It was a dark and stormy night… Okay, so that’s not exactly true but it was very grey and drizzly as I drove into Belltown after work. The traffic had just begun to build and the first drops of a typical Seattle rain began to fall. While not quite cold there was still a chill in the air as I parked my car and walked the short block to Marjorie.

I was greeted with a blast of warm air and an empty restaurant upon entering. Most of my meals over the past few months have been taken early in the evening; prior to a dinner rush and usually just as a restaurant is opening. Today was no different, two of the cooks were conversing near the bar and I was able to choose a prime seat near the window to take advantage of the natural light for my photography. I had studied the menu online and perused it again as my server went and made me the strongest sangria ($5.00) that I’ve ever tasted. As soon as my drink arrived my order was placed.

I was informed that it would take a little longer for my food to arrive than it normally would. This was due to the fact that I ordered a side of Braised Collards with Bacon ($6.00). For my wait I was rewarded with a small metal bowl piled high with crunchy, hearty collard green with a hint of sweet butter complimenting the natural bitterness of the green itself. Combined with wilted onion, diced red peppers and, of course, crisp, smoky bacon the greens had great depth of flavor and were a perfect side dish for the main course. And plentiful as well, one side could have easily been shared between two people.

For the main entree I choose the Grilled Flank Steak ($22.00). I have mentioned before how tougher cuts of steak had not been presented properly, the tough grain of the meat still holding itself firmly together. This was not to be the case at Marjorie. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium, still moist and juicy on the inside with a slight sear on the outside. Seasoned well, a bit of salt added at the very end, the cut of meat was sliced on the bias against the grain making it not only flavorful but very tender. But the steak was not to be the only star. This was actually to be the night of two braised greens as the flank steak came served atop braise kale. Buttery and rich the kale was mild but had a great unctuous mouth feel. It was a great contrast to a bite of steak smeared with an herbed blue cheese that was served atop a crushed Yukon gold potato that had been seared crispy on the outside.

While I made the mistake of venturing out without a jacket the warmth from Marjorie rewarded me. Rewarded me with the friendliness of the staff, a mix of urban, jazzy, boppy tunes, stiff sangria and, of course, the food. These are all elements that you should seek to enjoy for yourself.

True, I have not been to many barbeque restaurants in the Seattle area since my relocation here nearly a year ago. As a matter of fact, to date, I have only been to two restaurants that dedicate themselves to selling ‘que. One was more a bar than a barbeque restaurant, which should have been a tip off right there that I was to be disappointed. The second was a restaurant that opened about a mile from my house. “Could this be barbeque worthy of Southern taste buds”, I asked myself. Well I was soon to find out as I made the short walk to Bourbon & Barbeque Grill.

I stopped by after work and though the restaurant opens at 4pm (I was there at 4:15pm) they don’t start serving food until 5pm. So, since I had some time to kill, I sat at the bar and indulged in at least one of their name’s sake, bourbon. Their selection was strong with only one minor omission, Jim Beam Black label, but I made due with a Maker’s Mark. Some chitchat with the staff while they rushed to get ready for the evening service and my bourbon made the forty-five minutes fly by. In no time at all I had my order placed and my skepticism on high.

It didn’t take long at all to get my order and put Bourbon & Barbeque Grill’s food to the test. First in line was an order of Fried Green Tomatoes ($2.50). This item wasn’t on the regular menu but instead was written on a board near the door. But do they ever need to make this a constant item. A little more thinly sliced than I typically would have made for myself the tomatoes were nonetheless sweet and tart. Incased in a crispy, crunchy batter that adhered well to the tomato slices, they were enhanced by what the owner call Jezebel Sauce. As for this when you go in. Apricot and horseradish may not sound like they’d go well together but applied liberally to the tomatoes and it gave a subtle kick that helped to actually bring out the tomato’s natural sweetness. I didn’t feel it worked quite as well with my sandwich but that’s personal preference.

