Ballard
Bad Albert's Tap & Grill 5100 Ballard Ave NW, 782-9623, $
Consisting largely of what could be called bar food (although there's also breakfast on weekends), everything here's got a little something special. The coleslaw's got a nice sprinkling of dill; the black bean soup has big pieces of bacon and is served with a dollop of sour cream (and fresh pepper, if you want); sauces are homemade. The award-winning Dock Street Burger is juicy and stacked, and the Ballard Avenue Cheese Steak is a wonderful mess. And then there are the fries—hand cut, with the peel on, fried to a perfect golden brown and served in a great pile.
Dandelion 5809 24th Ave NW, 706-8088, $$
The menu at this delicately scaled cafe is pointedly unfussy: just six or seven appetizers, a few cheese choices, and six or seven entrées, all bundled up with lots of farmy name-dropping (Full Circle greens, Oregon Country beef, Quillisascut cheese) to let you know that someone in the kitchen cares about how the ingredients are grown. Very simple, careful food that's often very, very good.
Hattie's Hat 5231 Ballard Ave NW, 784-0175, $$
With stiff drinks, good food, and a gorgeous hand-carved bar, Hattie's is one of Ballard's most beloved joints. The Southern American-styled menu offers something for everyone, from classic burgers with sweet potato fries to smoked-salmon club sandwiches and buttermilk-soaked fried chicken. (There's good stuff for vegetarians, too.)
Patty Pan Grill 5402 20th Ave NW, 782-1558, $
The Patty Pan Grill might be famous for it's vegetarian tamales—do you know how hard it is to find vegetarian tamales?—but the real winner here is the quesadilla. Offered with an odd array of seasonal veggies—a recent visit brought forth a bounty of bok choy, collard greens, zucchini, broccoli, and onion—and perfectly melted cheese, these little miracles are only made better with the addition of a hefty dollop of house-made roasted-tomato salsa.
Sambar 425 NW Market St, 781-4883, $$
Spawned by the minds behind next door's Le Gourmand, the futuristically spare and stylish Sambar specializes in elaborate cocktails and dainty portions of Frenchy food, from croque monsieur to frites and cheeses.
Jai Thai 2132 First Ave, 770-7884, $
Here's good, cheap Thai food at your service, complete with a full bar, comfy lounge, and (weather permitting) an outdoor patio. Jai Thai scores big with their delicious homemade noodles, featured in dishes such as the phad kee mao, a variation on pad thai with wide noodles and curry, and tremendously good with shrimp.
Marco's Supperclub 2510 First Ave, 441-7801, $$
A truly urban place—one where a lot of people share a small space and interaction is inevitable—serving truly urban food, with ethnic flourishes from all over. The gossamer fried sage leaves have become something of a legend.
Mistral 113 Blanchard St, 770-7799, $$$
Mistral is one of a few Seattle restaurants offering an unapologetically haute-cuisine experience. The formal dining freaks out some people, as do the prices, but its young chef, William Belickis, gets consistent praise for his high-minded tasting menus, which are sometimes improvised for individual guests. Be ready to spend $100-plus per person.
Saito's Japanese Cafe and Bar 2122 Second Ave, 728-1333, $$$
Nestled in Belltown, Saito's, named for chef-owner Yutaka Saito, who has been preparing sushi since his teens in Tokyo, is a popular spot for fresh and impeccably prepared sushi. The restaurant draws a big lunch crowd, and though it's pricey, most sushi fans will find it to be worth every penny. Saito's also boasts an impressive sake bar, with over 40 selections.
Zoe 2137 Second Ave, 256-2060, $$
A friendly upscale Belltown spot with European sophistication (they're not afraid of kids) and inventive, high-class American cooking.
Capitol Hill
Capitol Club 414 E Pine St, 325-2149, $$This snazzy nightclub/eatery specializes in seasonal Mediterranean-Moroccan fare, from seared duck breast and braised lamb shank to small plates of grilled spiced prawns and Penn Cove mussels. But what people lose their minds over is the Kobe beef burger ($13), a legendarily luxurious burger experience praised by devotees for its intricate flavors and juicy hugeness.
