Three new delicious finds

This Saturday while waiting to have our car serviced at a dealership in Ballard we decided to brave the cold blustery weather but rather than gooing to the predictable Market Street establishments we had seen before, we wandered side streets of old Ballard.

We didn't have to go far when our noses led us to Señor Moose Café, one of the best authentic Mexican (not Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex or any sort of US Mex!) cafés in Seattle, whose owner spent 20 years in Mexico and makes sure the recipes are authentic. The Huevos Rancheros (tortillas, black beans, eggs, salsa, topped with avocado and cream), a classic Mexican breakfast dish, was delicious! As we left I couldn't help but think that although very simple, this was the best breakfast I have had in some time.

On the other side of Leary Avenue we stumbled on Café Fioré. While Hoon went for his usual double tall latte, I decided to be decadent and order a Sevilla (Valencia Mocha). It was delicious with a perfect amount of powerful espresso mingling with creamy foamy milk, a touch of dark chocolate and of course, a twist of real orange peel. The relaxed atmosphere and dark wood/red brick decor makes you feel like you have entered an entirely different world devoid of concept of time... like a Jules Vern fever dream the decor elicits visions of Victorian octopus light fixtures and underwater chemistry labs. The staff is as pleasurable as new best friends and the entire shop could biodegrade if necessary with their supply of corn straws and recycling bins.
Last weekend we finally got a chance to try Tutta Bella Pizzeria in Columbia City, touted as the best pizza in Seattle. This officially sanctioned provider of vera pizza napoletana (true Neapolitan pizza) makes them like God intended: with flour blended and milled in Italy, imported organic San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh herbs and fresh yeast, baked in a VPN approved wood fired oven. The result is an authentic thin pizza with a light and fluffy blistered crust, still silky in the middle... the kind I though I'd never find in the Pacific Northwest! Arry and AJ, who have recently returned from southern Italy, confirmed what my taste buds were already remembering from childhood - this was the real deal! We split a delicious Insalata di Salerno (fresh mozzarella, crunchy shaved fennel, cherry tomato halves, cucumbers, basil, romaine with dijon-balsamic vinaigrette) and ordered a variety of personal pizzas - my Regina Margherita was indeed fitting for a queen! We ended with a perfect shot of espresso (they use a Victoria Arduino hand-operated lever machine and Attibassi espresso from Bologna!) and a delicious Tiramisu! This is one place to which we will definitely return and often!