Some old favorites: Matador & Wasabi Bistro

A few weeks ago, former roommates Heather and Ashlee were in town from Idaho so I got to spend a few days hanging out with my best friends from college (and some of my best friends period). Heather and Ashlee wanted to hit up some of our old haunts, so we had happy hour at the Matador and at Wasabi Bistro.

Matador is a chain and the one Ballard has been home base, but since several of us live in West Seattle now, we went there instead. Their happy hour is awesome, especially the famous nachos ($4 and enough to comfortably feed three people). I'm not a huge fan of black beans, so I usually skip the nachos and order the chicken quesadilla (also $4).

Wasabi Bistro features trendy, westernized sushi. A lot of the rolls are $5 at happy hour and enough to share. If you're not a huge sushi fan but feel like trying it, order something tempura (fried). We are kind of boring and almost always order the Seattle tempura roll (salmon, cream cheese, avocado). They also have some pretty rad creations with whimsical names like "The Romantic Mermaid Roll" (eel, strawberry, cucumber, spicy crab, topped with wonton crisps and blueberry cream).  Aimee got the crunch roll (crab, scallop, mayo, tobiko, cucumber, tempura crisps) and Jenny got something sashimi-like--can't remember what exactly, but it looked pretty on the plate.

matador nachos

seattle tempura roll

crunch roll

whatever Jenny ordered

they give you free edamame to munch on

yay for friends and food!

All photos in this post by Ashlee

Collecting on a Bet (Eat at Crow)

Many years ago, my friend Laura and I made a bet about which one of us would get married first. I bet that she would and she bet that I would. We decided that the loser would have to buy dinner for the winner. Earlier this year, I got a text message from Laura that read "So, I guess I owe you dinner..."  Of course, I screamed because it meant that she was ENGAGED! OMG!!! Laura and Reuben got married last week, but I actually collected on my bet a few months earlier, when Laura visited me in Seattle and we ate at Crow on lower Queen Anne. The restaurant describes itself as "an eclectic mix with influences ranging from Americana to French to Asian and beyond - always prepared in an honest Northwest style." Crow is relatively trendy, but when people ask me what kind of food it is, I eloquently describe it as, "normal food."

It was pretty crowded, so we ate at the bar, which was fun because we got to see the chefs making some of the food, including my pan-roasted chicken, which had some kind of delightful sauce and was served with green beans. Laura had the house-made lasagna, classic, but also excellent (I ate her leftovers). I wish I could describe the food better, but that's what I get for waiting a few months to blog about a meal. The menu changes frequently anyway, so you'll just have to go and try it for yourself. Every time I have been there I've been quite happy with the food and the service. Oh, and Crow has a sister restaurant called Betty on Upper Queen Anne that is just as good.

Ocho

Located on the corner of NW Market, Ocho is a small, unassuming addition to the hustle and bustle of restaurants, bars and storefronts in Ballard. Once inside, the tapas bar is full of people, interesting cocktails and stellar small plates. Do you already have plans next weekend? Cancel them and head to Ocho. We promise, it's that good.

The portions are small, so to make a meal out of it, you have to order a variety (which is fine with us!). The food usually ends up coming in several rounds, so you can fit all the plates on your table--and because you will notice people around you eating things that look so delicious, you just HAVE to try them. Here's a quick rundown of what we ate:

• Aceitunas (Olives): What Mediterranean dinner could be complete without snacking on some gourmet olives? 
• Tortilla Espanola: This is a classic Spanish dish--egg and potato and tasty sauce. It's a little bit like a quiche.
• Huevo del Diablo: Deviled eggs with salmon roe, pickled onion, fried capers, and dill. 
• Banderilla de Chorizo: with apple marmalade and blue cheese. This was basically two bites of chorizo on a toothpick sitting in marmalade and topped with a bit of cheese. Delicious. Order more than one. 
• Potatas Bravas: For the less adventurous, this is an excellent start. Bite size bits of fried potato with dipping sauces.  
• Abondigas: Lamb meatballs in carrot puree and yellow raisin sauce.
• Pan con chocolate: We always get this for dessert whenever we come. A slice of crispy toast topped with chocolate, nuts, and a hint of spice. Beware of cutting it in half. See evidence below. 
• La Carolina: Pancetta wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese in balsamic vinegar. This is our favorite thing on the menu. It sounds odd, but all the flavors go perfectly together! I wanted to eat a whole bowlful of these, but they only give you three per serving. :( If nothing else, get a great cocktail and order these. 

Lessons learned: Order more than one of the tower o' meat. Get a bowl-full of the dates. Don't try to cut the pan con chocolate with a knife. Make friends with the people sitting next to you who might be eating something you haven't tried yet. We hope you will take our lessons to heart when you eat at Ocho yourself!

-Megan & Janelle 

Huevos del Diablo

Banderilla de Chorizo

The remnants of our dinner. Patatas bravas on the left.

La Carolina

Pan con chocolate. This half fell on the floor. We had to order a second one. 

  

Some of our Awesome Dining Adventures

From Ice Cream ...

To Wine...

 

To Sushi...

Food is fun! 

Here's to more adventures to come. Cheers!