Carmelita

How I heard of this place: My good friend Tahirih suggested Carmelita and I finally had the opportunity in January to pay the establishment a visit. When my friends, both vegetarians, wanted to take me out for dinner, it seemed a good opportunity to enjoy Carmelita again!
Type of cuisine: Vegetarian with many vegan options. To the extent possible, local, seasonal and organic.
Ambiance: Perfect for intimate conversation in a non-​pretentious setting. There is a small backroom that might be usable for a small semi-​private party. Would recommend taking only up to four people at a time to maintain intimacy of the setting. Music is set to a subtle volume so as to keep from distracting conversations.
What I ordered: The four diners in our party were very excited to sample many items on the menu. For starters, we had one order for a bottle of very sweet Crater Lake Root Beer ($ 3), I opted for the Full Circle Farm beet roulade ($ 12): thin carpaccio-​style sliced beets wrapped around a fluffy gorgonzola mousse, and decorated with baby arugula, toasted hazelnuts, and kumquat vinaigrette. Two of my dining companions ordered the watercress salad ($ 11 each) with slices of local peach, Quillasascut «Curado» feta cheese, toasted pecans and a lavender honey vinaigrette. Our fourth dining companion chose to stay away from the appetizers and save room for dessert! For dinner, I selected the ratatouille-​gruyère-​basil crêpe ($ 17) with a roasted eggplant sauce and grilled romano beans. The dining companion to my left ordered the vegan housemade farfalle pasta ($ 16) with a delicata squash-​Asian pear-​walnut hash, drizzled with pumpkin seed oil, and topped with crispy sage. The two men at our table ordered the housemade ravioli ($ 18 each) stuffed with Full Circle Farm kale and ricotta, topped with sauteed kale, whole olives and puttanesca sauce. For dessert, we had two orders of French press Lighthouse Roasters coffee ($ 2.50 each), served rich and strong with sugar and cream. To satisfy the sweet tooth, we ordered one frangipane tart ($ 8) with peach slices, topped with caramelized sugar crystals, and served with a side of smoked vanilla ice cream and four dollops of caramel sauce. The two chocolate desserts on the menu were also at our table. The first, a Chocolate Muck Muck ($ 8) or fallen chocolate cake with raspberry compote and vanilla whipped cream. The second, a vegan Valrhona double dark chocolate cake ($ 8) covered in chocolate tuille and served atop a huckleberry coulis. The evening special provided us with the favorite of table (consensus): a lightly sweetened huckleberry cobbler with plenty of fruit and sweet crumbles atop.
What I loved: For some reason, my favorite thing of the entire evening was the raspberry compote next to the Muck Muck. I thoroughly enjoyed the beet and gorgonzola salad and of the entrees, my light, but filling crêpe had the most flavor. The diner to my right enjoyed the farfalle pasta most of all of entrees and the Muck Muck most of all dessert options. The diner to my left most enjoyed the watercress salad on this evening. Our tastes varied, but it was unanimous that Carmelita wins again!
Why I loved it: It’s local, it’s seasonal, it’s organic vegetarian and vegan cuisine that leave you satisfied without feeling too heavy. Heard tonight, with a perplexed expression: «I think I’m full?»
Cost: mid-​range $ 11-​$ 18 for entrees

Our dear Carmelita restaurant is about to close its doors on September 29^th. We will miss the fantastic food, subtle and inspired, the fun cocktails, and cosy atmosphere.

It’s with a heavy heart I write this review because I FINALLY made it to Carmelita and they’re closing for good at the end of the month. I hope my review persuades at least a couple folks to give it a try before the doors close for good.
Now in case you missed it — this is a vegetarian restaurant. Trust me, you won’t miss the meat!
My husband and I started with a couple cocktails (natch) and they were delicious! Beware of the spicy margarita — the heat will get you!
We moved on to the mushroom tart & the homemade focaccia bread. The tart was small but full of flavor and the bread was warm and crusty — so, so good and came with a green-​olive tapenade.
For our mains we shared the mushroom gnocchi & the asparagus pizza. Both were really delicious and my only complaint is there wasn’t more of them.
The best we saved for last — the butterscotch parfait was seriously one of the most delicious things I have EVER EATEN! Had it of not been breaking like a million etiquette rules, I would have licked the class clean. We also had the pound cake which was good but if you’re deciding between the two go with the butterscotch. You’re welcome.
The staff is super nice and chill as well. The décor is comfortable and inviting. Seriously, do yourself a favor and pop in for dinner one night soon. You’ll be sad if you don’t!

