Filibertos Italian Restaurant,653 SW 152nd St, Burien, Wa

During an evening stroll my better half and I decided to try Filibertos on 152nd in Downtown Burien.  There was a sandwich board on the sidewalk that advertised a four course prix fixe dinner for $25.95 with a choice of entrée that consisted of Veal Piccata and Shrimp Scampi.  We had discussed giving it a try on previous occasions, and we are big fans of great Veal Picatta, so we made a right turn into the restaurant.  Even though it was a Saturday evening and the weather was great, there were only two other parties inside. The décor is charming and up to date and it has a nice romantic atmosphere.  I had high hopes of some great Italian food having been brought up in my families Italian Restaurants.  Since the hubs and I are both watching our weight and carb intake, pasta is a real treat that is rare in our diet.  There is a small bar area and a lovely dining room.  A very inviting atmosphere although empty.

 

 

We both ordered a glass of wine. Me a house white and hubs a chianti.  House wines run about $9.00 a glass and were fine if unremarkable.  We both were going to have the Veal special. I ordered mine with the house salad while he substituted a cup of Minestrone for his salad.  I have always believed that you can tell  a good Italian restaurant by the Minestrone and he is a connoisseur of the perfect fresh bowl of soup.  We settled in for our dinner and enjoyed our wine and conversation. The service was a bit slow, but we were in a relaxed mood and it wasn't an issue. If you are looking for a quick bite, then this is not the place.  We received our soup and salad and while the soup was fresh and hubs enjoyed it, my salad was completely unremarkable. Just some iceberg with Italian dressing and some feta and a piece of salami on top. It did take awhile to see the next course and the waitress came over to ask if we would like the pasta course served with the main. We said ok and about 20 minutes later we received our Veal and a small side of Penne with meat sauce.  The veal was cut into bite sized pieces, almost like they were left over from other plates and completely overcooked.   They also had an off putting flavor that was definitely not fresh. Frozen would be my guess. Although they advertise all homemade pastas I don't believe for a minute that the Penne did not come from a box of dry pasta. It tasted like any home cooked box pasta with sauce from a jar.  If we were at a $9.99 pizza house buffet, then dinner would have been ok. With a dinner tab of $111.00 before tip it was not good at all.

 

With other options for fine dining in the area such as Bistro Baffi about a mile up the street, I would suggest you drive by Filibertos.  I can see it being a good place to take a family group for pizza, but not for date night and fine dining.

 

 

Mark Restaurant and Bar, Olde Burien

Mark Restaurant and Bar Website

A new Sunday morning tradition in my household is our stroll over to Olde Burien and a stop in to have breakfast and a Bloody Mary at Mark restaurant and Bar on 152nd St.  Mark is what I would classify as an upper class dive bar.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a small bar area that we enjoy, or seated in the dining room. There is also a dining patio for those sunny days that allow you to bring your dog along to dine. They are very pet friendly here. The bar area has large windows that look out onto the main street and are open when weather allows, creating a nice fresh air dining experience as well as sidewalk tables if you really want to be in the center of the streetside action. The happy hour here is excellent and exceeds your basic offering of buffalo wings and nachos. Well, they have that too but they also offer other things like lavender fries and a prime rib quesadilla. Lots of choices and a decent selection of cocktails and drafts.

The breakfasts are quite good. I have either the Mark Potatoes and Eggs with Bacon, or when I am feeling like something more decadent the Crab Eggs Benedict.  Toasted English muffin halves layered with fresh crisp spinach, sliced tomatoes, Dungeness Crab, poached eggs and a velvety Hollandaise  sauce make this a delicious mouthful of pleasure. The freshness of the veggies and the richness of the eggs and sauce make for a perfect textural bite. The bloody marys are delicious with just the right amount of kick.  I certainly recommend Mark Restaurant and Bar for a great leisurely breakfast. They are open from 8am every day.

