46. Taste Of India
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 528-1575
Address: 5517 Roosevelt Way NE (North)
Description: This Zagat-rated restaurant is consistent and popular, with a wide variety of Indian and Mediterranean dishes including a mazza plate with hummus, tabbouleh and dolmades, tikka, and tandoor plates. There are plenty of vegetarian options as well; try the madras chili masala with crisp-cooked squash and peppers. Taste of India may well have the largest menu of naan breads of any Indian restaurant, with varieties such as spinach, mint, and cherries.
47. Anchovies & Olives
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 838-8080
Address: 1550 15th Ave. (Central)
Description: It’s hard to know whether to classify this new favorite as an Italian or a seafood restaurant. It’s a beautiful fusion of both, presenting fresh, local seafood in all its forms, prepared with a traditional Italian sensibility. Seattle magazine says that the cold crudo starters can “stop you in your tracks,” and the wine list is filled with offbeat selections from Italy. The menu changes daily and can include delicate fried clams, succulent cuttlefish in a Parmesan broth, sea scallops over squid-ink risotto, and duck gnocchi.
48. Assaggio
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 441-1399
Address: 2010 4th Ave. (Central)
Description: The atmosphere at Assaggio is welcoming, with warm lighting and Michelangelo-inspired art adorning the walls. The carefully composed menu of robust central and northern Italian cuisine includes gourmet pastas and pizzas with flavorful sauces, and a nearly endless wine list stocked from chef Mauro Golmarvi’s trips back to Italy. Golmarvi is self-taught, inspired by his mother to begin his career in Rome. He starts each day shopping for the freshest seafood at Pike Place Market and can often be seen roaming among the tables and customers at Assaggio. His goal is to remove salt and pepper from tables entirely, so that diners can experience the food’s flavor as it is in the old country.
49. How To Cook A Wolf
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 838-8090
Address: 2208 Queen Anne Ave. North (Central)
Description: With a name you can’t forget (derived from a book title), this small restaurant generated a huge buzz when it first opened and is still talked about. The warm wood interior provides a nice setting for the small plates menu featuring seafood-heavy dishes with an Italian flair and simple, flavorful preparation. The house-made pastas are particularly beloved by regulars, but every dish here is sublime. Consider the mussels in a rich broth with pearls of fregola pasta, or the caramelized cauliflower agnolotti.
50. Spinasse
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 251-7673
Address: 1531 14th Ave. East (Central)
Description: This Capitol Hill restaurant serves traditional cuisine of the Piedmont region in northern Italy. The simple, refined dishes are created using authentic Piedmontese techniques, handmade pastas, and seasonally inspired ingredients, and chef Jason Stratton incorporates products from local farmers and artisans. The pastas may be stuffed with rabbit, squash, or pork, and other dishes include venison stewed with red wine and currants and cold poached veal with house-cured tuna. For the ultimate dining experience, reserve the Chef’s Table on Fri or Sat night to enjoy a fabulous 10-course serving, with a bird’s-eye view into the kitchen, for $100 per person.
51. Boom Noodle
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 701-9130
Address: 1121 E. Pike St. (Central)
Description: A popular term in Japan is “my boom,” which means something the person is obsessed with. Boom Noodle was opened with the goal of creating a following for those obsessed with its incredible noodles, and the owners are obsessed with Japanese culture in general. Boom dishes are authentically Japanese or inspired by trends in Japanese cooking, and in addition to the noodles include soups, wok creations, dumplings, sashimi, sake-marinated flatiron steak, and a variety of salads. Try the Okonomiyaki, a shredded pork and cabbage pancake.
52. Kisaku Sushi
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 545-9050
Address: 2101 N. 55th St. (North)
Description: Reliably fresh and memorable, Kisaku is a sushi purist. The menu changes with seasonal ingredients, and the cooked dishes are every bit as good as the sushi. The place has a comfortable neighborhood feel and is refreshingly free of the pretentious decor and vibe that seem to accompany most sushi restaurants these days.