The food here is devine… But be aware that its a bit on the pricey side and that the portions are pretty small. I ate a late lunch so that was not a problem. My friend was hungry though so she ordered a corn soup (cold) which reminded me a bit of pudding & the gnocchi (which looked like oyster crackers but turned out to be fabulously delicious). I had the goat cheese pot pie thing (can’t remember the exact name) which was rich, filling, & fabulous. Yum!
Highly recommend eating on the patio when it’s nice out during the summer. They even give you blankets.
I hear happy hour here is great but have never made it.
Sadly I hear that Carmelita is closing. So get your veggie grub on before they close their doors for the last time.

Carmelita has great drinks. If I was reviewing on bar drinks alone this place would be getting 5 stars. Unfortunately, I’m not.
I nearly gave them 2 stars but then I remembered my heavenly Vodka Collins. And the Habenero Margaritas I had. But the food? Eh. I don’t know that anyone in my party of 6 truly loved their meals and I want to say we all spent $ 60 a piece on our meals.
My risotto (one of 2 gluten free main course options) was rather bland while another friend’s pasta was way oversalted. And that girl is a salt lover. Additionally, when she sent her dish back and ordered something else they tried to charge her for both dishes! Such bad form!
I do have to say the restaurant itself was beautiful and our server was very nice!

I am sad to hear that Carmelita is closing in September. I recently just discovered it after having to turn vegetarian for health reasons. It has become a weekly tradition for me to end a long bike ride with a nice dinner here. The staff were completely accommodating to me (sweaty mess that I usually am) and never minded me being the only person sitting in the rear balcony.
I love their gnocchi and the seasonal sauces and veggies they incorporate into it. The soups are inventive and tasty though I can see some being confused by a cold soup here or there.
As everyone says, you do not miss the meat and are not hungry when you leave. It’s a good place to bring someone new to vegetarianism to give then ideas on what is possible. If you go, tip well. I heard they are trying to start a cookbook to help fund the worker’s severance. I’ll miss this place but I’ll be going more and more up till they kick me out. See you all there.

Seasonal vegetarian menu — which always impresses.
Wonderful options and flavorful dishes.

I really like Carmelita.
Pros:
Sorta sexy, dark atmosphere
Really amazing quality food, with complex flavors and unique uses of ingredients
Yummy drinks, and they aren’t afraid to make’em strong
Cons:
Tables are a little cramped together
It’s expensive
The menu selection is limited, and not in the vegan’s favor
If you’ve never been, you definitely should!

My chef fiancé said this was the best meal he’s had in Seattle.
Wednesdays are half price bottle of wine night. We shared the caesar salad, and it was different from any caesar I’ve ever had (in a good way). Their pasta is made in house and unbelievably fresh tasting. Actually, dinner was so good that I couldn’t resist trying dessert because I was sure it would be out of this world (it was).

