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In town for a conference, we picked Seastar for dinner after a long day of meetings. An outstanding seafood dinner at an upscale restaurant in downtown Bellevue. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of a downtown building. The room is beautifully appointed an accent wall adorned with metal wall covering resembling fish scales. The bar area is in a separate room just off the reception desk, with a dozen stools at the bar and several high tops along the wall. The dining area has very high ceilings with full plate glass windows. Tables are well spaced in the L-shaped room, with a large high-top table for a large party in the main dining area. There’s a private room behind opaque glass in one corner. We were greeted and our reservation honored, and whisked to our table. Our server, Andrea, did a great job. She explained the menu and executed our drink and food order perfectly – all with a friendly smile and laid back, professional service. Thank you! The restaurant was full by the time we left, and the noise level was surprisingly muted considering size of the room. We could easily carry on conversation without shouting. For dinner, I tried the sesame encrusted Ahi. My companions both had Copper River king salmon. The Ahi was prepared perfectly. A generous Ahi filet seared to blue rare, then encrusted with black and white sesame seeds and sliced, sashimi-style into 5, inch-thick medallions. A beautifully presented ginger/soy & wasabi sauce accompanied the tuna along with a biscuit-sized ginger rice cake atop a bed of colorful snow peas. This is some of the best tuna I’ve had – super fresh, tender and light; the sauce offering the perfect balance of salt and heat to complement but not overpower the Ahi. Delicious. The salmon is equally fresh, grilled simply over apple wood. Tender, flaky, moist and flavorful – just the way salmon should be prepared. The salmon is served with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. A delicious entrée, a Northwest classic. We ended the meal with a shared ramekin of crème brulee. This traditional prep is well executed – thick crust of caramelized sugar atop creamy, rich vanilla bean custard. The entrees were so good we barely had room, but it’s hard to resist a good crème brulee. The tab for 3 was @240 including 3 glasses of wine, an expensive dinner. The food is excellent, with service to match, so worth the splurge. Highly recommended.

• The Falls Restaurant Menu with Prices 8851 Macon Hwy, Athens
• Christian’s Fine Cuisine – Menu with Prices – 1693 Bass Rd, Macon
• Ciro Food And Drink – Menu with Prices – 321 A Justison St, Wilmington
• Steak & Bourbon – Menu with Prices – 1321 Herr Ln Ste. 130, Louisville
• Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine – Menu with Prices – 4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, Fort Worth
• Milad Betterday Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 905 W Alameda St, Santa Fe
• WA Dining I-NABA Sake and Steak House – Menu with Prices – 2933 Rolling Hills Rd, Torrance
• Vivi Bubble Tea Bellevue Menu with Prices 1336 156th Ave NE, Bellevue
• MariaD’anna cafe – Menu with Prices – 300 Tamiami Trail North, Trinity Plaza-corner of 3rd ave north, Naples
• Wild Fork Foods – Menu with Prices – 1451 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale
• Bird & Bottle – Menu with Prices – 3324-A, E 31st St, Tulsa
• Bridgeman’s Chophouse – Menu with Prices – 107 W M.L.K. Blvd, Chattanooga

The Falls Restaurant Menu with Prices 8851 Macon Hwy, Athens

Ok this restaurant rated way over our expectations. Just googled places in Athens that took reservations and this placed popped up. We were in town for sorority parents weekend and didn’t want to wait two hours to eat since we had an event to attend. First of all. You can park right in front. Easy access. Beautiful dining room. White tablecloth but not too swanky. The only reservations open were high top bar or outside. Knowing my husband hates to be hot we went for high top table by the bar. Loved this. A little more casual and fun. Half price appetizers if you sit in this area. Now for the drinks. I had the Drink special. Spicy margarita. Very good. The food. My husband had the salmon. And he’s a very very choosy salmon eater. He said it was fantastic. Really high praise coming from him. He started with a Caesar salad. And again he’s a really choosy Caesar eater. He said it was very good. Daughter and friend had Caesar with grilled chicken added. They said the chicken was very tender. The rolls are very good accompaniment. I had the rabbit tortellini. Fantastic. Service. We had John as a waiter and he was fantastic. Hostess greeting us was blah. No smile. Not welcoming. But she was the only below average experience for the meal. Beef up your front door and it would be perfect. Again. Total surprise awesome experience.

Christian’s Fine Cuisine – Menu with Prices – 1693 Bass Rd, Macon

My husband and I were so excited when we found a new French fine dining restaurant in Macon. We decided to take a chance on Christian’s for dinner. I wish I could give a better review, but there were a number of things that made for an unsatisfactory meal and an unsatisfactory dining experience. Appetizer: -I ordered the gazpacho which was great until I found a half-torn produce label in my bowl. I told the waitress. She gave a half-hearted apology, laughed and brushed it off and said “it was good though right?” I even watched her show the bowl with the label to the chef and someone who seemed to be the manager. Now, for a fine dining restaurant, you would expect a situation like this to be handled appropriately…No one came to our table. No sincere apology was given, and we were still charged full price for the appetizer. Main courses: -The mains were fine, not great. We’ve had better from comparable restaurants in the area. The one baby carrot was the best part of the dish. Dessert: -We were excited to try the lavender creme brûlée. The flavor was excellent. However, there was not enough of the custard, and the texture was that of a slightly gritty paste. Shame as the lavender flavor was fantastic. Overall impression: Unfortunately, Christian’s does not deliver the dining experience or the quality of food that they would like. The service was poor, food average, and all in all worth 2 stars.

Ciro Food And Drink – Menu with Prices – 321 A Justison St, Wilmington

Never come here during an event. I inadvertently made a reservation during their wine dinner. I wanted to try the six course tasting menu and had no clue there was a wine dinner. Two of the dishes were awful. The duck breast was served in a pool of blood because it was undercooked and did not rest long enough before being served. When I cut into it, more blood poured out onto my plate. The creme brûlée was cold and rubbery; the top (that is supposed to have a nice crunch) was pliable because it had been left out too long. When I complained, I was told that is how creme brûlée is served “American style.” What an insult to American cuisine. I wasn’t brought another dessert or offered anything but the bill. The other dishes were fine but could not make up for these two horrible plates. We got the wine pairing, which was $90. Each course came with a tiny sliver of wine that wasn’t replenished. It wasn’t even one bottle worth of wine, certainly not $90 worth of wine. Total waste of money. The service was atrocious. It took over an hour to get our first two courses (which were small). There was a 45 minute gap between the second and third courses. Not even any bread on the table to tide us over. They forgot one of our courses and tried to bring out dessert as the fifth course. When I asked where our real fifth course was, the waiter couldn’t remember what he’d already brought us and insisted he’d brought us five already. When we described the courses, he realized he forgot one. I shouldn’t have to argue with the staff to get the number of courses I’m paying for. I’d been to this restaurant on a normal night and it was fine enough. I was hoping to have a lovely date night with a fancy menu. Instead, I got a long wait and had to beg for all of my courses. I will not be back.

