Ballard

Cafe Besalu 5909 24th Ave NW, 789-1463, $

If you have to wake up, it may as well be with the help of delicious European breakfast pastries. At Besalu, ham-and-cheese and chocolate croissants, orange glazed brioche, outstanding quiche, and tender/chewy springerle cookies are all made with benevolent obsessiveness by Besalu's pastry chef/co-owner James Miller. Excellent coffee, too.

Hattie's Hat 5231 Ballard Ave NW, 784-0175, $$

Hattie's no longer has potroast night (rest its soul), but the buttermilk-soaked fried chicken with gravy (and choice of excellent sides) is still around. Breakfast-biscuits and gravy, huevos rancheros, good pancakes with jam-is no longer served all day and night, but is worth getting out of bed for.

Hi-Life 5425 Russell NW, 784-7272, $

Housed in the beautifully renovated Ballard Firehouse, Hi-Life serves a delicious breakfast. The Fancy French Toast was delicious. Two huge slices of crusty and thick Essential Bakery bread were soaked to the core in yummy, not-too-sweet vanilla custard and cooked to a crisp, deep golden brown.

India Bistro 2301 NW Market St, 783-5080, $

Consistently considered above the grade for Indian food, this Ballard bistro ranks high for its tandoori combos, curries, dahl, and masalas. Meat, seafood, and vegetarian lovers alike should all find something to fit their cravings here.

Le Gourmand 425 NW Market Street, 784-3463, $$$

Traditional French cuisine done up with fresh Northwest produce makes for down-to-earth yet fancy food, with names that are hard to pronounce but very easy to enjoy.

The Other Coast Cafe 5315 Ballard Ave NW, 789-0936, $

You know what sounds good? A huge, cheesy, potentially messy sandwich. Go here.

Ray's Boathouse Cafe 6049 Seaview Ave NW, 789-3770, $$$

Although patrons flock to Ray's outdoor area when the sun hits Seattle, seafood lovers keep coming back once the rains return. The Ballard institution offers both "cafe" and dining-room seating and a wide selection of dishes from the sea, but some of its star attractions are on the super-cheap happy-hour specials menu.

Belltown

Brasa 2107 Third Ave, 728-4220, $$$

One of the current Seattle food stars, Brasa may overwhelm average diners-the menu is far-flung and can be intimidating-but it's a surprisingly fun place to go with a group for appetizers in the bar.

Cyclops 2421 First Ave, 441-1677, $$

Another Belltown restaurant that's often packed, Cyclops earns its popularity by serving good, imaginative food and tasty drinks.

Dahlia Lounge 2001 Fourth Ave, 682-4142, $$

Serving up favorites like salmon (of course), pork loin, and rib-eye steak (plus a few vegetarian options for good measure), Dahlia Lounge tops 'em all off with fancy purées (cipollini), confits (carrot), and emulsions (asparagus). But the real draw is dessert, featuring everything from chocolate cake or blueberry sorbet, to homemade doughnuts or poached apricots.

Shorty's 2222 3/4 Second Ave, 441-5499, $

Coney dogs, booze, and pinball in one small joint spells fun for everyone (well, those 21 and older). Nostalgic soda pops and vegetarian options are offered for those who choose to abstain but still remember how to have a good time.

Capitol Hill

611 Supreme 611 E Pine St, 328-0292, $

The crepes are larger than the plates underneath them, a serene brown (due, in part, to the use of buckwheat flour), crispy at the edges. This is perfect food-whether wrapped around smoked salmon, sautéed mushrooms, or caramelized apples-both ephemeral and hearty at the same time.

Ballet 914 E Pike St, 328-7983, $

Under vigorous new ownership, the once-spotty Ballet has reemerged as Capitol Hill's underdog champ of routinely delicious food. Offering an array of Asian, pan-Asian, and Pacific Rim delights (including a much-celebrated pho), Ballet's key asset is shockingly fresh, expertly prepared vegetables-if you're trying to bed a vegetarian, take 'em here and you're a shoo-in.

