After a tasty week in Seattle (not DC!!!), here are some mini-reviews:

Union (1400 1st Ave.) -- The best meal of the week. Braised pork belly appetizer on young garlic was amazing. Ran out of two of their half-dozen entrees by 8 (strange) but cut up some black bass and cooked it perfectly. Pouisson was also great, as were desserts.

Serious Pie (316 Virginia St.) -- What a fun place. Excellent food, reasonably priced wine, great service.

Purple Cafe (1225 4th Ave.) -- This beautiful space had some high-quality wines in their flights, and generous pours. The upstairs bar area is great for wine and some small plates.

Zig Zag Cafe (1501 Western) -- Great stock of booze, interesting drinks. Would be a very fun space with a hoppin' crowd.

Salumi (309 3rd Ave. S) -- God I'd love to have this place close to home. Fabulous cured meats.

Zeitgeist (171 S Jackson St.) -- Perfect example of what a coffee shop should be.

Saitos (2120 2nd Ave.) -- Great sushi.

Steelhead Diner (95 Pine St.) -- A yuppy diner, good food but not great. Pricy for what you get. Except the Beechers fried cheese curds. Best take on mozzarella sticks ever!

Etta's Seafood (2020 Western Ave.) -- Part of the Tom Douglas empire. It was good, not great. Too many pieces to the dishes doesn't allow the fish to shine. For the money, Union is much better.

Virginia Inn (1937 1st Ave.) -- A dozen excellent local taps, nice drinks, well-made, good service. A great low-key bar near the market.

Cascadia (2328 1st Ave.) -- A beautiful space, but I expected a bit more energy. If it was more lively, the bar area would be great.

Bambuza (820 Pike St.) -- Good Vietnamese, nothing special. Well-made drinks.

Typhoon (1400 Western Ave.) -- Good Thai, nothing special. Huge tea menu.