IRON RABBIT!!!! IRON RABBIT!!!

OK, so I think I am in love!

Mike, Stephanie and I had dinner here again. Stunningly good. As always the mojito was terrific. (I always have to order one, its simply delicious) We tried the smoked salmon dip appetizer. It was awesome, but for one small fault. There just was not enough of it! Mike and I were actually fighting over the last bit.......and we still had dinner coming!
Kath Had the chicken cordon who? A whimsical take on chicken cordon bleu, made with chicken, prosciutto, Gorgonzola and a creamy mustard sauce. I sincerely wanted to lick my plate. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes (always good on my plate) and some fresh sauteed beans of mixed varieties that were succulent.

Mike had the Cowboy burger (big suprise, he orders it every time we eat here) and Stephanie went for the safe french dip. The french dip is a little unusual because it it made with roasted garlic as well and its very tasty. Served with fries its a nice tummy full.

As if that were not enough!!! (Is it ever when something is THIS good?) The very next day I had lunch with Stephanie, her boyfriend, Aaron, my son Nich and our friend Bahr....at the Iron Rabbit again! It was french dips, Cowboy Burgers and one Mushroom Burger all around. Sure do love you guys! xoxo

Iron Rabbit is located on the West Side of Olympia:

2103 Harrison Ave NW

Olympia, WA 98502Iron Rabbit is located on the West Side of Olympia:

2103 Harrison Ave NW

Olympia, WA

Little Creek Casino Buffet

This week Liz, Mike and I had dinner at the buffet at Little Creek Casino. oh my gosh, the food is so good. It depends on the day of the week and the time of day, as to what they are serving, but everything is exemplary!

This week I had a salad and a dozen oysters and a nice slab of prime rib. Lis had some noodle soba dish that looked really excellent,salmon, salad, and an assortment of other dishes off the buffet. There were also some scalloped potatoes that were delicious!

There is a hot bar, a carving station, two more sections of hot bar, then a soup pot, a cold bar and a salad cold bar. In the middle there is a salad bar and condiments.

The hot dishes often are seafood, and asian dishes, along with traditional dishes like meat loaf and macaroni and cheese.

There is sometimes fresh crab legs, both king, snow and dungeness. Also peel and eat shrimp. All the food is fresh, hot and really tasty! I do love to eat there!

Cost of dinner: $14.99 each (10% discount if you are over 50!)

91 W State Route 108
Shelton, WA 98584
(800) 667-771

www.little-creek-casino.com

Safeco Field

yeah, we really are blogging Safeco! Liz, Jon, Mike and I went to the game to see the Mariners play baseball. I was amazed by the shear volume of food available. I am not kidding!!

I always go for the garlic fries. There is nothing so wonderful! Aromatic, burst of flavor in your mouth. You see people eating them all around the ballpark. They are served with ketchup and a slice of apple. I haven't ever figured out the apple part, but I assume its to freshen your mouth after you stink it up. I usually follow them with a hot dog. I adore a really good hot dog! This time I was a little chilly so I had a bowl of Ivor's Clam chowder. You can get it served in a bread bowl, but I loaded up carbs on the fries, so I skipped the bread bowl.

Mike and Liz both went for a Salmon sandwich on a hoagie roll that looked great! Mike had a hard time eating it, as it was messy and drippy. Part way through he says "How are you supposed to eat this?" at which point Liz waved her fork at him. Got to love Liz!

Jon went for a Philly Cheesesteak. He made that sandwich look GOOD!!!! Messy and drippy just how it is supposed to be. I'd had plenty to eat, but that made me hungry all over again!

I know we all go to the game for the baseball, but its nice when the food is good and almost affordable. We all went for sodas, the beer is unbelievably expensive.

Xihns Seafood and Oyster House

Kath: There is a true Jem buried in the heart of downtown Shelton: Xihns seafood and Oyster House.

 Many of us don't think of Shelton as a city to dine out in, but Xinh's was a plesent surprise! 

