At Eater Seattle, we have to eat out a lot — it’s right there in the website name, next to “Seattle.” Sometimes, this research shows up in the articles and maps we publish, but sometimes, we eat something so good that we have to tell everyone about it. This running monthly column is a place for us to share especially good dishes with you. Find the November edition here.
When I finally finish updating the steak map, you better believe Gainsbourg is going to be on it. This longstanding bar is one of the chillest spots in Greenwood, and has a budget-conscious $21 steak frites dish where the hanger steak is smothered in a deep, satisfying shallot pan sauce. The fries are reminiscent of Dick’s (complimentary) and come with a tangy garlic mayo that keeps the meal from being super heavy.
This hyped-up pop-up appeared in a downtown office building this month, and I finally got to try its combination of fresh pasta and Southern ingredients. This dish improbably pairs cavatelli with “South Carolina–style pulled pork ragu,” meaning you’ve got a kind of vinegar-based barbecue sauce on your pasta. Whaddya know, it works — it’s actually kind of mild, midwinter comfort food, with a nice little extra kick of brightness and color from the mustard seed garnish.
I’m often disappointed in NA cocktails, but not this one. It combines a spiced pineapple-lime cordial with ginger beer with alcohol-free bitters from Giffard, and the result reminded me of a dark and stormy, which was trendy back in my drinking days. It’s earthy, herbal, a little spicy, a little fruity, and complex enough to sit at the grown-up’s table.
I already wrote a whole thing about this but: Windy City has this Detroit-Chicago hybrid pizza crust thing that is thick, chewy, loaded with sourdough flavor, and has an intensely Maillardized edge. It’s likely my favorite crust in the whole city. More people should be talking about it!
This truck just rotated into the University District farmers market and I was able to casually grab four doughnuts on my last visit — which I should not have been able to do. There should be a line for these suckers. The flavors were interesting and seasonal (a clove glaze on the pear fritter, cranberry-laced sugar on the cruller), but what stood out was the quality of the dough. The cruller is so delicate it dissolves in your mouth, and the rest of them have a wonderfully airy crumb that is the mark of a great doughnut.