The Tin Room Bar and Theater

Well another week has come and gone. There are hints of sunshine this morning and a forecast that promises a 70 degree day by the end of the week.  SEVENTY DEGREES!!!!!!!  Tropical paradise, right here in B-Town! People will be dancing in the streets. This crappy spring might just turn around after all. Yay! Of course the rain will be returning on Friday night just in time to ruin the weekend. Oh well, at this point we will take what we can get.
Last Friday was pretty nice here in Burien. I was lucky enough to get out of work early and Roger met me in town for some dinner at the Tin Room. The Tin Room is our usual hangout for a spur of the moment dinner or evening out.  The place has a great vibe and awesome food. Roger had Fish and Chips and I had a Chicken Pasta in Basil Cream Sauce. Yummy. Normally we always have the same thing. Grilled Meatloaf with Bourbon Mushroom gravy. It is the one time that I don't mind if Roger prefers someone else's cooking. It really is better than my meatloaf.   Check out their website here  There is a great history to the place.  Super friendly staff and owner, Dan the Sausage Man. Right in the middle of Olde Burien, it is the Gaslamp Quarter of B-Town, The Tin Room is one of the most popular. What make this spot even more unique, is that there is also a theater on site. The Tin Theater is a small indie type theater that has a great ambience, plush padded seats, thick velvet drapes, stadium seating and, you wont believe it,...............A BAR!!!

 

 

LULU California Bistro, 200 S. Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, Ca

At Palm Springs newest and hippest restaurant, Lulu California Bistro, talent, expertise and a passion for great food combine to produce a captivating California Bistro dining experience.




We arrived at LULU on a Saturday morning for a sunny sidewalk breakfast on the same weekend as Coachella Arts Festival so the people watching was as fabulous as our brunch. This is a very stylish and popular eatery in downtown Palm Springs.  Very large with seating on several levels of mezzanine and a large sidewalk terrace, Nicely decorated with a modern flair.  Huge bar and terrific service. The real star here is the menu:

LULU Bistro Menu


They have a great happy hour that lasts for 12 hours each day and an award winning Sunday brunch. I had the Seaside Benedict. An English muffin topped with lobster, crab and gulf shrimp. Two perfectly poached eggs and finished with hollandaise. Served with a choice of hash browns or home fries. A great deal at $15.99. Hubs had the Cobb Omelet.  Ham, chicken, tomatoes, bacon, avocado, green onions and bleu cheese. And less than $10.00. The menu prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food and great ambiance.

One of their specialties is the three course prix fixe menu served daily from $15.99 starting at 3PM.

I would rate LULU Bistro as a must if you are in the Palm Springs area. The center of downtown action and a very happening place.  Visit their website here.......LULU California Bistro

Nicolinos Italian Restaurant, 35325 Date Palm Dr. Ste 111 Cathedral City, CA 92234

For my first review, I am taking you to one of my favorite vacation locations, the Coachella Valley of California and the Palm Springs area. Nicolinos is one of the restaurants that we make a point of visiting on each trip to the desert on our annual vacation.  Located in a strip mall on Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City.  If you are looking for a hip and trendy Palm Springs bistro, this is not the place for you.  The décor is a bit tired and dated, and you probably won't spot any celebrities dining there. However, if what you are looking for is a marvelous Italian dining experience and great food then this is the place for you.  The prices are midrange. Our dinner for 2 people with wine was less than $100.00

Almost immediately we were served a hot loaf of crusty bread with the most delicious garlic butter. I could have sipped my wine and eaten the bread, skipping dinner entirely!

I started with the wedge salad, tasty and very fresh with blue cheese and bacon bits. My husband opted for the  Homemade Minestrone.  He claims that it is the best he has tasted. Service was attentive and we were not rushed through the courses. 

For our main course we both chose the Veal Picatta entrée.  Offered with a side of spaghetti marinara, I chose Pasta Olio, olive oil and herbs tossed with spaghetti instead. Hubby stuck with the marinara.
The veal was tender and very flavorful, with a nice presentation.

 

 

I have enjoyed their Cioppino and Shrimp Scampi on previous visits as well. View the complete menu here: Nicolinos Dinner Menu

The wine list is unimpressive, but a selection of tasty mid range wines are available. I had the Kendall Jackson Chardonnay which is my go-to on the lower end for consistency.  Hubs had the house Chianti and enjoyed it as well.  The owners Mark and Rhonda were both making the rounds in the dining room, greeting every table. There seemed to be quite a few regular diners. That is usually a good sign of consistent good food.  The place is homey and inviting.  We skipped the deserts after filling up on bread and pasta, but they looked very tasty and the table next to us was enjoying their Cannoli.

They make it good, they give you plenty and they don't charge a lot, so all in all a great dinner out.