Food & Drink

Your Seattle Restaurant Questions Answered: Bottomless Mimosas, Mochi Doughnuts and Polish Paczki

Plus: where to eat in Bellingham, Kirkland and Bainbridge

By Seattle magazine Staff July 17, 2019

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Every week, thousands of viewers tune in to our Instagram story to watch dining and lifestyle editor Chelsea Lin give her recommendations for the best places to dine out in Seattle. In the last two weeks, she’s covered a lot of ground: from Bellingham to Northgate to Bainbridge and beyond. 

Have a question for Chelsea? Submit here. 

Where should I eat in Bellingham? 
Bellingham is so charming, and I don’t stop there often enough to eat, simply because I’m usually just passing through on my way to Vancouver. But Hundred North is an awesome restaurant for high-quality, fine-dining-esque food at a price point slightly lower than you’d find here in Seattle. I love the ice cream at Mallard. And if you want more casual food and great beers, head to Aslan Brewing

Best cannoli in Seattle? 
I know this is sacrilege, but I don’t actually like cannoli very much… so I don’t regularly seek it out. But there’s a place called Kelly Cannoli in Lake City that makes those traditional New York style cannoli, and they’re filled to order so don’t get soggy. 

Best brewery to go to with my young kids? Bonus for gluten-free? 
Definitely Ghostfish in SoDo, which is dog- and family-friendly, and also has a dedicated gluten-free kitchen—all the beers and food is gluten-free. 

Mochi donuts??
My favorite mochi doughnuts are from Raised, where they come in different seasonal flavors each month. Right now they’re black sesame mochi, which is one of my favorite. 

My dad is hard of hearing and hates loud, pricey restaurants. Any recommendations? 
Oh, this is such a challenge… The more restaurants go into these beautiful, high-ceilinged spots, the louder they seem to be. Somewhere intimate like Pair would be a good pick. Lark is lovely, and I think great quality for the price. Volunteer Park Café may be a good fit, too, as it feels like you’re in someone’s home. 

Where to find bottomless mimosas? 
I know Super Six does bottomless mimosas, and it’s only $15 per person. (“Be cool, though,” the menu warns.) At Goldfinch Tavern, the brunch buffet includes bottomless mimosas—it’s $49, but that’s a decent deal if you take advantage of both drinks and food. 

I just got back from Spain and am missing all the tapas. Any tapas-type restaurant recs? 
I like the Spanish food at Pintxo, which is especially fun at happy hour with a glass of sangria. And though the menu is much more limited, I love Jarr Bar, which has a very Spanish feel to it and some excellent tinned fish and seafood to accompany the impressive sherry selection.

Best place for an on-the-go breakfast burrito? 
Gordito’s in Greenwood has a pretty great breakfast burrito, and you can easily get it to go—they even have a parking lot, for easy in and out. I like the one, too, from El Camion. If anyone else has one to add here, let me know—I love a good breakfast burrito! 

Fun and casual restaurant recommendations for Bainbridge Island?
I’ve not been yet, but I’m excited to check out Proper Fish, which recently opened on Bainbridge from the original owners of the Nosh food truck, and their fish and chips are top tier. They’ve got an expanded menu, but largely in the vein of fried seafood and chowder. 

Best coffee and sweet treats?
My favorite coffee shop in town is the La Marzocco spot in the KEXP community space; they have rotating roasters from around world who showcase their beans and drinks there. Also, the baked goods are from Comadre Panaderia, and they’re excellent. 

What’s a great restaurant with interactive “experience” for kids? 
My kids love those conveyor belt sushi restaurants because of the experiential element… with Blue C gone, there aren’t many, but we go to Sushi Maru occasionally up at Northgate. Tutta Bella we love, too, because they’ll kids a little ball of uncooked dough to play with, and one night a week they’ve got live music as well. 

Best neighborhood in Seattle to bar hop/bar crawl? 
I know many people would argue for Ballard or Capitol Hill, but I love Belltown for this reason, largely because I love the quartet of bars owned by Anu and Chris Elford: No Anchor, Navy Strength, Rob Roy and now Vinnie’s Raw Bar. There’s also Neon Boots and Cursed Oak and so many very different fun spots. 

Best Chinese takeout in Seattle? 
This is such a loaded question… what kind of Chinese food are you looking for? If you want Hunan cuisine, you can read a whole bunch about our favorite places, for example. We’re lucky to have such diversity in regional Chinese food here. But if you want American Chinese food—in the vein of General Tso’s chicken—I like New Luck Toy in West Seattle, both for the food and the atmosphere, if you’re looking to sit and have a cocktail, too.

Place with solid gluten-free donuts? 
I actually just heard about a business selling gluten-free mochi doughnuts called Oh Mochi Donuts available at Assembly Hall… I haven’t been, so please go and report back. Also, Wink Doughnuts is another gluten-free option, and another pop-up you should check out. 

Any recs for Northgate/Lake City area? 
Yes! If you extend Northgate up to Pinehurst, I love Jebena for Ethiopian and also the new deli spot Zylberschtein’s for pastrami sandwiches. Lake City has a number of good options: Aloha Ramen is fun, and Man’oushe Express is one of my favorites. 

Best restaurants for the freshest seafood?
So, a couple of weeks ago I took the ferry to Whidbey to check out Saltwater in Langley, and everything was SO GOOD. We had fried oysters and steamed mussels and clam chowder and I wished I’d brought five more people to try everything. I know it’s a bit of a hike, but go! 

Best pad Thai? 
I really enjoy the pad Thai at Little Uncle, though I’m sad to hear that they’ll be closing soon—they make some of the best Thai food in the city. Bangrak Market in Belltown is also really great, so check them out, too. 

Best rooftop bars? 
It hasn’t really been rooftop bar season yet, but looking at the forecast, it looks like it might be soon! Most of them are downtown: Mbar is super cool, the Nest is fun, and I really like the drinks at the Fog Room. 

Best Polish bakery for paczki? 
I know a few spots, particularly Bakery Nouveau, makes paczki around Fat Tuesday, but I’m not sure there’s anyone in town making them year-round… If anyone can set me straight on that, please let me know. 

Recently tried Moroccan food out of town and loved it! Any recs in Seattle? 
I wish there was more Moroccan food here! Marrakesh is the most immersive Moroccan experience, though I can’t attest to the food there. There’s also a place in West Seattle called Itto’s that does Moroccan tapas and larger dishes you might love. 

Best brunch in Redmond/Kirkland? 
Sibling restaurants Little Brother and Deru Market are my absolute favorite spots for brunch (and lunch, and dessert, etc.) in Kirkland. Def not the greasy spoon type of brunch spot, but worth a visit—don’t miss the sweets! 

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