Raskin + Shanik Shame; The Stranger + Sandwich Size

Despite the piles of hype Shanik received before it even opened, Seattle Weekly's Hanna Raskin is less than impressed with the upscale Indian restaurant on South Lake Union. Incredibly disappointed would be an even better term. Raskin on the naan:

Shanik's buttered triangles of prairie-flat bread taste like cut-rate pita that's been frozen and thawed, then frozen and thawed again. It's firm and flavorless, flaws not given much cover by the cold serving temperature. This is naan to make you sad.

She also says "Shanik has left behind a certain soulfulness," but that "the restaurant's sloppy cooking is its ultimate undoing," citing undercooked short ribs and overcooked salmon as a few mangled dishes.

The matter of size is the topic du jour at The Stranger headquarters, specifically when it comes to sandwiches. The fact that Subway has promised not to short-change customers who order their footlongs is the least of anyone's worries, says contributor Paul Constant. What's more shameful, he says, is that city-dwellers are still eating fast-food sandwiches. Better, but not necessarily bigger, options? Constant names Zaccagni's, Now Make Me a Sandwich, Barriga Llena and Beacon Ave Sandwiches as way better experiences that don't require a measuring tape.

· South Lake Sputter [Seattle Weekly]
· Of Monsters and Balance [The Stranger]
· All Week in Reviews [~ESEA~]