Everett WA restaurants

Good food and happy times at Everett Olive Garden

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Today Sher an I went with our daughter, son-in-law and grandson to see his final soccer game of the season at the YMCA. Done at 1:30PM, we were all ready for lunch, so off to the Everett, Washington Olive Garden we went.

Our favorite wine here, the Confetti Pink Moscato Rosé Wine

It had been several months since we had dined at an Olive Garden and our Seattle family also was looking forward to the cuisine. We were seated immediately and our server was at our table taking drink orders as soon as we were seated.

Zuppa Toscana, a spicy Italian sausage, fresh kale and russet potatoes in a creamy broth

Classic and tasty minestrone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The soups are all you can eat. Maj had two servings of the potato and sausage soup.

Maj had his favorite: spaghetti, meatballs and meat sauce

Sher ordered cheese ravioli with marinara sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cheese ravioli and Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo are both oven baked and come right from the oven on very hot plates. You are warned to be careful.

Daughter’s choice: Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo

And of course there is the never empty basket of warm bread sticks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all enjoyed our meals. The Olive Garden doesn’t please everyone, but we have never been disappointed at any one of these restaurants regardless of where in the country we have stopped. Consistency is something that makes dining choices a lot easier when you know what to expect.

Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar

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Our daughter suggested a great Mexican restaurant for our supper last night. Sher and I went with her and our grandson and met our son-in-law at the Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Everett, Washington. She said that they had just happened on this place and were glad they tried it.

Stuffed chile poppers

Delightful queso dip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chunky fresh guacamole with lime, onions, tomatoes and cilantro

We started our dining adventure with some delicious appetizers. The tray filled with Chunky Guacamole tasted as good as it looked. The golden brown Chile Poppers featured full size, not sliced, jalapenos with sour cream and a dish of strawberry jelly for dipping and my was that queso dip scrumptious!

Fixin’s for fajitas

Steak fajitas

 

 

 

 

 

On to the main courses, our daughter and our son-in-law shared steak and chicken fajitas for two (see video). Sher raved about her vegetarian enchiladas (see video) and Maj had steak fajitas. The fajitas all came with very generous helpings of rice, frijoles, guacamole, sour cream and lettuce and tomatoes. Of course plentiful tortillas, corn and flour, were also served.

The quality of this restaurant is truly outstanding. The family traditions of this establishment shine through in not only the service but the excellent cuisine. We were very impressed and have to rate this as one of the best Mexican restaurants we have enjoyed. When in the Seattle area, do yourself a favor and dine at Fresa Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Everett.  This is the Fresa website.

 

 

Birthday celebration at Everett’s Kyoto Japanese restaurant

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Our chef for the evening

Sher and I celebrated our daughter’s birthday with her family at the Kyoto Japanese restaurant in Everett, Washington. This eatery is one of the “meal cooked at your table” establishments, with your chef putting on a show along with the food preparation.

The menu was awesome with a very wide variety of dinner combinations. As Sher is a vegetarian she picked a vegetable medley, and the chef was most accommodating and made her fried rice without the addition of eggs.

Preparing the onion tower

Flaming onion tower

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The antics of our chef were most entertaining. His skill in manipulating the tools were remarkable and fun to watch. He could do things with the knife and spatula that were hard to imagine. And I had no idea you could do things with the eggs that we witnessed.

Plum wine imported from Osaka

Fried rice on the way

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food was absolutely delicious. The chef kept us entertained throughout his preparation of our individual dishes. His constant banter was filled with quips and humor. Once he flipped a large pat of butter into the air before it landed on the rice. He deadpanned “ah, butterfly”.  Chef flipped pieces of chicken across the grill directly onto our grandson’s plate. He loved that!

Happy Birthday song with tambourine and gong!

We all had a delightful meal and enjoyed each other’s company. And to top things off, the staff brought our daughter ice cream with candles, and the whole place sang Happy Birthday!

 

Everett Washington’s Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub

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This morning Sher and I and our daughter were off to a nearby Walmart for our (gulp) annual flu shots and another COVID booster, per doctor’s recommendations. Got the “needle sticks” done and then we went and picked up our son-in-law and our grandson. Our daughter suggested we head for an Irish Pub and American Grill named Shawn O’Donnell’s.

The storefront of the Everett O’Donnell’s, the first of the chain

Interesting interior design

The center bar

 

 

 

 

 

We got to the pub right at 11:15 and were seated immediately. We were probably a bit ahead of the lunch crowd. The decor of this restaurant has a definite Irish flavor, expected from a family owned business started by the grandson of Irish immigrants.

The Full Irish Breakfast

Corned Beef Benedict with smashed potatoes

 

 

 

 

 

The fare at Shawn O’Donnell’s Irish Pub is very tasty, and does have some interesting items not commonly found on most menus. The smashed potatoes are just that: yellow gold Yukon potatoes cooked and then literally smashed near flat. The biscuits are very unique, named Soda Farls and served with raspberry jam. Yummy!

Bacon Lover’s Scramble

Smashed potatoes with 2 Soda Farls w/ jam

 

 

 

 

 

The service, coffee and of course the food was excellent at this fun Irish Pub. Shawn O’Donnell built this facility in 2006 after several years in the restaurant business. Currently there are five locations in and around Everett, including one in far eastern Spokane. Our server told us that plans are in the works for expansion into other states. Any community would benefit if a  Shawn O’Donnell’s  located there.

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Kyoto: A great Japanese steak house in Everett, WA

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Chicken, steak, shrimp and veggies on the grill at the Kyoto

Chicken, steak, shrimp and veggies on the grill at the Kyoto

Last night Sher and I went to a Japanese Steak House named Kyoto in Everett, Washington. Our daughter and son-in-law and grandson were with us on this fun dining trip. The chef came to the table with the built in grill. Our chef was really a treat and he enjoyed taking to us as he cooked.

This place is stuck in the end of a strip mall building across the street from the big Everett Mall. It is worth seeking out. We would give this place a five star rating on both the service and the quaity of the meals.

 

A favorite local eatery: Totem Restaurant

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Our daughter and son-in-law suggested that we have breakfast at a local restaurant named Totem. This quaint family friendly diner has been operating since 1953. A local favorite, we showed up at 10:00 am Saturday morning to see a full parking lot.

Totem is located at 4410 Rucker Ave in Everett, WA

Totem is located at 4410 Rucker Ave in Everett, WA

Luckily we did get a table right away as soon after our arrival a waiting line formed. It soon became apparent why this place is a favorite of the locals. The food was about the best I have ever had for breakfast fare. The portion sizes were huge. Yes, huge! An order of potatoes O’Brien or hash browns were delivered on a large plate. The two pancakes I ordered were the biggest I have ever seen. One of the pancakes was easily equal to three pancakes at a Denny’s or Cracker Barrel. Thick cut bacon, extra large biscuits, stuffed omelets and fast service added to the great dining experience.

 

 

Check out the size of those pancakes!

Check out the size of those pancakes!

This is a family owned and operated business. Prices were a little high, with four full meals and coffee averaging around 10 bucks each. The meal was worth the price. Anyone in the Everett, Washington area needs to get to the Totem at least once. You will not leave hungry.