From: jcarroll@ferris.cray.com (Jeff Carroll)
Subject: Re: Looking for Restaurants in Pacific Northwest
Originator: jcarroll@ferris
Reply-To: jcarroll@ferris.cray.com (Jeff Carroll)
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: 23 Jul 92 17:57:48 CDT


(gil@cc.gatech.edu asked for veggies, breakfast, and cafe in the Northwest.) 

There's a Thai restaurant on almost every corner in Seattle , and most of them are good (or so I hear from people who know; Thai isn't really my thing). One 
that gets particularly good press is located in a former root beer stand north
of the airport, and is called Bai Tong. There are one or two more in the
airport neighborhood which are well regarded; in general that's not a good
part of town for restaurants, but the Thai Airways flight crews have attracted
(actually imported, in a couple of cases) good Thai chefs who have set up
shop nearby.

Almost every conversation about vegetarian restaurants in Seattle eventually
gets around to Julia's 14 Carrot Cafe on Eastlake Avenue, and the sister
establishments in other parts of town. (Look for "Julia's" in the Yellow Pages.)

Although it often gets overlooked in the pursuit of other more exotic cuisines,
the Mexican food in Seattle is very good - the local Azteca chain is popular,
but a little too cholesteroly, probably, for your taste. My faves include
El Puerco Lloron at the Pike Place Hillclimb, La Cucina del Puerco (different
ownership but similar atmosphere, with steel beer-logo card tables and bare
concrete floor) on Main Street in Bellevue, and ESPECIALLY Mayas at Rainier
Beach (but do this for lunch unless you're prepared for urban nastiness).

There are plenty of Indian, Moroccan, Ethiopian, etc., but I don't really
consider myself knowledgeable on those, having been the suburban yuppie I
was for most of the time I was there.

Since I don't know what vegetarians eat for breakfast, I'll offer one
carnivore's pick of the best breakfasts in the Northwest:

Chace's Pancake Corral, Bellevue Way near SE 16th in Bellevue:
	The best pancakes I have ever had. Period. Everything else is
	at least OK. The atmosphere is geared to blue collars and golfers,
	but everyone from professional athletes to strip mall kings to
	gardeners and ditchdiggers eat here.

The Original Pancake House, SW Barbur Blvd in Portland:
	The second best pancakes I have ever had. Everything else is top-notch.

Fort Hill Restaurant, on (US 26?) southwest of McMinnville, OR:
	The biggest pancakes I have ever had, and pretty good. Don't bother
	with the rest of the menu. There is neither fort nor hill anywhere
	around, but plenty of lumberjacks (so eat up).

White Spot. All over the Vancouver area. The menu looks like Denny's or Coco's,
	but the food and the atmosphere are much nicer.

Sorella's, NE 20th Street (aka Northup Way, aka "Computer Row") in Bellevue:
	Best kept breakfast secret in town. Bacon, eggs, and home fries
	to die for, dirt cheap, and no crowd (yet).

The College Inn. University Way at NE 40th St., Seattle.
	Something for everyone. Best in the U District
	(but if you like Greek, try...

Costas. University Way at NE 47th.
	(or Italian...

Stella's Trattoria. NE 45th, next to the Metro Cinemas, at about 7th Ave NE.

The Scarlet Tree. NE 63rd St at Roosevelt, Seattle.
	Better known as an R&B club, but both breakfast and dinner here
	are great (or were last time I was there. It's been a while.)


And, in case you meant "cafe" in the literal sense, there are the two
quintessential Seattle coffeehouses, Last Exit on Brooklyn (between 38th
and 40th on Brooklyn Ave NE) and Cafe Allegro (between 42nd and 43rd NE,
in the alley between University Way and 15th Ave NE. Near the south end of
the Methodist church.) Either is a good place to escape the Californians
and sample what the place was like before it got to be trendy.

Jeff Carroll
carroll@cray.com