http://www.meetup.com/paleoseattle/events/50790272/

Hope to see you all there!

Before I get in too deep, I feel the need to start off with a slight complaint, because so many restaurants say this including Jak’s. “ We buy only corn fed, Nebraska raised beef. The finest beef available anywhere!” Displayed promptly on the front of the menu. If you use the word “finest” in any sentence you can make people believe it is true. What I read is: “We buy only corn fed beef, because it is the fattiest and cheapest beef available anywhere!” Oh well…I can only bet if this place sold grass-fed meat it would be even more expensive, but come-on…do you really have to brag about selling grain-fed meat? Anyways, onto the meat of this review.

On Monday nights they have the Prime Rib special. For around $21 you get around 18ounces of meat, which in comparison to their other prices, is a great deal. This also comes with a salad. The meat usually comes with steamed vegetables and potatoes but they had no problem substituting the potato for more veg. Also with the meal is a side of Au Jus and Horseradish (looked creamed so I skipped it).

Taste: 8 – Meat was a little undercooked even for me. Fat was chewy. 
Nutrition: 8 – Fatty cornfed meat. Otherwise pretty darn good. 
Filling: 9
Price: $$$ (Dinner)
Overall Value: 7 – Pretty good meal, but like all steakhouses (except Brazilian!) you can do what they do at home for a fraction of the price. Also I love me some steamed vegetables but when I eat out I wouldn’t mind something a little more creative.

For those who didn’t see, there is a very special event this coming Sunday. We’ve convinced an already gluten / dairy free friendly restaurant to be 100% Paleo for the night. Getting restaurants on board isn’t easy and a successful night this weekend could be the start of a big movement.

To do this though, we need your support. There are still 25 slots left that we’d love to see go. If you have the time, please consider attending to help show the culinary world there is a demand for this type of food.

Thanks and see you all there!

RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/paleoseattle/events/41310402/

Here’s what I had:

SOUPE DU JOUR .........................................................................8

Was a tomato provencal soup on that day. Very good.

*GRILLED PORK CHOP............................................................. 17
10oz Grilled Pork Chop in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lemon, Garlic and Herbs

Usually comes with mashed potatoes but they were happy to substitute a green salad
for me, and I was happy to accept.

Taste: 8 (meat was overcooked) Nutrition: 10
Filling: 7
Price: $$$
Overall Value: 8 – Left happy, would come back. Wasn't anything too special
or crazy though. I can make a pork chop and salad at home too.

The good news is, many traditional thanksgiving foods are not only great tasting but also very nutritious. Others however, are not. While most Thanksgiving nutrition advice is along the lines of eating low fat foods and only taking one small serving of each food to keep your calories low. This article is about how to choose the right foods so you don’t have to do all that. Most importantly, you won’t feel guilty afterwards.

The Bad Stuff

Stuffing: Stuffing is basically just a pile of bread, which means it is a pile of refined, high blood sugar spiking, gut irritating starchy carbohydrates. Even whole wheat stuffing is not by any means a healthful food to be eating. Here’s where you start making sacrifices for good health, by leaving the stuffing off the menu.

White Potatoes: While mashed potatoes are a very traditional food, much like the stuffing they are a pile of starchy carbohydrates that are recognized by the body the same way that sugar is. If you are someone who tries to avoid sugar but still eats potatoes, you are essentially wasting your time.

Cranberry Sauce (sweetened): The amount of sugar in this dish is extremely high. If you are going to be sweetening a cranberry sauce, consider looking at natural sweeteners such as raw honey and maple syrup rather than refined sugar. While natural sweeteners won’t make it much less harsh on the body, it at least will provide some nutrients to come with that sugar high. Also, don’t even get near any artificial sweeteners which might be the only thing you can do worse.

Gravy: Your normal turkey gravy contents are mostly fine, however the flour that is added to thicken it is not good. Instead consider either making extra gravy and then reducing it over heat to thicken it or experimenting with plant based thickeners such as arrowroot. At the very least, use rice or corn starch rather than flour which will keep your gravy gluten free.

Desserts & Pie: Going with the same rules as above, try to sweeten your pies with natural sugars and bake them yourselves to avoid artificial ingredients that many pies have. Look into gluten-free base alternative such as almond or coconut flour. At the very least, look for marketed gluten free flours which are typically made from rice or garbanzo beans. These are not ideal but still much better than wheat.

Now here’s what my ideal thanksgiving menu would look like.

Turkey (free ranged or pasture raised. No antibiotics. It is purchased from PCC, Whole Foods, a local farm, or any other conventional supermarket that happens to sell free ranged birds. No need to toss the skin when ordering a high quality bird. Enjoy it.