53. Mashiko
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 935-4339
Address: 4725 California Ave. SW (South)
Description: Yes, go ahead and notice the Web site address and have a chuckle. Mashiko does indeed take its sushi so seriously that they assume everyone who experiences it will do just about anything for it. Mashiko presents a fun, irreverent environment, with a sushi bar webcam you can watch online and sushi-making classes taught by chef/owner Hajime Sato himself. Sato is very dedicated to sustainability, heavily featuring local fish such as salmon, catfish, and Dungeness crab while eschewing endangered unagi and hamachi to create Seattle’s first fully sustainable sushi bar. Sato adores Alaskan mackerel and prepares it just about every way possible. On a funny side note, Mashiko also prides itself on having the best toilets in Seattle—technological marvels with heated seats and electronic bidets.
54. Shiro’S
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 443-9844
Address: 2401 2nd Ave. (Central)
Description: These are perhaps the most famous sushi restaurant and chef in Seattle. Master chef Shiro Kashiba is a two-time James Beard nominee and has been profiled everywhere from the New York Times to Bon Appetit. Born in Kyoto, Shiro opened Nikko sushi restaurant in Seattle in 1967, selling it to Westin Hotels 20 years later. In 1994 he opened Shiro’s in Belltown, blending classical Japanese sushi techniques with Northwest ingredients. Today Shiro is semiretired and can be found behind the sushi bar only a few nights a week, but you can still get his legendary rolls and sashimi.
55. Kaya Bbq And Grill
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 546-2848
Address: 20109 Aurora Ave. North (North)
Description: While Korean barbecue may not be terribly rare or original, Kaya brings a whole new experience to the table, literally. Each booth in the restaurant comes with its own gas grill and vent, and customers cook their own food right at their tables. Order short ribs, bulgogi beef, pork belly, or shrimp, and keep in mind that the portions are very large and easy to share. Yet despite the do-it-yourself ritual, service is extremely attentive and the food presentation is delightful. And they will cook the food for you if you prefer, or if you are dining solo.
56. El Puerco Lloron
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 624-0541
Address: 1501 Western Ave. (Central)
Description: This cheerful, casual taqueria hidden away in the Pike Place Market area serves vibrantly seasoned meats on fresh, soft tortillas, all at more than reasonable prices. The taquitos and carnitas that are so tender the meat falls apart are also good bets. House-made limeade horchata provides a not-too-sweet ending.
57. El Quetzal
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 329-2970
Address: 3209 Beacon Ave. South (South)
Description: This Beacon Hill establishment gets top ratings for its friendliness; the Monteil family that owns and runs El Quetzal makes all their guests feel like they have just arrived for a huge family dinner. The portions are extremely generous and perfect for sharing. Popular specialties include the tortas, huge Mexican sandwiches stuffed with steak or even cactus, chilaquiles, and the huaraches corn cakes with black beans, meat, and eggs. Inventiveness is on display as well; take, for instance, the pombazo, a bun filled with sausage and mashed potatoes and then doused in salsa.
58. La Carta De Oaxaca
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 782-8722
Address: 5431 Ballard Ave. NW (North)
Description: This small, authentic restaurant is tucked subtly in among Ballard’s trendy bars and boutiques. Oaxacan dishes such as tasajo, molotes, empanadas, and lamb birria are served here, along with bowls of posole, a thick and hearty pork stew. Familiar standbys are also available, including tamales, chile rellenos, and several varieties of tacos. The house specialty is Mole Negro Oaxaca, a rich black chile/chocolate mole sauce served with chicken or pork and La Carta’s fresh homemade tortillas. In fact, you can watch the tortillas being made in front of your eyes at the counter.
59. Brasa
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 728-4220
Address: 2107 3rd Ave. (Central)
Description: The attention to detail at this Belltown restaurant is what makes it special. Executive chefs Tamara Murphy and Juli Guillemette are committed to using local, organic meats and produce, and the freshness shows in the quality of the dishes. A signature dish is the clams with chorizo, chickpeas, croutons, and Spanish pimentos, but most of the menu is a carnivore’s dream. The happy hour is popular and lively.
60. Kabul
City: Seattle, WA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (206) 545-9000
Address: 2301 N. 45th St. (North)
Description: Serving cuisine from Afghanistan’s capital, where the trade crossroads between India and Central Asia influenced the culture and food, Kabul is a charming Wallingford cafe. Owner Wali Khairzada is the son of Afghan bankers, and he serves expected classics such as kebabs and palaw, as well as dishes such as fresh pasta filled with scallions, leeks, and cilantro and sautéed eggplant topped with seasoned ground beef. The vegetarian options are varied and plentiful.