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Monday, August 8, 2011
Second Street Grill
Location: 28 North 2nd Street, Yakima, WA
It took us a couple of trips to Yakima to discover the Second Street Grill. I was on a diet our first time there, so I chose a salad and watched my husband eat a nice juicy burger. This time around I was able to have a little more fun.
We started off by ordering the Avocado Bruschetta. They top seasoned crustini bread with pesto, Roma tomatoes, basil and slices of avocado and then drizzle olive oil over it. I love Bruschetta when it's done right, and this stuff was amazing. They didn't skimp on the tomatoes or the avocado, and it just tasted fresh and summery to me.
For our entree, we ordered the Salmon Three Ways, choosing the Alder Baked method. The salmon was good, but this was definitely the most plain of the methods. The other options are Miso Grilled or Ginger Teriyaki. I'd order it again but go with one of those for a little more flavor next time.
We chose the garlic mashed potatoes as our side, and they were serving peapods as the seasonal vegetable. Both were pretty average. We didn't love them, but we didn't hate them either. Truly the best part of the dinner was the Bruschetta, but it was by no means a bad meal. It just wasn't blow your mind good.
As you'll see in the video, we were able to eat outside during our visit. Sometimes the service at restaurants can be a little spotty when you don't eat indoors, but our waitress did a wonderful job making sure we were taken care of. We'll definitely be back, even if we will be trying a different entree next time.
It took us a couple of trips to Yakima to discover the Second Street Grill. I was on a diet our first time there, so I chose a salad and watched my husband eat a nice juicy burger. This time around I was able to have a little more fun.
We started off by ordering the Avocado Bruschetta. They top seasoned crustini bread with pesto, Roma tomatoes, basil and slices of avocado and then drizzle olive oil over it. I love Bruschetta when it's done right, and this stuff was amazing. They didn't skimp on the tomatoes or the avocado, and it just tasted fresh and summery to me.
For our entree, we ordered the Salmon Three Ways, choosing the Alder Baked method. The salmon was good, but this was definitely the most plain of the methods. The other options are Miso Grilled or Ginger Teriyaki. I'd order it again but go with one of those for a little more flavor next time.
We chose the garlic mashed potatoes as our side, and they were serving peapods as the seasonal vegetable. Both were pretty average. We didn't love them, but we didn't hate them either. Truly the best part of the dinner was the Bruschetta, but it was by no means a bad meal. It just wasn't blow your mind good.
As you'll see in the video, we were able to eat outside during our visit. Sometimes the service at restaurants can be a little spotty when you don't eat indoors, but our waitress did a wonderful job making sure we were taken care of. We'll definitely be back, even if we will be trying a different entree next time.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Spike's Deli and Pizza
Location: 1611 South Smittys Boulevard, Ritzville, WA (inside the Cow Creek Mercantile)
Our choices were very limited off the exit in Ritzville. We could either opt for fast food, or we could try something new and different. We went for the new and different and stopped in at Spike's Deli and Pizza, located in the Cow Creek Mercantile.
We had to creatively get around the split plate fee, so I ordered the Baked Potato and Ham Soup. My husband ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. The soup was a bit different than what I had in mind, but it was good. I think I was taken aback because it was darker than most potato soups I have eaten, but that goes to show you can never judge a soup by its color.
The plate with the sandwich was adorable. In addition to the sandwich, they served up chips, some carrots, a pickle and a cookie. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise. The sauce was delicious, though I could have done without the bacon. Most people will probably like it. I'm just not a fan of bacon in my sandwiches unless they are a BLT.
The restaurant had a lot of fun books at the table, and I saw some games sitting on the ledge. It's a decent family restaurant, but I'm not chomping at the bit to go back. The food was tasty but average, though I am curious about their carrot cake. They claim quite a few of their desserts are famous, and I love a good dessert! I guess we'll see what happens next time we're in town.
Our choices were very limited off the exit in Ritzville. We could either opt for fast food, or we could try something new and different. We went for the new and different and stopped in at Spike's Deli and Pizza, located in the Cow Creek Mercantile.
