Kamonegi (Seattle, WA)

When I went to Seattle last year, the number one place I was determined to eat at was, far and away, Kamonegi. I love ramen, and I had heard so many great things about the new restaurant, seeing it in both Eater and Food and Wine magazine, where the chef, Mutsuko Soma, was one of the Best New Chefs of 2019. I was eager to try it, and given it's popularity, there was a bit of a wait, so I waited next door at their sister business, Hannyatou, a sake bar. At Hannyatou, I enjoyed both warm and cold sake.

Kamonegi definitely lived up to the hype! The first thing I noticed was that the service was impeccable. The waiter I had was tremendously kind, attentive, and knowledgeable. He had a pleasant personality that made dining there extra phenomenal. The service contributed to feeling right at home.

For an appetizer, I tried the bone marrow kurokke. The kurokke was not only the best thing I ate in Seattle, it was one of those foods that make me realize how much I love the knowledge and skill that goes into creating such a tasty thing. It was beautifully balanced with nicely mild, acidic taste. I love unconventional products, including offal such as bone marrow, and Kamonegi's preparation made it appetizing and delicious, even for people who are less adventurous (my dining companion is one such person, and he was into the dish).

For my main, I had a mushroom-based ramen bowl that was a special for that week. This ramen had such a simple depth of flavor that made it really enjoyable, and I think that style-simple and delicious-is true to the core of everything they do at Kamonegi. 

Chef Mutsuko Koma seems to deeply care about the restaurant and the people that dine there, and seems equally passionate and involved in her community. There's an earnestness about her that's endearing, and that's reflected in the food and in the staff. Her authenticity makes it obvious why she was chosen for so many high accolades. It's delightful to see Kamonegi thrive with the type of joyful effort they put forth.

Kamonegi is currently open for carryout only. 

Bang Bang Cafe (Seattle, WA)

During my trip to Seattle in 2019, I stayed in a very touristy area. This delighted me, since everything was in walking distance and there was plenty to see and discover. I typically plan my trips meticulously, but an urge to be a bit more spontaneous overtook me for my Seattle vacation. During one of these "let's see what's nearby" mornings, I came across Bang Bang Cafe.

I was quite groggy that morning, and took a more casual approach to ordering. Meaning, instead of being very discerning, I ordered the first drink that looked good (a Mexican cocoa) and the first option on the menu (the Bang Bang burrito).

The cocoa had a beautiful design and the cinnamon scent came through.

The Bang Bang burrito was really something. I personally don't enjoy multiple sauces melding together; just a pet peeve. The visual effect is always unappetizing to me. The Bang Bang burrito is a huge, generous portion of scrambled eggs, beans, tater tots, covered with cheese and red and green salsa. Definitely filling and the type of satisfying hangover food people enjoy.

Bang Bang Cafe is centrally located in the Belltown section of Seattle, and the ambiance feeds into that. It was a bright place, with lots of tall windows letting in sunshine. I was lucky enough to get a seat at one of the bars facing one of these large windows, and enjoyed my food while people watching. It had the casual upscale energy of the area: modern, slightly hipster, with a simple, straightforward menu. I could totally see aspiring tech boomers coming here on a day off. 

As well as several Mexican-style burritos, Bang Bang Cafe also serves healthy-ish turkey sandwiches, bagels, and vegan/vegetarian options such as a vegan mac and cheese. Makes perfect sense, since Seattle had some of the most active, athletic locals I've seen while traveling. The menu is also reasonably priced, with items averaging $9, making it one of the easier on the wallet restaurants in the area. 

Polish Village (Hamtramck, MI)

Hamtramck is a bright, diverse part of the Detroit area that's unlike anywhere else. One of the main attractions is the broad selection of restaurants specializing in cultural cuisine, specifically Polish food. In fact, the two most well known Polish eateries, Polish Village and Polonia are right next to each other, separated only by a free parking lot.

A friend and I had the pleasure of trying the acclaimed Polonia a couple months back. My pal was craving Polish beet soup, and for variety's sake, we decided to seek it out at Polish Village. I'm going to be truthful: I haven't had much Polish food in my life, and what I have tried I didn't particularly care for. Unfortunately, the fare at Polish Village didn't change my stance.

I want to preface that I HATE being critical, but I also value truthfulness and transparency. Also, Polish Village has many strong points. Unfortunately, I don't believe their food is their biggest strength, which is disappointing for a restaurant. After all, you primarily go to a restaurant for the food.

We were very lucky that we were able to be seated immediately at peak time on a Saturday night. I wasn't expecting that, but it's always good when that happens. The table had to be wiped down as the hostess was seating us. No big deal, that happens during busy times. I did notice, however, that the host asked another server for her rag instead of using a fresh one, potentially wiping down the table with a dirty rag. So when we sat, the table surface was still wet. Not a crisis, but not ideal, either. Another small but noticeable thing was that as the host seated us, she said a server would be there shortly with bread. We never got the bread, but again, that's hardly a big deal. They were busy and sometimes small things like that slip through the cracks.