Broadway New American Grill 314 Broadway E, 328-7000, $$

Open early, open late, the Broadway Grill offers a good menu of perfectly okay renditions of American standards. Very popular with the gays and those who love them.

Cafe Septieme 214 Broadway E, 860-8858, $

Places all over town have copied Cafe Septieme's trademark blood-red walls, but no place in the city can capture Septieme's ambience. At lunch, have the chicken club or the Septieme salad. At dinner, the schnitzel, the spaghetti carbonara, and the strip steak are all worth the calories. Breakfasts are awesome-and can take the edge off any hangover. Lattes are served in a bowl at Septieme and you're free to sit as long as you like.

Chapel 1600 Melrose Ave, 447-4180, $

This sleek but unpretentious bar has food that is anything but typical fare to accompany drinking.

HoneyHole 703 E Pike St, 709-1399, $

Serving the biggest and sloppiest hot sandwiches in Seattle, HoneyHole will quiet any grumbling stomach screaming for comfort food as the temperature drops and the rain starts to fall.

Lark 926 12th Ave, 323-5275, $$$

The stress of eating at an expensive restaurant is missing from Lark, partly because everything is delicious, and also because you order two or three small dishes and taste lots of other things and therefore you don't have much opportunity to worry about what you're missing. The food is also not particularly fancy, but the menu radiates both intelligence about excellent classic combinations and innovation.

Olympia Pizza 516 15th Ave E, 329-4500, $

With dark wood walls and tall vinyl booths, Olympia feels like the Pizza Inn of your suburban childhood. With famous thick-crust pizza and gigantic pasta dishes, it tastes like the heaven of your afterlife.

Osteria La Spiga 1401 Broadway, 323-8881, $

The foods of Italy's super-blessed Emilia-Romagna region (whence come Parma ham and Parmigiano cheese). Pastas, especially noodles with truffle butter, are lovely, and the sandwiches-a few excellent ingredients in a chewy, griddle-cooked flatbread called piadina-are just heavenly.

Piecora's 1401 E Madison St, 322-9411, $

Sure, there's an Italian menu, but Piecora is a simple destination for one thing: pizza by the slice, made to order.

Ristorante Machiavelli 1215 Pine St, 621-7941, $$

Here is basic Italian food made exactly right-the Bolognese with different meats plus chicken livers, carbonara that is not scrambled but silken and decadent, a restrained but perfect antipasto plate. And the service is some of the best in the city: brisk, excellent, and, above all, dedicated to getting the food on the table while it's still hot.

Six Arms 300 E Pike St, 223-1698, $

Good, non-adventurous food and stellar beer. A very relaxed, comfortable place.

Central District

CC's Gourmet Burgers 2600 E Union St, 324-2119, $

No chutney relishes, mayonnaise referred to as aioli, or fried cheese sticks. No nonsense. CC's does provide a "fishwich," and chicken and garden burger options, but to be sure, these things sway from the mission: an honest-to-god hamburger.

Ezell's Fried Chicken 501 23rd Ave, 324-4141, $

The best fried chicken in the country, dished out over a low-key neighborhood counter. Oprah has it FedExed directly to her mouth.

Ms. Helen at Deano's Cafe and Lounge 2030 E Madison St, 322-7670, $

Ms. Helen is a one-woman show at a lunch counter inside a bar, and what a show it is. The tenderest possible oxtails, okra stew with corn and tomatoes, fried catfish with a sweet cornmeal crust, and skillet-style cornbread that is so good you'll want to howl. Service can take a while-that's a lot of work for one woman-but you won't begrudge a single second of it.

Philadelphia Fevre 2332 E Madison St, 323-1000, $

The sexy sandwiches at Philadelphia Fevre are filled with fistfuls of shaved meat and creamy melted American cheese.

Downtown/Pioneer Square

13 Coins 125 Boren Ave N, 682-2513, $-$$$

Dark, swanky, and somewhat spooky, this 24-hour dining den blends a mid-'70s bachelor-pad vibe with freakishly ambitious grill fare. But if you need a top-dollar steak-and-lobster combo at 4:30 am, this is your place.

Alexandria's on Second 2020 Second Ave, 374-3700, $$

There isn't just one Southern cuisine out there, and the menu at Alexandria's is scattered to the torpid breezes of several southerly regions. It boasts Cajun classics like the jambalaya; soul food standards-fried chicken and catfish, barbecued ribs plus all the sides-the collards, the macaroni and cheese, the sweet potatoes; a Caribbean dish or two.

Alibi Room 85 Pike St, 623-3180, $$

Located underneath Pike Place Market, the offhand chicness of the Alibi Room makes it a great place to hang out for drinks and board games or to have a simple, tasty dinner. Beloved by local cineastes.

Campagne 86 Pine St, 728-2800, $$$

Unlike its casual cousin downstairs, Campagne is a full-on special-occasion restaurant serving French-style food adapted to Northwest ingredients (with the Pike Place Market right outside their door, they've got a lot to work with, after all). You can watch the staff professionally sidestep each other in the tiny box of a kitchen (their window looks out on Post Alley) as they whip up some of the finest food in the city. Don't embarrass us-dress nicely, please.

Crow 823 Fifth Ave N, 283-8800, $$

Contrary to the dominant trend, Crow is not a small plate restaurant. It's serves hearty entrees like sausage-stuffed lasagna, whose pleasant spiciness made an otherwise macho friend declare that it felt like he had stars in his mouth. Good old chicken 'n' green beans was also a pleasure, especially wrapped in a crispy blanket of pancetta, and especially when I discovered a crackly-skinned, boneless thigh hidden under the breast.

Earth & Ocean 1112 Fourth Ave, 264-6060, $$$

The minimalist Zen-inspired restaurant attached to downtown's W Hotel plays host to a widely varied menu. You'll find wild-boar sausage and oysters, mache and salmon, wild mushrooms and scallops, all mixed and matched and dished up high on tiny plates. Plus: fancy top-shelf drinks and slick desserts.

Il Bistro 93-A Pike St, 682-3049, $$

Off the cobblestones that run under Pike Place Market, Il Bistro is a nice spot for a cozy date or to get away from the bustle and savor some tippy-top-shelf scotch. Bowls of pasta and zesty cioppino are satisfying choices among other Italian fare.

Library Bistro 92 Madison St, 624-3546, $$$

The food is a miracle at this restaurant in the very nice Alexis Hotel. It's unfussy but sophisticated, with excellent ingredients.

Oceanaire Seafood Room 1700 Seventh Ave, 267-2277, $$$

Oceanaire has a kind of Titanic glamour, without the doomed feeling-although people were suspicious of this spiffy, expensive seafood restaurant opening when our economy was at its lowest. But Oceanaire has somehow proved them all wrong. Could the lobster cobb salad have something to do with it? The oysters Rockefeller? The insanely fresh fish? Dunno.

Typhoon 1400 Western Ave, 262-9797, $$

If you want Thai food in Seattle, all you have to do is turn around and there are six billion choices at your feet, but if you want Thai food in Seattle and you want to get a little fancy and impress a date at the same time, look into Typhoon. Typhoon is a bit more expensive and has a little more ambiance than your typical local Thai joint.

Zaina Food Drinks and Friends 108 Cherry St, 624-5687, $

At Zaina, they know how to overstuff a pita well, crowding it with veggies like eggplant, garbanzos, marinated peppers, and onions. Chicken's tasty too, but unnecessary amidst the vegetable glory. A mess is pretty much guaranteed: For a few dollars more, you can keep your cuffs clean and get a plate of the same elements, but it's less fun. At the downtown branch near Macy's, you can rent hookah pipes.

