This and that

Flying Pie Pizza in the Briarwood area of Renton has lost their lease and is out of business. Their Issaquah location remains open. It was pretty good pizza and a pleasant place. And I never got a chance to take them up on their " challenge" of eating an entire extra large multi topping pizza within sixty minutes. No one ever succeeded, despite the promise of free food. I would've done it, I really would. I have those talents.

Lakeside Bistro on Rainier Avenue just across from the Renton airport has a new menu and a new happy hour menu. I just love the place. Mostly because they're quirky and happily embrace that. Too many restaurants are trying to be like other successful restaurants, and what ends up happening is that restaurants look alike and serve the same food as each other. Not Lakeside Bistro. They don't care what's trendy, they serve what's good. Marilyn Monroe on the wall. Old jazz on the stereo. And what a crazy, delightful mix! Sure, they're Vietnamese and serve Pho and lemon grass Chicken and wok seared noodles. But the happy hour menu also has chicken hoagies and fries, burgers and fries, and Kansas City style BBQ ribs.
And the " Moonlight Skewers" seriously rock! There's no place quite like Lakeside Bistro.

Angelo's on NE 4th in Renton Highlands continues to dispense far better than average pizza, pasta, and salads. The place gets crowded, but they run the place so efficiently. It's really a pleasure to go into a place where the owners and staff really know what they're doing.

And yet one more reason why Renton is cool:

Renton is blessed with some pretty good Mexican restaurants, ranging from stalwarts like La Hacienda to the taco trucks behind McLendons and behind the AMPM on Rainier, to chains like Torero's. We also had a branch of Taqueria Guaymas until fairly recently. But don't cry for me, Tacos Guaymas! In it's former location, at 530 Rainer Ave S. ( same complex as Baskin Robbins, Radio Shack, etc) is Habanero's Taqueria and Grill, and boy howdy! is it good!
First of all, how can you not like a place that features tongue ( lengua) as an entree? Even if you don't like or won't eat tongue, you gotta admit it's a good sign, right?
They've got all the usuals: Tacos, burritos, carne asada, nachos, and fajitas, but they kick it up a notch, and not just in spiciness.
Seafood fajitas are supposed to have shrimp, scallops, clams, and muscles ( that's what the menu says), but in reality, it also has octopus.
Dude! Octopus fajitas! What are you waiting for?
They've got a Facebook page, especially good if you understand Spanish. I understand enough to understand that they now serve beer, a good accompaniment to those chips with salsa ( on the hot side) and perfect guacamole.
Habanero's
530 Rainer Ave S.
Renton 98057
425-235-2152