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‘Dine Around’ downtown Bellevue March 1-29

March 6, 2012

Think you have to travel cross lake to experience delectable – and wallet conscious – 3 for $30 meals? Not to worry. The March Dine Around Seattle restaurant lineup has a heavy Eastside presence, with four of the participating restaurants located right here in downtown Bellevue.

What’s the scoop on Dine Around? According to the promotion’s website, here are all the details you’ll need to know:

Each March and November, Sundays through Thursdays, Seattle area’s finest restaurants offer 3-course dinners for a mere $30. This includes selections for appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Many of the restaurants also offer lunch for $15. Prices do not include beverage, tax and gratuity. Menus are not available on Thanksgiving or Easter.

Downtown Bellevue boasts 3 for $30 dinner menus at Lot No. 3, Monsoon East, Palomino and Purple Café and Wine Bar. All four eateries are also offering 3 for $15 lunch menus.

Plus there’s more ways than one to get involved in Dine Around. The campaign frequently adds restaurant features and recipes to their ‘Table Talk’ blog. And if you’re the social type, we recommend following Dine Around Seattle on Facebook and Twitter for a chance to enter great dining contests and giveaways!

“New American Kitchen” KORAL to open March 2

March 1, 2012

A new restaurant gem is coming to town. Renowned local restaurateurs Bradley Dickinson and Mikel Rogers of PEARL Bar & Dining are set to open the doors of their newest venture, KORAL Bar & Kitchen, on Friday, March 2.

KORAL’s prime location on the main floor of the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in the heart of downtown Bellevue will offer a warm and inviting atmosphere with interior décor and a menu to match.

Coined the “New American Kitchen,” KORAL’s approachable menu of appetizers, small plates and entrées will focus on comfortably prepared foods. Options range from the Kitchen Burger served with rosemary sea salt fries, to the Blue Cheese Meatloaf with Yukon Gold potatoes and caramel carrots, to the Imperial Farms Center-cut Sirloin with salt-roasted potatoes and tempura mushrooms.

“KORAL’s inventive menu brings something new to the Eastside dining scene,” explained Executive Chef and Co-owner Bradley Dickinson. “We saw an opportunity to fill the gap of reasonably priced, upscale food in a truly comfortable and laid back environment in the downtown Bellevue neighborhood. The menu caters to everyone, and the warm interior makes you feel like you are dining in the comfort of your own home.”

Leading the kitchen will be Head Chef Peter Kelly, a familiar face in the local culinary industry with more than 25 years of professional experience under his belt. Also joining the team is General Manager Tracy Ducken, who has worked with Bradley and Mikel at several Eastside restaurants.

Starting March 2 KORAL will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, with a bar operating 3 p.m. to midnight seven days a week. KORAL will also launch a weekend brunch on Saturday, March 17, served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

3/9 UPDATE: Koral launched their twice daily Happy Hour today. Guests can enjoy 50% off all bar small plates, wines by the glass, specialty cocktails, house martinis, and $2 off draft beers in the lively lounge. KORAL’s happy hour will be offered seven days a week from daily from 3-6 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to midnight. Highlights from the Happy Hour menu include:

• Sautéed prawns scampi style with garlic, herbs and breadcrumbs ($6)
• Chef’s sliders with braised oxtail and stone ground mustard sauce ($5)
• Tai-Tung style pot stickers with pork and vegetable filling and soy-chili sauce ($5.50)
• KORAL Manhattan with Buffalo Trace bourbon and Antica vermouth (4)
• Penicillin with Jack Daniels whiskey, lemon juice and honey-ginger infused syrup ($4)
• Raspberry Drop with raspberry vodka, lemon juice, a touch of Chambord and a sugar rim ($4)

Z’Tejas kicks tastebuds into high gear with margaritas and flavorful, healthy menu

February 22, 2012

Bottoms up! 2/22 marks National Margarita Day. So why not celebrate the mid-week hump with a refreshing margarita at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill in downtown Bellevue?

This year Z’Tejas will be offering its “Little Larry” Margarita (pictured above), a smaller version of the award-wining 6th Street Margarita, for only $2.22 (normally $6). The classic tequila drink can be served shaken with ice, on the rocks, frozen, or straight up. 

We recommend paring your margarita with their delicious limited edition tequila marinated pasta dish. Z’Tejas is also selling its famed freshly made margarita mix to the public for $4.99 for a half gallon bottle – perfect for concocting tasty drinks at home.

Watching your waistline? Z’Tejas recently added a number of items to their menu that are 550 calories and under, making it easy to stick to that New Year’s resolution or kick off those Lent goals on the right foot. In an effort to keep the dishes healthy and maintain good flavor, Z’Tejas uses an array of chili pepper varieties to spice up its dishes. The “550 & Under” menu items include:

● Jerk Chicken Salad featuring spicy jerk chicken strips with mixed field greens, roma tomatoes, feta cheese, crisp tortilla strips and sesame-ginger vinaigrette (515 calories)

● Grilled Salmon accompanied by grilled fresh vegetables with cantaloupe and avocado salad (480 calories)

● Grilled Chicken Breast with fresh vegetables topped with a roasted shallot vinaigrette (470 calories)

● Grilled Cilantro Pesto-Rubbed Ruby Trout topped with avocado relish, served with fresh vegetables and Tejas rice (530 calories)

● Jalapeno Turkey Wrap with julienne cucumbers, carrots, onions and peppers with a tasty jalapeño yogurt, wrapped in a flour tortilla (540 calories)

Z’Tejas also boasts a spread of “Naturally Skinny” cocktails, all under 250 calories with no artificial sweeteners added. Drinks include:

● Skinny Margarita – Cabo Wabo Reposado Tequila, triple sec, fresh lime juice, Herradura Agave Nectar and soda water

● VeeV Spa Cooler – VeeV Acai Spirit, fresh lime juice, cucumbers and mint

● Lemon Skinny Dip – Belvedere Vodka, Herradura Agave Nectar and fresh lemon juice

● Skinny Tropical – Bacardi Rock Coconut, Herradura Agave Nectar and fresh pineapple and lemon juices

● Skinny Raspberry Lemonade – Chambord Vodka, Chambord Liqueur, Herradura Agave Nectar, soda water and fresh lemons with a raspberry sugar rim

● Antioxidant Martini – Bacardi Dragon Berry, fresh lemon juice, Herradura Agave Nectar and fresh blackberry and blueberries topped with Wild Berry FOMZ; photo attached

● Bloody Z’Tini – Belvedere Bloody Mary Vodka, Bloody Mary mix and a celery salt rim

More nutritional information on Z’Tejas healthy dining choices can be found on their website.

Margarita Day plus a healthy menu options? We can’t think of better reasons to head over to The Bellevue Collection for a visit at Z’Tejas!

Lunchbox Laboratory now open in downtown Bellevue

February 15, 2012

Bellevue, ready your taste buds. The folks behind the infamous Lunchbox Laboratory (LBL for short) have opened their second location at the Elements complex (989 112th Avenue NE) over the weekend.

The burger joint with a large cult-like following has been nationally recognized by Gourmet Magazine, Epicurious, Sunset Magazine and Seattle Magazine to name a few, and has even been featured on The Food Network’s 50 states, 50 burgers.

Fans love LBL for the unique, extra large burgers, smothered in sauces and flavored specialty salts. Every burger is made from American Kobe style beef and comes on an organic kaiser roll from Essential Bakery. One of Lunchbox’s most popular burgers, “Burger of the God’s” boasts a super beef patty piled high with bleu cheese crumbles, candied balsamic onions and a super gorgonzola spread. All burgers come with choice of skinny fries, crispy tots, potato salad, sweet potato fries or house made chips.

Lunchbox Laboratory offers a full bar with an eclectic menu of specialty drinks - another popular piece of the LBL concept. Signature Snoqualmie Ice Cream milkshakes include the Whopper Malted Milk Ball, Banana Cream Pie and Nutella (along with 20 plus other funky flavors), with the “Drunken Elvis” being a top seller under the menu’s “Boozie Shakes.” “Tails,” cocktails minus the alcohol creatively bring back the 1970s flavors of Tang, Kool Aid and fruit punch.

John Schmidt, the man behind Neighborhood Grills, along with the developed management and service team from the South Lake Union Lunchbox Laboratory opened the new Bellevue location. LBL originated in Ballard and was founded by local, famed Chef Scott Simpson, who passed away in 2011. Two of Scott Simpson’s original Chefs from the Ballard restaurant are now the Kitchen Managers for both Lunchbox Laboratory locations; Adam Berberich runs the Seattle kitchen and Phillip Twiss is the Kitchen Manger for the new Bellevue location.

The group began looking for a new site on the eastside in early 2011. “We wanted to bring this very fun, unique concept to Bellevue because there is nothing like this on the eastside,” said John, “plus the city of Bellevue is booming and we want to be a part of the action!”

Local famed restaurant consultant, Arnold Shain, who consulted on the Bellevue project, added, “Because there were so many people from the eastside hitting the website and coming into our Seattle restaurant, we wanted a central location on the eastside and this space in Bellevue fit the bill.”

The new restaurant’s interior is similar to Seattle’s with vintage lunchboxes and eclectic art on the walls. Downtown Bellevue’s Lunchbox Laboratory will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, serving lunch, dinner and a daily “Kick Ass Hour” from 3 to 6 p.m.

Champagne isn’t just for New Years

December 2, 2011

For those who missed Daniel’s Broiler’s recent L’ Ecole No. 41 Wine Dinner, take advantage of another chance to sample world famous vintages alongside gourmet dishes at their 4th annual Champagne Dinner. Guests will sample a variety of Nicolas Feuillatte champagnes guided by expert Juliette McCourt from the champagne house of Nicolas Feuillatte.

Although the champagnes themselves are incentive enough to draw a crowd, no trip to Daniel’s Broiler would be complete without excellent cuisine. Each champagne will be expertly paired with dishes prepared by Chef Mike Dremann to enhance every flavor. Highlights of the dinner will include a ginger arugula with shaved foie gras crown paired with Nicolas Feuillatte Blanc de Blancs 2004, and a main course of Lobster Thermidor served with Nicolas Feuillatte Cuvee Palmes d’Or 1998. Dessert will be comprised of Holiday Napoleons with Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rose.

 The dinner will be held on Wednesday, December 7 at 6 p.m. in the Vintage Lounge at Daniel’s Broiler. The price is $150 per person for a full six-course meal. Due to limited seating, guests are encouraged to make reservations early by calling (425) 990-6310. Come ring in the holidays with a meal as decadent as the season itself at Daniel’s Broiler!

 
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