2012 NCLC CONFERENCE
RESTAURANT SUGGESTIONS
FROM THE HOST COMMITTEE
| C | Car is the only reasonable option |
| W | Within easy walking distance of the Westin |
| LW | Long walk from the Westin |
| CAB | Inexpensive cab ride from the Westin |
| CAB-E | Expensive cab ride from the Westin |
| BUS | Easily accessible by bus (Online Trip Planner at: http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ ) |
| RAIL | Light rail (Airport & Stadiums: http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Central-Link-light-rail.xml ) |
| SLUT (really!) | South Lake Union Trolley (“Ride The SLUT” T-Shirts available) |
| MONORAIL | Seattle Center Area |
| FAV | David Leen and Sheila O’Sullivan’s highly recommended list |
| Restaurants – Inexpensive | ||
| Comments | ||
| 5 Point Café http://the5pointcafe.com/ |
Belltown. Bloody Mary Mornings. | W |
| Athenian Inn http://www.athenianinn.com/ |
Sleepless in Seattle filmed here; Pike Place Market | W |
| Baguette Box http://baguettebox.com/ |
Unique sandwiches – up Pine across I-5 | LW |
| Bakery Nouveau http://www.bakerynouveau.com/welcome/ |
West Seattle | CAB-E |
| Beecher’s Handmade Cheese http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/ |
Pike Place Market (sandwiches, mac n cheese) | W |
| Blue Moon Burgers http://bluemoonburgers.com/ |
Good burgers on the way to South Lake Union | LW |
| Brave Horse Tavern http://bravehorsetavern.com/ |
Tom Douglas in South Lake Union. Hearth baked soft pretzels and good beer. | LW, SLUT |
| Courthouse Federal Café http://www.uscourthousecafe.com/bbs/default.php |
Good salad bar, burgers, etc. | W |
| Crawfish King http://www.seattlecrawfishking.com/ |
Messy and yummy! International district. | RAIL, BUS & FAV |
| Dick’s Drive-In http://www.ddir.com/ |
A Seattle Institution on Capitol Hill | CAB |
| Dragonfish http://dragonfishcafe.com/ |
Cheap Sushi, near Nordstrom | W |
| Ezell’s Famous Chicken http://www.ezellschicken.com/ |
Great fried chicken in Central Area—Oprah likes. | CAB |
| I Love NY Deli http://www.ilovenewyorkdeli.net/ |
W | |
| Il Fornaio Bakery Café http://www.ilfornaio.com/?page=138&restaurant_id=3916 |
Great sandwiches and salads – Pacific Place | W |
| Kastoori http://kastoorigrill.com/ |
Pike Place Market | W |
| Le Fournil Ltd Bakery http://www.le-fournil.com/ |
Great bargain lunch: sandwich, drink and fabulous French pastry dessert. | CAB-E; FAV |
| Le Panier http://www.lepanier.com/ |
Lunch and sweets | W & FAV |
| Lunchbox Laboratory http://lunchboxlaboratory.com/ |
Creative and delicious burgers. | CAB |
| Mad Oven BBQ | Downtown. Lunch. | RAIL, BUS & FAV |
| Mae Phim Thai Restaurant http://www.maephim.com/ |
Cheap Thai Food, under viaduct entry on Columbia | W |
| Mama’s Mexican Kitchen http://www.mamas.com/ |
Belltown Mexican fare. | W |
| Marination Station http://marinationmobile.com/station |
Spicy Korean – in QFC complex at Pike & Broadway | LW, CAB |
| Northlake Tavern Pizza http://northlaketavern.com/ |
University District—great Pizza | CAB-E |
| Pamela’s Fine Foods http://www.pamelasfinefoods.com/ |
A little slow but fresh and great lunch (weekdays only) (near Federal Court) | W & FAV |
| Pecos Pit BBQ | SODO. Cash only. Closed by 4pm. | CAB, RAIL |
| Pintxo http://www.pintxoseattle.com/ |
Belltown. Tapas. | W |
| Piroshky Piroshky http://www.piroshkybakery.com/ |
Pike Place Market. Worth the wait. | W |
| Rock Bottom Brewery http://www.rockbottom.com/ |
