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BATEAU, for a very good steak

The beef meat at Bateau comes from their own local farm on Whidbey Island or from selected local farms where the cows have been grass fed. The meat is butchered and dry aged in house and sold by weight. You can even see the dry aging room behind large windows.

By the way, Bateau means “boat” in French, I know that the name is in the series of Renee Erickson Restaurants (The Whale Wins, Boat Street Café, General Porpoise, and Walrus & Carpenter) but I don’t understand why a steak house is called Bateau.

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You can select your cuts among the evening’s options, written on the chalkboard. Every detail is written: type of cut,  which farm it comes from, and the size of the piece.  Each piece is crossed on the chalkboard when a customer orders it.
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We did not know all the different cuts and names, so the waiter helped us to choose between different steaks, marbling, less or more fat, tenderness, etc. We ended up with a 18 oz Ribeye and a 12 oz Chuck Eye for a party of 4. Cooked medium rare they were juicy and delicious.
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The place is nice and simply decorated, casual and comfy! Exactly what I like.

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Be aware that now in all Renée Erickson’s restaurants, a 20% mandatory tip is added automatically. At the end, the bill was high with local good meat and a bottle of good wine but it really worth it if you like beef! We went as a party of 4 and loved it. 20160306_0926_6426

Bateau  1040 E. Union st

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Manolin, a top tier restaurant

We finally made it to Manolin!

The restaurant does not take reservations so it can be almost impossible to have a table unless you are comfortable with waiting 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Expect a longer wait if you have a party of more than 2.

Tips:

We went on a Tuesday and the restaurant runs a little bit slowly on that day of the week. At 7:30, we only waited 20 minutes close to the fire pit in the patio and had a cocktail while we waited.

If the wait is really too long for you, you can go across the street and have dinner at Joule or The Whale wins. 2 places we already talked a lot about.

At Manolin, the menu is very short. Plates are supposed to be shared: they offer 4 fish plates, 3 vegetables plate, 4 main dishes from the grill, and 3 desserts. Everything was very tempting on the menu, and we finally opted to share 5 plates.

  • Albacore Ceviche with quinoa and grapefruit (pictured)
  • Rockfish ceviche, lime, chili, with sweet potato,
  • White anchovy with beets, (pictured)
  • Winter vegetable slaw, spicy almonds (pictured)
  • Grilled beef, potato, radish

It was really really good. Everything was very subtle. The Albacore Ceviche was very fresh and light. The rockfish ceviche had a delicious balance of taste. The beef was perfectly cooked and so were the small potatoes. The winter vegetable slaw had a very nice sauce and the spicy almonds were a perfect addition.

Our waiter was super nice and all the staff very friendly. The place is simply but warmly decorated.

I may go back very soon. They offer happy hour from 4 to 6pm

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The Butcher and The Baker

After a gorgeous walk around Green Lake, you need a hearty meal. Look what we found for lunch!

A cozy place where you can sit on cushions along a sunny window.

Food is simple and delicious: a large choice of sandwiches, a kobe burger, and a soup du jour. I had an amazing Chili Soup and my friend had a crispy tasty baguette sandwich.

They offer a Brunch Menu on Saturday and Sunday that seems to be very famous.

The Butcher and the Baker, 6412 Latona Ave NE