Now, the sandwich. I ordered a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich ($8.75, add fries for $1.00). For those of you who may not be quite familiar with Southern barbeque, a pulled pork sandwich defines your “‘que”. Made, typically, from the cheapest cut on the pig, the shoulder, the meat in a sandwich can be succulent and tender or it can be filled with fat, gristle and sinew. As I write this I feel myself back at Bourbon & Barbeque Grill, sandwich in hand and that first bite. Immediately I was back in Tampa at my favorite barbeque shack. Juicy pork goodness dripping down my chin, a tart tomato, vinegar sauce teasing my tongue and a smoky goodness coming from the meat itself. This was good barbeque. Lightly sauced the chefs leave the meat to speak for itself. Done just to the point of melting away fat and connective tissue made for rich, moist pork. The light saucing allowed me to try a few of their sauces until I found the one that was right for me. The sandwich costs a bit more than I would pay in the South for pulled pork and the bun, I felt, should have been toasted to stand up to sauce and meat but these were only minor drawbacks.

If you are one of the above mentioned people who’ve yet to experience true Southern barbeque, this is the place for you to go. If you’ve had good barbeque before and have been found wanting for some of the same here, this is the place for you. If you live within walking distance and get a hunger for good barbeque more times than you’d like to admit; well then, this is the place for me.

Lately it seems I have a fetish for Ballard. Okay maybe fetish is too intense a word to use. But I’m slowly realizing that there are some great places to eat just a hop, skip and a jump away from my place. One such place I’ve known about for nearly a year but was hesitant to visit, having heard it was a haven for giggling sorority girls and large parties. But I tend to go to dinner early and so perhaps this night would be a quiet early evening meal at Volterra.

A hip, urban Italian restaurant, Volterra was nearly empty when I arrived shortly after opening. There are two dining areas; one up front sharing space with an ample bar and another around a corner over looking a patio and the street beyond. It was this space where I was seated, under a large skylight, the room all to myself. The staff was pleasant and I enjoyed an easy rapport as I was told of the daily specials.

I decided on the Bowties with Smoked Chicken ($15.00) as the menu promised asparagus and artichokes, two of my favorite vegetables. It took a little longer than I expected for my meal to arrive but I’ll chalk that up to my early arrival and the time the chef was putting into making my dinner perfect. And what arrived was quite well done. A veritable mountain of bowtie pasta (Which, it was admitted to me, was not made in house but was a commercially available brand) arrived in a shallow bowl. Sauced perfectly with a sweet, slightly tart tomato cream sauce. The cream gave the sauce just the right amount of richness to flavor the pasta and went well with the chucks of smoked chicken. And smoked is an apt word for this chicken. A thick taste of Hickory was readily apparent in each cube of chicken meat. If I didn’t know better I’d almost mistake the chicken for kielbasa sausage. Of course this is all well and good but where are the promised asparagus and artichokes? It turns out that the addition of those elements were few and far between. The asparagus seemed relegated more as garnish in their diced, pelletized forms and only a few leaves of artichoke drifted here and there. There was great flavor to be had with this pasta, from the chicken to the mushrooms and even the generous dollop of Beecher’s goat cheese (The grassy notes added extra depth to the dish) but adding some more substantial bits of vegetable would have made this dish great.

My initial impressions of Volterra, made due to a Seattle-based newspaper’s review, have been proved unfounded. With so many items on their menu grabbing my attention and the modern take on Italian, not just the food but also the atmosphere, I will be sure to make another visit for another early dinner.

Many times in searching for a new restaurant to try I surprise myself with spots that are right at my back door. I’ve been all over Fremont and thought I knew enough about Ballard to have hit all the good places to eat. But sometimes it takes outside influence to see those hidden gems, those restaurants that, at first glance, may not seem to hold much in the way of culinary excitement. It was such with my first experience at Market Street Grill.

The setting is one of neutral colors, exposed duct work and smooth jazzy tunes playing over the sound system. The staff was courteous and attentive even if the hostess seemed a little confused at first. I was seated quickly and the waiter informed me of the soup of the day, what menu items were temporarily unavailable and took my order. I started with the Lamb Empanadas ($9.00). The appetizer arrived as three golden pillows floating on a cool, cucumber sauce. The pastry pockets weren’t very flakey but tender all the same. Inside is where the treasure was to be found. Ground lamb had been simmered with cumin and what I believe was chili powder, giving them a distinct “South-of-the-border” taste. Contrasting the warm, spicy bite of the empanadas was a chunky cucumber raita. Made from small cubes of cucumber and creamy yogurt the raita was great in smoothing out any edge to the spicy lamb filling.

