Happiness is...Malena's Taco Shop

Malena's Taco Shop, in Ballard, is pretty popular in my repertoire of places I dine.  I would say I eat there, at the very least, once every two weeks and more often if I have to be in the neighborhood.  Thank goodness I have friends who live in the area, but I would still travel out of my way, way out of my way, to eat there.

The interior is nothing fancy, actually it is pretty plain, but it is always clean.  There is no table service, you order at the counter, but they do bring the food out to you.  There is a self-service soda fountain with good ice and free refills.  You've got Tapatio hot sauce on every table, most of the time the only music you will hear is coming from the radio in the kitchen, and if you eat there you get a basket of store bought chips and a pot of pretty decent salsa.

What keeps me coming back is the delicious Hard Chicken Tacos! 

Chicken Tacos is all I ever get.  Forget the beans.  Forget the rice.  All I want is a paper plate with three of the most delicious Chicken Hard Tacos. 

There is not much to them, just a perfectly fried corn tortilla stuffed full with lightly seasoned shredded chicken and topped off with a hearty amount of crisp iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and a sprinkling of grated white cheese (could be cotija, could be parmesan, it doesn't matter because it's good).  That's it.

The tacos aren't spicy (that's what the Tapatio is for), there is no onion, no cilantro, no peppers.  Just plain and simple, fresh and good. 

I just love them.  I would like them now.  Maybe tomorrow.

I hear that the Carnitas Tacos are really good, as well as the Carne Asada Tacos, but I may never know.

Malena's Taco Shop - urbanspoon

Happiness is...Brussles Sprouts

It's finally starting to feel like Fall!  That crisp Fall smell has, at last, hit the air.  That wonderful mingling of wood-fire smoke, rotting leaves, and briny-foggy-mist (luvz it!) and it lingers throughout the day. 

I have pulled out the sweaters, dusted off the boots, rounded up the mufflers, and mended the holes in the mittens in anticipation of many long walks, kicking through piles of gold and crimson leaves.  I enjoy the Fall weather so much!  Cold noses and all.

Ooh! And Hats! I get to start wearing my hats again.

Today I took a long walk.  The sun was shining and big puffy clouds swiftly raced through the clear blue sky, leaves were falling with the breeze like feathers.  Everyone has their porches decorated with pots of kale, the last of the green tomatoes (which I desperately want) are drooping in their beds and the pumpkins are out on the stoops. It was a picture perfect Fall day.

I found myself at the Produce Stand, which was overflowing with the seasonal bounty.  There were bushels of beets, parsnips, turnips, sugar pie pumpkins, huge butternut squash, and piles of my favorite vegetable...Brussles Sprouts!  Nothing, to me, says Fall cooking like Brussles Sprouts.

I picked out 2 lbs. of petite rose cabbages, nestled them in with my other purchases and practically skipped home, swinging my bag and kicking leaves.  I couldn't wait to cook up my favorite Brussles Sprouts recipe.

This has become my "go to" recipe for every Holiday Pot Luck I am invited to, because it is not only super quick and easy to make, but I never ever hear, "Eeewww, Brussles Sprouts!"  It's that good.
That, and I never tell anyone it's Brussles Sprouts until after they've tried it.

Hashed Brussles Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 lb. Brussles Sprouts
1 medium Yellow Onion
1/2 c. diced Sausage ~or~ 2-3 strips thick cut Bacon
1 T. chopped fresh Thyme ~or~ 1 tsp. dried Thyme
2 T. Chicken Broth ~or~ Broth of Choice
Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
Kosher Salt, to taste
Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

Today I started off by shredding 1 lb. of Brussles Sprouts.

I like shredding the sprouts because they cook so quickly 

and there is little chance for uneven cooking

I shredded them by hand, with a knife, but when I need to shred a lot of sprouts

I do it in the food processor, with the slicing blade.

I roughly sliced up I medium Yellow Onion.

Feel free to thin slice the onion, I just like thick pieces.

You could also substitute Red Onion if you like it a little sweeter.

 

Next I diced up 1/2 c. of spicy Chicken Andouille Sausage.

Normally I would use 1-2 slices of thick cut Bacon, diced, but

I had some sausage in the refrigerator, so I used that.

I've also used Pancetta, Prosciutto, and Italian Sausage before, 

but anything smoked or cured or pork will do.