Xihn comes to us from Vietnam, bringing her unusual and delightful culinary skills.  Xinh’s food is neither Vietnamese nor American, but rather cooking from the heart as she expresses the flavor memories of her homeland with the shellfish grown in nearby waters. Imbued with her special warmth and wit, Xinh’s food is known to her many loyal fans, simply and uniquely, as “Xinh’s food”. Some call it “Xinhful”. Xinh has indeed found her natural talent… making people happy with her food. If you haven’t tried Xinh’s Clam & Oyster House yet, you are in for a treat.

The atmosphere is unpretentious but the food is magnificent. Deserving of the label "fine dining", but presented in a casual setting. It is not unusual to find the chef chatting it up with the diners and often there are gales of laughter permeating the room, along with the delightful aromas coming form the kitchen.

 Kath had The Maila Clams with Black Bean and Hoisin Sauce. Fresh manila clams sauteed with garlic, lemon grass, celery, green onion in a black bean hoisin sauce served with jasmine rice. I pretty much skipped the rice, and sopped up the sauce with the lovely fresh bread that is served with every meal. Yum.

Liz had Black Tiger Prawns with Curry Sauce. Prawns sauteed in a Vietnamese style curry, flavored with coconut milk, lemongrass, cayenne pepper, ground peanuts and seafood sauce, served with jasmine rice.  That Curry was amazing! Liz shared with me. I almost always have the clams when I eat here, but this made me think I should be more adventurous. Succulent.  There is no other word for it.

This is actually one of my favorite places to eat...but don't tell too many people, its already very busy!!! I do recommend calling ahead, its sometimes very full.

Cost of dinner: about $30.00 each, including salad,beverages, and gratuity. (I didn't keep the slip.)

Xihns Oyster and Seafood House

221 W Railroad Ave ste D

Shelton Wa 98584

(360) 427 8709

www.xihnsrestaurant.com

Mesa: Bobby Flay in Las Vegas

Liz recently had the occasion to travel to Las Vegas.  She was super excited to dine at MESA located in Caesers Palace.

What Liz says about them: 

While Katy, Justin, and I were in Vegas, we came across MESA Grill in Caesar's Palace.  We checked out the menu and went in - I have to admit I totally geeked out and was SO excited to be in Bobby Flay's restaurant!  We had the nicest service!  We got cornbread muffins and a variety of breads with butter to start off with.  My favorite was the jalepeno/jack cheese bread.  I ordered the Tiger Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale with Corn-Cilantro Sauce

 which I was told had been on the menu since the restaurant opened.  It was delicious!  We all took pictures of our food because they all looked so beautiful!  Katy ordered the Smoked Chicken and  Black Bean Quesadilla wit

h Avocado + Toasted Garlic Creme Fraiche and Justin ordered the Blue Corn Crusted Alaskan Halibut and Salsa Cruda with Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Capers, Nicoise Olives, Fresh Basil + Oregano.  We were all very pleased with our meals and itwas an excellent experience!

Liz was so excited, she took a picture of her dinner!

What they say about themselves:Bobby Flay brings his passion for bold and innovative Southwestern fare straight to the heart of the region that inspired it at Mesa Grill, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. The desert outpost of the acclaimed New York City Mesa Grill opened to great success in 2004. Bobby developed his signature style of American cookery, marrying the flavors of southwest with his love of grilling at Mesa Grill. Bobby presents dishes like New Mexican Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce, Sweet Potato Tamale, and Crushed Pecan Butter. In a nod to the West, he also includes a Chiptole Glazed Rib-Eye with Red and Green Chile Sauce. Las Vegas’ proximity to Mexico gives the restaurant access to some of that country’s highest-quality tequila and mezcal offerings, and the expansive wine list has a global reach yet maintains an emphasis on top American wines. The combination of Mesa Grill's magnificent decor, the exciting vibe of the casino atmosphere and Bobby Flay's stunning range of textures, flavors and colors incorporated into his menu continue to electrify diners year after year.

LOCATION: Caesars Palace Las Vegas

877.346.4642

WEBSITE: http://www.mesagrill.com/lasvegas/

The Iron Rabbit: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Kath says:  The Iron Rabbit in the West side of Olympia is a very eclectic American Bistro. I love to eat here. The atmosphere is interesting, as is the background music selection. (Not to mention the hand drawn bunny cartoons over the kitchen area advertising the upcoming strawberry season specials)

Our waitress was friendly, courteous and informative.  At her suggestion, I had a Mojito. (I LOVE Mojitos! muddled mint, lime simple syrup and light rum, tasty and refreshing) and it was a very good one, they definitely got it right.