We had to creatively get around the split plate fee, so I ordered the Baked Potato and Ham Soup. My husband ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich. The soup was a bit different than what I had in mind, but it was good. I think I was taken aback because it was darker than most potato soups I have eaten, but that goes to show you can never judge a soup by its color.
The plate with the sandwich was adorable. In addition to the sandwich, they served up chips, some carrots, a pickle and a cookie. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise. The sauce was delicious, though I could have done without the bacon. Most people will probably like it. I'm just not a fan of bacon in my sandwiches unless they are a BLT.
The restaurant had a lot of fun books at the table, and I saw some games sitting on the ledge. It's a decent family restaurant, but I'm not chomping at the bit to go back. The food was tasty but average, though I am curious about their carrot cake. They claim quite a few of their desserts are famous, and I love a good dessert! I guess we'll see what happens next time we're in town.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tomato Street
Location: 6220 North Division Street, Spokane, WA
Tomato Street has kind of ruined me. My first experience there was so awesome that I hold every other Italian restaurant in Spokane to their standard. I have yet to find one I like as much, so I was super excited when the girls suggested we go there for lunch.
My favorite item on their menu is their Baked Spaghetti. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the lunch specials menu, and I was trying to be cheap, so I made a different selection. I debated between Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta and the Smoked Chicken Manicotti, but in the end I decided to give the Smoked Chicken Manicotti a whirl.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, because there is the matter of bread that needs to be discussed. Tomato Street calls it garlic bread, but highly addictive buttery goodness bread would probably be more accurate. It is soaked in butter and garlic, and it's delicious. Hello carbs!
The lunch portions are quite generous and, in addition to the garlic bread, a small side salad comes with the meal. The side salad was truly the least exciting portion of the meal, so I'm just going to breeze through and get on with the good stuff.
The menu claims the lunch portions are half portions of the dinner entrees, and they are STILL huge. There were 3 pieces of manicotti, stuffed with smoked chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, smoked Gouda, bacon, green onions and Roma tomatoes. As if that isn't a rich enough mix of cheeses, they cover it in Asiago sauce.
So how did it stack up to my beloved Baked Spaghetti? Well, it wasn't a bad meal by any means, but it wasn't my favorite. Rumor has it I should have chosen Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta, which I will definitely do next time. I'm sure I can arrange another visit to Tomato Street sooner rather than later.
On a bit of a side note, be sure to check out the servers' hats when you visit. Each server wears a fun hat that quite possibly reflects their personality. Our server had a viking-type helmet, which we joked was indicative of his level of brain activity. He forgot a refill on one of the girls' drinks, so it's only fair I throw in a little humor at his expense. ;)
P.S. Apologies for the lack of video in this post. We recently joined the 21st century and bought smartphones, and I'm still trying to learn the ropes. (My handy dandy videographer did not accompany me on this dining excursion.) Will you forgive me if I share a pic of that yummy garlic bread I told you about instead?
Tomato Street has kind of ruined me. My first experience there was so awesome that I hold every other Italian restaurant in Spokane to their standard. I have yet to find one I like as much, so I was super excited when the girls suggested we go there for lunch.
My favorite item on their menu is their Baked Spaghetti. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the lunch specials menu, and I was trying to be cheap, so I made a different selection. I debated between Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta and the Smoked Chicken Manicotti, but in the end I decided to give the Smoked Chicken Manicotti a whirl.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, though, because there is the matter of bread that needs to be discussed. Tomato Street calls it garlic bread, but highly addictive buttery goodness bread would probably be more accurate. It is soaked in butter and garlic, and it's delicious. Hello carbs!
The lunch portions are quite generous and, in addition to the garlic bread, a small side salad comes with the meal. The side salad was truly the least exciting portion of the meal, so I'm just going to breeze through and get on with the good stuff.
The menu claims the lunch portions are half portions of the dinner entrees, and they are STILL huge. There were 3 pieces of manicotti, stuffed with smoked chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, provolone, smoked Gouda, bacon, green onions and Roma tomatoes. As if that isn't a rich enough mix of cheeses, they cover it in Asiago sauce.