Our server arrived quickly and was sunshiny, sweet and very helpful. One of Polish Village's strengths is the staff. The service is so friendly, and their kindness and helpfulness stood out as exemplary. I ordered a coke, and received the generic cola that comes out of a bar gun. Again, not a big deal, but something culinary professionals will notice.

All of Polish Village's entrees come with a starter option. I chose the pickle soup. This was truly the highlight of my meal. I had never tried pickle soup before and wasn't sure what to expect with such a sour, briny ingredient, but Polish Village's soup was wonderfully balanced with cream, potatoes, and shredded carrots evening out the flavor. It was absolutely delicious and unique.

My companion was equally pleased with his beet soup. He let me try a spoonful, and I agree the flavor was lovely. The beet soup had the savory flavor of roasted red beets. There was love in both of those soups and both were quite special. However, the rim of my friend's soup bowl was dirty. This is a pet peeve of mine, as it only takes a moment to wipe the rim of the bowl but elevates the presentation wonderfully. It's one of those things customers expect unconsciously, as in, they don't notice it until it's wrong. It seems Polish Village has servers ladle and serve the soup, but as we saw earlier, the servers carry rags to clean the tables, so it'd be an easy improvement to have them clean the bowls upon serving as well.

For my main, I ordered schnitzel, which is ground pork that's breaded and fried. I had never tried schnitzel before and had an open mind. Truthfully, when the plate was put in front of me, I was disappointed. All of Polish Village's entrees come with sides of mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and green beans. The very first thing I noticed was that the gravy on top of my potatoes had congealed somewhat, a clear indicator that it had been sitting in the window waiting to be served for some time. When I tried it, I felt the gravy tasted bizarre-it had a weird metallic taste. As I tried the other components and came back to the potatoes, they had hardened to an inedible texture. The schnitzel itself was satisfactory. It was simply flavored with onions, and remained moist with a fine texture. I suppose I'd hoped the coating would be a little crispier (that's what I associate with the frying technique) but was closer to a soggy shake and bake topping. The green beans' only fault was that they clearly came out of a can. This isn't disastrous, it's cost effective-but there's no real way to hide that canned taste without effort. The sauerkraut was flavorful, but to be fair, I don't eat much kraut on it's own to begin with, so I didn't have a strong opinion on it. 

I generally don't eat Polish food because I typically find it bland and uninteresting, and this experience remains true to my impression. It's not horrible, but its convenient and uninspired. It's the school cafeteria style food your grandparents love and are loyal to, but at a higher than warranted price point. It shares the essence of diner food, at the slightly higher price point of $12.18 per entree on average. Polish Village is well loved in the community, and I'm not taking that away from them. I am saying not everyone has or wants to have a chef's palate, and there are restaurants that cater to the common people (there's no way to say that without sounding pretentious. Most people just want familiar food that tastes fine, and I think that's where a lot of love for Polish Village comes from). 

I want to end this review positively, and I will say the ambiance and mood of Polish Village is lovely and real strength of the business. There was a pair of musicians, one on the violin and one on the acoustic guitar, that went from table to table playing music for the guests. The vibe is intimate, and customers get the impression that the staff treats each other as family. It's a good value to see in businesses. 

Biscuit Bitch (Seattle)

When I was planning my trip to Seattle, I asked my friend, who was born and raised there, what were some of the restaurants I should check out. One of the first places she mentioned was Biscuit Bitch, a breakfast spot that specializes in-you guessed it-all things biscuits. Nothing on the menu is served without one. They're the staple, base ingredient of everything this delicious spot has to offer.

They have three locations; I went to the one in Belltown. The down-to-earth ambiance and clever menu were my first impressions that Biscuit Bitch was a special place. They have a charming drink menu that rivals any niche hipster coffee shop. I ordered a Seattle Fog to drink, comparable to Starbuck's London Fog, with vanilla and orange zest. The zest was optional, but I found it really elevated the beverage. It was a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. I sat at a bar facing the window and sipped while waiting for my food order to be called. 

The service style is quite chill. You order and pay, have a seat, and when your drink and food are ready, you grab it. This location was pretty small and jam packed with people, and it was entertaining to people-watch in the short interim between ordering and eating.

Everything on the menu ends in the word "Bitch" (so yeah, maybe not the best place to bring small children if language is a concern). The Easy Bitch caught my eye and was an absolute delight. It's a pretty straightforward dish, two biscuits topped with pork gravy and two gorgeously runny over easy eggs. The biscuits were thick and fluffy, with nice, crisp edges and not too dense. It was easy to see why these biscuits are the restaurant's pride and joy. The pork gravy was hearty and delicious. Putting the egg on top added the perfect touch to this wonderfully savory dish.

The plating here is simple and not pretentious. The biscuits are put in cardboard boats, easy to eat out of and dispose of. 

Biscuit Bitch was one of my favorite food stops during my trip to Seattle! I'm so envious that we don't have a location here in Detroit. If you ever head to the Pacific Northwest, this is a stop you must see. There's just no way you can miss it. The quality is phenomenal, tastes great, and the price point is very affordable, averaging $8.28 a pop. They also have vegetarian and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions.