How am I doing?
51 Friends23 Reviews
10 people like my reviews
| What am I eating? | |
|---|---|
| American | 25% |
| Italian | 14% |
| Northwest | 13% |
| French | 13% |
| Seafood | 10% |
| Where am I eating? | |
| Ballard | 14% |
| Downtown | 10% |
| Belltown | 9% |
| Capitol Hill | 5% |
| Queen Anne | 4% |
| Which cities? | |
| New York | 17 |
| Seattle | 125 |
| SF Bay Area | 3 |
| Vancouver | 21 |
| Washington DC | 2 |
Find Friends
Search for friends on Urbanspoon by alias or email.
johnnjill
|
Profile
|
Recent Activity
johnnjill likes Chez Panisse - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Cafe Lago - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Blue Water Taco Grill - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes 14 Carrot Cafe - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Zaina - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Zeitgeist - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Union Square Grill - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria (Wallingford) - June 18, 2008
johnnjill likes Top Pot Doughnuts (Belltown) - June 18, 2008
See all 51 of johnnjill's friends
Friends
 
asteele |
Ben |
cgdesign |
JamesOwenG |
Ted Nadeau |
Kate |
Dennis Dines Out |
muffintop1029 |
The Ravenous Reviewer |
jjolma |
See all 23 of johnnjill's reviews
Reviews
|
Artemis Café & Bar "Thanks for the good times & great little tastes!" June 17, 2008 - Urbanspooners met at Artemis tonight for an evening of wine, small plates and lively conversation. It almost felt like what I have always imagined the slow food guide book meets must be like in small Tuscan villages with people who obviously love food, eating, drinking, cooking, exploring new cuisines and sharing travel experiences and all of the little discoveries they have found along the way with others who find joy in such gatherings of kindred spirits.The atmosphere is warm and spacious -- with bare, wood beams, onyx black bars and table tops and floor to ceiling windows at the far end of the room facing a lovely tree top view of Queen Anne Hill and the Space Needle in the distance.What of the food? Well, first, for a party of 30, it seemed quite economical (or perhaps it just seemed that way since Adam, Patrick and Ethan picked up the tab -- Thanks Guys!). But I think it is just as likely that it is the nature of small plates, ranging in price from $6 to $17, that you can fill yourself pretty quickly with six or eight plates shared among a party of four.With 30, we shared a lot of small plates -- frequent repeats included the semolina cake with taleggio cheese sauce and fried sage. This dish is like a baked polenta except richer (with the creamy cheese sauce) and nuttier due to the use of the semolina flour; the seared sea scallops with brown butter and chives, which were delightfully light and sweet; the grilled asparagus wrapped in proscuitto and drizzled with hollandaise sauce--also richly sweet but offset by the tender grassy flavor of the asparagus.My favorite small plate of the night was the grilled quail served atop soft semolina polenta and arrope. This dish paired the succulent quail, grilled to perfection so that the meat could be sucked off the little bones. Here, the creaminess of the polenta was balanced with grilled baby onions, small bites of pumpkin cured in and drizzled with a sharp balsamic reduction. Well worth returning for another helping.We sampled three desserts--homemade vanilla ice cream, mixed with carmel glaze and peaches and cookie crumbles; a dark chocolate pot de creme that revealed whole hazelnuts at the bottom--the chocolate lovers thought this best of the three, but my vote went to the lemon custard tart served with a sprinkling of tarragon, tart rhubarb sauce and a dab of whip cream.Thanks to Oscar for making all of the foodies so welcome and thanks to the Spoon for bringing us all together! 4 people like this review - Recommend |
|
Mandalay (in San Francisco) "More like 3 stars" June 14, 2008 - I see that the SJMN has rated Mandalay 2/4 stars -- I am guessing that this is due to the downscale environs, not the food.I went with a party of four adults, one seatarian among us, plus a three year old in tow--the place with packed to the gills from the time we walked in at 5:30 p.m. to the time we left at 8 p.m., when the line went out the door and down the block. The food is a fascinating mix of chinese and Malaysian food with a heavy emphasis on fish and vegetable dishes.We shared all of the dishes community style and had plenty to go around with four main dishes and two salads.The salads were both incredible edibles. The first was something I had never tried before--Tea Leaf Salad (Lap Pat Dok), which as it says in the menu is "prepared with imported Burmese tea leaves, toasted with Lentil seeds, grounded shrimps, fried garlic, green pepper, sesame seeds, peanuts & dressing." When I read it, I thought I would need to apply the philosophy of the ever intrepid world explorer ;p who says, "I'll try anything once." But when it was served, it was really like a turn on a wilted spinach salad, the nuts and seeds providing counterpoint to the soft sweet flavors of the tea leaves, garlic and shrimp. Also delightful was the lime dressed Green Papaya Salad with shredded green papaya mixed with cucumber, green pepper, onion, fried garlic, ground shrimp and peanuts. Both of these dishes were so well liked they disappeared completely leaving only a few wisps of the clear, sticky lime dressing on the plates for the server to clear. Dinner included Rangoon Lamb, a dish with marinated slices of lamb, sauteed with tomato, onion and green chili. It was hot and spicy. We also enjoyed the Pan Fried Okra Prawns that was tossed with ginger and garlic, and the Mandalay Special Noodle with Tofu, which was a wide flat rice noodle pan fried with yellow pea powder, lime juice, and onion.For the food combinations and the freshness of the ingredients, I would rate Mandalay a 3/4 stars. The lively atmosphere was a real plus on a rainy Saturday night. |
