The Falcon   |   Volume 81, Issue 26

Published 6/02/10   |   Log In

More bang for you buck

By KATE PALMEN, Features Editor

Published: January 31, 2007

The growl coming from your stomach is so loud that your roommate can hear it across the room. You know that this is a day when Gwinn won't suffice, scrounging at 7-Eleven just won't do and you're going to need some real food: good, fast, and most of all, cheap.

In a city famous for its fine dining, it is often difficult to find the balance of finding the meal to satisfy your craving without a serious hit to the bank account. However, good news and food is often found in the areas surrounding SPU, with recent additions to the neighborhood (and, of course, some hidden treasures that have been there for years) that will cure your hunger in no time:

Queen Anne

Stell's Burgers and More

3130 Third Ave. W.

(206) 527-0852

http://crazystells.com

If you're looking for eats close to campus and can't handle any more Subway, you may want to check out Stell's on Third Avenue across from Tiffany Loop.

More than just a burger joint, Stell is certainly living up to his restaurant's name by serving chicken and fish as well as a few traditional Greek items. The menu is flavored with a variety of burgers, gyros, chicken souvlaki, salad, and wraps.

The walk-in restaurant has a front counter to place orders at and a dining room to accommodate you and at least 30 of your friends. Stell's provides a warm atmosphere similar to many of the neighborhood coffee shops while you're enjoying your burger or a side of hummus and pita bread.

The burgers themselves are hearty and decently sized, accompany them with a side of fries and a drink and you're set food-wise for quite a while. And if you show up at the right time, Stellios Makratzakis himself will flip your burger.

Stell and his wife Sandy officially opened their restaurant on Jan. 13, but have been renting the space since July of 2006. Plans to have a restaurant in the Queen Anne/SPU neighborhood have been in the works for the last five years.

A native of Ballard, Sandy had always thought of returning to the area after she met Stell in Greece 32 years ago. Stell began his career as a journalist but turned to cooking once in the United States. Stell's vast background experience as a chef ranges from fine dining to a sidewalk cafŽ.

"He can cook anything!" says Sandy, who explains that food at Stell's is always made fresh; the chicken is marinated right before it is cooked and served.

The menu board features some Greek food as well, in order to provide healthier alternatives. Sandy personally recommends the Greek wrap. The biggest sellers so far have been the pastrami burger and the bacon cheeseburger.

So far the Makratzakis family, whose son Demetre also works at the eatery, have found their new location to be welcoming and enjoyable. Many SPU students have already experienced Stell's warm and friendly atmosphere.

Stell's is open from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 12-9:30 p.m. on the weekends. These hours are temporary until the management gets a better feel for hours needed to be open.

"You really have to like what you're doing... we have the location we've prayed for," said Sandy. "We've been blessed... [which] makes it all worthwhile."

Ballard

Cocina Esperanza

3127 N.W. 85th St.

(206) 783-7020

http://cocinaesperanza.com

Visitors to this small, tucked away retreat in Ballard's backyard may just be drawn by the smell that hits as you open the heavy glass door: strong, sensual, and packed with spice.

Cocina Esperanza, which opened in 2004 and is run by chef-owner Marcos Delacadena and partner Cara Mia Villalobos, serves authentic Mexican-style food that won't break the bank. With entrees ranging from $11-$15, Cocina Esperanza lays off the heavy sour cream and cheddar cheese, instead opting for rich spices and simple flavors.

The bustling kitchen, which is usually crowded with hungry patrons and short on wait staff, is warm and inviting with rusty red walls and a brick exterior. Dinner is a family affair: the helpful staff always has a recommendation and daily specials are written on a chalkboard in front of the kitchen entrance. And like a family affair, Delacadena does all the cooking for the spot, which makes for a personal touch on each dish, but perhaps a bit of wait.

Best bets include phenomenal enchiladas ($11.25) with a choice of chicken, roasted pork, chorizo, cheese, or veggie. Forget all other options but the slow-roasted pork, tender and juicy, rolled in four corn tortillas and topped with either a spicy rojo or tomatillo verde sauce -- both options are excellent. The entrŽe menu also contains other traditional dishes such as soft corn tacos and chili rellenos stuffed with specialty seafood.

Starters of guacamole or the queso fundido start as low as $2.50; desserts are similarly affordable between $3.75- $6.50.

Cocina Esperanza is a college-student's dream -- homey and affordable -- and a departure from the ordinary fajita or burrito, bringing flavor and soul to their well-crafted dishes.

Fremont

Baguette Box

626 N. 34th St.

(206) 632-1511

http://baguettebox.com

Long-heralded downtown sandwich shop Baguette Box recently opened a second location in Fremont, serving massive sandwiches stuffed with meats and unique ingredients that you may have to look up in the dictionary.

Located on 34th Street right next door to Coldstone Creamery, the Baguette Box's sandwich menu is sprawled across the black chalkboard on the wall, with the daily special written in the bottom corner.

The menu, which will be expanded in coming months by owner Eric Banh, includes skirt steak, tender pork, and chicken all on large baguettes, as well as sides of fries and gourmet salads. The most famous item (and heartily recommended) is the drunken chicken sandwich ($6.50), perhaps the only food item with the term "drunk" involved that is acceptable to SPU lifestyle expectations. Chicken is battered and cooked to a crisp and then topped with a tangy sauce, cilantro and caramelized onions.

The red, white, and black interior space has limited seating for about 10-12 people, so order your sandwich and drinks to go and find a nice spot in Fremont to munch, people-watch, and lick your fingers after you're done.

Fremont

Tacos Guaymas

100 N. 36th Ave.

(206) 547-5110

For another quick, quality, Mexican food fix you may want to check out Tacos Guaymas in Fremont. Just beyond the 7-11, Tacos Guaymas offers a wide range of Mexican foods to satisfy where Taco Bell just can't manage.

The restaurant features a walk-up-to-the-counter style of ordering, or you can call ahead, and they'll bring your food right to the table. Start off with an order of chips and salsa to warm up your stomach for the main course. Burritos and quesadillas abound, and with the handy salsa bar, which features multiple fresh, homemade salsas, your taste buds will rejoice.

All in all, a full dinner at Tacos Guaymas will run you less than $10 and will leave you full for the night. Burritos are easily split between two people accompanied with some chips and salsa and a drink. Also, the quesadillas and refried beans are never a miss. The establishment recently added churros to the menu so you can wash down your burrito with the cinnamon delight.

The Tacos Guaymas dining room holds about 75 people and also has a patio to be enjoyed on those calm spring evenings.

Tacos Guaymas is open everyday of the week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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