Encore Edition: Garam Masala [20.5]

As you know, The Ave is an every changing organism that reinvents itself every so often. Due to this fact, we'll be posting a few "encore editions" of Voyage To The Ave to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest restaurants on The Ave!

"I'll tell you what I don't like about indian food...if you spill it on your clothes you smell like Inidan food all day. (sniffing his shirt) How many times am i going to have to soak this in bleach?!" - Mike McEvoy

From Mike's point of view, Garam Masala was just like eating IN Inida. They offered many delicious meals in the "Lunch Manue" section. Mike ended up getting the Chicken Tikka Masala for his entree. Another awesome thing is that you get lot's of naan for only $1.50. Dexter, his eating partner, got the vindaloo dish. Which according to Voy, tasted like tomato sauce. Chef Boyardee's tomato sauce to be precise.

It was nice to have Dexter sit in on this meal, because he was actually in India all summer. Mike, naturally, defaulted to him for the authenticity check of Garam Masala. According to Dex, it is "the best Indian food on The Ave". (A hefty claim coming from an American in a flannel shirt.)

To Mike, the restaurant was fairly plain in the decoration department. But...it did have music from India playing from a ghetto blaster (of course). The only reedeming thing for the intangibles was the niceness of the staff; a family of three who worked the grill and the front desk. It's legit.

Value: 6.5

Taste: 8.5
Intangibles: 5.5

Total Score: 20.5 out of 30

THANK YOU!

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Pig Tail BBQ [13]

"When I saw there was a place called Pig Tail BBQ on the Ave, I was thrilled. Nothing brings me back to my Alabama roots like some good ol' pork BBQ. As soon as I saw the menu, all of my hopes and dreams of going back to my childhood days, disappeared." - Mike McEvoy

Pig Tail BBQ's homestead is located at the Ave and 50th. Mike likes their intentions. Some goal of getting pork on the Ave, bu their execution makes me think that they've never been to the South. They took a piece of weird pork, slapped it between some bread with a lot of lettuce and cucumbers. That is NOT the South. It was really expensive and nothing about it left Mike wanting more.

First of all: the only way you serve something green is if it's fried. Pig Tail was way too healthy.
Second of all: they didn't even have BBQ sauce! I mean, c'mon!

In their defense, Mike maybe had his hopes to high due to his southern-ness wanting some good BBQ. But, they could have at least tried.

Bottom Line: There's 5 ways to serve pork 1) Ribs 2) Chopped 3) Chipped 4) Sliced 5) Pulled. This was none of those.

Value: 4
Taste: 5.5
Intangible: 3.5

Total Score: 13 out of 30

Vegan Pizza Pie [9.5]

"Here's the thing about Vegan places: At first I thought that they are there to appeal to all the vegans in Seattle. Now I think that they are owned by rich people who want to make a statement. A disgusting, cheese and meat free, statement." - Mike McEvoy



Located at the Ave up on 55th lies Vegan Pizza Pie. They had an ad that listed all the other vegan places in the area. How is that good for business? Posting that ad is like burning money, for heat, in the summer. $26 for a 15 inches, which is a LARGE pizza according to Vegan Pizza Pie. 15 inches is not a large pizza. Mike got half Aloha and half Margherita. Mike got the Aloha because it said that it came with Canadian bacon. Forgetting it was a vegan place Mike was angry to find that what came on the pizza was actually Canadian crap. AND...let's just say the "large" pizza didn't live up to its name.



Let's go back to the whole $26 dollar thing. What the crap?! The only way you could enjoy that pizza is if you're rich and have a super tiny stomach.



Bottom Line: Vegans have been persecuted ever since they came over to America on the Soyflower, and Mike will continue that persecution. (Not with violence but by eating lots and lots of animals.)



Value: 2

Taste: 4

Intangibles: 3.5



Total Score: 9.5 out of 30

Jimmy John's [11.5]

"The only thing that will bring me back to Jimmy John's is a free sandwich coupon and a servant to carry me up to the second floor." - Mike McEvoy

Mike's favorite thing about JJ's is that it is elevated on the second floor, alowing you to look out upon the ave. Which is fun...i guess. Expect for the stairs, which Mike does not like. When he walked into JJ's something just didn't feel right. Mike isn't sure what it is, but it irks him. When looking at the menu there is a nice feature in which you can pay whatever amount you want for a sandwich. It ranges from $4-$7. Mike has yet to hear someone say that they "Love Jimmy John's". Nothing about JJ's draws one to the restaurant. In JJ's defense, this is restaurant number 70, so it really had to wow in order to make a difference.