Crave 1621 12th Ave, 388-0526, $$
Crave is the kind of restaurant that seems to crop up in every district in San Francisco and Brooklyn. It is not a destination restaurant, but cultivates regulars with a slightly industrial space, medium prices, and a menu of homey dishes done up in noble ingredients. Restaurants like this should be a given.
El Gallito 1700 20th Ave, 329-8088, $
Capitol Hill regulars would be wise to take greater advantage of this homey, easy-to-overlook Mexican restaurant on the east edge of the hill. Generous doesn't quite describe the large portions. Greasy but tasty carne asada tastes just homemade enough to satisfy any carbohydrate addict in need of comfort. Also, try the guacamole enchilada, which is damn near the best thing that a person can put in their mouth on any given night.
Hillside Quickie Vegan Sandwich Shop 324 15th Ave E, 325-6429, $
This health-conscious, hiphop-oriented deli is vegan heaven on earth, serving opulent, organic tofu-, tempeh- and seitan-based subs and sandwiches that explode with spicy flavor.
Lark 926 12th Ave, 323-5275, $$$
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.
Oasis Cafe 1024 E Pike St, 323-3293, $
Live in Seattle long enough and you start to feel like we have more Thai restaurants than freakin' Thailand. The lunch specials are outstanding here though, setting it apart from the many Thai restaurants on Capitol Hill. You can spend under $10 on a full meal—an entrée, Phad Thai, and steamed rice, plus a bowl of miso soup. The Buddhist Tofu is especially rich, its golden garlic sauce (peppered with spicy red flakes) covering tofu, broccoli, snow peas, carrots, and mushrooms with just enough flavor to avoid drenching the food.
Vios Cafe & Marketplace 903 19th Ave E, 329-3236, $
From the man who created Broadway's El Greco comes this new Capitol Hill jewel. Self-service cafe by day, casually elegant restaurant by night, and deliciously Greek all the live long day, Vios is a culinary universe unto itself. Sit at one of the long wood tables and enjoy a legitimate Grecian feast, from the eggs dishes, yogurts, and sandwiches of breakfast and lunch to inspired entrees and flowing wine of the evening. (And take something home from the fresh deli counter.)
Central District
Hidmo Eritrean Restaurant 2000 S Jackson St, 329-1534, $
The heart of Eritrean cuisine is injera, the spongy, slightly sour pancake bread that serves as serving platter, sauce sopper, and utensil. I find injera-eating one of the most collegial ways to share food, much better than the frenetic passing of small plates, or the vague menace of forks reaching across the table to try someone else's meat. Instead each person wraps their hand in a hygienic hunk of flatbread and grabs a morsel of whichever preparation looks appealing. Double dipping is nearly impossible.
Jones Barbecue 3216 S Hudson St, 725-2728, $
The longstanding alpha dog of Seattle barbecue, Jones has little to prove but the continued deliciousness of their food. Among the popular favorites: the excellent, sweet-and-fiery sauce, giant rib bones smoked with very Northwestern cedar, spicy collard greens, and a worship-worthy sweet potato pie.
Downtown/Pioneer Square
Alexandria's on Second 2020 Second Ave, 374-3700, $$
There isn't just one Southern cuisine out there, and the menu at Alexandria's is scattered to the torpid breezes of several southerly regions. It boasts Cajun classics like the jambalaya; soul food standards—fried chicken and catfish, barbecued ribs plus all the sides—the collards, the macaroni and cheese, the sweet potatoes; a Caribbean dish or two.
Campagne 86 Pine St, 728-2800, $$$
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.
Etta's Seafood 2020 Western Ave, 443-6000, $$$
Owned by Tom Douglas, situated in the Pike Place Market, and boasting both good views and good seafood, Etta's will always and forever be THE place to take out-of-towners seeking a quintessential Northwest dining experience. Plus, it's pricey—which makes it ideal for guests who insist on footing the bill.
