35th Street Bistro, Seattle

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Boy howdy, trying to accommodate my mum-to-be sister's need for bland, my own (and sis's) need for gluten-free low-carb as well as my brother and sister-in-law's need for vegetarian fare is a serious dining conundrum. (Of course, I can remind myself that I lived that precise way for over a year--low-carb, gluten-free vegetarian dieter that I was--but it's one thing to dine at home and control your ingredients, it's quite another to try to find meals on the go.

It's darned hard, actually.

The places that vegetarians would typically flock to--Italian retreats full of pasta and sweet tomato sauces or Asian restaurants offering up tofu and rice or even the local Subway with its veggie sandwich--none of these have items I can typically consume. Lately I've had my easiest meals at places dedicated to meat and seafood. These places do not suit my brother and sister-in-law.

So when we set out to choose a nice restaurant we could all enjoy we ground our gears for quite some time before settling on Fremont's 35th Street Bistro. With its local, grass-fed fare, it appealed to me. And apparently there were some menu items that my brother and his bride quite enjoyed in prior visits.

Like every other destination in Fremont, this restaurant has awful/nonexistent parking. Just find a space and plan on walking several blocks.

The bistro features thick wooden tables and chairs and the decor--though my memory is beginning to fade--is dominated by glass, wood, well-placed lights and plant life.

Sadly it's been weeks now and I can barely recall my Bistro burger with no bun. I do remember that I enjoyed it, but it seems it was missing the promised bacon and came only with a sprinkling of bleu cheese. The bite I had of my father's dish was appealing and my family all seemed to revel in their chosen meals. Unfortunately my poor pregnant sister has the touchiest tummy and became pretty sick following the meal. (We suspect there's likely gluten in the fries that I gave her, never planning to eat them and thus not querying the waiter for their gluten status.)

There was a bit of a snafu with our order. I noticed other tables full of diners who'd arrived well after we had being served their meals while we waited and waited... The waiter did apologize for the delay. It wasn't a big deal, but I was getting fairly hungry.

Would I go back? Definitely. They offer local, humanely-raised, healthful food and prepare it beautifully then serve it in a stylish environment conducive to good conversation and relaxation. Yes, it is pricey, but it's worth it.

Sigh... I sorta love dining in Fremont.

~L