My plans tonight were simple. Drive downtown, pick up a ticket to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah then wander around for a time, grabbing a burger or pizza before the show started. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, blah, blah, blah. My plans were quickly dashed as I found out the show was - sold out. Disappointed, and hungry, I turned my thoughts to making the most of being downtown and finding somewhere to get a quality meal for the price of a ticket to see a show. Well I can say I found a place to eat; and while the price was far more than I intended to spend it was worth every penny.

I had seen the Palace Kitchen on a couple of occasions downtown near the Cinerama. I had always wondered if the food was any good. Only in the past month had I stopped for a quick happy hour drink and took a quick peak at the bar menu, fairly impressive. It was with this experience that I decided to dine there tonight.

When I walked in there were a few patrons at the bar and one table in the restaurant. I was quickly seated by one of the large plate glass windows that afforded me not only ample light by which to read by but also a great vantage point for people watching the adjacent sidewalk. The service was very friendly and attentive, anticipating my need for water along with my cocktail. The first order of business was to get an appetizer in me while I browsed the menu and Palace Olive Poppers ($5.00) were to be them.

What arrived were little pillows of golden brown, fried perfection. What appeared to be an exterior coating turned out to be breading but made from real bread dough. Imagine the outer crust of cheese bread, warm and flaky or better yet, a Nabisco Cheese Nip. This is what ensconced the salty, cool olive. And biting into one you got the multiple flavors of briny, bready, salty and cheesy. It came with a dill herbed sour cream for dipping that helped lighten the fattiness of the olive and smooth out the buttery, cheesiness of the crust “coating”. These are not cheaply battered and fried affair; they are in fact - love.

For my entree I splurged and got the Whole Idaho Trout ($21.00). While more than I would typically spend I was feeling generous to myself. When my plate arrived I had a whole, decently sized, fish sitting on pewter serving platter. Let me make a confession here, I’m not normally squeamish when it comes to food. I’ve dressed game and seen all manner of weird dishes but I have a weird time of food that comes to the table with the head on. Fortunately I was able to get around this, as the fish itself was excellent. Firm, white flesh with the freshest of fish flavor was complemented by the lemon and thyme that was stuffed inside it. A wonderful drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a generous sprinkle of huge flakes of sea salt supported the crispy, crackly, grilled skin. Perfectly seasoned I can’t think of anything that would have made this fish tastier. But try as they might Palace Kitchen accompanied the fish with a small side of braised greens and whipped potatoes. While the greens were buttery and mirrored the lemony flavor of the fish, the leaves were left a little large for the slightly tough texture that they were. And the whipped potatoes, well, I know that Palace Kitchen is not scared to season their dishes but what happened here? Good potato flavor but they could have been better.

By this time, with drinks, my meal was becoming pretty pricey but I couldn’t find it in myself to leave just then. Yes, I ordered myself some dessert. As many of you who read this on a regular basis know, desserts are not typically something I order for myself. Tonight was the exception, once I spotted the Local Blackberry Shortcake ($7.50) on the menu. The bowl arrived with a steaming warm, sugary, buttery biscuit in the middle of a pool of dark violet blackberries. Just smelling it as the waiter sat it in front of me I could tell the shortcake would be butter and rich. And that it was but it was also flakey and just right for the sweet tartness of the blackberries and the smooth creaminess of mascarpone cream. Add to all this a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream and the flavors melded perfectly.

Palace Kitchen does what many place only dream of doing, getting the meal right in so simple a way that you don’t realize what hard work probably went into making it. I never thought for one moment about the training the chef in the back had or how he probably would want my meal to be the best. But I think that’s ultimately the goal of a good restaurant, is for the diner to forget about everything and just focus on a wonderful dining experience. A dining experience I hope to enjoy again in the near future.

Medin’s Ravioli Station is situated in the converted warehouse district between Ballard and Fremont. In plain site but hidden from view it is easy to pass by this yellow building with its tinted windows.

And the windows are tinted for a reason, the afternoon sun shines in brightly even in these waning days of summer. The slightly industrial interior would soon get too warm to stand (especially after a couple of glasses of wine) were it not for this tinted protection. I arrived early; only one other table was seated when I walked in. This may have been a mistake because, while the service was friendly, it was definitely distracted. But it soon settled out and I was able to place my order.

The Four Cheese Ravioli ($9.95) is what I ordered and what arrived was a multi-colored array of pasta pillows filled with ricotta, mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheeses. This may sound like a good combination but unless you eat quickly the cheese will set and seize up on you making the gooey goodness of cheese more like little bricks. Medin’s is called the Ravioli Station and as such offers a variety of pastas and to complement, sauces to adorn your selection. I choose the Roasted Red Pepper, which seemed suspiciously like marinara, marinara soup that is. With very little substance to it and overly oily the sauce was a disappointment. While I expected the rich roasted flavor of a pepper all I got was a slightly garlicky soup reminiscent of bland tomato sauce then red pepper. And then there was the “drizzles”. As if busy were the way to make a sauce appealing, I ended up with crisscrossed lines of pesto sauce and what can only be described as carrot and squash reductions. This dish had everything going on with it; I think I even tasted nutmeg!

Unfortunately Medin’s tries too hard to compensate for lack of vision in its entrees. Bland ravioli cannot be saved with weird out of place sauce splashes. You have great wait staff, an interesting building but you need to focus on making quality food that stands up to the tastes of your clientele.

Tucked away in the small corner location of a shopping center on Broadway Ave sits Osteria La Spiga. Despite having limited seating and an intimate atmosphere this is more than just a “date night” restaurant. When I stopped by the tables were beginning to fill with a mix of couples, old friends catching up and larger parties celebrating births and upcoming weddings. With candle lit tables and a view of the kitchen I wondered if the atmosphere was created to enhance or hide the quality of the food.

I started with a Caprese ($10.50) appetizer. Clearly what arrived was meant to be shared by two people, especially with the price tag. In the middle of a fair-sized plate sat a small mountain of heirloom cherry tomatoes; tossed in fruity olive oil, tangy fresh basil strips and the slightest hint of sea salt. The combination of flavors only helped to enhance the sweet, tart flavor of the tomatoes. While the tomatoes were fresh and flavorful I would almost have asked for larger sizes, as they were a bit too small to spear effectively. Along with my mound of tomatoes came two rounds of fresh, cool mozzarella. Firm and creamy it had almost no flavor of its own other than that of say, fresh cream. It played well against the bold flavor of the tomato.

For the main course I ordered the Gnocchi al Pomodoro ($10.50). Little potato dumplings dressed in a creamy tomato sauce. While the dumplings were firm and fresh I felt them to be a little bland. The tomato sauce while decent on the tomato flavor did little to help the dish overall and could have been thinned down just a little. A little more salt and some Parmesan cheese would have gone a long way to making this dish really stand out.

Osteria La Spiga, overall, is a nice restaurant that offers some nicely prepared meals. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the wait staff looks after your needs. Where they fall short in my book is with the pricing for the quality of food that you get. For Italian, there are many other places in Seattle where, for the money, you can get far superior quality food. My suggestion is to go with friends or take a date and dine from their appetizers, which they seem to do a very good job with.

Rocky, The Liberty Bell, and Will Smith. These are a few of the things I think of when I think about Philadelphia. A mix of ethnicities has brought together some of the best food in the world to Philly. Unfortunately I live on the opposite coast from the city of brotherly love so it’s hard for me to get the one symbol I think of when I hear the name Philadelphia, the cheese steak sandwich.

While in the city only once I couldn’t leave without trying what I’d heard was the best place to get a cheese steak, Pat’s King of steaks. The meat was tender and juicy, speckled with onions and dripping with Cheese Whiz. While I’ve been to many restaurants since that proclaim to serve a cheese steak sandwich, I had yet to find one that could stand up to my Pat’s experience. That is until I found Tat’s Deli in Pioneer Square.

