New Flavors Alert!!!



Everyone knows how much I love Dessert Delights. I was thrilled to discover that there are three new flavors!!!!! Lemon Square, Rootbeer Float and Rainbow Sherbet. I have tried them all and they definitely taste like you are eating dessert. But without the sugar or calories!  Do as I do, and ignore your thoughts about the chemicals it takes to taste so real. Instead, sit back, chew the gum, and enjoy the show. Thank me later.

An Ivar Survivor

This week, based on server recommendation, I went to Ivar's at the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal. It was a great experience being alone with my mom, but the arrangement of being there, not so much.

On décor of restaurant, I give it a 4. The setting was beautiful! There is a place to eat inside with just a few tables but my mom and I decided to eat on the pier on the water which I totally suggest. The restaurant is really a stand outside where you get and order your food. It’s fun to watch the ferries approach and leave the terminal and to watch people fishing, but from what I saw I don’t think that there are many fish in the water. Check out the pier...

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 2. The servers were yelling over everyone to get their food and it was loud and unorganized. Being there gave me anxiety and made me feel stressed. I'm an Ivar survivor! The server wasn’t nice or mean, she was just another person working at a restaurant.

On service speed, I give it a 5! It was very fast and the food was served immediately and hot.

 On taste of food, I give it a 4. I ordered the original fish and chips which I highly suggest! It was delicious. The fish was fresh cod that was very lightly breaded but still had the right crunch that it needed. It was flaky on the inside and melted and fell apart in your mouth. It was hot and crispy but after 5 minutes it turned soggy and so did the french fries. Eat it fast while you can still enjoy it. The tartar sauce was awesome and original and perfectly complimented the fish. They didn’t give us any napkins which I thought was a little weird knowing that it is very greasy food. The french fries chips were medium cut and still had the skins on them.

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The fish and chips were served in a gray cardboard container and given to us in a brown paper sack. The fish was golden brown and looked appetizing. It was arranged nicely but I think they could have had a little more pride in their work. With all of the chaos I doubt that they had time to do that.

On price, I give it a 2. Four piece fish and chips was $ 9.29. That’s actually pretty expensive for what we had. It was like fast food with restaurant prices.

For a total score of 20/30. It is a great place to stop next time you are at the ferry terminal. I wouldn’t make a special trip there though, there are other fish and chip places that don't cause anxiety. It's really hard to get there because of the ferry terminal traffic. I would only recommend it if you are actually going on a ferry.

As for the server recommendation, she said "If I had an unlimited budget, I would go to the Metropolitan Grill in downtown Seattle," so I guess that is my next stop!

20 minutes later… on the way out we realized that there was a beach to play at! If you come, don’t miss the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park like I did. A day at the beach can be a day well spent with your fish and chips.

Guarantee in Maltby

This week, I took my server's suggestion and went to the Maltby Cafe in Maltby. It looked run down on the outside but sometimes you need to be adventurous and really find what is on the inside. I am glad that I did.

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 2. The building is an old gym but they must have done a lot of remodeling because it definitely doesn't look like it. Inside they have old country tables and chairs and a counter to sit at. The entire place smells like fresh baking cinnamon rolls. The walls are covered in awards for best food and most of the awards are for their breakfast. It's too bad I came for lunch! I noticed that the customers were mostly older overweight people (sorry to say) with to go boxes. That gave me a hint about what kind of place this is. Let's just say most of these people knew Fifty Cent when he was just a nickel! It was old fashion inside and out but the most noticeable thing on the inside was that they didn't have AC. Sometimes fans just aren't enough.

On  friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 4. Kids can pick out their own kids menus with activity sheets and crayons. The crayons really needed sharpening. The word search was way too easy and all of the words were vertical! Everyone who worked there was very nice and young and our server was very nice too. She was really cute with a nose ring but she didn't look scary. She left a pitcher of water on the table in case we got thirsty because I think that she heard my complaining about how hot I was.

On service speed, I give it a 3. They took our order right away but it took a good 15 minutes to get the food. The last server told me to bring my appetite, so I did and every minute was awful. I was so hungry!

On taste of food, I give it a 5! I ordered the Maltby Club Sandwich. They make their own wheat bread and it was cut very, very thick. On the sandwich was ham, turkey, bacon, cheese, tomato, lettuce and mayo with homemade potato salad. The bread was toasted but still soft with a good crunch. The bacon was flavorful and forward and the mayonnaise was super creamy. I don't know what they put in their mayo but it was perfect! The tomatoes were fresh and juicy and sliced thick. The sandwich had the perfect consistency of all the ingredients. The potato salad had a lot of dill and that made it extra delicious. The potatoes were in big chunks with the skins on, making it taste that much better.

