#definitely coming back

[ephiesoul]

Chibi Mark Hoffman ⛓️

(Oh just me holding out hope that a future Saw movie will reveal that Hoffman is still alive ✌️💜)

[armorbean]

Found this beautiful spot yesterday

[eatingtheave]

105. Village Sushi

5211 University Way NE

Penny was asking for sushi on this rainy Friday night. We had recently soured on our neighborhood sushi joint, so I had the idea to come to Village Sushi. I haven’t had the chance to visit because it’s only open for dinner.

This sushi restaurant used to be on 12th and 47th but moved to this location sometime in the last few years.

Why on why isn’t there more sushi in the U District? There used to be a conveyer belt sushi place, but it went out of business quite a while ago. As the neighborhood becomes more upscale, with all the development taking place, more sushi could be a positive outcome.

There is a sushi place across the street that has a sign reading “sushi 50% off every day.” Is that really 50% off then or just another way of saying “cheap sushi.” Suffice it to say there was a line out the door. Oh college students.

[eatingtheave]

125. Carmelo's Tacos

The U District has many cuisines -- there are a collection of Korean restaurants around 42nd and the Ave, regional varieties of Chinese food, a gyro place on every block -- but Mexican food is not a high point. Everyone loves Agua Verde along Lake Union, but it is far afield and a long wait on a sunny day. For five or so years, Rancho Bravo had a storefront just south of 43rd and the Ave, but it closed in the aftermath of the pandemic.

So it was with great excitement that Carmelos Tacos, a popular Mexican joint with several locations on Capitol Hill and First Hill, appeared on the Ave. On my first visit, I started off by getting two tacos and rice. It was so good that I couldn't stop at just two. I ordered another taco. The meat was full of flavor, and the beans were as delicious as I hoped since beans have become one of my favorite foods.

Two things stood out the most to me. The freshly made tortillas were a standout, proving that a taco is not just a meat and toppings delivery vehicle. Secondly, I ordered al pastor and pollo adobado tacos. I love pork but I'm not usually as drawn to chicken, because the meat can be dry and bland in comparison. At Mexican places, I usually see chicken as a healthier alternatives to pork or beef -- not something I would choose to order on its own merit.

But this chicken was so tender and flavorful. It was so good that I ordered it during my second visit and had zero regrets over ordering the same thing as last time. I had also read that the asada was really good, and it did stand out from other asadas I've had.

And did I mention the tacos are packed with meat? My first meal of three tacos and beans left me very full. My second meal of only two tacos left me satisfied.

I am so thrilled that Carmelos Tacos is here. It's the place I told my husband we need to go to, and it's the place that I'll likely suggest to people on our lunches out. Everybody: Let's go there so that delicious Mexican food on the Ave can last for many many years!

[eatingtheave]

124. Sinners

Sinners Pizza opened quietly on the Ave in April, taking over the spot that housed Pagliacci for 39 years and then Supreme Pizza after that. Sinners continues the New York-style pizza tradition, and it has a devilish vibe, with its blood red signage and décor. Flames flicker on a screen inside, and they are rainbow-colored if its during Pride Month, like the day I visited.

But that's not the only thing that's wicked. Pizzas known elsewhere as pepperoni, Hawaiian or Italian are here called the Politician, the Heretic and the Altar Boy, in line with the theme.

The selection of pizzas at Sinners.

So is the pizza as devilish as it promises to be? I decided to try a pizza named the Hellfire, which is claimed to be so spicy that you need to sign a waiver to eat it. I did not get asked to sign the waiver -- although it was mentioned in the signage -- and I honestly wasn’t expecting that much in terms of spiciness. It sounded like a gimmick, and I like spicy food. The pizza looked harmless enough with its bacon and jalapenos.

I got two slices, pepperoni and the Hellfire. Pardon the poor picture. It's dark in there!

But let me tell you, I was wrong. The pizza was very spicy. My eyes watered, and I had difficulty talking. My words to my friend became coughs. I finally gave in and went to retrieve some ranch to dip it in. Hours later, my eyes still burned. I don't know if spice has ever made me feel this way.