Carmelita used to be one of my favorite restaurants. I haven’t been back in a couple of years and the only things I can recall from my previous visits are delicious, creative food, friendly and informative staff and a lovely environment.
This is all the total opposite of what my friends and I experienced last Saturday.
I swore by this place. Even having not been there for quite a while.
It just seems so unlikely that a place could go so extremely downhill like it seems to have.
First, our waiter honestly seemed like he was on his 5^th pot of coffee and didn’t even introduce himself before inaudibly chattering off the specials before literally jogging off.
When he comes back, we order a Mezze platter and a cheese plate and drinks. My friend glanced around the table and at our waiter and asked what Spaetzle was. Our waiter looks right at him and sprints off without offering to explain. It seemed odd, but maybe he was slammed. Who know’s, right?
When he comes back with our first round, we order our entrees and… Gone.
He didn’t come back. An unknown girl delivered our food without saying a word and we sat with empty drinks and ate our dinners. Everyone tried each other’s dishes and just reacted quietly with polite «hmm“s. My spaghetti was what seemed like plain, salty tomato sauce on gummy rice noodles. It was full of garbanzo beans. Not Good. Not even kind of. Aside from that, the Spaetzle was actually pretty good. Not $ 18 good, but good.
Here’s where it all really goes wrong.
We sat with our empty or half eaten plates (complete with the «folded napkin on plate» signal) for over 20 minutes without a visit form anyone. There were 4 open tables around ours. Our waiter was gone and the mystery girl was behind the bar.
After ordering obligatory desert and asking for our bill, he brought us one check… 15 minutes later.
We put our cards down and asked to be separated. He then announces to the table «oh, I can’t do that. If you guys figure out the totals, then I can charge each card» Then, again, he sprinted off.
Here’s the deal with that: I work at a restaurant. I use DinerWear. Carmelita uses DinerWear. You absolutely CAN split our ticket. Especially since we are one of the last tables in the restaurant and we have been here for almost 3 hours. At this point I was so shocked and embarrassed, that I just grabbed the receipt and told my friends that I would calculate the tab for our waiter… Who was standing in the kitchen hub TEXTING ON HIS CELL.
The real kicker is that it was my best friend’s birthday. When I made reservations I told them that. I didn’t expect a free desert. I didn’t expect anything comped or even a happy birthday. I expected my friend to be as impressed as I had every other time I had been there.
Our bill was $ 240. The tip was included. Maybe this guy didn’t really care what any of us thought because he knew he was getting our $ 40 regardless.
The busser was the only ray of light. He was on top of our waters and even kindly followed us out because we accidentally left behind a birthday card.
Next time I want to blow money and be taken care of I will go anywhere but here.
Super disappointing :(

Carmelita is definitely worthy of my 300^th review, and here it goes! I have been on the veggie train for a couple months now. I’ve eaten at a lot of nice places in Seattle, but non specifically touted for being exclusively veggie. Dine around Seattle was the perfect opportunity to give Carmelita a taste, so fellow Unilocaler, Chelsea J. and I made a girls date night to check it out.
Carmelita is located on Phinney Ridge, and while some may be tempted to bypass it and head straight to Red Mill, it’s definitely worth the pause. Parking isn’t ideal, but I was able to get some street parking a few residential streets over. The good thing about this, is I passed Bluebird Ice Cream on the way to Carmelita, which made for a post dinner stop (Bluebird review to follow).
On to Carmelita… Like I said, we went for the 3 for 30, so this was not a normal visit. We got here before 7, which gave $ 2 off their cocktails. Unfortunately we had service that had a lot to be desired and was only able to order one cocktail as we were left alone for at least 15 minutes before our first drink was ordered.
I was elated to see Vegan options for all three courses. I was sold. I started out with a Wheat berry salad with Thumbelina carrots. The salad was beautiful, but unfortunately it was under cooked. The wheat berries were so chewy they were tiresome to eat. The fat little heirloom carrots were still crunchy. The flavors of the salad were 100% spot on. Slight curry seasoning gave it depth with the perfect amount of acidity and seasoning. Had the other components been cooked longer, it would have been perfect. Chelsea had a butternut bisque and it was delicious.
We both opted for the house made pappardelle pasta with mild mushrooms, rapini, madeira duxelle, and crispy mushrooms. It had so much flavor! It was simple, yet perfectly balanced in texture and flavor. We both extremely enjoyed this, and did not miss one bit of dairy, as it was Vegan.
For dessert I had a Cinnamon and Sugar type mini cake with Pecans and a chocolate sorbetto with almonds and Huckleberries. Oh my yum! It was also a delicious home run. THe cake was tender and warm. The chocolate sorbetto was so delicious as well, and the slight tartness of the huckleberries married the two perfectly.
I really want to go back to try some more things, and would highly recommend a visit during the Dine around Seattle months-​November and March. The atmosphere is warm and the food is obviously prepared with care, making Carmelita a home run, that anyone would enjoy.

Carmelita has lost its edge. I say this as someone who previously loved the restaurant and went there for many special occasions. I’d been there for birthdays and for a lovely memorable Thanksgiving. This last visit (Dec 2012) was sorely disappointing and I felt I had to let restaurant-​goers know.
It wasn’t just one thing, it was a lot of things. I was there for my birthday December 9, and I was shocked by the level of service and food quality and availability. The portions had never been huge, but reasonable. Now they were markedly smaller than they’d been at any previous visit. I realize it’s nouvelle cuisine, but get real. For $ 18 an entrée I want more than three bites. The $ 16 cheese appetizer had about a bite of each of 3 kinds of cheese, and literally five homemade crackers the size of a quarter. FIVE. For $ 16 I could get a couple of whole artisan cheeses at Whole Foods and a couple boxes of crackers. I realize it’s a dinner out and you can always buy more at the store, but this was drastic.
Three of us were sharing the appetizer, so we asked for just a few more crackers. Like just four or five more, we said. The server brought five more — and, on the bill, charged us TWO DOLLARS. Stupid move on their part. By scrimping two dollars on their precious stingy buckwheat crackers, they lost $ 150 on the next dinner which we most certainly will not be back for. Even knowing it was my birthday they could not begrudge an extra few crackers, let alone the dessert or glass of wine I usually have been offered on previous birthdays.
The server had a supercilious, snooty attitude like she thought we were philistines for what we wanted. My friend asked if there were any bean sides (as none of the entrees had any protein – this has always been a problem at Carmelita; surely there are ways to make tofu tempeh and beans palatably gourmet) and the server looked at her as if she’d asked for a cheeseburger. Honestly pretty much anything we asked for was like that. We got a tablespoon of bean dip with our appetizer and got charged for that too. They didn’t have any organic wines by the glass, and when dessert time came, the server informed us that they were OUT of chocolate cake (the only thing I’d have wanted for my birthday).
The bill came to $ 150 with tip (that’s a 20% tip for the attitude queen) – this was for TOTAL 3 drinks, 3 entrees, 1 appetizer and 2 teas. I will say the food was uniformly delicious as always, and we managed to have a lovely time in the warm cozy décor despite these downsides – but overall this bill was outrageous considering the experience and I’ll be looking for a new special-​occasion veg-​friendly spot in Seattle. Or, next time I’ll have a $ 40 dinner out and donate $ 100 to an environmental cause.
Wake up Carmelita and get off your arrogance. You’re resting on your laurels and it isn’t working.

I am not a big veggie lover but when Heidi P. suggested coming to Carmelita for Dine Around Seattle 3 courses for $ 30 I was all ears. I had wondered about Carmelita for awhile and thought it looked really cute. It’s good to expand your horizons sometimes!
I got there early and had the Mr. Carmelita cocktail. This was a bitters-​heavy take on an Old Fashioned. The cocktails are $ 2 off from 5−7pm making the drink $ 7 which was very reasonable for how boozy it was (normally $ 9). I have to say it wasn’t my favorite drink but it did the trick and it was obvious the drink was well made.
The bartender was also a server. However, service was pretty absent. After being seated and having our orders taken we weren’t checked on at all after that. The bartender did come by and ask me how I liked my drink while I was waiting which I appreciated but once we got our food no one came back to check on us. The servers paid a lot of attention to a bigger party and to some regulars that came in. I found this strange. Also, the $ 2 off drink special wasn’t explained to us but I heard the server remind the table next to us of the drink special. I saw the special after the fact on the menu.
The restaurant was chilly! People had coats on inside and I was cold the whole time.
Now on to the food:
I had the bisque, the mushroom pappardelle, and the butterscotch parfait. The bisque was tasty, the pappapdelle was delicious, and the parfait was amazing! Very good dessert.
Heidi’s carrot appetizer had good flavor but we both agreed the carrots were not cooked enough as they were still hard. I had some of her almond cake dessert and it was very tasty.
Their entrees hover around $ 17−18/plate. This is reasonable for a regular restaurant but I think vegetarian should be a bit cheaper.
Overall, I honestly prefer a dish with a bit of meat in it. I am just a meat lover. However, for a vegetarian place I was pretty impressed and I enjoyed my food. Service could use some work and they need to turn up the heat. I would return if someone suggested it but I’m not sure it would be first choice for this meat lover!

