While we await an exotic review from some of our contributors who have not yet checked in, we continue our local explorations. Close to home we checked out Bar Vacilando, 405 15th Avenue East, 206.420.1584, https://www.barvacilando.com/, which is right next to Rubinstein’s Bagels, if you know the neighborhood, right in the middle of the 15th Avenue restaurant area (with Rionne XIII, Coastal Kitchen, Palermo Pizza, Spice Waala, Smith, etc. all withing less than a block). Bar Vacilando has been open for several years but is fairly low-profile compared to some of its neighbors. Its menu has a section listing the vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-
free options and substitutions available which was greatly appreciated by our gluten-free diner. Bar Vacilando’s theme is “food for the journey.” The dining room is set up in an informal fashion but the bar in back rather dominates the scene. They also have an enclosed, covered (in winter) and heated patio if you want a quieter option for your meal.
Our gluten-free diner tried the egg and cheese on a (gluten-free) brioche bun, a very tasty and filling breakfast style sandwich (for lunch or dinner). The more traditional diners tried the Reuben and Chaat Chicken. The Reuben was pretty traditional and hit the spot. They also offer a “Mushreuben” with chicken fried oyster mushrooms for a vegetarian Reuben experience.
The Chaat is more unusual with tandoori style chicken, cilantro, slaw and yogurt sauce served on folded naan; they told us it was one of their best sellers and it was certainly tasty enough to be. Each of these items was accompanied by pickle slices, and we added some onion rings which were good, but not, by themselves, the reason to come back. We sampled a few of their featured cocktails, also. The Under Pressure, with tequila, cranberry puree, orange, lime, triple sec, and jalapeño had a lot of flavor, and a little kick from the jalapeño, but we would put it in the glad-we-tried-it category unless you want a lot of fruit flavors in your drink. The No Hard Feelings was a very appropriate warm drink for a winter day, with spiced rum, hot apple cider, and cookie butter spread added. Once again, glad we tried it, but a bit sweeter than we would likely order again — it is the drink for you if you want a warm sweet drink. The desserts did not include a gluten-free option so we passed for this trip.
Despite being visually dominated by the bar, Bar Vacilando is a family restaurant, although it has also been called a gastropub. They are open for lunch and dinner; they do not have a happy hour, but the prices are reasonable for Capitol HIll. It is a sister restaurant to the two Black Bottles (Seattle and Bellevue). All three proudly donate to FoodLifeline for every food item purchased. With their food, drink, and welcoming hospitality, Bar Vacilando is a worthy addition to the East Capitol Hill neighborhood.
For a culinary vacation that keeps you close to home, try out The Boat, 1314 S. Jackson Street, 206.323.4387, https://www.thephobac.com/. The Boat is Pho Bac’s younger sibling and is a self-described “chicken rice shop.” This description is apt, as chicken and rice are the focus of the two entrees available (sorry, vegetarians!). The abbreviated menu made it easy for us to sample the entire menu: Com Ga Mam Toi, or a crispy garlic game hen with rice, chrysanthemum salad, and a bowl of broth, and Mi Ga Chien, which substitutes rice for a larger bowl of pho-adjacent chicken noodle soup. Both portions were generous, flavorful, and well-balanced. The chicken is garlicky, the broth is light, and the chrysanthemum salad was crisp and refreshing. Having never eaten raw chrysanthemums before, we are now enthusiastic adoptees and wonder why it took us until now to sample it.
While the food is not heavy, it is incredibly filling, and we recommend that you proceed cautiously to save room for the star of the show, dessert. Like the dinner menu, there are two options: choose between pink pineapple or pandan waffles (or don’t, and get an order with one of each!) with a side of coconut cloud and salty sesame peanuts. The hot waffles with the cool coconut cloud truly were a transcendent experience for us.
The Boat knows their strengths and delivers a menu with no misses. The waffles make it a perfect location for dessert and a nightcap (the cocktail menu looked enticing, but we lacked the stomach space to sample it). Our only complaint was that our service was at times nonexistent, but with some time to figure out their growing pains, we expect The Boat to continue its rise on the Seattle food scene. While we did not have to wait in line to get inside at 5:00 of a Thursday evening, we agreed that it would be well worth the wait. And, given that The Boat is getting national attention and they do not take reservations, get there early or be prepared to wait.
