A Displaced Hipster's Guide to Renton, Wa

Paul Bocuse to merge with Rubbatino's

2011-04-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2011
Superchef Paul Bocuse, the 85 year old chef from Lyon, France, and one of the world's most famous chefs, has announced that he will be opening his first restaurant in the United States. The location will be in Renton, Washington. Rather than having an entirely new restaurant, Bocuse said that he will be adding to the menu with some innovative touches to the existing Rubbatino's restaurant, the world class dining establishment on Renton's South Third Street.
Bocuse said " We do not wish to detract in any way from Rubbatino's elegant, exceptional cuisine. We will simply be adding some authentic French touches to the menu, such as French fries, and French toast. We see Renton as a new culinary mecca, and are thrilled to be given the opportunity to be here."

The New "Q" Review

2011-02-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sam's Pitt II has opened at the corner of NE 4th St and Olympia Ave NE in Renton. It's a takeout only, hole in the wall BBQ joint a few blocks east of Renton Technical College, and directly across from Vince's Coffee.
They'd just had a health department inspection shortly before I arrived, so that had delayed some things from being ready, so the Mac and Cheese wasn't out yet, and the ribs could've used just a little longer in the smoker. But the brisket was absolutely awesome, the chicken was superb, and the collard greens were perfect. Lemon cake is made in house. Up until about a year ago, another BBQ joint existed a couple of blocks east and across the street, Bill's Bodacious. Bill's is gone, along with their odd, almost Asian, sweet BBQ sauce, but Sam's Pitt II fills the bill admirably. They're open 10-9 daily except Monday.

Santa Fe Mexican Grill is open at 1170 Sunset Boulevard NE in Renton, in the former Herfy's location. It's Guadalajara style Mexican food, and it's solid, competent food. Service is friendly, and the guacamole is one of a kind ( and fabulous). The menu is more similar to La Hacienda and Torero's than it is to Habanero's on Rainier. Good, solid, but not exotic. Everything on the menu will seem familiar. Which is fine for most people, but not if you're looking for a brain taco.

And the Lakeside Bistro, 11425 Rainier Ave S, Seattle 98178 ( just past the Renton city limits, across from the north end of Renton airport) has a vegetarian menu in addition to the regular menu. Not just a few tofu dishes, but fauxs. Faux beef, faux chicken, faux halibut, and faux prawns. I had the wok seared faux prawns, and damn if they didn't resemble and taste like the real thing. Not enough so that I thought they made a mistake in the order, but a very reasonable and tasty facsimile. Where else can you get faux halibut and Kansas City style BBQ ribs? The ribs aren't faux. I'd like to see them try. They'd probably come up with something more riblike than McDonald's McRib sandwich, which evidently does contain actual rib meat, though it tastes more like plastic. Maybe I should have taken the wrapper off.

Rumors and Innuendos

2011-01-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

While none of the following is guaranteed to be accurate, it's based on conversations I've overheard, or stories from people who heard them from other people who heard them from other people, or things I read on the internet, so they must be true.

1. The economy has been brutal to local restaurants. One rumor had a couple of well known local restaurants " on the bubble", either making changes or changing. I couldn't extract specific names, but I figure that Armando's new menu and format didn't come out of nowhere. ( I liked Armando's before the changes they made, but it's much better now.) The Red House is also coming out with a new menu. I'm worried about this one, because the Red House is an awesome, comfortable place, with great food. Politically, I might be more liberal than 99% of the people out there, but when it comes to restaurants, I'm pretty conservative. I like what I like, and I don't like things I really like changing.

2. A brewery/brewpub coming to Renton? That's the rumor. In the former Evergreen City/ McLendon's hardware building on S. 2nd ST. I hope it's true. I like beer.

3. A pizzeria coming to the former Jubilante/ Blossom Bistro space on Burnett?
The rumor has it that one of Renton's best restauranteurs, who formerly dished out some of Renton's finest pizzas, is getting back to his roots and returning to pizza.
I hope it's true. I like pizza.

This and that

2010-11-29T20:05:00.000-08:00

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:

2010-11-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

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

Ever eat anything that's just SO good?

2010-10-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned in the past that I thought that Angelo's at 3809 NE 4th ST was Renton's best pizza.
What I didn't mention is just how good it is. Besides friendly service. reasonable prices, and huge portions, they have one pizza in particular that's just a thing of beauty. It's the Eva's Special. Has red sauce and mozzarella, but also has feta, pesto, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, chicken, and onion. The flavors meld together perfectly. The nice folks at Angelo's are very accommodating, so they'll happily substitute something or omit the chicken, etc.
The other pizzas there are good, and the pastas, mostiaccoli, ravioli, lasagne, etc are also good, as is the Greek salad, but that Eva's Special!! Man! Oh Man! It's one of the Seattle area's great pizzas, great enough to bring tears to one's eyes.
Angelo's
3809 NE 4th St
Renton 425-228-7415

Mom & Pop International Groceries

2010-09-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Mom & Pop International Groceries recently opened at 357 Rainier Avenue N, across from the Renton airport, and just a block or so north of the AM-PM at the corner of Airport Way and Rainier, and it's a fun little store.
It's not a large space, but there's fun stuff to be had there. I ended up buying frozen garlic naan, chocolate, sauerkraut, feta cheese, and French butter, and that's fairly representative of what can be had there. They have Mexican items, Filipino items, Samoan items, Thai, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Polish, African...
Nice looking sausages in the freezer, frozen taro leaves, and really good prices on extra virgin olive oil.
All in all, prices are really low there. They even beat the DK Market on some items, and DK is cheap!
It's a friendly place, and you can even get a half gallon of milk there. Milk might be the only item there not imported.
It's yet one more interesting and fun businesses in our midst.

Stix-N-Stones can't spell, but they sure can cook.

2010-08-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

Stix-N-Stones recently opened in the former Fin N Bone at 317 Main Avenue S. in beautiful downtown Renton.
Fin N Bone had good food but didn't offer a lot of options for folks unwilling to spend the big bucks. Stix-N-Stones is different that way. They do have the upscale options such as Steak Oscar, Halibut, Wild King salmon, prawns scampi, etc.
But they also have lower priced items: Entree salads like Dungeness Crab Louie, Cobb, and Maytag Blue Cheese, and burgers, wraps, and sandwiches. The "Pittsburger" is an especially awesome burger with grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, and provolone.
Monday nights they feature an all you can eat non menu item specials for 10.95.
I took advantage of this last night and had the chicken parmesan, which was great. It had a parmesan crust, pan fried, and topped with mozzarella, and served with an absolutely yummy pasta side with a home made marinara with olives, onions, and peppers.
I exercised great restraint and only had two servings.
They serve breakfast on weekends and in the lounge on Friday and Saturday nights. Haven't tried breakfast there, but prices are low and the menu looks good.
So far, I'm impressed. I'll be back.

I Like Beer

2010-08-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

As Freidrich Nietzsche said, or was it Tom T Hall " I like beer. It makes me a jolly good fellow."

Renton is blessed by an abundance of places to have a good microbrew. Just to name a few, A Terrible Beauty, The Red House, Whistle Stop Ale House, River Rock Grill, and my current fave, The Dog and Pony. The Dog and Pony, at 351 Park Avenue N. has 30 something beers on tap. They also have great food, reasonably priced, and a funny menu ( funny HaHa not funny strange). It's a friendly place. They show movies outside on their patio Saturday nights in the summer, and it's not unusual to see well behaved dogs at their masters feet on the patio, looking just a little pissed that their people are eating pulled pork or a Kobe burger while they've just finished their Kenl Ration kibbles. On busy nights service can be a little slow, but the servers there work hard and are unfailingly pleasant. The menu is pretty diverse. You can get carnitas and you can get Greek salad and you can get Mac and cheese. I've yet to have something there I didn't like.
Every other Wednesday is brewer's night, where a rep from a brewery gives away things like t shirts and beer mugs, swag.

Comings and Goings

2010-07-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Herfy's on Sunset in the Renton Highlands is now gone. It wasn't the original Herfy's but it wasn't too bad. Santa Fe Mexican grill will be opening in their spot.

In downtown Renton, Burger Town has opened to good reviews, and indeed the burgers are awesome. They also have wraps, including a really good balsamic chicken wrap.

Daphne's, Renton's only Greek restaurant, of the fast food variety, is out of business.
Too bad. The food was pretty good, the prices were low, and I'll miss them

In the space that was Fin N' Bones is now Stix N' Stones. I guess they saved money on letters?
Haven't tried them yet, but intend to soon

In the Uwajimaya's Renton Village, I've eaten a few times at the Lemon Grass Vietnamese restaurant, and it's awesome. It's directly behind Applebees. Next door to it is Genki Sushi, which I haven't tried but hear great things about. I'll get there.

Where are your " go to" places?

2010-06-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not talking about the "best" restaurants. I'm talking about the inexpensive, not bad, close and convenient places that you find yourself in fairly regularly.
For me, it's " #1 Pho and Thai" which is located in the " Safeway" shopping center in downtown Renton on the S 2nd St side..
It's not great. But it's pretty good, the service is quick, the prices are low.
Sure, if I had more money to spend on dining out I'd find myself at the Red House and the Lakeside Bistro more frequently, but alas, poor pauper that I am, I get to those places less frequently than I'd like.
So where are your " go to" places, close, cheap, convenient, and pretty good?

And yet more pizza

2010-05-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I could eat pizza on a daily basis. It's truly something I really love, and something I have very little control over when it's in front of me. Which leads me to:
Flying Pie Pizza
12642 164th Ave SE
Renton 425-228-8012

They have a challenge. If you eat their mega combo pizza, the large one, in it's entirety, in under 60 minutes, it's free. It's been attempted numerous times, but nobody has ever succeeded. Could I pull it off? I think I could. I have that rare talent. I once ate an entire 16 inch pizza with multiple toppings in four minutes and thirty seconds, and it would give me and Flying Pie free publicity.
And the pizza there isn't bad at all. You get to choose from four different crusts, ranging from extra thin to extra thick. It's not my favorite pizza in Renton, and the salad bar is downright insipid. But it's clearly much better than average pizza, the place is fun, a nice place to hang out in.
So, should I accept the challenge? Will it kill me?

River Rock Grill and Ale House

2010-04-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

The River Rock Grill and Ale House is the bar and restaurant associated with the Maplewood Golf Course at 4050 Maple Valley Hwy in Renton.
I'm not a golfer. I've never understood the appeal of trying to knock some little ball into a hole with a stick. I'd rather garden than golf, I'd rather bowl than golf. I'd always prefer to eat than golf. Golf represents to me not the cross section of society, but the elite secret cabal who make the rules.
Thus, I stay away from golf courses and have a mistrust of the people who go there.
So I'm loathe to admit that the River Rock Grill is pretty damned good, and a good value for what you get.
They do a great clams and mussels, an extraordinary bronzed salmon, fine burgers, and delicious coconut red curry prawns. Sandwiches include guajillo chicken, which is a lime marinated chicken breast in an adobo sauce, with roasted peppers and cheese, chipotle mayo, served with really yummy sweet potato fries. They offer good deals in the bar at happy hour.
I wish I didn't like this place. Fergawdsake, it's at a golf course.
But it's really good.
River Rock Grill
4050 Maple Valley Hwy,
Renton 425-430-0311

Vitmar European Deli

2010-04-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

I'd driven past this store numerous times, always with the intention that one day I'd stop in. Last week it happened, and I'm happy it did. Vitmar is a Russian store. Renton also has the Russian Euroslice Deli located within the DK Market at 7th and Lind, but Vitmar has a larger selection.
It's a fun store, and they sell stuff you don't ordinarily see. Like home made pickles, and home made pickled green tomatoes, and home made pickled apples ( sorry, I don't have the guts to try that one.)
I bought a container of the pickles, and they were awesome half sours. They also sell all kinds of cakes, chocolate, and cookies. They sell rugelach, the horn shaped filled cookies which are outrageously delicious,the crust made with butter and cream cheese.
They sell sausages, jars of red cabbage, all kinds of cheese, rye bread, and a large selection of kefir.
I'll go back for pickles soon.
Vitmar
4033 NE Sunset blvd
(at N Union Ave)
Renton, WA 98056
(425) 255-4671

Google wants Renton to audition

2010-04-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google, announced Thursday that several cities have been selected to audition to become " wired cities", and that Renton has made the cut.
Schmidt, in a Google video conference call with Mayor Law and the council, announced that the audition process will involve having council members wearing costumes of the Google mascot, the Tyranesorus Rex, and snorting the pledge of allegiance before every meeting.
Asked for his reaction, Mayor Law said " We're grateful for the opportunity to be considered, and have already ordered dinosaur suits."

This and That...

2010-03-24T22:15:00.000-07:00

1. The Seattle Times recently reviewed the Lakeside Bistro on Rainier, giving it 1.5 stars out of 5. I've dined there a number of times, always had great service, and never had a bad meal there. 1.5 stars? Why? Maybe the place isn't "hip" enough, maybe the walls aren't painted black, maybe the portions are too large, maybe the reviewer was depressed that she couldn't review a place in Ballard. The place is insanely good, and a particularly great deal for lunch and happy hour.

2. Armando's also has good happy hour prices from 3-6, and the place is always pleasant to hang out in.

3. The Renton Reporter is sponsoring a " Renton's best 2010 contest", and the categories include real estate agent. Although Freakazoid Freddy is my blogger name, Ira Sacharoff is my real estate agent name. The perennial winner of the contest is a member of the state legislature who has been selling Real Estate since World War One.
If you're so inclined, a few votes my way couldn't hurt: The Best of Renton is near the upper right on the page.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ren/

Taqueria El Asadero

2010-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been intending for the longest time to go to every taqueria in Renton for the great Renton taco-off, something like the Betty Crocker bake-off, but with a little more spice.
So I went to Taqueria El Asadero yesterday with the intent of getting a couple of tacos.
Didn't happen. I saw that they had Pollo Asado on the menu, and that's one of those things that's a great indicator of how a place is overall. There are a lot of places out there that serve overcooked, dried out Pollo Asado. So I had to order that.
Dang! It was exceptional. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, eight dollars including tax. Large quantity of bone in chicken that appeared to be flattened. Nothing against teriyaki, but why would you ever get teriyaki when you could get this?
I'll have to go back for a taco.

Taqueria El Asadero
314 Park Avenue N.
Renton, WA 98057
425-255-3043

Some brutal statistics

2010-02-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

The plan was to go out for happy hour at Blossom Asian Bistro yesterday afternoon. But there were two signs that indicated otherwise. One was that the place was closed for the holidays. Which holidays, Christmas through President's Day?
The other sign was from the Liquor Control Board, stating that the liquor license was suspended for not having adequate lighting to check ID.
Anyway, it doesn't look too promising, but I hope Blossom reopens.
Needless to say, it's a tough industry even in the best of economic times.
Renton Hipster has been around since late 2005. Since then, approximately 63 restaurants have been reviewed. ( Hey, it's hard to count that high.)
Of those 63, 36 still exist.
In the year 2009 alone, 15 restaurants were mentioned. Of those 15, only 10 still exist.
Despite all that, new restaurants reopen, with owners confident that they won't become another statistic, and I hope they're right. I enjoy dining out, and I think that a variety of decent restaurants makes a community a much better place.

