Washington State Archives

In travel

Weekend Getaway at the Tulalip Resort Casino

April 6, 2018

Pack your gummy bears, we’re going on a drive. We were invited to a weekend getaway to experience culinary delights, entertainment and relaxation at Tulalip Resort Casino. Only a 2 hour drive South from Vancouver, 30 minutes from Seattle and right next to the Premium Outlets, Tulalip is nice for those looking to treat themselves with a nearby escape and take it easy. We got off early on a Friday and let our weekend adventure begin.

I heard about Tulalip many times but had never been. When I asked my friends about it, I got the same answers over and over: it’s next to the Premium Outlets, only went inside for the buffet, the buffet was good. A jist of what I didn’t expect: they have full spa services with good rates, almost Vegas level interior renovations featuring local Tulalip tribal art, regular shows and concerts and a range of food options from build-your-own pizza to sports bar to fancy Pacific Northwest cuisine and more. Also their Sommelier, Tom Thompson, is fantastic.

Accommodations:

We arrived at reception in the late afternoon and I was immediately taken back by the quality of the renovations. Beautiful ambient lighting and artwork set the mood for a relaxing weekend. Opening the doors to our 2016 renovated king bedded room, we were greeted with soft music playing from the smart TV. The room had a luxurious atmosphere, a comfortable bed, massive double sink bathroom and artwork in all the details.

You may not expect from its unassuming exterior but Tulalip is operating at 90% occupancy. Currently they have single king rooms, double queens and 5 uniquely decorated specialty suites. They offer their rooms with dining or shopping packages so know you have some options before you book.

Drinks: Destinations Lounge

This was where we first met Tommy, the passionate and easy-going Sommelier, and got a glimpse into his vast knowledge. For drink aficionados that are about trying everything, a weekend in Washington instead of a Canadian destination means a chance to try local offerings. At Destinations, Tommy prides himself in stocking a number of hard to find gems.

Tommy set us up with this beautiful trio:

Schilling Grapefruit and Chill Cider (Washington) – Schilling exclusively makes craft cider with innovative flavours. I don’t think I can return to normal cider after this and unfortunately there is nothing comparable in BC.
Deschutes The Abyss (Oregon) – A World Beer Award winning wine barrel aged stout. Unlike other stouts, it’s not particularly chocolatey, nutty or anything. It’s a balanced, flavourful stout without any one taste jumping out. Worthy of being a stout classic if it weren’t so limited.
Pappy Van Winkle 15 year (Kentucky) – A rare bourbon found only in 7 restaurants in Washington. It’s most unique characteristic is its strong caramel and vanilla flavour

Even though the word Sommelier is intimidating, if you get the chance I encourage you to seek him out and get a recommendation. Especially if you are going to Blackfish during your visit.

Fine Dining: Blackfish

Blackfish is the most unexpected find in the casino. They serve fresh oysters, seafood, steak and a very satisfying dessert menu. Fresh salmon grilled over an open fire using traditional Tulalip tribal techniques is their speciality. You can see a menu on their website.

Once again Tommy wowed us with the wine pairing. Taking into consideration not only the pair itself but also where we were from and giving us a taste of something we hadn’t had before. From their cellar of 1000 wines, he showed us some unique European style wines for our Vancouverite taste buds. Tommy sent me some of his notes, shared below, on the wine pairings and I can’t even begin to imagine how he keeps track of the dimensions of all his wines. Seriously, talk to your Sommeliers.

Starting with a delicate and fluffy Dungeness crab cake with lemon aioli, paired with Cristal champagne. According to Tommy, bubbly is paired with crab cakes to “cut through the oil”. With his specific choice, a well aged bubbly with finer bubbles allow the crab flavours to linger. When it’s a good crab cake, of course you’d want the flavors to linger right! Their crab cake not too oily, with natural flavours of quality seafood coming though.

Have you ever seen a crouton ring? Their Heart of Romaine Caesar salad is a work of art. Leaves of lettuce were individual ripped, seasoned and assembled again into this deceivingly minimalist presentation. This time we had a German Riesling: “the wine really balances the many components of a Caesar, while the very present acidity cuts through the creamy texture, leaving a great finish on the palate.”

