D'Ambrosio Gelato

Price: $
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆☆
D'Ambrosio Gelato: Menu

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Following the dinner at Quinn's was sating the craving for something cold. Initially I wanted frozen yogurt from Red Mango, but passed up on it for gelato instead. This was one of the closer locations that was on the way back from the restaurant so we gave it a shot.

It was a race against the clock for this one considering the establishment closed at 10:00 PM and it was 9:56 when we got there. However to our relief they were still open and had a steady stream of customers. This was already a good indicator that the gelato here must be worth trying out.

The server was highly amused by the shirt I was wearing from Korea. Always good to see and amuse people. I'll post up a photo of it later. They had interesting flavors, and the one I went with was the Bacio di Dama with the Nicciola delle Langhe. My friend got the Bacio di Dama with Cantaloupe (pictured below). The combination of mine worked well with each other. Cantaloupe; not so much.


Bacio di Dama w/ Cantaloupe gelato

Mine looked identical to the above picture, except the flavor that was inside. The gelato was very generous with the amount of hazelnut chips that were in each scoop. Lots of different textures only complimented the experience.

Bacio di Dama translates to Woman's Kiss which was the reason why I chose this as my flavor. Without any description of it other than being located on their crema selections it piqued my curiosity. From what I tasted, it's creamy flavor I believe has possibly a hint of almond or something alike. The portions are great for the money. The quality of the gelato is great without a doubt.

Located on Ballard ave, which is quite confusing if you are unfamiliar with the area and it is dark outside. A great place to go on a summer night as the area is still well-lit and there is lots to see.

Quinn's

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆½
Quinn's: Menu

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Today would be what felt like the hottest day since the heat wave we had last month and resorted to taking cold showers (three of them over the course of six hours) to keep myself from perishing under the heat. Having a condo on the third floor will continue to haunt me during my summer days.

After looking through possible places to eat out at we settled for this gastropub which told us that they had air conditioning; something I wish all homes in Seattle were equipped with. What made this place stand out from the typical bar was they served foie gras, which was praised by several customers as being worth trying.

Quinn's is located at the Southern end of Broadway about a block south of Cal Anderson Park in Capitol Hill, one of the most difficult places to find parking. As we drove past it we could see it was packed full, with a small line leading to it. We were told the wait time was about 15 minutes.

We both already settled initially for something light, and their Wild Boar sloppy joe was apparently the hot item amongst previous eaters. I also got their home made cherry-orange soda but did not take a photo of it (as I downed it a bit too fast).


Wild Boar Sloppy Joe, crispy sage leaves

This was served with a roasted jalapeño which literally broke apart on contact and only added to the flavors of the joe. Be warned it is extremely messy, but it didn't slow us down.

This only led us to ordering more food instead of going for dessert.


Oxtail gnocchi with crispy marrow

I found the oxtail to bit more on the salty side but the gnocci helped disperse some of the saltiness from the marrow and the oxtail. Other than that, it was still nothing compared to the joe.


Wagyu beef cheek Philly, with sweet peppers and manchego

My friend told me the beef cheek was a little on the chewy side, which would make sense considering the texture of a cow's cheek. However, still juicy and tasty otherwise.

Next time I would probably get the Sam Smith's organic apple cider to go with the meal. It was the other drink on the menu that caught my eye, and may have been better suited than the soda, which tasted more like a cross between juice and Italian cream soda.

The service was pretty fast. The air conditioning was actually just a bunch of ceiling fans, but the place was still very ventilated considering the amount of people packed into here. If it's your first time eating here, I would highly recommend going with the joes without hesitation.

Forgive the quality of the pictures degrading as the night went on. Camera phones aren't meant to work well in darker rooms :(

津津锅 Gourmet Noodle Bowl

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆½
津津锅 gourmet noodle bowl

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Of the 11 years I've lived in Seattle, I've only had hot pot twice. One at a friend's place, and one at a restaurant called the Seven Peppers in the International District. Located next to Dearborn Street on the Southeastern side of the International District it is very easy to miss this place save for the small sign displaying 津津锅 Gourmet Noodle Bowl. Upon arriving, we were immediately seated and given plates of veggies, meats, and garnishes:


Chopped garlic, cilantro, and green onion with some kind of nutty sauce


Udon, tofu, enoki mushrooms, endives, and various leafy greens cover a plate of vermicelli.