A few pizza places

2010-01-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

I've been overdoing it a bit lately on pizza. Within the last couple of weeks I've been to four different Renton pizza places. This review does not include those places I haven't been to very recently, so it does not include some worthy competitors like Flying Pie, or Armandos, or Amante, or the Rock.
But it does include Pizza Man, 1222 Bronson Way 425-430-0066.
Pizza Man only has one or two tables, so I assume most people get the pizza to take out or be delivered. But we ate it in, and I recommend that. It's an above average quality pizza place, run by a friendly Bulgarian guy with a sense of humor. After he revealed he was Bulgarian, and I mentioned that the Amante chain was also Bulgarian owned, he said he thought there was still a few Italians left in the pizza business.
The Gourmet Vegetarian pizza was especially good.

Another worthy pizzeria is Jay Berry's Cafe, at 16341 Renton-Issaquah Rd, 425-271-1817.
Jay Berry's has a much larger menu than just pizza, and includes pasta, burgers, entree salads, and weekend breakfasts. Lunch specials include two large pizza slices with two toppings and a hefty side sald for 7.25. The pizza is a style I'd characterize as Greek American, though I don't think the owner is Greek. It's a nice crunchy crust, slightly thick, with not a lot of sauce, and a ton of melted cheesy goodness. It's not "my style" of pizza, but I appreciate it for what it is, and enjoyed the place a lot. Salad dressings include a great home made honey lemon. Friendly and fun place to hang out in.

I fairly recently reviewed the happy hour at Vinces. They have a Renton location at 2815 Sunset Blvd NE, 425-226-8180. Vince's is a small chain, and the original branch still exists just north of Renton in Seattle's Rainier Beach area. Vince's in Rainier Beach has been around since the 1950's. Vince's continues to bake far better than average pizza. The crust is especially good, as are the prices.

Last but not least, I can't forget about Angelo's, at 3809 NE 4th ST, 425-228-7415.
There are a couple of pizzas I like better in Seattle, but Angelo's is seriously awesome pizza. Just the right mix of puffy, crusty, bready, but fairly thin crust, with an assertive, delicious sauce.They're not afraid of garlic here. This is " my kind" of pizza, but it's also the kind of place where I have absolutely no willpower. It's a good thing I don't live nearby, I'd weigh 500 pounds.
Great, friendly service. Red plastic checkerboard tablecloths, and good Greek salad.

Best Happy Hour Food

2010-01-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

I just came back from Vince's Pizza in Rainer Beach. It's got to have one of the best happy hour food deals in the Seattle area. You have to dine in the lounge to get the happy hour deal, but dang! Huge antipasto for 2.99. Large plates of pasta for 2.99. Microbrew or import beer for 2.50. 8 inch pizza with pepperoni, sausage, or mushroom for 2.99, all available from 4-6 PM weekdays.
Vince's may be Seattle's oldest pizzeria, having started at this location in 1957. It's also much better than average pizza. The same owners own Pulicinella Pizza on Rainier Avenue, their " authentic" Neapolitan pizza joint. I've eaten there. I like it.
But for my money, I prefer the crust at Vince's ( does that make me a non cultured slob?), and the prices. I've been to Blossom Asian Bistro for happy hour, as well as the Lakeside Bistro, and like them both. Anywhere else I should go?
Vince's
8824 Renton Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98178 206-722-2116

What? Soda isn't healthy?

2010-01-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

I admit it. I have a thing for diet soda. At home, it's usually Diet Rite from a can, and in restaurants it's often Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi from the fountain.
I'm under no illusions. I realize that after going for a buffet meal and downing ten thousand calories, the Diet Coke will not magically dissolve away all those calories.
Still, if you can't count on a chemical laden soda to be safe and healthy, what can you consume?
Alfalfa sprouts were implicated in an e coli episode, and so were organic fruit juices.
But soda?...Yes.
A recent study in Virginia found that 48% of the soda dispensed from fountains contained fecal bacteria.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Germs/soda-fountains-squirt-fecal-bacteria-study-finds/story?id=9506583
I haven't stopped drinking fountain soda since I read the study. Bad habits die hard, and it's awfully hard to turn down a free refill of a fecal bacteria laden soda.

Free breakfast at IKEA through January 3rd

2009-12-30T11:19:00.000-08:00

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, is worth approximately 22 billion dollars, and Forbes magazine considers him the fifth wealthiest person in the world.
From 1942-1945, Ingvar Kamprad recruited and fund raised for the Nazis.
Having said all that, IKEA is giving away their small breakfasts absolutely free through January 3rd. You don't have to buy anything, and if you get there before 10 AM, coffee is included. We're talking eggs and bacon.
I don't boycott IKEA, some of the furniture is pretty nice looking. But the store is too big and gives me a headache, so I go there infrequently.
Just sayin': You don't need to feel bad taking a breakfast from these people. You won't be taking money or food from a cash strapped charity. You'll be taking food from a billionaire ex Nazi. Eat hearty.

Is the Renton Village 8 Cinemas Gone?

2009-12-18T10:04:00.001-08:00

Their movies are not listed in the paper or online. They are not answering their phone.
Yes, the theatre at the Landing is lovely. Yes, maybe there were too many screens in Renton with not enough population to support it, and something had to give. Yes, having the three dollar theatre at the East Valley cinemas is awesome.
But the Renton Village Cinemas go back a while, and I'm sad to see them go, if they are truly gone.
Then again, I was pretty sad when the Roxy Cinema in downtown Renton closed, even if, at the time they were only showing Indian films with no subtitles.
If I understand things correctly, the East Valley Cinemas was recently for sale. It would be terrible if they closed too.

Any restaurants you just want to root for?

2009-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

The Picaroon, a fine Renton blog, recently had a post about how important it is to support your favorite local restaurant. Recently, a number of Renton restaurants have disappeared. Touchdowns, Fin and Bone, Calico Chesecakes/Cafe Lure/Tapestry Saloon, and most recently Billy McHale's..You'd think there was a recession going on or something.
Some restaurants I may like a lot but don't really feel they could benefit from my cheerleading. For example, there's a fairly recently opened pizza place in Seattle at 50th and Genessee called Flying Squirrel. The food is awesome, but every time I've been there the place has been full, with people waiting in line. This place doesn't need my cheerleading, in fact it would be counterproductive to me personally to see the lines to get in get any longer. So stick to Domino's, folks.
In the Picaroon post, Miss P recommended people go to to A Terrible Beauty Irish pub on 2nd in downtown Renton, and indeed the food there is great and it's a fun place to go, but unlike the pizza place in Seattle, it's not always crowded. The people who own the place are nice and the place deserves business.
Along the same lines, Lakeside Bistro on Rainier Avenue, at the north end of the Renton airport, is another place with amazingly good food and it too is not always crowded. They've got a happy hour 3-6 PM seven days a week, live jazz on Tuesday evenings,a lunch menu, calamari spring rolls ( how cool is that?)and fresh seafood that doesn't get any fresher. The basil clams are absolutely awesome,and they cater to vegetarians.
Some places I'll go to and like. I'll go to Chang's Mongolian Grill and have a good meal, but feel no urge to root for the place.
But A Terrible Beauty and the Lakeside Bistro are two businesses that deserve to stay in business for a long, long time.

Freddie's Club?

2009-10-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Omigod! Have I never reviewed the food at Freddie's Club in Renton?
Well, it's time. The food is better than one might expect, the service is pleasant, comfortable and quick, and the prices are generally pretty good.
It's normal American food, Vietnamese food, and sushi. I had something great there today, the beef short ribs sub. Something you never see anywhere else, and awesome. A tad pricey at eleven dollars, but it came with excellent house made waffle fries.
You know what else? They have a happy hour, 5-8 Monday thru Saturday, with three dollar nigari and sashimi, and four dollar rolls. I had the Seattle roll: smoked salmon, cucumber, and avocado, and it was a helluva deal for four bucks. california Rolls and Spider rolls beckon on future visits. Breakfasts are available 24 hours a day, so technically you can get pancakes, pho, and raw tuna together. I don't know who'd want that combo, but hey, it's available.
I like the place, the food quality is above average, and it's pretty mellow for a casino.
Freddie's Club
111 S 3rd St.
Renton 425-228-3700

Izakaya Sushi in the Landing

2009-10-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

First, full disclosure: I'm not Freddy--although I certainly wish I was :)

Second, my wife and I are currently obsessed with Izakaya Sushi in the Landing. It's a kaiten-zushi bar and they also serve Yakitori -- basically barbequed meat skewers (which we have not tried yet).

We love to sit at the kaiten which is, quite literally a "Sushi train" (this is also what we call the resturaunt--i.e. "want to go to sushi train tonight?"). It's a conveyor belt of increasingly interesting sushi selections, everything from salads to exotic rolls (Boeing Roll anyone?) sushi, and even desserts. Each plate has a different price (from $1-5) and you just pay by the plates at the end of the night. The food is really really good (although, I'm not sure if it surpasses Renton staples like New Zen). The novelty and the atmosphere are amazing, however. We'll definitely be back to try the tempura and the Yakatori.

I see it's getting some mixed reviews on Yelp. Anybody else been there? What do you think?

Naan N Curry's New Menu

2009-10-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

Of all the Renton eateries that Freddy has discovered and shared over the years of writing Displaced Hipster, my #1 favorite hands-down is the fabulous Naan N Curry in downtown Renton. We were for years a loyal Pabla customer, shunning the red-and-yellow McCurry looking awning that cried out "food court Indian". But Freddy convinced me to try it when he first wrote about it in 2006 in his post "Moses and Krishna vs. Mohammed".

We've never looked back. We eat there regularly and sample widely -- Chicken Tikka, Lamb Handi, Gobi Gosht, Kareli Gosht, Chicken Jalfraizi -- good lord, they are all good. So very, very good. Part of what makes it so good is the attention to the spices, part is the dedication to broadening the standard Indian restaurant fare through numerous Pakistani dishes (cf. Lamb Handi).

Lately they have built on this strength by adding a one sheet of new recipes, which I've ordered from both the last times we were there. Tonight I ate the Achra Gosht, a curry with a mango base and chunks of tender lamb. Although the first bite I thought it might be a touch on the sweet side for me, three bites in I was hooked. Also notable is the Chicken Tikka prepared with a green sauce -- mint and coriander -- a delicious departure from the also excellent Chicken Tikka on the regular menu. The one and only downside is the steady creeping up of the dinner prices.

If you are a fan and haven't checked out the new menu, it's definitely worth a trip. Or two. Or three. Additionally, if you are a fan, Naan N Curry has been nominated for Best Indian in Western Washington -- you should add your vote!
http://best.king5.com/naan-n-curry/biz/137555

I voted from my table, as I sopped the last bits of Achra Gosht with my naan.

A Terrible Beauty is not terrible at all

2009-09-27T11:23:00.003-07:00

I've now been to the Irish Pub A Terrible Beauty at 201 Williams Ave S.
a few times now, and like the place quite a lot. The place was once a bank, I think, and since then has had several incarnations. It was a brewery( and a good one!), and then several incarnations of Irish Pub. When it first opened as an Irish Pub, the food was astoundingly bad, and as fellow blogger Tin Foil Hat asked " How can you screw up corned beef and cabbage?"
Well, that was several ownerships ago, and I'm happy to report that A Terrible Beauty has really good food now. In fact, they make their own corned beef, the fries are skins on and hand cut, they serve breakfast on weekends, and reasonably priced above average quality pub food the rest of the time.
They had chocolate cheesecake the last time I was there, and it too was great.
Many pubs and taverns have food as an afterthought, and the patrons are too drunk to know the difference.
Not A Terrible Beauty. This place takes their food quality seriously. The place is a comfortable place to hang out in, and service is mostly just fine, though when I was there for breakfast they were understaffed, and the poor server was running around frantically trying to keep up. Go there.

Primo's Tacos

2009-09-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

A scary thought occurred to me. Many of the restaurants I've reviewed in the last 3+ years are out of business. Some of them I've loved and miss dearly. One such restaurant that recently changed hands is now called Primo Tacos, and is at 239 Sunset Ave N. It most recently housed Antojitos La Villa, and before that was a Colombian place. It has hardly changed in it's most recent incarnation, and that's a good thing. It's friendly, it's cheap, and it's good. Renton is blessed to have many, many places to get tacos. Primos has more thn tacos, and has items not commonly found in more typical Mexican restaurants, such as huaraches ( not the sandals).
One of these days I'll do an extensive " best tacos in Renton" post. Until then, why not suggest taco places for me to try, not including Taco Bell and Taco time?

How's the real estate business?

2009-08-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

'Mo 'Cue!

2009-08-18T16:40:00.001-07:00

Ribbins Bar-B-Q has opened in the location that formerly housed Bill's Bodacious BBQ, at 3813 NE 4th Street in Renton.
Ribbins has a history. A sister restaurant of the same name was in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood as early as the early 1980's, and although I think that branch is now gone, they also have an Auburn branch. It's Kansas City style barbecue, and it's good.
The pork ribs stand out, almost fall apart tender, and the sauce is slightly sweet and slightly hot. Too many barbecue sauces disappoint me. They're overly sweet, gloppy, and seem to be a blend of ketchup and Elmer's glue. But not Ribbins. The greens ( (which I'm guessing are a collard-mustard blend) are the very traditional style of cooked for a long time with some pork fat, and nicely spiced. I'll be back to try the brisket, chicken, sweet potato pie, and peach cobbler.
Prices are a little high. Pork ribs dinner is 12.95, and includes two sides (choices include candied yams, greens, fries, beans, potato salad)... It's an improvement over Bill's Bodacious. I didn't hate Bill's Bodacious, I just thought the sauce was too weird.
But Ribbins is good.
Yes, I realize if I got to the gym more, and stopped eating ribs so often, my body would thank me. But it's my duty to eat these things and blog about them. Y'all don't simply want me to blog about tofu and alfalfa sprouts, do you?

Ribbins Bar-B-Q
3813 NE 4th St
Renton 98056 425-255-5565

Bally Fitness in Renton is closed

2009-08-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Renton's Bally Fitness gym in the Cascade neighborhood closed at the end of June.
Some may see this as a sign of progress. Bally's was an old gym. It had been the Cascade Athletic Club and World Gym before Bally's took over about twelve hours ago.
Although I'm not currently a regular gym goer, I'd been going to Renton Bally's for about ten years, off and on. Bally's in Renton was kind of refreshing due to what it was not. To me, some gyms are intimidating, too full of young, trim, athletic people working out on the most modern equipment. Bally's wasn't like that. The place smelled, you could always find older and fatter folks breathing hard on the cross trainers, and you could hear Spanish, Russian, and Hindi commonly spoken as well as English.
It's now empty, just like the QFC in the same complex. Cascade Lanes bowling alley is also closed, slated to become a Hooters. Hillcrest Lanes on Sunset is also closed, changing ownership and remodeling. Are there currently any open bowling alleys in the Renton city limits at all? Skyway Lanes is open, but that's not quite Renton. And Renton has plenty of other gyms to work out in, cleaner, more modern, more expensive, less smelly places than Ballys. Progress, I guess.

Chapinlandia Open, Touchdowns Tackled

2009-08-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Chapinlandia Guatemala Restaurant and Bakery in beautiful downtown Renton is now open.
Today was their first day in business, and if for no other reason than to claim to be the first blogger to dine there and post about it, I had to try it.
First day in business a lot of places aren't going to have their stuff together, and Chapinlandia is no exception. But you know what? The food is awesome! Although some of the items have names in common with their Mexican neighbors, there were some strong differences. The tortillas are homemade and thick, not at all like their Mexican counterparts...The carne asada was mind bogglingly good, tender and nicely presented served with half an avocado and tomato and onion slices. The pipian was a chicken dish served with a pumpkin seed mole sauce, and was served with turnip and string beans and spinach.
Coffee was Guatemalan and smooth. Prices are low, and they open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As of today, they don't have menus, but whether you're a meat eater or a vegetarian, there will be something for you, even if you just want to sit and have the in house made Guatemalan pastries and coffee.

I'll go back, and I think it's really cool that Renton has such a place.

Chapinlandia Guatemala Restaurant and Bakery
916 S. 2nd St.
Renton 98057
425-228-6016

On a sadder note, Touchdowns is out of business and for sale. This is the former All City Diner and former Schumsky's Brass Rail. In it's most recent incarnation as Touchdowns, the place had Beef on Weck sandwiches (an upstate New York specialty), very low priced lunch specials, and great beer. I liked the place, but evidently didn't get there frequently enough to keep them in business.
I can never figure out what's going to survive and thrive. I've been to some restaurants that have been around forever, are always crowded, and have never been any good, but I've also been to absolutely awesome places that should be very popular but just don't make it.

Freakazoid Freddy spouts on politics

2009-08-08T09:27:00.000-07:00

The primary election is August 18th, and although I mostly care about food, I also have an interest in politics. I'm not here to make endorsements, but if you're in Renton and don't cast a vote for for Rich Zwicker, you're a frickin' idiot....

But I did want to discuss the King County Executive race. Whoever gets elected will have some impact on our everyday lives. If you're a homeowner, your property taxes will be affected by the direction the Executive takes. If you're a renter, your rent will be affected by the taxes your landlord pays. And there's a lot of interaction between the County and cities such as Renton, such as annexation and just how much money will it take to bribe Renton into accepting Skyway?

So, without much further ado, here are some of the candidates for the Executive position, and what you might want to know about them:

1. Susan Hutchinson: Used to be a news anchor at KIRO. Pretty, smiles a lot. Should do well with the male demographic. Refuses to state positions on anything, other than platitudes like " Taxes and gang violence are bad."
Was suspended from KIRO for canoeing when she called in sick on a holiday weekend, before getting fired from KIRO. Has been a contributor to Republican candidates ( like Mike Huckabee) and has been on the board of the Discovery Institute, which disputes evolution.

2. Larry Phillips: Seems to have been on the King County Council since World War One. Goofy, smiley guy. Represents Queen Anne, Magnolia, downtown Seattle on the council, during which time a lot of bus service got reallocated from Seattle to the eastside. Never had a lot of disputes with Ron Sims, but did choose to run against him when it appeared that Ron Sims would run yet again...
Phillips has been council president, and has been one of the major county policymakers, so if you think everything is hunky dory in the county, Phillips is your man. He also dyes his hair except for his sideburns, so you can think he's distinguished or something.

3. Dow Constantine: I always thought of Greek Americans as lively and interesting, but then Michale Dukakis and now Dow Constantine come along. Dow Constantine is also on the King County council, and represents Greg Nickels' former district of West Seattle, Vashon, White Center, parts of downtown Seattle, Tukwila, and I think his district comes very close to and may incorporate part of Renton. He's dull, and like Phillips, has been on the council a long time. He praises his mentor Greg Nickels frequently, and speaks of Nickels as though Nickels is wise and effective, when in fact Nickels is a petty tyrant, owned by Paul Allen, and who'd sell his grandmother for a few votes... Constantine is taking a new tack this election. Since he realizes that there are a lot of people who consider themselves " progressive Democrats", he's suddenly touting his "progressive" credentials, and is trying to get the youth vote ( why? because he's under 50?) by appearing at hip music clubs in Belltown...What's the word often used to describe politicians? Smarmy?
I do like the fact and he's taken on the role as Hutchinson's major attacker, but I'm sure not excited by the guy. Snoozefest.

Fred Jarrett: Former Mayor of Mercer Island and member of the state legislature. There's just something creepy about the guy. Looks like he should be in a Harry Potter movie. No sense of humor and weird eyeglasses. Certainly an intelligent guy, and a longtime Boeing employee, but really comes off as cranky old guy.( " You kids get off my lawn!")

Ross Hunter: Microsoft executive and Medina resident. Running as an "outsider" even though he's been deeply entrenched as an insider being part of the state legislature. Known for being combative, and running on a platform that county employees need to pay more for medical benefits. Um, isn't that something that gets negotiated with unions?
If you find Microsoft products to be reliable and user friendly, maybe Hunter's your man.

Stan Lippman: He's run for many, many offices over the years. I just love these perennial fringe candidates, they really add a little interest to the races. A few races ago, he was running on the evils of immunizations. Now he thinks all government debt ought to be paid with silver coins. Disbarred attorney with an absolutely wackshit look in the eyes.

Alan Lobdell: Long time county employee who hasn't gained any traction whatsoever. Very minor candidate who might have good things to say, but isn't nearly as much fun as Lippman or...

Goodspaceguy: Another perennial candidate who's run for almost every office in the past. I loved watching this guy on the government channel doing the candidate presentations. Complete monotone voice, coke bottle thick eyeglasses with a blank stare, talking about how we need to colonize space right now! When they say "Anybody can run for office" it should be illustrated with a picture of Goodspaceguy.
I think it would be really fun to actually see him elected. Pandemonium ensues!

You can so grow big red tomatoes 'round here.

2009-08-04T16:39:00.000-07:00

My backyard doesn't realize it's unincorporated King County, two blocks from the Renton city limits. My backyard thinks it's in Arizona. Last year the Tilth organic gardening group canceled their tomato taste off in Seattle because there weren't enough red tomatoes. But my backyard produced 'em.
This year, it just turned August and I'm already producing large red tomatoes that are not supposed to grow in these parts. It's nothing I'm doing. This particular tomato is a Jetsetter, which I've never grown before.....And maybe it's the long hot summer we're having, but I'd like to think it's the magical backyard.

Lakeside Bistro

2009-08-01T14:14:00.001-07:00

Just this past week the Lakeside Bistro has opened at 11425 Rainier Ave S near the northwest end of the Renton airport. The place describes itself as " Modern Vietnamese", and I don't know whether that's true or not, but it's unlike any Vietnamese restaurant I've been to, and it's very good.
Soups are an especially good value, about eight dollars for a bowl large enough to feed an army. We had the " hot and sour whitefish with pineapple and Asian rhubarb" and it had a delicious slightly sweet slightly sour but not too spicy broth, and was loaded with fish and veggies.
An intriguing salad for next time will be the spinach salad, Asian pear, mandarin orange, pitted cherry, and Teriyaki chicken.
Entrees include a few noodle dishes and some others including a Garlic filet mignon served on a sizzling platter, chicken cordon bleu, pan seared diver scallops, and Tamarind curry glazed salmon.
There's a lot of seafood on the menu including whitefish, halibut, scallops, shrimp, and salmon, and desserts are homemade. They also happily accommodate Vegetarians.
This place is more elegant and continental than most Vietnamese restaurants, and a bit more expensive. Noodle dishes are 8-10, entrees are 12-16.
But they are obviously trying to go for something ( upscale, gourmet, fresh ingredients, but cozy, friendly and welcoming), and at this point are succeeding. I like the place a lot. If you go in the month of August you'll get 20% off your total bill, excluding alcohol.

I think this a very welcome addition to the restaurant scene in the Renton area, and I think right out of the gate they're up there in the top five.

Lakeside Bistro
11425 Rainier Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98178
206-772-6891

Rubattino's Rocks!

2009-07-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

Rubattino's
808 S 3rd St
Renton, WA 98057-2736
(425) 255-3143‎

Renton is becomingly increasingly full of gourmet restaurants, where management has spent on a lot of money on designing these places so that they look like warehouses. Cool, I guess. The trend is toward places that serve "small plates" of things like "free range wild harvested marinated pigeon entrails served in a pesto beurre blanc reduction" for 25 dollars.
You won't find that at Rubattino's. Dating back to the 1920's, with the most recent remodel maybe only 40 years old, Rubattino's may be one of the oldest continually operating restaurants in the Seattle area. It's so not a pretentious place, and seems to welcome borderline homeless folks who've been coming in for coffee for the last 40 years...But y'know what? The food is good! The omelettes are the best in Renton, and the atmosphere is a joy to behold. The world may be changing as we increasingly lose beloved icons in the name of progress.
May Rubattino's defy this trend and keep going forever. Go there.

Any restaurants you hate to admit you like?

2009-06-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

C'mon. We all have at least one restaurant we'd hate to be seen in, especially by our friends, yet we make these sneaky trips there and hope nobody sees us actually enjoying a meal there.
For me, it's Billy McHale's. Oh my god! is that place out of date, so 80's, with it's tchochkes galore and the little train overhead and the fake festiveness. But you know what? I like the place. I know, most of the people who eat there are at least in their 60's, and the place maybe ought to be updated to at least the 90's, huh?
But the food is good, and it's a good value, especially the early bird dinner special, served 7 days a week from 2 until 5:30. That's blue hair time, but you get a large selection of entrees or entree salads that include dessert for 8.95!
The early bird specials, among other choices, offer steak, chicken, salmon, Cobb salad, Lasagna, and quite a few others. The dessert choices include hot fudge sundae, apple crisp ala mode, and a frozen, very rich and delicious peanut butter pie.
I know. The ultimmate hipster isn't supposed to dine until 10PM, then go out and hear music or something.
But if you want to know the truth, I haven't been hip since Joni Mitchell was in her heyday, and 10PM! That's almost bedtime!

Billy McHales
241 SW 7th St.
Renton WA 427-271-7427

Thai restaurants in Renton

2009-06-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

I remember back in the day when Seattle had one Thai restaurant. We're talking 25+ years ago. It was in downtown Seattle, somewhere around 2nd and Virginia, and it was awesome. Shortly thereafter Thai restaurants started sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain, and not all of them were awesome.

Renton's got some good ones. Royal Orchid's been around for years and is consistently very good and kind of elegant.
Thai on Highlands up the hill on Sunset has also been around for years and serves up some mighty fine salmon curry. A few other places are not Thai restaurants per se, but serve Thai food.
And now there's a new kid on the block, Thai 65, in the Landing. The place is artistically done, both the decor and the food. Prices are less expensive than Royal Orchid but more expensive than Thai on Highlands. Food quality is great. The Garlic Prawns didn't skimp on the garlic or portion size, and the salmon curry held it's own.
I wouldn't say it's necessarily better than the other Thai places in town. But it's quite good, and likely worth repeat visits. I'll be going back.

Thai 65
920 N 10th, #A
Renton 425-207-8687

Dog & Pony Benefit for RUFF

2009-06-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 13th, from 5-9PM, The Dog & Pony Alehouse and Grill will be hosting a benefit for RUFF, Renton's Unleashed Furry Friends. As of last night, tickets for the benefit were still available at thirty dollars a piece.
This is going to be a fun event, and the price of admission will include 2 beers and your choice of a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a Karma burger (dude!), or a hot dog.
Tickets are only available at the Dog & Pony, and parking for the event will be available at the Satori School, a few hundred feet away. The entrance to the parking lot is on N 4th Street, via a driveway directly behind the happy Hound. There is also a driveway entrance on Park Ave, just south of 4th Street, after the blue house at 336 Park Ave.

So why go to this event?

1. The Renton City Council is matching funds up to 50,000 dollars, and once 20,000 dollars is raised, that will assure a quick opening of the gorgeous new off-leash dog area at the old Narco site adjacent to the Cedar River trail, across from the Renton Community Center.

2. The Dog & Pony is a great place to go anytime, with a huge selection of beer, and far better than average pub food ( their burgers absolutely rock!).

3. Connect with your fellow dog owning freaks and build community!

Dog & Pony, 351 Park Avenue N, 425-254-8080 www.thedogandpony.com

RUFF www.rentonoffleash.org

Tandoori Wars

2009-05-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

If you combine Renton and Kent, we may have more Indian restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the Seattle area, and that's another big positive for living in or visiting these parts.
Officially, Renton has just two, Pabla in the Fred Meyer shopping center downtown, and Naan and Curry on 3rd Street downtown, both good places.
But there's another player in town. Great India just opened a few months ago just south of the city limits near Ranch 99 and Ikea.(Right behind Harbor Freight Tools)
I've been there a couple of times and deem it a worthy competitor. The menu is fairly extensive and has all the Indian faves, but the spicing makes it unique and delicious.
They do some things especially well, like vegetables. The Bengan Bharta (eggplant) was fantastic, and they have several mixed veggie dishes as well as saag(spinach) alone or mixed with cheese, chicken, or shrimp.
The folks there are nice and trying hard to please. When I was there yesterday and asked them about the naan, they invited me into the kitchen to watch it being made! And they didn't even know that I was a celebrity blogger :)
They're open seven days a week, with time off in between lunch and dinner, and have the 7.99 lunch buffet seven days a week. This is definitely a place worth checking out.

Great India
18126 E Valley Hwy
Kent, WA 98032
(425) 251-6966

Slow Pokes Brisket and Pork

2009-04-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for good BBQ, and nowhere in Renton is great barbecue. We've got some pretty good barbecue in Sandie's Place and Cedar River smokehouse, and Gabby's in Skyway.
There's a new player on the BBQ scene, Slow Pokes, located near the Great Wall Shopping Center. Technically, they are not "real" in that the meat is slow roasted rather than smoked. Still, the meat is good, and the sandwiches are a very good value. The sandwiches are all served on sub rolls, or maybe Vietnamese Banh Mi rolls? And they are stuffed with meat. The place is part of a gas station building, always a good sign. Choices include the original with it's natural juices, or Texas Style ( with BBQ sauce) or Philadelphia cheese steak style, or Mexican, or Italian. The place has maybe three tables, but for 6.99 you will get a good tasting very large sandwich on a good fresh roll.

18010 E Valley Hwy
Kent, WA 98032
(425) 251-6820‎
slowpokes1.com

Where is Renton's Best Pizza?

2009-04-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza and Spirits has opened in The Landing, and among many other things has a lunch buffet featuring a variety of pizza, pasta, soup, and salad. Not a bad deal for 8.49, including soft drink, but how's the pizza?
The place is a fun, rock n'roll themed restaurant. The music's great. The servers were attentive and welcoming. One of the soups, a creamy chicken with wild rice, was outstanding.
The pizza? It's good. Almost all wood fired pizza is going to have a good crust, and crust is so underrated in general.
I've had better wood fired crust before, but just the fact that this is a wood fired crust is a big plus. Toppings were pleasant and there was a good variety of them. Sauce was a little too thin.
Is this Renton's best pizza? No. Renton is blessed with a few really good pizza places including Angelo's, Armando's, Vince's, and Amante.
But the Rock is pretty good, and some people really like odd themed places. I'll go back.
The Rock Wood Fired Pizza and Spirits
830 N 10th St
Renton 425-255-0334

Pssst, wanna buy a house?...OR Playin RUFF!

