Flaky, Fried, Tasty Corn Dough? Yes, Please!

Huarachitos Mexican Taqueria - Mexican (4 Stars)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/huarachitos-mexican-taqueria-seattle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93204832@N00/3346971528/ (Interior)

I had read several times that the recently opened Huarachitos was the place to go for authentic Mexican fare in Seattle. Having received high praise on Yelp and Urban Spoon, and given Steve and my recent whining about lackluster "Mexican" food, we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant is quite small, but has a lovely open kitchen where all the food is prepared in plain sight. The owner, Anna, greeted us warmly and later confided that they had opened five months ago and she and her husband, the chef, had plans of adding alcoholic beverage service later this summer along with a nice deck outside. (She also has a thing for well-made margaritas and loves tequila, so expect to see them offered soon.)

While looking over the menu, we noticed a few typos. Neither of us would have said anything, but Anna actually pointed it out (along with a mildly embarrassed laugh). She then proceeded to blame her husband and his menu layout program for the errors. It's always the chef's fault, isn't it? She then offered to bring us chips and salsa.

For Guacamole and Chips, Huarachitos really delivers. The verde salsa is quite spicy and has a really tasty green chilies flavor. Steve found it too spicy but did love the sweet and smoky rojo salsa with tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Freshly fried and topped with salt and black pepper, the chips were good enough to eat by themselves! Combined with the chunky, fresh, cotija-topped guacamole, you could easily get carried away and stuff yourself well before any entree arrived.

In response to "What's the best item on your menu?", Anna had mentioned several meat dishes. When asked specifically about a vegetarian dish, she pointed to Huaraches Estilo DF: a handmade, thick, flaky corn tortilla topped with beans, lettuce, cheese, onions, and "mixed vegetables". Steve thought maybe the vegetables were prepared from a frozen mixed veggies bag because it had broccoli and "Who's ever heard of broccoli in Mexican food?" That said, the tortilla was incredibly delicious, the toppings were plentiful and well-cooked, and Steve was quite happy with his choice.

I decided to go for the Gorditas. Both these and the Estillo DF use the same dough base for the tortilla, but the Gorditas are small rounds that are fried then split and stuffed with cotija cheese, shredded chicken, onions, cilantro, and tons of shredded lettuce. Steve commented "That actually looks really healthy" once he saw all the greenery pouring out of the tortillas. These are probably the most delicious "Mexican" item I've ever had. I was dead set on taking one of them home, but after the first few bites it was a lost cause.

Two things of note. First, with both of our entrees (and from what I can see, the rest of the entrees on the menu), there are no ubiquitous "beans and rice" sides on every plate. If you have a voracious appetite, you can always order bean and rice sides for $2 each. Second, they are not yet serving desserts. Anna did mention they intend to start serving flan in a few weeks and possibly a tres leches cake starting this summer. Though, in all honesty, you probably wouldn't have room for dessert anyway.

Overall, I was impressed and will definitely be returning (especially once flan is on the menu).

Oh How I Love Thee, Geraldine

Geraldine's Counter - American Classics (5 Stars)
http://www.geraldinescounter.com

Chris and a co-manager friend of his from Starbucks invited me to have brunch with them. As always, I suggested Geraldine's since they were in my neck of the woods. I've mentioned it before, but Geraldine's Counter is delicious and our Saturday rendezvous there proved to be no exception.

Somehow, Geraldine's chef staff manage to make their French Toast (this time with fresh strawberries) crispy and fried and delicious, yet moist and savory. I'm pretty sure they deep-fry the custard-soaked bread because it's a wonderfully unusual texture and you can't help but lick your plate clean! It's always served with 100% pure maple syrup and usually berries or fruit of some sort.

For me, only the Chicken Fried Steak would do (oddly enough, it's not listed on their online menu). The steak is thinly pounded and the coating thick (but not "bread-like") and crispy. The sausage gravy is chunky and plentiful and my scrambled eggs were moist, light, and fluffy. I typically ask for no hashbrowns (theirs are long and shredded and so delicious when extra crispy) and instead got a side of fruit (melon, pineapple, and grapes). (As an aside, I realize the plate may appear a bit empty. Remember, I got the fruit on a separate plate instead of the hashbrowns, and, to be honest, the plates are actually quite large. There's definitely more than enough food here for one.)

We were promptly seated, had great service (as usual), and the food was wonderful. You just can't go wrong with Geraldine's!

Changing My Tutta Bella Tune

Tutta Bella - Authentic Italian Classics (4 Stars)
http://www.tuttabella.com

In finding a restaurant that'd have a bit of what both Ryan and I wanted for dinner, we settled on Tutta Bella. As I mentioned in a previous review, I found their pizza crust to be soggy, but their tiramisu divine. My feelings toward their pizza definitely changed during this dining experience.

The Insalata di Mista is my favorite salad at Tutta Bella. The greens, red onions, white beans (really unusual), olives, roasted red peppers, and the carrots are a crunchy, creamy, hearty blend of veggies topped with a really sharp, tasty white balsamic vinaigrette. The large is definitely family style large and would serve two easily (possibly three to four). If you don't finish the salad during your dinner sitting, don't take it home as the vinaigrette ensures it won't be worth eating the next day.

Ryan and I ordered the same pizza: Campania (Pomodora San Marzano tomatoes, chicken sausage, cured olives, garlic, red chili flakes, basil, and Grana Padano, along with fresh mozzarella), though he also decided to half-and-half his with the Tutta Bella (sausage, Pomodora San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, roasted onions, roasted mushrooms, and Grana Padano). I was a good bit surprised by the stiffness of the crust this time. It adequately held up to the sufficient (if not overly ample) toppings, and could be folded and brought to your mouth without losing its delicious toppings all over your plate and lap. The outer crust was crispy and chewy, with a very mild flavor and it seemed like a much better overall pizza than the last time I had dined here. That said, you may have a more mixed experience than we did depending on who's in the kitchen.

In keeping with my "this is the best Tiramisu anywhere" claim, we had to try Filomena's Tiramisu. It can easily serve two (unless you're especially dessert greedy) and is definitely worth it. Ryan commented that the espresso soaked sponge cake "didn't taste as much like coffee as he had expected", so don't fear if coffee isn't your favorite flavor. The mascarpone cream is very light and airy and topped with a generous dusting of shaved chocolate. For those of you who are iffy about alcohol in your desserts, I could barely taste the rum and Frangelico which probably means it's extremely light as I don't drink often and alcohol tends to shout at me in a dish.

Overall, I had to increase my rating for Tutta Bella from 3.5 Stars up to 4 Stars as the pizza was definitely better than it had been previously and the salads and dessert never disappoint.