Multiple large screen TVs for a variety of sports viewing. | W |
| Row House Café http://rowhousecafe.com/ |
Great sandwiches. | LW |
| Serious Pie http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=serious-pie |
Tom Douglas pizza. Yum! [David Leen’s is better but he probably won’t have time to make it for you] | W |
| Skillet Diner http://skilletstreetfood.com/diner.php |
Fantastic eclectic food—always a crowd. 1st Hill. | CAB |
| Tat’s Deli http://www.tatsdeli.com/ |
Across from Smith Tower—East Coast style | RAIL, LW, BUS |
| Thai Tom | Great cheap Thai Food (University District) | CAB-E, BUS |
| Three Girls Bakery | Pike Place Market – Post Alley. | W |
| Tutta Bella http://www.tuttabellapizza.com/tuttabellawl/index.php |
Westlake Center. Neapolitan Pizza. | W |
| Uwajimaya Food Court http://www.uwajimaya.com/ |
International District. A variety of asian cuisines from Vietnamese and Thai to Chinese baked goods. | LW, CAB-E, BUS, RAIL |
| Wasabi Bistro http://www.wasabiseattle.com/ |
Good sushi. | W |
| Zaina’s | Cheap Middle Eastern food | RAIL, BUS |
| Restaurants – average price | ||
| 13 Coins http://www.13coins.com/ |
A Seattle institution | LW, CAB |
| 8 oz. Burger Bar http://www.8ozburgerbar.com/ |
Downtown. | CAB |
| Assaggio http://www.assaggioseattle.com/ |
Very close to hotel; evening reservations recommended | W & FAV |
| Barolo http://baroloseattle.com/ |
Great Happy Hour food menu | W |
| Barrio http://www.barriorestaurant.com/ |
1st Hill | CAB |
| Bastille http://bastilleseattle.com/ |
Reservations recommended. Authentic French bistro fare. | CAB-E, C |
| Boat St. Kitchen http://www.boatstreetkitchen.com/ |
Belltown near Denny. | CAB, LW |
| Branzino http://www.branzinoseattle.com/ |
Belltown. | W |
| Café Campagne http://cafecampagne.com/ |
Their fries cooked in duck fat are the perfect hangover cure! | W & FAV |
| Café Flora (King of Vegetarian) http://www.cafeflora.com/ |
Wonderful and creative veggie food—Madison Park | CAB-E, C |
| Café Presse http://cafepresseseattle.com/home |
French Café – interesting dishes and authentic French ham & cheese on baguette – near Seattle U | BUS, CAB |
| Chandler’s Crab House http://www.chandlerscrabhouse.com/ |
Great view, good variety on menu | LW, RAIL, CAB |
| Fare Start http://www.farestart.org/index.html |
Culinary training facility for homeless and displaced individuals. Awesome food. Guest Chef dinner on Thursday nights (must reserve ahead). Lunch daily. | W |
| Fox Sports Grill http://www.foxsportsgrill.com/html/seattle.html |
Downtown. | W |
| Gordon Biersch http://www.gordonbiersch.com/locations/seattle-wa |
Originally from Palo Alto, this brewery’s home brews are fantastic. Located in the food court of Pacific Place Mall. | W |
| Icon Grill http://www.icongrill.com/ |
Try the mac & cheese! | W |
| Il Fornaio’s Risotteria http://www.ilfornaio.com/?page=138&restaurant_id=3916 |
Good Italian lunches. | W |
| Ivar’s Salmon House http://www.ivars.com/index.php?page=locations_salmonhouse |
Seattle tradition—good salmon on Lake Union | CAB |
| La Rustica http://larusticarestaurant.com/ |
West Seattle. | C |
| La Spiga http://www.laspiga.com/ |
Northern Italian cooking on Capitol Hill. | CAB & FAV |
| Le Pichet http://lepichetseattle.com/ |
Small venue. Great paté. | W & FAV |
| Manhattan Drugs http://www.manhattanseattle.com/ |
Capitol Hill. | CAB |
| Matt’s in the Market http://www.mattsinthemarket.com/ |
Matt’s pork belly bahn mí is not to be missed. | W |