So how did it stack up to my beloved Baked Spaghetti? Well, it wasn't a bad meal by any means, but it wasn't my favorite. Rumor has it I should have chosen Uncle Tony's Chicken Pasta, which I will definitely do next time. I'm sure I can arrange another visit to Tomato Street sooner rather than later.
On a bit of a side note, be sure to check out the servers' hats when you visit. Each server wears a fun hat that quite possibly reflects their personality. Our server had a viking-type helmet, which we joked was indicative of his level of brain activity. He forgot a refill on one of the girls' drinks, so it's only fair I throw in a little humor at his expense. ;)
P.S. Apologies for the lack of video in this post. We recently joined the 21st century and bought smartphones, and I'm still trying to learn the ropes. (My handy dandy videographer did not accompany me on this dining excursion.) Will you forgive me if I share a pic of that yummy garlic bread I told you about instead?
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sushi I
Location: 4314 South Regal, Spokane, WA
It had been months since I had sushi, and I was craving it like mad. My husband and I had been eager to try the new sushi place on Spokane's South Hill. Yollar featured a deal with $20 of sushi from Sushi I for $10, so I jumped on the deal and we stopped in to check them out.
They were surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening. The bonus to that was the service was amazing. We felt very well attended to. We sat up at the sushi bar and tried the Dragon Roll and Tiger Roll to start. Both rolls used similar ingredients, except one had masago and the other did not. They were equally enjoyable. We were not quite full from those two rolls, though, so we decided to also order the Lobster Roll.
Every once in awhile I order sushi that tastes original. Our first sushi experience after moving to Washington involved apples in the sushi. It was incredible. Sushi I managed to wow me with their Lobster Roll. In addition to the lobster, there was fried mozzarella cheese on top. I've never tasted anything like it, and I want more just sitting here typing about it. I told my friend about it, and now she is excited to try it out.
I saw several rolls on the menu I would like to come back and try myself. They actually have a Tempura Philadelphia Roll, which sounds amazing. We promised to come back, and I hope that business will pick up for them once more and more people check them out. They are worth keeping around, and I look forward to going back to do a second review.
It had been months since I had sushi, and I was craving it like mad. My husband and I had been eager to try the new sushi place on Spokane's South Hill. Yollar featured a deal with $20 of sushi from Sushi I for $10, so I jumped on the deal and we stopped in to check them out.
They were surprisingly empty for a Saturday evening. The bonus to that was the service was amazing. We felt very well attended to. We sat up at the sushi bar and tried the Dragon Roll and Tiger Roll to start. Both rolls used similar ingredients, except one had masago and the other did not. They were equally enjoyable. We were not quite full from those two rolls, though, so we decided to also order the Lobster Roll.
Every once in awhile I order sushi that tastes original. Our first sushi experience after moving to Washington involved apples in the sushi. It was incredible. Sushi I managed to wow me with their Lobster Roll. In addition to the lobster, there was fried mozzarella cheese on top. I've never tasted anything like it, and I want more just sitting here typing about it. I told my friend about it, and now she is excited to try it out.
I saw several rolls on the menu I would like to come back and try myself. They actually have a Tempura Philadelphia Roll, which sounds amazing. We promised to come back, and I hope that business will pick up for them once more and more people check them out. They are worth keeping around, and I look forward to going back to do a second review.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Waddell's Pub and Grille
Location: 4318 South Regal Street, Spokane, WA
Let's face it. Most restaurants can make a suitable burger. They are pretty hard to mess up. Every so often, though, you find a restaurant that can make a great burger. Well, look no further. Waddell's is that restaurant. In my opinion, they make the best Mushroom 'N Swiss burger I have ever eaten.
It should come as no surprise that I went with my standby. All the standards are there. Your hamburger patty (of course), a fresh hamburger bun, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. Easy breezy, right? But Waddell's takes it one step further and adds in what they say is mayonnaise but tastes nothing like mayonnaise I've ever eaten. It.is.amazing. They have to add in something else to make it taste so good, but I have no idea what that is.
We were given the option of regular or sweet potato fries, though I am pretty sure you can order a house or pasta salad if those options don't suit you. Waddell's seasons them with Squirrelly Beaver Seasoning, which is their own custom blend of spices. While they are not my favorite fries ever, they are pretty tasty. I definitely don't turn them down!
My husband is a big fan of their beer selection. They have 35 beers on tap, which is pretty impressive. He tried the Puget Sound Porter and was a fan.
The service can be very hit or miss at Waddell's, but tonight they were a hit. We were fortunate enough to score outdoor seating, and our waitress was pleasant. There was an acoustic guitarist performing in between Twigs and Waddell's, which made for nice background music.
Let's face it. Most restaurants can make a suitable burger. They are pretty hard to mess up. Every so often, though, you find a restaurant that can make a great burger. Well, look no further. Waddell's is that restaurant. In my opinion, they make the best Mushroom 'N Swiss burger I have ever eaten.
It should come as no surprise that I went with my standby. All the standards are there. Your hamburger patty (of course), a fresh hamburger bun, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. Easy breezy, right? But Waddell's takes it one step further and adds in what they say is mayonnaise but tastes nothing like mayonnaise I've ever eaten. It.is.amazing. They have to add in something else to make it taste so good, but I have no idea what that is.
We were given the option of regular or sweet potato fries, though I am pretty sure you can order a house or pasta salad if those options don't suit you. Waddell's seasons them with Squirrelly Beaver Seasoning, which is their own custom blend of spices. While they are not my favorite fries ever, they are pretty tasty. I definitely don't turn them down!
My husband is a big fan of their beer selection. They have 35 beers on tap, which is pretty impressive. He tried the Puget Sound Porter and was a fan.
The service can be very hit or miss at Waddell's, but tonight they were a hit. We were fortunate enough to score outdoor seating, and our waitress was pleasant. There was an acoustic guitarist performing in between Twigs and Waddell's, which made for nice background music.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Jacobi's Cafe
Location: 416 North Second, Walla Walla, WA
Just the thought of eating at Jacobi's excites me. This is yet another place where I haven't found a bad meal. In addition, they are the home of one of my favorite meals ever. My husband gave me a hard time for not ordering something new to review for the blog, but I can't help it. I know what I like.
Jacobi's has a ton of great specialty salads you can order for an additional price. We decided to start out with their Pea Salad. They combine sweet peas with jack and cheddar cheeses and then mix in a ranch-style dressing. It's a super yummy way to dress up peas, and their homemade dressings are absolutely fantastic. Don't even get me going on their sweet shallot dressing. We'll save that one for next time. ;)
I've discovered one of the hardest parts of hosting a video blog is waiting for my husband to film the meal before I get to dig in. I joked about knowing how our dog felt when we ate apples in front of him. He salivates all over, which is precisely what I wanted to do while I not-so-patiently waited to eat. So what great dinner did we choose?
Think I might need a drumroll for this one...
We had the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti. It is true pasta perfection. I love it so much it makes me want to cry. Why? Well, most times I can figure out how to duplicate a recipe if I like it enough. This one, though? This one is a challenge. Sacchetti is not your everyday pasta. They are cute little "purses" filled with various things. Most I've seen contain cheese as one of the ingredients.
These particular sacchetti are filled with roasted portobellos, wild porcinis, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, swiss and fontina cheese. Have I ever mentioned how much my husband and I like cheese? Between the melting of all those cheeses and the mix of all those mushrooms, it's like Heaven. And just when you thought that sounded good, they cover it in a wild mushroom pesto cream sauce. I seriously want to lick the plate when I am done. I actually counted how many I had and how many my husband had and made him fork over another because he had 6 to my 3.
Since I chose our dinner entree, I let my husband choose our dessert. Let me tell you a little story about that. I dislike 2 kinds of cake - chocolate and red velvet (which might as well be chocolate in my opinion). I'm getting better about the chocolate, which you might have been able to tell by the Iron Horse post, but I would never order red velvet cake on my own.
My darling husband thought it would be funny to order the red velvet cake. I threatened to let him eat it by himself. He challenged me with a comment about reviewing something I didn't like for the blog. It was a reasonable enough idea, and I only needed to take a bite to note my thoughts.
It arrived at the table, and something crazy happened . We both grabbed our forks and started eating...before we got a chance to film it. And I didn't have just one bite. I started shoveling that stupid cake down my throat. We were halfway through before we realized what happened, and I told him to film the half-eaten cake anyway. It would make for a funny story.