Actually, I've even made it without meat all together and it was great!

 

I got my skillet really hot and threw in the diced Andouille Sausage,

and cooked it until it started to get all crispy and good.

 

Then I added in the Yellow Onion and a good tablespoon of

chopped fresh Thyme (use 1 tsp. of dry).

I cook this mixture until the onions are soft and tender.

 

Finally I threw in the shredded Brussels Sprouts and 2 T. of Chicken Broth

in the pan for a very quick 3-4 minute saute.  

I wanted the sprouts to be a brilliant green color and crispy in texture.  

 

Today I finished the dish off with a drizzle of 

reduced Balsamic Syrup (I made some earlier in the week),

a pinch of Kosher Salt, and a ton of freshly ground Black Pepper.

This is a great side dish with a roasted chicken or pork loin.

I make these sprouts every Thanksgiving.

I put leftovers over rice with a little soy sauce and steamed tofu.

But usually, I eat leftovers cold right out of the fridge.

Today I just scooped them right up into a big bowl,

threw on my booty-slippers and a scarf and sat out on the 

back porch watching the cats in the garden and enjoying my 

favorite Brussels Sprout dish in the crisp Fall air.

Happiness is...Po Dog

It's 1:30 am.  You've been pack like a sardine for hours in dimly lit bar rooms.  You've had some drinks (many drinks).  You're wandering the dark city streets, trying to get the pounding disco music out of your head.

You need Food.

You need Food in a Bun.

You need a Hot Dog. 

You need to get yo' butt to Po Dog.

You need to get there Now!

Po Dog is intimate, quirky (with it's 12ft. pixelated portrait of a pug), industrial, minimalistic, and quite possibly has The Best Wallpaper EVER:  a Black & White pattern of Colt 45's, Bullets and Floral Print.

Luvs It!!!

What's Good:

The hot dogs are big and juicy and served on a grilled, slightly sweet, brioche bun.

You've got your choice of Kosher Franks, Brats, Polish Dogs, Chicken Sausages, or Vegetarian Weiners.


Icy cold bottles of Mexican Coke to wash it all down.


What We Had:

BLTA DOG

Pepper Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado

The veggies make it good for you.

DUB-T DOG

(minus the Ketchup)

Cheese Sauce, Yellow Mustard, and Crushed Potato Chips!!!

I had this one!

DEEP FRIED DANGER DOG

Wrapped in Bacon & Deep Fried!!!

Topped with sauteed Onions and Chili Sauce

Tasty? Yes. 

But I don't think you should make a habit of this one.

CHICAGO DOG

Spicy Mustard, Tomatoes, Sweet Relish, Onions,

Dill Pickle, Hot Sport Peppers, and Celery Salt

It was like having a salad on top of your hot dog!

Really Good Salty Fries.

One order was enough for 3 of us to share.

I still have many reasons to keep going back to Po Dog:

*I need to get an order of Deep Fried Pickles.
*I need to hit it on a day when they have the Mac-n-Cheese Dog...Oh yes!

*I need to try the Morning Glory Dog:  Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and Cheddar Cheese.
*I need time to work up the courage to try the Peanut Butter and Banana Dog.

Don't worry.  The Swedish Hospital ER is only a few blocks away.

http://podogs.com/

Happiness is...This Shop Window

Gnomes and Pandas.
Dancing Flowers and Nohohon.
Astro Turf.
Flamingos.

You can't tell me that this isn't one of the cutest

window dressings you have ever seen.

I can't wait to start my collection of 

Solar Powered Bobble Toys

Stare at this window for 5 min.

and I guarantee you will be smiling and
ready to get your Good Mood on.

**Location: Ballard Ave. between Volterra and Carta de Oaxaca

Happiness is...Rainy Days & Hamburgers

 

March wind and April showers, 

bring forth May showers?  

And now June showers?  

When is this rain ever going to stop?!!! 

This has been one long, wet, gray spring.  I'm usually behind my Seattle weather 100%, I like the light gray skies and a little drizzle in the afternoon, but this year has been a little much.  Not only has it been cold (I don't believe we have had a day out of the 60's yet) it has been Dark.  Really Dark.  Thick layers of Dark Gray clouds overhead at all times.  It makes you not want to get out of bed, and it definitely makes you not want to leave the house.  You just want to lay under a blanket with a hot cup of tea and a cat watching movies all day long.  For Days. Then after a week or so, and you haven't left the couch except to pee, and you realize...you're depressed. 