Hurricane Cafe 2230 Seventh Ave, 682-5858, $
The Hurricane Cafe (one of the city's few 24-hour joints) keeps trying to reinvent itself, seemingly fighting the fact that it always has been and always will be the smoky, noisy after-show ritual of Seattle's late-night crowd. The wait staff's generally lazy (with a few exceptions), and the food is always half-assed, but who gives a fuck? It's 4 am and you want to eat.
Typhoon 1400 Western Ave, 262-9797, $$
If you want Thai food in Seattle and 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.
Eastlake
Pomodoro Ristorante 2366 Eastlake Ave E, 324-3160, $$
The menu is divided in two: Spanish tapas on the left and Italian pastas on the right, and my dining entourage veered toward Italy. Inspired by the restaurant's name, we started with a giant slab of beefsteak tomato dressed in balsamic vinegar and topped with a confetti of basil and fresh mozzarella—an appetizer ample enough for three to share. Gnocchi (Italian for "dumplings") are hand-rolled little footballs of boiled dough. Pomodoro's were perfect: wee, dimpled, more tender than chewy, and joined by beer-boiled fennel sausage and mushrooms in a chunky tomato sauce.
Fremont
Brad's Swingside Cafe 4212 Fremont Ave N, 633-4057, $$
This wood-paneled cafe routinely pleases the masses with an ever-changing menu of pan-Mediterranean delights. Fans praise the authenticity of the Italian/Sicilian dishes, joined on Brad's menu by a variety of seafood, soups, and a wealth of vegetarian options.
Fremont Dock 1102 N 34th St, 633-4300, $
The Dock is known primarily as a dive bar, so don't expect hoity-toity cuisine here. The dark, smoky Fremont fixture serves just enough grub to grease up your stomach for its drinks. A full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu offers a mix of standard diner fare, from steak and eggs to apple pie.
Paseo 4225 Fremont Ave N, 545-7440, $
In its essentials, Paseo's pork sandwich is like a Caribbean bahn mi: grilled pork on a sturdy roll with cilantro and lettuce, and not stingy with the mayonnaise. However, a bahn mi is a tidy little operation, and a pork sandwich from Paseo is a lovely mess, with dripping marinade and onions that have been grilled for so long that they just give up and become a sweet, mellow tangle. Other things here—like the jerk chicken—are very good, but it's the pork that you remember.
Greenwood/Phinney
Kabob House 8102 Greenwood Ave N, 782-3611, $
Their chicken boti kabob and lamb boti kabob—meat marinated in yogurt, garlic, and spices served with rice, a simple iceberg salad, and moon-sized naan—are wonders to behold.
Masala of India Cuisine 539-B NE Northgate Way, 417-1118, $$
The entrees are admirable warhorses, featuring resolutely tender meats and greens that are never stewed into grayish obscurity. But the real reason to visit Masala is the service, with waiters often residing somewhere in between Middle Eastern guru and 1920s vaudevillian. Who needs Teatro ZinZanni at $89 a pop, when you can have an improbable Indian comic dispensing riddles over a nice $10.95 lamb vindaloo?
International District
Sea Garden Seafood 509 Seventh Ave S, 623-2100, $
First things first: This Chinese classic is open until 3 am on the weekends. Then there's the food: seafood plucked from the aquarium, and prepared with consistent skill. Especially good: the whole crab in ginger sauce.
Tamarind Tree 1036 S Jackson St, Suite A, 860-1404, $
There is a plethora of beefy delights here. They play fast and loose with the notion of courses here; it's more like a stampede, as very shortly your table is covered with upwards of a dozen elegant dishes.
Madison Park
Cafe Flora 2901 E Madison St, 325-9100, $$
A mecca for vegetarians desiring a night out as first-class culinary citizens. From drinks to dessert, the Flora experience is intoxicating enough to stun even the hoariest carnivore into submission, at least for an evening.
