Eat with me

I used to write about all the glorious restaurants in this town a lot more, but, like so much else in my life, I haven't taken the time to do so. I blame . . . I know, big surprise, the graveyard shift which has become even more depressing now that I am alone in a vault underground.
It makes for nice chatting with the boyfriend, but once he goes to bed, it is painfully empty down here.

Anyway, food places that I've meant to tell you about.

The Twilight Exit -- This bar is in the First Hill neighborhood at 24th and Cherry. Its a quintessential Seattle bar--attracts the tattooed, the queer, and other ne'er-do-wells. It came to my attention when I learned that they serve chicken fried bacon. For real. Phil, Bill, and I went, and it was well worth it. I don't think one person can (or should) attempt eating this appetizer by themselves. You add the country gravy and you can feel the cholesterol hardening your arteries. So . . . very . . . yummy!


Rizzo's French Dip -- Rizzo's is great. Its just a few blocks down from my place on 15th NW. They serve French Dips. That's it. Options include double meat and/or cheese. It comes with a side of macaroni salad (which has never been available when I've been there), and unlike what I would call a traditional french dip, there is no au jus in which to dip your sandwich. Instead, your entire sandwich is dipped in the gravy thick au jus. For some, this makes for too-messy fare and any sort of crunch the bread is gone by the time you get home . . . and you do have to take it home because Rizzo's doesn't have seating. So, in summary, one menu item, no seating, damn fine.

Image from MyBallard

Lunchbox Laboratory -- This place gets all kinds of press and the line out the door proves it. Unfortunately, it is overpriced and the "service" is more than lacking. LunchLab is a burger joint with some crazy ass burgers--one with goose liver, one with prime rib. All quality ingredients and so, so, so much variety. Too much variety, actually because you have to order at the counter and by the time you get to the front, you've probably missed most of the blackboards listing the different burgers. They also do a different mac'n'cheese everyday which, in my opinion, is reason enough to swing by. The first time I went to LL, I went all out--burger, mac'n'cheese, and a shake. My total was $24. So swing by to see what their daily mac'n'cheese is, otherwise, keep driving.

Image from A Hamburger Today

The Counter -- The Counter is a lot like the Lunchbox Laboratory except its a chain restaurant, someone actually takes your order, and they server liquor. The beef is of the angus, never-been-frozen, hormone-free, variety and makes a great burger. The menu lists all the different cheeses, toppings, sauces, and buns available. They boast over 300,000 combinations, but since you have time to leisurely peruse the offerings while sipping a beer, its not overwhelming. I had horseradish cheddar, red onions, roasted red peppers, jalepenos, and garlic aioli on a hamburger bun. My burger was fat. After my first bite I squeezed the bun and the burger was dripping. It was cooked perfectly.


So that's it for now.