Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Mobile Chowdown: Hurry Up and Wait


Last Saturday, we hurried down to Mobile Chowdown in SODO, only to wait in multiple lines, for multiple hours.

Working as a team, one of us stood in the longest line, and the other brought back items for tasting, from other, shorter lines.

I love the idea of multiple venues to get a variety of food, but standing up while eating strikes me as somehow uncivilized, not that I require crystal glassware and white tablecloths, mind you.

I try to locate our friends in a different line, (their wait: 1.5 hours) and maneuver through the crowd, holding a carton of food I trip over a dogs leash, a baby stroller, and knock someones lemon ginger iced tea onto their sleeve accidentally. Fun times.

I awkwardly eat with one hand, drink clutched in the other, standing up, wind blowing my hair into my mouth, with every bite, while I squint against the sun, and fumble for my napkin which I've stuffed into my pocket. I began to become quietly enraged.

My companions in line held my hair back for me as I tried to take the occasional bite, my friend Tanya saying that's how you know who your true friends are.

We clung to the wild hope that we would all reach the front of our lines simultaneously, so we could sit and trade bites at one of the tables under a tent. We nabbed a table, but the wind still got to us, and the food got cold. Our other friends finally found us, only to find that music from the 80's (think: Electric Avenue) has started to blast into the tent so loudly that any conversation is rendered impossible.

Not sure I'd go again. But if I did, I'd bring a scrunchy.


Highlights: Marination's Kimchi fried rice, and spicy pork taco, Here and There Grill's short rib sandwich with horseradish cream and chick pea salad on the side. The bite of my friend's falafel, that I managed to steal. Skillet's burger.

Disappointments: Lines. Cold. Wind. Waiting. Koi's truck taco's weren't very interesting. Especially after that lengthy line wait of 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Mr. Pants: Annoyed, but still managed to eat too much.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

lunch crunch

Pike St. Fish Fry is a cool, tiny space with a wooden ceiling and minimal seating, though there are a couple of outdoor tables so you can let the rain sog up your crispy fish.

It was a large lunch for $26 (and we didn't finish everything except for the fish, because it was too much—too much tasty, crunchy-fried goodness.

This is no light lunch. Next time we'll split one order of fish and chips with some other items from their menu, like a pulled pork sandwich, or Uli's sausage with slaw, or grilled veggies.

I tried not to think about the cholesterol entering my system, as I polished off the fried halibut, and tasted some of Mr. Pants' fried Cod.

An herby Italian Salsa Verde on the side added some welcome green (and a touch of garlic) to the mix, good on the slab of crispy fish, and a refreshing lemon aoli was everything I love in a sauce, both rich and tart. Perfectly seasoned fries, and one of my favorite things, fried lemon slices were welcome (if unnecessary and decadent) additions to our fish.

We split an Olympia beer to wash it all down, and promised ourselves to eat nothing but salad for dinner. Yeah, right.

Highlights: You are eating fried things!

Disappointments:You are eating fried things!

Mr. Pants: Wiping his greasy, smiling mouth.

Pike Street Fish Fry on Urbanspoon