Tag Archives: restaurants

Life on the Hill

Top of the Hill survey results, part 2: food and fun

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The next batch of results in the Beacon Hill Blog Top of the Hill reader survey are about food and fun on the hill. We’ll be bringing the rest of the survey results to you periodically over the next few days. Previous results are here.

(Editor’s note added 9/21, 2:56 pm: As with the earlier results, some of these results don’t add up to 100% because people gave multiple answers.)

What is the best restaurant on Beacon Hill?

What is the best restaurant on Beacon Hill? We knew El Quetzal was well-liked but didn’t expect it to be as much as an overwhelming favorite as it was. Apparently lots of us are fans of their tortas and huaraches: 40% of respondents selected the tiny Mexican restaurant on Beacon Avenue as the best restaurant on the Hill. Its closest competition was the Java Love/Baja Bistro combo, with 21%. A few other restaurants were mentioned multiple times, including Kusina Filipina (5%), La Cabaña (4%), Thai Recipe (3%, and just barely qualifying as Beacon Hill, since it’s almost at the bottom of McClellan — but we’ll take what we can get), and Inay’s (2%).

3% of you don’t feel any Beacon Hill restaurants are up to snuff, so you go to Georgetown or Columbia City. Then there was the guy who said the best restaurant is “Chevron.” (Hey, the seasoned catfish there is actually really good.)

(Editor’s note: Commenter cliff rancho points out that it’s actually the Shell station that has the tasty catfish. We don’t know if any nearby Chevron actually has edible food or not.)

The award for most misspelled restaurant on Beacon Hill goes to Kusina Filipina. Survey respondents spelled it: “Kuisina Filipina,” “Cusina Fillipina,” “Cucina Philippina,” “Kusina Flilipina,” and “the Filopina kitchen next door that I can not spell.” Only one person spelled it right.

What is the best evening hangout on Beacon Hill?

What is the best evening hangout on Beacon Hill? All right, we admit that this is one of the questions we asked hoping that our readers would tell us about some potential places to go in the evenings that we don’t already know about. Unfortunately, the pickings are still a little slim up here.
Continue reading Top of the Hill survey results, part 2: food and fun →

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Kusina Filipina, coffee with Sabzi, and 75 pounds of tomatoes

A colorful sign marks the front entrance of Kusina Filipina. Photo by Wendi.
A colorful sign marks the front entrance of Kusina Filipina. Photo by Wendi.
After yesterday’s plum tree story, we have more food-related stories for you to check out!

The Om Nom Nom Nom foodie blog reviews Beacon Avenue establishment Kusina Filipina: “The food is really good. I think it comes pretty close to authentic Filipino food.” Despite the good rating for the food, and an overall positive review, they give it 2.5 doughnuts on a 5-doughnut rating scale. Tough critics!

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Laura at the Beacon Hill Bungalow blog just canned 75 pounds of tomatoes. We salute her ability to slave over a hot stove in August. It will all be worth it this winter.

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OK, it’s not actually about food, but the University of San Diego Student Radio blog features “Coffee and Conversation with Sabzi of the Blue Scholars,” from our very own Victrola Espresso on Beacon Avenue. In the interview, Sabzi discusses the Northwest’s musical identity, the role of record labels in a changing music industry, the current and future state of music, and more. If you haven’t yet gotten around to hearing Blue Scholars, there are links at the bottom of the interview to a couple of songs you can stream.

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Dig dirt and clean up your act

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That large thing in the upper right corner is the tunnel boring machine that was used to dig the Beacon Hill Tunnel. And now, it can be yours! Photo by Eric Hodel.
That large thing in the upper right corner is the tunnel boring machine that was used to dig the Beacon Hill Tunnel. And now, it can be yours! Photo by Eric Hodel.
Remember that huge tunnel boring machine that was used to dig out the Beacon Hill light rail tunnel? Want it for your own nefarious projects? Seattle Transit Blog reports that you can have it, for a mere $300,000 (or best offer).

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Local duo Blue Scholars are releasing their new EP, OOF!, tomorrow. They’ll be celebrating the release by making surprise appearances or perhaps even playing secret shows all over town. The only way to know where the action will be is to follow them on Twitter: @bluescholars for the news. If you can’t make it to the secret shows, they’ll be at the release party at ‘Ohana in Belltown tomorrow night. (Hat tip to Reverb for the news.)

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The Health Department restaurant inspectors have recently paid a visit to North Beacon Hill. Results of the inspections, as usual, are posted online. The Chinatown Café (in the Red Apple) has a perfect score of 0 this time. Two other businesses did not fare so well; the Golden Daisy on Beacon Avenue had 13 points in “blue” violations, and Amazon.com’s cafeteria had 20 points in “red critical” violations. Some perspective: these violation levels are nowhere near close to closure-levels. 45 or more red points force a re-inspection within two weeks, 90 or more red points force closure of the establishment, and 120 or more total (red and blue) points force closure of the establishment as well. Still, we’d rather see our local businesses getting 0 points than even a few blue points. Congratulations to Chinatown Café this time around for getting a good, healthy zero!

