Food We Love: Wicked Good

Chasing the hottest-newest-latest “it” restaurants can get a little exhausting; a gal can only ingest so many lychee absinthe martinis and pork belly sliders. When I hit the trendy-cuisine wall, my favorite salve is the shock of an exquisitely stirred martini and the slow burn of the buttery, flash-sautéed wicked shrimp ($16/dinner) in the alluringly classic confines of El Gaucho (multiple locations, including Seattle, 2505 First Ave.; 206.728.1337; elgaucho.com). The perfectly cooked prawns arrive bathed in a fragrant ancho-chile-, cumin- and cayenne-laced beer and butter sauce that’s impossible to resist. Ask for a few extra grilled toast points to sop up the juices.