Oh God!  Depressed!  

Even the cats are depressed!  

Okay.

You have to get up.  

You have to get dressed.  

You have to call a friend and get them up and dressed.  

You have. To leave. The house!

You have to go get a Hamburger! 

Hamburgers make everything better!

And that's what we've been doing this whole rainy season...bein' depressed and eatin' Hamburgers.

**Remember: It has been a really long rainy season.

SALTORO'S  

www.yelp.com/biz/saltoro-seattle

Perfectly cooked Lamb Burger on a brioche bun.

The sauces are so good: Moroccan Ketchup, Wasabi Mayo, and Garlic Aoli.

I love the super crispy Yukon Gold Potato Chips.

Plus they make a really good Martini; good olives.

THE TIN TABLE

www.thetintable.com/ 

As you can see, it's not so much about the burger 

as it is about the shoestring fries.

I love this place for Happy Hour, though it can get hot and crowded.

It  also has great creaking wood floors and brick walls.

HATTIE'S HAT

www.hattieshat.com

My favorite dive Bar/Burger joint.

Down a couple Vodka tonics,

eat a burger and some fries,

and then you are ready to venture out in the rain

to get all soggy again.

(Looks sunny out but it was actually pouring!)

THE COUNTER

www.thecounterburger.com/

Yes. When chicken is on a bun it counts as a Burger.

Sweet Potato Fries are a must!

Love the multi-grain buns and cocktails.

ZEKE'S BURGERS

http://www.yelp.com/biz/zekes-drive-in-gold-bar

Located in Zekesville, WA.  Population: 5

There is nothing better than a Rainy Day Roadtrip

to get a great burger.

Greasy, messy, goodness topped off with crinkle fries.

Not only did we eat out of a bag on a picnic table

in the rain under our umbrellas,

but we shared our table with a Real Honest to Goodness

Hell's Angel!!!

PATTY'S EGGNEST

www.yelp.com/biz/pattys-eggnest-at-chuckwagon-inn-everett

The original one in Everett, WA.

(which is only a hop, skip, and a jump from my house)

Old-school, homey, good coffee, local color.

A good place for a burger.

Ooh! Steak Fries...gotta love the steak fry.

RED MILL BURGERS

www.redmillburgers.com/

A Seattle Favorite!

This is a Bacon Deluxe with Cheese

Loves me some Mill Sauce.

You gotta love Babe's Onion Rings!

Dusted in corn meal and fried to perfection.

Worth every penny.

RUBY'S DINER

www.rubys.com/

My favorite place to go after a movie at the mall.

Yes.  Every once in a while I got out to watch a movie.

Cute girls with ponytails and diner uniforms.

Good music and lots of chrome.

You feel wide awake and stimulated after eating here.

It's so bright and shiny!

VERA'S

http://www.yelp.com/biz/veras-restaurant-seattle

Patty Melt + Coffee Shop = Good

Good service.

Pink formica.

Pie case.

That special coffee.
Rye bread grilled, not toasted.

All = Good

The Mushroom Swiss Burgers are always tasty.

The grilled to order garlicky mushrooms

are so good we usually get an extra side order.

THE SEATTLE BURGER COMPANY

www.yelp.com/biz/seattle-burger-company-seattle

What stands out for me here is that they serve

the Prettiest Burgers!

The burgers always look ready to have their picture taken.

I've heard good things about the Hawaiian Burger,

but I usually stick to the Classic Cheese Deluxe.

I really like the Onion-ring/French Fry combo,

and the red squeeze bottles of ketchup on the table.

 KIDD VALLEY
kiddvalley.com/

My favorite fast-food burger joint in Seattle.
Hands Down!
Thick juicy burgers. 
The BEST Root Beer Milkshakes!

Really yummy fries and Hand-breaded Onion-Rings.
Kidd Valley also has the best service.
I want to know where they find such nice employees.

That's it.  Our Rainy Day Burger Tour has come to an end.

Looks like the clouds are rollin' back in.
Might be a good night to pick up some burgers.

Happiness is...Free Cheese!