Eastlake

Serafina 2043 Eastlake Ave E, 323-0807, $$

A rustic Euro-Italian restaurant in a low, easy-to-miss Eastlake building. Bright, delicious ingredients-fresh peperonata, white Spanish anchovies, tender pea shoots-lift the menu from suffocating red sauces to a variation on Tuscan purity. Even simple dishes such as flank steak (so easy to abuse) are treated with care.

Sophie's Doughnuts 2238 Eastlake Ave E, 323-7132, $

Proving Top Pot isn't the only local competition for Krispy Kreme, this sweet shop in an Eastlake strip mall gives the hipsters a run for their money with cake donuts dipped in a fantastically magenta berry glaze, glazed apple fritters as big as your head, and sweet, sweet custard pillows.

Fremont

Bandoleone 703 N. 34th St, 329-7559, $$

A cozy, noisy, elegant restaurant with spicy, tasty Spanish-style cuisine. It's a little pricey, but you'll feel satisfied about dollars well spent.

Brad's Swingside Cafe 4212 Fremont Ave N, 633-4057, $$

This wood-paneled cafe is probably best known for its hearty soups, ranging from seafood chowder to Caribbean-flavored lamb and venison stew.

Chiso 3520 Fremont Ave N, 632-3430, $$

The standard sushi options are perfect here but you should absolutely look at the specials list, where you might find little silver smelt, or monkfish liver, or aji (a kind of Spanish mackerel that's less fatty than the usual kind). Chiso is a serene urban spot hidden away in funk-land Fremont, so it's not often very crowded.

Dad Watson's 3601 Fremont Ave N, 632-6505, $

A part of Oregon's McMenamins empire, Dad Watson's has the usual big burgers, big booths and tables, and big pints of beloved beer, like the Terminator Stout. While Oregon must endure Starbucks, we can enjoy McMenamins, a far more relaxed and less viral corporation.

El Camino 607 N 35th St, 632-7303, $$

Fancy Mexican food, with fancy drinks and cute waiters. Don't miss the deep-fried plantain chips with guacamole.

Persimmon 4256 Fremont Ave N, 632-0760, $

Brunch that doesn't disappoint. With its jolly colors, beaded curtains, and sad clown paintings in the hallway, Persimmon's look is retro-cute, but not overstuffed. The same goes for the food.

Greenwood/Phinney

Acorn Eatery & Bar 9041 Holman Rd NW, 297-0700, $$

The Acorn Eatery & Bar serves Italian food (pasta, pizza) as well as local entrées (salmon).

La Botana 8552 Greenwood Ave N, 706-5392, $

It's less well-known than the nearby Gordito's, but La Botana offers a different kind of Mexican dining experience, with sit-down house specialties like chicken in mole. Takeout food is good too, and includes tacos, tamales, and tortas. (Try one filled with cochinita pibil, tangy long-cooked pork.) La Botana opens early (at 10 am), so it's a good place to catch Mexican breakfast: eggs with shredded beef (machaca), chorizo, and huevos rancheros.

Phad Thai 8530 Greenwood Ave N, 784-1830, $

As its name suggests, this is a popular neighborhood place that turns out reliable Thai favorites at however many stars you'd like.

Saltaro 14053 Greenwood Ave N, 365-6025, $$

From the miniature prawns with big chunks of pancetta and goat cheese to the top sirloin and halibut and risotto cakes, Saltaro delivers on every front, with plenty of its namesake salt.

International District

Huong Binh Restaurant 1207 S Jackson St, 720-4907, $

A neat Vietnamese restaurant serving traditional Vietnamese combos.

King Cafe 723 S King St, 622-6373, $

Never too full, never too empty, and furnished with rather cheap chairs and tables, the King Cafe serves some of the best dim sum in Seattle. Their shrimp balls are unmatched, as is their sticky rice, which is huge and wrapped in large blue-green lotus leaves. The dim sum, offered from 11 am to 5 pm, arrives at the second-floor dining room on a mini-elevator, down the shaft of which the casually dressed Chinese waiters send their orders. Sadly, the King Cafe is closed Wednesdays.