I’ve really wanted to try Carmelita for awhile. I’m more apt to go to lunch somewhere that is a little more pricey or out to dinner on weekends to places more family friendly (read: low cost). However, Carmelita is only open after 5pm and runs around $ 20/​entrée (give or take, depending on what you get.)
Carmelita participated in Dine Around Seattle this month, and for my birthday (early) my husband and I made reservations and went on the last day of Dine Around Seattle. It’s a nice little place. It isn’t particularly fancy — probably about the same as Toulouse Petit. However, the music was odd, given the décor. It was Rastafarian sounding. It was also kind of loud. I would expect it to be quieter, especially since it was about half full.
I had made reservations (and mentioned my birthday). We arrived a few minutes early and were seated immediately at a table for 2. We ordered off the Dine Around Seattle menu.
Appetizers: Roasted Acorn Squash and Apple Bisque, Bourbon Maple Crème, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Thumblina Carrots, Farrotto, Coriander Vinaigrette (V)
Entrée: Potato and Roasted Garlic Gratin, Poached Farm Egg, Sage Beurre Blanc, Melted Leeks, Romanesco
Housemade Pappardelle, Wild Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts, Madeira-​Mushroom Duxelles, Crispy Enokis (V)
Dessert: Vanilla-​Almond Cake, Marinated Red Grapes, Valrhona Dark Chocolate Ice Cream (V)
Seasonal Fruit, Butterscotch, Salted Caramel, Raspberry Crème Fraiche
The appetizers were okay. Only half the bisque was consumed. It needed a little more something to go with it. The salad was interesting. It is certainly nothing I would ever make at home. The omnivore wasn’t too enthused with his entrée. It was a little lacking to him and it certainly didn’t sell him on the wonderfulness of vegetarian food and did nothing to «convert» him. (his word) My pasta was pretty good. Again, it wasn’t something I would make at home, so was really nice to have out. But I agree that it wasn’t super stellar let’s-eat-here-again food. This isn’t the food that reassured me that I could be vegan and still eat yummy food.
However, the desserts were stellar. Both of us could have had multiple of our desserts and been really happy. In addition, as a precursor because it was my birthday, the chef sent out huckleberry sorbet on complements. What a lovely touch! I also had a French 75, which was a lemony cocktail that was very yummy and very strong. If you go during Happy Hour, the cost of the food may be more reasonable. The drinks certainly were a good price during Happy Hour.
This was a really nice evening out at a very nice restaurant.

I am not vegetarian, but that is irrelevant and I am hooked. They have super tasty handmade cocktails (and happy hour seven days a week so you can get a couple dollars off your drink) and super fresh, bold, warm your heart, flavorful food. If that wasn’t enough, a lot of thier dishes can be transformed into vegan delicacies if need be (and there is an assortment of gluten free options as well)!
I would recommend the peach smash if you are looking for a fruity, but not too sweet adult beverages. BUT the sangria blanco was also pretty good as well. For an entrée, I got the mezze platter with a healthy array of baba ganoush, tzatziki, falafel, olive tapenade, homemade pita and more. Everything was so great. If you are looking for something more heavy, the potato gnocchi will certainly not disappoint.
The décor is lots of rich earthtones with darker wood and leaf shaped accents. A great destination for one of those more relaxed Saturday night dinners with great company!

Went for happy hour this weekend and I was very impressed. We only ate off the happy hour menu, so I do not know what the full menu is like. It’s probably great if the happy hour menu is any indication.
We got the sunchoke chips and the nettle-​pesto pizza for food; and a gin&ginger and G&T for drinks. Everything was fantastic. The sunchoke chips were so light and crispy, yet really rich and melt-​in-​your-​mouth (must be the truffle oil!) — definitely try these! The nettle-​pesto pizza I was skeptical about since it sounded interesting but possibly weird (in a bad way), but I was wrong — it was so flavorful, I really didn’t want to share! The gin&ginger comes with little bits of lavender on top and it was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Perfect for the sunny weather we’ve been having.
Bottom line: A great fancy restaurant for vegetarian/​vegans (and their non-​veggie friends). Perfect date place. It is a bit pricey, but the quality of food plus the creativity of the dishes make it totally worth the price. They have a good happy hour deal though, if you’re price conscious. Great drinks — lots of new twists on old classics.
Protip: If you get there early (like right when happy hour starts at 5pm) it’s not crowded at all, but everyone else seemed to have a reservation. So, probably make a reservation in advance if you’re not going for the happy hour special.

