The best restaurants you hope won’t close
For someone who loves to cook, I eat out a lot. I’m sometimes asked to name my favorite restaurant. My stock answer to that question is that it’s almost impossible for me to pick one. After all, it all depends on what I’m in the mood for. Today it might be Tin Hat [#] for strong drinks, burgers, and awesome tater tots. Before the baseball game tomorrow, I might want Green Leaf [#]. Next week, I might want some fried pickles and head over to People’s Pub. Next weekend, I might be craving some upscale Italian at Volterra.
This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I were craving some mole. So we went to Alebrijes, a Mexican-Cuban place on Roosevelt Way NE. We got there around 1:00 and walked right in. The place was empty. There was one couple at the table behind us, and about halfway through our meal, someone else came in for takeout. That’s it. Disclaimer: I have no idea what their typical dinner crowd looks like. I certainly hope it’s significant.
We enjoy the food at Alebrijes and the few times we’ve been there, the service, presentation, and prices have also been quite good. Their mole is spicy, rich, and flavorful, and while the chimichanga was nothing compared to those I used to find in California’s Central Valley, it was easily the best I’ve had in Seattle so far. There is a large bar area that looks to be fully stocked. It’s clean, and the decor is pleasant.
While we were eating, we discussed how sad it would be if the place closed down. I can’t imagine they could afford to remain open with such a tiny lunch crowd. This got me (ok, him) thinking. What are some of the other local restaurants that you, dear readers, love and worry about losing? Let’s hear about them in the comments. Not only can we drum up a little business for these hidden gems, but we all might find a new place or two to try.
To start things off, I should mention that Alebrijes is located at 6417 Roosevelt Way NE. You can reach them at 206-522-6498 and they are open 7 days a week from 9 am to 10 pm.
Thanks for the tip about Alebrijes. I grew up in Eastern Washington where you can find decent mole at at least a few of the myriad of Mexican restaurants in each town. I’m also Latino so I learned to make mole from my Aunt. It’s an all day process so if I can find some to eat when I’m in the mood, I’m pretty stoked. Maybe I’ll bring some mole to the next Metroblog meetup.
If I were to pick a place I wouldn’t want to lose around Seattle it would probably this little deli on 2nd in Belltown that’s at the bottom of this large building. I can’t remember the name of the place, but when I used to work around there I would eat there at least a few times a week. They had that perfect lunch size bacon burger and fries that I would get every Friday. MMMM, now I’m hungry.
I vote that Tony brings mole to the next meetup.
I would hate to lose Araya, down in the U District; it’s a Thai restaurant with a great lunch buffet and some of the most amazing curries.
Thanks for the tip on Alebrijes, I’m going to check them out.