Yams: Yams or sweet potatoes are a great healthful addition to a thanksgiving table. Fill up on these rather than white potatoes or stuffing.

Gravy: Thickened using above methods.

Vegetables: Green Beans, Squash, Beats, Brussels Sprouts, etc

As you can see there is still plenty of stuff to keep your feast going. Incorporating these nutritional rules into your daily lives will help you not just on the night of the big feast but as you choose your foods each time you eat. Happy thanksgiving and stay warm!

Butter Lettuce Salad : $8 – Point Reyes blue, shaved radish and red onion, toasted hazelnuts, sherry vinaigrette (cheese left off)

Grilled Oregon Natural Meats Ribeye: $29 - Grilled Walla Walla onions, Olsen farm Ozettes, sautéed kale (Subbed ozette potatoes for butternut squash +$2)

Taste: 10
Nutrition: 10
Filling: 9
Price: $$$ (Dinner)
Overall Value: 7 – Great meal, just very expensive

I’ll be back as soon as I’m rich, Stumbling Goat Bistro!

Similar selection of unlimited slow roasted meats, “Rodizio” style.

Amazon Grill staff prepping the meats for the roaster. Like Ipanema, there is a massive deli style salad bar included in the Rodizio price. On there you will find tons of different Paleo friendly looking side dishes from asparagus to sweet potato to bok choy. Something for everyone indeed!

Taste: 10
Nutrition: 10? (No idea on meat quality, but its mainly leaner cuts at least at lunch time)
Filling: 10 (If less, its your own fault!)
Price: $$ (Lunch) $$$ (Dinner)

Right now Yelp has a great deal for $40 off $80 worth of food there. Check it out!

Also be sure to read Gil’s guide to Rodizio, found on the Ipanema review page.

I love this place, but I don’t think they make much money off me.

Here’s what I had:

Appetizer;

‘Taylor Shellfish’ Mussels (gluten-free) $9/$12
Local fresh shellfish, skillet steamed with white wine, shallots,
bacon & granny smith apples.

I asked if it was dairy free and they said they could do it that way…my guess is using oil instead of butter or maybe leaving out a splash of cream. Whatever they did, it did not affect the taste as it was delicious. I shared the large portion and it was a very decent size.

Main Course:

Grilled Steak Salad (gluten-free) $15
On apple pumpkin hash sauteed with winter greens and tart dried cherry gastrique

A little small on portion but not on taste…steaked was cooked perfectly…other components worked very well together. A little sugar in the gastrique? Sure, but in the small quantity consumed as a garnished – not too worried about it. The camera flash makes it look blander than it was.

Side Dish:

Handcut Sweet Potato Fries with aioli , $6

Probably not the best oil used but it would be unlike me to pass up on handcut sweet potato fries. These were great. Thick, fluffy, great dipping sauce. For $6 though I would have liked to seen a bigger pile.

So in total – how is 50 North?

Taste: 9
Nutrition: 9
Filling: 8
Price: $$$
Overall: 8

Little pricey for the portion sizes but I definitely didn’t leave hungry and will come back for more sometime soon!

Check this event out: http://www.meetup.com/paleoseattle/events/31650072/

Hosted by Ballard Barbell and Boxing Club.com. Hope to see you all there!

Now before we get started, I do have to admit that I know these aren’t the healthiest thing to eat. While better than other foods such as regular french fries and grain and sugar based items, they aren’t something I’d recommending letting yourself getting as addicted to as I have become. They are often fried in poor oils and can be heavily processed. But this series isn’t about health, it is about sweet potato fries and the best and worst locations for enjoying their contributions to society. By following this guide you can see where to order them and where to avoid them, making your indulgence worth it.

Grading criteria will be simple:

1. Hand-cut or Processed: Unfortunately most restaurants use frozen, processed fries. Restaurants that go the extra effort to hand-cut them will receive bonus points.
2. Texture: What I’m looking for here is crispness on the outside, and preferably fluffiness on the inside. The ultimate combination.
3. Portion: Nothing angers me more than spending $6 on a side of sweet potato fries only to receive a tiny handful. Go big or go eat salad.
4. Price: Tied in with portion somewhat, but was it priced reasonable?
5. Taste: Seasoning, spices, herbs and any other factor that effects taste will be documented. Nobody likes flavorless fries

Extra Credit: These items are desirable but not required for a quality experience
- Did it come with a dipping sauce?
- Was it presented well?
- Was it listed on a gluten free menu?
- Was a quality oil used?

Now let’s get started! The adventure begins now. Visit http://yamfryseattle.wordpress.com to follow along!