RTW Adventures of J&M

Canlis Restaurant

2576 Aurora Ave. N.

Seattle, WA 98109

When you call Canlis to make a reservation their automated greeting sets the tone for your dinner to come - "At Canlis you can never be overdressed." I will not comment on the non-food related experience because everything is as you would expect in a restaurant of this caliber. However, I will briefly express my  amusement in their 'invisible valet' system where they just know who you are, which car is yours and when you're done with dinner so that they have your car ready for you as you exit the restaurant.

We decided to skip the pre-fix menu and order off their regular menu (Picture 1). J and I got completely different things and swapped our dishes halfway into each course to get a tasting of all the food. This behavior is probably frowned upon at Canlis, but.. oh well...

 
Number in () represents my ranking of the dishes with "1" being my favorite.

2. Duck Confit & Plum Salad (2) - You can't go wrong with duck cooked in duck fat. It was the first time I've had plums in my salad and it was great. I ordered this dish because I really wanted a green salad with gorgonzola. Ironically, the gorgonzola was the only part of the salad that I didn't like because I felt it overpowered the other ingredients. (Picture 2)

3. All-Natural Prime New York Steak medium (1) - Surprisingly, this was my favorite of the night. I normally don't order steak at a restaurant, because I really enjoy the $8.99/lb NY sirloin from Costco which I just slap on the grill. But, I was craving meat. So, I ordered the steak and boy, am I glad I did! I definitely can't make this at home.

1. Canlis Chowder (4) - I told J that this chowder tasted like the creamy soups that they would serve in a westernized steak house in Taiwan. He thought the comment would be insulting to the chef at Canlis, but I have always liked those creamy soups. *shrug*

2. Steak Tartare (8) - This was definitely the biggest disappointment of the night for me. I thought it tasted pretty bland.

3. Muscovy Duck (5)

Truffle Fries (7) - Sadly, the truffle taste and smell eluded me. Even so, this side dish still ranked higher than that tartare which was 3 times the price.

Grand Marnier Souffle (3) - This is probably the best souffle I've ever had, which may not say much because I've only had it maybe two other times. A little too much alcohol perhaps, but it was so soft and yummy. I swear it rose almost 2 inches off the dish! If my mom is reading this post, I know she's jealous. (Picture 3)

J and I were a little apprehensive about our dinner since we usually don't.. let me re-phrase... since we never go to fancy restaurants that enforce a dress code. But, we had a great time and the food was fantastic. This was definitely a great seagway into what will hopefully be a couple of Michelin star experiences during our upcoming trip. Thank you, IL, for this wonderful gift! =)

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

1225 4th Ave

Seattle, WA 98101

This Downtown restaurant is the newest member of the Purple Cafe & Wine Bar establishments. There are 3 in the Seattle metro region, but as far as I'm concerned, the Downtown location is the only one worth going to because the other two do offer the small plates menu. Think about it this way. J and I have become hard-core suburbanites. We hate going into the city because we can never find parking. Also, one of the (less worthy) Purples is less than 5-minute drive away from our house and offers free parking! Yet, the Downtown Purple is the only one we go to. It's just that much better!

I hate writing paragraphs, so will just summarize highlights in a bulleted list.

- simple, tasty foods made from fresh and seasonal ingredients

- stylish modern decor including a massive wine tower complete with winding staircase

- small plates menu and a separate cheese tasting menu is available in addition to the regular menu

- entrees are also very good and they're more than happy to divide one entree into two tasting plates 

- if you bring in bottles of wine that is not in their arsenal, they will uncork the first one at no charge

- dessert is also tasting size, so you can order just one or a few to try (I think there's 15+ options)

- they will happily deal with any kind of crazy bill splits that you throw at them. Do you see a pattern here?

- if you go on Sunday, wines regularly sold at $50 or less are half-priced

Since their tasting menu changes seasonally, it's hard to say what are the must-haves. I would say anything with duck confit or beef carpaccio is a sure thing. From their regular entree, I have enjoyed the gorgonzola and pancetta pasta (picture) and J really liked the pasta bolognese before they took it off their menu.

Bottom line: Purple is just a fun place to go with a bunch of friends for tasty foods and friendly service at a reasonable price.

p.s. Seattle area Costcos sell Purple gift cards - two $50 gift cards for $80. You do the math.

p.p.s. Do not confuse this place with The Purple Dot Cafe which is a ghetto Chinese restaurant located in the International District. I'm not a huge fan of their food, but I hear it's really good after a night of clubbing and sufficient inebriation.

Northwest Tofu, Inc.

1913 Jackson St.

Seattle, WA 98144

It is important to know that Northwest Tofu is first and foremost a tofu manufacturer (Picture 3). I think that's all I really need to say to convince most Asian people that the tofu dishes that they serve in the attached restaurant is ridiculously good!

I haven't tried all of their plates, but I bet you can't go wrong with any of the ones that have tofu. My favorites includes scallion pancake with egg and cold bean curd noodles. However, the must-get dish is definitely the salt and pepper tofu (Picture 2). I often describe it as eating a mouthful of deep fried soup, if that's possible. Unlike most restaurants who uses firm tofu, soft tofu is used here. The batter is extremely thin, crunchy and well-seasoned. The inside is really soft, almost soup-like. This dish is best eaten immediately after coming out of the kitchen. You will probably burn your mouth, but it's so worth it!