Steak & Bourbon – Menu with Prices – 1321 Herr Ln Ste. 130, Louisville

I feel this restaurant is off to a solid start. We wanted to give it a few months to work out the kinks of a new open, and they’ve used their time wisely. We made reservations online (recommended) and arrived a few minutes early. We usually do that to catch a drink at the bar and observe, but even at the early hour of 6:30 the bar was packed. Most were eating dinner, which is usually where walk-ins grab rather than wait for a table. The menu was kind of limited, and I remarked that it’s usually better to do a few things well rather than a lot of things just ok. I learned through the meal how prescient I was. Overall the decor is pleasing. While everything was neat and clean, I could see where they saved some build money. I would have done the same thing. They have an extensive bourbon list- and while there is a lot there, they are missing most of the really good stuff. To their credit- they actually flagged the hard to find bourbons as “when available”. Can’t tell you how many places advertise something high end and then disappoint. The wine list was short and disappointing. Very few selections were by the glass. There was only 1 Oregon Pinot and at $125 a bottle i passed. Still, cocktails were fairly priced and made well. Every dish we had was exceptional. Our server was smart, competent and knew her menu. We split a S&B salad to start and it was more than enough. The house dressing was the best I’ve tasted in a long time. We both ordered the strip- 1 rare and 1 mr. Both were seasoned nicely and grilled perfectly. We split a side of grilled Brussel Sprouts. We were warned about the use of balsamic vinegar and it really presently the vegetables in a new and delicious way. We also got au gratin potatoes. These weren’t your regular potatoes. One bite and we both stopped and stared at each other. Simply the most delicious side I’ve ever had. Period. If I had to be picky, we ordered an Oscar topping for one steak and a bordelaise sauce on mine. Both were competent but unnecessary. The meat was flavorful and the sauces fought with the meat. We ended up ignoring the sauces. Deserts looked great across the room. We finished with creme brûlée which a grand finish to a nice meal. Dinner for two, with drinks and tip was $150. I don’t regret a penny. While with those prices we won’t become regulars, every bite was great. Service was solid. We felt welcomed and pampered. I can see why it was packed. 4 stars for the wine list and being out of Blantons. Still, Congrats!

Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine – Menu with Prices – 4259 Bryant Irvin Rd, Fort Worth

I love Jon Bonnell’s food. 7yrs ago we went here for our 1st yr anniversary. I love wild game so I chose this spot. Everything was Amazing!!!! It was perfect!!!! Appetizer Sampler, Entree sampler and Desert Sampler. We purchased all three. Our 3rd anniversary we noticed they got away with the samplers, but our waiter worked with us. Everything was amazing! Food and service. Due to us loving Bonnell’s food we tried his other restaurant Waters. Oyster Rockafella is to die for. So for our 7th anniversary we went back to Bonnell’s Fine Dining. The hostess was amazing, and thank you for that. We ordered the Elk Tacos, very greasy. Then the Wild Game plate plus the Lamb and Elk Tenderloin. This was the first time I have ever left feeling unsatisfied. All of the meats tasted the same, expect the lamb and sausage. I wanted Med-rare and my Fiance wanted medium. So we ask the waitress is it possible to do Medium a little light. After responding no problem, we all agreed. If the all the meat came out medium or med-rare that would be fine. But, they were all Raw, except for the lamb which was a perfect Medium. She didn’t even know the difference in meats. The less expensive meat, the sausage which we normally split a 1/2 link, was now an inch. So after the meal we ordered a dessert, the Tres Leche Creme Brulee. OMG, that is absolutely mouthwatering delicious!Best ever!!! It saddens me to say my last visit was nothing like I had advertised for so many years. Jon Bonnell is the best chef in Ft Worth, but I will not be going back to Bonnell’s fine Dining. Unless I want that Creme Brulee. ?

Milad Betterday Kitchen – Menu with Prices – 905 W Alameda St, Santa Fe

Have the trout. OMG, one of the most interesting dishes I’ve had anywhere. Boneless, fresh, grilled, tender, seasoned by the heavenly gods of cuisine..& the rice – OMG who knew rice good be like this?! My dining experience was unique. My intent was to eat on their sweet patio with my book & my dog while my husband stayed in to watch Friday night PBS. However, the patio was fully booked so I ordered take away. Not wanting to waste my precious Canyon Road moments, I ordered a glass of wine so I could perch on a spare chair in the corner while I waited for my dinner. The server was super – I asked for something white & bright, & he said I got just the thing & quickly served me a delightful glass of Moschofilero – a Greek wine I’ve been meaning to try. As serendipity happens, a conversation sprung up between me & the woman dining with her husband nearby. Long after my dinner was bagged, we finally finished our delightful exchange.The star I docked is for the rest of the staff. I felt like I was an unwelcome intrusion. To be fair, my friendly pup visited a few folks, but I’m wise enough to ensure she doesn’t bother those who seem reluctant. In dog enthusiastic Santa Fe, we’ve always felt welcomed elsewhere. Or maybe they just didn’t like me;) However, when we return, I’ll put Milad high on the list. I got home with a rather cool dish in a dreaded take away container…and it rocked my socks. Can’t wait to dine in:)

