Local 360:
I was stoked to visit Local 360, it had great reviews on Urbanspoon and the website was uber-modern and trendy. Our server was casual, but she was there when we needed her to be. The crowd was on the younger side, yuppies/hipsters, but I enjoyed the vibe. All the food served is local within 360 miles. I liked the concept, and even the spirits were locally crafted. I had a cocktail ($10, kind of pricy) and JB had a beer, in the style of a Hefeweizen. We ordered a variety of small bites, fries, beet salad with homemade ricotta, strozzapreti with pumpkin seeds and spinach, and a cheese plate with apricot mostarda. The salad was good but the ricotta cheese lacked flavour of any sort, the apricots were definitely made with dried apricots and retained the same texture. The pasta was well cooked, but pumpkin seeds can be tricky, especially in a generous quantity. By the time we left the restaurant, our mouths were winging with astringency from the seeds, probably not the best pairing for the pasta. For almost 60 bucks, I don’t know if I would go back. I like what the restaurant stands for, but come on now, it’s all about the flavour!
Biscuit Bitch:
After a long walk in the morning , we were looking for a place for breakfast. Biscuit Bitch is in a non-descript slot on 1st ave. I had read about these “famous” biscuits on Urbanspoon, but I was slightly underwhelmed. They were quite thick and dry, and the texture was like they were microwaved. The highlights were actually the fresh orange juice and vegan molasses cookie.
Pan Africa:
I was craving some decent ethnic food, so Pan Africa seemed like a great choice for the not-so-average lunch. Unfortunately it turned out to be that, just average. The njera bread was fine, but ice cold and too heavy on the vinegar. The warm lentils, greens and carrots turned cold after being on the bread too long. The food also had a resounding dirt aftertaste, not so pleasant. The highlight was the fresh clove and cinnamon tea. It’s not a great sign when a customer would go back for a beverage and not for the food.
In the Bowl:
This was the best food we ate on our trip to Seattle. My friend RF suggested we try it out, as it is a vegan-friendly and vegetarian thai place. They had an amazing selection of noodle dishes and curries, with mock meats that I didn’t know existed. It was cheap, quick service, and packed full of flavour. The chai was amazing, nice and sweet. They gave us all complimentary desserts of forbidden rice pudding with sweet bean and coconut milk, so tasty. For four people the bill was just over 40 bucks, so it was great value. I’d definitely come back here for a quick and nutritious meal.