Let the Festival Season Begin!  The Seattle Cheese Fest is... crowded... hectic... unorganized ...and littered with long lines...but hey, It's Free Cheese!  And really good cheese too...

I don't mind standing in line for Cheese, it's actually fun.  You get to talk Cheese with fellow Cheese lovers, and since the lines move really slow you get to learn a lot about the varieties and how the cheeses are made from the enthusiastic artisans themselves.

Washed Rind...Cave Aged...Triple Cream...Raw Milk...Semisoft...You'll get to know and taste it all.

We always begin the day at the Piroshky shop, to buy the 

Cheddar Cheese Rolls with Green Onions and Garlic.  M'm m'm.

You have to get them early or else the lines get too long.

Oh, and you don't eat them until you get home.  

You must have an empty stomach for all the Free Cheese to come.

You can easily consume the equivalent of a baby loaf of cheese,

which sounds disgusting, but it's actually FANTASTIC!

Aged Cheddar, White Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Bacon Cheddar...

Sheep's Milk Cheese was in abundance this year as well as

a huge variety of yummy Goat's Milk Cheeses.

They ranged from soft melty Camemberts, sweet and buttery

Farmers Cheese, stinky veiny Blues, to hard crumbly Orange Rinded beauties.

Always fun...watching the cheeky Frenchmen melt huge blocks of

cheese under a portable broiler to be scraped off and served

over a pile of roasted potatoes and fresh herbs.

Also making a strong presence was Butter.

Who knew there were so many different kinds...

Irish, Scottish, French, Cultured, Spiced, Raw Cream...

I am in love with this Organic European Style Cultured Butter.

You should always bring some cash to the festival

because the vendors sell cheese for really incredible prices.

On average a big wedge of cheese will run you around $2-$4.

Such a deal!

While waiting in line there is plenty of entertainment...

Yes, I got to hold a Parrot on his back!

Juggling Cyclists, Performing Cats, Piano Players,

Balloon-Twisting Clowns, Singers and Musicians of all sorts

will entertain you while you wait in line or take a breather from

all the Cheesy Fun.

Happiness is...Egg on Your Pizza

Have I ever told you, I LOVE EGGS?  Well, I do.  I could eat them at every meal. Seriously.  Fried, poached, scrambled, hard-boiled, deviled, any way I love them.

So, when I was told that the Special Pizza, at Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria, was topped with fresh Ricotta Cheese, Rosemary Ham, and EGGS, there was Now Way I was NOT ordering that!

Okay, Tutta Bella already makes some of the Best Damn Pizza I've ever had the pleasure of eating.  They cook their pizzas in a wood-fired stone oven that makes the thin crust super crispy with hints of aromatic charred goodness.

There is no pepperoni here.  No pineapple, no Canadian bacon, no shredded cheese blend.  They only use certified organic San Marzano tomatoes and carefully selected fresh cheeses and herbs and wonderful cured meats and sausages.  You can taste the care in each pizza.  I've never had a bad one yet.

Oh yeah!  This was just as good as I wanted it to be.  The crust was super thin and crispy.  I like that you can actually taste salt in their crust (so many places fail by falling flat on crust flavor).  The fresh ricotta cheese added a creamy sweetness that was contrasted by the salty herby rosemary ham.  And the rich ness of the perfectly cooked yolky egg took the whole thing to a stellar new level.

We were very nearly licking the platter as they were prying it out of our hands at the end of the meal.  It was that good!

Tutta bella also makes delicious salads.  We ordered the Insalata Mista which was comprised of super fresh mixed field greens, white beans, kalamata olives, and fire roasted red peppers all tossed in a light balsamic vinegrette with lots of freshly ground pepper.  Very refreshing against the richness of our egg topped pizza.

Next time I come back I'm getting the Pizza Insalata, where they put any one of their salads on the pizza...yum.

www.tuttabellapizza.com

Happiness is...Green

Not one of the  Primary colors,

but no less beautiful...

Green Sea Anemone

at the Aquarium in Vancouver, BC.

Green Algae 

at Dry Falls, in Eastern Washington.

 

A single Green Flower

after hours in a shop in SoHo, NYC.

Green Grass and a Pansy

seen through a Kaleidoscope.

Green Glass

Dale Chihuly's "Desert Towers"

at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ

Green Tomatoes

from my garden.