It was amazing. It wasn't dry and nasty like most red velvet cakes I've tried. It was moist, and it was covered with an incredible cream cheese frosting. I think there was some chocolate sprinkled on the top, but I was too busy eating to pay much attention. I think it's time to rethink my feelings on red velvet cake. When it's done right, it's good stuff.
Jacobi's was packed when we got there, so they seated us in the dining car. That was fun. I've always wanted to take a train ride, so this was a pretty good simulation (minus the bumps I'm sure happen on a moving train). It seemed a little noisy, but I didn't mind it too much. Our service was great as well. Our waiter was polite and checked back with us to make sure our waters were filled and to see if we needed anything. Ummm...maybe the recipe for the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti if you can spare it. Just kidding! But seriously, try it and you won't regret it.
Just the thought of eating at Jacobi's excites me. This is yet another place where I haven't found a bad meal. In addition, they are the home of one of my favorite meals ever. My husband gave me a hard time for not ordering something new to review for the blog, but I can't help it. I know what I like.
Jacobi's has a ton of great specialty salads you can order for an additional price. We decided to start out with their Pea Salad. They combine sweet peas with jack and cheddar cheeses and then mix in a ranch-style dressing. It's a super yummy way to dress up peas, and their homemade dressings are absolutely fantastic. Don't even get me going on their sweet shallot dressing. We'll save that one for next time. ;)
I've discovered one of the hardest parts of hosting a video blog is waiting for my husband to film the meal before I get to dig in. I joked about knowing how our dog felt when we ate apples in front of him. He salivates all over, which is precisely what I wanted to do while I not-so-patiently waited to eat. So what great dinner did we choose?
Think I might need a drumroll for this one...
We had the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti. It is true pasta perfection. I love it so much it makes me want to cry. Why? Well, most times I can figure out how to duplicate a recipe if I like it enough. This one, though? This one is a challenge. Sacchetti is not your everyday pasta. They are cute little "purses" filled with various things. Most I've seen contain cheese as one of the ingredients.
These particular sacchetti are filled with roasted portobellos, wild porcinis, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, swiss and fontina cheese. Have I ever mentioned how much my husband and I like cheese? Between the melting of all those cheeses and the mix of all those mushrooms, it's like Heaven. And just when you thought that sounded good, they cover it in a wild mushroom pesto cream sauce. I seriously want to lick the plate when I am done. I actually counted how many I had and how many my husband had and made him fork over another because he had 6 to my 3.
Since I chose our dinner entree, I let my husband choose our dessert. Let me tell you a little story about that. I dislike 2 kinds of cake - chocolate and red velvet (which might as well be chocolate in my opinion). I'm getting better about the chocolate, which you might have been able to tell by the Iron Horse post, but I would never order red velvet cake on my own.
My darling husband thought it would be funny to order the red velvet cake. I threatened to let him eat it by himself. He challenged me with a comment about reviewing something I didn't like for the blog. It was a reasonable enough idea, and I only needed to take a bite to note my thoughts.
It arrived at the table, and something crazy happened . We both grabbed our forks and started eating...before we got a chance to film it. And I didn't have just one bite. I started shoveling that stupid cake down my throat. We were halfway through before we realized what happened, and I told him to film the half-eaten cake anyway. It would make for a funny story.
It was amazing. It wasn't dry and nasty like most red velvet cakes I've tried. It was moist, and it was covered with an incredible cream cheese frosting. I think there was some chocolate sprinkled on the top, but I was too busy eating to pay much attention. I think it's time to rethink my feelings on red velvet cake. When it's done right, it's good stuff.
Jacobi's was packed when we got there, so they seated us in the dining car. That was fun. I've always wanted to take a train ride, so this was a pretty good simulation (minus the bumps I'm sure happen on a moving train). It seemed a little noisy, but I didn't mind it too much. Our service was great as well. Our waiter was polite and checked back with us to make sure our waters were filled and to see if we needed anything. Ummm...maybe the recipe for the Wild Mushroom Sacchetti if you can spare it. Just kidding! But seriously, try it and you won't regret it.
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