WA Dining I-NABA Sake and Steak House – Menu with Prices – 2933 Rolling Hills Rd, Torrance

Took my girlfriend here for a belated Valentines day dinner here! Building Aesthetics Outside: Lights along the lines of the restaurant windows. Regular doorway entry. Nothing special that softly whispers “romantic” Inside: Dimly lit restaurant using yellow lights. Tables with clean, white linens. Wine glasses situated on the table. Clothes napkins are provided as well. Overall, nice romantic ambiance for a slow wine and dinner. Food We went with the five course meal, also known as “Wa Dining Chef’s Omakase.” This consisted of a bite-sized fancy assortment of French-styled appetizer. It was so much Japanese here, but it was still pretty good. It tasted clean, crisp, and was full of flavorful. It was not too heavy — just enough to get your appetite going. The second course went with tomato soup, which I thought was okay. Flavor was on point, without the excessive tomato flavor, though it could use a little bit of salt. It was very rich and creamy however, which was what I loved about it. The third course consisted of freshly-made buckwheat soba noodles in a cold soup that I’m not too familiar with, served with shrimp tempura on top. I’ve never tasted this style of noodle and tempura, so I’m not sure what to make about it. It was not full of flavor, but it did taste very fresh and light, easy going on the digestive system for sure. The main course was then next. That’s right, the Waygu beef. My girlfriend decided to get the 4oz Wagyu Filet Mignon from Japan, which is more leaner compared to the 5 oz New York Wagyu beef. When the food arrived, it came in sizzling black oval plate on top of a wooden board. The Wagyu sat on top of the onions, served alongside with freshly made vegetables (i.e. carrot, broccoli, bellpepper) and mashed potatoes. The wagyu was probably the best part out of the entire meal. It was, as many have said, nice and buttery. The knife slices through at ease, and it is extremely full of flavor. It doesn’t matter if you get the steak medium rare or medium well (which was what I got and my girlfriend got), the steak remains nice, tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Lastly, for desert, my girlfriend got the green tea creme brulee and I got the chestnut creme brulee, served with a nice cup of tea. As you can see in the pictures, it was presented nicely. Similar to the pictures, it tasted just as nice as it looks. It was sweet, but not too sweet to the point where you squirm. It was also soft and fluffy as well. Combined with the berries and dotted syrups (which are different for each creme bruleee choice — i.e. chestnut, vanilla, or green tea), it’s quite a nice way to end the meal. Edit: Also want to mention that dinner time is only from 6-9pm. I was there from 6:10pm roughly and got out at 8:00pm. Get there early if you are going for the five course dinner or else you won’t give chefs time to prepare a nice feast for you and your bae. TLDR; +Romantic ambiance where casual wear is pretty common +All other meals in the five course meal is OK, except for the Wagyu steak, which is superb +Arrived at ~6:15 pm, got out at 8pm (arrive early if you are getting 5-course meal) +Ambience, Food, Service was A- for me +I think this place ruined steak for me. I cannot see steak the same way anymore LMAO.