A traditional looking delicatessen sandwich shop, Tat’s usually has a line snaking out the door during lunch hours. Fortunately C and I got there early, so we were able to walk straight to the counter and order without a wait. While you get a back East feel from the store itself, black and white pictures of New York and Philadelphia hanging on the walls, what you don’t get is East Coast attitude. The people behind the counter are friendly no matter if you have a lot of substitutions or if you are sitting down with your food. The staff makes you feel totally welcome.

Today I ordered my favorite, a Whiz wit’. What is that you ask? Well it’s actually a CheeseSteak with (Wit’) onions (8″ $6.75, 12″ $10.75) and what you get is a sandwich stuffed full of tender, thinly sliced grilled beef and the cheese of your choice. Though I chose the traditional Cheese Whiz you can also get Provolone, Swiss, Cheddar, American, Pepper Jack or Mozzarella. All this comes on a crusty Italian roll that stands up to the juices of the meat and an abundance of cheese. The steak is grilled and seasoned to perfection with great hints of Thyme, but not overly so. Mixed with grilled onions and gooey cheese this sandwich is a handful of a mess that you’ll love to bite into. Add to that an order of Old Bay seasoned Fries (Small $1.50, Large $2.50) and you have a meal that will satisfy to the core. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside these fries were dusted (almost overly so) with the spicy tanginess of Old Bay Seasoning. For those who don’t know, Old Bay is typically used on seafood back East. It makes shrimp, lobster and crab boils really stand out. But sprinkle it on some fried potatoes and the flavors really pop.

At Tat’s you can also get a range of other deli sandwiches both hot and cold. Being that it was a little chilly C decided on a Tat’s Grinder (8″ $7.50, 12″ $12.00). A hot sandwich filled with capicolla, pepperham, genoa salami & provolone and garnished with hot & sweet pepper along with LTOM. The Tat’s Grinder can be more than a mouthful. Be careful if you’re not a fan of spicy though as, to some, the peppers can pack a punch.

The quality of the ingredients they use is high and they are sure to give you more food than you can handle. The 8″ sandwiches will satisfy most any appetite with the 12″ being enough for two to share. No matter what you order you are sure to be treated fairly and with respect when you go to Tat’s. For those who miss their delis from back East to those who want to experience what those of from the East coast are talking about when we say cheese steak, Tat’s is the place to go.

I’m not a vegetarian. When I think of going to get something to eat I don’t picture a tofu patty or neat loaf. But this is not to say I am against vegetarianism. It’s just that I usually prefer to have meat with my meal. So it was with great surprise that I find myself frequenting Silence Heart Nest in Fremont. In the former Longshoreman’s Daughter location Silence Heart Nest is a unique blend of cool, blue interior space and sari clad waitresses.

A co-worker and I stop in today for a lunch and, though the restaurant was nearly half-full, we recieve prompt service. Serving breakfast and lunch, a quick scan of the menu reveals that my personal choices are limited. I have a confession to make - I hate eggs. Scrambled, fried, poached, boiled; you name the style in which they are cooked and I will dislike it. Silence Heart Nest, like most vegetarian restaurants I’ve been to, is somewhat heavy on the egg dishes. When all is said and done I find that I really have few options; an entree salad, mac ‘n’ cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich. Wanting something somewhat substantial for lunch I order the Grilled Cheese ($6.35) with the Aegean Salad ($2.00 extra) instead of potatoes.

With the grilled cheese you get your choice of bread and cheese. I chose sourdough and white cheddar. What arrived was thick sliced, crusty bread with a hint of tang. The interior of each slice was moist and dense. While not as golden brown as I like the exteriors of my grilled cheese it still had a nice butteriness to it that held, inside, a thick layer of gooey melted cheddar. Fresh and with a high butter fat content, the cheese added a great creaminess to the slightly crisp bread. Along with my sandwich came a small pile of spinach leaves topped with cucumber slices, diced tomatoes, walnuts, feta cheese and cranberries. While the cranberries seemed out of place the salad overall, with its combination of nutty walnuts and cool cumcumber as a nice addition to my meal.

If the grilled cheese is any indication of the rest of the menu; vegetarians should find Silence Heart Nest a plesant stop for a meal. And if you like eggs, well, you’ll have to tell me how they do with those. While not a stop I would make every day I can definitely see myself returning in the future.