Comfort Food
Trap Kitchen Will Make a Brief Seattle Appearance Next Week
Two chefs traded gang life for kitchen life—and now they’re coming to cook for you
Local chef Taylor Cheney was flipping through channels late one night when she stumbled across the sort of Vice documentary made for late-night TV viewing: how a couple of former Compton gang members and self-proclaimed hustlers turned out to run underground L.A. catering sensation Trap Kitchen. The two chefs, Spank and News, make a single…
Sneak Peek: Skillet Goes Brick and Mortar with Its New Capitol Hill Restaurant
Street food comes in from the cold on Capitol Hill
Joshua Henderson opened Skillet, his mobile street food truck, in 2007 after figuring out that he didn’t like working in restaurants. He just wanted to focus on the food: making it good and bringing it to the masses without all the fuss and ritual of creating an “experience.” Now, four years later, after amassing a…
Comfort Food: Best Comfort Fried Foods in Seattle
Deep-fried VeggiesYes, we’re making the argument that fruits and veggies—even those batter dipped and fried—still count toward your recommended five to nine a day. And it’s even better when it’s something unexpected, like the fried lemons at Pike Street Fish Fry on Capitol Hill. Here, slices are batter-dipped, then introduced to a quick bath in…
Comfort Food: Seattle’s Best Comfort Desserts
Chocolate Chip CookieMourning the loss of recently closed Madame K’s Pizza Bistro and its skillet deep-dish fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie? You’ll still find the same indulgent goodness in the Cow Pie at owner Kirsten Burt’s sister restaurant, Lazy K’s Pizza & Pasta in Carnation—where the juxtaposition of hot, chewy cookie and cold vanilla ice cream…
Comfort Food: Starch Bombs!
DumplingsThink of the beef bing ($5) at Henry’s Taiwan (two locations: International District and Bellevue) as overgrown pot stickers—same crispy, pan-fried surface, same satisfyingly doughy chew, same savory meat filling as a pot sticker, only double the size. Sound good? Each order comes with two bings, so you can relive the sensation of biting into…
Comfort Food: Soups
Need a little hug from the inside? It’s no wonder that soups are a cornerstone of the comfort-food w
Matzo Ball SoupJewish kids grow up with either Bubbie’s chewy “sinkers” or airy “floaters”—the descriptors used for the dumplings in matzo ball soup. Secluded from street view in a West Seattle mall, Eats Market Café has been winning acclaim for its sinkers for years—and deservedly so. A cup of this golden-hued elixir, rich with vegetables…
Comfort Food: Noodle Dishes
Smooth, slippery and highly slurpable, these noodles are high on our craveable carbs list.
Pad ThaiThere’s something seductive about the pad thai ($14) at Wallingford favorite May Restaurant & Lounge. It comes artfully arranged on a banana leaf, and the server carefully customizes the noodle dish tableside for you and yours. Craving extra crushed peanuts, a mild bite of chile, a moderate squeeze of lime or an extra spoon…
Comfort Food: One Pot Stews, Curries and Porridges
The heady scent of a hearty one-pot stew, slowly stirred and simmered in the kitchen, is one of the
GumboA delicious, hearty gumbo starts with a dark roux. Where Ya At Matt, new to the mobile-food-truck scene, goes it one better by making its own andouille sausage for this classic Creole treat ($8). The recipe hails from chef Matt Lewis’ Aunt Rose, and is a thick, rich, tomato-based stew that sings with the flavors…
Comfort Food: Seattle’s Best Cassoulet
Cassoulet at cafe CampagneWhen autumn gives way to winter, our thoughts turn to Cafe Campagne’s fragrant, meaty cassoulet special. Worth every cent of its $23 price tag, this labor-intensive dish originating in the south of France would take an intrepid home cook at least two days to prepare from scratch. Luckily, chef Daisley Gordon and…
Comfort Food: Meatloaf
We salute these restaurants for putting a delicious, down-home spin on the ultimate meat and potato
The sassy waitresses at Calamity Jane’s in Georgeown will call you “sweetheart,” teasingly chide you for ordering just one Manny’s, and encourage you to finish the behemoth portion of the Wednesday special: D’s roasted-garlic meatloaf ($11.82). A mammoth slice tasting of pork, beef and herbs comes blanketed in a hearty gravy and topped with at…
Comfort Food: Mashed Potatoes
We’re sure you’d agree that a bowlful of mashed potatoes is the quintessential comfort side dish.
We’re sure you’d agree that a bowlful of mashed potatoes is the quintessential comfort side dish. Whether it’s drenched in gravy or topped with a pool of melted butter, there is no better partner to a thick slice of meatloaf or pot roast. Our pick for best “cheapie” mash goes to Calamity Jane’s slightly sweet,…
5 Different Ways to Love Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Whether your ideal plate is showered with buttery bread crumbs or strewn with bits of bacon, behold
We love the “World’s Best” mac and cheese at Beecher’s, but it’s time other cheesy pastas shared the spotlight. Whether your ideal plate is showered with buttery bread crumbs, strewn with bits of bacon, robust with a hearty kick of blue cheese, copiously creamy or vegan pleasing, behold our picks for other bests. 1. MeatyServed…