And it was delicious. I don't know if I'd eat a whole slice of Hellfire again, but I would eat half. The slices are huge. After two slices, I was very full. The crust is also thin, crispy and sturdy. The slices do not droop when you hold them in one hand, despite their considerable size.

I needed ranch in order to finish the Hellfire.

When I lifted up my slice, I saw the underside was charred. I thought of my husband Chris, who is from Connecticut. New Haven style pizza featured a charred crust, so I knew it would please my very own pizza snob sitting at home.

Can't wait to also try Managers Pizza, featuring Indian pizza, soon!

[eatingtheave]

Fish and chips, Finn MacCool's Pub at the Dub

All hail a good fish and chip. I went to Ireland in 2013 and braved the crowds of Galway on my way to McDonagh's, their famous fish and chip shop. Since then, I can't go back to the run-of-the-mill fish and chips I find here. I want a big slab of fish with a light and crispy but generous breading. I want that slab of fish to be as big as my hand or foot or forearm.

That's what I would think of when I walked up the Ave past Finn MacCool's Pub at the Dub, the Irish bar that's sat between 42nd an 43rd on the Ave for 25 years. It's mostly known as a place to go get your drink on, but it also has a sign that swings seductively from a chain reading "FISH & CHIPS" in big honest letters.

I also saw somewhere that the fish and chips there were good, so I went to check it out a couple of months ago with my former boss Karen. I was really pleased. The fish wasn't as big as my hand, but each piece of fish did have a delicately crispy outside combined with a soft interior. It wasn't overly breaded in a way where you taste crunchy stuff soaked in oil more than fish.

I'd say that Finn MacCool's lived up to its reputation as "U District's Best Irish Bar." I am not aware of any other Irish bar in the U District, but still, Finn MacCool's does a great job with its fish and chips. It's now our regular spot to go to when we meet up for lunch. It's a step up from the visit that I last documented on Eating the Ave, where I ate something called a Trash Can. The pub also plays a selection of yacht rock that we enjoy.

That first day, we drank out of Finn MacCool's pint glasses, and I asked if I could buy one. I have a collection of U District mugs so I was happy to expand that collection to include glassware as well.

My collection of U District's drinkware from institutions past and present. I lost my Cafe Allegro mug so I guess i have to buy a new one.

Finn MacCool's was mentioned in a recent article about the U District and an effort to close the Ave to car traffic between 42nd and 43rd on the Ave -- the stretch that Finn's sits on -- for two Saturdays this summer. Some of the businesses blocked the effort because they see it as a precursor to permanently closing it. There was controversy because the names of some business owners, like the owner of Finn's, were on a petition against the two-day pilot when they didn't recall ever signing one.

 I've gotten a bit of exposure both to the group advocating for closure as well as the business owners. I believe all want what's best for the neighborhood. I hope they can work together to move forward.

[el-rico]

Texas definitely has my heart.

[eatingtheave]

121. Tanuki Izakaya

5266 University Way NE

In recent years, more businesses have been popping up on the upper part of the Ave, north of 52nd St. NE. My guess that it’s due to the upzone and development in that part of neighborhood. At some point during the lockdown, I noticed that this izakaya place, specializing in small plates popular in Japan, had opened up across the street and a storefront north from Xi’an Noodles. Chris lived in Japan for two years and loves izakaya, so we were excited to check it. But during the pandemic, they were takeout-only, and we wanted to get the full dine-in experience. 

Finally, the night before the U District light rail station opened, we were kid-free and in the neighborhood, so the time finally came! A tanuki is a breed of Japanese rat dog, and you can see some examples here in this cute display when you walk in the door. Some say Totoro, from the movie My Neighbor Totoro, is part tanuki. The middle figure is from another Studio Ghibli movie, Pom Poko, all about tanukis, and the the figure at the far right is just cute. I want to buy one for Halloween!