Embarking on a culinary adventure in Woodinville, a small but busy town known for its exceptional dining scene, I, a young food enthusiast, had the pleasure of indulging in a variety of dishes that left an delicious impression on me. From the comforting embrace of a perfectly toasted grilled cheese to the sophisticated charm of baked brie encased in a golden pastry, my weekend break was a delightful journey through flavors and textures and I loved it.
We stayed at Willows Lodge where they have a cute restaurant called Barking Frog. I had been there before and had a great meal so I knew it would be good. When we got there, I wasn't actually hungry though so I just had a Grilled Cheese as a snack. The things that I liked about this meal was that it was simple and the cheese was nice and stretchy and had that gave me a nice warm feeling. Also the the bread was perfectly toasted which was important because it soaked up some of the oil that came off the melted cheese. The sandwich also came with fries and they were perfect and nice and golden and crispy, but I think it's a bit weird to have Grilled Cheese and fries, but that's probably because the only time my parents make me grilled cheese, they make it with Tomato Soup.
So even though it was just a simple snack, it was nice. The one other things I would say about Barking Frog is that the services is fantastic. The people there are so nice and they take great care of you.
For dinner that night we went to Purple Cafe and had probably the best meal we had in Woodenville. It was so delicious.
We stated with Oysters ... my favorite.
And then we had one of the fanciest snack I've ever seen! We had this big, super cheesy baked brie. It was all gooey and melty inside, like cheese lava that's just waiting to ooze out! And the outside was all golden and puffy and wrapped in filo dough so it was also crispy, but it still came with crackers which was a bit weird since it had the filo. But still, I just wanted to poke it to watch the cheese come out!
Then me and my brother shared Beef Sliders and a Pesto type of Pasta.
I will say that the sliders were really delicious and cooked perfectly. Most kid burgers are overcooked but these were delicious and juicy. They also had nice melted cheese on the top it is even more flavourful. And the fries were nice, crispy and tasted scrumptious! I would recommend the sliders.
The pasta on the other had was really bland and boring. I was excited because since it was on the adult menu I thought it would be good, but it wasn't. I think they tried because they nice cheese and it had what I think were sun dried tomatoes, but it didn't help. The pasta was still really bland and boring and it could have been better.
But on well. That was the end of our meal.
The next morning we went for Cinnamon Rolls. My mother is from Sweden and they make the best cinnamon rolls there. They call them Canel Bulle and because we like to have those so much we always try cinnamon roles when we can. And when we find a place that specializes in cinnamon roles, well we have to try.
These were really messy. They were not like the ones from Sweden but they were still delicious. We tried 3 flavors: original, cookies & cream, and apple walnut. They were so sweet and sticky I couldn't finish any of them. And while my brother loved cookies and creme, I thought it was too crazy. I liked original and apple walnut alot though. I would recommend them, but you should share.
The final restaurant that I went to during my time at Woodinville was the Hollywood Tavern. I had been there before and loved it so I was excited.
We started with Fried Pickles and Oh my gosh, this is like the best appetizer ever! These are fried pickles, and they're super crunchy and yummy. They come in a super cute bucket, like the ones you get popcorn in at the movies, only smaller. And there are two sauces! One is this spicy buffalo sauce that's totally spicy. It's like a flavor explosion in your mouth! And then there's ranch, which is cool and creamy, perfect for dipping if you can't handle the heat from the buffalo sauce. It's like, you get the best of both worlds, all tangy and spicy, then cool and chill. This is totally what I'd want at my birthday party!
Then I had the Cubano sandwich with fries. This sandwich is super duper big and it has lots of pork and meat inside, and there's some cheese that's melted and gooey. The bread is golden brown and shiny. I think it's been toasted perfectly with butter. The fries are golden and sprinkled with salt, and they're piled up like a mountain next to the sandwich. There are too many fries, but better to have to many than not enough. Honestly, it's amazing.
My parents had a Green Goddess Salad with Blackened Salmon. I tasted it and loved it. I think I could have ordered that if the Cubano was not so delicious. The salad with a big piece of blackened salmon resting on top. The salmon was dark and crusty and spicy and smoky and yummy. Below the salmon, the salad is a mix of crisp, green romaine lettuce leaves, offering a crunchy and refreshing base. Interspersed within the greens are generous crumbles of a white, creamy cheese with a rich texture. I think it was gorgonzola.
So overall, I think Woodenville is a great place to stay and to eat. I know its famous for wine tasting, but I think its great for kids too because there is a lot of outdoor stuff and great food. If you do go, make sure to try Hollywood Tavern. That was my favorite.