The French Bakery: Bellevue

The French Bakery in Downtown Bellevue has been on my list of restaurants to try out for a while now. So last Sunday, I finally made my way over to the Elements building in Bellevue with my husband and a friend to check out the popular cafe.

Nicoise salad with green beans, black olives, albacore tuna, minced anchovies, tomatoes and a hard boiled egg drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette

I ordered the Pierre crepe with ham, mushrooms and mozzarella but after trying my friend's Paul crepe, I wish I had ordered the same. The Paul crepe is stuffed with sockeye salmon, tomatoes, sour cream, mozzarella and chives. I love smoked salmon and let me just tell you, after I tried her crepe, I instantly began brainstorming how to whip up my own version at home.

Roasted turkey and havarti panini with cranberry spread

The best part about the restaurant - dessert! We ended up ordering a cheese danish and apple turnover on our way out the door. Actually, I'm not sure if the dessert made it out of the building..

This fresh loaf of bread DID make it out of the building with us.

The French Bakery is located at 909 112th Ave NE, suite 106 in Bellevue.

Beach Cafe: Kirkland

Kirkland is one of my favorite cities in Washington. It's peaceful, yet it has a hip and cool vibe. One of the best things about Kirkland is its restaurants. There are quite a few joints that line up on Lake Washington Boulevard - everything from cute little cafes to Tex-Mex to Indian fare. Last week, I ventured out to Kirkland to catch up with a longtime friend, and we walked over to Beach Cafe for some dinner. You just can't beat dinner with a water view. 

Beach Cafe from a distance

The menu seemed to gravitate toward seafood - salmon, cod, tilapia, mahi mahi

Angel had the grilled tilapia served over a peruvian potato and corn succotash with a charred citrus sauce. I love succotash, and this one was delish.

I had the poached mahi with pineapple coconut broth served over basil rice. It was topped with chiles, butternut squash and cucumbers and served in a banana leaf. I wish I could say that the entree was perfect, but the fish was quite over-salted and left me somewhat disappointed.

Beach Cafe is located at 1170 Carillon Point in Kirkland, WA.

Eat. Shop. Sea(ttle).

It's been far too long since I've updated this blog, but I promise I have a valid reason! The end of 2013 and first half of 2014 were a complete whirlwind for me. I got engaged in the beginning of November, spent the next five months planning our wedding and got married in April of this year! However, that wasn't the only big change in my life. I have now relocated to the greater Seattle area, which means I've parted ways with my lovely hometown of Sacramento. I miss everything about Sacramento (minus the occasional 105 degree Summer days), but I'm excited about this new chapter in my life. Washington is truly breath-taking and its residents are friendly. Not to mention, Seattle is a great place for foodies and boasts thousands of amazing restaurants. I'll be sharing my experiences at various restaurants in and around the Seattle area and from our travel destinations as well. So without further ado, please enjoy the continuation of the blog as it evolves into Eat. Shop. Sea(ttle)!

P.S. - A few photos from our wedding for your viewing pleasure...

(Wedding photos via Dina Chmut photography)

La Bicyclette: Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel is one of those places that I absolutely adore. It's not far enough from Sacramento to really consider a road trip per se, but it's not exactly a quick drive either. However, it is definitely worth sitting in a car for three hours (not to mention, once you get on Highway 1, the view isn't too shabby ;-)). One on-again, off-again overcast afternoon, a group of us arrived in Carmel just in time for lunch. My friend Sulamita convinced us to check out La Bicyclette. She'd been there before a few times, and I remembered her raving about her past experiences. I'm a complete sucker for cute cafes, especially when they are cute French cafes, so I was all in.

It would only make sense for a bicycle to be sitting out front, right?

I love the idea of a chalk wall, especially in a restaurant where patrons can leave behind short messages.

All hands on deck!

Fromage: A tasting of artisan cheeses

Charcuterie: Sweet Coppa, house made salami, La Quercia Speck & wild boar salami (served with pickled onions)

I managed to get a semi-decent action shot of our pizza dough being tossed!

Butternut squash wood-fired pizza with sage, gruyère, speck ham, arugula, and butternut squash puree

Local strawberry & chèvre (goat cheese) salad with honeyed walnuts, wild arugula and frisée served with late harvest Riesling dressing

I can't tell you what this was because we weren't the ones to order it, but I can tell you it looked amazing!

La Bicyclette is located at 29 Dolores St. in Carmel, CA.

Tuli Bistro: Sacramento

It's really been way too long since I've posted an entry on EatShopSea. It's been such a crazy, busy end-of-summer! I know, I know...no excuses! But on to some real business. Tuli Bistro is one of my favorite Midtown spots when I'm looking for a light meal. On this particular day, my colleague and I took an hour away from the office to enjoy lunch on their outdoor patio.

Sparkling juice.

Shrimp Salad Po'Boy sandwich with bay shrimp, Calabrian Chili remoulade, coleslaw, Roma tomato and bacon on toasted focaccia.

Ham sandwich with provolone cheese, cremini mushrooms, caramelized onions and honey chipotle sauce with greens on the side.

Tuli Bistro is located at 2031 S Street in Sacramento.

Selland's Market-Café: El Dorado Hills

I feel like Sellands is one of those places where everyone can find something they like...even if it has to be something from their dessert menu. Up until winter of 2012, Selland's only had one location, and that was in East Sacramento. So I was totally surprised when I discovered a Selland's in El Dorado Hills in the Town Center. I'm not in the El Dorado Hills area very often, but every once in a while, it's nice to venture out to the East side. 

A la carte options vary from fruit salad to crab cakes to a chickpea salad.

Sometimes, it's just really hard to say "no" to this (especially when it comes to chocolate and red velvet).

Love their outdoor patio, especially on a day like this. How could anyone not love California?!

Goat cheese & apple salad with mixed greens, toasted walnuts red onions and golden balsamic vinaigrette.

Wood-fire roasted chicken breast.

A split pizza with arugula and prosciutto.

Turkey sandwich with citrus and curry marinated turkey breast, brie cheese, caramelized onions and curry mayo on a soft roll.

Wood-fire roasted teriyaki chicken thigh.

Selland's is located at 4370 Town Center Blvd., suite 120 in El Dorado Hills.

Niagara Falls, Canada

On an overcast Thursday afternoon, Zhanna and I made the trek out to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. The lines at the border were a breeze, and the subsequent drive was peaceful and serene. I've been to the Western side of Canada a few times and every time I enter the lovely country, I'm reminded of the beauty it encompasses. This time was no different than the others. As Zhanna and I followed the signs to the falls, we finally began to see a body of water to the right of the road. The river was calm, and I didn't think much of it until the river seemed to get choppier. Then all of a sudden, BAM! The falls seemed to appear out of nowhere! Niagara Falls is hands down one of THE most majestic, beautiful sights I've laid my eyes on. I think I might have even smacked Zhanna's arm out of excitement when I first saw it. Sorry, Zhanna! ;-)