The special of the day was Rockfish Tacos, served with strawberry salsa, but none of us chose that.  We started off with an order of bats and chokes. ($8.99) Bats and chokes are deep fried green beans (bats) and artichoke hearts (chokes) which is served with a lovely aoli for dipping. 

Now I know one can never go wrong with deep fried ANYTHING dipped in a good aoli, but the fresh taste of those green beans was fabulous, and the artichokes were simply delicious.

Kath decided to go the vegetarian route (don't faint!) and ordered the Artichoke Cakes. Two cakes of artichokes, red peppers and black olives drizzled with a roasted red pepper aoli and served with garlic mashers and fresh sauteed green beans.($14.99) It was crispy on the outside, but moist and tender on the inside and really flavorful. The aoli was just the perfect touch to compliment the cakes (They were croquettes, if you ask me, and they were very good.) Potatoes and garlic are two of my favorite foods. 

Liz had the chicken artichoke heart pasta Alfredo.($14.99) I thought it was awesome! The creamy sauce was really delicious. The chicken (which Liz insisted I try) was moist and yummy. There were grilled artichokes all around the edge of the plate. It was beautiful, as well as delicious.

Mike had the Cowboy Iron Burger.($12.49) Natural Angus burger, smokey bacon cheddar cheese,  spring greens, tomatoes and burger spread (secret cowboy sauce?) with beer battered onion rings and bbq sauce on a toasted kaiser bun.  Its is served with fat french fries that Mike adores, or coleslaw, or chips and salsa.  I didn't taste it because I have eaten it before, and it was very good. How can you go wrong with Deep Fried Onion rings and BBQ sauce??? Yum Yum, and get extra napkins.

Liz says: Kath, Mike, and I went to the Iron Rabbit and started our meal off with the famous bats and chokes!  They were fabulous and the sauce they came with was great!  I ordered the Chicken Artichoke Heart Alfredo and it was great...the chicken was cooked perfectly, the sauce was great, there were tons of artichoke hearts and it was just awesome!  We had great service, everyone was so happy with their meal, and I would definitely go again!  The best thing was I had leftovers for the next day and it was just as great the next day!

Guest comments from Mike:

Cost of dinner: (with gratuity)

Kath and Mike $50.00

Liz:

website address: http://www.ironrabbit.net/index.html

Address: 22103 Harrison

Olympia Wa 98501

Phone:  360 956 3661

Hours:

Mon - Thurs: 11am - 9pm

Friday: 11am -11pm

Saturday: 11am -10pm

Sun: 11am - 9:00pm

Heres what they say about themselves: Locally owned and operated since 2005 the Iron Rabbit is committed to creating an atmosphere that inspires conversation and creativity while providing a high quality dining experience suitable for the entire family. We are happy to provide a casual atmosphere that is built upon great service, amazing food and high quality beverages.

Heres what they said about US!!

Kath, Liz & Mike
Thanks for coming into the Iron Rabbit and WOW what a great write up. I
shared it with my team. It means a lot to get such an articulate and well
thought out response to the Iron Rabbit experience. Creating a dialogue
between individuals with wonderful conversation and exploration of the
senses is the ultimate.

On behalf of the Iron Rabbit team and myself,
Thank you,
Christian

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse

Kath Says:

Kath was really excited about this meal! Liz says its her favorite. Kath had never been to a teppenyakki before, and had heard many fun things about it.  Teppenyakki is a Japanese restaurant where the grill is in the middle of the table and the chef prepares your meal as you watch. It is usually accompanied by some interesting knife work and a bit of a "show"  They seat people until the table is full, so you may be dining with strangers, but its usually fun.

