Slog - Comments on Good Clams, Bad Gumbo http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo Sometimes a restaurant surprises you--in a good way. Take this plate of steamed clams at the Red Door in Fremont. I've had plenty of burgers at the Red Door... and a few dozen beers... but I never ordered anything off the menu at the Red Door 'cept their burgers. I love steamers--a big bowl of clams, steamed in butter and wine--but there's nothing worse than a bad bowl of steamed clams (well, maybe leukemia), and since Red Door didn't seem like a good bet for clams, I stuck with the burgers. But a coupled of Friday's ago I was... Copyright 2008 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:40:08 -0800 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:39:16 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by elswinger My pet peeve about gumbo is when places leave the bones in the chicken. I had a very tasty gumbo at Casuelitas Island Soul in the Ranier Valley, but they chopped up the chicken still on the bone. This made it impossible to eat the chicken (it was hard enough getting the crab meat out of the legs without making a mess). Also my gumbo was supposed to have shrimp in it but, alas, there were none.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734012 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734012 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:57:09 -0800 Comment by Clickster Must not be getting the hits you're expecting on the restaurant reviews, eh, Dan? You capitalist, you ...

]]> Clickster http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734013 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734013 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:59:25 -0800 Comment by Dan Savage Actually, we're getting tons, Clickster. More than 600 reader reviews so far--and we've only just launched the thing.

Give my regards to everyone else down on Western.

]]> Dan Savage http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734022 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734022 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:10:21 -0800 Comment by Fnarf A little chicken bone is good, actually. Meat in any stew is always best on the bone (lamb dishes with no bone are throwing the best part of the dish in the garbage). You might have to pick it out with your fingers, or just do like me -- grind that chicken bone up. Mmm, marrow.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734024 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734024 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:13:31 -0800 Comment by elswinger Fnarf, normally I agree with you but basically I got the worst part of the chicken back, where there is very little meat. I understand that Casuelitas cooks up a big pot of Gumbo because it's one of their most popular dishes, so it literally is "pot luck." Despite the lack of big pieces of chicken and lack of shrimp, they make an excellent Gumbo.

Dan, how do restaurants get in the guide? I wanted to praise the pizza at Pazzo's on Eastlake but it isn't listed.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734029 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734029 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:22:55 -0800 Comment by ruby did this disappear and reappear?

]]> ruby http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734035 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734035 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:34:09 -0800 Comment by Garrett On my way home yesterday, the Safeway and QFC parking lots were jammed pack, so I decided to make the delightful trip once again to Grocery Outlet! Man, I keep forgetting about the Bargains!! (i'm trying to focus more on home cooking after sampling just about every restaraunt in a 2 mile Rainier stretch).

Anyway, Grocery Outlet greets me with ideal Muzak- Help Me by Joni Mitchell, then Wouldn't it Be Nice by the Beach Boys. I got a little greedy and bought two avacados despite the exorbidant price of a buck a piece.

It was such a nice day, I sat on the hood of my tercel-o-matic, and had a tortilla and sardine sandwhich. To top it off, the view of the halfway built transit station is looming massively above. I had to then endure the trip home with bass blown speakers- "All by Myself!" Not the Celine Dion version, the Erik Carmen one from '77. My sister use to love that 45- blechh

"Stand there and watch my car vegetate"
- Jonathan Richman

]]> Garrett http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734039 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734039 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:40:15 -0800 Comment by Fnarf I like chicken backs. Oh well.

I agree, though -- there are lots of places that aren't in the guide that need to be. Will you ever add places you haven't reviewed?

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734046 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734046 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:56:16 -0800 Comment by Dan Savage Yes, let us know what needs to be added, and we'll get 'em in. Send suggestions to...

editor@thestranger.com

]]> Dan Savage http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734054 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734054 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:04:12 -0800 Comment by Ari Spool Actually, elswinger, you can submit a restaurant to be added by clicking the submission button at the bottom of any restaurant listing, or going directly to this link: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/DiningSuggest. I've got Pazzo's on my list already, so you can look for it later today!

]]> Ari Spool http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734109 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734109 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:07:01 -0800 Comment by elswinger Thanks!

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734146 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734146 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:47:08 -0800 Comment by plural not possessive Dan, Mr. Editor, the phrase "a couple of Fridays ago" does not require an apostrophe. "A couple of Friday's" is for a couple of things Friday possesses (or is). Are you drinking already today? It's like you're writing for the Sinner over here.

]]> plural not possessive http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734287 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c734287 Chow Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:31:17 -0800 Comment by Bill MSN I NIIPET
MSN

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740902 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740902 Chow Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:38:45 -0800 Comment by Bill MSN I NIIPET
MSN

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740903 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740903 Chow Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:38:59 -0800 Comment by Bill MSN I NIIPET
MSN

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740904 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/06/good_clams_bad_gumbo#c740904 Chow Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:39:16 -0800