Cicero Amorous Toward Golden Beetle; Surly's Allium Praise is Slightly More Graphic; Raskin Reviews her Nettletown Review

Providence Cicero says it was "love at first bite" with Golden Beetle, Tilth chef Maria Hines' "homage to the lusty cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean and northern Africa." Longtime Tilth sous chef Forrest Brunton is chef de cuisine. The bisteeya, here known as Skagit River chicken pie, "looks like a fascinator worthy of a royal wedding and tastes divine." Cicero offers up three stars and the following statement: "Everything I tasted had my mouth longing for more." [Seattle Times]

The Surly Gourmand declares Allium the best restaurant on Orcas Island, an honor "kind of like being the valedictorian of the special ed class." The onion jam was "sweet a a puppy wearing a cast," polenta "so creamy it could soothe a hemorrhoidic asshole," and crepes "as delicate as an elf's hymen." [Seattle Weekly]

Hanna Raskin revisits her Nettletown review, saying lunch is by far the Eastlake cafe's strong suit. The vibe, the service, the menu, and even the pickles tasted better by daylight. Christina Choi's tiny den of foraged delights "may still need time to develop its dinner identity." And don't bother asking Raskin about morning meals. "Breakfast and brunch? Unless I'm reviewing a pancake house, those meals don't exist in my mind." [Seattle Weekly]