We were seated with a family of four, who pretty much kept to themselves.  Our chef arrived with his trolley full of goodies and proceeded to light the grill on fire. (to warm it up, he said) He make fancy work of frying rice and tossed rice balls into our mouths. Well, I should say into LIZ's mouth...I missed mine, twice. Next he made an onion ring volcano and had it spew fire, which he sprinkles sesame seeds into and called them fireworks. He extinguished the volcano with a rubber fireman who when squeezed, peed on the fire. (Kath thought this was a little in bad taste to simulate urinating on food)

The Chef then continued to saute vegetables and cook the meat of choice for each person. Liz and I both had the shrimp/steak combination. The shrimp was succulent, and Kath thought it was the shining star of the meal. Everything was really fresh and delicious, and you get plenty to eat.

Dinner comes with salad, soup, steamed rice, appetizer, vegetables, hot tea, and dessert. You can choose the protein from a list that includes various seafood and beef, chicken and tofu combinations.  Its a little pricey for dinner, but the cost also includes the cooking show.

Liz Says:

 First off, let me say that it's possible, the "awesomeness" of the Fuji Steakhouse has worn off a tad which is my fault since I've gone there three times in the past couple months.  When you get to the point where you CAN catch the rice your first time and you know all the little flares the chefs do or can pretty much do the commentating yourself, you know it's time to stop going for a while.  My favorite part is definitely the show...who doesn't like to have a giant fireball go off in front of their face before dinner?!  It's fun to see all the neat stuff they do and I find myself mezmorized everytime...I love the miso soup and salad they serve before the "show" starts and the shrimp is just to die for...I keep telling myself the next time I go (which will need to be a few months from now), I will get nothing but shrimp.  I ordered shrimp and steak with veggie fried rice and it was all delicious...I did notice the orange sauce seemed a little different and not quite as awesome as it usually is...as others can tell you, I pretty much see the veggies and shrimp purely as a vehicle for eating the orange sauce.  Anywho - all in all, it was a great fun experience - great company, fun, and yummy! 

Cost of dinner: (including gratuity)

Kath $34.56

Liz  $34.65

Website: www.fujijapanesesteakhouselacey.com

Address:

7914 Martin Way E. #3

Olympia, WA 98516

Phone: 360) 459-4499

Business Hours:

• Mon - Fri : Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
• Dinner 5:00 pm -10:00 pm
• Sat - Sun : Dinner 4:00 pm -10:00 pm

La Tarasca Chehalis

Kath says:

Liz and I decided that an out of town adventure was in order, so we travelled south to centralia, to La Tarasca.

La Tarasca is a owned by a family from the Mexican state of Mahican, and features both familiar and regionally-specific Mexican food.. I have been there when their Grandma was in the kitchen making tamales.

(which are making my mouth water to just think of.)

From the minute you sit down and they bring you a small bowl of a spicy mixture of sliced carrots and onions and hot peppers instead of chips and salsa, you know you are in for a treat. Ask the server what she recommends...you will be delighted.

Mike joined us on this adventure, he was our chauffeur. (actually he just likes the food here, and wanted to come with us.)

Mike had the house special, Carnitas. Slow roasted pork served with corn tortillas, rice and beans. Pepsi, please!  Mouthwatering good. 

Liz had the tacos de bistek. Thinly sliced carne asada wrapped in handmade corn tortillas, served with rice, beans and pico de gallo. She had a glass of Chardonnay.

Kath had Chile Verde. Slow roasted pork simmered in a spicy green sauce, made with jalapenos and tomatillos. Also served with rice and beans. Sabroso y picoso!!!  It was very hot and her face got very red, which reminds me that little Irish girls are not meant to eat such hot things, for fear that their delicate face should explode! Kath cooled her mouth with a Negro Modelo (Black Mexican beer along the lines of a porter) served with lime.

I know they have postres (deserts) but we were waaaaay too full to have any. I bet the flan is out of this world.

Liz Says:

I heard nothing but great things about La Tarasca and my visit there definitely confirmed all the good I'd heard.  It was the cutest restaraunt that made me felt really comfy.  I loved the appetizer with the spicy carrots and peppers and can't forget the tamales....oooohhh....I think my mouth just filled up with saliva.  It was the best tamale I'd ever had and I only wish it was closer so I could have them ever day.  mmmmmm...

The dinner was great too - the beans were surprisingly good - I didn't think that refried beans would be "exceptional" but they were!  The tacos de bistek was REALLY good - the tortillas were really fresh and tasted great...they were served with something like pico de gallo and it just made it wonderful - and Mike shared his sour cream which I was very nice really pulled the tacos together!  It was a great treat to have dinner with Mike and Kath!

cost of dinner for 3 with gratutiy

Kaths treat: $60.00

• Address: 1001 West Main Street, Centralia, WA 98531
• Phone:  (360) 736-7756

It closes fairly early (8pm, I remember) and is closed on Tuesdays. Located east of I-5, off exit 82. 

Thai Pavillion Olympia

Kath Says:

The second stop on our world tour!

Downtown Olympia is a haven for Asian food. There are more good places to eat than you can even imagine, in close proximity to one another.

I chose the Thai Pavilion because I had dinner there with my dear friends, Rex and Jan and it was very good. Rex and Jan are friends of the owners, Dave and his wife Cie, direct from Thailand. She cooks, he serves, and its a wonderful experience.

Liz and I chose to have spring roll appetisers (we were REALLY hungry) Paper this rice paper holding in delectable tidbits of vegetables and shrimp, which a mouth watering peanut dipping sauce.

Next we chose two dishes to share. Kath chose the Tropical Jade. A light yellow curry with vegetables, your choice of meat or tofu and avocado slices. Liz confessed to me that she thought it sounded weird but I promise you it is magnificent. Liz chose the pad thai, and we had it a little on the hot side, with shrimp. Both were served with steamed rice. Liz had a glass of Chardonnay and Kath had a Thai Coffee.

We both took home leftovers for lunch the next day. We really didn't need the spring rolls after all! 

Liz Says:

I was excited to eat at the Thai Pavillion especially since I'd frequented most of the other Thai places downtown but never eaten here.  I started off with a glass of White Zinfandel and perused the menu.  So many things sounded good but I was too hungry to choose so just went with the good ole' trusty Phad Thai with shrimp and it was awesome!  The spring roll appetizer was great - everything was really fresh and tasted great!  I also got to taste Kath's Jade curry dish which involved avacado and coconut milk which I was a little nervous about but it really had a unique and yummy taste.  I think the total bill was like $40 or so for both of us?  I'm not exactly sure...it was very reasonable. :)  

Cost of dinner:

Liz's Treat: $40.00

Address 

303 4th ave s

Olympia, Wa 98506

Phone:

360 943 9093

takeout yes!

Apollos Pizza Olympia

Our maiden voyage! 

Kath says:

Liz and I grabbed our appetities and headed to the westside of Olympia to Apollos Pizza, for some dinner and conversation. We had tons to talk about for sure!!!

Thinking the food was inconsequential, we dove into the menu. hmm...what to have? We had both eaten there before, and had some favorites on the menu. 

We were quickly distracted from our conversation.

Apollos serves handmade pizzas, salads, pastas, calzones and sandwiches. They also have a African peanut soup that is super-delicious and unique.

The waiter was laid back cool and seemed a little bored. He did make a nice wine suggestion. 

Liz went with one of her favorites, a baked pasta dish that is loaded with goodness.

 Kath went out on a limb and ordered the pasta Rodrigo as recommended by one of her clients. (you can order the pasta shape and sauce combination you want) Kath was very happy with her choice. It was spicy and delicious. Dinner came with a salad (Highly recommending the tahini dressing) and bread.  Kath followed her pasta down with a nice house Chianti.

There was no room for desert. We both took a box of food with us for lunch the next day.

Liz Says:

After stewing over getting the Mediterranean pizza, I decided to get the Mediterranean cheese tortellini (which isn't much different from the pizza).  It has pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, feta, artichoke hearts, chicken, tons of cheese, and I think there were black olives...It was fantastic - as usual!  We started with a side salad and I had my first taste of tahini dressing after Kath described it and it was soooo good.  Definitely something I will order again.  All in all, it was an excellent meal, I had leftovers for the next day, and great company!  I think my bill was around $15 or $16 including a glass of wine - either White Zinfindel or Chardonnay.

 Cost of dinner including gratuity

Kath $25.00

Liz $16.00

Address: 2010 Harrison Ave Nw       Olympia, WA 
Phone (360) 754-7444