Seattle Restaurants | Silence-Heart-Nest

You've already read a couple of couple of Seattle restaurant and Seattle bar reviews in my quest to find the best restaurants and bars in Seattle, but I've got something new for you today. This is my first breakfast/brunch/lunch cafe type of establishment I'll be reviewing. It's called Silence-Heart-Nest, and it is nestled in the heart of downtown Fremont. Here we go.

My wife and I actually ended up in Fremont in the first place in a pretty funny way. It was right after the big snowstorm that happened in December, and the night before our car broke down at a gas station in Fremont. It wasn't an engine problem or anything; the key actually got worn down enough that it no longer properly pushed down the tumblers in the ignition. Basically the key in our car stopped working. It was a pretty strange night.

Needless to say, the locksmith met us at the gas station the next day, so we walked to Fremont to meet him. We live in the Wallingford area, so it wasn't a long walk. And the snow was gorgeous, so we hiked over there. Once we met the locksmith (a great guy who will be reviewed later) he told us it would be about an hour before he'd be done working, so we walked over to Silence-Heart-Nest to grab a bite to eat. We'd never heard of the place before. We went there because it looked inviting.

When we first walked in to Silence-Heart-Nest it looked like what we expected it to look like - a cafe in Seattle. It wasn't spectacular, with a bunch of small tables spread throughout, a little breakfast bar people could sit at, and a couple of booths. The place was clean, but definitely gave off the vibe of a place with it's own style. In this case, that style is vegetarian, with a little bit of an extreme liberal vibe thrown in (what I mean is, when you walk in, you know it could be put together a little better and run a little better, but it's almost as if everyone is suffering a little because it's what is supposed to be done - probably doesn't make much sense, but I'm okay with that).

When we sat down our waitress was not friendly but not rude. I think she could tell that we were neither regulars nor necessarily the demographic they like to attract. I don't think that necessarily affected the level of service; again, I got the feeling you were supposed to suffer a little. I ordered an orange juice that came out pretty warm, and my wife ordered an espresso that after about 3/4 of the way done was refilled with coffee (she was not impressed).

The food, once it made its way out, was okay, but slightly overpriced (I think that is what you can expect at a place that bills itself as strictly vegetarian). I would give the food a passing grade. It didn't blow me away nor make me queasy. I had biscuits and gravy and a blueberry muffin. My wife had eggs Benedict. It was a nice cafe breakfast. And once our water was gone, it was never refilled. As you can tell, the service was a little suspect.

For my first Seattle breakfast restaurant review, it was a little shaky. I think it's safe to say I probably won't be going back again, both because the food and service were a little shaky and because it isn't really my scene (I have nothing against vegetarians or the whole super left wing vibe - and I'm not grouping them together - but I felt like people were eyeballing me the entire time). To get some of that Fremont vibe, it might be worth checking out once.

In the end Silence-Heart-Nest was just okay. If you get stuck in Fremont and need to eat and nothing else is open, I'd give it a shot. Otherwise, there is enough other selection around to have a better experience (and I hate giving even slightly negative Seattle restaurant reviews, but I just can't help it here).

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Seattle Bars and Restaurants | The Ram

If you are new to Seattle and want to go to a restaurant that can serve both as a fine dining establishment and a great sports bar, The Ram Restaurant & Brewery is the place to go. Well, fine dining in a great city like Seattle might be a stretch, but it is a great place to grab a bite to eat if you want to change your nightly routine up a little (the food is good is all I'm saying). And, if you time it right, while you are wining and dining your wife or husband you can catch that Seattle Seahawks game or University of Washington Huskies basketball or football game without catching a bunch of flack.

For a little background, the Ram is a restaurant chain located throughout the greater Seattle area. Because I live in the Wallingford area, I frequent the Ram located in the University Village shopping center. I've been there several times to get prepared for both UDub basketball and football games and University of Kansas basketball and football games (I'm a huge Jayhawks fan and love going to any bar that will show a KU game).

No matter what your view of a traditional sports bar is, the Ram will not disappoint. The theme of the restaurant is sports, but they have not forgotten that people need to eat when there isn't much on television. Because of that, there is a central dining area, with an exposed kitchen, that services your regular dining crowd. And, as I've already said, the food is good. The menu ranges from burgers and sandwiches to steaks, pasta, and your traditional dining fare. It's really as good for sports watching as it is for taking a date for dinner.