| Momiji Sushi http://momijiseattle.com/#home_ |
Capitol Hill Sushi. | CAB |
| Monsoon http://monsoonrestaurants.com/seattle/ |
Small but not to be missed! Make reservations | CAB & FAV |
| Petra Mediterranean Bistro http://www.petrabistro.com/ |
Belltown. | W |
| Place Pigalle http://www.placepigalle-seattle.com/ |
French food with a view of Elliot Bay. | W & FAV |
| Poquitos http://vivapoquitos.com/Poquitos/VivaPoquitos.html |
Capitol Hill Mexican fare. | CAB |
| Red Fin Sushi http://www.redfinseattle.com/ |
Inside the Hotel Max. | W |
| Restaurant Zoe http://www.restaurantzoe.com/ |
Belltown. Delicious non-alcohol cocktails. | CAB |
| Salumi http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/ |
Pioneer Square. Mario Batali’s family runs this small shop | RAIL, CAB, BUS |
| Seatown Seabar | Tom Douglas’ new raw bar and rotisserie in Pike Place. Best Poke outside of Hawaii. | W |
| Serafina http://serafinaseattle.com/ |
South Lake Union | CAB & FAV |
| Shucker’s Oyster Bar http://www.fairmont.com/seattle/dining/shuckers/ |
Surprisingly good seafood restaurant in the Fairmont hotel; great oyster selection. | W & FAV |
| Urbane http://www.urbaneseattle.com/ |
Inside the Hilton Hotel | W |
| Veraci Pizza http://veracipizza.com/ |
Possibly the best pizza in town but it’s not close | CAB-E, C, FAV |
| Via Tribunali http://www.viatribunali.net/index.php?page=capitol-hill |
Authentic Neapolitan thin crust pizza | CAB, BUS |
| Volunteer Park Café http://www.alwaysfreshgoodness.com/ |
“Heaven on the Hill” – The Stranger | CAB & FAV |
| Restaurants – fine dining and/or expensive | ||
| 35th Street Bistro www.35bistro.com | Located in Fremont. Consistently good food. | CAB |
| Altura http://alturarestaurant.com/ |
Capitol Hill. | CAB, BUS & FAV |
| Anchovies and Olives http://ethanstowellrestaurants.com/anchoviesandolives |
Ethan Stowell restaurant. Northwest Italian. | CAB, BUS |
| Anthony’s Pier 66 http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/detail/anthonys-pier-66 |
Western Avenue. Seafood on the bay. | W |
| Barking Frog http://www.willowslodge.com/barking_frog/ |
Woodinville. | CAB-E, C |
| Boat Street Café http://www.boatstreetcafe.com/ |
Provençal inspired food. | CAB, LW & FAV |
| Blue Acre http://blueacreseafood.com/ |
You have to try their crab and shrimp tater tots! | W |
| Campagne | Great French food. | W & FAV |
| Canlis http://canlis.com/ |
One of the oldest fine dining restaurants in Seattle. Classic but expensive | CAB |
| Capital Grille http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/seattle/main.asp |
Steak house. | W |
| Carmine’s (Il Terrazzo Carmine) http://ilterrazzocarmine.com/ |
Pioneer Square. | RAIL, BUS & FAV |
| Coterie Room http://www.thecoterieroom.com/ |
Belltown | W |
| Crush http://chefjasonwilson.com/ |
Seasonal Northwest. James Beard award winner. | CAB-E, C |
| Cuoco http://cuoco-seattle.com/ |
Unbelievable fresh pasta; South Lake Union | CAB, LW FAV |
| Dahlia Lounge http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=dahlia-lounge |
Belltown. Tom Douglas fine dining. Everything is good here. | W |
| El Gaucho http://elgaucho.com/index.html |
Classic tableside Caesar salad preparation and other touches from fine dining etiquette of yester years. | W |
| Etta’s http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=ettas |
Tom Douglas’ Pike Place fine dining establishment. | |
| Flying Fish http://www.flyingfishseattle.com/ |
Wonderful seafood restaurant. | LW, SLUT |
