Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant   –  East Valley Hwy. in Kent, WA off 180th and Hwy 167.  Dim Sum –  Baked Pork Buns, Ribs in black bean sauce,  Sticky Rice in lotus leaf wrappers, Shrimp spring rolls,  Shrimp in steamed rice noodle, and hot tea.  We have stopped here a number of times as we enjoy Dim Sum.  Lunch entree’s run $3-4 a piece .  If you’re in the mood for Dim Sum and can’t get to Seattle or Issaquah, this is a nice option.  Our rating…2-1/2 out of 5.  Reviews tend to be mixed per Yelp, citysearch, and others…http://www.yelp.com/biz/imperial-garden-seafood-restaurant-kent

Palomino –  in Washington…located in Seattle and Bellevue.  This visit was to Bellevue as it was recommended for its lunch specials.  Combination specials are a hit here…allows for a mix/match of soup, salad, sandwich or pasta.  The two choices are served in bowls on a rectangular platter.   The presentation was key!  I can recommend the chop chop salad, tomato basil soup, and Rigatoni  Bolognese. Check out the menu  http://www.palomino.com/page/menu/      The hostess was top notch and service was nice.  The person removing dishware from the table could have waited a bit longer.

The Triple Door Happy Hour –  Located on Union Street in downtown Seattle, happy hour is offered from 4-6 pm seven days a week.  On Fridays, live music is featured at 5:30 pm.  The happy hour menu serves up bites inspired from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.  We enjoyed the pot stickers, duck sliders, and both the shiitake and prawn satay.  The Triple Door is next door to Wild Ginger.  We originally had said we were going to Wild Ginger for their happy hour but were sent to The Triple Door…the two venues share the same kitchen and are related.   The lounge is called the Musicquarium as there is a large freshwater aquarium that separates the lounge and main stage.  If you have not been to the Triple Door for a show, do so!   http://www.tripledoor.com/Our-Lounge/happy-hour-(1).aspx

Daniel’s Broiler, Bellevue – Dining at Daniel’s Broiler is one of the real treats in the Puget Sound area.  Great service, excellent food options and high quality beverages served.  On this evening in the vintage room, the following was savored:  Scallops wrapped in bacon (I would have preferred the bacon to be cooked more, as it was hard to chew), Sirloin tips, Ahi Tuna, Five Star Cellars Stellar and a limited edition 12 year old Kentucky whiskey…Pappy Vanwinkle…so good!  http://www.schwartzbros.com/daniels.cfm

UPDATE 3/10/11 – ooohhh…got the last of the Pappy Vanwinkle.  So worth it!  This visit…celebrating an anniversary found us ordering the crab legs, filet steak strips, steakhouse slider with fries, artichoke hearts, and an apple tart.

The Old Spaghetti Factory –  Believe me, I am all for the extraordinary scallop, pate, sushi, etc… but I have to admit that when it comes to comfort food, I love The Old Spaghetti Factory.  My favorite?  A combination of mizithra cheese and white clam sauce, blue cheese dressing on the salad, and a Bloody Mary to go with (if lunch..and at the Lynnwood location).  It is so satisfying to me, that I had to make mention of it.  🙂