On appearance of food, I give it a 4. The sandwich was split into quadrants so it was easier to eat. It was arranged on the plate in a rainbow and the potato salad was in a perfect mound. It looked colorful and appetizing!

On price, I give it a 3. The sandwich was $10.95. It was a huge portion so the price makes sense. I couldn't even eat half of it, no wonder everyone had to go boxes.

For a final score of 21/30. The Maltby Cafe mostly has sandwiches, salads and burgers. My cousin loved it too and she has very high standards. Make sure to order the french fries - they really were sliced potatoes but they tasted great and are worth a try. Next time you are in Maltby or on your way to Flower World, stop at this cafe for a guarantee in Maltby.

Now on with my summer adventure... My server suggested... Ivar's in Mukilteo! From Maltby to Mukilteo:)

Cut To The Chace

I started my summer adventure this week at Chace's Pancake Corral in Bellevue. The pancake house has been around and family owned since 1958. I could really tell from how homey it felt with the food, decor, staff, appearance and price. 

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 2. When you first walk in you don't know what to think because it looks small and worn down. You might think the food isn't going to be so great, but you have to learn to not judge a book by its cover! It is a brown building off of a busy street, but once your inside, you can't hear the cars go by. There is an open kitchen so you can watch them make your food, which I thought was a very nice touch. Check it out...

I would say that the decor in general was very old fashioned. You could tell it was old because there were lights that were out and the place was kind of lacking paint. It was mostly booths and trust me, the food is way better than the decor.

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give them a 6! The server at this restaurant was maybe the nicest server I have encountered at any resturant before. The hostess at the front seemed grumpy and annoyed but after a boy came up and talked to her her attitude totally changed. I would say that isn't the best way to make a first impression on your customers! When I sat down my server straight up asked me if I wanted hot cocoa without my even asking. She looked at me right in the eyes and she reminded me of my grandma who loves and cares about me. She paid extra attention to me and said that I remind her of her granddaughter which is sort of ironic knowing that she reminded me of my grandma. She also said that my friend reminded her of her mom...um... I don't really know what to say about that?!

On service speed, I give it a 5. It was instant! I was so suprised how fast it came! It was like the chef heard what we were ordering when our server took our order and made it right away.

On taste of food, I give it a 5! I ordered buttermilk pancakes, the original and their specialty. The pancakes were light and fluffy but yet heavy in the way that you cannot eat all of it. The butter was served whipped so that made it that much better. It reminded me of the butter we churned at school for Colonial Day. And don't forget about the syrup, they serve it hot! It makes the pancakes soggy if you put on too much like me, but soggy in a good way. You could really taste the buttermilk in the pancakes which made them not too sweet and they had a very mild flavor. I literally couldn't stop eating them because the pancakes are total comfort food. The hot cocoa was normal and hot but the whipped cream was thick and creamy but yet light and fluffy and made my taste buds dance. Overall, the pancakes were great!

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The pancakes were served steaming hot which felt great when it went down my throat. The plate was kind of ugly with a brown stripe but it is a pancake house so it is typical. The pancakes were perfectly round and golden brown. They were also evenly cooked from the edges to the middle. They looked nice, but more average than special.

On price, I give it a 3. $10.50 for 3 pretty big pancakes. It is a little expensive but trust me, it is totally worth it!

For a final score of 24/30. If I were you, I would "cut to the Chace," and try the pancakes at Chace's Pancake Corral asap. They also have my favorite buttermints and the spoons are the perfect shape to hang from your nose. There is a sign by the door that says "Unattended children will be given coffee and a free puppy." When you eat at Chace's, leave your parents at home! Coffee and a puppy? And pancakes? Awesome!

Eating at Chace's was the start of my summer adventure. I asked my grandma server where her favorite place to eat is, and server suggests... The Maltby Cafe! Review to come.

Leave a Tip, Get a Tip!

School is out for the summer and it's time to go on an adventure! Have you ever noticed that servers really know what they are talking about? They know which dishes to try and other places to eat. This summer I am going to be reviewing the resturants that my servers suggest and who knows, this may be the best or worst experiment in food history. I could end up in some real dumps or places and food of my dreams! I love pancakes so I think I'll start my summer adventure at Chace's Pancake Corral in Bellevue. Get ready all of my followers and follow me through my new summer adventure as I leave a tip and get a tip.  

TGIF Harbor!

