Two and a Half Stars for Nue; An Ode to Hemingway in Kirkland

This week we're rounding up two reviews from Providence Cicero at The Seattle Times.

Cicero gave Nue on Capitol Hill two and a half stars, noting it had only a few disappointments: "Jamaican jerk chicken takes its time. Dirty rice with black beans buffers the chili, lime and allspice that ricochet across the tongue from a moist, smoky, blackened half bird that is worth a 25-minute wait. While that chicken cooks, nibble on crumbly, butter-rich pineapple cornbread topped with shredded coconut, or munch those crispy little octopi dipped in harissa, or gnaw on jerk-glazed pig tails — bony, thumb-size morsels of alternately crunchy, yielding meat."

And two stars for Kirkland's Hemingway-evoking Bottle & Bull: "I don’t know whether [Hemingway] would enjoy the Snows of Kilimanjaro cocktail, but I sure did. It’s a drink ideal for the Pacific Northwest’s rainy winter chill. Built with Copperworks Navy-strength gin, Cocchi rosa and Lazzaroni amaro, it’s fruity and floral, with bitter balancing sweet, smoothed by aging in a single malt barrel. I also appreciated such faithfully rendered classics as the Pegu Club and the Sazerac. The kitchen ventures beyond pub food with varying success. The menu’s strongest 'chapters' are starters, small plates, sandwiches and salads. Flatbreads and entrees could use some revision."