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.