2009-04-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Two things today which are related:

1. Renton's Off Leash Dog Area, to be located behind the Renton Community Center across the river and near the Cedar River trail, is aiming for an August opening if the user group, Renton's Unleashed Furry Friends can match the city's 20,000 dollars. They're off to a good start, have a wine and auction benefit scheduled for tonight at Vino in the Landing, and a later event being scheduled for the Dog and Pony Alehouse and Grill. They're looking for donations and volunteers and are a wonderful group of people.

2. I'm a real estate agent. It is seldom revealed here because I have to keep up the image of uber cool blogger, and face it, real estate agents aren't cool. They're thought of as people who will sell their grandmother if they could earn a commission, and you can tell they're lying because their lips are moving. On the evolutionary scale, they're thought of as somewhere between a leech and a tick.
Two years ago many real estate agents were suggesting that if you didn't buy a house right then, you'd never be able to afford one, you'd be priced out forever.
Fast forward two years, and many Renton area homes are now worth 25% less than they were. But now, many of these same real estate agents are suggesting that you'd better buy a house right now because we've hit bottom and that interest rates won't fall any more.
What am I suggesting, and what does this have to do with dog parks?
I'm not suggesting that people buy houses or not buy houses. Prices have come down and interest rates are low, but I'm not going to be like many real estate agents and pretend I can predict the future.
But....if you already want to buy a house, and use me as your real estate agent, I'll donate two thousand dollars for the Renton off leash park. I'll donate it in your name if you like. Buy enough houses and you can probably have the dog park named for you or your German Shepherd- Basset Mix.
I'm not going to suggest that if you buy a house you'll get rich. In fact, the opposite happened a couple of years ago after some real estate agents referred their clients to their loan originator buddies to make sure they could qualify for a loan they couldn't afford, and then prices went down.
There are lots of good reasons to own a home. Over the long haul homes usually keep pace or exceed the inflation rate. And when you own a home, it's yours, meaning you can do with it what you like. Tear out all that grass and plant blueberries. Or paint the house purple. Use the garage for your heavy metal band to practice in.

If you want to buy a house, and also want to support Renton's Offleash Dog park, I'm your man. How cool is that? 206-349-2574 or sacharoff@gmail.com
Ira Sacharoff Betterproperties.com Seattle office

Breakfast at Ikea

2009-04-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I hate shopping at Ikea?
I know, it's almost disloyal to Renton to say that. Did I mention that the place is too big,the parking garage is insane, I can't find anything, it's too crowded, every piece of furniture or kitchen nicknack is named Sven or Lutefisk or Dritsek, and it just gives me a headache almost every time I've gone there? Not that I'm the type who complains :)

But....they have the best breakfast deal around in their restaurant, if you get there before 10 AM...Your choice of Swedish pancakes with lingonberries and coffee, or two eggs, potatoes, bacon, and bread ( kind of a sweet bread/donut hybrid)and coffee, for $1.99!

If you get there early enough, the store is not open but the restaurant is!
So the parking lot will be empty, you'll even be able to park right next to the entrance, and you won't have to be distracted by some teak veneered magazine holders named Torvald.

Ikea
601 SW 41st St.
Renton, WA 425-656-2980

A short ramble on Annexation

2009-04-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Some of your neighbors who you think live in Renton don't actually live in Renton. They may live in unincorporated King County very near the city limits. I am one of "those" people. I live in Earlington, about two blocks from the Renton city limits. King County wants to rid itself of administering and providing services to unincorporated areas adjacent to cities,is urging adjacent cities to annex them, and Renton has a bunch of those. Benson Hill was annexed to Renton in 2008, and Springbrook Terrace is going to be annexed in April, 2009. Fairwood residents narrowly voted last year not to become an independent city, but annexation to Renton is still a possibility, and within the Fairwood area is a smaller area known as the Red Mill area, where there is a movement afoot to have this smaller area annexed to Renton, regardless of what happens to the rest of Fairwood. Then there's the West Hill and Earlington.
On Monday, April 6th, 7PM at Renton City Hall, there will be a hearing on the Earlington annexation proposal...But wait a minute, you say? Isn't Earlington already a neighborhood in Renton? Yes, it is, just not all of it. Some of Earlington is in Renton ( annexed to Renton in 1948),some is in unincorporated King County, and The Earlington annexation would add to Renton about 100 acres, 127 dwelling units, 292 people, and Minter's Earlington Greenhouse....But wait a minute, you say? Isn't Earlington part of the West Hill, and aren't they also being considered for annexation to Renton?
Yes, the Earlington that isn't part of Renton is part of the West Hill, which also includes Lakeridge, Bryn Mawr, and Skyway, and yes, there is a separate effort going on to annex that whole big area to Renton, but the Earlington area has some different issues. We, the unincorporated Earlingtonians, unlike our fellow West Hillers, have Renton phone numbers. Unlike our fellow West Hillers, we are served by City of Renton water. And we're closer to the Renton Fred Meyer than to the Skyway bowling alley.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not only a resident of the Earlington and West Hill annexation areas, I'm also on the West Hill Unincorporated Area council.
I don't have an official position on the overall West Hill annexation. But I'm in favor of the Earlington annexation. If nothing else, I'd get annexed off the West Hill council, a much more honorable way of leaving than being diselected.

Renton Annexes Kent

2009-03-31T22:33:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2009

In a surprise announcement, Renton Mayor Denis Law announced to the City Council today that the City of Renton was unilaterally annexing the entire City of Kent.
" Enough of this studying stuff", he said, "Annexing unincorporated areas is simply not enough if we are to become the second largest city in King County. Kent is now ours, and Tukwila is next."
Despite objections from Councilmembers Zwicker and Corman, the council assented to the Mayor's action.
Asked for her reaction, Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke displayed a certain finger and said "Annex this!"
She also reported that Kent was sending forces to protect it's boundaries, and that roadblocks would be set up near the Great Wall Shopping Mall as well as along the boundary separating Kent from Renton's Cascade neighborhood. Mayor Cooke also announced that Renton residents would be charged ten dollars to enter Kent.
Asked for their opinion, a representative of the Skyway Business Association stated " Please annex us. We won't set up roadblocks, and it's pretty unlikely you'll even get shot."

Cafe Lure has it's allure

2009-03-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Some restaurants have menus that go on for pages. Those restaurants have got nothing good to eat, but the menu is like an encyclopedia, and the menu goes on and on.
Cafe Lure is different. The menu is small, but the food is really good. I went for the first time this evening. Cafe Lure has been open since early December, alongside it's sister establishments the Tapestry Saloon and Calico Cheesecake.
Cutting to the chase, prices are reasonable, the place is pleasant, and service is very competent.
Entrees run from 12-17 dollars, and range from Fettucine to short ribs to salmon to bourbon steak to ciopinno, amongst other items. Also on the menu are sandwiches, salads, and burgers.
Burgers and sandwiches run about 8 dollars, and come with soup or fries or a side dish. I had the Jamaican jerk chicken burger served with sweet potato fries. Anyplace that has sweet potato fries can't be all bad. Two of my companions had the portobello mushroom burger, and the other companion had the salmon, which he proclaimed as moist and succulent.
I also had some vanilla creme brulee cheesecake for dessert, which I shared with my wife, but I hoarded most of it.
Cafe Lure is a nice addition to downtown Renton, and between Happy Delusions across the street, where you can buy adhesive bandages that appear to be sliced bacon, and the fun new Liberty Cafe, it appears that this corner of downtown Renton is evolving into one very cool area.

Cafe Lure
917 S. 3rd St
Renton WA
425-572-5931

Papaya is open and good

2009-03-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Papaya has opened in the Landing, directly across from the Regal Cinemas. It's not what I expected. For whatever reason, I was expecting elegant Vietnamese ala Lemon Leaf, but Papaya is casual and inexpensive. I don't recall anything on the menu over 7.95. I had the Lemon grass chicken and carmelized onions over rice noodles, and my wife had a salmon baguette, a first cousin to sub sandwiches and Vietnamese banh mi. The salmon was very fresh, and the lemon grass chicken was very nicely done, maybe not as spicy as I usually like, but there's a large selection of sauces available to add.
I didn't order dessert, but they sure look tempting. Either I didn't read the menu correctly (that's entirely possible) or they have a maple bacon cream fritter, amongst other things.
It's a fun place with good food, and I hope they do well.

Papaya
830 N 10th st, Suite 11
Renton, WA 425-917-1417

Is the Landing just full of characterless chain stores?

2009-03-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

When the Landing first opened, I didn't really get what the excitement was all about, other than to provide tax revenues. Lowes, Target, Red Robin, Petsmart...these kind of places are found all over the United States, and I wouldn't go around proclaiming my pride in Renton because they have a Lowe's.
But, Papaya is set to open soon in the Landing, across from the movie theate. And it's owned by Gene and Hoang Sens, my favorite Renton restauranteurs...How might you have heard of them or experienced their food?
30 years ago, you might have eaten Gene's pizza at the old Renton food circus, which was across the parking lot from where the downtown Renton Fred Meyer now stands. Then they opened Gene's on 3rd, an awesome Italian restuarant...Then they opened Jubilante, developed the menu for the Dog and Pony, opened the Red House, and then Blossom Asian Bistro. I remember when they were selling Gene's, tired of being in the restaurant biz. That sure didn' last, or maybe it's all they know how to do. But damn, they do it well!

Greenfresh gone, Thriftway going, Uwajimaya coming?

2009-03-04T16:51:00.000-08:00

Greenfresh Market, Renton's closest thing to Whole Foods, closed it's doors a few months ago.
Unbeknownst to many, they happened to serve the best burger in Renton at their deli, but it's a vacant storefront now, and I miss them
Renton Village Thriftway is having a 20% off inventory reduction sale, but it appears to be going the same route as Greenfresh. Renton Village Thriftway has been a pleasant, if somewhat overpriced place to shop, with a lot of consistently high quality items, very similar to the Metropolitan Market chain, and I'm sorry to see them go.
These aren't easy economic times for Renton nor a lot of other places. It seems that upscale supermarkets have reasons to worry.
But today's P-I (also likely shutting down in a couple of weeks) had a blurb stating that Uwajimaya was eying the Thriftway site. I've been to the International District store many times and I think they'd be a great addition to Renton.

Pulcinella Pizzeria

2009-01-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

I'm really the wrong guy to be reviewing a pizza place. Having grown up in Central New Jersey, the land of tomato pies, amongst the best in the world, I just have a low tolerance for bad or mediocre pizza. Seattle may have many wonderful things, but there aren't very many good pizza places. Pulcinella Pizzeria, at 10003 Rainier Avenue S, Seattle has recently opened to big crowds.
And for good reason. The pizzas, and salads are clearly a cut above. The flour and tomatoes are imported from Italy, and the pizzas are baked quickly in a wood fired oven.
From what I've read, this is a venture for the owner of Vince's and a partner. For years I've thought of Vince's as an above average Seattle pizza place, so when Vince's is going upscale, it's worth checking out.

......and yet, while it's good pizza, it's not like some of the amazing jaw dropping, awe inspiring pizza I've eaten in the past. It's pretty comparable to Tutta Bella in Columbia City...It's in the old Lakeside Tavern space, and it's a cool, nicely renovated space...

....and yet, it's crowded and noisy, a little too expensive and a little "precious".
Also, for me the crust means a whole lot, and while I do prefer wood fired pizzas like Pulcinella does, theirs is a little too thin for me. I like thin crust, but not this thin.
People are obviously loving this place, it's generating buzz, and yeah, it's good.
But it ain't THAT good.

Pizzeria Pulicinella
10003 Rainier Ave S., Seattle 98178
206-772-6861

East Valley Cinema now a discount theatre

2009-01-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

Now that the Landing Cinemas have opened, Regal Cinemas has designated their other Renton theater, the East Valley Cinemas at 3751 East Valley Hwy, as a three dollars at all times theater.
They're not showing first run films, but they are currently showing 11 different films, including Batman, the Dark Knight and the Coen Brothers Burn After Reading, which I saw and loved, a frequently hilarious film with a great cast.

Landing movies open

2008-10-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

The Regal 14 Cinema at the Landing, the new retail and residential complex in Renton, is open.

It's a "soft opening" meaning it's not officially open til Friday October 17th, but Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, all movies, all shows are two dollars.
Saw " Iron Man" today, and it was easily worth two dollars. Not the type of film I usually like, but it was well written, full of action, and clever.

Block Watch Meeting

2008-10-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who live in the 80th Avenue South and South 130th Street vicinity on Earlington Hill, there's a block watch meeting on Wednesday, October 15th at 7 PM at the Skyway Fire Training Center, 12424 76th Ave S, Seattle, behind the Skyway library.

Skyway Outdoor Cinema

2008-08-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

This Friday, August 22nd will mark the final film for the year for the free Friday at dusk showings.
It'll be Horton Hears a Who, behind the 7-11 at S 126th St and 76th Avenue S, just east of Renton Avenue, a mile west of downtown Renton. Admission is free, popcorn and soda is one dollar.The show will start around 8:30.

Map to Sinbad Cafe

2008-08-06T01:52:00.000-07:00

Read Freddy's review of Sinbad cafe.

Then, go eat there:

View Larger Map

Sinbad Cafe

2008-08-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

Sinbad Cafe is at 229B S 4th Pl in Renton 425-228-9990, and it's my kind of place. I love cheap hole in the wall ethnic eateries, and this qualifies. The owner is Iraqi and has cooked in Greek restaurants, so the place has some of both. You can get falafel and hummus and kebabs, but also Greek salad and baklava and rotisserie chicken. The place is warm and friendly and inexpensive and good.

Blossom Asian Bistro

2008-08-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Blossom Asian Bistro fairly recently opened in the spot formerly occupied by Jubilante at 305 Burnett Ave South, in Renton 425-430-1610 www.blossomasianbistro.com
It's an unusual place. something like an Asian tapas bar, with small plates and large rolls. Everything is artfully presented, it's creative, the food tastes good, and it's a pleasant place to hang out. It's also partly owned by Gene and Hoang Sens of the Red House also on Burnett, and that's always a good sign. Gene knows and loves good food, and cares about what gets served. The spider rolls were pretty amazing...The food is primarily a Vietnamese-Japanese fusion, and it's good.

Sandy's Taqueria

2008-05-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sandy's recently opened in the location of the sorely missed Aloha BBQ, and it's a good one.
They've only got five menu items: Tacos, Burritos, quesadillas, tortas, and mulitas. A mulita is similar to a quesadilla but with meat..greasy but delicious. A torta is a sandwich on a Mexican roll, and the one I had was the best I've eaten outside of Mexico. Prices are insanely low. Everything on the menu is 4.25, and that includes four tacos. The meats are great, they've got horchatas, what's not to like?
2439-B Maple Valley Hwy, Renton 98055 425-226-7752

Good new Chinese place in Renton

2008-04-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

I'm generally not a big fan of Chinese food, but the recently opened Szechuanese First Restaurant at 18124 East Valley Hwy,( 425-656-0889) just south of the Great Wall Shopping center really impressed me. Several things come to mind: Good, fresh flavors, large portions, and low prices. Large menu, and best of all, typos on the menu. For some reason, I always see that as a good sign, that they're devoting energy to food rather than spelling. This menu has Chinese celery with lamp.
But what we did eat was all delicious, and I'll be back for more. We had Eggplant with garlic sauce..they don't skimp on the garlic and it was attractively presented with red and green peppers.
Chicken with broccoli was also a good choice, the broccoli nicely tender and the chicken lean and flavorful. Curry prawns were fabulous, and the pot roast with flank was spicy and tender and great.
Most items on the menu are 6.95-9.95, and portions are larger, prices are lower, and the flavor is better than the same items ordered at many other Chinese restaurants.

Are some locations just cursed for restaurants?

2008-04-01T14:59:00.001-07:00

I'm thinking of the space in downtown Renton that was Uncle Mac's, and Three Sisters, and Sandra's Place, the place at 509B S 3rd St, adjacent to Bella Napoli, across the street from Big 5.
Well, guess what? Sandra's is gone after a short stay, and has been replaced by Geri 's Casual Dining. I tried it. I liked it. Extensive menu, including grilled salmon, roast chicken, ribs, steak, burgers...Service was kind of slow, the ribs were top notch as were the greens, but...
I have no problem with religious people of any faith. But when I ask someone how they are, can't they just say "fine?" Why do I have to hear " I'm blessed." When I told the owner that I liked the food and hoped they were around for a while, she said "if the Lord is willing."
Maybe serving good food at good prices with good service would have something to do with it?
But...given the history of places in that location, she may need all the blessings she can get.

DK Market

2008-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Tried to go to Lenny's Market yesterday in the Walmart shopping center yesterday only to find out that they're gone, moved around the corner to a larger space...They are now the Dk Market, at the corner of S 7th St and Lind Ave S.
It's a fun place to shop, and they sell far more than just produce.
Lots of imported/gourmet items, ranging from hummus to Polish mushroom soups, to vacuum packed coffee from Croatia ( if they don't know about coffee in Croatia, where do they?). Prices are low in this no frills warehouse store, selection of fruits and veggies is huge. Go there.

More tidbits

2008-02-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

Finegan's irish Pub is now on 2nd in downtown Renton, where Giant's Causeway was. It wasn't the worst restaurant in Renton, but service was glacially slow and the food wasn't good. Finegan's is owned by the guy who owns the Williams Ave Pub, across the street from Finegan's on Williams.
The Williams Avenue Pub, as previously reviewed on these pages, is a dive bar, but really has great food.
An African restaurant is coming to Skyway, supposedly open soon, the Afriq Restaurant and Lounge will be at 12619 Renton Avenue S. It's Kenyan owned and will feature foods from all over the African diaspora..DJ Peter Alumasa, who owns a record store on Lake City Way, is the owner.

And another BBQ joint is open in Skyway, Champs Bar and BBQ at 12544 Renton Ave S.
Haven't been there, but will try it, as I do love ribs.
But Champs has a formidable competitor across the street at Gabby's Q, previously reviewed on these pages. Gabby's may not have seating, but they have consistently good quality 'Q.

Skyway Park makeover

2008-02-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

There is funding available to do a "makeover" of Skyway Park, located behind the Roman Casino in Skyway, two miles west of downtown Renton. Skyway has a terrible reputation as a place where people go if they want to get shot. It's not quite that bad, but it's often less than savory, especially at night.
But people have all kinds of ideas for Skyway Park, which is about 50 acres. Wednesday Feb 6 will be a public meeting about the park at the Fire District training center on 76th Ave S.
Me, I like the idea of devoting a small portion of the park for an off leash dog area. It's a good way to bring people together, and when people with legitimate uses congregate in one area, the folks with less than legitimate uses go somewhere else.
The City of Renton is also forming an off leash dog park steering committee. Call the Renton Parks Department to get placed on their mailing list.

The Caucuses

2008-02-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not talking about the mountain range in Eastern Europe, I'm talking about the party caucuses in Washington State on Saturday February 9th. Call or visit the websites for the King County Democrats or Republicans for your exact location. I've done it a few times, and it's always kind of fun..takes a couple of hours of your time. And you get to feel like you were really part of the political process by showing up.

Tidbits ( On Toast)

2008-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Was it the power of the Renton Hipster?
Yes, Mimosa on Airport Way, Freakazoid Freddy's choice as "the worst restaurant in Renton" has changed hands and changed names. It is now Tri An Quan, with hours from 7AM-1AM.
I'm assuming it's Vietnamese ( like duh. With a name like that, it should be a Jewish delicatessen?)
Their parking lot is frequently full. Which doesn't mean anyone's eating there. Maybe the new owner owns a lot of cars. I will check it out and report back.

Golden Indian Curry, with branches both on Southcenter Parkway and on the East Hill of Kent, has one of the better Indian lunch buffets, and at 7.99, one of the better deals. The only Indian lunch buffet in Renton can be had at Pabla, across the way from the downtown Fred Meyer.
Naan and Curry no longer does a lunch buffet, but I still like 'em for dinner.

Opening soon at The Landing, Renton's new shopping and residential complex will be a Red Robin.
So far, the Landing doesn't really impress me, with Lowes, Target, Staples, and Panda Express.
I'd rather see stores that were unique, not big chain stores that could be found in Dubuque, Iowa, or Hightstown, New Jersey...But Red Robin does have a cheeseburger salad, a nice big mixed greens salad topped with melted cheese and sauteed onions and mushrooms.

Renton's One of a kind veterinarian

2008-01-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

About 9 days ago our cat suffered a stroke. We found her lying next to her food bowl, seemingly unable to move, seemingly close to death. We hoped we could get Dr. Lemmon to squeeze her in, and sure enough, he did.
Dr. Michael Lemmon, at the Highlands Veterinary Clinic ( 1409 Union Ave NE, Renton 425-226-8418) is a practitioner of holistic veterinary medicine. A lot of vets now claim to incorporate holistic medicines into their practices, but Lemmon has been doing it for 20+ years at his very unpretentious digs in the Renton Highlands. He's really an odd duck. He doesn't have great people skills, but he has great animal skills, and is far less expensive and more effective than most vets. About 6 years ago, this same cat had some kind of kidney issue, and we took her to Lemmon. What he prescribed seemed pretty witch doctory at the time, but it worked. Colostrum, oxygenated water, and a homemade food, to be fed by dropper, consisting of liver, raw egg, and brewers yeast. It worked like a charm, and the cat was back to her old obnoxious self in no time.
A stroke is a far more serious matter. But arnica homeopathics and a special kitty massage and a prescription for an algae bioconcentrate...the kitty is now walking again ( with a lot of sway, and some falls) but she's walking, she's climbing up stairs, her vitality is back, and her appetite is fully back. She's improving every day, and Dr. Lemmon believes she has a good chance at a full recovery. The good doc is holding off on acupuncture for now, believing that at this point, she's progressing quickly enough in her recovery that she doesn't need it.
If you're willing to suspend belief in traditional veterinary medicine, Lemmon is quite effective in making animals better. He doesn't have much charm, doesn't seem to know how to relate to people very well, but if I want charm I can find a used car salesman.

Edokko

2008-01-10T21:35:00.000-08:00

I go through phases of cuisines I like. Most recently I've rediscovered Indian, and then, just the other day, Japanese.
In the Great Wall Shopping Mall, on the Renton/Kent border 18230 E Valley Hwy, is the Edokko Restaurant( 425-656-0556), and boy is it good! Some foods just make me feel good, and a bowl of miso soup and a plate of Saba Shioyaki( broiled) does the trick. Saba is mackerel, and Edokko has it and salmon shioyaki and sushi and sashimi and sukiyaki and teriyaki, and it's inexpensive and just plain good! This is a good one, folks.

The difference between Bellevue and Skyway

2007-11-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

In downtown Bellevue, folks are abuzz about the new Nieman-Marcus store. I haven't been there, but I've heard it's oh so fashionable, and oh so expensive. I'm more of a Target or Goodwill kind of guy.
In downtown Skyway, it's not a Nieman-Marcus going in at the former Schuck's located just east of the Skyway Park casino and bowling alley. It's a pawn shop superstore, so if you've been gambling and lost all your money but just know you're one hand away from winning, you can go next door and pawn your Rolex.
...On a slightly different note, the food at the bowling alley is actually pretty good. I've eaten in the "dining room" and had good prawns scampi. The veggie side dish included red peppers and yellow squash. Steaks are quite good, salads are huge, and service is friendly. A senior menu exists for folks fifty! and over. Fifty is young!
There is a separate restaurant, the Wok 52 Bistro, within the casino. The menu looks good, with a Thai/Vietnamese/Chinese fusion. I'll check it out and report back after I've gone next door to pawn my Rolex.

Antojitos La Villa

2007-10-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

I love Mexican food, and it shows. I love authentic taco trucks and I like mediocre Mexican places.
Antjojitos LaVilla is at 239 Sunset Ave N in Renton, exactly where the Colombian restaurant was located, across from Burger King, and in the same complex as Westernco Donuts.
I liked three things especially about this place.
1. Menu was only in Spanish.
2. Menu tops off at seven dollars.
3. Menu has lots of things I've never heard of.

Huaraches, for example. I thought those were sandals, but no...they are kinda like a thick home made corn tortilla in the shape of a shoe sole topped with beans, Mexican cheese, onions, and meat. Yum!!! They also have many tortas, migas, sopes, and tacos. Tortas are sandwiches served on bolillos, and they have a huge variety. I didn't have one, but saw others dining on them, and they looked great. I don't know what a sope or a miga are, but I think a miga is an egg dish made with tortillas.
The place is packed with atmosphere. A large flat screen TV on the wall blares Mexican soap operas.
It's cheap, the food is good and unusual, and I'm happy they are in Renton.

On a sadder note, it appears that Jubilante is out of business. They'd been around a while, say 7 years or so. They were originally a product of Gene Sens, Renton's resident culinary genius , now of the Red House, and formerly of Gene's. Jubilante was "global cuisine" and when it first opened, this former Chevy showroom was called the best restaurant between Seattle and Portland. But service was inconsistent. I've had some good meals there, and some glacially slow ones as well. It seemed to go downhill a bit after Gene sold it. I didn't go there much but I'm sorry to see them gone. They were one of the first signs of the "Renton Renaissance", and I like it when places have stamps of originality, and I don't like it when what we have is what every place else has, be it Applebees or Denny's or some other corporate, soulless place.
Speaking of which....The Target Store in Renton is now open. It may be corporate and soulless, but hey! I like Target!

Noble Perssons

2007-10-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

I just received my voter's pamphlet in the mail yesterday, and just wanted to note a couple of things.

1. King County Assessors race: The candidates are Noble and Nobles. Scott Noble, the Democrat, is the incumbent. Jim Nobles, the Republican, is not. Either way, they're making a noble effort to get elected.

2. Renton City Council: Terry Persson, who is not currently on the Council, is running for position number 4, while Don Persson, currently serving on the council, is running for position number 7.
Is it hard to keep the Perssons (people?) straight?

I could never get elected to anything myself because I have an unusual first and last name, and look like a cross between Osama Bin Laden and Buddy Hackett, but...if I changed my legal name to say...Brad Pitt and didn't submit a candidates photo, maybe I'd stand a chance.

Bill's Bodacious

2007-10-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago, there was only one BBQ joint in downtown Renton. It wasn't the Cedar River Smokehouse which seems like it's it's been there forever. It was Bill's Bodacious BBQ, which shared the former gas station at 2nd and Main with Jet City Espresso. It was a popular mainstay, but after many years the owner got a job in the tech industry and found that he was making too much money working, and didn't need to keep the BBQ joint open.
Fast forward a few years, and lo and behold, he's baaack! Not in the same location, but up the hill at 3813 NE 4th St, Renton 425-255-0535.
Some people claim that this is the best BBQ around these parts. I don't know whether that's true, but it's a comfortable place to dine, service is friendly and fast, prices are good, and so is the food.
The ribs are about as good as anyone's, including Jones' in Columbia City. The greens are vegetarian and incredible. Corn muffins are delightful. The menu also features Brisket, chicken, catfish, pulled pork, sometimes Jambalaya, sometimes smoked prime rib.
I only have one minor quibble. The sauce. It's this weird sweet thing, closer to an Asian sweet and sour sauce than a traditional BBQ sauce. I guess they think it's innovative and creative and different and you have to applaud people for taking chances, but I'm almost tempted to stop at Fred Meyer on the way up there and bring a bottle of Stubb's sauce with me.
Nonetheless, it's probably just me because many people like the sauce, they sell it by the jar and sell a lot of it.
And, all in all, it's right up there amongst Renton's best BBQ.

McLendon's Hardware

2007-10-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Any talk about culture in Renton should include McLendon's Hardware, 440 Rainier Ave S, Renton, 425-235-3555. McLendon's has been around in Renton since 1921, and even though it is a mini chain (6 stores?) and even though the Renton store is huge, it still has the small town hardware store feel.
Sure, I shop at Lowe's and Home Depot once in a while, and it seems as if almost every time I'm at one of those stores, I deal with an employee who has no knowledge of hardware. A typical conversation goes something like this :
ME: I'm looking for a good hammer to buy. Do you have any recommendations?
HIM: Just a moment. (Gets on phone) Do we sell hammers here?

It's no like that at McLendon's. At McLendon's, employees have knowledge and are happy to share it. McLendon's is a fun place to shop. Employees tend to be a little eccentric, but friendly and helpful.
At Home Depot, they almost seem to be trying to recruit the stupid.

Mo' Q!

2007-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

It's been about thirty years since I lived on brown rice, vegetables and tofu.
These days, I'm partial to smoked meat.
There are certain foods I could eat almost daily. Pizza. And ribs.
...And so another BBQ joint has opened in downtown Renton, and of course I had to try it.
It's Sandra's Place, 509B S 3rd St, 425-277-4121, adjacent to Bella Napoli, in the same space where Uncle Macs and Three Sisters were. And like most restaurants, it has its good and it's not so good.
The good: The people there are friendly and funny; it's a welcoming place, all desserts are house made..I had some awesome bread pudding there, and they also have sweet potato pies, cheesecakes, and banana pudding. The sauce is really good, obviously house made, and not too sweet. They have greens! Yay! I always see it as a good sign when a BBQ joint has greens, and their greens are top notch. You could get a chefs salad there too, or a chicken and pasta salad.
The ribs? I love ribs. These were pretty good, maybe they took them off the smoker just a tad bit too soon, but they were big and meaty, and had that fine sauce to go with it.
I'll be back. It's nice to have a few decent BBQ joints in the Renton area. Seems like Cedar River Smokehouse is the most popular, and they too are pretty good, and Gabby's in Skyway has very good ribs, as does Bill's Bodacious up on NE 4th St., but Sandra's place is worth a visit.