Their Heritage Salmon is grilled over an open fire as it would be in traditional Tulalip culture. It has a beautiful smoky and salty taste that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the corn fritters that it’s paired with. You can watch the salmon cook through the windows showcasing the fire pit. It is quite a feat to cook salmon so well with nothing but a fire and an iron stick. Rather than a white wine, this was paired with a light red with some fruity notes: Domaine de la Janasse ‘Vielles Vignes’ Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Their filet mignon was my second favorite of the night; topped with blue cheese, toasted hazel nuts, apple bacon and peppercorn demi-glace. It is a fairly busy dish, served with bacon wrapped asparagus, a fennel & frisse salad with prickly pear vinaigrette and a garlic-cheddar potato fritter. Paired with a rich Gaja Cabernet Sauvignon, I enjoyed the mixture of textures and hearty taste.

We had the luxury of trying one of everything on their dessert menu. I would go out of my way to have the “sticky toffee pudding cake” (this was my favorite at Blackfish) and would recommend the “berry meringue concord” if cooler tangy desserts are more your type.

Midnight Snack: Blazing Paddles

If you’re going to be staying at a casino resort, a little midnight snacking is bound to happen. Their stone oven pizza place is bumping with a full bar on a Friday night. It’s build-your-own with around 50 options for toppings. If you’re shopping next door at the outlet and want something easy that isn’t the buffet, this is a great alternative.

Breakfast: Cedars Café

Cedars Café is open 24/7 and serves breakfast until 11 am. The star of the show here is no doubt the Pacific Northwest Benedict with Dungeness crab. Unless you are allergic, I see no reason to go for the other benes. I was also curious about the tex-mex Benedict which ended up tasting exactly as it would sound. Still good but I feel odd calling it an eggs Benedict.

Relax: T Spa

On Saturday morning, we hit the T Spa for a facial and a massage. Their spa offers everything. On top of massages, body treatments and facials, they also do make up, hair styling, nails and even teeth whitening. Basically everything a wedding party could desire. This was my first time getting a facial and I tried the “T Spa Signature Facial” which includes an arm and hand massage. I felt very comfortable in the hands of my aesthetician who answered all of my many skincare curiosities. My friend had the “Sacred Plant Ritual” body emulsion and massage. She was glowing as we sat in our fluffy robes in the relaxation room with tea. With all services, you get free access to their gym, sauna and steam room. Their website offers monthly specials on spa services that may also come with complementary products.

Entertainment : Shows, Gaming and Shopping

What else can you do at Tulalip?

Catch a show. We were also treated to watch the charming Richard Marx in concert. We had only known his song “Right Here Waiting” but ended up driving home to his Spotify playlist.
Try your luck, it is a casino after all.
Shopping at the Seattle Premium Outlets, just across the parking lot.

Scenic Route: Chuckanut Drive

If you desire one last adventure on the road back North, consider taking Chuckanut Drive instead of a portion of the I5 highway. Running along the ocean, it’s a nice drive on a twisting road that winds through the forest and along the cliffs by the sea. Turnoffs to Chuckanut are clearly marked along the highway between Burlington and Bellingham. There are two formal lookout points with parking lots just before the road enters Larrabee State Park.

In our excited stupor we parked somewhere random and tried to walk down to the ocean through thorny bushes. We made it, and it was worth it for the sunset, but that was before we drove past the easy access lookouts.

Website:
https://www.tulalipresortcasino.com/

Address:
10200 Quil Ceda Blvd, Tulalip, WA

In Bellingham

Taco Bell: Breakfast Crunchwrap

August 18, 2017

Heading to Seattle, we made a stop at Taco Bell in the States for breakfast. It was a long weekend, so we waited at the border and got very hungry. We were browsing a few food options and saw the Breakfast Crunchwrap. They don’t have this in Canada, so we made it a mission to devour this.

Interior

Since it was the morning at 7am, this place was empty. Not a soul in sight except for us and the staff. The breakfast menu looked glorious and we honestly wanted to order everything but we knew we had to control ourselves as we were going to have a long day of eating.

Breakfast Crunchwrap

The breakfast crunchwrap comes in bacon, sausage, or steak. It also has egg, real cheddar cheese, and a full hash brown patty in a very hexagonal, handheld breakfast. I went with the bacon and it wasn’t that great since it was bacon bits. The other girls got sausage patties and it seemed like a better option. Either way, we all still enjoyed it. Canada needs this. Please bring this to Canada.

Sauce

I tried all the sauces from Diablo, Fire, Hot and Mild. I enjoyed the all, but Fire was my favourite of them all. Give them a try and add it to your breakfast crunchwrap.