| Herbfarm http://theherbfarm.com/dining/index.html |
Woodinville. Weekly themed 9 course menu with wine pairings. Plan on a long evening. | CAB |
| How to Cook a Wolf http://ethanstowellrestaurants.com/howtocookawolf/ |
Ethan Stowell restaurant. Simple, rustic, Italian. | CAB |
| Il Fornaio’s Risorante http://www.ilfornaio.com/?page=138&restaurant_id=3916 |
Pacific Place Mall | W |
| La Bete http://labeteseattle.com/ |
Capitol Hill. | CAB |
| Lark http://larkseattle.com/ |
Capitol Hill. Delicious French tapas. | CAB & FAV |
| Lola http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=lola |
Tom Douglas restaurant. Across from the Dahlia Lounge in Belltown. Mediterranean fare. | W |
| Luc http://thechefinthehat.com/luc/ |
Madison Valley. [same owner as Rovers] | CAB-E, C |
| Mistral Kitchen http://mistral-kitchen.com/ |
Recently opened. French fare. | W |
| Morton’s http://www.mortons.com/seattle/ |
Look for the red carpet | W |
| Palace Kitchen http://tomdouglas.com/index.php/restaurants/palace-kitchen |
Tom Douglas restaurant. The Palace acts as the test kitchen for the Dahlia Lounge. One of the few restaurants in the downtown core open past midnight. | W |
| Palomino http://www.palomino.com/ |
3rd floor of US Bank Center. | W |
| Peso’s Kitchen and Lounge http://www.pesoskitchen.com/ |
Lower Queen Anne | CAB |
| Ponti http://www.pontiseafoodgrill.com/ |
Great environment and view of the canal | CAB |
| Poppy http://poppyseattle.com/ |
The chef was recently awarded the James Beard Award for best new chef. | CAB |
| Portage http://www.portagerestaurant.com/ |
Queen Anne | |
| Purple Café and Wine Bar http://www.thepurplecafe.com/ |
Vibrant and loud; good wine tasting flights | W |
| Queen City Grill http://www.queencitygrill.com/ |
Belltown | W |
| Ray’s Boathouse (best Puget Sound view) | Excellent salmon and steaks. | CAB, C |
| RN 74 http://michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/rnwa.php |
New wine bar. Food is good but expensive and environment is loud. | W |
| Rovers http://thechefinthehat.com/rovers/ |
Very expensive; long evening of many great courses | CAB |
| Salty’s http://www.saltys.com/ |
West Seattle. On the waterfront. | CAB-E |
| Sea Star http://www.seastarrestaurant.com/ |
Above Whole Foods in South Lake Union | W |
| Sitka and Spruce http://sitkaandspruce.com/ |
Ethan Stowell restaurant. Located in the Melrose Market on Capitol Hill. | CAB |
| Space Needle http://www.spaceneedle.com/restaurant/ |
Sit, eat, and spin. Used to be poor quality tourist trap food but has really come up in quality over the years. | MONORAIL |
| Spinasse http://www.spinasse.com/ |
Piedmontese Italian | CAB FAV |
| Taste http://www.tastesam.com/ |
Located in the Seattle Art Museum | W |
| Tavolata http://ethanstowellrestaurants.com/tavolata/ |
Ethan Stowell restaurant. Beautiful fresh pasta made daily | W |
| Terra Plata http://www.terraplata.com/ |
Located near Melrose Market in Capitol Hill | CAB |
| The Georgian http://www.fairmont.com/seattle/dining/thegeorgian/ |
In the Fairmont Hotel. Also serves High Tea in the afternoon. | W |
| The Hunt Club http://www.hotelsorrento.com/food-drink/ |
First Hill | CAB |
| The Metropolitan Grill Restaurant http://www.themetropolitangrill.com/ |
Great steakhouse. They bring the tray of steaks to your table to explain each cut. Rumored to have fabulous happy hour food too. | W |
| The Pink Door http://thepinkdoor.net/ |
Pink Margaritas. Need we say more? (okay and the food is good too) | W |
