I do expect to have lags/gaps during finals, especially coming up. Presenting a thesis proposal doesn’t leave time for eating out. That being said, I don’t normally have my tech gear all crashing at once. But it’s still frustrating.

Thank you so much for your patience, and I’ll have some wonderful experiments to present in the near future for all of you.

The Tom Douglas Mega-Tour is very, very feasible. It took about twelve hours from start to finish, and could have been spread out longer for night owls or people who can, say, fit in more naps/breaks.

That being said, if I was going to do it again or give advice to others, I’d probably do it over two days instead of one. That way I wouldn’t have left Cuoco nearly as stuffed, or felt rushed at Lola. But someone on a quest to duplicate it shouldn’t fear the list.

Read the menus. A lot. I planned the schedule based on Katie Okumura’s suggestions and by checking the menus to see what intrigued me the most. The lunch and dinner menus are varied enough for most of the restaurants that it’s worth double checking both. Expect to be surprised – I’m not sold on most of the Dahlia Lounge’s dinner items, but I love their lunch options. That being said, expect the menus to change based on daily and seasonal ability, so don’t be sold on only eating one particular thing. (An example: Palace Kitchen wasn’t serving chocolate pudding, which is on the menu online, the day I was in.)

Naps are good. There is a fair amount of walking combined with a lot of heavy eating, and I really needed that morning nap before Ting Momo.

Honestly, I wish I could have spent more time with the staff, as everyone was so visibly excited. I’ve been to Bravehorse since I survived and Kayle asked how I was the day after the event.

And then, Cuoco was our glorious downfall.

We trekked down the flight of stairs from Brave Horse Tavern, and were seated at a lovely window spot so we could see the exciting view of Terry Avenue. We explained how we were doing and asked for something light. Small. Delicate, even. We settled on sharing the Agnolotti dal plin ($19); it looked safe enough.

A few minutes passed, and then those words came again. “I know you said you were full, but the staff insisted. Even if you can only enjoy one bite.” He had brought out a timballo ($14), a crab-stuffed rice ball topped with hearts of palm and a meyer lemon sauce. I was laughing from exhaustion by this point. But, the chefs were right – it was beautiful. The crab was delicate against the spiced rice, and the meyer lemon and hearts of palm were the right acidic, crisp notes the crab needed.

I also ditched Chris and took a few minutes to photograph a master in action. I’m pretty sure she was making my dinner, and at blazing speed.

Then the plin came – along with a plate of tajarin with sage butter ($12). Again, they insisted I try it. I was alternating between laughing and holding back tears. I highly suspected by this point that Herschell and Liana were out to get me. (Liana, I don’t know what you said in that text, but I fear you both.) The plin were fantastic, light and buttery, and the tajarin was melt in your mouth sage around the wispy pasta. I only managed a few bites, but it was amazing.

Jasper brought out the sous chef at the end of our meal, and I shook both his and Jasper’s hands. Cuoco, you have my respect.

8-8:30 pm: Palace Kitchen

We walked over to work off some of the pasta fest, carrying a brown bag of Cuoco treats along. (Chris had them the next day for lunch. He said it was one of the best work lunches he’s ever had.)

Upon arrival, I received a hug for surviving the day.

I ordered a virgin mojito with orange juice, a favorite mocktail of mine. (If you like orange and mint, it’s really refreshing.) Palace Kitchen was our dessert spot, so we settled on the chocolate hazelnut semifreddo ($8). It was like eating solid, cold, light nutella, smooth and intense. The nib and crunchy toppings were great textural contrasts, and the passion fruits pate de fruits were excellent, even if I didn’t like them together with the chocolate. I’m more partial to raspberry with my chocolate, but it was all excellent.

We caught a cab home and called it a night. I had survived, and school was going to be ready for me in the morning.

After Seatown I had time to kill, so I exploited the fact that Chris works at one of the Amazon buildings in South Lake Union and took a nap behind his standing desk. Real fancy, I tell you. (I wish I had a photo of me curled up next to the filing cabinets, my visitor badge clipped to my blanket, but I didn’t want to tell Chris to stop working for the sake of my blog.) Around eleven we walked over to Ting Momo.

Ting Momo feels the most like a fast food place of all the Tom Douglas restaurants. (For locals, I mean in the Agua Verde sense, not McDonald’s.) You sit on straw chairs and eat on brushed metal tables with disposable Ting Momo chopsticks. The napkins are also labeled. The major focal points are the large pictures on the walls of both the dumplings and Tibetan people. Lanterns and bolts of fabric are tied to the ceiling, with metal bells by the register where you order. When we arrived, an accordion version of the Star Wars soundtrack was playing. It’s not a relaxing vibe, but it’s fun. The staff are super nice, and took the time to answer my questions about the dumpling dough and the ingredients.

We go a potato samo ($4) and an eggplant tingmo ($4). I took a bite of each, as I wasn’t feeling incredibly hungry and wanted room in my stomach for my noon appointment at Dahlia Lounge. That and, sadly, I’m not a curry fan.

The samo, fried and crispy and vaguely fish-shaped, had a nicely delicate exterior and a curry potato interior, reminiscent of potato samosas. The tingmo was more chewy, a bit sticky on the outside, and quite hearty with the eggplant and curry with shittake mushrooms. The tingmo really benefited from the rich and salty soy-based sauce accompanying it. But I wasn’t fully sold on either, which I totally attribute to my not being a curry fan. Chris inhaled both of them before I finished taking notes.

So it’s not my place to eat at. But Chris felt he’d have to try it more often for lunch, so you at least have one new convert.

12-1 pm: Dahlia Lounge

At this point, apparently word had fully spread of my quest. Ari and Kathy knew what I was up to – apparently I was the talk of the email chain – and showed me to a booth with really good lighting.

The Dahlia Lounge feels like a place to hold business meetings or big, sem-formal events. It’s all red booths and polite servers, with menus focusing on seasonal rotations of things like sweetbreads and hearty salads.

I ordered a starter salad, with mixed baby lettuces and a goat cheese crostini ($8). What they don’t tell you on the menu is that this salad is an homage to cheese. Yes, you get a dainty crostini topped with luscious herbed goat cheese, but the salad itself is covered in a snowy layer of freshly shaved cheese, which I was too busy eating to ask what it was. (My guess would be a pecorino or asagio). The cheese and the garlic oil, with the chives that are mixed in, become the focal points of what would otherwise be a very basic salad. It has a great mix of savory and lightness. And it is refreshing, even with the lactose party.

Holly, my awesome server, spotted Tom Douglas walk in during my meal and tried to see if I could meet with him, but he was in a meeting. No worries there.

Then they comped my salad. (“By this point I really should have seen that I was doomed.”)

1:30-2:30 pm: Serious Pie Virginia

I got to Serious Pie and told the man at front of house I really just wanted to eat a couple slices of pizza. Somehow this ended up with my being seated next to a pair of people on a business meeting who had just ordered their pizzas. I explained what I was up to and offered $20 towards their bill and tip if I could just have two slices and rush out. They seemed mildly confused, but agreed.

Matt then offered me his root beer. Dude missed out; it was awesome. (He liked sweeter stuff, and this had a pretty strong kick of sassafras.)

They had ordered the hedgehog mushroom and fennel sausage pizzas, so I nibbled on one slice of each. I’ve had the fennel sausage before and liked it – it has a really hearty kick from the fennel that works well in pizza form. The hedgehog mushroom pizza was more interesting to me, as I had never had hedgehog mushrooms before. They’re tasty, if you’re a fan of mild, earthy mushrooms with your cheese.

And as I was attempting to write notes and properly ponder each slice, Tom Douglas himself showed up. I shook Tom’s hand, and told him I was having a blast. He asked if I liked the Serious Pie logo art, which he referred to as Woman with Flaming Penis. He also mocked that I hadn’t started on “the best part – the crust” as I had been comparing ingredients rather than eating whole slices. The crust really is fantastic – when done right, it’s a beauty of crunch with olive oil.

I got a horrible cell phone picture taken with Tom. He’s tall. (Given that I also have a really bad photo of me with Jessie Oleson/CakeSpy, I should start a collection.)

In the end, Matt and Emily seemed really amused by it all, and I didn’t waste pizza. On to Etta’s!

Serious Biscuit
Chris and I arrived at Serious Biscuit at 7:15, as I couldn’t convince myself to get on a bus any earlier than 6:45 (the things I do for food). I grabbed a biscuit with jam and butter ($3), and Chris had the ham hock and collard greens biscuit ($9). We were the only customers in the shop.

Serious Biscuit, set within the Dahlia Workshop (Serious Biscuit/Serious Pie Westlake/Soul Wine), is a small store within a store. Small tables and high chairs, with space to bus your own (tiny) plates when you’re done. With the open lighting and blond wood panels, but I could totally see coming here for a morning meeting over biscuits. (Amazon, if you’re not doing this already, start it now.)

The biscuits were spot on – large fluffy squares of buttery, flaky goodness. The strawberry jam was jello-like and sweet, but not so cloying as to be annoying. Chris enjoyed his portion but felt it had too many toppings for one biscuit. He treated it as a biscuit with a side salad.

At this point Chris had to leave me for work, so I was off to Dahlia Bakery.

8-8:15 am: Dahlia Bakery

There was a couple ahead of me getting sandwiches, so I picked up a chocolate chunk cookie for Chris, and a dark chocolate and pecan sandwich cookie for myself. As this took all of two minutes, I was running early, so I decided to kill time at Pike Place Market. I visited the second PPM Pig, Rachel, and reminded myself to pick up spices later from World Spice Merchants. I also took a few minutes to visit Victor Steinbrueck Park.

9-10 am: Seatown Seabar
I was early for my reservation, so I set about snapping photos of the exterior. While I was off looking like a tourist, Liana, the freaking fantastic hostess at Seatown, came outside and asked if I had any questions. I let Liana know what I was up to, and asked about getting a small plate of food. After she left me at my table, I was yet again alone in a Tom Douglas restaurant. Seatown, set on the northern edge of Pike Place Market, feels like an oyster bar with table space. Taxidermied animals are along the top of the walls, mainly salmon, along with models of various kinds of ships. Alternative/folk music was playing, things to hum to while I waited.

We settled on a small plate of a single pancake and hash browns (~$10). Seriously people, you must try the hash browns. Oh, the pancake was great, fluffy and crispy in a way that made me regret adding maple syrup too early, but the hash browns were my new best friend. They arrive coated in a generous portion of brown butter sea salt, which Liana and I agreed lacks a proper description besides ‘awesome.’ The hash browns are nicely crisp, sure, but you should mainly care about the brown butter sea salt being on everything. I put in on the pancakes. I then wanted more of it so I could evenly split it between my pancake concoction and the hash browns. (Seatown, start serving it with the pancakes. Or as a side. Please.)

After my food arrived, Lauren – who I am going to assume was the manager, as I don’t think I ever got her title – came by. We chatted for a bit, then talked about my schedule, which I had in paper form so I wasn’t reliant on my phone. She said she’d make a copy of it, and then walked off to email it to the entire TDR team. Liana also said her boyfriend worked at Cuoco, so she was going to message him.

I was feeling happily full, so I got my leftovers packaged and headed out. As soon as I left, my phone started beeping. A lot. Ting Momo and Brave Horse Tavern were now following me on Twitter. I had a few mentions and comments waiting.

This is the point in the story where you say things like “I had no idea what was in store for me.”

Basically, yesterday rocked. There is no better description.

I’ve been a loyal Tom Douglas fan since high school. I don’t remember when I started eating at Palace Kitchen or Lola, but they were always treats. I dragged all my friends to Serious Pie to celebrate whenever possible. Chris and I held our wedding reception at Palace Kitchen. (We had a larger group dinner the night before at Cuoco.)

I had eaten enough from the restaurants that I thought I knew what to expect, and The Bloggess’s words to live furiously happy cheered me on towards setting up this tour. While I am connected to a few larger blogs (more on that another day), I decided that not pulling strings would be fine. I just wanted a really fun day out in the middle of a stressful quarter. It ended up being one of the most fantastic Seattle day trips I’ve ever been on, and I have the team of all the Tom Douglas restaurants to thank for that.

I wish I had all of your names so I could thank you individually, because I know I misspelled most of them in my notebook in my attempt to keep up. From Liana and Lauren, who started this insanity rolling at Seatown Seabar, to Tom himself showing up at Serious Pie, you’re all amazing. I know I’m gushing, but most of you missed me laughing my head off at Cuoco from the sheer amount of pasta the team tried to feed us.

There are over 300 photos. I have class shortly, and I need to stare at my thesis work. But thank you. Thank you for a day that gave me the inability to answer when someone asked what my favorite dish was.

The day I went in there was no one waiting in line, so I had my pizza ready within 4-5 minutes, and I grabbed a small booth in the corner. There are small plates for your pizza at each table, in case you had some weird idea of sharing. Forks and knives are available, but I usually don’t bother with them. The crust doesn’t work well with them, and the pizza’s never blisteringly hot.

MOD uses a pizza dough that creates something fairly close to a dinner plate sized-flatbread, thin and crispy, with air pockets dotting the crust. The toppings aren’t sparse, but they aren’t dense like Zeek’s. It’s a slightly nicer version of the standard options – arugula and blue cheese along with your mushrooms and olives.

I ordered the Mad Dog, a meatball/pepperoni/sausage pizza, with pineapple and mushrooms for some semblance of a more well-rounded meal. The meatballs and sausage are more crumbles than anything, but they do lend a nice savory/meaty note that worked really well with the pepperoni and mushrooms. The pineapple is very obviously the canned sort, but not in a bad way, and the mushrooms are fresh.

This is not a pizza I’d recommend going far with (I’ve never tried to reheat it, but I can’t imagine it going well). It does cool somewhat quickly, but not so fast that I’ve ever been unhappy with the experience. The staff are incredibly friendly and glad to answer questions, but most likely you already know what you want, and the lines do move very fast even when there are lines.

You bus your own table. They don’t have a compost option, rare in eco-happy Seattle, but there’s usually little to bus. I can easily clear a pizza off by myself.

It’s not a transcendent pizza experience. But it’s fast, fairly inexpensive, and with a far better selection than Domino’s. And, some days, you really want pizza, and this is a great way to get your fix.

MOD Pizza
1414 NE 42nd Street
Seattle, WA 98105