetness was just about right. My only suggestion would be to add a hint of red pepper flakes to the sauce. As for the crust, I had a love-hate affair with it. One side was nicely cooked; crispy and slightly charred on top with little black spots on the underside from where it rested in the oven but the other side was pallid and tasted of raw dough. If I had to venture a guess I’d say that my pizza had to jockey for space in the oven and didn’t get a full share of heat. This also led to part of the pizza being somewhat soggy. However, this was really the only major drawback. The sauce and mushroom toppings were good, as mentioned, and he cheese was creamy and smooth and kept to a conservative amount so as to not overpower the other flavors.

There are yet still other menu items to try at The Hi-Life but I’m still wary of the quality. ‘Chow Foods’ is really imprinting on my mind the idea of chow as low quality food; much like that from a military mess hall or some chuck wagon on the range. I understand the desire to have a network of restaurants, to have a business that caters to as many tastes as possible, in an effort to stay in business and make a profit but at what cost? So far, in my admittedly limited experiences with Chow Foods restaurants, the cost is the quality of the food and that’s a shame. Attention to detail and quality ingredients could make The Hi-Life great, but as it stands I can only suggest the pizza. Of course there are other places to get a great pizza pie aren’t there?

June 6th, 2006

After a near sleepless night I was finally able to plod my way through the day to dinner. Upon arriving home and weighing my options of darting downtown, searching for a parking spot and sitting down at one of the “hot” restaurants on my list or making a quick local jaunt to one of my stand-bys I decided on the latter. In this way, at least was my hope, I’d get a decent meal and be home in short order to get to bed and catch-up on some sleep. The stand-by in this particular instance happened to be one of the Chow Foods restaurants. Its name is The Hi-Life in Ballard.

Something should have set off alarm bells early-on when I stepped through the door and waited nearly ten minutes before I was seated. For a moment or two I actually felt a “go away” kind of vibe as many of the staff looked in my direction but none budged to help me save for a lone server who came to my rescue. Whether he was acting apologetic or it was truly his nature he put forth his best foot and provided me with friendly, courteous service. But service can be spotty in many places in Seattle and I was just thankful to be off my feet with the prospect of food on its way.

To start I ordered the House Greens Salad ($5.50) with blue cheese dressing. The greens consisted of whole leaf butter lettuce interspersed with shreds of purple cabbage and petrified brown bread croutons. I possibly could have overlooked the stone-like bread in the salad had it been made fresh and the dressing been a more subtle, less vinegary concoction. As it was most of the blue cheese flavor was hidden and the mild butter lettuce was completely overpowered.

Oh well, on to the main course, a 10 Oz. Flat Iron Steak ($17.50). “This is just what I need to help perk me up.” I thought, “Red meat!” The steak arrived dark and handsome on a generous helping of somewhat limp fries, a dab of maitre d’ butter slowly melting on its surface. I found the thick-end, made a few well-placed incisions and drooled slightly at the still red, juicy, medium-rare interior. In went the bite of steak; one, two, three chews. And then it hit me, a weird livery taste. Surely this wasn’t right. Maybe I got part of the steak that was up against something else on the grill? I repeated the above steps. To my shock that bite and all remaining bites held the same off-tasting liver flavor. Now I’ve had flat iron steaks before and I don’t remember their flavor being like this. I tried the fries, hoping maybe something splashed on the food from the kitchen. Nope, the fries didn’t taste livery - they were just stale and over-cooked. Not that any of this was totally repulsive and actually, when combined bite of fries with a bite of steak, the dish was edible enough but just not what I was expecting.

This though was not the first time that Chow Foods disappointed me with their steak offering. Those of you who’ve been with me for a while may remember a short time ago when I reviewed Coastal Kitchen and the disappointing steak during that outing. It seems like Chow Foods is missing something when it comes to their beef offerings. Perhaps it’s their supply chain; maybe the meat is just old or perhaps just poor quality. One thing I know for sure as I finish this report and prepare for bed; steak is off the menu at a Chow Foods joint!

Nothing builds an appetite quite like traffic, or is that ruin an appetite. I can never get that straight. Not that I need a reason to be hungry or want something good to eat. But sometimes fighting traffic on a rainy afternoon starts the gnawing in one’s belly, a hunger that needs to be filled. It was today’s hunger that had me seeking out Baguette Box on Capitol Hill.

You’ll know it when you see it, walking uphill from Pacific Place or down past the stores that line Pine St. Baguette Box is unique for a restaurant in that their signature, a baguette, is firmly in the mouth of their mascot icon Boxer. The sign on the window is big as day and as long as you know to look for that, you’ll always find this tiny little shop. The space is small and narrow and you walk through the dining area with its five or so tables to get to the counter to place your order. A large sign is mounted high above your head listing sandwiches or you can grab a paper menu from the counter and step back while deciding which delight best fits your mood.

Today I choose the Grilled Lemongrass Skirt Steak Baguette ($7.50) and an order of Fries ($2.35). It took a short while for my food to get to me as the steak was cooking in the back. The kitchen is an open-air affair that is located just over the shoulder of the cashier. It was my fries that came out first. Dressed in a paper cup similar to what you’d find at the state fair, they were a dark, golden brown, standing at attention with big flakes of course salt clinging to their surface. The crispy exteriors held fluffy interiors with big potato flavor all without the slightest hint of greasiness.

It was after shoveling a few fries into my mouth that my sandwich arrived. Hot and steamy I could smell the scent of lemon and a hint of the cilantro that was lounging on top of all the toppings. The baguette itself had a soft interior with a crunchy, crackly crust. I pay particular attention to the bread not only because the restaurant is named Baguette Box but also because too many times when one orders a sandwich made on baguette you get a tough, chewy piece of shoe leather. This was not the case here, however, as the bread was very fresh. Piled into it were too large-ish pieces of skirt steak, carrots, onion, lettuce and cilantro. I wasn’t until halfway through the sandwich that I realized what this was, a Bahn Mi. The steak was mildly flavored with lemongrass but sauced with hoisin sauce. Combine the bright lemon flavor with a savory, slightly tart hoisin sauce you get a unique taste. What made this stand out even more was the addition of sweet carrot. While a lot of Vietnamese food is based on Asian and French influences, and the Bahn Mi is a great example of this, this sandwich was most definitely Asian inspired all the way. I wouldn’t quite call it sweet and sour but sweet and savory would not be too far off the mark. My only complaint would be with the meat itself. Flank and skirt steaks, as I’ve said before are decent cuts of beef if treated properly. They should never be served in large chunks, especially if they are presented in a sandwich. I really dislike having to tear at a sandwich only to have a large bit of meat slide out of the bread and hang from my mouth. Smaller pieces of meat, please!

So was it worth fighting traffic? Would I do it again? I most definitely would. Baguette Box is a hole in the wall eatery with an upscale, yet low-key attitude. A relaxed atmosphere and good food make for a regular stop on my list of places to eat.

You never have to worry about going hungry in Seattle, for the most part. In nearly every neighborhood one has a wide array of culinary options before them. From Thai, American, Chinese, Japanese, European or Ethiopian, Seattle neighborhoods offer a cornucopia of eateries from which to choose. With the one exception being the South Lake Union area. Having only a smattering of restaurants lining the Southern lakeshore and three or four dotting the blocks South, this part of town is more of a transit hub shuttling people through to destinations with more offerings. And if you are unlucky enough to work in this area what do you do if you want lunch but don’t feel like driving into downtown, up the hill to Capitol Hill or over to one of the other neighborhoods? Likely you bring a lunch or you settle for a sandwich from Subway ™. I was with this in mind, and because I was meeting a friend who works nearby, that I decided to try Paddy Coyne’s.

It was evening when I gave Paddy Coyne’s a try, their happy hour just beginning. An Irish themed establishment, stuffed into a smallish space, dark wood paneling and slightly worn furniture tries to give the space a feel of an old country tavern. For the most part though it just seems small and corporate. On the plus side there are huge floor to ceiling windows on one side of the restaurant allowing in ample afternoon sun and an outside patio area. I settled in at my table, perused the menu and decided to stick with the theme of the restaurant and ordered the Guinness Braised Irish Beef Stew ($8.50).

A large, steaming bowl arrived at my table filled with a stew smelling of thyme and potatoes with large bits of beef lounging in the broth. I grabbed my spoon and with the first bite was reassured of the use of thyme in the cooking process. Fresh and heady it assaulted my senses but not so powerfully as to drown out the richness of the overall broth. Swimming with bits of celery and onion this broth had a definite peppery kick to it. As for the other ingredients, the potatoes were just barely cooked through, almost a little underdone but the carrots were tooth tender. I would have thought that the beef stew would have come out of a can but the freshness of the root vegetables proved that unfounded. Plus the bits of beef told a story of being made from scratch. How do I know this? Having had my share of Dinty Moore ™ after moving out on my own, I recognize the reconstituted, bland meat of canned products. No, the meat in this stew was tender but still had fatty and gristly bits. This was not a plus but merely a way by which to tell that all the ingredients were assembled locally for this menu.

While I think that Paddy Coyne’s is probably aiming for the after work crowd with its happy hour and faux-Irish setting, grabbing a bite to eat there is not a bad thing. The South Lake Union area can be a bit of a black hole in the restaurant department but hopefully owners of restaurants like Paddy Coyne’s will see the opportunities that lay before them in such an area. With such efforts perhaps the South Lake Union area can be filled in as another of Seattle’s neighborhood destinations.