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Good Food
Good FoodFresh Air and Fresh Food in Fremont
By Zachary D. Lyons
Jun 20, 2002 -- Seattle is not exactly none for its wealth of air conditioners. In a city where the temperature rarely exceeds 80 degrees, who needs it. Here, we tend to curse air conditioned big buildings. We are a fresh air culture, and to us, air conditioning means going outside or opening up a window. So when the mercury topped 90 degrees recently, I decided to find you some restaurants with Seattle style air conditioning. Since the Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair are this weekend, I looked for restaurants in Fremont. (Mind you, there are bicyclists in the Solstice Parade with an entirely different Seattle style of air conditioning.)
Amy Cragg enjoys the flavors at Paseo. Sara Longley photo. |
It may never get so hot and humid here as it does in Havana, but you can still have a Cuban sandwich in the shade at a sidewalk table. Paseo offers a small but substantial selection of Cuban sandwiches and dinners which you can eat inside at the counter, take home, or dig into at one of the little tables out front.
Lorenzo Lorenzo opened this tiny Caribbean eatery six years ago, and throngs of hungry locals have risked parking tickets in the load zone for his food ever since. Lorenzo was removed from Cuba as a child in 1962, just before the missile crisis, by a covert American government program called Peter Pan. His parents arranged with CIA operatives to bring him to the U.S. (By the way, it was his parents who gave him the double name. He seems far too genuine to have made it up himself.)
Meals at Paseo are made to order, and with their popularity, plan to wait a few minutes to eat. The food is worth the wait. We went for lunch, trying three of the four sandwiches, all of which cost $6.25. They are built on a toasted Macrina Bakery roll with a crunchy crust and a chewy center--just the way this Eastern boy likes it. They slather on a nice seasoned mayo, add cilantro and lettuce, and then top your meat of choice with their yummy grilled onions. The grilled chicken is flavorfully marinated, and not over-cooked. The prawns are moist, delicate and delicious--cooked to perfection--in spite of being farm-raised. And the Midnight Cuban Sandwich just plain rocked.
The latter sandwich is a classic late night sandwich of Cuba. People grab one to eat on their way home from the bars and clubs. It is made with marinated, oven-roasted pork and hot peppers, and while not yet on the permanent menu, its popularity makes its inclusion inevitable. Lorenzo says that most Cuban food is fairly bland, and that he has spiced things up a bit for our more adventurous Northwest taste buds--except for the Midnight sandwich, which is true to Cuba.
Try some sides while you're there. The black beans and rice are rich and hearty with a big flavor. And there are vegetarian options. For dessert, we enjoyed Lorenzo's own secret recipe rice pudding.
Paseo, 4225 Fremont Ave N, 545-7440, Open Tuesday - Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., NO CARDS, $.
Brownie Schoene (left) and Kim Marquis watch the world go by from a Seattle Catch window table. Zachary D. Lyons photo. |
Jill Levine opened Seattle Catch Seafood Bistro five years ago, building a menu around seafood, with a Southern European flair to many dishes. Neon arrows lead you from the free parking lot to the restaurant, and once inside, you are struck by the beautiful massive, mirror-backed mahogany bar, antique glass chandeliers, and the busy, open kitchen. Several cozy, high-backed booths reside along the west wall, but on a hot summer night, I recommend a table up front by the large French windows, where you can enjoy your meal in the cool evening breezes while watching the action on North 36th Street.
Joel Lewis took over the reigns as chef in July, 2001. An alum of the kitchens of Painted Table, Il Terrazzo Carmine, and Flying Fish, Lewis had returned to Seattle from a year cooking in San Diego to take the Seattle Catch menu to new heights. One of the many things I like about this place is that Lewis has mastered his menu without being overly creative. If there's one thing that drives me nuts, it's chefs that dress up their dishes so much that you don't know what you are eating. Lewis keeps his dishes true to their ingredients, and presents them attractively, without getting carried away.
Calamari Puttanesca is terrific. The tasty rings of squid work exceptionally well with the classic Italian sauce. Cilantro Chili Pepper Scallops surprise the palate when combined with paparadelle pasta, butternut squash and spinach. Simple, true--the unusual pairing of ingredients is a show-stopper. Paella Risotto has a rich seafood broth, with clams, mussels, squid, scallops and fish, to complement the saffron infused Arborio rice. Then there are the simple grilled fish entrees--salmon, snapper, albacore, trout and halibut--basted with olive oil and fresh herbs. This preparation remains true to the fish, without drowning it in some overly creative sauce. We had the tuna, which had a great grilled flavor on the outside while still being rare on the inside. It came sided with white clam sauce linguini and excellent grilled summer and winter squash.
Most dishes come with a salad, which makes Seattle Catch an even better value, and the service is warm and friendly--and knowledgeable. And they tell you that their stock salmon is farm-raised Atlantic, though right now they have plenty of affordably priced wild salmon, too. Lewis continues to add new vegetarian options to his menu, like Roast Corn Ravioli. Save room for dessert. Lewis makes them all. Chocolate mousse, chocolate truffles, and apple pie with malted vanilla ice cream all please.
Come by for a late lunch after the parade, as Seattle Catch will open early, at 2 p.m., with some one-time lunch specials. Look for the $10 wine list on Mondays.
Seattle Catch Seafood Bistro, 460 N 36th St, 632-6110, Open Sunday - Thursday, 5-10 p.m., Friday & Saturday, 5-11 p.m., full bar, $$-$$$.
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