The Walrus and The Carpenter

Postcard from The Walrus and The Carpenter, Ballard.

You know how when a new idea or suggestion comes at you from three or more different angles and you have to realize that is a thing that must be attended to or must happen?  That was this restaurant for me.  Serendipity has a fun way of getting you to where you need to be!  I had read a review of this restaurant, had also been told by lovely Daisy to check it out, and  a waitress at Boat Street Cafe had told Dianah and I about it when we had our Tuesday champagne brunch there last week, and boy-howdy!, how glad I am for listening ears and reading eyes because this was a dang good meal!

OK, this will tell you something about me.  I didn't end up getting any photos of our food, but I did, of course, get a photo of my drink!  The Porch Swing!  So. darn. good. Big, tall, cold and refreshing, the thinly sliced tart apple slices were delicious in the end. It's making my mouth water just to think of it!

The cozy Walrus is lovely and just right.  We had an amazing hostess and our waiter was very well educated about the oysters and food. Oh yeah!  This is an oyster bar/restaurant! 

Since walrus doesn't take reservations we were trying to get there as close to opening as possible, to not have to wait forever.  We got there right after they opened at 4 but our friends weren't meeting us until 5:30.  We asked the hostess if she could put us on the list and she said she would if we called back, instead of showing up to wait, at 5:15.  So we took off to go thrift the Goodwill and instead of calling, just got back there about 5:15 on a Saturday evening.  Well, it was packed, and there was a wait list, and a line.  But the generous hostess knew we needed a 4 top and she gave us the next one that came available after a 5 minute wait, and even though our friends weren't there yet!  I thought it was so fabulous and and sweet of her!  It gave us time to sit with our backs against the wall and really check the place out.  It was bustling, loud and cheery.  Just perfect!

Here is a hard to see photo of the menu.  Between Chad, Tony, Daisy and I we devoured a dozen oysters and bread and butter.  T had smoked trout, lentils, walnuts, creme fraiche and pickled red onions.  D had grilled pork sausage, caramelized brussel sprouts and aioli.  C had serrano jamon, pear, and pistachio & mint relish.  I had the framani salami, pearl onions and pickled chantrelles.  Oh, and Chad and Tony both had a bowl of billy's tomato soup with basil and cream.  Chad is still talking about the soup!  Everyone thought their food was delicious.  I especially loved the pickled chantrelles and Chad's pistachio and mint relish.  Yum!

Here is a list of the oysters we tried.  I could have sat there for a very, very long time, eating oysters and having drinks.  I actually cant wait to go back, just to do this very thing!  The Shig oysters were my favorite.  Meaty and briny but sweet too.  The tumbled shells of the Shig oyster were like no other oysters shells I had seen around these parts.  They were smooth and didn't have bumpy barnacles on them.  The oysters are served with champagne mignonette, horseradish and lemon but I didn't use any of that.  Normally I would have squeezed a ton of lemon juice on but I wanted to taste the real deal, unaltered.  And I am glad I did.  The oysters didn't need a thing!  So. Good.

The Walrus and The Carpenter was started by Renee Erickson, of Boat Street Cafe fame, and her partners.  Thus the waitress at Boat Street telling us about Walrus.  Walrus is in the newly renovated Kolstrand building on the south end of Ballard Avenue.  The building is gorgeous.  It also houses a very cool bike store and Staple and Fancy, which I will be trying this Saturday for our anniversary. I will leave you with a few photos of the building and in case you couldn't tell, you should get down to south Ballard ave a.s.a.p. and check out the food.  You wont be sorry!

 

Go eat some oysters!

xoxo

Jennette



Ocho! Plaka Estiatorio!

Ok, so here is a food post for ya.  Ocho in Ballard is an absolute must!  Especially if you are with some real good friends or your boyfriend.  I got to go twice so far, once with each.  If you love Spanish tapas and small plates to share, this is your place.

Above you will see the famous $10 Maragrita.  I kid you not, it is THE BEST margarita I have ever tasted! And I probably don't have to tell you that I have tied many a margarita on! I can only describe it like Sarah did, piney and not at all too sweet.  My reaction after gulping one down was like, oh my lordy, can you mainline those?!

A few weeks back Maurisa and Sarah and I got to have a night out in Ballard with our intention being to eat our way around Ballard until it was time to go.  We started at Ocho and ended up at a fantastic little Greek place called Plaka Estiatorio. 

Here you can see the chalkboard menu and a slice of the tiny kitchen at Ocho.

First though, let me tell ya a little more about Ocho's menu.  Like many of my lovely friends, I like to consider myself, at the very least, an amateur foodie.  I like things fresh, in season, local, organic, and beautiful.  I like the flavors to make sexy with my mouth and I enjoy it when my taste buds have little orgasms.  Yes, I pretty much equate good food with good sex.  Both can get me hot and bothered, in a really good way! 

So at Ocho they have things like Huevo del Diablo which is deviled eggs, salmon roe, pickled onion, tomato dust, fried capers and dill.
Um, hello, can you say yum!
And they have Jamon Serrano: cured spanish ham.  We ate some of that.  Well, more like some of that melted in our mouths.
And Croquetas Borrachas: fried goat cheese with roasted red pepper almond sauce.  Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and oh, so delicious.
Setas de Jerez: sherried mushrooms on olive oil toast with arugula.  Earthy yet sweet.  Wish this grew on a tree in my garden.
Albondigas: lamb meatballs with brandy carrot sauce and golden raisins.  Amazing.
Gambas al Ajillo: spicy garlic prawns.  Perfect.
And the evening Chad and I were there I had an asparagus gazpacho that was cooling and refreshing.

But I gotta say.  The one thing I had both times that I could eat all day, every day, day in, day out, over and over is the La Carolina: pancetta wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates in a balsamic reduction.  People!  Is this a dessert?  It was better than dessert.  I wish it were a food group you were required to have 5 servings of per day.  I dream about these little beauties.  And in my dreams they just magically appear in my fridge every time I open it!  Oh, to have it be so.  I didn't even get a picture of them.  I got greedy and ate them fast.  I think Chad got one.  I hope.
Several of the items on the menu have a little star by them and when you look at the key at the bottom of the menu it says: contains raw food, which could kill you.  Blunt.  To the point. And makes me grin.  Love it.
And I haven't even mentioned any of the other fancy cocktails they mix up in this little pixie size space.  You just gotta go see for yourself.  You wont be disappointed.

Plaka is the other place Sarah and Maurisa and I ate at in Ballard.  I thought it was great and again we shared small plates, or Mezedes, as it's called here.  We had our hunk of a waiter pick a wine for us and it was just right.  We shared Patzaria: beets with garlic, fennel, vinegar and olive oil.  Loukaniko: grilled pork sausage.  Octopodi: octopus braised in herbs with lemon and olive oil.  Roasted red pepper and feta dip.  And I think we had some roasted seasonal veggies and potatoes.  It was all delicious.  Although I am pretty much a sucker for anything that has lemon and olive oil.  And the owner of Plaka was so kind and attentive.  He gave me a gorgeous calendar when we left so I can hang it on my wall and daydream about when I get to go to Greece.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, actually, I was in such wonderful company and having such a lovely evening immersed in girl talk, I did not take any pictures here. 

So I will leave you with a few photos from Old Town Ale House,  Chad and I stopped in here the other night to grab a drink and snack before seeing Breathe Owl Breathe at The Tractor.  I will post more about seeing them later but for now I will show you the super cute artwork on the Belgium Trappist Ale I drank.  It made the beer taste extra good!  And those of you who know me, know I have a thing for snails.  Here ya go: