Oh My Mac N Cheesy Goodness!!

Honestly as a child I don't remember having mac n cheese, certainly not from a box.  My Mom wasn't the "from a box" kind of cook.   I do remember; however, making mac n cheese for my own children out of a box and if I was feeling especially creative adding hot dogs or chili.  Hey, don't judge! It takes a lot of energy at the end of the day to make something your kids will eat!  I do love mac n cheese.  Creamy, with a sharp bite and a crusty top.  In light of my love for mac n cheese and the current trend for upscaling some of our most traditional and ordinary dishes, I decided to go on a "macabout", you know sort of like a walkabout only involving food!  My Dad's nickname was Mac and he could be pretty cheesy, my grandsons nickname is Mak and he is definitely a cheeser, but let's begin our exploration of some different macs. 

Bite at the Murano
1320 Broadway Plaza
Tacoma WA  98402

No bite at the Bite, all velvety earthy and even looks like a cloud (I mean look at that dish...it looks like you could lay your head on it).  Three cheeses, truffle oil and shaved truffles, it's $15 and worth every creamy bite. 

Crown Bar
2705 6th Ave.
Tacoma WA  98406

Made with Cougar Gold cheese, great bite.  Let me make one caveat, it has a great bite "sometimes".  It seems inconsistent, one time way too salty, one time no bite.  Most of the time great though!  A small is $7 and large is $12.  No reason to mess around with a small!

Top of Tacoma Bar
3529 McKinley Ave.
Tacoma WA  98404

Order it with prosciutto and tomato - that's all I'm gonna say, I mean really it's amazing!  $9.50 add $1.50 for the tomato and prosciutto.  It comes with salad and garlic bread, it's the best deal.

Joule
1913 N 45th St.
Seattle WA  98103

Crunchy and wonderful. Made with spaetzle and black sesame seeds, loved the contrast of the creamy inside and the crispy outside.  $10

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the great mac n cheese in the Puget Sound but rather a broad sampling and I do mean broad,  from Joule (Rachel Yang of Iron Chef Fame) to the wonderfully gritty Top of Tacoma bar...you can't say I don't get around!  There will be more mac n cheese to come, I want to try Rosewood Cafe and Stink in Tacoma and JW's in Gig Harbor.  Any other suggestions?

Japonessa - Seattle

So my daughter had been watching a little too much Anthony Bourdain (I know...not really possible) and had a craving for some fresh seafood, so we planned a shopping trip to Seattle followed by dinner.  I did a little research and found Japonessa. It's a newer restaurant opened by Executive Chef/Owner Billy Beach of Umi Sake House which I love so I decided this had to be good.  Japonessa is billed as a sushi cocina..sushi with a latin twist, again this sounded like a lovely thing! The location is great for exploring Seattle and then having dinner, it's on 1st Ave just across from the market and on the opposite corner from the Seattle Art Museum.  That being said, parking isn't really easy but my recommendation is just park at SAM, it's a little more money but worth the convenience.  The chic vibe in this restaurant really lets you know that you are having a night out in downtown Seattle.   We had reservations (which are recommended) and were seated promptly.  One of my pet peeves is when you have reservations and they make you wait a half hour, but if you would have been a half hour late they would have given your table away.  I would have to say that if you have a choice do not sit at the tables along the back wall.  It's a long bench with tables and chairs that are WAY too close to each other.  The couple next to us was on their first date and I could tell you their names, favorite wine, food and dating history.  If you needed to get up from the table you had be strategic in order to not point your derriere inches away from your fellow diners.  Okay, enough with the boring logistics and on to food.
This gorgeous restaurant has an amazingly huge happy hour that lasts pratically all day from 11:30 - 6:30 in the restaurant and from 6:30 to 8 in the bar.  We had bowls of Edamame for only $1!  We started out with sushi of course.  The Sushi Set Deluxe off of the happy hour menu is tuna, salmon, yellowtail, albacore, eel and shrimp rolls for only $8.  There are tons of rolls in the $4 and $5 range and not just ordinary ones either.   

My daughter had the Dragon Scallops as her entree (only $8) and she thought they were too salty but the greens were flavorful and added a great freshness.  I had the Spicy King Crab soup which was also $8 and it was light, delicious and spicy, the perfect thing on a rainy night! 

As you can see you can sample all kinds of interesting flavors and not go broke in this swanky restaurant.  The best thing is that it's sushi prepared right across the street from the fish market and you can tell...fresh, fresh, fresh!

Eating Around the South Sound: Japonessa - Seattle