Maneki Restaurant 304 Sixth Ave S, 622-2631, $

The sushi bar is a nutty accumulation of all kinds of kitsch, both Japanese and not. Maneki is a sort of secret sushi hangout for the not-so-wealthy: good food, decent prices.

Sea Garden Seafood 509 Seventh Ave S, 623-2100, $

First things first: This Chinese classic is open until 3 am on the weekends. Then there's the food: seafood plucked from the aquarium, and prepared with consistent skill. Especially good: the whole crab in ginger sauce.

Szechuan Noodle Bowl 420 Eighth Ave S, 623-4198, $

A no-nonsense source of fabulous Sino-starch, The Bowl specializes in all things doughy, from bowls of ropy noodles to hand-pleated gyoza to scallion pancakes. Nearly everything served there possesses a deeply satisfying chew.

Tamarind Tree 1036 S Jackson St, Suite A, 860-1404, $

There are a plethora of beefy delights here. They play fast and loose with the notion of courses here; it's more like a stampede, as very shortly your table is covered with upwards of a dozen elegant dishes.

Madison Park

Arosa: The Waffle Cafe 3121 E Madison St, Suite 101, 324-4542, $

Arosa's snack waffles are what Eggos hope to be in the afterlife. More or less round, these $1.50 bargains are self-sweetened, with balls of pearl sugar that melt on contact with the iron and turn into a half-crispy, half-sticky glaze.

Harvest Vine 2701 E Madison, 320-9771, $$

In a perfect world, you would never have to eat anywhere else. Each tapas dish is perfect in some way: aged Spanish cheeses, lovely anchovies, seared sea scallops, mushrooms sautéed with leeks and scrambled eggs, a whole pan-fried trout, Spanish ham... you could sit at the counter and have one amazing dish after another slide right by you. That would be heaven indeed.

Nishino 3130 E Madison St, 322-5800, $$$

Nishino, considered one of the premier places to get sushi in a sushi-crazed town, offers its top-quality fare in lively surroundings. Open since 1995, the sushi bar is always bustling, and the room rings with exclamations of delight from ecstatic diners. The service is leisurely and friendly. Because of Nishiro's popularity, it's best to book reservations in advance. They also offer a variety of other dishes, if raw fish isn't your cup of tea.

Madrona/Leschi

Cafe Soleil 1400 34th Ave, 325-1126, $

Breakfast here is American, while dinner is Ethiopian by way of Madrona (with a few pasta dishes as well). The stews are delicious, with greens not cooked unto limpness but fresh and light. It's all served with the traditional sour injera bread, but you might be tempted to use a fork.

Madrona Eatery 1138 34th Ave, 323-7807, $$

Offering a mixed bag of pub food and finer cuisines, Madrona Eatery is a family-friendly, early-to-bed local watering hole.

St. Clouds 1131 34th Ave, 866-655-5269, $$

An ambitious, good-hearted, elegant neighborhood joint, offering everything from nightly dinner (stylish spins on American standards) and happy hour (half-price drinks every weekday from 5-6:30 pm) to weekend breakfasts and late-night fare, with "light dining" offered till 1 am (2 am on weekends). Good food and drinks in a coolly charming atmosphere.

Queen Anne

5 Spot Cafe 1502 Queen Anne Ave N, 285-7768, $$

With its ever-evolving menu-half of which rotates every three months or so-the 5 Spot Cafe focuses on regionalism in American cuisine. Even better, the experiments are almost always yummy.

Canlis 2576 Aurora Ave N, 283-3313, $$$

Fancy folks, businesspeople, and retirees love this atrium-like dining room that serves upscale surf-and-turf and specialties like wasyugyu tenderloin. Take your parents. Make them pay.

Racha 537 First Ave N, 281-8883, $$

So you're in the Queen Anne neighborhood and you want a safe bet for some pad thai? Go to Racha. It's littered with yuppies, but the food's delicious.