After an amazing afternoon at the Seattle Art Museum with Gauguin, I’d worked up a ravenous appetite. I was hungry and I wanted something substantial to eat while remaining comfortably with in the confines of my dietary restrictions.
Carmelita stepped up to the plate on this one. Vegetarian and gluten free friendly foods. GF foods were labeled as such and they were willing to accommodate with any dish. $ 2 off happy hour drinks and everything went down very well. I loved the ambiance and the atmosphere was conducive to an enjoyable meal with great friends. The only drawback to this experience is that when the place crowds up it can be very noisy, forcing you to make an effort just to be heard by your table mates.
I had the vegetarian Mezze as my main meal. Because this dish came with Pita bread, which doesn’t go well with the GF diet, they subbed it out with zucchini and carrot sticks at no extra charge. It was a wonderful dish with Fava bean falafel, tahini sauce, tzatiki, romesco, marinated olives, house-​pickled fruits & vegetables, Spanish Mahón — cow’s milk cheese, housemade pita. The falafel was GF and it was a bit chewy but very flavorful. Black olives and red pepper rounded out the dish very nicely. When they brought it all to me my first thought was, this isn’t going to be enough food but honestly, I could barely finish it and even had to take some home. It would have been a nice addition to breakfast the next morning had I not forgotten it.
Carmelita is a little spendy coming in at $ 100 for 2 couples with only one drink but it was well worth it. Put this one in your bookmarks list and enjoy.

I finally tried Carmelita and it’s now for sure in my top 5 Seattle restaurants! We came here for Restaurant Week and were not disappointed!
I ordered the Lobster Mushroom Corn Bisque to start and it was so tasty I was scraping the bottom of the bowl to get every last bit in my mouth. I wouldnt call it a rich flavor, but definitely a savory good one!
My main course was the Trio of Roasted Squash Risotto– Oh my god. My dining partner was so jealous– it was perfectly creamy, but still with substance. The flavor throughout was delicious and varied enough that I didnt get bored. Great rosemary olive oil drizzled around the edge. YUM!
For dessert I had the Valrhona chocolate cake, which was disappointing to me (still totally worth eating though). The compote was nice, but the cake tasted a little bit like it had been sitting out in the fridge too long.
I also want to add a note about the Tahitian iced tea since I always like to know what I’m getting in to before I order flavored iced teas. It’s very pleasing, not the best fruity iced tea I’ve had, but not over sweet or over flavored.
LOVE this restaurant overall. The lighting is romantic, but not so dim you cant see. The art is ok, some of the paintings are of the owners… grandmother I think? So that’s cute. Small, but classy bar area. I’ll be back!

I’ve read some good reviews and I’ve read some not so good reviews about Carmelita.
This one is a good review.
This is the kind of place that surprises meat eaters.
SURPRISE! IT’S VEGETARIAN! OR VEGAN! AND IT KICKS ASS!
I’ve heard about Carmelita for years and finally, FINALLY, we got it together to go for their new year’s eve dinner.
First things first: the bartender, Erin, was super duper sweet & made a most excellent drink (Rosemary’s Pear) for me. YAY FOR COCKTAILS!
It was a prix fixe four course meal — started off w/​a fantastic vegetarian french onion soup. Ridic.
Followed by some pickled veggies. Then a salad that consisted of arugula, pears, brie, and mini crostinis. Ok, I’ll take that too!
Entrée — vegetarian version was spatzle w/​trumpet mushrooms and a reduced cab sauce. Vegan version was this crazy gnocci, kale, and onion dish which was fabulous. Yes we ordered off of the two different menus. So yes, I got to try each version.
Dessert: little cream puffs w/​pumpkin ice cream, caramel, and pecans.
Everything we had was fantastic. I have zero complaints about the food, as well as the cocktails we had.
We will definitely come back! It’s too good not to!