For the fun of it: Here is a quick Ave Sandwich Heirarchy (from best to worst) to illustrate how Mike feels about JJ's:

DaVinci's/Which Wich
Subway
Jimmy John's
Than Vi
Pita Pit

Bottom Line: Jimmy John's is just kinda.....blah.

Value: 4.5
Taste: 4
Intangibles: 3

Total Score: 11.5 out of 30

Chili's [16]

"Chili's is interesting. I think I need a bath." - Mike McEvoy

It's located just north of 50th on the eastside of the Ave. (2 restaurants away from Hawaii BBQ.) Chili's isn't what you would expect. Chili's is 7-11 meets Indian food. Mike walked in and wasn't sure if he should order lunch or buy a Butterfinger. The layout is basically 2 booths, one for ordering and one for paying. In between the two was a mini-mart with candies and bandaids.

Mike got the chicken platter that came with chicken, rice, and some spicy soup sauce. There were also 3 side dishes and a big piece of naan. It only cost $7.99 for all of that. Jordan got a rice crepe filled with a potato and onion mix and 2 Indian chutneies to dip it in. His was $6.99. Most of the food actually tasted pretty good. The food, however, was super spicy. Mike went through about a dozen napkins throughout his meal.

The people working there were really nice. What they lack in looking like an actual restaurant, they make up for in service.

Bottom Line: Mike couldn't get a Slurpee or an omlett taquito at the end of his meal, but you could get everything else that a 7-11 has at Chili's.

Value: 6
Taste: 6
Intangibles: 4

Total Score: 16 out of 30

Caspian's [9]

"Well, the good news about Caspain's is you get food. The bad thing is costs about 4 times more than anywhere else on the Ave. It's like I got robbed...shanked in the wallet. When I left there I felt worse than I felt all year. It's humiliating. I hesitate to say this, but I spent $43 for two people to eat on the Ave. THE AVE! Who does Caspian's think it is? It's ridiculous! Apparently Caspian is Narnia-speak for 'Eat here and sell the rights to your first born so that you can afford to pay for your meal.' I mean, c'mon!" - Mike McEvoy

55th and the Ave is where Caspian's sits and feeds on the money of unsuspecting Seattleites. When Mike and his friend Mike walked in, they were the only people there. Pretty lame for a restaurant that has 30 tables it it. (sidenote: they had a stage and a DJ botth as well. Lame.) Evidently Caspian's makes enough profit to only have two people a day because it costs so much for one frappin meal.

The "upsides":
They each got a Cornish Game Hen (2wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 breasts, 1 grilled tomato)
They got the satisfaction of eating an entire bird
They didn't have to spend $44 for the meal
It had a functioning door

The downsides:
$43 for 2 people to eat!!!!!! What is this? High school prom?!?

Bottom Line: If you haven't won the lottery yet, don't eat at Caspian's.

Value: 0 (First zero in value EVER!)
Taste: 6
Intagibles: 3

Total Score: 9 out of 30

Banana Leaf Cafe [12]

"Nobody I know has ever heard of Banana Leaf Cafe. Maybe their food advertises itself?......nope. " - Mike McEvoy

Banana Leaf Cafe is located at the Ave and 40th. (Near the College Inn.) Super far south. Way past where Mike thought restaurants actually existed. He said "Tom do you realize how far away Banana Leaf Cafe is?". I didn't know how far, but it was far enough to make Mike angry.

Despite the name, Banana Leaf is in fact a Thai food restaurant. NOT a sandwich joint like the word Cafe implies. When you walk in, there are a bunch of people just sitting by themselves. You look around and there is a tiny counter. Mike wasn't sure if he had to go up to it and order or sit and wait for someone to take your order.

When mike looked at the menu, it was very informational. Swimming Rama which is spinach, meat, and peanut sauce. Peanut sauce makes anything green taste good. The food was okay, it was nothing special. In fact it was similar to other Thai food, but a little bit under average. It definitely doesn't make Mike want to forge the 8 mile hike between UPC and this restaurant. If he had a razor scooter, he would go down there since it's all downhill. But then he would need a ride back up.

Bottom Line: There's way too many better Thai places on the Ave to choose your time at Banana Leaf.

Value: 4
Taste: 4
Intangibles: 4

Total Score: 12 out of 30

Blue Dog Cafe [20]

"I can't think of anything worse in life than when you and someone go out to eat, pay the same price for a meal, and the other person get's twice the amount of food." - Mike McEvoy

(BDC) Blue Dog Cafe is located at 55th and the Ave. It is a quaint little cafe with an undertone of hippie permeating throughout the restaurant. (take that for what you will.) They have free wifi which is nice for the person who needs to get some work done and their Starbucks gift card has just ran out of money. They even had a bookcase filled with random books. BDC's set up is nice and their menu is a giant blackboard with all the sandwiches, soups, and breakfast items written in chalk. (Sidenote: They stop serving breakfast at noon.) (Doubley Sidenote: If Mike gets a chance to eat their breakfast, he will be willing to rescore this place.)

Mike went to eat with his eating partner Aaron. They both got sandwiches which, after tax, were about $8 each. As it turns out, Aaron's sandwich was about 150% larger than Mike's sandwich. It ACTUALLY upset him. He sat there staring at Aaron's sandwich in disbelief that he spent just as much as Aaron, but got much less sandwich. When Mike finally got around to eating the sandwich, he was pleased.

Bottom Line: It takes a while to walk up there, but it has a nice feel. Very original.

Value: 6
Taste: 7
Intangibles: 7

Total Score: 20 out of 30

A Pizza Mart - [11]

"I walk into a very dimly lit A Pizza Mart at high noon. Now the 3rd time I had been there with nobody in there. Even if I have to make my own pizza. Do i sit at the table? The couch in the back perhaps? The bar? I don't know. It was then a middle aged woman strolls over and takes our drink order. No beer for me today, I say. Just some delicious A Pizza Mart pizza...please. What kind you have i ask? Any kind she said. I decide on the peperoni. An exotic meat that I have heard tales of. Since she's the only one there, I assume she will be bringing me my pizza. I wait patiently for it to come. My associate max and I wait for the food. The pizza finally strolls over on top of the middle aged woman's hand. 10 pieces of A Pizza Mart pizza. I ate 60% of that pizza. Delicious...and by delicious I mean it was super average. 2 guys eating a meal for $12 after tax and tip was pretty dang good. If only the pizza had tasted good. I strolled back out onto The Ave and walked away. Like a handful of places on The Ave, nobody eats lunch at A Pizza Mart."
-Mike McEvoy

Bottom Line: Mike would rather go there than Flowers.

Value: 5
Taste: 4
Intangibles: 2

Total Score: 11 out of 30

Finn McCool's - [17.5]

"The legend of Finn McCool: Finn would suck his thumb, and by doing that, magic happened!" - Ryan Church

"Uhh...thanks Ryan" - Mike McEvoy

Down on The Ave just north of 45th, Finn McCools is open during the day too. Mike said that for lunch they had a special on BBQ beef mixed with a grilled cheese sandwich. AND...it was cut into triangles!!! Mike loves triangle shaped food. It was served with amazing BBQ sauce. According to Mike and Jordan, every food tastes better with BBQ sauce. Even pie. (Don't believe me? Just try it, nay-sayer.)

Inside it wasn't packed at all. Even though it was a bar by night, it definitely had a very good lunch feel. The lady working there was nice for the most part. She was probably flustered from serving 2 strapping young men like Mike and Jordan. (But, probably not.) Mike felt like you get a good sandwich and good fries for about $10 with tax and tip. It's not the best value in the world, but it could be worse. And while Mike didn't get a fish or a beef burger, they looked good in his mind.

Bottom Line: If you're going to go to a bar for lunch on The Ave, Finn's is the place to go.

Value: 4.5
Taste: 7.5
Intangibles: 5.5

Total Score: 17.5 out of 30

Pam's Kitchen [16.5]

"Note to all you lunch eaters. Pam's kitchen is only open on Friday's. I don't know what kind of business plan that is, but their making enough to stay open. "

Pam's is located at 50th and The Ave, and it serves food from the country of Trinidad and Tobago food. (2 words, 1 island) While Mike doesn't know much about this type of food, but it was very similar to Indian food. It has quickly become Mike's #1 place to get goat meat on The Ave.

The inside is filled with many wonderful things likes a flag, a tiki hut bar, an authentic (and informative) waitstaff, and an overall good island feel. For the meal Mike ordered a giant pile of goat meat that came with potato-like food substance, and pita type bread. The bread tased muy delicioso. A major downside was that after tax and tip, Mike's meal was $15. Yikes. The secret to how they stay in business is now known.

Bottom Line: If the parents are buying, go there. Otherwise, you're eating for one and paying for 2.

Value: 2
Taste: 7.5
Intangibles: 7

Total Score: 16.5 out of 30

Earl's [14]

WE'RE BACK! Me, Mike, and #1 fan Jordan Collier were with a crew of people down in the Dominican Republic. Sorry it's been so long since the last entry, but we're back in America and ready to review!

"I learned a valuable lesson today, Tom. Nobody eats lunch at Earl's." - Mike McEvoy

Mike and his eating partner Justin walked into a dimly lit Earl's restaurant. Luckily Jerry Springer on the TV shed just enough light to manouver about the restaurant. There were 6 others inside, the most eclectic of the group being Pete. Pete both takes orders and makes all the food at Earl's. The creepiest person being the lady giving the other 4 people at the bar, back rubs. Mike feels as though Earl's has a lot of potential. It has lots of seating options, pool tables, etc...BUT it is not a very compatible place for eating lunch.

Mike got a $5.50 cheese burger and chicken wings. The food was okay tasting. It didn't leave him wanting to go back to get another Earl Burger, but he didn't hate it. When it came time to pay Pete for the meal, Mike paid $16 for his $14 tab and Pete shoved the money straight into his pocket. No cash register necessary, apparently.

Bottom Line: No one eats lunch at Earl's. (Thanks Emily Eggers)

Value: 8
Taste: 4.5
Intangibles: 1.5

Total Score: 14 out of 30

Cedar's On The Ave [14.5]

"This is not the Cedar's on Brooklyn, but the Cedar's on the Ave and 43rd. I reccomend sticking with the Cedar's on Brooklyn." - Mike McEvoy

The other Cedar's is Indian food. This Cedar's is Mediterranean food. Inside it is really tiny with only 4 tables crammed in the middle. It gave you no room to hold a meaningful conversation. Mike ordered the gryo plate for his meal. The menu said that it came with pita bread. Mike was excited at this prospect of loads of bread, but much to his dismay, he was delivered tiny triangles of "pita". Basically what you would get to eat a teaspoon of hummus. Also, a majority of his plate was covered in some foreign dish called "salad". This pissed off Mike.

Bottom Line: Mike just wanted more from Cedar's. It's didn't live up to the name Cedar's, but it is definitely better than Samir's.

Value: 3
Taste: 6
Intangibles: 5.5

Total Score: 14.5 out of 30

Thanh Vi [14]

"What's that thing called...a pananni?" - Mike McEvoy

"I think it's called a panini." - Jordan Collier

On the outside of the restaurant, located at the Ave and south of 43rd, is a sign that says "Best Sandwiches On The Ave". Let's just say Mike is not the biggest fan of false advertising. It was bread filled with meat and shredded carrots. It is a good healthy snack. The sandwich itself was a good deal at $3.50, but it isn't a meal. It's the quinticential definition of an afternoon snack. They also had Pho there. Before this place Mike was convinced that there was no difference between the various pho places, but this place proved him wrong. Thanh Vi's pho tastes noticeably worse than the other 3 pho places. The main reason for this horrible pho is that their meat was groddie. It was basically soggy meatballs in luke-warm water. Yummy?

Bottom Line: meat + carrot strips = not the best sandwich on the Ave. Liars.

Value: 6
Taste: 3
Intangibles: 5

Total Score: 14 out of 30