F is for...Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Parlor

I am mainly writing this post right now for shock value, as Christen will have never suspected such a speedy entry by me! But since I paid $12.95 for in-flight wifi, and have accomplished most of the other things I needed to do, seems like a perfect time to get on with this. I am not what-you-say a passionate blogger, but don't let that fool you into thinking I must feel the same about food. Because I love food. And going out to eat.

Which brings me to my next subject: Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Bar! Christen found this sweet spot from an online article featuring Seattle Restaurant Week options. When we arrived, I remembered running past Frank's with Christen back in May when training for the Rock n Roll half. At the time, we had motioned to each other to remember this place for "F", which was followed by Sean asking what letter we were on. Christen yelled out "we are on E!" just in time for a dog walker to pass into our range of sound. Us ladies giggled about the glare she shot us for the next couple of blocks.

I really enjoyed Frank's from the moment we walked in. It was only a Tuesday night and the place was hopping. The atmosphere was warm and classy - reminded me of a modern-day parlor from the speakeasy era. I always love a place with a nice cocktail list - and bartenders that could be mistaken for artists with how delicately they craft a drink. And I did have a crafty drink to start out with; the Dover-Calais, made with Hendrick's gin, Elderflower liqueur (which I am totally obsessed with lately) and Chartreuse. YUM! Christen had a savory Cab to start.

On to the food. We started with baked oysters topped with bread crumbs, which I think we both really liked. For our entrees, Christen had the salmon and I had the halibut. The food was delicious, but we both agreed the portions could be a little larger - either that or have more side veggies.

Ratings:

Food: 4

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 5

Price: ~$113 for 2 - the most pricey of our choices yet.

Recommended: I am definitely going back for drinks and appetizers. There is a T-Sat happy hour from 5-6:30 that I'm sure I'll visit soon.

Cuisine: American, Seafood

E is for....Elemental

Starting the soup again and the first stop was "E" for Elemental in Gasworks park in Seattle.

Before you can even make the decision on what to eat you first need to figure out how to get there and then what door to enter at Elemental.

My trusty GPS took me there but the address is a bit deceiving as the location is actually at the top of the stairs where my GPS ended. If you are directly across the park dont' wonder into the park turn towards the condos/apartments and head up the stairs. What you won't want to do is call for directions as the guy is super rude and will act like both you and your GPS are idiots for not realizing where this not packed restaurant is at. Now that you made it to the restaurant, hang a left for the chef's tasting menu (one fixed price for all courses) or hang a right to go to the "wine bar" where you can pick and choose small plates to share. Note that I did stop in the "chef's table" entrance and asked for a table of four and at what point the rude man (think we found who answered the phone) said "there's the tables, grab one." Wasn't going to spend my money supporting someones therapy sessions - on to the "wine bar" next door.

Food: 4
The way it works is there is a  long list of items listed on the scroll as you walk in (see photo) and you get to pick and choose items from the list. You can pick all at once or as you go. All the food was delicious, different, and fun to try. The wine "list" is also fun as there is no list, you simply walk to the wall of wines and choose one for $30!
What we had:
Truffle popcorn
Spicy Goat cheese salsa
Duck
Porcini with black rice
"Link lab" tube for today (German sausage with mashed potato)
Cheese board

Service: 2
I give this a two as I was so turned off by the guy on the phone and the entrance. You can't be this snotty and rude for a restaurant that is this dead. However I must mention that I did, as well as all my girlfriends a complimentary glass of champagne and when we didn't like the first bottle of wine they happily changed it out.

Atmosphere: 3
Ikea modern if you will. Simple, white, fun but not anything special. I did really like the wine wall - who wouldn't?!

Price: ~$38 for 4
Awesome deal for all of us girls, two bottles of wine and many tasting plates.

Recommended: I would go back to the Wine Bar again for a chill night out with some girlfriends but wouldn't go for a special occasion. This reminds me more of a "happy hour" type place where you want to chill, get a few different things, and decide to stay another hour and get another bottle of wine.

For more reviews on Elemental check out Yelp.

Until letter "F" readers clean your plates and never accept bad wine!

D is for...Dinette!

Food: 4

Service: 3

Atmosphere: 4

Price: ~$75 for 2

Recommended: Yes! I would like to try this place again soon.

Cuisine: European

Wow! What a delicious treat. This tucked away Capitol Hill charm was a place we would both want to go back to. Though the plates appear small at first, the dishes are hearty and have a comfort-food quality that I really liked a lot.

We started out with a shared appetizer called Frittata toast. It is artisan bread topped with thin-sliced egg crepes, frisse and white truffle oil. You could definitely taste the truffle oil but it wasn't too overbearing. I thought it complimented the mild (but yummy) egg crepes very well.

Christen had a warm salad topped with halibut. I can't remember the name of the dish and it seems to have slipped off the menu, but she liked it!

I really enjoyed my Pannochie (recommended by our waitress), which I had never had before. I would describe it as a delicate and flavorful lasagna - loved it. Peas and Carrots were mixed in for a great touch.

We decided to stick around for some dessert while we were at it and chose the Goat Cheese and Ricotta Tart filled with lemon creme rhubarb tart.

All in all, I would definitely go back here. While I was skeptical of the menu when we got there (didn't recognize much at all), after trying the waitress's recommendations, I was totally pleased. The atmosphere was adorable. My only complaint is the tables and chairs were small and not incredibly comfortable.

Post-script: I hear they are also known for their cocktails, so be sure to check those out!