Final Thoughts

I always get jealous that the states has cooler fast food creations than we do in Canada. Usually it comes out in the States and then finally gets released. Oh well, at least we can always travel and eat ALL the food.

Address:
1297 E Sunset Dr, Bellingham, WA

Website:
https://www.tacobell.com/

In Airplane Meals

Allegiant Air: Bellingham to Las Vegas

April 4, 2014

Allegiant Air had a package deal to Las Vegas from Bellingham and it was time for a family vacation. A lot of people take advantage of their cheap packages. You pack a heck of a lot more if you fly out of Vancouver.

A lot of Vancouverites, just drive down to Bellingham to take a flight. Seriously, you save so much money.

The Bellingham International Airport is quite small, so you need to walk outside past the gate to enter the plane.

The plane ride was about 2.5 hours and you get some nice view of the mountains on the west coast. I don’t really know where I was since the plane didn’t have those digital maps on the plane.

The flight did not provide any complimentary snacks or beverages. All items, you will have to purchase with your credit card. They do not take cash. Don’t expect much from the Allegent Air. They are quite known for their delays and lack of service.

Luckily, when didn’t have any delays on our flight, but the plane before us had mechanical issues, so their flight was delayed 5 hours. Always make sure you have a buffer of time just in case something like that happens.

As the plane got close to Las Vegas, you can clearly see The Strip. The buildings are so huge, you can see them from so far away. Granted, the airport is only about 10 minutes away from The Strip.

Website: www.allegiantair.com

In Bellingham

Bellingham International Airport: Food Options

April 3, 2014

Bellingham International Airport is a usual site for Vancouverites who are traveling within the United States. Allegiant Air flies out of here and are known for their cheap flights. My family and I were flying out to Las Vegas via Allegiant Air.

The airport is really small, so there really are only 2 options for food before your flight. After the security gate, there is Halibut Henrys or Scotty Browns.

Halibut Henry’s has 2 locations inside the airport. One before security and one after. Nothing looked interesting here, so we decided to skip it.

Scotty Browns Social House looked awfully familiar to Browns Social House in Vancouver. Indeed they are owned by the same restaurant group. As it was 7am, we were not feeling up to having a full meal in the lounge.

We opted to pick up a few things from their express counter.

They have sandwiches, beverages, and other prepackaged items.

The food options here aren’t cheap.

The snack and drinks are expensive too.

Bacon Breakfast Sandwich ($7) has egg, cheddar cheese, and bacon between the grilled english muffin. It tasted alright.

Cheese and Fruit ($9.25) comes with cheddar cheese, grapes, baby bel cheese, fuji apples, and crackers.

It was expensive and the quality wasn’t great.

Yogurt Parfait ($5) was a decent item for the morning. It has vanilla yogurt, granola, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Overall, the options at Bellingham International Airport are limited but if you want a good experience, it is best to having a meal in the Scotty Browns Restaurant.

Address:
4255 Mitchell Way
Bellingham, WA

Website:
http://brownsrestaurantgroup.com/scottybrowns/category/locations/bli-airport/

In American

Cheesecake Factory: Chowing Down in Seattle

February 20, 2014

Can you believe it? I’ve NEVER been to a Cheesecake Factory till now. It’s taken me 25 years to make a visit and taste their cheesecake. I’ve never seen the allure of huge slices of cheese cake and horribly prepared food. I’ve always just had that impression in my mind.

On our recent trip to Seattle, we stopped by Cheesecake factory for an early dinner. It was really early…it was so early, they still had their lunch menu. What can I say? We had a schedule to keep if we wanted to go shopping.

The place was huge, but there always seem to be a line up near the door. It’s super packed during lunch and dinner.

Complimentary bread arrives and you have brown and white. We actually didn’t touch the bread since we had to save our tummies for our meal and dessert. No need to waste space for plain bread.

M ordered himself a coke. Free refills!

Koreangirl got herself a lemonade. Free refills too!

Tomato, basil and cheese pizza ($11.95) from their lunch menu is pretty crappy. There’s no tomato sauce, so it’s just the 3 basic ingredients over the pizza dough. I will not order the pizza again.

The pizza did come with a salad. The salad was pretty good. No complaints. It had a balsamic vinegar dressing. I definitely enjoyed the salad a lot more than the pizza.

Famous Factory Meatloaf ($11.95) comes with 2 sides. M chose corn and mashed potatoes with gravy. The lunch size was still huge but the dinner size is even larger. M likes the portion for lunch as he could actually finish it.

Renee’s Special ($10.95) comes with half a turkey sandwich, a cup of soup and a green salad. You definitely get a little bit of everything. The portion is large for lunch and its very filling.

Fettuccini with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes ($11.95) was ordered by Scarface and looked good.

30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake has layers of their original cheesecake, fudge cake and chocolate truffle cream. M gets this every time he comes here.

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake ($6.95) has chocolate cheesecake with a layer of Belgian chocolate mousse and whipped cream.

Fresh Strawberry ($6.95) has the original cheese cake topped with glazed strawberries and whipped cream. It’s been their top seller for 30 years. The strawberries were huge and fresh. I really liked it and its a good cake to share. The classics are always the best.

Overall, cheesecake factory is ok. It’s a good price for their huge portions. I wouldn’t come back for the food but cheesecake is worth it.

We Rate The Cheesecake Factory:

Address:
700 Pike St
Seattle, WA

Website:
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/

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In bellevue

Din Tai Fung: XLB in Bellevue, WA

February 12, 2014

The first time I tried Din Tai Fung was in Hong Kong about a year and a half ago. The menus are similar but there are a lot of things that are missing. We arrived right at 10:30am on Saturday and we just beat the rush. By the time it was 11:30, this place was packed and had a long line up. People in Seattle sure love their Xiao Long Bao.

I’m still waiting for Din Tai Fung to open up in Vancouver, but they might. Nonetheless, we do have some good alternatives like Dinesty in Richmond and Downtown Vancouver.

The interior is quite large, so it can fit a lot of people.

Shrimp Fried Rice is always my favourite! Lot of shrimp piled on top with the savoury fried rice on the bottom. The downside is that it is a bit oily.

Juicy Pork Dumplings comes with 10 pieces. They are not all uniformly shaped compared to the ones in Hong Kong. It’s still good! The skin is thin but won’t break easily. This is probably the most ordered item on the menu.

You dip the dumplings in vinegar and ginger.

Shrimp & Pork Shao Mai comes with 10 pieces. It was ok, but I didn’t like the overcooked shrimp.

Vegetable & Pork Dumplings came with 10 pieces and really reminded me of Korean dumplings (mandu).

Pork Buns come with 2 per order, but we ordered a total of 4.

Shrimp & Pork Wonton with Spicy Sauce was good. A good level of spice and we ate it quickly.

I feel like I’ve been spoiled by all the great Taiwanese food in Vancouver. It was good, but I still find Dinesty in Vancouver is a good alternative without travelling so far. The prices at Din Tai Fung are a bit high, so each dumpling dish is around $10.

You’ll definitely experience higher quality at the Din Tai Fung locations in Asia, but I found this locations to be subpar.

We Rate Din Tai Fung:

Address:
700 Bellevue Way NE Ste 280
Bellevue, WA

Website:
http://www.dintaifungusa.com/

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In American

Rachel’s Ginger Beer: A Treat at Pike Place

February 9, 2014

Rachel’s Ginger Beer is the newest place in Pike Place in Seattle. We were wandering around the area after lunch and needed something fizzy to settle our stomachs after eating at Pike Place Chowder.

They started selling their signature Ginger Beer at Seattle’s Farmers Market and with great success, they opened up their shop in Pike Place during the summer of 2013.

When you walk inside, you’ll be mesmerized by all their drinks. These are the larger jugs that are to go.

Don’t be fooled by their name, they have more than just soda. They have boozy cocktails and ice cream. Some of the drinks can be made warm too instead of cold.

When you order a cup of the ginger beer, it comes right from the tap. I think it’s a really cute touch even though it is non-alcoholic.

Mango Tangerine ($5) , Pink Guava ($5) , Original ($4), and Blueberry ($5) were ordered and it has a very distinctive aftertaste of ginger. You can feel the drink slide down your throat and heating up your body. It can really shock the sickness out of you if you aren’t feeling too well. Good combination is all the soda’s but I liked the original to stay true to ginger beer.

It’s not a drink for everyone. If you don’t like ginger, you probably won’t have a keen liking to the drinks.

We were glad we stumbled upon this cute little shop. I would have never expected a ginger beer shop to exist.