Shiki 4 W Roy St, 281-1352, $$

Owner Ken Yamamoto is the only chef in Washington State certified to handle fugu-the blowfish with the poisonous liver. If you like taking your life in your hands, this is the place to do it, although there are lots and lots of things on the menu (and gorgeous sushi) that are quite delicious and not life-threatening.

Panos Kleftiko Taverna 815 Fifth Ave N, 301-0393, $$

You could make a whole dinner out of appetizers here, out of tzatziki and baked olives and stuffed artichoke hearts and chopped peppers. But the rest of the menu looks good, too.

Rainier Valley/Beacon Hill/ Mount Baker/Columbia City

Baja Bistro 2410 Beacon Ave S, 323-0953, $

Good Mexican food isn't easy to find in Seattle, and I certainly wouldn't have guessed that Beacon Hill would be the destination for it. But Baja Bistro turns out to be the home of great Mexican fare.

Jones BBQ 3216 S Hudson St, 725-2728, $

BBQ enthusiasts have said that Jones BBQ in Rainier Valley has the best ribs and the best Arkansas-Texas-influenced sauce in town. It's one-stop shopping for barbecue fans.

La Medusa 4857 Rainier Ave S, 723-2192, $$

Authentic Sicilian food in Columbia City: Note the presence of sardines and anchovies, as well as more Middle Eastern touches like pine nuts and raisins (the legacy of Sicily's invasion by the Moors).

Pho Hoa 4406 Rainier Ave S, 723-1508, $

Keeping it simple: Pho Hoa-with a sister restaurant in the International District-is a sweet Vietnamese neighborhood soup shop that's nearly always busy.

Willie's Taste of Soul 6305 Beacon Ave S, 722-3229, $$

Willie himself looks like he may have starred opposite Pam Grier in one of her '70s movies: He's strapping and charismatic even while wearing a plastic apron. His barbecue is worth the trip down south to Beacon Hill: Ribs and brisket have a pleasant campfire tone, while Willie's sauce is not too sweet and packs a little vinegar punch. Greens, too, are delicious.

SoDo/Georgetown/South Park

Cucina De Santis 1759 First Ave S, 587-4222, $

Michael de Santis, owner and chef of the cucina, serves up family recipes, rich on red sauce and melted cheese, fried peppers and onions whose smell beckons you to eat more than you really should.

Juan Colorado 8709 14th Ave S, 764-9379, $

A lovely family-run diner-style Mexican restaurant. Delicious and reasonable.

Muy Macho 8515 14th Ave S, 763-7109, $

Damn good and cheap. The tacos arrive with just meat and salsa-not, thank heaven, doused in cheese. And the array of meats includes the tripe and brains and such-but for the less daring, the pork variations are amazingly good.

Wazobia West African Cuisine 170 S Washington St, 624-9154, $$

Unfamiliar components like fufu and egusi melon seeds come together with chicken and spicy okra stew to create a perfect balance of flavor and texture. Also tempting is the Nigerian pepper soup, which, as the menu informs us, is "consumed in great quantities by beer and palm wine drinkers."

University District/Ravenna

Big Time Brewery & Alehouse 4133 University Way NE, 545-4509, $

The quintessential college bar. Wood-warm, with big and aged tables, the joint offers affordable and hearty food for lean students and rich and dark beers for full professors. Their chili is worth its price.

Cedar's on Brooklyn 4759 Brooklyn Ave NE, 527-5247, $$

This treasured U-District hole-in-the-wall offers reliably delicious Indian and Middle Eastern fare (tandoor-cooked meats, Indian curries, great falafel) that you'll find yourself craving with shocking regularity.

Hillside Quickie's Vegan Sandwich Shop 4106 Brooklyn Ave NE, 632-3037, $

Seattle's only health-conscious, hiphop-oriented deli serves opulent sandwiches that are filling but not heavy, and spicy but not to the point of masking the ingredients.