|
Old Jerusalem (in San Francisco) "What do they call that? Fried cheese, yum!" June 14, 2008 - Has anybody noticed that the Mission doesn't seem quite as down and out as it used to? There are many stretches of blocks now that are what used to be gangland or down and out that are populated by coffee shops and some of the West Coast's finest ethnic food--Mexican, Spanish, Malaysian, Burmese and Middle Eastern--perhaps the transformation is due to the numerous tech start-ups that dot the Mission or perhaps it is more organic growth of the population of new immigrants to the Bay Area who have set up shop in the Mission, and live in the row houses near-by rather than out in Oakland.In any case, Old Jerusalem is one of those very fine ethnic restaurants that can be counted on for an authentic, satisfying, no frills meal. It's a family-owned and operated restaurant -- a bit downscale, clean with a dozen or so chairs and tables in a 40X14 box, decorated with tapestries and knick-knacks from Palestine.It seems like a place that is brokering peace between Palestinian and Israeli everyday--nobody talks politics, but everyone comes and enjoys the food, so reminiscent of Jerusalem and the West Bank, that it seems people are transported there through food--with Arabic and Hebrew being spoken at side-by-side tables, and warm greetings to regular and new customers alike.My wife and I were fortunate enough to dine with a regular. We barely had to order and the food started coming on large trays with grilled meats--various preparations of lamb and chicken--vegetables, falafel and beans. Not one was a disappointment.The appetizers included hummus served in a circle on a flat plate with a reserve of olive oil in the center, a lentil bean dip with red pepper spice, yogurt sauce with mint, tahini with cucumber, whole olives and plenty of warmed pita.Stand outs included the falafel stuffed with ground lamb and an amazing dessert that was a combination of a soft, fried cheese, honey and red coloring and served on a plate in a big square--enough for our table of four. I don't remember what they called it, but it was yummy! |
|
Tilth "Who knew that NW cuisine could be so scrumptious & refined?" April 30, 2008 - It's too bad that Tilth takes reservations, it would be best if it worked on a first come, first serve basis so that newcomers and oldtimers could get in to eat any night of the week. Alas, the reservation queue is long and the line at the bar or for the outdoor patio is even longer (when the weather turns warm) so it seems that unless you book in advance there will be no joy for lovers of fine food and spontaneity.When you do book a table, the atmosphere for a sitdown (read: slow and enjoyable meal) is quite lovely -- tables of two or four situated inside the former livingroom and dining room of a converted four-square house in Wallingford with white walls, white table clothes and hints of color added by a seasonal flower on every table. All of these details add to a feeling of comfortable dining rather than fanciness.The food is "ready-to-eat", nothing too complicated -- although the favors and food combinations are quite amazing -- not the typical kitchen sink Northwest fare. When I was there last, I sat at the bar and had tuna sashimi with a soft boiled quail egg on top and a few sprinkles of green onion as an appetizer. It was delicious. Then, my wife and I split a pan-seared halibut cheek that was served with roast potatoes and a nicely sized portion of grilled vegetables that were drizzled with olive oil and lightly dashed with sea salt. Also, very nice.The wine selection is very nice -- good selections from the Northwest -- and desserts are hard to pass up.All around a very scrumptious meal. I'd recommend to anybody who's looking for a fine "special occasion" meal in a comfortable setting. 1 person likes this review - Recommend |
|
Shun Japanese Restaurant "Nothing Special" April 26, 2008 - When it comes to sushi in the PNW, I feel spoiled. Friends and family on the East Coast have stopped eating fish entirely for fear of mercury poisoning -- but we have it good with the ultra-clean Alaskan Ocean Fishery and the PNW river fisheries. The real question at any sushi place around these parts isn't whether the fish is fresh -- if it ain't, then there are dozens of other places to go from the inexpensive to the very expensive -- it is whether the sushi chef(s) are creative. Great sushi is an art, which means the artist's talents are at the forefront of a fabulous meal -- fresh, interesting taste combinations, light, delectable and sweet or spicy flavors. So, where is Shun in all of this? They're just okay, passable, nothing special. |
See all 55 of johnnjill's favorites
Favorites
| +82% | 
| |
|
| +81% |
| |
|
| +86% |
| |
|
| +78% |
| |
|
| +85% |
| |
|
| +84% |
| |
|
| +77% |
| |
|
| +94% |
| |
|
| +78% |
| |
|
| +78% |
|
See all 17 restaurants on johnnjill's wishlist
Wishlist
| |||
|
| +80% |
| |
|
| +74% |
| |
|
| +81% |
| |
|
| +72% |
| |
|
| +90% |
| |
|
| +81% |
| |
|
| +75% |
| |
|
| +96% |
| |
|
| +76% |
|
See all 96 of johnnjill's votes
Votes
| +77% |
| |
|
|
| ||
|
| +76% |
| |
|
| +71% |
| |
|
| +87% |
| |
|
| +76% |
| |
|
| +65% | ||
|
| +75% |
| |
|
| +74% |
| |
|
| +83% |
|