Renton Real Estate

2007-09-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

As Yogi Berra once said " Predictions are hard to make, especially about the future."
I am now a Real Estate Agent, something I could never have predicted in a million years.
What I have noticed is that there is an official line coming from the Real Estate industry, and then there is reality.
The industry line is that home prices in the Seattle area are continuing to rise, so you better buy that house right now before house prices go even higher.
....And yet, in the Seattle area right now, the number of homes for sale is way higher than a year ago, and the number of days houses are staying on the market is quite a bit longer than it was a year ago. So what does all that mean? Well, if it's taking longer for houses to sell, and there are more houses on the market, what's the next logical step? How about lower prices?
Yes, the employment picture around here is very good, and they do expect the population here to keep growing, but nationally, in many markets, including areas with healthy employment and growing populations, house prices are dropping. It happens. If you buy property now and hold on to it for a long time, chances are that you will do very well, but if you want to buy now and sell quickly, it may be frought with risk.
But many in the industry have blinders on, and say a price drop can't happen here.
Add to the mix that a number of people who were formerly eligible to buy homes can no longer qualify for loans due the subprime meltdown, and loan eligibility is being tightened for jumbo loans (that of 417,000 dollars and up), the immediate future doesn't look too rosy. But it's a mixed bag. Many Seattle houses would require a jumbo loan, so some of those folk (the smart ones) would look south to Renton, where you just get more house for your money. So maybe Renton home values will hold up better than other Seattle area homes.
So what's the point of all this?
I may be a Real Estate agent, but I'm telling you: It's going to be hard to find truly impartial advice from someone whose livelihood depends on a Real Estate commission. Some other agents and lenders will tell you to buy right now. They will also tell you to sell right now.
Me? I'd be happy to talk to you if you want to buy or sell a house right now, and I'd work my buns off trying to find you the right house at the right price, or ensuring that the house you wanted to sell received maximum exposure and looked sellable. But if you want to buy, and don't have to do it right away, I think it would be worth the risk of waiting a few months.

Freakazoid Freddy

The best Thai restaurant in the Seattle area?

2007-08-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago there weren't very many Thai restaurants in the Seattle area. They were a novelty and they were fun to go to, and the food tasted good, but nothing satisfied the flight crews of Thai Airways and their need for good and authentic cuisine. Then there was Bai Tong. It was located back then on the ground floor of the Jet Motel near Sea-Tac airport, and was started by a Thai Airways flight attendant to serve the pilots and crews of Thai Airways. Top chefs were flown in from Bangkok to keep the flight crews happy. The place later relocated to a former root beer stand on Pacific Highway South also near the airport, and they stayed there for almost twenty years.
Light rail construction has recently displaced them, and they have now relocated to 16876 Southcenter Parkway, Tukwila, near the mall. phone 206-575-3366 in swankier digs in a strip mall near Toy'R US.
I like Thai food , and feel lucky that we in Renton have Thai on Highlands and Royal Orchid.
They're good, but they're no Bai Tong. Bai Tong is pretty amazing, and very reasonably priced.
The place is very pretty and comfortable, and very professionally run. Menu items and flavors are different that most other Thai places, for example they feature a steamed salmon curry in banana leaves. Sauces are more complex than at other Thai places, and the place is just a notch or two better than most anywhere else. If you like Thai food, you'll love Bai Tong.
Prices are also a dollar or two per entree LESS than other Thai places. Go there!

What's Wrong With Cole Slaw?

2007-08-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Bases on a reader's recommendation , I tried the Williams Avenue Sports Bar and Eatery, 214 Williams Avenue S., Renton 98055, 425-277-2766.
Like many places, it has it's pluses and minuses.
Let's do the minuses first:
It's a dive bar. Oh, it's been remodeled and looks a lot nicer than it used to, but it's still a dive. Now, that's not a bad thing in my book as I feel perfectly comfortable and at home in dives, but not everyone feels the same way.
Second, service was really slow. It was a busy night. Beers, etc were brought promptly along with menus, but it seemed like forever til she came back to take our orders. Service was slow but friendly and pleasant.
Also, the music was really loud, and it has a jukebox, and other patron's music choices were not so great. Oh, Beatles and Johnny Cash were fine, but then it descended into loud heavy metal, and I'm a crotchedy old fart.
Finally, they don't have cole slaw. They have ribs and brisket, and cole slaw seems like a natural, but they don't have it.

Now for the pluses:
The food is really, really good, and inexpensive, and surprisingly sophisticated and well prepared for a dive. The ribs were great. Companions had Cobb salad and burgers, and raved about them.
The burger was huge, on a toasted bun. The fries are home made and exceptional, the best I've had in a long while. They even tasted good after they got cold.
If you just want to go to a tavern and have some great food to go along with it, and don't mind slow service and loud music, this is your place. It's mostly bar stools and pool tables, with only a couple of tables. If you want a quiet meal, go elsewhere. This is a tavern where people let loose.
But the quality of the food was a big surprise. It was great.

Freakazoid Freddy

What makes a restaurant great?

2007-07-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

Deciding whether or not one likes a restaurant is a very subjective thing. Just look at this blog and read some of the comments. For example, my co-authors love Royal Orchid, I think it's pretty good, and a reader thinks it's one of the worst in Renton.
I like Naan N' Curry, but a couple of readers regard it as one of the worst in Renton.
So what gives?
We like restaurants for different reasons, and have different expectations going into each one.
I like teriyaki joints, but I don't go in there expecting to see elegant surrounding and have a leisurely meal with great service. For a teriyaki joint, my goal is good, fast, filling, and cheap.
And I don't go into an elegant place seeking good, fast, filling, and cheap.
Very few places have the whole package.
So here's a few questions for the vast multitudes of readers( the 4 or 5 of you?)
1. Where in Renton do you like to go for inexpensive food that's better than average AND is accompanied by friendly service?
2. Where in Renton can serve as both a special occasion place but not be so expensive that it couldn't be a regular hangout?

My answers:

1. Aloha BBQ at 2439 Maple Valley Hwy, Renton. Great, inexpensive food. The daily specials rival the expensive, gourmet places in quality, taste and presentation.
Downside: It's not fast food. Either call in your order (425-271-4451) or be prepared to hang out a while. It's in a kind of scuzzy strip mall and could easily be mistaken for a fast food teriyaki type joint, but it's not. They're not real slow, but it takes a while to cook good food. Their hours are unpredictable, so it's a good idea to call first.

2. Red House Beer and Wine Shoppe, 410 Burnett Ave S., Renton 425-226-2666.
This is currently one of my favorites anywhere. It's just a tiny bit spendy. There is a lot of variety on the menu, so you don't have to spend a lot, but when I'm there I want to order too many things.
Service is great, and it's a fun atmosphere to hang out in. Genuinely festive without the fake frivolity that too many restaurants have. A comfortable, fun place. Gene and Houng Sens know how to run a restaurant. The place has a very distinct style. There are so many wine varieties that you could go there for a year every day and still not have sampled them all.
Most Wednesdays from 6PM-8PM they have wine tastings with an appetizer buffet for twenty dollars.

Other candidates? Let's hear 'em!

Freakazoid Freddy

Coffee, Chocolate and Ribs

2007-06-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

Seven or so years ago I'd quit drinking coffee, I was a semi vegetarian ( no red meat or chicken) and chocolate had absolutely no appeal.
So what happened? Well, I'm almost 50 years old, tastes change, and that "screw it all" attitude becomes more assertive.
Now I'm addicted to espresso, mostly roasting my own beans. Nothing satisfies quite like dark chocolate, and while I could be a vegetarian, I'd make an exception for RIBS!
Which is where this is all going:
Places worth noting:

CHOCOLATE:
Green Fresh Market 675 Rainier South, Renton, the Whole Foodsish type place, has an enormous variety of chocolate, and carries the Hatchez brand , perceived by some to be the world's best. It's made in Germany from Ecuadorian chocolate. My favorite is a 77% cocoa content chocolate with peanuts, and it's insanely good.

COFFEE:
Maybe not the best espresso in town, but Vince's Coffee, 401 Olympia Ave NE, 425-271-8820 across the street from Greenwood Cemetary amd Jimi Hendrix's grave, serves consistently good Caffe D'Arte coffee and free use of vibrating massage chairs.

RIBS!:
Gabby's Que at 12621 Renton Ave in beautiful downtown Skyway, 206-772-6110 , continues to serve much better than average BBQ Alabama style, with mustardy spicy cole slaw. Take Out only, or eat standing up.
Last but not least, the Best Damn Sports Bar, 12833 Martin Luther King Way S. (near the entrance to I-5 Northbound) now serves BBQ ribs, chicken and brisket, along with other bar foods, and karaoke. The place is a friendly dive, and the BBQ is much better than average . The collard greens are exceptional.

Freakazoid Freddy

Upscale Vietnamese in Renton?

2007-05-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are on a Vietnamese food kick. I have a co-worker from Vietnam, who has given us several recommendations in the International District: Tamarind Tree, Lemongrass, and (our undisputed favorite) Green Leaf. They are all excellent in their own way. Tamarind tree is a bit fancier and has excellent ambiance. Lemongrass serves home-style dishes in a small location in a strip mall, and Green Leaf is simply one of the best hole in the wall restaurants in the whole world--get there early or you will wait for hours for one of their scarce tables.

Try all of the above . . . but this blog is about Renton, and our little burg just graduated from the all-Pho-all-the-time Vietnamese that we've had for years, to a genuine Vietnamese dining experience. Lemon Leaf just opened in South Renton. They are too new to have a website or a phone book listing, but they are easy to find. Take 167 south to the 180th Ave S exit (the IKEA exit), and you will see a bright yellow sign straight ahead (across the street from the mega-plex movie theater). We saw said sign and went in after seeing Spider Man 3 (entertaining, but the least enjoyable of the three). The decor is beautiful. You can't tell from the outside, as it's just a strip mall, but the interior has a beautiful bar/dining area, including fire-side dining (if that's your thing) and some lovely tables by the front picture windows. The wait staff are all in vests and black tie, and I immediately felt underdressed.

They are clearly still getting their act together. We had to wait a few minutes to be seated because they ran out of menus (the resturaunt was only at 1/4 capacity!), and there was some confusion over where we would sit. We witnessed this confusion with every party that came in. Clearly the waitstaff is still figuring out how to run the place. My meal also came WAY before my wife's. Little things like that were annoying, but I'm sure they'll figure it out.

The menu is outstanding. It has all the best of Green Leaf and Tamarind Tree combined. With Bun (vermacelli noodles), crepes, and Pho, and many traditional dishes--even seven course beef! For an appetizer we had fresh spring rolls with Shrimp, which were great (reminicent of Green Leaf's) and for entrees wifey-pants got vegetarian Bun an I went exactly the other way, with Shake Shake Beef (chunks of Filet Mignon fried in garlic, onions, and spices). It was all really good. I think I would even say that it measures up nicely with the "classic" International District places that we love--ok, maybe not Green Leaf, but they're pretty close. Appetizers are $ 7-9, entrees are in the $10-$18 range and they have a full bar.

Great addition to Renton!

-TinFoilHat

Has Renton "Arrived"?

2007-04-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

For quite a few years Renton Chamber of Commerce types were talking up Renton as if it were a southern neighborhood of Bellevue. But the reality was that Renton was just the same gritty working class town it always was. But now it really is different. How do I know?
For one thing: wine tastings. Sure, there were wine tastings in Renton in the past, like when your buddy passed you the bottle of Muscatel in the brown paper bag.
Now, at least three places have wine tastings on a regular basis, and of the highest quality stuff.
And, more icing on the "Renton has arrived" cake, GreenFresh Market has opened.
They are located at 75 Rainier Avenue N, north of Airport Way heading towards Seattle. 206-772-6560. This is Renton's version of Whole Foods, just slightly smaller. It's a very pleasant place to shop, they have an extensive selection of organic items, including organic meat, and a lot of items you'd only see at PCC or Whole Foods. Right now they have generous samples of sandwiches, which are big and yummy and 5.99, on Essential Bread.
What did I find intriguing?
Hemp Protein Meal Replacement, with acai and brazil nuts.
Water Buffalo yougurt. How do you milk a water buffalo? Scuba divers go in and do the milking? Or do they somehow lure the water buffaloes out of the water?
Either way, I bought a container of it, and it's exceptionally good.
GreenFresh Market is a fun place to shop, and clearly not the kind of store that could have existed in Renton even just a couple of years ago.

The Worst Restaurant in Renton?

2007-04-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for suggestions here. where have you had a really godawful meal in or near Renton?
Been ignored for what seemed like hours? Had the food served cold, raw or burnt? Felt like you were in danger? Paid an awful lot of money for something really bad?
This is not limited to inexpensive places. Sometimes expensive fancy places can be downright horrible.
My current candidate is Mimosa's, formerly Lermonds, on Airport Way. It's not bad for breakfast. They have decent omelettes and standard pancakes, but for dinner?
What if you want them to substitute for the potato? "Do you have any green vegetable?"
Corn and peas, both out of a can. Torn seats.
The place is inexpensive, which is it's saving grace, but for dinner it makes Denny's look like Ray's Boathouse. Hell, it makes Tommy's look like a gourmet joint.
Can you top it?

Two new places to try

2007-04-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

1. Went to Spiffy's Bar and Grill last week (917 S. 3rd St, Renton), in the old Armando's space at 3rd and Main. They're newly open, and are doing a "soft landing" with a very limited food menu for the first few weeks. But they have a full bar selection.
It's a soul food place, with a full bar, and will have music/dancing later on. I think I may have spied Jamil Johnson in the kitchen, one of the areas premier soul food chefs....
So what's to like, what's not to like?
The atmosphere is very pleasant. I always liked the old Armando's space, and Spiffy's did a nice job with the space. The service is friendly and attentive, even if the waitress did spill cold water onto the lap of one of my dining companions. These things happen. When I bussed tables (100 years ago) I spilled a full glass of milk into a woman's open purse while she and her party were in the rest room. I closed the purse and hid in the kitchen.
The food at Spiffy's is good, if you like soul food. I do. But all they really had to offer was fried chicken and smothered pork chops. The chicken was great and there was a lot of it. Sides include collards, cabbage, yams, corn bread. They plan on adding home made desserts and catfish in the near future.
But soul food is kind of heavy. My dining companions would have preferred to have some lighter options, not fried, maybe some entree salads?
As it was, the chicken was fine, as were the greens and cabbage. Some people prefer crunchier veggies, but I enjoyed these "cooked to death" veggies with pork. So what? This is not a health food restaurant. But I do hope they add a few healthier options. It'd be good for business.

Cafe Vignole is also newly opened, 9252 57th Ave S, Seattle (Rainier Beach),206-721-2267.
I haven't tried them yet ( I tried to go for lunch a few days ago and they were closed).
They are a soul food/Italian food combination. From what I understand, it's an African-American woman married to an Italian man...I like soul food, I like Italian food, what could be so bad? They have live jazz on Friday nights, and there are no posted hours on the door.
I happen to like places that offer unusual combinations. JapanThai in Renton used to be a big favorite(they are now closed), and there used to be a French/Japanese place in Seattle and a Pakistani/Middle Eastern/Italian place in Bellevue that was great. In LA I saw a Jewish/Mexican place but didn't stop in.
Soul/Italian has great potential.

Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes

2007-03-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes recently opened in downtown Renton ( 900 S. 3rd, 425-235-1717), and they seem to have become immediately popular.
What are they doing right? And do they deserve to have a bang up business right out of the gate?

1. Cupcakes are trendy. They may be full of fat and sugar and white flour, but they're delicious and addictive. Common Ground always has about eight different varieties on hand, made on the premises, including chocolate, coconut, strawberry, vanilla, etc. They even have a sugar free, splenda sweetened cupcake, which I had and loved.