Left Side: Chicken stock with scallion, fried tofu, and fish balls. Right Side: Spicy chicken stock, cow intestine, scallion.


Sliced beef and chicken

I found that the non-spicy chicken stock to be very plain, in the sense that all it seemed to do was just act no differently than boiling water. The spicy one however, really added flavor to the meats and vegetables. One of the things I really enjoyed about this place was how attentive the waitress was to refilling the plates with more meats. Which leads to one of the things that bummed me out, they only refilled the meats, then again we did not think about asking for more of the vegetables. But for an all you can eat hot pot for $15/person. It's a really good deal.

If you're with some friends and need a cheap fix to fill you up, this will definitely get the job done.

Poppy

Price: $$$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆☆
Poppy: Menu

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My friend CJ recommended trying this place out, so I made a note of it in the back of my mind (which is filled with too many other places recommended to eat at) to try this place out. They were also featured on the Food Network, a channel that is a must have to give myself an excuse for calling myself a food enthusiast (or at least an eating enthusiast).

Located at the northern outskirts of Capitol Hill it could be easily passed over for it's very low-key exterior. However, the interior was very well furnished, and very clean with a very tall ceiling that exposed the ceiling beams. It was almost like the owner wanted to create this little dichotomy.

We arrived just around when the happy hour had started and seated ourselves at the bar. Glancing through the menu, we spotted oysters and knew we had to get them. Fresh kumomoto oysters from Willapa Bay and poached oysters served with bacon. The waiter was nice enough to add an extra oyster on both orders as they are normally served in sets of three.


half shell kumomoto oysters with anise hyssop ice

The heat outside may have also added to the appeal of this dish as well. Served over a bed of ice, and fresh cold oysters that went very well with the herbal taste from the side of ice.


poached oysters with sorrel sauce and bacon

I never imagined bacon and oysters, but this was quite a lethal combination. The smoky flavor from the bacon works wonders with the poached oyster. Both of the oyster dishes were flawless, and would be an unfair challenge for me to place one above the other.

We went for a duck salad and spiced pork ribs and debated on desserts.


duck confit, grilled radicchio, hazelnut and juneberry salad

A very light and easy to manage salad. My primary reasoning for choosing this dish was because I do not think I've ever had juneberry before. But it was long forgotten as I ate the duck.

I'll be putting up two pictures of the spiced pork ribs (as it was presented, and how large it was).




spiced berkshire pork ribs

If I could, I would even put a video up showing how tender it was. With the butter knife provided, it sliced through the meat like it literally was softened butter. The expression exchanged between us was a mixture of complete shock and awe. Without hesitation, this would be the first thing I'm ordering upon any and every future visit to Poppy.

Being unsure of whether to get dessert or not, we went with a yelper's suggestion of their eggplant fries:


eggplant fries with sea salt & honey

My friend does not like eggplant. But this was an exception. At a glance the dark skin from the slices of eggplant made it look like fried catfish. The fries were very fresh and fried in honey and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. This and the pork ribs would be the two things I would be getting to start before venturing further down the menu.

Everything was solid all around. The ambiance and the service was excellent. Definitely would like to try their after 9PM selection, like their naan sandwich.

Kingfish Cafe

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆
Kingfish Cafe: Menu

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Having lived in Georgia for a few years, I do not recall ever having genuine Southern food. My diet then consisted almost entirely of Korean food and McDonalds and/or Carls Jr. With my trip to 5 Spot being the only experience with it.

The Kingfish Cafe was originally a fall-back plan in case our initial restaurant of choice was closed (to which we learned, is always closed on Mondays). Located right across the street from Monsoon, the same people that also run the Baguette Box down in Capitol Hill. The restaurant had a very homely feel to it, from it's well worn wooden furniture to the extremely spacious ceiling. The lighting was kept to a minimum, as the restaurant took advantage of the natural light flooding in from the floor to ceiling windows. I felt like I could waste my day just sitting there, reading a book and munching on something from their menu.

As usual, we consulted their Yelp page for any possible suggestions and decided to start with their Percy’s Plate for Sharin’ – a trio of Wonderful Dips:


A fresh smoked catfish spread with herbs and a touch of mustard a creamy cool artichoke and roasted garlic dip, and our spicy black-eye pea spread served with a jumble of toasted bread and crackers

The catfish spread was the best of the three, and the water crackers were the best of the four dipping choices. The black-eye pea spread was not anywhere near as spicy or flavorful as one would hope, perhaps it was too overshadowed by the artichoke and catfish dips.

For the main plate my friend got the buttermilk fried chicken. I stuck with the simple mac and cheese:


My way or the highway buttermilk fried chicken

A very juicy chicken dipped in a buttermilk batter and fried nicely keeping the skin crispy and the meat tender and juicy. The side of potato salad really helped after burning our mouths on the chicken as well. This is a very heavy meal and was quite filing by itself.


Down home mac and cheese

Baked with three kinds of cheese along with onions and mushrooms, the serving size was daunting. Imagine a cake-sized macaroni and cheese dish and you get this. Very simple and also scalding hot as well. I found myself shoveling in the entire salad before getting through the entire dish.

The macaroni and cheese would be my personal favorite for the night. As simple as it was, it really hit the spot for me. The waitress offered us desserts which we immediately declined. We boxed up the leftovers and left feeling quite full. Better to back out before ordering too much and feeling more pain than a satisfied feeling.

I would say that the appetizer we selected was a bit weak compared to the main course but the portions were very generous. Expect to take home leftovers.

Nishino

Price: $$$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆
Nishino: Menu

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Whenever I think of Japanese food, sushi is almost the first and only thing that comes to mind. While skimming menus to see where to eat next, Nishino's menu stood out in the sense that it had a much more diverse variety of dishes that I don't think I've seen at any Japanese restaurant. Here's their specials of the day when we went:



Located on the southern tip of the Arboretum in Madison Park, it was a nice drive through the lesser traveled roads winding around the large garden. The exterior of the building is very nondescript, I almost mistook it for the small fitness club that was in the same plaza had I not seen their shop sign. The inside however, was quite a contrast from what I was expecting.



We started off with two rolls, the Spicy Tuna and Arboretum Roll (yellowtail, jalapeño, and avocado). I ordered the foie gras and seared tuna and my friend, the dynamite.


Spicy Tuna Roll and the Arboretum Roll- yellowtail, jalapeño, and avocado)

It's really hard to go wrong with a spicy tuna roll, so that was a safe choice. The Arboretum roll was nice and sweet which tasted great. The jalapeño was mild like a bell pepper so it didn't provide an unnecessary spiciness for the roll.


foie gras and seared tuna- with shiitake mushroom and red wine soy reduction

This was their first time having foie gras which was the highlight of all the dishes eaten tonight. I was debating on another order of it as it melted in your mouth and just left such a savory taste lingering in your mouth.


dynamite- baked geoduck, scallop and mushrooms with creamy sauce

Both of us have never eaten geoduck so we were not sure what to expect, other than assumptions from what we know from the taste and texture of other mussels. The ratio between the mushrooms and geoduck (which looked almost like the mushrooms too) was pretty good; 60/40. My impression of the geoduck is it feels just like eating a mussel, but not as tough. The scallops hid under the creamy sauce which I could not separate the flavors other than mayonnaise, still very good. The scallops were cooked enough to sustain it's shape but still break apart very easily.


soft shell crab- served with ponzu sauce

Deep fried until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, tasted exactly as I would have expected. Very simple, but it felt like it was missing something, but still tasted great.


shiso shrimp dumpling with spicy yuzu sauce

The minty kick from the shiso that was wrapped around all of the shrimp was very pleasant. The spicy [and sweet] yuzu sauce made an excellent compliment to the fresh taste. The dumpling skin was so fragile that the skin slid off a few of the shrimp, but it helped soak up a lot of the yuzu sauce.


grilled salmon skin with arugula

Normally when I eat salmon skin, it is deep fried and served in a roll. Having it grilled gave it a nice smoky taste to the salad. At first I was having a difficult time determining whether I was eating daikon or a pear. After a little bit of time, I concluded it was a daikon from the barely noticeable sour aftertaste, it was unusually sweet for a radish.


Green Tea 'Tiramisu'

There was no dessert menu, so I had to use my best guess as to what each of the layers were. The top of the cake was a matcha mousse, the dark layer in between would be a matcha-soaked ladyfinger, followed by more matcha mousse, and then another ladyfinger. It almost reminded me of the matcha cakes I used to eat at the Panama Hotel (before the lady who baked it moved back to Japan, taking the secret recipe with her). This would be the second best dessert (Ristorante Machiavelli holding the top place with their Mousse Tiramisu) I've had so far.

The restaurant is suitable for casual and formal (as the table behind us was filled with people in suits while a few tables across had people in causal wear and kids playing with their training chop sticks.

From what we have sampled, I am curious as to what the Omakase had (as we kind of created our own tasting menu). I'll save that for next time.

Gorgeous George's

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆
Gorgeous George's: Menu



Mediterranean food is something I cannot recall ever having, and Gorgeous George's was the only Mediterranean restaurant on my list. Very simple interior, nothing fancy and relatively quiet. At first I thought it was closed due to how dark it appeared from the outside.

I had been craving for some stuffed grape leaves during the weekend so that was a definitely something I was getting. I also got the Grilled Lamb Chops and my friend their special, the Spring Lamb Ribs along with a Greek salad with a side of fresh made feta cheese on the side (my friend does not like feta cheese). Complimentary hummus and bread was served as we waited for our appetizer.


Hummus- Mashed Garbonzo Beans Flavored with Garlic, Tahini, and Lemon

It had been a while since I've had hummus, they were very generous with the portion as well, which meant I did not have to hold back on dipping large amounts of it onto the bread.


Stuffed Grape Leaves- Six Pieces Veggie Grape Leaves Served with a Side of Mint Yogurt Sauce

The grape leaves were brought to us before we had a chance to finish our hummus and bread. Even though the menu stated that it was served with five pieces, the chef was kind enough to add another to make it an even amount between the two of us. It was my friend's first time having grape leaves, which was thoroughly enjoyed by us. I was tempted to order more, but held back on it.


Greek Salad- Field Greens, Feta Cheese, Olives, Tomato, Cucumber, Basil, Green Pepper, Red Onion, Zatar in a House Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

Again this dish was brought as we were just finishing the grape leaves (which disappeared really fast). The salad was loaded with the house vinaigrette which had a lot of zatar in it. This was a very fresh tasting and delicious salad, and would've been fine just eating that as a meal itself. As we were finishing up the salad, our entrées were brought to us. Starting with my Grilled Lamb Chops:


Grilled Lamb Chops- Three Succulent Lamb Chops, Grilled to Perfection. Served with Grilled Tomato Onion and Parsley

This had to be the juiciest lamb I've ever had. Slicing through it littered my plate with juices and the rice was very fluffy and light. I had to slow myself down so I could actually enjoy it and not let my eating habits finish this in a matter of minutes. There were no leftovers.


Spring Lamb Ribs- Succulent, Tender Spring Lamb Ribs Prepared to your Desire using Delicate Herbs and Spices. Served with Garden Vegetables

As my friend cut the ribs, it reminded me of slicing through a grapefruit, very juicy and no resistance while cutting the flesh. It puts the lamb ribs I've had at Ruth Chris' to shame, both in price and in quality (and quantity). Despite being served with ramekins filled with some kind of sauce (most likely variety of yogurt), we did not need it to add more flavors to these dishes.

To finish it off, a house baklava:


Baklava- Layered Filo-dough with a Nutty Filled Center. Chef George's Recipe

This baklava was very fresh and still warm. I think it was a good way to end the meal, as it was nice and small and very light. Unlike most of the baklava variations I have had in the past, it was soft all the way through, which made it easier to eat it with just a fork.

One of the things I really enjoyed about eating here was that there was no waiting between our orders. Everything came in, one after another without any waiting for our next meals which is pretty impressive for what appears to be run by two people. The ratio between quality and price was very well matched, and the atmosphere was suitable for dressing up or just coming dressed casually.

I highly recommend getting their lamb and grape leaves, as I'm already craving for some again.

Elliott Bay Brewery (second trip)

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆☆
Elliot Bay Brewery: Menu

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It has been six weeks since my last post. A lot of scheduling conflicts and getting sick has caused many delays for the entire month of May. Once the dust had settled we decided to start off with our top choice (so far) from the places we've eaten; Elliott Bay Brewery. This time around we decided to try some of the happy hour items for starters. We got the Onion Rings and Mussels with Fries. Both were $4.95 each:


Onion Rings

These rings were huge, about the same diameter as an apple. I do not think I have ever seen any this big before. Trying to pace ourselves we left a couple onion rings to box up as leftovers. I discourage doing this, as they do not reheat very well (both microwave or oven still leaves it a little damp). Their "house sauce" (which I am pretty sure is a combination of BBQ sauce and ranch and something else (maybe worchestershire) tastes great. I found that crushing the rings works better for dipping them into the undersized dipping containers.


Mussels with a side of fries


The mussels aren't anything out of the ordinary, as there isn't anything wrong with preparing them with the lemon and garlic.

For the main dishes we ordered the California Avenue and Black Angus Philly Cheese Steak (his turn to try it).


CALIFORNIA AVENUE- Topped with guacamole, Swiss cheese, and bacon with mayo on the side

The burger wasn't too difficult to scarf down (although we were already getting a little full from the two happy hour portions already). The swiss cheese was a little difficult to taste as the guacamole overpowered the flavors from the other ingredients (save for the bacon and patty), which still tasted great. The burger is quite messy regardless of how much caution you put into eating it. I saved a small portion of it to take home for lunch (or breakfast the next day).


BLACK ANGUS PHILLY CHEESE STEAK makes it's return

My friend enjoyed the cheese steak and had to take some of it home as the daunting hoagie along with the fries makes for an already filling meal.

The last time eating here, I was not able to make it through for desserts (too much food kills the cravings). But we gave one of their seasonal desserts a shot, Shortbread Sundae with Hazelnuts.


Shortbread Sundae with Hazelnuts *SEASONAL*

This was too big for one person, at least the waitress gave us a warning and discouraged us from ordering two. Good call on her end, as we didn't even finish the one that we had shared. The shortbread breaks up nicely with a spoon making it easy to get a little bit of the ice cream, chopped hazelnuts and some shortbread all in one scoop. We weren't able to finish this one unfortunately (we scooped out all the ice cream and hazelnuts towards the end).

Once again the Elliott Bay Brewery has done a great job providing a lot of food for the money. Still number one in my book!

Via Tribunali

Price: $$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆¾
Via Tribunali: Menu

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Lately I noticed I have been eating dinner later and later. This was the first restaurant I tried during the Seattle Restaurant Week event which I will refer to as SRW from now on. They have many locations, but we chose the Fremont location due to the higher ratings, also it was conveniently closer to our homes. Finding parking was not too difficult, but then again it was past 9:30 at night. We were the only ones there save for one other customer at the bar, the interior had a very homely feel.

My friend was told to try the Margherita D.O.C. which was also on their SRW menu as well. The event menus are broken-down into a 3-course dinner or lunch for $25 and $15, an appetizer, entrée, and a dessert. The portions given as they should, so this is quite a good deal.

For our appetizers we got the Saute Di Vongole and the Misto Salumi:


SAUTE DI VONGOLE -fresh clams with olive oil, garlic, white wine oven fired

It's hard to go wrong with clams in garlic and oil. Nothing that made it stand out from anything we've had before, but it doesn't make it bad either. I was curious and imagined how good it would taste if they used the same garlic sauce that Ocho used on their prawns.


MISTO SALUMI -coppa, prosciutto di parma, speck, olives, grana padano

Served on a wooden paddle with the meats laid across and the olives in a ramekin. It was the first time having green olives that looked like green kumquats. I tend to consume a lot of prosciutto at home (wrapped around prawns) so my bias would make this my favorite on the plate. The grana padano tasted great when wrapped around with the prosciutto and speck (which is smoked prosciutto). The small slices of coppa had enough kick of spiciness to leave a taste lingering in my mouth. I ended up just popping the olives like they were grapes and removing the flesh around the seed.

For the entrée we got the Margherita D.O.C. and the Piazza Dante:


MARGHERITA D.O.C. -pomodoro, mozzarella di bufala, basil

A very basic pizza with three ingredients. This pizza is tied together very well with the fresh basil, which sealed the deal as the best pizza between the two. Served piping hot, but because of how thin it is, it cooled down really fast.


PIAZZA DANTE -pomodoro, arugula, prosciutto crudo, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomato

Served over literally a mountain of arugula and porsciutto. I chose this one because of my last experience eating pizza with some kind of tomato as a topping rather than a sauce. Eating the cherry tomatoes provided the similar bursts of flavor that the pancheta did at Tutta Bella on a much smaller scale, but still pleasant nonetheless. I think the most difficult part of the pizza was dividing it into quarters.

And for the desserts. Their Mezza Luna di Nutella and Tartufo Affogato:


MEZZA LUNA DI NUTELLA -chocolate, hazelnut calzone

This is BIG... it's the same size as the pizzas we ate for dinner, except fold one half over and stuff it with nutella. In other words, it is best to share this dish. Putting a little of the espresso from my dessert made it an interesting, but pleasant taste as it gave it a hazelnut espresso mix.


TARTUFO AFFOGATO -vita espresso over chocolate gelato

I don't drink coffee. Ever. But I still got this because I really wanted to eat the chocolate gelato. Their espresso comes from the Caffé Vita next to the restaurant, and is quite strong. With the gelato melting alarmingly fast into the espresso masked the bitterness that deters me from coffees in the first place. I found myself enjoying the espresso and the portion is small enough to keep you from feeling like you had too much, but large enough that you will be done for the night.

We both saved a quarter of our pizzas for leftovers which was a good idea, as we were already full after dessert. The water they served us was lukewarm, it would have been nice if they provided a few ice cubes especially with the weather slowly warming up. This place knows how to make pizza well and a wide variety of it too. I too, would recommend the Magherita D.O.C. to anyone as their first pizza here. Sometimes, the simplest pizzas just cannot be beaten.

Ocho

Price: $
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆½
Ocho: Menu

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It's 9PM, and I'm tired. I was reluctant to go out and eat tonight, but a spur of the moment decision to give Ocho a try. This small tapas bar was very difficult to notice despite it being on the corner of a busy intersection, is near impossible to find at night if you have never been there before. After walking past it three or four times passing it off for the "bar section" of AZTECA, the familiar two panel menu taped to the window caught my eye.

There were about six tables, and a bar. The music was on pretty loud and reminded me of my previous weekend's experience at the Last Supper Club, but the music was at the same time pleasing. The bar is lit almost entirely by candles save for a few light bulbs in the kitchen and some low-watt bulbs overhead. We grabbed one of the two empty tables and examined the menu. We ordered a LOT. The pictures were all done by our phones as usual, and with the very dim atmosphere they're not very good.


Gambas al Ajillo -spicy garlic prawns

This is the first time I've had a lemon sauce that just jumped out at me. I'm not sure what was in it, but I was sad when they took the bowl with the sauce still at the bottom (was hoping for some bread to dip and absorb the sauce with). The shrimp was nice and crisp and was served with their signature olive oil toast.


Huevo del Diablo -deviled egg, salmon roe, pickled onion, tomato dust, fried capers, dill

The saltiness from the salmon roe lingered nicely in my mouth for a while. I didn't want to gulp any water until the flavor was completely gone.


Setasde Ferez -sherried mushrooms, olive oil toast, arugula

I was intimidated with the size of this mound of sherried mushrooms and arugula. Biting into this piping hot mountain of mushrooms and herb was a messy but delightful experience. The olive bread was warm and soft in the center, and crisp on the edges, but held itself together well.


Bisteca -flank steak, white bean caper olive oil vinaigrette

Having previewed the menu while driving to Ocho's, I was under the impression this would be the dish that I would like the most. While the meat was tender and delicious, I found the olives hidden inside the white beans a pleasant surprise.


Banderilla de Boqueron -anchovy, piquillo pepper, fried artichoke, allioli

This was the best thing for the price as well, for $1.50. The anchovy and fried artichoke tied in nicely with the allioli sauce. We almost ordered seconds, but decided to continue expanding our selection of good food.


Pan con Chocolate -olive oil toast, chocolate, almonds, flor de sal, truffle oil

This was the only "dessert" oriented item on the menu. The nutty taste from the almonds mixed with the chocolate on the toast felt like a rich biscotti. I couldn't taste much of the salt or the truffle oil.


Tortilla Espanola -egg, potato, onion, brava sauce, artichoke allioli

When I saw this, it looked more like a cake than anything like a "tortilla". The texture was very similar to a quiche. The artichoke allioli was delicious, salty and garlic in one sauce is hard to go wrong. My friend cleaned the plate of any food leftover.

While Ocho would make a great date spot, the music takes away from making that a viable option. The food all around is solid, since we were able to sample almost half of their entire menu, and each dish provided excellent presentation and taste. Finding parking does not seem to be a problem, despite the location of many popular restaurants in the area. As expected, it is a tapas bar so most people come for a dish or two and to socialize rather than devour half of their seasonal menu, but if you choose to do the latter; you will not be disappointed.