On behalf of Voyage To The Ave we would like to thank all of you for following and reading this blog. It's been a good run and we couldn't have done it without all of you!
While this is the end of Mike's voyage to the Ave, he will embark on yet another voyage. At the end of the summer, Mike will announce where he will be eating his way to next.
Thank you again, tell your friends, and have an amazing summer!
-Voyage To The Ave
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Thai Tom [24.5]
"It's been a good ride, and there is no other place I'd rather end the Voyage than at Thai Tom." - Mike McEvoy
Thai Tom is located on the Ave just south of 47th. What's not to love about Thai Tom's. Besides the ever present line they have to sit down at one of their 4 tables. HOWEVER, on this glorious occasion all 5 of us were able to be seated together the second we got there. (That's right...5 people. I'm pretty sure that's a world record.) Inside they have a few tables and a bar that seats around 8. The "bar" however is about 2 feet away from the lone grill and it makes you super hot and sweaty from all of the steam. (Not that Mike has a problem with sweating and eating; it just stands to be mentioned.)
Anyways....They serve your food in a giant banana leaf plate! Right there you know it's going to be good. Nothing served out of a plate like that doesn't have exquisite flavor and bodacious taste. Mike, at first, wasn't super impressed by Thai Tom's portion size. Mike kept hoping Tyler didn't eat all of his food so that he could eat it. The banana leaf plate, however, must bend physics somehow to hide more food somewhere in the plate. But by the end of his meal, Mike was pleasantly full.
The ambience of Thai Tom's is incredible. It feels like you are really eating in Thailand. With a base meal price costing about 9 or 10 bucks after tax and tip, it's a lot cheaper than buying a plane ticket to south east Asia to get authentic Thai food. By the time you walk out onto the Ave again, you feel like you've stepped back out of the wardrobe and back into the real world.
Thai Tom's is good. Really good. Michael Jordan good.
Bottom Line: It's worth the wait in line.
Value: 9
Taste: 7
Intangibles: 8.5
Total Score: 24.5 out of 30
Thai Tom is located on the Ave just south of 47th. What's not to love about Thai Tom's. Besides the ever present line they have to sit down at one of their 4 tables. HOWEVER, on this glorious occasion all 5 of us were able to be seated together the second we got there. (That's right...5 people. I'm pretty sure that's a world record.) Inside they have a few tables and a bar that seats around 8. The "bar" however is about 2 feet away from the lone grill and it makes you super hot and sweaty from all of the steam. (Not that Mike has a problem with sweating and eating; it just stands to be mentioned.)
Anyways....They serve your food in a giant banana leaf plate! Right there you know it's going to be good. Nothing served out of a plate like that doesn't have exquisite flavor and bodacious taste. Mike, at first, wasn't super impressed by Thai Tom's portion size. Mike kept hoping Tyler didn't eat all of his food so that he could eat it. The banana leaf plate, however, must bend physics somehow to hide more food somewhere in the plate. But by the end of his meal, Mike was pleasantly full.
The ambience of Thai Tom's is incredible. It feels like you are really eating in Thailand. With a base meal price costing about 9 or 10 bucks after tax and tip, it's a lot cheaper than buying a plane ticket to south east Asia to get authentic Thai food. By the time you walk out onto the Ave again, you feel like you've stepped back out of the wardrobe and back into the real world.
Thai Tom's is good. Really good. Michael Jordan good.
Bottom Line: It's worth the wait in line.
Value: 9
Taste: 7
Intangibles: 8.5
Total Score: 24.5 out of 30
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Café on The Ave [20]
"I've had a lot of sandwiches in my life. I've had good sandwiches. I've had bad sandwiches. But that was one dang good sandwich at Cafe on The Ave." - Mike McEvoy
Located at the Ave and above 42nd is Cafe on the Ave. Mike didn't think he would be going there at first because it seemed like a coffee shop only type of deal. The rule with Voyage To The Ave is if they serve lunch, he has to eat there. At first Mike thought since they were a coffee shop, their sandwiches would be par at best. (i.e. nothing interesting)
Let's just say Cafe on the Ave surprised Mike.