Madrona/Leschi
Hi-Spot Cafe 1410 34th Ave, 325-7905, $
Two words: Pint-size mimosas. So much better than those dinky champagne flutes that are gone three times before your breakfast arrives. Even the hearty toast and good-as-Grandma-makes jam is yummy, and that's not just the mimosa talking.
Madrona Eatery 1138 34th Ave, 323-7807, $$
Offering a mixed bag of pub food and finer cuisines, Madrona Eatery is a family-friendly, early-to-bed local watering hole.
Queen Anne
Canlis 2576 Aurora Ave N, 283-3313, $$$
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.
Mecca 526 Queen Anne Ave N, 285-9728, $
An old-timey counter-and-booth-style diner, for those times when only dependable food can hit the spot. The jukebox is a history lesson unto itself.
Rainier Valley/Beacon Hill/ Mount Baker/Columbia City
Kusina Filipina 3201 Beacon Ave S, 322-9433, $
At its cafeteria-style steam table, Kusina Filipina puts out a memorable spread of Filipino food. There are eight or so stews and noodle dishes that come in shades of gold and scarlet and jade green. But the noodle dishes contain generous portions vegetables and sport a cabbage-y undertone to balance out the flavors.
Willie's Taste of Soul 6305 Beacon Ave S, 722-3229, $$
Willie himself looks like he may have starred opposite Pam Grier in one of her '70s movies: He's strapping and charismatic even while wearing a plastic apron. His barbecue is worth the trip down south to Beacon Hill: Ribs and brisket have a pleasant campfire tone, while Willie's sauce is not too sweet and packs a little vinegar punch. Greens, too, are delicious.
SoDo/Georgetown/South Park
Cucina De Santis 1759 First Ave S, 587-4222, $
Michael de Santis, owner and chef of the cucina, serves up family recipes, rich on red sauce and melted cheese, fried peppers and onions whose smell beckons you to eat more than you really should.
Jones Barbecue 3810 S Ferdinand St., 722-4414, $
The longstanding alpha dog of Seattle barbecue, Jones has little to prove, which shows in the decor—a simple room painted the color of barbecue sauce, with a fireplace burning to remind you how your food was cooked. But what food it is—an excellent, sweet-and-fiery sauce, giant rib bones smoked with very Northwestern cedar, spicy collard greens, and a worship-worthy sweet potato pie.
University District/Ravenna
Cafe Lago 2305 24th Ave E, 329-8005, $$
A clean, bright restaurant with big windows that look out onto the leafy Montlake neighborhood. Customers cram the place for the fresh handmade pastas and delicious rustic pizzas. There may be a wait, but don't worry: There's a bar.
The Sterling Cafe 2614 NE 55th St, 522-3011, $$
The Sterling Café is one of only three restaurants in the United States to be certified by the USDA as organic: Everything they serve from spices to meat to beer has been raised without pesticides, antibiotics, or chemicals. But, despite the best of intentions, the food itself seems to be a little lost in time—somewhere around 1982. And while the meats are ably cooked, the Sterling shows a surprisingly awkward hand with vegetables, serving up the kind of fare that one reads about in hotel school cookbooks. What the Sterling needs now is a sense of homey joy to match its admirable goals.
Wallingford/Green Lake
Bizzarro Italian Cafe 1307 N 46th St, 545-7327, $$
Occasionally verging on the cutesy, Bizzarro nevertheless manages to keep it together while seducing devoted diners with good wine, art-bedecked walls, the occasional singing waiter, and damn good food, of the traditional-yet-exciting pasta variety.
Eva 2227 N 56th St, 633-3538, $$
Amy McCray's menu is both worldly and grounded, with good honest cooking. She's got a nice knack for sides like chorizo-bread pudding with sherry-braised rabbit, squash spaetzle with a veal shank, and corn pudding with pork loin.
West Seattle/White Center
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.
West 5 4539 California Ave SW, 935-1966, $
If you're looking for something heavy and comforting, some down-home cooking that could put you into a food coma, then head over to West Seattle's West 5. They serve up some impressive meatloaf and macaroni and cheese that'll get you off to a good start.
