D&D | Seattle: The Kingfish Cafe, Molly Moon's, & Revel

I recently took a trip to my home state of Washington to visit family and friends in and out of the Seattle area. I had alot of people to see and 6 days to do it in. The one thing I knew for sure was that I would make time to squeeze in some of my favorite and most missed bars, restaurants, and hangouts. The thought of doing an epic restaurant rating had crossed my mind, but in an effort to keep things simple, this is going to be more of a showcase of some of my favorites (including new favorites) throughout Seattle.

Up first is The Kingfish Cafe located in the trendy but quiet area of Capital Hill. This is a bold statement but one I am 100% willing to stand by... The Kingfish Cafe is hands down my all time favorite restaurant. I've been hooked from my very first visit over 5 years ago. On my huge Seattle to-do list, Kingfish was #3, right behind seeing my parents, and seeing my sister and brother in-law. I've tried almost everything on the menu, including: Gumbo, Fried Chicken, Blackened Salmon, and Red Beans and Rice; but I keep coming back to the Mac and Cheese! Their Mac and Cheese is the inspiration for MY Mac and Cheese, and after this last visit, I think I have some minor adjusting to do. Be sure to wash all of this down with one of their house cocktails. My personal favorite is the Mint Julep.

Sho’Nuff Fried green Tomatoes  |  "We brought out this southern tradition for ya to try topped with a cornmeal dredge fulla spices. We brown’em on the griddle and top’em with our house garlic and chipotle sauces. These tasty tomatoes share the plate with our hot out of the kitchen hushpuppies. Let the sky rain tomatoes."

Down Home Mac and Cheese  |  "We use two cheeses, onion and a bit of mushroom for this good sized helping then we bake it up bubbling hot and serve it alongside a cool green salad."

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Living in San Francisco you have a ton of options for great ice cream. While I was living in Seattle, there was no other option, you went to Molly Moon's! From their site: At Molly Moon’s we combine creamy dairy from happy, healthy, hormone-free Western Washington cows with sweet and savory local ingredients. Our attention is focused on seasonal fruits and herbs in combinations that are both familiar and surprising producing all kinds of flavors from childhood favorites to avant-garde adult-only fare. From Skagit Valley's strawberries to Sequim's lavender and Eastern Washington’s cantaloupes, Molly Moon's is committed to using the best ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and occasionally we reach a little further south for Northern California fruit like organic Meyer Lemons and Napa Valley's Blood Oranges. Our shop is a place where classic flavors like Vanilla Bean and Chocolate live alongside the creative and exotic Cardamom, Balsamic Strawberry, Rosemary Meyer Lemon, and even Maple Bacon in the winter!

I like a double scoop of Vanilla Bean and Vivace Coffee!

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For the finale, I would just like to say that all of the buzz and anticipation around this place is 100% well deserved. Revel is in the Fremont area of Seattle and was "Founded by husband and wife chef duo Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi who met while cooking at New York’s illustrious Alain Ducasse at the Essex House. While both chefs have a distinctly different point of view, their tastes blend together to create modern, creative and seamless cuisine in their restaurants, Joule and Revel. Rachel’s Korean heritage informs her flavors through her impeccable training in classic French technique. Seif, raised in Chicago, and trained in Portland, Ore. brings a distinctly American flavor to the palate, balancing and complementing his wife both in the kitchen and at home."

My best friend Jared currently cooks at both Joule and Revel and has been telling me since I left Seattle that whenever I came back, we HAD to go to one. It just so happened that Jared had a day off, so we headed to Fremont for what turned out to be one of the best meals I've ever had.

We got there right as the sun was going down. The weather was perfect so we sat around the fire pit with our drinks while we waited for a table.

We tried almost everything on the menu, feasting on: Corned Lamb Arugula Salad, Green Bean Shitake Salad, Pork Belly and Shrimp Pancakes, Short Rib rice with egg yolk, and Smoked Pork Belly and Shrimp Noodles! PLUS desserts!!! The highlight of the evening was definitely the meat plate. Jared informed me that Revel has started the "Grill Shack" which is best described on their site: "Revel is celebrating summer with the grill shack on the deck. Come and enjoy the bbq of various cuts from the whole animals on the wood fired grill. Summer never tasted better."

They are so right! If you're ever in Seattle be sure to check out all 3 spots, just not in one day.