We Rate Rachel’s Ginger Beer:

Address:
1530 Post Alley
Seattle, WA

Website:
http://rachelsgingerbeer.com/pages/pike-place-market

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In Bellingham

McDonalds America: Hot & Spicy McChicken

February 3, 2013

Going to the Seattle Premium Outlets gives me a chance to visit McDonalds and Wal-Mart to have a taste of food not available in Canada. Instead of 40 Piece McNuggets, I scanned the menu to find the Hot ‘n Spicy McChicken. I thought this was pretty cool, so I ordered it.

The Combo with a drink and fries were around $5. Once I received the order, the burger was quite small. I was disappointed.

The Hot n’ Spicy McChicken patty was definitely dry, but it did have the extra spicy kick. It was passable, but not as good as their other burgers.

Fries are always good, but who can resist McDonalds fries?

In Food for Thought

Bird’s Eye Tea: Tea Subscriptions from Seattle, WA

January 1, 2013

Birds Eye Tea is a monthly tea subscription service from Seattle, Washington. Sarah Farr is the creator of Birds Eye Tea and promotes her organic hand-blended, handpicked herb and tea blends online and at local markets.

Monthly subscriptions are $22 per month and you get 3 hand-blended teas at the beginning of the month. Sometimes, there is even a little extra treat too. You can also find some of their teas at Whole Foods.

Since I am a tea fanatic, I wanted to try the different teas they offer. I grew up on Chinese teas, so I am more used to green and black teas. When Bird’s Eye Tea asked me to try their teas, I agreed.

Each package has clear ingredients on the back and instructions on how to prepare the tea. All the teas were very easy to prepare and not too difficult.

The teas chosen for each subscription is based on the theme and season.

Sarah is a responsible wildcrafter, ecologist, and herbalist. She strives for extreme integrity in all of her herbal products. All the herbs are organic or ethically harvested. Any herbs that come from overseas are fair-trade as well as being organically grown and are tested for purity/quality.

Besides tea subscriptions, Sarah sells her tea from her other brand – The Harbor Herbalist and sells teas by the bag and for retail. Xocolatl is their signature herbal hot chocolate, which is quite popular.

Overall, I didn’t particularly like any of these tea combinations. My love of tea is mostly for green, red and black teas. If you are an adventurous tea drinker and like to try new combinations, the Bird’s Eye Tea might be for you.

Website: https://www.birdseyetea.com/

In Fast Food

McDonalds Seattle: CBO Sandwich, Peppermint Mocha, and McFlurry

December 16, 2012

When CanuckGirl and I go to Seattle, we usually stop by a McDonalds. She loves her cheap McNuggets and I love reviewing items that are different the McDonalds Canada.

Since it is the holidays, McDonalds released a few holiday items like the Peppermint Mocha and the Peppermint McFlurry. Also the CBO Sandwich intrigued me.

Grilled Chicken CBO Sandwich is 480 calories and has slices of cheese, the grilled chicken, bacon, sauteed onions, and sauce.

The sandwich was really good and all the ingredients made it a very creamy experience. The sauteed onions really make this sandwich awesome. So yummy!

Peppermint Mocha is different from the ones offered in Canada. The US version just has chocolate drizzle as the Canadian one has peppermint pieces on top. It tasted OK, but nothing very amazing at all.

Holiday Mint Mcflurry has swirls of reduced fat soft serve vanilla ice cream blended with peppermint candy pieces. CanuckGirl thought it was OK. She was craving something cold and sweet.

Have you tried any of these unique items?

In Fast Food

McDonalds: S’mores Pie and Cheap McNuggets

September 20, 2012

In the United States, they have some crazy menu items at some great prices. It’s always awesome to drive down to the states and try items that are not available in Canada. One of those items was the Smores Pie.

Smores Pie is like a normal pie, but it’s filled with chocolate and marshmallow. You have all the components that go into a smores.

Whats different about this pie is that there is a large slit at the top, so the inside is exposed for all to see.

The smores pies was a tad sweet, but it did have a unique taste. It was like a smores, but less messy!

20 Piece McNuggets ($4.99) is so cheap in the states! You could easily order 100 and not break your wallet! This location didn’t have a larger box for them, so it was split off into 2 boxes.

It’s quite hard to eat 20 all by yourself unless you are super super hungry. My friend and I just split these.

Have you had the chance to try the smore pie or bought yourself a ton of McNuggets?