Mike ordered the California Croissant Club with turkey, ham, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, sauce, and a side of chips. They did NOT skimp on the meat and it had cascades of bacon flowing down the sides of the sandwich. It was amazing. (ps they even put bacon on their french dip!) With 2 people with tax and tip the meal was around $20.
The vibe was nice on the inside with a mix of round tables, couches, and high tables. Mike liked sitting at the high table so he could peer around the entire restaurant. While it could be construed as a "cold" environment, but Mike felt that it lent itself to a study/romantic feeling.
Bottom Line: "Cafe on the Ave needs to go over to Tahn Vi and take their 'Best Sandwiches On The Ave' sign and put it in front of their store."
Value: 5
Taste: 8.5
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 20 out of 30
Located at the Ave and above 42nd is Cafe on the Ave. Mike didn't think he would be going there at first because it seemed like a coffee shop only type of deal. The rule with Voyage To The Ave is if they serve lunch, he has to eat there. At first Mike thought since they were a coffee shop, their sandwiches would be par at best. (i.e. nothing interesting)
Let's just say Cafe on the Ave surprised Mike.
Mike ordered the California Croissant Club with turkey, ham, bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, sauce, and a side of chips. They did NOT skimp on the meat and it had cascades of bacon flowing down the sides of the sandwich. It was amazing. (ps they even put bacon on their french dip!) With 2 people with tax and tip the meal was around $20.
The vibe was nice on the inside with a mix of round tables, couches, and high tables. Mike liked sitting at the high table so he could peer around the entire restaurant. While it could be construed as a "cold" environment, but Mike felt that it lent itself to a study/romantic feeling.
Bottom Line: "Cafe on the Ave needs to go over to Tahn Vi and take their 'Best Sandwiches On The Ave' sign and put it in front of their store."
Value: 5
Taste: 8.5
Intangibles: 6.5
Total Score: 20 out of 30
Thursday, June 11, 2009
College Inn [11.5]
"My personal history of the College Inn: Thursday Night Jordan Collier Time, I once went there with a professor and a class, and hearing some old dudes talk about it at Husky football games." - Mike McEvoy
For those who don't know, the College Inn is located on the Ave south of 42nd. The entrance is a tiny door in the back of a building that is next to an unkempt field of prairie grasses. You descend the stairs and you enter into a poorly lit basement. It's not that creepy because this place is technically a bar, they just happen to serve food too. Mike ordered an Italian Grinder which is a stark departure from the fan favorite: the Howard's Special. (Oh college...)
The worker there was confused to say the least when Mike and his eating partner only ordered food and not an adult beverage. They have a few darts boards down there as well. Mike didn't partake but he was glad he had the option. It's an interesting atmosphere, but it was extremely conducive to holding a conversation. Different, but in a good way.
Value: 4
Taste: 3.5
Intangibles: 4
Total Score: 11.5 out of 30
For those who don't know, the College Inn is located on the Ave south of 42nd. The entrance is a tiny door in the back of a building that is next to an unkempt field of prairie grasses. You descend the stairs and you enter into a poorly lit basement. It's not that creepy because this place is technically a bar, they just happen to serve food too. Mike ordered an Italian Grinder which is a stark departure from the fan favorite: the Howard's Special. (Oh college...)
The worker there was confused to say the least when Mike and his eating partner only ordered food and not an adult beverage. They have a few darts boards down there as well. Mike didn't partake but he was glad he had the option. It's an interesting atmosphere, but it was extremely conducive to holding a conversation. Different, but in a good way.
That's about it. It's the College Inn. It's a lot more simple there.
Value: 4
Taste: 3.5
Intangibles: 4
Total Score: 11.5 out of 30
Monday, June 8, 2009
Solstice [13.5]
"Let's just put it this way...after I ate a sandwich and soup from Solstice, I was still able to go to Pizza Fridays at Kappa's and eat a whole pizza." - Mike McEvoy
Down on the Ave below 42nd on the east side of the street is Solstice. It turns out that solstice is more than just a coffee shop; they serve sandwiches and soups. So, Mike got a sandwich and soup. Katie, Mike's eating partner, got a tuna sandwich which tasted fairly good. Mike ordered a club-type sandwich with turkey bacon and ham. Unfortunately the sandwich came out a little too dry for Mike's liking. Thankfully the bowl of soup was there too. The soup added just the right amount of moisture to the sandwich to make it enjoyable to eat. The soup itself was a tomato basil concoction that tasted like good.
When it came to the economics of the meal, Solstice started to fall short. A cup of the tomato basil soup cost $4 and the Bowl cost $5. (That itself makes no sense. Is the bowl only 20% larger than the cup? Maybe they're the same size and if you want to spend an extra dollar you get rewarded with the absence of a handle. Do people hate handles that much? Perhaps, but i digress...)
The atmosphere is very coffee-shop-ish. A few people were studying contently inside and the atmosphere was conducive for it. It has a similar feeling to University Zoka with a lot of wood surfaces and people studying and talking inside. They had a patio too which is a great choice on a summer Seattle day.
Bottom Line: Good atmosphere, but the food and prices make you leave wanting more.
Value: 4
Taste: 4
Intangibles: 5.5
Total Score: 13.5 out of 30
Down on the Ave below 42nd on the east side of the street is Solstice. It turns out that solstice is more than just a coffee shop; they serve sandwiches and soups. So, Mike got a sandwich and soup. Katie, Mike's eating partner, got a tuna sandwich which tasted fairly good. Mike ordered a club-type sandwich with turkey bacon and ham. Unfortunately the sandwich came out a little too dry for Mike's liking. Thankfully the bowl of soup was there too. The soup added just the right amount of moisture to the sandwich to make it enjoyable to eat. The soup itself was a tomato basil concoction that tasted like good.
When it came to the economics of the meal, Solstice started to fall short. A cup of the tomato basil soup cost $4 and the Bowl cost $5. (That itself makes no sense. Is the bowl only 20% larger than the cup? Maybe they're the same size and if you want to spend an extra dollar you get rewarded with the absence of a handle. Do people hate handles that much? Perhaps, but i digress...)
The atmosphere is very coffee-shop-ish. A few people were studying contently inside and the atmosphere was conducive for it. It has a similar feeling to University Zoka with a lot of wood surfaces and people studying and talking inside. They had a patio too which is a great choice on a summer Seattle day.
Bottom Line: Good atmosphere, but the food and prices make you leave wanting more.
Value: 4
Taste: 4
Intangibles: 5.5
Total Score: 13.5 out of 30
Friday, June 5, 2009
Pizza Ragazzi [14]
"I don't know if I'd call Pizza Ragazzi an Ave restaurant. It's on the Ave, it serves foods, but it doesn't feel like a reastaurant. You go to a window, order pizza, wait in a parking lot, get your food, and eat it in a parking lot. However, their pizza...delicious." - Mike McEvoy
Value: 5
$12 for a large Hawaiian pizza. It tasted great, but Mike hates eating in parking lots, so he had to walk back to work to eat it. (Sidenote: You can only get pizza by the slice at certain hours of the day. Check their website for more info.)
Taste: 8
One bite takes Mike back to his deep Hawaiian roots.
Intangibles: 1
Parking lot.
Total Score: 14 out of 30
Value: 5
$12 for a large Hawaiian pizza. It tasted great, but Mike hates eating in parking lots, so he had to walk back to work to eat it. (Sidenote: You can only get pizza by the slice at certain hours of the day. Check their website for more info.)
Taste: 8
One bite takes Mike back to his deep Hawaiian roots.
Intangibles: 1
Parking lot.
Total Score: 14 out of 30
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