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: sidewalks, hot dogs, and cool adult beverages

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Street food finally comes to Beacon Hill with a new hot dog cart outside Beacon Pub. Photo of NYC hot dog cart by high limitzz.
Street food finally comes to Beacon Hill with a new hot dog cart outside Beacon Pub. Photo of NYC hot dog cart by high limitzz.
Willie Weir talks sidewalks in a new posting at his Yellow Tent Adventures blog. Specifically, about inverting the relationship where sidewalks yield to the street, and instead the street must rise up to sidewalk level –elevating the pedestrian, physically and metaphorically, to primary status, to match their position under the law for right-of-way. This sort of idea is being discussed and planned for the block of Lander just north of the light rail station. (By the way, there’s a great overview of various traffic calming practices hosted by the Project for Public Spaces. And Willie has posted several responses received from his challenge to our political leaders and candidates to “give it up” and go carless.)

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Michal spotted a new feature in the neighborhood: a hot dog cart!

Last night when I went to the Beacon Pub, I noticed there’s a new late night weekend dining option in Beacon Hill, right outside the Beacon Pub. Serves tacos, hot dogs, and burgers, they said they planned to be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and weekend mornings to serve breakfast items. There were a surprisingly large number of customers coming from seemingly nowhere, and not just from the pub.

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An afternoon round of chasing a little white ball around and hitting it with sticks is commonly accompanied by the consumption of a cool adult beverage. It is illegal to drink such beverages in Seattle public parks, unless there is a permit. So, is it legal to drink in a municipal golf course, such as Jefferson Park? Yes, as long as you buy the alcohol on site — Seattle 911

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits, Necessities of Life edition: Food, clothing, and cool, cool desserts

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Halo-halo. Photo by Bing Ramos.
Halo-halo. Photo by Bing Ramos.
Jesse Vernon at Slog writes about halo-halo, a cool and sweet Filipino dessert that’s especially tasty on warm days like today. Beacon Hill may not have a trendy ice cream shop (yet), but we do have halo-halo, at Inay’s and at Kusina Filipina!

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The Marination Hawaiian/Korean taco truck (yes, seriously) has begun a regular Thursday lunch residency at Dr. Jose Rizal Park, from 11am – 2pm. (Next week’s lunch is only until 1:30, though.)

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In the hubbub over Link’s opening day on July 18, we missed one other local opening: big-box discount retail has come to Southeast Seattle in the form of a Ross store on Rainier Avenue South, in the former Longs Drugs next to Safeway, 3820 Rainier Avenue South. MyraMyra at the Rainier Valley Post wrote about her visit and suggested some tips for a good Ross shopping experience (hint: it’s no Nordstrom). Ross sells discounted clothing, shoes, and various household goods.

Food and Drink

Light Rail restaurant review: Baja Bistro

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Happiness is this tasty margarita, just consumed at Baja Bistro. Photo by melissajonas.
Happiness is this tasty margarita, just consumed at Baja Bistro. Photo by melissajonas.
Baja Bistro and Java Love are actually conjoined twins: a bar on one side and a coffee shop on the other, sharing a kitchen. There are a few tables and chairs outside and small seating areas in both restaurants.

Baja Bistro has a full liquor license. They sell a limited number of bottled beers and probably have some wine–but the reason we go here is for the margaritas. Whether you go for traditional lime or upgrade to a house pomegranate-lime blend, you will not be disappointed. Drinks are served in pint glasses and balance great taste with moderate alcohol–and they’re within walking distance of my house!

I also rave about the tacos patatas–potato tacos. Trust me, they are incredible! Crispy, filling, but not greasy or heavy. Perfect with a margarita or other summer beverage. Also be sure to try the fish tacos, the mole enchiladas, and the incredible tortas (bolo sandwich with rich avocado and mayo spread). The homemade chips and salsa are also a treat, or you can upgrade to nachos.

Service at Baja Bistro is sincerely friendly. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Everyone on staff seems to enjoy being there and it’s clear they expect you to linger for a while. Service is quick, but the atmosphere encourages hanging out and enjoying a conversation (or a book). Baja Bistro is also kid friendly, at least on the Java Love side. The owner lives on Beacon Hill and received an award from The Stranger for being one of “Seattle’s Sexiest Baristas”. Someone should really nominate his younger brother for the award next year…

Regular prices are reasonable (meals for two are generally around $20-$25, more if you order drinks) and Happy Hour prices are very happy: $3 tacos and $5 margaritas.

Thanks to Link Light Rail, people who aren’t fortunate enough to walk to Baja Bistro will be able to take the train. Baja Bistro is two blocks north of the Beacon Hill light rail station. Come on up and enjoy some good food, great drinks, and outstanding company!

They close at 5:00 pm on Mondays, and stay open until 9:00 pm Tuesday-Friday. Enjoy breakfast and other items from 9:00 am-3:00 pm on weekends.

Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
2414 Beacon Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 323-0953

Food and Drink, Local Business

Light Rail restaurant reviews: La Cabaña

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La Cabaña recently repainted their cheery sign. Photo by Wendi
La Cabaña recently repainted their cheery sign. Photo by Wendi
La Cabaña is Tex-Mex style cooking: lots of gooey cheddar cheese & smothered stuff. It’s not health food, but it is delicious!

Family-run and super friendly, this is where we take visitors when we want to spread out and enjoy a lot of good food without spending very much money. Portions are LARGE–you’ll have enough for lunch the next day. Dinner for 3 usually totals about $35, including drinks.

Try the mole enchiladas, the tostados, and the tamales. Rice and beans are basic and good. Two kinds of salsa and all you can eat chips (with ongoing refills) come with every meal. My niece loves the horchata (sweet rice drink) and my sweetie loves the Negro Modelo beer. I stick with water or occasionally a wine sangria. No hard alcohol here.

It’s almost always empty, but they’ve been around forever. The booths are roomy and the staff are always happy to see groups with kids. Decor is kitschy, in an adorable way.

I love La Cabaña. If you live on the Hill, walk on down. If you’re visiting on the train, it’s just a couple of blocks from the Beacon Hill Light Rail Station.

La Cabaña
2532 Beacon Ave S
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 322-9643

Food and Drink

Light Rail restaurant review: Thai Palms

Every so often, we drive along MLK to observe light rail construction progress. It’s been really fun lately to see trains running. We went out to Kubota Gardens a few weeks ago and stopped off at Thai Palms on the way home.

Thai Palms is located on a busy stretch of MLK, near the Othello light rail station and not far from Holly Park Greenhouse & Nursery.

The restaurant is clean and comfortable, decorated with wicker and bright flowers. Our server met us immediately at the door and was attentive and polite. He brought two delicious iced coffees immediately. My dining companion was disappointed to hear there was no beer–Thai Palms doesn’t have a liquor license yet.

We were impressed by the extensive menu–at least four pages listing everything from Thai standards (phad Thai, Lard Na, Tom Yum) to items I didn’t recognize and can’t remember how to spell. If you have a favorite Thai dish, they probably make it here.

We started with fried egg rolls. They were fine–nothing special, but hot and brought out quickly. Next time, I’ll definitely go for the fresh rolls and/or the salt & pepper tofu as a starter.

I ordered a Massaman curry and jasmine rice. The curry was rich with coconut milk and spiced just right. 3/5 stars was perfect here–warm enough to make my nose tingle, but not so hot I cried. Shane enjoyed his Phad Thai, which contained traces of tamarind and shrimp paste and lacked the ketchup-induced sweetness and pink hue so often found in that dish.

Service lagged between our egg rolls & the main dishes. I couldn’t tell if it was simply because the main dishes were being fresh made, or because there was a shift change. We would have appreciated drink refills and some idea of when our food was coming out.

Overall, I recommend Thai Palms. It was tasty, inexpensive (less than $30 for two entrees, coffee, and an appetizer), and nearby. Once the trains start carrying passengers, we’ll venture down again.

Neighborhood: Rainier Valley
6715 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
(between Holly St & Willow St)
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 721-7777
thai-palms.com

Beacon Bits

Beacon Bits: Garter snakes, restaurant inspections, and a Night Out against Crime

Snakes like this one are enjoying the view from Jose Rizal Park these days. Photo by Garrett and Kitty Wilkin.
Snakes like this one are enjoying the view from Jose Rizal Park these days. Photo by Garrett and Kitty Wilkin.
  • The new garter snake herpetarium at Jose Rizal Park was featured in the Seattle Times on Sunday. In the comments for the post, cheezybreezy joked, “Odds are good I will find a couple of ex-boyfriends residing here.”
  • The other day we saw the results of three local restaurant/food service inspections from June 30, and noticed that every single one had zero violations: El Centro de la Raza, the Beacon Avenue Shell Food Mart (this was a big improvement over last time), and… Culinary Communion? I thought they were gone.
  • Tuesday, August 4, is the annual Night Out against Crime. Local groups typically schedule block parties for that evening, and everyone gets out to meet the neighbors. Want to set up a block party? Find out more and register here.
Food and Drink, Local Business

Weekday lunch counter opening at Culinary Communion

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Culinary Communion front steps. Photo by Wendi.
Culinary Communion front steps. Photo by Wendi.
Adrienne at Culinary Communion writes:

Culinary Communion is going to begin operating a weekday lunch counter. While the official grand opening isn’t until April 1, we will have a “soft opening” during the month of March and will be open for business on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (with a few exceptions – please check our website at www.culinarycommunion.com) from 11am-2pm. We will offer a variety of sandwiches – using the Swinery meat (when available) and homemade bread –- plus, a salad, soup, and hot entrée of the day. Menu items will be priced between $6 and $9. Lunch is available to eat-in or take out. No reservations necessary. Questions can be directed to info@culinarycommunion.com or 206.284.8687. Look for more information about the grand opening soon!

Culinary Communion is located at 2524 Beacon Avenue South in North Beacon Hill.