Top 5 Things I Ate Last Week

It was another week of marathon eating, most of it good. Here are some of the highlights of my last 7 days of feeding:  

Deep dish pizza at Patxi’s
The newest pizzeria to hit Ballard Avenue (it opened in late July), Chicago-style deep dish pizzas are the thing to order here. Pronounced PAH’-cheez, it takes about a half an hour to get your deep dish once you order, but it’s worth the wait. Pictured here: a 12-inch “Picante” (about $25) with hot coppa, salami, mozzarella, pepperoncini and tomato sauce. It’s more than enough for two people. While you wait, get yourself some burratta with focaccia and a slather worthy basil-garlic-parmesan pesto ($9). 

Cider mimosa and doughnuts at Capitol Cider 
It’s pretty hard not to enjoy a brunch that contains these two elements: a mimosa made with dry cider and fresh OJ ($6 glass/$14 bottomless) and gluten-free doughnuts (the entire menu here is gf) atop caramel sauce ($5) that would fool the biggest doughnut connoisseur into thinking these were anything but traditional.

Tacos Chukis at Tacos Chukis 
My favorite tacos in the city. The namesake house tacos chukis come with pork, grilled pineapple, guacamole and cheese. Order three if you’re hungry. They’re small and a little crisp and perfectly salty and greasy. And cheap. It’s hard to spend $20 here.

 

Seafood and coconut soup at Etta’s 
The very, very best thing I ate last week was this flavorful, hearty stew ($32) with salmon, clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, crab and sambal. It’s a rather petite portion, but it packs a punch. I’m going to go ahead and call this one of the best soups in the city. 

“Our Favorite Caesar Salad” at Vespolina 
What used to be Aragona is now Vespolina—same spot, just different menu. Now, instead of Spanish-influenced plates, it’s Italian. Go for happy hour (3-7p daily) if you’re downtown after work. The bar here is the perfect spot to just chill out and look at the amazing view of The Great Wheel. Standouts on the bar menu: mortadella, chilled calamari sauteed with chilies, whatever the bruschetta is (bay shrimp with chickpea puree; sardine; foie gras) and “Our Favorite Caesar Salad,” which was the surprising winner of all the things I ordered. So simple, so lightly dressed and so perfectly seasoned.