Thank Goodness It's Friday Harbor! I spent a fabulous Memorial Day weekend in Friday Harbor with my family and a friend. If you like seafood and yummy treats, this is the place to be. Right in the harbor there is a great ice cream place called Friday Harbor Ice Cream Company, or FHICC.  They serve way more than 31 flavors of ice cream, and let's just say we ate there every night. Double scoops!

FHICC is really small and most of the time it's packed with peeps. Not just because it's amazing but it is also just really small. Warning: It's a little uncomfortable to be in there when it's packed because you are squished in front of a ton of people who like REALLY want their ice cream. I can understand why, because it's creamy and rich packed with flavor. Mine didn't even melt because I ate it so fast that it didn't have time. Even if you had a horrible day, the ice cream from this place will always cheer you up! I am not above emotional eating.

From great to horrible, Downriggers is also near the marina and it is to be avoided!

On the first morning we were there I wasn't hungry when I woke up and waited a few hours to eat. We decided to try Downriggers but I soon realized it was a mistake. It took sooooo long for a server to take our order and even longer to get our food! I seriously almost passed out I was soooo hungry! I ordered a BLT omelet. When the food finally came it was just ok. Actually it left me sick when I got back to the boat. My Dad asked me if he could try my omelet for next time and I asked him is there going to be a next time and he said no so that is good. I know why it is called Downriggers, because it is totally rigged and hard to keep down.

Friday's Crabhouse is my favorite place in Friday Harbor to eat dinner. The seafood is so fresh and clean with the taste that is not fishy but tastes just like the fresh ocean. They shuck fresh oysters on the sidewalk out front and they claim that they have found some pearls, but I seriouly doubt that. You can get the oysters bbq'd which I strongly recommend you try. My friend and I shared a fresh dungeness crab and it was delicious! The whole restaurant is outside, even the kitchen, and you can look out over the ocean while you eat. Also, there is a little shop down below where you can try on cool sunglasses and they sell a ton of jewelry from the island. Do not miss this place next time you are in Friday Harbor. It is right across from the ferry terminal.

Another amazing place for seafood is called Friday Harbor Seafood and it is located under the dock in the marina. Most people don't even know it's there! They have live seafood like crabs and shrimps and they will steam it fresh for you right there. They also have lots of other fresh fish and things that are already cooked. You can also buy fish to feed my favorite friend...

Popeye!!!!

This local harbor seal is either missing an eye or has a cataract. Hard to tell. He has been there forever and he hangs around the fish shop because people feed him. And you can tell. Apparantly obesity in America is not only a problem for people. He is really nice and he won't bite off your hand. This is actually me feeding him.

 TGIF Harbor! We had a great weekend visiting alpacas, boating, fishing trying to fish, and beachcombing. If you are looking for a fun family weekend filled with yummy local treats, this is it!

Girl Scout Cookie Bars!

My name is Emily and I am a beauty school dropout Brownie dropout. Yes, I love Grease and you know you do too. Seriously though, being a Brownie wasn't for me but I loved the cookies. I still do. Nestle just announced a special release candy bar made out of Girl Scout cookies! Not just any cookies, but my favorites! I'm talking Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Samoas. You can get them in stores this June.

Fun fact: the Girl Scouts sold 760 million dollars in cookie sales last year.

Eat new candy, but keep the old, one is a cookie, and the other's not yet sold!

Happy 11th Birthday To Me!

Last week was my 11th birthday...finally! Seriously, everyone else was 11 but me. I guess being younger can be a good thing for some people who are much older but I am definitely not one of those people. When it's my birthday it is my tradition to open my family presents first thing in the morning before school (which is really good because I can wear all of my totally awesome new clothes to school) and eat my cake/cupcakes for breakfast. This year my cupcakes were from New York Cupcakes, aka the best cupcakes on the Eastside. Check out my birthday breakfast...

It is also my tradition to get to choose what to eat for dinner. I can even go to any restaurant I want! Every year I choose the same thing and that is for my Mom to make a homemade Italian dinner. It is my absolute favorite. This year she made fettuccine alfredo, veal cutlets and peas and mushrooms. Check it out...

These recipes are family recipes that have been passed down through generations. I can't even tell you the recipes because they are passed down orally and not written anywhere. Plus, I don't even know them by heart. They are surely delicious and I couldn't ask for anything more than to have my birthday with my fantastic family and my favorite food. This blog is no longer "a 10 year old's take on where to eat," it is now "an 11 year old's take on where to eat!" Look out world because here comes Emily...the 11 year old!

eXXXcellent!

Today I reviewed XXX Root Beer in Issaquah and I fell in love. I didn't think it would happen until junior high, but it did.

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 5! It was very retro and old school. There are huge gumball machines when you first walk in, but if you don't want to necessarily walk in, there is a walk up ice cream and milkshake bar open to the patio. Everyone seemed to be getting rootbeer floats. XXX makes their own rootbeer and they have had the same recipe since 1930. The walls and ceilings are covered with pictures, Coke stuff, license plates with puns and old items that I can't even name. There is a creepy doll called Howdy Doody. Don't even look at it. There is an old working juke box and it was very cool. They had oversized sunglasses that you can wear and my two friends and I all had fun wearing them. Pictures of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis surrounded me everywhere, and that is not really a bad thing if you really think about it. There was 50's and 60's music playing and it gave me an idea of what it was like back then. 

Here is the huge gumball machine...it stole 50 cents from me! Why me?

Walkup ice cream bar...

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 5! There were a lot of servers and they were really nice. They made sure we knew about the silly sunglasses and made sure we felt welcome. I could really tell that they like kids and were happy we liked it there. Whenever I asked for something, they were not annoyed in the least. Doesn't everyone need a knife, ranch dressing, more ketchup, more water....?

On service speed, I give it a 5! The food came out much quicker than I thought it would and everything was hot and crispy.

Root beer float...

Cheese balls...

Bacon cheeseburger with garlic fries...

Don't worry. I didn't eat this all myself! On taste of food, I give it a 5! The cheese balls were pure bliss. Basically they are just cheese rolled in batter and fried, but what is better than cheese or batter or anything fried? I'll tell you what is better, their bacon cheeseburgers. Like I said, I wasn't prepared to fall in love.  My life totally changed today. I never thought that I could have a burger this amazing. The soft sesame bun absorbed the delicious sauce. The bite with the burger, cheese, crisp pickles, lettuce, bacon and tomatoes was like a bite of pure heaven. The bacon was crispy and smoked and the burger was cooked to perfection. It was so delicious it is making my mouth water and I am at a loss for words. Just try it. The root beer float was a whole other story. It was even more special since the root beer is house made. It is very sweet and tingles your taste buds. They put a swirl of soft serve ice cream on the side of it and let me tell you, that made the whole drink. Hungry yet?

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The floats are served with rainbow sprinkles and little toy animals on the ice cream which was kind of cool. Really though, what am I going to do with a tiny camel? Let it loose in my tiny Sahara Desert? The sprinkles looked like a party but didn't make any difference on the taste. The burgers looked sloppy, but not everything has to be super pretty to be super good. Like my hamster, he looks crazy but he is really sweet.

On price, I give it a 3.  The  burger and fries cost $13.00 and the floats cost $2.99. This is not too expensive but don't just come here with your Sunday allowance. Not that I get any. Thanks mom.

For an over all score of 26/30 (-: If you want to have this eXXXcellent root beer at home you can buy it in gallons to go. It's a CASH ONLY joint but don't worry, there is an ATM just in case. XXX Root Beer is a great place for kids. They have car shows on the weekends so it is a great place for dads too. Let's just say it is perfect for families. Take your family there and have an eXXXcellent eXXXperience, like I did.

It's Dinner Thai'm!

It's dinner Thai'm (ha ha) and today I went to Thai Kitchen in a strip mall in Bellevue. Let me tell you one thing that makes this place stand out from all the others, it is the first Thai restaurant to open in Washington and maybe that is why it is so delicious!

On decor of restaurant, I give it a 4. There was dim lighting and very calming music that made me feel very calm and collected. I felt like I was supposed to be in a spa and I love spas! There was a very nice and bright fish tank in the center of the place and it was loaded with tropical, colorful fish and neon coral. This made the tank look very clean and eye catching. There were booths without cushions, but it was not uncomfortable so I will let that one fly. In the center of the tables there were little flower pots with fresh pink flowers.

On friendliness of staff towards kids, I give it a 5! The servers were super nice to me. The waitress checked on us a lot but not too much. After we ordered, they made sure to check that our meal would not be too spicy.When I asked what ingredients were in the phad thai, the server actually talked to me about it. The woman's English wasn't great, but she spoke the universal language of friendship:)

On service speed, I give it a 4. The servers were very quick and all of our food was served hot.

 

 

 On taste of food, I give it a 5! I ordered chicken satay, chicken phad thai, and mango sticky rice for dessert. The chicken satay was warm and tender with the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I could tell the chicken was marinated for a long time and then grilled, and that made it taste amazing. It came with a sweet peanut sauce to dip it in. It was so good I could eat it with a spoon! It also came with pickled cucumbers, technically just called pickles, but these were not good. Most kids wouldn't like this sour flavor. The chicken phad thai had the softest noodles with a mouth watering sauce. The chicken was perfectly cut into bite sized pieces. It was all topped off with chopped peanuts. If you have a peanut allergy, don't eat here! The mango sticky rice dessert was so delicious I want to fall asleep and dream about it! I know it sounds weird, but believe me, it will be the best thing you have ever tasted. It had freshly sliced, juicy ripe mangos, and sticky rice covered in coconut sweetened condensed cream. The warm rice and the cold fruit made it melt in my mouth. All kids should try this, and I promise you that you will be dreaming about it too!

