Good Food

3 Squares

Anytime Val's Cafe (6020 Phinney Ave. N) is open, you can order breakfast. Val's is a Greek-American cafe with a small-neighborhood diner-like atmosphere. They serve up a variety of egg and omelette dishes, as well quite enjoyable pancakes. We sampled a Greek omelette with feta cheese, tomato and onions which was yummy, and the Pancake Sandwich, which came with two eggs done right, and nicely crisp bacon. The cakes were fine, and the hash browns basic and good. Val's also has a good looking lunch and dinner menu, and daily specials. Service is friendly and fun, prices affordable and portions large, and you will feel like a family guest while you are there.

Val's is open Tuesday - Saturday, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday and Monday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m., phone 784-7666.

Lunch in Ballard

When Scandies closed a couple years ago, many of us in Ballard shed a tear. Fortunately for us, one of Scandies' cooks ended up at Valdi's Ballard Bistro (5410 Ballard Ave.), which replaced Julia's. At last, Scandinavian food was back on Ballard Avenue. Amen!

I wandered down to Valdi's on my own recently to experience their lunch menu. (They have three menus: weekday lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.) Lunchtime is when Valdi's offers daily Scandinavian specials. This day featured Komle, or Salt Lamb, with rutabaga, potato dumplings, sausage and soup--a classic Norwegian dish. It was wonderful comfort food I have only found locally in Ballard. Indeed, two women at a neighboring table, speaking Swedish, came from Bellevue for the food. (I am told these specials are so popular that they sometimes run out, so get there early.)

Valdi's menus are diverse, with Scandinavian dishes aplenty, as well as American and Cajun recipes and even a Greek salad. Soups, eggs, pastas, seafood, sandwiches, etc., mean there is something for everyone, including vegetarians. There is even an espresso bar, and live entertainment on the weekend. I felt very comfortable enjoying my lunch on my own at my leisure, and I observed people of all types relaxing in conversation while casually ingesting fine food.

Valdi's is open for lunch Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., for dinner Monday - Thursday 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. and for brunch Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.; phone 783-2033.

Dinner in Wedgewood

Do you remember those restaurants that your parents or grandparents took you to as a kid? The kind of meat-and-potatoes places that sprung up all over in the 1960s which offered a complete meal at a fair price with professional service? Well, these places are not extinct! Wedgewood Broiler (8230 35th Ave NE) is just such a place, dating back to the early '60s itself, but as comfortable and clean as if it were built last year.

Over the years, my friends and I have enjoyed patronizing this no-nonsense restaurant, and we have been rewarded with consistent quality service and food. We tend to be drawn to Wedgewood Broiler on Fried Chicken night. Seattle is by no means awash in good fried chicken, but these guys boast some of the better chicken around. It is definitely tasty stuff, but it is certainly not all they have to offer. Charbroiled steaks are plentiful and prepared to your liking. Various fried and broiled seafood dishes please. And there are plenty of sandwiches and salads. Full dinners come with soup or salad, vegetable, potato and rolls, just like the good old days. And the salads come adorned with Cheese Nips and real bacon bits!

Wedgewood Broiler is an excellent place to go with several generations, or with friends. (Just be prepared to wait for a table during peak hours.) We always see seniors from the local neighborhood having an enjoyable evening, and most times we see a grandparent and grandchild having a special meal together. They have a complete lounge which is open late offering excellent cocktails, and they have a separate lunch menu until 4 p.m. You will feel right at home at Wedgewood Broiler... unless you are a vegetarian, in which case you could starve.

The Wedgewood Broiler is open Sunday - Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.; the lounge is open two hours later than the restaurant every night. Phone 523-1115.

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