2. The place is classy looking, in an upscale hip kind of way, with comfortable leather chairs and nice wood furniture. They spent some money on this place...It's tasteful looking.

3. They use Caffe D'Arte coffee, which is one of the better roasters around here, and they have nice large ceramic cups for the "for here" orders. They do pretty "latte art", like the foam in the shape of a heart.

4. Service is friendly and efficient.

So what's not to like?

Really I have only minor quibbles. I prefer funky places for espresso, like the Jet City down the road full of tacky and kitschy stuff, places that don't even try to be sophisticated.
Not that there's anything wrong with class and sophistication. I was not uncomfortable at Common Grounds. It's a pleasant place, and the cupcakes are great.
But it's also a bit expensive.
I've always been partial to gargantuan portions, and cupcakes are like done in two bites.
A 12 oz double with a cupcake cost six dollars plus.
But it's not more expensive than Starbucks, and a better place to hang out for my money.

DC's Bar and Grill and Touchdowns

2007-03-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

I know that I've been pretty lame as a contributor to this blog--Thanks to Freddy for picking up the slack . . . er, writing the whole thing for the past year or so. I thought I would chime in here to talk about two new restaurants in Renton that Freddy told us would be opening.

My wife and I went to Touchdowns--formerly All-City Diner (423 Airport Way, Renton, WA (425) 228-7281) twice in the past two weeks, and we also tried DC's Bar and Grill (on the East end of 3rd Street in downtown Renton). The food and service at each was surprisingly good, and I can safely say that Renton no longer has a sports-bar deficiency. They have totally different "vibes" though, which bears some explanation:

Touchdowns: This is a mega-sports bar, the kind that I was used to seeing all over the midwest when I was growing up (you may ask why I grew up in bars, but that's another story for another time). It has a bazillion TVs all over the place (there must be 15 flat screens around the bar alone), and a giant projection TV in the main room. They also have pool and darts (and pull-tabs if you like that sort of thing). It has a bit of "regular guy" kind of feel to it, and both times we've been there, a percentage of the crowd has been made up for loud drunks with a point to make--and we've only been for lunch! The food, while definitely bar food, is well prepared, with large portions, and a few surprising touches. The first time, I had the "Roast Beef on Weck"--which is a midwest staple--and it was great. The bread was fresh and tasty, and the beef was tender and cooked just right. It also came with some fresh horseradish sauce that, while painful to the sinuses, was excellent. The second time, I had the bacon cheesburger (can you tell I'm a healthy eater?), and it was outstanding. Huge, with four slices of crisp thick-cut peppered bacon. We also shared the nachos which were huge and very good. Not microwaved as far as we could tell, and with real cheese. They have some more expensive dishes on the menu (steaks, salmon, etc.) and we didn't try those, but from what we saw of the plates around us the food all looked very appetizing. Prices are about what you'd expect--~$8.99 for a burger, and the most expensive thing on the menu is a little under $20.

As a sports bar, it's pretty incredible, and if you want to see a specific game--it's your best bet, with all of those TVs in different rooms and areas, you could probably catch just about anything. They also have little audio boxes for the tables so you can listen to the sound on any of the TVs.

DC's Bar and Grill
At the east end of the 3rd Street in Renton (near the old Armando's location) , DC's Bar and Grill sits with with a little, unassuming sign, and a few neon beer signs in the window. This place reminded me of some of the little neighborhood hangouts I've visted in Brooklyn while visiting friends in NYC. It's nice, clean, smallish, and all done in wood paneling, and the servers spend a lot of time chating with you and getting to know you. It's a very friendly place, and they're clearly quite proud of it. They're happy to recommend menu items and tell you how they prepare things. I get the sense that it's a place where the owners might be a little new to the restaurant game, and they're pretty excited/worried about getting it right (which is great for the patrons). It was pretty empty when we got there (around 5:30pm), but it was 1/4 full by the time we left--Not too bad for a weeknight. They've got a more low-key approach to the "sports bar thing" than Touchdowns, with six flat panel TVs set high on the wall around the perimeter of the resturant. They also have a pool table.

The food was really good. It's a small menu and they have the obligatory bar food--According to the server they make everything from scratch except the mozzarella sticks--they also have some nice options that you wouldn't expect. I had a chicken dish with a white cream sauce over rice, and my wife had fish and chips--which (according to the server) was fresh halibut with a home-made breading. She loved it. He also told us that the burgers were great--hand made and 2/3 pounds before cooking--I think that's what I'll have next time. Prices were about the same as Touchdowns for comparable items.

Summary
Both places definitely add something to Renton, and I'd go to both again in a heartbeat. Touchdowns is more of a loud, active sportsbar (I'd hate to be in there during a Seahawks game) where you can throw a few back with Renton's more notable opinionated drunks, while DC's is more of place to have a quiet meal and watch the Mariners (if they can stop sucking), while chatting with your friends and neighbors. I'm always happy when one decent place opens in Renton--I'm ecstatic that we have two new ones.

--Tin Foil Hat

Pho Saigon

2007-02-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

Pho Saigon is located at 924 Bronson Way South in Renton, 425-917-0305 near the intersection of S. 2nd St, and Main Avenue South. The menu tells you to "save your value money."
I always take it as a good sign when menus have incorrect grammar or spelling, thinking that more energy will be devoted to producing good food. Pho Saigon bears this out.
It's good. It's cheap. It's fast. It's friendly.
I'm not positive how to pronounce "pho." I know it's not "foe". But I've heard "fuh" as in "duh" and Foo as in "foot".
Either way, Pho Saigon has lots of pho and many other Vietnamese and Thai dishes for both meat eaters and vegetarians. Very popular there are the salad rolls (rice paper spring rolls filled with shrimp and pork). There are many Thai soups and rice and noodle dishes. I had lemon grass chicken(5.75), something I like almost everywhere, and it didn't disappoint at Pho Saigon. Diane had Mongolian Beef(5.75), which was especially flavorful and tender.
Drinks include bubble teas and a blended avocado drink.
Tofu is also plentiful on the menu.
Pho Saigon has been around for 17 years, so they must be doing something right.
There's lots to like about the place. Entrees top out at 6.75.
The latest trend in trendy restaurants is to serve tiny portions of weird but fresh food at high prices ( "tonight's special will be a pigeon entrail with a fresh tarragon beurre blanc served with roasted corn for 25.95.") Those don't tend to be my kind of places, especially if I'm paying. The food almost always tastes better if someone else is paying. I do like fancy places, but there's clearly a place for places like Pho Saigon. May they continue to do what they've been doing for the last 17 years. I'll be back there again.

The Renton Supersonics

2007-02-14T15:26:00.000-08:00

It has been announced the Sonics have chosen Renton as the site for their new arena, pending funding by the State and City of Renton.

So, is this a good thing or not?

Me, I like basketball. I have followed the Sonics for almost 30 years, and I follow the sport. I played basketball as a younger person, and was never any good, but now I'm old, fat, and slow, and still short.
I have fond memories of the Sonics '79 NBA championship. I also think an arena in Renton would be good for the city's coffers, and for bars and restaurants nearby.. I'd love to see them come here. BUT WAIT!!!
My opinion over the years has hardened over public subsidies of privately owned arenas.
There are some pressing needs in this state, and taxes can be stretched only so far.
Whether it's Paul Allen we're subsidizing or Clay Bennett (new Sonics owner), do they really need us to build them an arena? Aren't they gazillionaires?
I'd prefer not to see the Sonics leave for Oklahoma City...I might even be okay with having taxpayers fork up 25% of the total cost involved, but geesh! It's like Robin Hood in reverse: Taking money from the pockets from ordinary working stiffs and giving it to the richest folks in the country, who will then charge 60 bucks for tickets to this arena. No thanks. As far as I'm concerned, if Clay Bennett is not willing to pay for the vast majority of a new arena, he can ride his horse back to Oklahoma, and take the Sonics with him.
But I'm just not that strongly principled. If the Sonics do actually move here to Renton, I'll probably go to a few games a year.
But, y'know what?
It ain't gonna happen. It's not like the '95 Mariners, where the state legislature overrode the vote of the people because the M's were in a playoff chase, and it seemed at that point that the voters regretted their vote.
Now, the Sonics just plain suck. If they started winning, there might be more interest on the part of residents and politicians to keep the team in the Seattle area, but as I see it, it won't be the Renton Supersonics, but the Oklahoma City Soonersonics.

My Eldorado

2007-01-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

My Eldorado is a brand new supermarket in Skyway, at 68th and Renton Avenue, in the space formerly occupied by Saar's, and many other businesses before them.
It's a clean and pleasant place to shop. prices are not especially low, but they have a large variety of meat and produce, and a fairly large selection of Russian and Kosher foods.
It is going to become a member only store, with a multi level marketing approach, so that if you sign up new members, you get a kickback and additional discounts.
On the face of it, it sounds weird to me. For the first month or so, memberships will be one dollar, and then go up to thirty five.
To me, it's a pain in the ass to "join" a supermarket, and I'm not about to recruit people to go by their cornflakes at a particular store. For that very reason, I let my Costco membership lapse a while back, and this place ain't Costco.
However, for the time being it is a pleasant place to shop, the quality of goods is decent, and the folks working there are friendly.
I wish them luck.

Viet Wah and other tidbits

2007-01-29T10:37:00.000-08:00

Viet Wah has recently opened a Renton outpost, at 2820 NE Sunset, aka SR 900, in the Renton highlands.
Viet Wah is a fun place to shop. Seattle has long had Uwajimaya as it's giant Asian supermarket, and Viet Wah is similar. Yes, you can buy eel or yam noodles or many varieties of soy sauce, but Viet Wah also carries kleenex and hot dogs and milk.
Viet Wah also caters to the neighborhood. In this case, a nice selection of Mexican cheeses, meats, and spices.
Viet Wah has fresh seafood, including fresh salmon, smoked salmon, shrimp, crab, etc.
And a butcher counter with very reasonably priced and decent quality steaks, chops, and ribs.
And plenty of stuff unfamiliar to many of us.

On another note, Aloha BBQ (2439 Maple Valley Hwy) remains open. They have had landlord troubles and family illness, and are looking for someone take over their lease and then perhaps find another location.
Hours are 3-6PM Monday, 3-10PM Tuesday-Friday, and 4-10PM Sat and Sun. Phone # is 425-271-4451.
The place remains an excellent and very reasonably priced place. It is a Filipino and Japanese influenced Hawaiian restaurant with daily specials. Last time I was there the specials were Southern style BBQ ribs and pulled pork with beans. The beans were right up there with the best I've ever had.

Alas, Cocina Marina in Skyway is gone, at least temporarily. The big windstorm of December caused damage to their kitchen (tree crashed through the roof). Repairs are being done to the place, but it's unlikely the same folks will return to run it.

Gabby's Q is open in the 12600 block of Renton Avenue in Skyway, 7 days a week from 5PM, between the nail shop and the Beachcomber Tavern. This is a foodie find. Not the most savory of neighborhoods, but definitely savory food.

When bad things happen to good restaurants

2007-01-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have the misfortune of being attracted to little hole in the wall restaurants in out of the way locations. An out of the way location might be to your advantage if you're running a meditation retreat, but it's generally not a good thing if it's a restaurant you've got.
On that note...
Cocina Marina of Skyway appears to be closed. At least it was when it shouldn't have been, twice in the last week or so. The place had been El Tapatio for a million years, and did well. It was succeeded by El Agave, a place I liked that didn't last long, and more recently by Cocina Marina. Had the restaurant been located on Queen Anne or in Wallingford, there would be people lined up outside. But as they say in the real estate world, location, location,location. It doesn't help that Skyway is thought of as a neighborhood you risk getting shot in. Personally, for me, it's worth the risk if the reward will be a good enchilada, or pizza, or ribs.
Speaking of Skyway, Gary Pollard has opened Gabby's Q, a take out BBQ joint in Skyway next to the Beachcomber Tavern and the nail salon. I've known Gary for a few years, as we are now both ex Metro transit employees. His barbecue is one of a kind, as he hails from Alabama. His coleslaw is spicy and unusual, full of jalapenos and mustard.
The sauce is slightly sweet and quite good. The meats are all fine and tender.

And finally, my Renton restaurant of the year for 2006, Aloha BBQ, is for sale, due to family illness.
It is still open and operated by the same people. The food is great, portion sizes are ridiculously large, prices are low.
A special last week was Pork ribs with grilled salmon. Oh My God! Was it good!
...So get there before the ownership changes. I've reviewed it previously and it saddens me to no end that ownership is changing. You just don't find creative cooking of fresh food at low prices at many places, served by nice people.
This has been one of those cursed locations..I remember it as a good Mexican place, then a mediocre teriyaki joint, then a Vietnamese place, and finally Aloha Hawaiian BBQ, which has had far more business than it's predecessors, because it was, and is, so good.

The Busiest day in Renton restaurant history

2006-12-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

Friday December 15th had to have been the busiest day in Renton restaurant history.
Much of the Seattle area was without power due to the windstorm, but downtown Renton was literally a beacon of light and heat.
I had the great idea to take myself out for breakfast, since the house was cold and dark. Lots of others had the same idea.
Tommy's had a line outside the door, as did Mimosa. I then drove up the hill to Plum Delicious and it too was mobbed, so I drove back into downtown Renton and found refuge at Rubbatino's, the hole in the wall on 3rd Street, across from Naan N Curry. Rubbatino's is the oldest continously operating restaurant in Renton. They claim to have Renton's best breakfast. Like every other restaurant in downtown Renton, it too was crowded, but I was able to get a counter seat and enjoyed warmth, coffee, and Pork Chops and eggs.
That evening, Diane and I tried to find an open restaurant. Naan N Curry was mobbed, as was La Hacienda, as was the alehouse. We ended up at Cedar River Smokehouse and ate, but after we got served they announced that they had run out of food.

On another note, Thai #1 & Pho Cafe has opened in the Safeway mall of Downtown Renton.
203 S. 2nd Street Suite B 425-277-6909.
It's good, it's cheap. They have a pretty good selection of both Thai and Vietnamese food, including Red, Green and Panang curries, Vietnamese and Thai soups and salads, bubble teas, Mango and Green Tea ice cream, tempura, miso soup, mussels, etc.
The menu tops out at 7.95.
For me, it's close, convenient, open til 9:30 7 days a week, and it's good.
Which reminds me, if anyone wants to open a Japanese place and looking for a name, how about Miso Horny?
...And Touchdowns Restaurant and Bar has opened in the space formerly occupied by the All City Diner on Airport Way in Renton. At "press time" it hadn't yet been sampled, but your faithful scribe will sample and report soon.