Have you ever lost it at a table? I don’t mean lose it in a bad way. I mean lose it in a super, orgasmic, and illuminating star-​like way. Those are my favorite types of meals, and Carmelita provided.
My sister and I were touring Seattle for the day, and my brother (aka Meatasaurus… I love him though, he’s my boy!) wasn’t around — so we ventured more adventurous and went for some vegetarian.
I had recommended this place to one of my good salsa-​dancing buddies when she was in Seattle recently, and she totally raved about it. She mentioned that the cook is Cuban (Carlos Caula) and that she found her new husband! My interest was definitely peaked.
It was 4:55 (they open at 5), and we were in the Greenwood neighborhood. We were lucky to be the first people of the night (I hear it’s a good idea to put in reservations here).
: First Off, I Loved The Menu. :
I didn’t think I would. With this being a vegetarian restaurant, I was a little wary about how adventurous and daring they could be, but wow, they had some succulent sounding suppers to choose from. I also liked how they posted a list of all the ingredients that were in season. I didn’t know so many yummy and interesting foods were out there for the picking – especially in the winter!
: Ok, On To Drinks, Shall We? :
They had a list of Specialty & Vintage cocktails (and they were $ 2 off since their happy hour is from 5−7pm). I like reading creative cocktail lists. I like the names, and then information on how they are prepared. What sparked my eye was the margarita, the Habanero Margarita. It wouldn’t sound tasty, but there’s something about tequila, limes, salt, AND habanero chili. I’ve been on a spiciness kick. When my margarita was brought out it was presented like a champion. Then one sip and BANG, I was smitten. Two were ordered this eve by moi.
I love how the bartender hand makes alot of their ingredients. I watched the bartender as she squeezed lemons for the night. They also make their own tonic (GANGSTA!) from scratch (from their website: «We make our tonic in house using an assemblage of cinchona bark, dried flowers, lemongrass, star anise and citrus.») I’ve recently learned how to make homemade simple syrup and sweet & sour, so I asked about the Habanero Margarita, and they also made a Habanero Syrup by hand as well. MMMMMMM.
: Let’s Not Forget The Stars :
The night we were here, a Special was the Curried Butternut Squash Soup. I’m such a fan of curry & butternut squash. It had to be ordered. It had to be consumed. And it totally set the stage for the night. It was a good soup, and served as a beacon foretelling us the rest of her buddies to be introduced.
Gnochhi, gnochhi, gnocchi. I think we’ll be partners in life. You’ve traveled the world with me, and you don’t disappoint. So, when I saw you as Purple Potato Gnochhi you bucked me off the bull in under 7 Seconds. Everything about this dish was sexy. It was laid down before me like a poem. The little gnochhi dumplings were almost too cute to eat: but we gobbled them without hesitation (eyes just had to be closed when doing so). The accompanying greens were perfect splashes of flashes of flavor. The parmesan broth? Ummm… yeah, this must be the nectar which brainwashed me and personally had a conversation with about converting to vegetarianism.
For my sister Mushroom & Potato Pizza (and it might be a little evil, but there are also slices of truffle in this flatbread, too). Y’know, this is one time when I’m HAPPY someone else is on a diet. Why? Well, because I was able to kidnap several slices of pizza from her plate. With every bite I literally closed my eyes and looked skyward. The mushrooms were potent mouth explosions of flavor (they were locally foraged, and I’m personally thankful for the hands which had to dig through the soggy soil of our beloved Pacific Northwest for these jewels). I’ve not had truffle much in my life, but if they were tagalongs on this adventure, they surely are stars in my mind.
Did I mention that I like it when suppermates are on diets???
So, yes. It’s been a days since we’ve been here. I’ve daydreamed about this meal countless times. I’ve also talked about this place with my salsa friend. I’ve demanded that she invite me to the wedding.
Vegetarian cuisine, INDEED!