For the main course I choose the Roasted Chicken ($18.00). A half chicken arrived atop braised Swiss chard and surrounded by roasted fingerling potatoes dotting a thyme jus. The golden, crisp chicken skin released a wonderfully juicy aroma that was reinforced by the still moist meat below. Unlike many times of eating roast chicken the white and dark portions were cooked through without being overcooked and dry. A perfect compliment to each bite of chicken was the buttery sautéed Swiss chard. Little else was done to it but perhaps a sprinkling of salt which allowed the sweet and slightly bitter notes of the chard come through. The fingerling potatoes were equally well done. Golden brown and crunchy on the outside they held a treasure of smooth, creamy potato flesh inside, no butter needed for these spuds.

Market Street Grill puts on few airs in making itself known in Ballard as they save the crowing for the food. Cooked with attention and care they were able to take simple ingredients and transform them into quality dining.

I want to visit Japan. More accurately, I want to live in Japan. I love so many aspects of the culture. The efficient design, minimalist, post-modern aesthetics, their cutting edge technologies and of course the food. Not that everything the Japanese eat suits my palate but from yakitori stands, to shabu shabu in restaurants and sushi shops. It’s this latter entry, sushi shops, which pique my interest in the country. I can imagine myself walking down the street at lunchtime, popping into a sushi place and getting high-quality sushi from a neighborhood shop. It is such thinking that drives me, here in Seattle, to try many of the less than name brand Japanese restaurants. One such restaurant is located about two miles from my office building and known as Ken Zaburo.

I went with a large contingent of co-workers and we were shown to a family sized table off to one corner. Fitted with a large lazy Susan in the center of the table, there’d be no problem in passing the soy sauce. Water glasses were filled and menus contemplated. When it comes to full-service Japanese restaurants I like to try as many menu items as possible to get a feel for what a particular place does well. It is with this statement in mind that I placed my order for a Tempura Plate ($8.95), Large Sashimi Plate ($15.95) and a Rainbow Roll ($8.95).

The Tempura plate was a disappointment right off the bat. While not strictly a historically Japanese dish (It was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese) tempura, when made properly, is a menu item that evokes a connection to Japan. Well-made tempura is a crispy yet almost non-existent batter coating delicate shrimp, vegetables or both. What came to the table was a plate mounded with overly battered tempura with a soggy coating. This may be due to being piled onto the center of a small plate, allowing the steam from the food below to become trapped. Whatever the cause, the tempura was less than so-so and not worth the time; it held very little flavor and only a soggy texture.

With the Large Sashimi Plate I fared a bit better. The yellow fin was smooth and tasted slightly of the sea but the salmon was outstanding. Buttery and cool the salmon had very little flavor outside of a creamy fattiness. The tuna was less than desirable. The purple-ish flesh held a liver flavor that, with most bites, was more grainy than smooth. While it has only been within the past year and a half or so that I started to enjoy eating octopus, I have gotten to know what makes for a good bite. The “slices” of tentacle that were plated tended to be more along the medallion shape and size. I’ve found that this makes for an overly chewy piece of octopus and this was no exception. The sweet shrimp was tasty but why only one piece? Surely shrimp is not so expensive that another piece or two couldn’t be placed on the plate.

Finally comes the Rainbow Roll. This is another pseudo Japanese dish, meaning that rolls such as a rainbow are California inspired Japanese cuisine. Yet I consider the proper construction of a rainbow roll as a benchmark of the sushi chef’s skills as much as the preparation of Big Mac ™ would be to a chef at Daniel’s Broiler. While being well below their skill level, it should nonetheless be well within their range to make and make well. This lightly packed roll was filled with crab, cucumber and a slightly spicy mayonnaise then topped with the smallest amounts of salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus and shrimp imaginable. So much was left to be desired with this roll. It almost seemed as if the chef had very few ingredients for the lunch rush and my order “broke the bank” for him.

Many times when going to a new restaurant it’s hard to contain my excitement, especially one whose menu I’ve already seen. I’m always up for a hidden gem. A place that very few people know about. It was this excitement, this desire for a hidden gem that I held for Ken Zabura. Unfortunately I was to be disappointed. While not a horrible experience I can safely say that I will not likely return for a second visit. Not with other places in Seattle that provide a far superior dining experience. It is the superior experience that I want to keep in mind as I dream of a time when I can be in Japan to experience these foods in the land that developed them.