Skillet

You'd probably think having bacon jam on top of your meat would be overkill, but no. Skillet's burger is proof. Many may know that about Skillet already, if you've sampled "The Burger" at Skillet's mobile truck.  It's a decadent, well-seasoned burger (with bacon jam), and the soft brioche bun and crispy fries just adds to the appeal. 

Skillet sits on the ground floor of the Chloe apartments with that irrationally enraging cutesy dog picture on the side of the building.  But the diner is cool with that color green that is simultaneously retro and modern, and there's a decidedly non-dinerish addition of a full bar, complete with what seems to be a requirement these days; a bartender with a hat. 

But fried chicken with fennel seeds?  Fennel seeds on what should be America's national dish could be a deal breaker for some. I consider myself a fried chicken connoisseur; my Seattle favorites include Steelhead Diner, Blue Acre Seafood, and Ezells.  And I'm not sure this one would be in the same company as those, but you can get it with a slightly sweet cornmeal waffle, so I did.

I was unsure of those fennel seeds at first, there were quite a few of them on the chicken. Darn it, I want my fried chicken to be completely crispy, salty and really bad for me.  I ended up liking it. After a few moments of pointless complaining, I was happily licking my fingers. A well-made Old Fashioned served in jar, paired fantastically with the chicken. Hmmm bourbon, fried chicken, do I need to move south and become a Republican? What the hell is happening to me?


Mr. Pants got chicken pot pie a great version —neither greasy, or heavy, with salad on the side. He stopped talking altogether while polishing that off. Eating is more important.

Went for breakfast the first time, a sublime, pure-tasting rhubarb compote over decent, fluffy griddle cakes, and a pretty-good side of house-made guanciale. 


Lunch on our second visit involved that burger and a great Cobb Salad, the salad for those who don't really want salad. Great proportions, ripe avocado, bright tomatoes, salty bacon, bleu cheese and more. Hard boiled egg not hard boiled, however, and it bled it's yellow yolk all over everything.  Which was overkill for me. Yet it seemed ungracious to complain as I finished the whole thing. 

Highlights: Rhubarb compote, fries, bacon jam on burger, cobb salad, chicken pot pie, agua fresca, Old Fashioned cocktail.


Disappointments: Griddle cakes weren't anything special, burger came cooked medium, not medium rare, cobb salad, while good, had a softer cooked egg than it should have. Should have been hard boiled. Little things.


Mr. Pants: loved his pot pie, salad and french fries. Like me, noted little missteps, carped about them, then forgot them.