That’s a good point. I’d call it mid-range comfort food, myself, but it’s not particularly swank. (Jitterbug might qualify, though.)
herownself, are you thinking of the Bungalow? I’ve never been, and I think it may be closed now, but I always heard good things.
Redhook Brewery, any night they have live music.
Also, the Byzantion (or is it the Olympian?) on Capital Hill. The food is okay Greek; the big draw is their amazing wall murals that reproduce the storybook illustrations of Ivan Bilibin .
I haven’t lived in Seattle in over ten years, so both of these places might have disappeared.
The Byzantion has moved to a new location a block and a half away. A different Greek restaurant, the Bacchus, took over their old location. The murals are still intact. Re food, both are fine; the Bacchus has better atmosphere.
I think the Bungalow is it, I’m really not sure if it’s still there.
My favorite slogan about the restaurant at the space needle (seen on a t shirt worn by a former employee of that fine establishment):
The Space Needle Restaurant: Because Rats Can’t Fly
That just kills me every time I think of it. No, I have never eaten there.
Lots of good suggestions here so far… Wild Ginger definitely tops my list. But I find myself surprised to note that I’m the first to mention…
Buca di Beppo - One of the most unique Seattle restaurants I know of, and the food’s always good. Sit at the Pope’s table, if you can swing it somehow.
The Melting Pot - Yum, fondue. Lots of options for all sorts of different tastes (including veggies), and the dessert is worth going for all by itself. Bits of cheesecake dipped in steaming-hot chocolate. Ooohhh…
Luigi’s Grotto - A tiny underground Italian place (the real stuff); excellent food and a pretty relaxed atmosphere.
Hope that helps…
I’ll second Carmelita, which I love.
If you go to Two Dagos from Texas (and hey, why not?) for dinner, do not eat breakfast or lunch. Or breakfast the next day. And bring Altoids: all that wonderful garlic! Mmmm…
Some of my favorites…
Italian: Cafe Lago; La Fontana (along with Carmelita, these are where Mrs. Thorp and I go for special occasions)
Mexican: Galerias on Broadway
Greek: Bacchus (cozy little cave across from the Harvard Exit movie theatre and next to the even cozier espresso joint Joe Bar); El Greco on Broadway is a bit more stylish and tapas-y
Indian: Chutney’s on 15th & Mercer, Capitol Hill; even better is a place on Market Street in Ballard whose name I can’t remember
Thai: too many to mention (if you’re shooting blind, try any of the ones in Fremont), but my favorite super-cheap no-ambiance hole in the wall is Mae Phim, downtown on 1st and Columbia
Pizza: Don’t bother. You live on the east coast, where the pizza is worlds better. The Florentine pizza at Cafe Lago is nice, though. Actually, a fun pizza place with decent food is Madame K’s, in Ballard. The “brothel” theme is entertaining, in a local-color kind of way.
Pub food: Surprisingly good pub grub and beer brewed on premises at the Elysian.
I’m a vegetarian, so I can’t speak with any authority about seafood, but many people say Seattle is the place to eat salmon, or at least go to Ivar’s for clams.
Happy eating!