In Fast Food

McDonalds: New Spicy McBites

September 4, 2012

TaiwaneseGirl spots something called McBites on Instagram and lures KoreanGirl and I on an adventure to Seattle for McDonalds McBites and outlet shopping. It was a spontaneous decision, but I really wanted to see what these mysterious McBites were all about. They are like popcorn chicken from KFC, but McDonalds Style. they recently introduced Spicy McBites.

It’s available in the United States, but not in Canada.

We all decided to get the spicy McBite meals. The interior of McDonalds was crazy air-conditioned, so we sat outside.

The drinks are a bit different than the ones in Canada. They have Powerade and Hi C.

The meal cost $5.42 after tax for a regular size of McBites, fries and drink.

The Spicy Chicken McBites comes in the regular box, they don’t have any specialized packaging for the spicy version.

The McBites are a bit smaller than McNuggets, but there is enough in the box to get full.

The packaging in surprisingly ingenious! There is a slot to put in your dipping sauce.

It’s chicken meat inside and the coating of the McBites was similar to the coating of the chicken strips. It wasn’t very spicy and was a bit bland. You definitely need some sauce to go along with these. I was a bit disappointed by these and KFC definitely has better popcorn chicken.

Have you tried the Spicy McBites yet?

In Lynnwood

Red Lobster: 4 course meal for $15

February 15, 2012

It has taken me two trips to Lynnwood to figure out where Red Lobster is located. The first time, my GPS led me to a residential area and I gave up. I didn’t want to use data on my phone cause…you know…I’m asian and I hate being charged for unnecessary things I don’t need.

Red Lobster is a chain seafood restaurant in the United States. They specialize in seafood and usually draw in large crowds on the weekends. We saw that they were having a $15 4-course meal, so TaiwaneseGirl, CanuckGirl and I decided to try it out. It’s a good price and it didn’t seem like it could go wrong. In the 4-course meal it gave you a few choices below.

Soup

New England Clam Chowder
Creamy Potato Bacon Soup

Salad

Fresh Garden Salad
Fresh Caesar Salad.

Entree

Grilled Honey-BBQ Shrimp Skewers
Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta
Garlic-Herb Shrimp and Chicken
Cajun Chicken Linguini Alfredo
Wood-Grilled Fresh Tilapia
Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp
Hand-Breaded Shrimp

Dessert

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode
Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle

When we arrived, there was already a line forming. We had to wait about 30 minutes to be seated. For others, they would have to wait over 1 hr to be seated. It’s always good to make reservations to avoid these long waits on weekends.

The whole interior looked like a boat!

Look Lobsters!

They even give your these taser-like devices that signal you when your table is called.

The dining area was very wooden as well. I guess that works with the theme of the restaurant.

New England Clam Chowder was alright. It had minimal clams and wasn’t very amazing.

Cheddar Biscuits are unlimited!! It was very fluffy on the inside and you can tell there was lots of butter to make these. Despite that, it was hands down very good biscuits!

Fresh Caesar Salad was alright as well.

Fresh Garden Salad had the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. I had a balsamic vinegar dressing on top.

Garlic Alfredo Shrimp-and-Scallop Pasta is probably the best entree out of the seven choices. TaiwaneseGirl and CanuckGirl did enjoy it, but it wasn’t the most amazing pasta they have had. It had a good amount of sauce, scallops and shrimp.

Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp is just gross! Stay away from this at all times. I really don’t know how this is even considered an entree. It was overly sweet and it really ruined the taste of the shrimp. How is this even somewhat healthy?

Apple Crostada with Caramel Drizzle was alright as well said CanuckGirl. It really could have used a side of vanilla ice cream.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie á la Mode was good! The brownie was warm and super moist with the side of vanilla ice cream. It’s not too sweet and it was a good end to the meal.

The dishes were ok, but nothing amazing. I am glad I didn’t have to pay more than $15 for this meal because most of it kinda sucked. We probably should have gotten lobsters, but the special was just at such a good price.

Words of Wisdom:

Very busy on weekends
Lots of rear parking
Make reservations
Avoid anything with coconuts and shrimp

We Rate Red Lobster:

Address:
4231 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.redlobster.com

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In Fast Food

Chipotle Mexican Grill: Delicious Food Beyond the Border

February 14, 2012

Chipotle is a chain fast food restaurant in the United States, they have a few on the eastern side of Canada too. Since TaiwaneseGirl was raving about how she wanted it SO badly, we went to grab some lunch. We arrived 30 minutes too early, so we sat in the car and waited for them to open. Surprisingly, we were not the only ones waiting for their delicious Mexican food. There was already about 5 people in front of us as we went inside.

The inside was nice and large. You line up, build your item, pay and eat!

Lots of space and even though it is empty in this picture…it got full fast! People really love Chipotles for some reason.

You first choose from a burrito, bowl, taco or a salad. Then, you can choose what you want to put inside. They have so many options! Oh hey look… calories!

Steak Bowl + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) may look plain but its amazing inside. It’s like a burrito but without the flour tortilla. TaiwaneseGirl put everything in here and asked for extras, thus her bowl became quite tall. She really liked it. Guac is extra, but its worth it!

Steak Bowl + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) CanuckGirl got the same thing, but didn’t get as much toppings compared to TaiwaneseGirl.

Caritas Burrito + Guac ($6.35 +$1.80) was stuffed with so much filling, it was so hard for the lady to wrap up. It was a bit messy, but there’s a bowl for you in case it all falls apart. In the end, I just ripped it apart and ate it like a bowl. Delicious and I love the tenderness of the carnitas. Yum!

You can also get free water too. Just ask and you’ll get a cup.

Overall, we quite enjoyed this experience and later in the day…we bought a few takeout orders back to Canada. In a way, it was comparable to Red Burrito in Vancouver. Its best to get the bowl a takeout if you aren’t intending to eat it on the same day. Everything still tastes good.

Words of Wisdom:

Under $10
Delicious steak and caritas
Lots of free parking
Lots of seating
Children friendly with kids menu

We Rate Chipotle Mexican Grill:
Address:
4120 196th St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
Website:
http://www.chipotle.com

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In Sandwich

Red Mill Burger: Bacon, Bacon, Verde, Bacon & Onion Rings

November 17, 2011

I have finally finished the last restaurant on my Man v. Food list – Red Mill Burgers. It took me a while to finally try this place since it’s always out of the way of Downtown Seattle and Bellevue. This trip, I made it a mission to try this. M was a little bit unsure about going out of the way, but after showing him the episode, it made him want to see their stack of bacon.

Here is the video of Red Mill Burger on Man v. Food!

It was probably 1 in the afternoon and this place is packed. This location is in Interbay (but i’m not from Seattle so I don’t know what that means). I dare you to peek over the counter to find this:

BACON! A WALL OF BACON! LOTS OF BACON! Imagine how awesome all of that would taste?

There are a few booth seats, but during peak hours they are all full. If you are coming with a friend, get one of them to snag a table as the other lines up. M and I had to do the tag team duo to stalk for a table.

Onion Rings ($3.19) were nicely battered and had a light fish & chips type of batter. M really loved it, but I still felt like it needed a bit of salt to it. People rave about the onion rings…. but I like A&W onion rings better. M and I clearly did not agree with each other.

Tartar Sauce ($0.23) accompanies it very well.

Bleu Cheese N’ Bacon Burger ($6.79) has Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Pepper Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Mill Sauce on a Kaiser Bun. The bacon is crispy and has fresh veggies. I just loved the blue cheese in this burger. I usually HATE blue cheese, but it’s much better when it’s cooked.

I was a bit disappointed by the patty. It wasn’t smokey at all and looked a like it was steamed rather than grilled. The patty is quite thin too. My favorite part was the blue cheese and bacon….Mmmm yum.

Verde Burger ($5.80) has fire Roasted Anaheim Peppers, Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, with their Mill Sauce in a toasted bun. M added bacon to this.

M’s face lit up when he took a bit of the roasted anaheim peppers. He also felt the patty kinda fell short of expectations. Peppers + Bacon = awesome. It’s not crazy spicy or anything. It’ll just tingle your tongue.

Overall, we felt this place was a little too hyped up from the TV show. It’s still good to try and see what it’s all about.

Words of Wisdom:

Parking in lot or near the park
Delicious smoked bacon
Busy during peak hours
Take a picture of their bacon stack and tell all your friends. It looks crazy.
Under $10

We Rate Red Mill Burger:
Address:
1613 W Dravus St
Seattle, WA 98119
Website:
redmillburgers.com

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In Deli

I Love New York Deli: But This Is In Seattle, WA

November 16, 2011

What on earth is there to eat in Downtown Seattle early in the morning at 7am? M and I just used a food app to look it up and we just went to I Love New York Deli in Pike Place. There’s not many reviews, but it was the mystery that we wanted to unravel.

They are best known for their HUGE sandwiches that are packed full of flavour. Since they are located in the Market Place, the prices are very affordable!

They don’t have many seats, so you may need to fight for a seat or eat outside. You can also just walk elsewhere in the market place and find alternative seating.

Canarsie Reuben ($11.95) is loaded with pastrami, pepper jack cheese, russian dressing and horseradish sauce on marbled rye bread. It comes with a side of your choice and a wedge of pickle.

Look how sexy this sandwich is!!!! This is what I call a sandwich!! Piled full of meat. I thought this sandwich was ok since I am not a fan of the taste of pastrami. If you like pastrami, you will probably like it.

Empire State ($10.95) has roasted brisket, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and horseradish sauce on marble rye bread. It also comes with a side and a pickled.

I LOVED this! The meat is very tender and works well with the caramelized onions. You must get this!!

Overall, it was a super cool unique find! This is my kind of comfort food! I’ve never been so excited for such a large sandwich.

Words of Wisdom:

Around $10
Your choice of sides and type of bread.
Can also build your own
Best known for Overstuffed Sandwiches
The brisket is to die for
If you go early morning, they might not have all their ingredients

We Rate I Love New York Deli:

Address:

93 Pike Street #4
Seattle, WA

Website:

http://www.ilovenewyorkdeli.net/

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In Cafe

Starbucks: The Original Store in Seattle, WA

November 15, 2011

M and I arrived in Seattle way too early during the long weekend since we expected there to be a wait at the border…there was no wait. So, we were downtown by 7:30am. Nothing is open that early except for Starbucks, so we decided to head to Pike Place Market to roam around. A lot of the merchants were getting ready, so the market wasn’t open either.

As you may or may not know, Starbucks originated in Seattle Washington and has grown into a global phenomenon. Every time I go here and it’s PACKED. Since it was so early in the morning, I knew it would be empty.

The interior is quite spacious when there are a few people inside. On a normal day, it is just filled with people grabbing drinks. If all you want is coffee, best to just go to another Starbucks a block away. They serve the same drinks as all the other Starbucks locations.

They have tons of cups, coffee and stuffed animals to purchase. Since its always so packed in here during usual hours, its really hard to get nice photos of inside this location.

It is a tourists hotspot and it is always packed with people buying coffee and purchasing the original Starbucks mug with their original logo. There’s another location on Firstand Pike that also sells the merchandise. If you hate crowds, thats an option.

Location:
1912 Pike Pl Seattle, WA 98101

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In Four Beakers

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese

September 16, 2011

I came here a while ago with a few of my friends. I’ve been to Pike Place in Seattle before, but I never knew it was home to the “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese. The next time I visited, I knew this had to be on my list of places to go. I found out through Follow Me Foodie’s post about Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.

When we arrived in the afternoon, this place was packed! Line ups out the doors and people were everywhere. All these cheese are made in house and used in all their products.

They have a large open room, so while you wait, you can watch their staff in action making all the cheese. There’s so much cheese!!

Here’s a very bad view of their menu! I couldn’t move around to find a good spot to take a photo.

I know this is the place for Mac & Cheese, but we really couldn’t leave without some grilled cheese. With a row of their panini presses, you can’t resist!

Ham & Flagship ($7.27 USD) has ham, their all natural Flagship cheese and tomato on a rustic artisan bread. Imagine your classic ham and cheese, but so much better! The outside in perfectly grilled, so when you bite into it, you get an amazing “CRUNCH”. The inside is savory and deliciously gooey!

Grilled Cheese ($5.91 USD) is made with the Flagship cheese in the rustic artisan bread. Nicely toasted and it’s so good! Good choice of bread and quality of cheese just make this sandwich amazing!

‘World’s Best’ Mac & Cheese (5oz- $5 USD) is very very very very good! It is made with penne pasta with a good amount of their Flagship cheese. The whole dish is very savory and is very rich. I’ve never had anything as good as this.

Mariachi Mac & Cheese (5oz- $5 USD) is a Mexican twist to the traditional Mac & Cheese. It contains roasted chilies, vegetables, their Flagship cheese with penne. We all shared this and it was not our favorite. It does have an added kick, but the ‘World’s Best’ Mac & Cheese is still our favorite.

Overall, very amazing eat here if you are a cheese lover. They take a lot of pride in their flagship cheese and the quality really shows when you grab food here.

Words of Wisdom: