Hanazono in Port Townsend

On a lark we decided to go to Port Townsend for a long day trip.  We arrived hungry (of course) and decided to take a walk and find something different for lunch.  After a stroll down Taylor Street, looking inside each eatery we decided on Hanazono Asian Noodle. The interior had a distinct “Asian” feel, you know, the sparse furnishings, the drop lamps with rice paper shades, chopsticks in bamboo holders. 

Everything was clean (no sticky spots, a pet peeve of mine).  The server “Whitney” was very pleasant.  As I have food allergies, she was able to understand, no bean sprouts and no green onions. 

My husband ordered Spring Rolls which he described as having a nice balance of ingredients, skillfully made, fresh and crunchy.  He pronounced them “Great”.  I had the Tom-Yum Noodle soup.  When it first arrived I thought it was going to be very spicy.  It was flavorful with a little heat, the noodles themselves were excellent and the chicken was moist and spiced to perfection.  The combination of the noodles, broth and chicken was perfect.  There is nothing that could have been added or deleted to make Tom-Yum better. 

Dear Reader, fill your car with gas and head to Port Townsend for lunch at Hanazono Asian Noodle, be sure to bring your appetite for something unusual.  Be fore warned double-check their hours as they closed after lunch and reopen for dinner.  Thank you Whitney for a great meal.

Meconi's in Tacoma

Okay – it’s Wednesday and nobody wants to cook, so we headed to Meconi’s on Pacific Ave. Their big burgers and cold beer are always a winning combination. When we got there the TVs were tuned to three different basketball games, and the lighting was just right for both TV watching and menu reading. They have it down to a science. Wednesdays are a good night to be there, with $3 Micro Brews and special prices on Fish & Chips as well as a Flat Iron Steak.


Stacy was right on top of everything, quick to say “hi” and swing by to take our drink order. The bartender was great, with a nod I could order another beer, without having to go through our waitress. The background music is loud enough to drown out the conversations from the other tables, but you can still talk to your friends without shouting.


We ordered Nachos with chicken and please hold the tomatoes, and the flat iron steak special, medium rare and could I please have French fries and keep the veggies in the kitchen.


The food: the nachos – a plenty for two hungry munchers with just the right amount of cheese and chicken. Winner! The flat iron steak, OMG the flavor was incredible and it was not tough at all. The fries are killer – I just love frozen fries, of course this is an entirely personal choice. Not a veggie in sight. Major thanks to Stacy and the kitchen!


Tonight’s meal would bring us back to Meconi’s again to enjoy Flat Iron steak and Nachos.


A huge thank you to Meconi’s for making our dinner tasty and a delight.

13 Coins

We were out and about in SeaTac and decided to spend a little more and go to our favorite restaurant in SeaTac, 13 Coins. This time it was not wonderful, it wasn’t even worth a second try if we were not loyal fans and knew what 13 Coins was capable of. Here is the “groan list”


We were seated, water arrived – situation normal – the breakdown begins here . . .


The table appeared to be clean until I noticed that my sweater was sticking to a spot on the table. So, I used water and my napkin to “de-stick” the spot.


When the bread and nibbly bits arrived, I asked for a clean napkin


My husband ordered a Cobb salad without egg & tomato. He had to repeat the special request several times before the waiter seemed to understand.


I ordered the Prime Rib special and asked for French Fries and Prime Rib. No veggies please. The waiter seem hard pressed to understand that I did not want extra Garlic Mashed Potatoes, no I do not want more veggies . . . I just want a piece of medium rare Prime Rib with French Fries.


When the waiter brought the knife for the Prime Rib, I reminded her about the clean napkin.


When the Cobb salad arrived, there was the egg. The waiter said the chef told her that wasn’t egg but crumbled cheese, but there was no Bleu cheese just egg. So, the Cobb salad went back. The new salad was without egg and tomato as requested (a plus) but the overall temperature and texture left a great deal to be desired.


Prime Rib was just room temperature and has lots of fat pockets. I love well-marbled Prime Rib and steaks, but when the fat pockets represent ¼ of the total slab, just yuck. The fries were good and the horseradish sauce was decent (at least it wasn’t creamed).


Now, I understand that our waiter has very little control over the kitchen and the product it produces. She did make the sure the Cobb salad was remade correctly and not just scraped off.


Overall, the experience felt like they thought we were travelers and would not be returning so creating quality meals and serving them at the correct temperature was not a priority. You know, crappy airport food at inflated prices.


If this was my first visit to 13 Coins, I would not go back. On our last visit, the food and service seemed to be declining but we decided that was just “one of those days”. It would seem we have had the unfortunate luck to dine at 13 Coins every time they are having a “bad day”. Too bad, it used to be my favorite restaurant.