| Tulio’s http://www.tulio.com/ |
Near the library. Good risottos and other Italian dishes. | W |
| Voila! French Bistro http://www.voilabistrot.com/ |
Madison Valley | CAB-E, C |
| Trace http://www.traceseattle.com/ |
In the W Hotel | W |
| Wild Ginger http://www.wildginger.net/ |
Downtown. Great Thai! | W |
| Breakfast | ||
| 5 Point Café http://the5pointcafe.com/ |
Touted as a great breakfast place | W |
| B & O Espresso http://b-oespresso.com/ |
Great dessert destination | CAB |
| Boat St. Kitchen http://www.boatstreetkitchen.com/ |
Weekend Brunch. | CAB, LW |
| Café Campagne http://cafecampagne.com/ |
Try their Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame for breakfast. | W |
| Crumble and Flake http://www.crumbleandflake.com/ |
Capitol Hill. Must get there early, closed Monday and Tuesday | CAB |
| Dahlia Bakery http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=dahlia-bakery |
Companion to the Dahlia Lounge. Try their pies as well as their breads and desserts. | W |
| Etta’s http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=ettas |
Weekend brunch. Delicious scratch Bloody Mary’s | W |
| Fresh Flours http://www.freshfloursseattle.com/ |
Ballard area. Beautiful croissants. | CAB |
| Grand Central Bakery http://www.grandcentralbakery.com/locations/seattle/ |
Pioneer Square | LW |
| Cyclops http://www.cyclopsseattle.com/ |
Belltown. Good French toast | W |
| Hurricane Café | Open 24 hours | W |
| Le Panier http://www.lepanier.com/ |
Pike Place Market | W |
| Local 360 http://www.local360.org/ |
Belltown. Weekend brunch. Locally sourced menu. | W |
| Macrina Bakery and Café http://www.macrinabakery.com/ |
Belltown. Delicious scones and fresh bread | W |
| Portage Bay Café http://www.portagebaycafe.com/2012/home.html |
University District. | CAB |
| Seatown Seabar http://tomdouglas.com/index.php?page=seatown |
Pike Place Market. Delicious Southern themed breakfasts. | W |
| Specialties http://www.specialtys.com/2012/?ref=V5 |
Delicious and very large cookies as well as sandwiches and other baked goods. | |
| The Georgian http://www.fairmont.com/seattle/dining/thegeorgian/ |
Located in the Fairmont Hotel | W |
| Top Pot Doughnuts http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/ |
Gourmet Donuts – on 5th north of Westin. President Obama visited on his last trip to Seattle. | W |
| Great Restaurant Neighborhoods | ||
| Ballard Avenue | Bastille, the Sexton, Whiskey Kitchen, Voltera, Portalis Wine Shop, etc. | CAB |
| Belltown | Dahlia Lounge, Lola, Restaurant Zoe, Pintxo, Assagio, Mama’s Mexican Kitchen, etc. | W |
| Broadway from Pike north to Roy | Via Tribunali, Manhattans, Cupcake Royale, etc. | CAB, BUS |
| International District (Chinatown) | Uwajimaya, various Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, and other Asian fare. | CAB, RAIL |
| Pike Place Market | Place Pigalle, Campagne, Café Campagne, Matt’s in the Market, Etta’s, Seabar, The Pink Door, etc. | |
| South Lake Union | Flying Fish, Serafina, Serious Pie, Brave Horse Tavern, etc. | SLUT, LW |
| University District | Thai Tom, Portage Bay Café, etc. | CAB |
| Vietnam (12th & Jackson) | Numerous Vietnamese restaurants. | CAB |
| Woodinville Wineries (over 50) | http://www.woodinvillewinecountry.com/ |
C |
Mary B. Reiten poses as an attorney by day and plays with food at all other times. She can frequently be found at one of Seattle’s fabulous 
By Devin Hahn, author of 