On appearance of food, I give it a 3. The food was served on pretty white dishes. Everything was served "family style" which means that it is meant for sharing. It looked nice enough but was average. They didn't do things to make the food look extra special. Even though it tasted extra special.

On price, I give it a 2. Each dish cost $8.95 and everything ended up being around $30. It seemed a tad bit expensive but maybe it was worth it.

For a grand total of 23/30. Thai Kitchen is a great place to have Thai food. If you have never had it before, it is "Thai'm", and don't be afraid to try something new! This is a family owned business that has been making the same authentic recipes for many generations. I have heard that there is "fish sauce" in all Thai foods. I don't want to talk about that or think about that. Nothing I had tasted like fish. Moving on...Thai Kitchen is extra good for kids because there is a playground in back of the restaurant, and Plato's Closet is in the same strip mall. Plato's Closet is a great place to find used vintage clothes. Don't forget the buttermints on the way out! Thai'm for me to head to bed, and dream about more mango sticky rice.

West Side Story

Today was beautiful and sunny and I hope everyone was able to get outside! I decided to spend the day with my family at Pike Place Market on the "west side" in Seattle. Here is my West Side Story and I don't mean the old fashioned movie! Everyone knows Pike Place Market is a good place to see the people throwing fish, the delicious fruits and vegetables, and the live music and street performers. Today we saw a man with a trained bird. He was sort of a hobo but his bird was awesome! It meowed like a cat and did backward somersaults! I love Pike Place Market, and here are some of my all time favorite "must see places" that you might not know about...

I love the hum bow at Mee Sum Pastry. I always get their steamed pork hum bow and you should too. Hum bow are steamed chinese dumplings that you mostly see at dim sum places but are made fresh here. The light, fluffy, sweet and airy dough is the perfect bite with the sweet but savory hot pork stuffing in the middle. I think these are the best ever.

The best donuts EVER are in the market at Daily Dozen. The donuts are made with a robotic machine and it is fun to watch. This place has been open since I was little and there is always a long line. Their donuts are AMAZING!!! You  can smell the sensation from around the corner. They are very light and doughy and served fresh and hot. I don't know what they are fried in but they are way better than normal and are flavorful and genius. You can get cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, frosted with sprinkles and plain. I personally like the cinnamon sugar ones the best but they are all delicious. They are served in a paper bag and you should make sure to eat them right away. 

Note to kids: Pike Place can be a little scary sometimes and if you don't look around something like this could be in back of you...

 

Speaking of creepy, the Magic Shop...

 I don't know about you but magic scares me! It confuses me big time but my grandpa loves it and I respect his decision. My favorite things here are the gag tricks like candy that makes your tongue turn blue or fake puke. My sister bought invisible ink and my mom squirted it all over her shirt! When it is first applied, it looks bright blue and permanent so my sister freaked out. My parents played along that they accidentally bought the wrong one so my sister thought that her shirt was ruined. We went on a fake hunt for a new shirt but on the walk the ink started to disappear and my sister felt gullible but yet astounded. It was hilarious!

The scariest part of the magic store are the fortune tellers! I know some people love them, but ever since I saw the movie Big with Tom Hanks I personally stay away.

A not-to-miss stop is Vital Tea Leaf.

 Vital Tea Leaf is a tea store where you can sit at a counter and taste amazing teas. The people who work there are really nice and will let you taste as many teas as you want. When I taste the tea, I feel very calm and zen so I try not to drink too much caffeine. They have over 82 different types of tea and you can buy them buy the pound to drink at home. Warning: some of the teas are really expensive. Like $300 per pound. Not even joking. It is interesting to watch all of the different preparations for the different types of tea.

The hibiscus tea is definitely the best. It tastes just like sweet tarts, both sweet and sour! Of course, it is my sister's favorite.

I just love to see all of the unusual things going on around the market. Could this car have any more swag? I hope it's still around when I turn 16!

There is one more place I never miss when I am in the market. The gum wall! Today I added my special touch...

Pike Place Market has so much to see, and lots of food to try. If you have already to been to Beecher's Cheese and don't want to stand in line at the original Starbucks, go on a little adventure and find something new. There is always something lurking around the corner at the market!