Armando's Cafe Italiano

2006-12-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

Armando's Cafe Italiano 310 Wells Avenue S., Renton WA 98055 425-228-0759 www.armandos.com
Armando's is a long established, very successful, and highly acclaimed restaurant in downtown Renton. It's not one of my regular haunts, but over the years I have sampled almost everything on the menu, and was just there again a few days ago.
A few months ago Armando's moved around the corner into a new, larger location.
The new location is pretty, with a fireplace and Armando's own blown glass throughout.
So...is Armando's really all that?
Well, it has it's pluses and minuses.
The pluses? The food is very good. Chicken Armando is, to me, their signature dish, a chicken breast baked with mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, white wine, and parmesan.
Pastas are all very good. Steamed mussels are delicious. Pizza is baked in a wood fired brick oven. Prawns Palermo are sauteed with artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, feta, and tomatoes.
So what's not to like?
Well, I tell you: Years ago there were only two Italian restaurants in downtown Renton: Armando's and Gene's. You couldn't be a huge fan of both places, it had to be one or the other, like a New Yorker can't be both a Met fan AND a Yankee fan.
I was a Gene's person, and I still miss Gene's. The big difference was service. Part of Gene's philosophy was making people feel at home and comfortable and well taken care of. He made sure that he hired people who went out of their way to make your experience there feel special. The food was probably equal to Armando's, all things considered, some things better, some not as good, but it was slightly less expensive, and just more fun to go there.
Armando's is lacking in the service department. It's not that they don't try, but I don't think Armando values service very highly. He tends to hire 17 year olds who mumble. I'm aging and my hearing isn't as good as it once was. Armando's is somewhat noisy, so I'd appreciate louder waitpeople who enunciated, instead of softspoken mumblers.
Entrees at Armando's range from 11.95 to 17.95.
Armando, who is a Renton High School graduate, also owns the Melrose Grill, located diagonally across the street from Armando's. I love the Melrose Grill.
Don't get me wrong, I like Armando's and will continue to patronize them. But I don't love the place and things bother me about the place.
For instance, I asked for them to hold the pasta on my order of Chicken Armando.
The server asked if I wanted grilled veggies instead. Sure! And they were good!
But don't you think it ought to have been mentioned at the time that they would charge me an extra dollar for them?
I would have happily paid it, but not mentioning the extra charge just strikes me as a chickenshit way to steal extra money.
On the 0-4 scale?
Food=3.75 Atmosphere=3.5 Service= 2.0 Value=2.0

Renton Rumblings

2006-11-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

DC's Bar and Grill will be opening within the next week on 3rd in downtown Renton, and will be followed shortly thereafter by Stiffy's Bar & Grill in the spot formerly housing Armando's. Around the corner will be Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes at 3rd and Wells. Mmmm, cupcakes!
Gaby's Que is opening in Skyway in the 12600 block of Renton Avenue.

Freakazoid Freddy does Hot Springs, Arkansas

2006-11-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Diane and I just spent the last few days in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Why?
I like to seek off the beaten path places, whether they be restaurants or vacation spots, and Hot Springs qualifies.
When a genius acts on his obsessions, this may result in far reaching consequences to the world. When an idiot acts on his obsessions....maybe he goes to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Actually, Hot Springs is a beautiful place. Downtown Hot Springs is surrounded by a national park. It's in the Ouachita Mountains, much smaller than mountains around here, but plenty scenic.
Hot Springs was formerly a major resort destination. Mineral water emerges from the ground at 140 degrees there, and huge bathhouses and hotels were developed around this phenomenon. The bathhouses still exist, grand turn of the century structures. Only one currently functions as a bathhouse, but another functions as the National Park headquarters, and several others are in the process of being restored. The city also has some beautiful old hotels that still maintain their elegance.
Up until about 40 years ago, Hot Springs was also a major mob influenced gambling mecca, and some of the old and gorgeous downtown buoldings were built as casinos. The town fell into disfavor and disrepair as mineral baths became out of fashion and as the gambling houses were shut down.
In recent years, Hot Springs has seen something of a resurgence, as artists have discovered the town and taken over vacant spaces and opened galleries. We were there for part of the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, held at an ancient movie house that now mostly serves as a theatre of magic.
Hot Springs is also the city Bill Clinton spent his formative years in.
Nowadays, Hot Springs is a surprisingly diverse and cosmpolitan city for it's size, surrounded by a lot of natural beauty.
We arrived in town in time for the Arlington Hotel's Sunday brunch. The Arlington is the fanciest place downtown, built in 1912. It remains elegant. The brunch was damn good! Somewhat akin to Salty's at Alki,with lots of seafood, a waffle bar, an omelette bar and they make doughnuts! on site, the best doughnuts I've ever eaten.
That evening, after hiking and napping, we dined at Cajun Boilers, an excellent place near Lake Hamilton, inexpensive and featuring wonderful seafood in many forms. I had spicy catfish and four kinds of shrimp, with peanut butter pie for dessert. Diane had shrimp scampi, garlicky, buttery, and very fresh.
Monday, we went to Mollie's, the only Jewish deli in the state of Arkansas, a place that had been there since the 1940's. There's nothing like having an elderly Jewish Arkansan waitress come up to you and ask "Y'all gonna have the Matzoh Ball soup?"
After more hiking, napping, and driving around exploring the area, dinner meant barbecue.
Arkansas is famous for barbecue, and while I might praise a Seattle or Renton area BBQ joint, it all pales compared to Arkansas.
Monday, we went to Stubby's, a place operating since the 1940's. Good, tangy, vinegary sauce and much better than average ribs.
Tuesday, lunch was at Smokin in Style BBQ. Incredible ribs served with incredible fries (best I've eaten on both counts).
One cannot be in Hot Springs and not go to McClard's, thought of in foodie circles as one of the best BBQ joints in the US, and a favorite of Bill Clinton's. Photos of Clinton are all over the walls, and of other celebrities who proclaim McClard's the finest in the land.
The place has been there since 1928, and had an old diner-like atmosphere with counter stools and chrome, and had a fun, relaxing atmosphere. They also only take cash. Had I not overdosed on BBQ the previous two meals, I too might have proclaimed it to be the best.
And the ribs were excellent, and like Smokin in Style, it's neighbor down the street, it also came with fries. And they too were far better than average, but not quite as crispy crunchy as it's rival. All in all I'd say Smokin In Style gets the nod, except for atmosphere.
There were many other restaurants we didn't get a chance to try, including a tapas bar, several Italian places, and an all you can eat fried chicken, frogs legs, and shrimp buffet.
Hot Springs is a fun and funny place, an island of free thinkers ( at least some of 'em) in a sea of Southern Baptists. We had a good time. Now I have to lose some weight.

Where do the huddled masses eat?

2006-10-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Where the Red House is disputably Renton's hippest restaurant, King Buffet, 20 SW 7th St, Renton 228-3666 is disputably Renton's least hip place.
Let me state unequivocally that I don't require hipness to enjoy a restaurant (or even good food: I like Tommy's) but King Buffet leaves me with nausea and gastrointestinal distress every time I've eaten there.
My sister loves the place, says the food is really good.
And if I weren't so senile, I'd remember why I eat there so rarely.
The place is huge, and there is plenty of food to choose from, including sushi, Mongolian grill, salads, soups, meats, veggies, etc.
It's also an extremely popular place. Many places are closed on Mondays because it is a slow night for restaurants, but not King Buffet. They were quite busy last night, and the buffet fans were quite varied.
There were African- Americans, Honkies ( including Russian speaking honkies), Asians, Mexicans, Arabs, and Africans all fighting for their share of the buffet table, huddled masses yearning to breathe free. After eating there, breathing at all is difficult.
The place definitely has that "feeding trough" feel to it.
I'm not against buffet places, in fact I like the idea of eating mass quantities of food I like.
But the problem with King Buffet is not only the crowds, but the food.
Very uninspired greasy unidentifiable fried shit, vegetables swimming in grease, a Mongolian grill full of mystery meat...and a lot of the stuff, in different trays with different labels, all tastes alike.
Yes, I am guilty of eating too much there. I really ought to limit overeating to food I like.
Given the choice of eating there or one of these fake festive chain restaurants intent on "upselling", I'd have thought I'd died and gone to hell.
Is King Buffet my least favorite Renton restaurant?
I don't know, but it's at least a runner up.

Gene- ius: Red House Beer and Wine

2006-10-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Gene Sens and his wife Hoang are long time Renton restauranteurs.
25 years ago Gene had a pizza stand in the old Renton Food Circus, near where the downtown Fred Meyer store is. Later on he and Hoang owned and operated Gene's, which is now Vino on s. 3rd St, downtown Renton. Even when living in Seattle, we would come down to Gene's for dinner. The food was creative, the atmposphere always pleasant, and prices too low.
After running the place for 15+ years, Gene and Hoang were tired, and sold the place. They "retired", but not for too long. Gene also started and later sold Jubilante, and designed the menu at the Dog and Pony. He's one of those people who goes into the restaurant business to share good food and provide gathering places rather than to make money.
A few years ago, he and Hoang opened Red House Beer and Wine, 410 Burnett Ave S, 425-226-2666, redhousebeerandwine.com
...Doesn't matter what kind of restaurant Gene runs, it will have a distinctive Gene style, and I will like it. Music will always be eclectic, food will always be good, and the place will exhude a certain hipness and warmth. RedHouse has a huge selection of beer and wine, and you can buy a bottle or a six pack and take it home and drink it. Or you can stay and enjoy the wide variety of tapas, appetizers,salads and the like. Since opening, they have expanded the menu to include entrees.
We went on Friday night. The place was deservedly busy. The old Gene's, which was an Italian restaurant, had the the best antipasto in the entire world. Red House also has a very good antipasto, which includes olives, roasted peppers, smoked salmon pate, a variety of cheeses, and salumi, probably Pino Rogano locally made artisan cured meat.
A special on friday was Rib Eye Steak, and rivaled the Melrose in tenderness and flavor. (That's a big compliment.)
We all shared everything, including pasta with dungeness crab and cream sauce(YUM!), and spicy grilled shrimp, and steamed clams...An intriguing future order will include Hangar Steak and White King Salmon.
We didn't have dessert, because we were stuffed to the gills ( although at times that fact hasn't stopped me before.)
But if the desserts are anything at all like Gene's used to be, watch out! They're too good.
Hoang did a lot of the dessert baking, Gene baked the bread. The apple pie at Gene's years later remains to this day the best I've eaten.
Red House is a great place.

Skyway has a good restaurant

2006-10-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

I reviewed Cocina Marina in July, and recently returned.
Once again, I'm astounded by the quality of the food.
Skyway is not the neighborhood for restaurants of quality, but Cocina Marina, 11839 Renton Avenue S, 206-772-3054, is actually a place of gourmet aspirations. And not especially Mexican, even though it is a Mexican restaurant. But then again, there are numerous restaurants in Mexico that are not especially Mexican.
Cocina Marina has a number of pasta dishes on the menu, including what I ordered, prawns scampi alfredo, and boy was it good! Jumbo prawns butterflied and garlicky, served atop a creamy parmesany fettucine.
A nightly special included a mixed seafood soup, which included crab, salmon, and shrimp, with a delicious broth.
Other menu items include a tuna sandwich made with fresh grilled yellowfin tuna, grilled salmon, and NY steak.
Many entrees and served with garlic toast rather than tortillas.
Latino karaoke is Friday and Saturday. Latin dancing on Sunday. And English karaoke on Thursday nights. The bar looks very inviting and friendly, the restaurant fairly unremodeled.
Food is close to excellent, service is friendly but slow, atmosphere is seedy but safe, and the food, while a little pricier than standard Mexican fare , is actually a good value considering the quality and taste of the food.
How long a gourmet restaurant in Skyway can last is anybody's guess. But they've lasted since July, and hopefully for many more years.

Renton Has Many Mediocre Restaurants

2006-10-08T16:16:00.000-07:00

Most of Renton's restaurants fall into the mediocre category. There are a few exceptions:
The Melrose, The Red House, Aloha BBQ, Armando's and maybe a couple of others are quite good.
A few, like Mimosa and their limp yellow lettuce at the salad bar, only aspire to mediocrity.
Last night we dined at the Yankee Grill & Roaster, 1 Grady Way, 255-8543.
The Yankee's Ballard branch opened with much fanfare and acclaim about twenty years ago, and their Renton branch has been here about seven years. I believe they have seen a couple of ownership changes since then.
The Yankee Grill is the Holiday Inn's in- house restaurant. It, like most of it's Renton restaurnat brethren, falls into the mediocre category.
The menu is kind of upscale-ambitious, including salmon and a catch of the day, as well as rotisserie beef and turkey and smoked chicken.
Salads include a smoked salmon Caesar, a tossed Cobb salad, and a smoked chicken curry sald made with mandarin orange and walnut.
The place has a dark wood fancy restaurant feel, and lotss of historical Renton photos.
They're famous for large portions of classic American dishes like meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
So, foodwise, I'd say they're better than average..portions are large and everything is fairly fresh.
Service is friendly but somewhat slow and not especially competent.
I ordered a Diet Pepsi (2.49) and was never offered a refill. I don't mind paying 2.49 for a soda, if they're offering to refill my glass every ten minutes or so.
The atmosphere is pleasant..It's a good looking place with a gas fireplace and handsome wood.
Prices are way too high..they think they're all that.
It's not the worst restaurant in Renton by a long shot. The food is pretty good, just not worth their menu prices.

Applebee's now has a Renton location

2006-10-06T09:06:00.000-07:00

Applebee's is not the kind of restaurant I generally go to or like. I tend to shun big national chains, and Applebee's, like some other big national chains, has this contrived festivity about it.
Nonetheless, almost next door to the Renton Village 8 movie theatre ( 375 Grady Way, 425-687-1200), Applebee's recently opened in Renton, and is not lacking in customers.
And...you know what? It's not that bad.

The menu is extensive, giving choices to all kinds of tastes, and the food is clearly a notch above a Sheri's or a Denny's.

They've teamed up with The Food Network's celebrity chef Tyler Florence to feature some of his recipes, and the "crispy brick chicken" is really quite good..crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and grilled with rosemary, lemon and olive oil.
Other Tyler Florence creations include a penne pasta with a tomato cream sauce, ripe tomatoes, peas, and sausage, a bruschetta burger, and an herb roasted chicken.

Items on the regular menu include good salads, like a steakhouse salad, apple walnut salad, and a Southwest Cobb.
Honey Grilled salmon looked good on an neighboring table's plate, but I didn't order it, nor ask the person at the next table for a bite.
Tuesdays and Thursdays feature all you can eat riblets.
Okay, what's a riblet? Even after ordering it, I can't tell you. It's not bad, not BBQ smoked as I prefer, but not bad, and the BBQ sauce is mediocre, but the meat's tasty, whatever it is...how does the saying go " If you have to ask, you don't really want to know the answer, as in "How do you make sausage?"

Service is fairly quick, friendly and efficient. Prices aren't bad, mostly 8.99-12.99, except for burgers, wraps, and sandwiches.

So really there is stuff to like about the place.
One clever thing Applebee's does is make each location "local."
The Renton location has historical Renton pictures, sports memorabilia from Renton high school teams, photos of Ichiro, etc.

So what don't I like about the place?
1. The fake festivity. I don't need to be fuc*ing happy to eat in a restaurant.
2. I know it's their job, but I've got a menu: Waitstaff don't need to "sell" certain items.."Can I start you out with some mozarella sticks?" or "How about dessert, how about some mud pie?"
3. The music. 80's rock. Feh.

Mud pie. Riblets. What the hell are these things, really?

All in all, I will continue to dine at Applebee's on occasion. The food is better than similarly priced restaurants, and it's a convenient location.
But is this ever going to be a restaurant I'm going to say I love?
Never.