And if you are looking for a traditional sports bar in Seattle, this is also the place to be. At the UVillage location, all you have to do is walk to the back of the restaurant to put yourself in sports bar heaven. Although it may be a little be more subdued than Fox Sports Grill in downtown Seattle, it definitely gets the job done. With a full service bar that comes to a "T" in the middle and plenty of high top tables and booths, it is definitely a great place to be for a big game. If you are going to go, however, you better get there early. It fills up quick, and I must admit that the service can be a little slow at times (when the place is packed, I mean). I stopped by there before the UW vs. ASU game last week and left before I even got a beer it was so packed and took so long to get a drink. Despite that, I'd still recommend it.

Another great aspect of The Ram is it's happy hour specials. They have great drink and food specials (1/2 price appetizers I believe, which are super tasty). So, if you just need a drink to unwind after work, I'd also pop in there (one of the great things about the northwest is how early all the sports start in the evening - so even after work you can catch a little bit of what is usually a mildly entertaining game).

As for service, I'd rate it average at best. As I said, it can be slow at times, and I've gotten the feeling in there before that some of the waitstaff is not as interested in customer service as they should be. But the booze, the televisions, and the overall atmosphere make up for that.

Overall, I'd highly recommend the Ram in Seattle for all of your dining or sports needs. So, the next time you feel like a beer, a crowd, and a great sports scene, check it out. You won't be disappointed.

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Seattle Restaurants | South Lake Union | Joeys

Over the past several weeks I've had the chance to visit Joeys on South Lake Union. The first time was for a couple of drinks and an appetizer with my wife on a Friday night. The second was for lunch with my mom, who was visiting from Kansas. Each visit was different, but both were quite enjoyable. Here is how it went - my Seattle restaurant review of Joeys on South Lake Union.

Joeys is a South Lake Union restaurant that is part of the regrowth plan in that part of Seattle. It sits right on the south edge of Lake Union, and has some really spectacular views of the water. The day I went for lunch it was crystal clear, the lake was full of boats, and it really did make the entire experience more enjoyable. As you can imagine, just sitting here hanging out, looking at the water and boats, makes you feel kind of cool. It also gives a good "Seattle" type of vibe.

First, let's talk about the Friday night visit. If you don't live in Seattle and want a pretty cool place to go that isn't too far out of the way, Joey's is a safe bet. It doesn't have that Seattle club atmosphere, but the night I was there the bar was packed, people were happy, and the drinks were flowing. The bar holds about 50-60 people, and was a pretty good time. It is definitely not the place to go if you want to get crazy though. More of a lounge, martini bar kind of a feel.

As you can see from these pictures, this Seattle restaurant is built around a modern feel with an upscale attitude. And the prices, although not outrageous, match that feel. The price of everything was on the upper end. Drinks were relatively expensive, the food was relatively expensive, but again, it didn't break the bank. Bottom line, if you stop by Joeys on a random weekday night in particular, you might see me there having a drink (particularly in the summertime, when the back patio provides a great place to forget about your workday).

Now on to lunch. I had a hamburger, and my mom had a seared ahi sandwich (I think). Don't let the fact that I had a hamburger get you all bent out of shape and write off everything I've said so far in this review. I'm from Kansas. Hamburgers are a guilty pleasure. Sometimes you've just got to have one - this was one of those times. Anyway, back to it. The food was really pretty great. I've got no complaints on that. But the service, on the other hand, left a little to be desired.

It wasn't that the service was terrible or anything. We were in the restaurant at a fairly slow time (maybe ten to fifteen tables full), and there didn't seem to be much going on, but everything related to our dining experience was slow. It took five to ten minutes for our waitress to even greet us at our table, and everything after that was similarly slow. When the food came out it was hot and tasty, but the service could have been better.

This is about it for my review of Joeys restaurant on South Lake Union in Seattle. As you can tell by my review, I'd recommend people going there to give it a try. They also have several other locations throughout the greater Seattle area, and across the border in Canada. I think they try to create a feeling of uniformity with each restaurant (absent the great view), so you'd probably be safe giving any one of the restaurants a try.

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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this great Seattle hot spot. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.