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The Skillet Diner


I finally got to taste a Bailey's milkshake from the Skillet Diner on Capitol Hill in Seattle.  Lauren has been talking about it since she first went there last year (they opened in her neighborhood in 2011).  They are located 2 blocks from her previous house where she lived and she can still walk to it from where she's currently living.  (really not a good thing!)  Since it was Nick's birthday, we decided to have dinner there since Lauren said they serve "his kind of food" and she was right!  Like their grilled cheese sandwich...

that they call their "ultimate grilled cheese - the classic done right".  It is made with brie, cheddar and American cheeses on brioche toast.  For an extra amount, you can add bacon jam (which we did) or a fried chicken thigh.  We ordered one for an appetizer and split it so we could all taste it.  The bacon jam tasted like pulled pork and the sweetness with the cheese was really delicious! Bacon is so popular in the food world so I wasn't surprised to see bacon jam. The Skillet website has recipes for their menu items and you can see how much they use bacon jam!  It's now on my "to do" list - make bacon jam.  We ordered the sandwich with poutine which is a popular dish in Canada of french fries smothered in gravy.  Again, I know it sounds over-the-top but it was delicious, what can I say!


The Skillet started out as a food truck and has been expanding in multiple locations now.  Their restaurant theme is American inspired food prepared with classic techniques and seasonal ingredients.   I call it American favorites that are made over-the-top!  Take a look at their  "Mama's Meatloaf"…

made with duroc pork, local beef, bacon (of course), onions, special seasonings, glazed with ketchup demi, mashed potatoes, and vegetables.  They have specials each night and this was their special tonight.

Another favorite of Lauren's is their "Southern Fried Chicken" dinner served with potato salad (not your usual kind of potato salad with mayonnaise but more like sauteed potatoes) served with a cornmeal waffle accompanied with syrup.


Nick ordered this and LOVED it!  I tasted the crispy fried chicken which was perfect.  Nick loves food served with waffles which is a popular movement in Portland.  In fact, he had just stopped by a waffle place in Portland the day before to have one of his favorites

 and reported that they now had a lot more items than before served with waffles.  The Skillet is staying right on top of all the latest food trends.  Lauren wanted to try one of the latest food trends which is pea vines

that are offered as an accompaniment to some dishes but we ordered a dish for all of us to try as an appetizer with our grilled cheese sandwich, tossed with bacon, of course, and totally delicious.  So, if you get tired of having peas, now you can eat the vines!  With all this decatant food being served to us, I ordered a veggie burger which Lauren said is the best she's ever had and she has always loved veggie burgers.

It came with a tossed salad with hazelnut dressing which was so delicious!  I devoured every bite of it!  I had to use a fork to eat the veggie burger, but the bun was as good as everything else.  The veggie burger was mainly farro mixed with seasonal vegetables, shitake and oyster mushrooms, confit garlic aioli (love this), and pickled shallots - so tasty.   But I mustn't forget to include our beverages.  



Their beverage menu is as enticing as their food menu.


Nick chose the "Happy Gilmore" 

which was similar to an Arnold Palmer since he and Bruce had played golf all day for his birthday but unlike an Arnold Palmer, it was "over-the-top" again. We tasted Nick's then Bruce and I immediatley ordered one, too, while we waited for Lauren and her date to arrive.




Notice how they serve their beverages in jars which you know that I absolutely love!

I saved the best for last and that is their Bailey's milkshake.  I'd even heard about these in Boise, Idaho from a dietetic intern who mentioned the Bailey's milkshakes on Capitol Hill.  Lauren has raved about them.  For Nick's birthday he ordered the Peppermint Patty milkshake and a Bailey's milkshake, or should I say, the Bailey's Boozeshake, for us all to sample.


I can see why Lauren keeps going back to her neighborhood Skillet Diner.  So many choices to try and all so delicious.  It was the perfect restaurant choice for Nick's birthday.
Happy birthday, Nick!  



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