Matt's Gourmet Hot Dogs 1301 NE 45th St, 545-4490, $

The Chicago-style hot dogs might sound like a dumb gimmick but Midwestern acquaintances confirm it's the way things are done. Basically you get a boiled Vienna Beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun, add mustard and a small pile of vegetables and crazily bright blue-green relish. The final ingredient, a dash of celery salt, is the coup de grace.

S.U.B.S. Sandwiches 4754 University Way NE, 441-6366, $

They've got all the usual sandwiches here, but the 16 or so different Italian-meat combos (with copacolla, a peppery cured ham called prosciuttini, pepperoni, different kinds of salami, and mortadella) are what you've come for. Or else a sandwich of small, dense, tangy meatballs served warm with melted provolone on honey-ish wheat bread.

Shultzy's Sausage 4114 University Way NE, 548-9461, $

Shultzy's used to be a tiny, crowded storefront where you had to fight your way up to the grill, manned by friendly and sausage-mad college guys. Now it's a nice, spacious restaurant, but the essentials are the same: tremendously excellent sausages (kosher, andouille, Italian, you name it), onions and peppers optional, plenty of sauerkraut if you like it.

Thai Tom 4543 University Way NE, 548-9548, $

Sit at the counter and watch cooks ladle varying portions of sauces, meats, vegetables, and spices into crusty woks, and keep the ingredients dancing frantically on blackened surfaces over tall flames. Ingredients don't spend a lot of time on the fire, so they don't suffer from the overkill-spice-absorption and mushiness you often find in Thai restaurants. This is vibrant, macho cooking-some of the best Thai food in Seattle.

Wallingford/Green Lake

Diggity Dog 5421 Meridian Ave N, 633-1966, $

A popular neighborhood hangout, with hot dogs that are pretty good. They could be served a little hotter, but at least Diggity Dog isn't stingy with the sauerkraut.

Essential Baking Company 1604 N 34th St, 545-3804, $

Delicious European sandwiches, plus amazing bread.

Nell's 6804 E Green Lake Way N, 524-4044, $$

Low-key, understated dishes made from seasonal local food. Sounds too good to be true, right? Philip Mihalski lets the ingredients do their own advertising, especially when he's flaunting the good stuff: porcini mushrooms, Black Mission figs, saffron, shaved black truffles, and veal sweetbreads.

Pacific Inn Pub 3501 Stone Way N, 547-2967, $

Your basic bar that happens to have unbelievably good fish and chips. Especially the fried oysters: a decently hard coating on the outside, but somehow still oystery and full of brine inside.

Stone Way Cafe 3620 Stone Way N, 547-9958, $

This tiny neighborhood cafe boasts a regular breakfast crowd who give high marks to items like omelets and biscuits and gravy. Lunch is good too-down-home food (think burgers and other standard diner fare) served up quick.

West Seattle/White Center

Da Bro Ribs 6459 California SW, 938-7868, $$

Short ribs that really will melt in your mouth.

Jade West 6032 California Ave SW, 932-9840, $

Sit down at the low counter and choose between your favorite greasy American favorites (French toast, hamburgers, etc.) and your favorite greasy Chinese favorites (fried rice and chow mein). Chef/owner Wah will customize each order for you with flair.

Mashiko 4725 California Ave SW, 935-4339, $$$

Don't expect to leave the Ikea-stylish Mashiko for less than $30 a pop, and that's if you plan on eating light. That said, the fish is incredibly fresh, plentiful, and tasty, and the rolls are more creative than your standard California-roll-and-spicy-tuna affair. For those who can't decide, they have a couple of sashimi sampler plates at prices that range from expensive to very expensive, but if you've got the corporate card for the night (or you're just rich like that), this is the place to go.

Salvadorean Bakery 1719 SW Roxbury St, 762-4064, $

Order what the locals are eating, like pupusas-tortillas split and stuffed with cheese and other fillings-topped with curtido, a delicious pickled-cabbage concoction (briny, spicy, lively) that falls somewhere between salsa and kimchi. The silken chicken soup, served with jalapeños, is also good, and the pastries (guava jam enclosed in dense, eggy crust) are divine.