John Moscrip of Duke's Chowder House on His Favorite Place for a Burger

Seattle is home to a lot of restaurants, and among them are hidden gems some Seattleites just aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food luminaries to share with us their under the radar recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.

John Moscrip knows a thing or two about running successful restaurants. He's the Chief Operating Officer of Duke's Chowder House, the local seafood and chowder chain his dad, Duke, launched in 1977. And he brings that experience with him when he dines out. Here's what he has to say about his favorite under-the-radar spot to grab a bite:

I am always intrigued by slightly obscure and ‘off the beaten path’ places to eat/drink.  I think it’s something I’ve picked up from my dad over the years. Just the pure unpretentious nature of the décor and atmosphere, yet a niche of some sorts with the food and/or drink.

I guess a trait of a true American, I am always on the lookout for a great burger, so you can imagine my excitement when I first experienced the burger focus at Two Bells Tavern. You walk into an atmosphere with where ‘diner meets tavern,’ slide into an old school barstool or booth, and feel right at home. Their selection of draft local beers is solid: constantly rotating and always more in stock.

What places Two Bells at the top of my list is their 5 oz. burger on a sourdough baguette, topped with a bleu cheese-cracked black pepper sauce. You can barely fit it in your mouth, it’s difficult to eat but it is definitely worth the mess and fuss. Each menu item has a unique touch. No matter what you order you can expect to get an American classic.