Vivi Bubble Tea Bellevue Menu with Prices 1336 156th Ave NE, Bellevue

I visited ViVi Bubble Tea, excited to check out the different flavors. There’s a lot to choose from within the menu, from classic milk teas to more fruit teas with neon colors. The staff are happy to make recommendations and make adjustments on sugar and ice levels. Plus, there’s popcorn chicken! The space is located by Chipotle at the Crossroads Shopping Center, which is really nice since we desperately need a bubble tea spot at Crossroads. Since this is walking distance from the mall and other major businesses, I can see myself coming here again. I ordered a large Taro Creme Brulee and the employee mentioned that for this month they have a promotion where if you get a large of any drink you can get 50% any of the fruit teas. With that said, I ordered the Signature Fruit Tea. Of the two, I enjoyed the Taro Creme Brulee! I love taro, so it was really nice that there were actual taro pieces throughout the drink…none of that artificial taro flavor. It was also really creamy, so it’s great for a dessert. I couldn’t finish one in one sitting, so ended up saving some for the next day, which still tasted great. The Signature Fruit Tea was unfortunately, not as enjoyable. Although I ordered it with no sugar, it was sweet enough from the fruit, and you did get an abundance of different fruits. But the flavor just seemed A-OK, slightly bland on the tea side. It wasn’t something I’d crave again, so glad I got it at a discounted price. Not the best for fruit teas here – stick with the others. Glad to have ViVi in Crossroads, accessible to those shopping at the mall or surrounding businesses with a parking lot outside the front. If you visit, get a stamp card, and for you taro fans, check out the taro creme brulee!

MariaD’anna cafe – Menu with Prices – 300 Tamiami Trail North, Trinity Plaza-corner of 3rd ave north, Naples

Entering, you transition from busy 9th St S to a tranquil tastefully decorated place. Basic white with touches of blue and yellow. Between the decor and the soft background music you start to relax immediately. We enjoyed a glass of wine while we perused the menu. For starters my wife ordered the mushroom soup and I ordered a salad. After we ordered we were served a Chef’s gift of Potato salad that got your palette ready to enjoy some new flavors. My wife said the soup was the best she has had. The salad comes in small or large. I am glad I ordered the small, if I had the large I wouldn’t be able to eat anything else. The salad was a work of art and truly remarkable. Our appetizers were accompanied by fresh house made bread Nina followed up with the Polish Pierogis. I was surprised because she had never had a Pierogis before, she loved them. I had the Pork tenderloin cutlet. It was lightly breaded and tender, accompanied by mashed potato, crispy onion and a small serving of Hunters Stew, all excellent. Nina finished up with an Espresso and Creme Brûlée, while I finished our bottle of wine. A great dinning experience. Farm to table ingredients expertly prepared and served. We will return. PS.The owner/operators, Maria and her husband are delightful people.

Wild Fork Foods – Menu with Prices – 1451 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale

What a surprise! My husband, who always needs fresh food, wanted to ride along with me to this new amazing spot. We have had fresh Alaskan salmon, shrimp from our boat, and fresh steaks. I had no clue he would like this. We had the Wild Salmon filets, so good. Pre-cooked large shrimp. 2 lbs for around $9. Very good! Key lime pie desserts, served in nice glass container. We are trying the Ostrich soon. My picky friend raves about it at Wild Fork. Okay. The Steaks. I buy fresh and freeze. Terrible. Never works out. I bought 2 Ribeye. At $7.98 per pound it was too good to be true. Wow. We let them thaw in fridge. And grilled them. My husband said they tasted like restaurant quality. I thought one of the best steaks.ever. My husband wants to go back tomorrow. You have 2 customers for a LONG time. Friendly staff. Helpful. Welcome to the area! I’m trying your Free delivery soon! Best of luck in your success!

Bird & Bottle – Menu with Prices – 3324-A, E 31st St, Tulsa

Uh yum! Duh! Why did I take so long to come here for a full meal? I admit, not a TON of GF choices BUT the choices a da bomb diggity! I was concerned we would need a reservation coming in on a Friday about 645, but no worries, got right in at a cozy pub table. Yes they do have 4 dollar martinis and they are stout; the hubs had 2 but I wanted something different than the usual L.I.T. So I asked the waiter and he suggested the Garden Grove. I was not disappointed. It had a pleasing balance, not sweet but not overly tart, I would say herbal and earthy. For the main course I chose the brick chicken and the hubs chose the rib sandwich and he had a little trouble finishing it! It was large and I was told had a Korean flavor served with au jus and a French fry dipping sauce that was a type of aoli. The brick chicken is a pan seared chicken served with ricotta gnocchi and I had to pace myself from stuffing it all in my face it was so good! It was a hard decision between gettin the brick chicken and getting the chefs catch which was a bass with salad and some veggies and it sounded really interesting and good but I really loved the chicken. I ended up getting a creme brûlée too and it is just what a creme brûlée should taste like and served with a strawberry on top. My husband and I have many very fond memories of this location when it was St. Michael’s alley and then I have some really good memories when it was the gastopub and hanging out with my friend so I am glad it still has the cool hole in the wall neighborhood vibe. I would put it up against any trendy East Village eatery any day! And the service was Update: we came back for a meat and cheese plate(customizable) and arugula salad and special duck sausage and pesto flatbread! Scrumptious! You must get the whipped goat cheese it’s divine!

Bridgeman’s Chophouse – Menu with Prices – 107 W M.L.K. Blvd, Chattanooga

We went to Bridgeman’s Chophouse for an anniversary dinner, driving in from Atlanta for a weekend visit. Bridgeman’s was listed as one of the best steak houses in the Chattanooga area, so we were excited to try it out. So how did our evening go? We had our reservation set for 7:30 pm, and we were told that we had to wait about 20 more minutes because the guests at the table reserved for us were still eating. oooookay….we took the time to explore the Read house hotel, which I do recommend exploring a bit of, even if you don’t have a room here. It IS quite lovely and it houses Bridgeman’s Chophouse. Staff did come get us to let us know that our table was ready, and we were promptly seated. Here’s the thing….while we were seated, we sat there for more than 10 minutes before anyone so much as offered us a glass of water. At one point we decided maybe we should go, but finally we were served. Here’s what we ordered: Pistachio & Herb crusted center cut back of lamb ($42) Prime dry aged NY Ribeye ($70) Roasted Brussels ($8) Chocolate cake ($9.95) Creme brulee ($9.95) First off, the presentation of all of the dishes tonight were great. I’d never had lamb chops (or lamb for that matter), so the look of the vibrant green crusted chops were almost too pretty to eat. I took a little bite of it (and it was very moist, flavorful and filling!) but the steak was my dinner. Chops are highly recommended! The prime dry aged NY ribeye is dry aged for 45-60 days, and is a decent sized piece of meat (roughly 20 oz). This had a nice sear but it was sadly somewhat chewy (cooked medium rare), which wasn’t what I was expecting. It also had more than a few BIG hunks of fat in the meat, which made it more oily than I would have liked. My girlfriend enjoyed the steak more than I did, but we both thought that lamb chops were a better meal all around. Roasted Brussels is the side we ordered, and these came with little strips of bacon. Management actually came over and inquired specifically about the brussels, saying they’re looking to change up their menu and were trying this out. We did mention that some of the bacon pieces were soft and others crispy, lacking any real consistency, although flavor was there. If there was a desserts menu, I never saw it. Instead, desserts were described by the server. We got the chocolate cake and the creme brulee. Fun fact, i’ve never had creme brulee, but it almost had a velvety creamy texture once you cracked through the hard surface. Delicious! The chocolate cake was pretty rich, and was also a great end to the meal, though I do wish it were a little bigger. Presentation of both of these were top notch. Located off of W Mlk Blvd, the restaurant offers valet service that needs to be validated by staff at Bridgeman’s. You can (and should) call ahead before you’re about to leave to give the guys time to go get your car. We didn’t and stood waiting for about 10 minutes…fortunately it was a warm summer evening, making the wait pleasant. There’s street parking up and down the road also (if you find it available), which may be worth it to you. Bridgeman’s had more hits than misses for us in the food department. Presentation on everything were all great, and the flavor on much of the food were worth the experience. The problem, and ultimately what knocks down my review score is their service was very slow, and we were all but ignored for about 10 minutes after being seated. That and the steak was oily/chewy and the bacon in the brussels were sometimes crispy and sometimes soft/chewy. If I lived in or near Chattanooga, i’d likely come back at some point just to give these guys another chance to earn a star or two back, but I honestly can’t say that i’d take another drive from Atlanta just for the steak.