Bacon: I love you, I Hate You!!!

I can only speak for Seattle, but it appears that Bacon, Pork Belly, Pig Fat, Whatever, has taken over for the recently overused Foie Gras in the Northwest. There was a time when you couldn't go to a restaurant without seeing Foie Gras on the menu and when it wasn't clearly stated as an offering on the menu, it was sure to show up as a garnish, even on dessert...Seriously!!!

Well, the new obsession seems to be designer Bacon or Pork Belly. Don't get me wrong, I love the stuff, always have. Please, I am Filipino and born with Lechon on my silver spoon. I like to frequent John Howie's newest eatery, John Howie Steak, and whenever I see it, I roll my eyes...the Tempura Bacon. Enough already.

Confession: I want one!!! Well, my cousin and her boyfriend were in town and we went to John Howie Steak. I made a few menu suggestions, but my eyes kept going back to the Tempura Bacon. I want, I Want, I WANT!!!

In a calm way, I said, "Let's try the Tempura Bacon", palms sweating, "sounds good". A couple martinis later, the Tempura Bacon arrived. We all got a piece... OK, it's bacon! Not complaining, but it would have been good anyway. I probably won't order the Tempura Bacon again, too high in fat. Besides, there are so many other YUMMY things at John Howie Steak to order.

John Howie Steak: Tempura Fried Kurobuta Bacon with maple bacon ponzu sauce.OK, here's a better use of bacon! Saute it with lightly steamed Mustard Greens.

Cook 4 strips of bacon, not too crispy, and then chop it coarsely.

Set the bacon aside, keep the bacon pan warm on the stove.

Roughly chop a whole bunch of organic mustard greens.

If you can't find organic, that's fine, but I find the organic mustard greens less bitter and a little more tender.

Now, steam the greens until it starts to wilt.

Put the greens in the bacon pan and saute to finish.

YUM!

One Last Bite: Happy Hour at John Howie Steak

Cheese and Charcutterie Plate

Happy Hour Martini

Bacon Sliders and Frites

The Grand Finale: Cheesecake

YUM!!!

The Best Bar Food at SPORT

All right people, I have to admit, I don't really follow football and I really don't get the rules. Hard to believe I was a cheerleader in high school, seriously. Well, unless it's Super Bowl, I am not packing my house full of "Football" food. Chips, Dips, Wings and Tings, yes, I said, "Tings!"


Thank God for John Howie's SPORT. If you have to have Game Day or Bar Food, you may as well eat the best Seattle has to offer. For the avid, or not-so-much, sports fan, SPORT is the best place to hang out, watch the game, or games, and have a great meal. Flat Screen tv's are everywhere, even outside, if you want to go there. Brrr. Don't get me wrong, the occasional bar, BAR, is a great place to watch "the game", but you can't always count on good, or even, ok food.


Like all other John Howie eateries, the food is GREAT. Don't be fooled, nachos are not just nachos here, they are NACHOS!!! I wasn't counting calories tonight, but if I was, there were many other options. I love it when every nacho you eat has the perfect amount of cheese on it. You're with me on this one, right? Not only does every chip have cheese, but the chips are not your stale ballpark chip. I could have sworn someone was back there rolling out the tortilla dough, cutting out each chip and frying each one just for me. I could eat those chips plain. I swear.


We intended on just eating "finger food" but my husband ended up ordering the steak. Wierd, I thought, until I took a bite of his steak. Juicy, Beefy, YUM. I thought I was at John Howie Steak. Of course the steak comes with fries, or should I say, "Frites". Perfect.


Where's the game day food, well, my son ordered the Hot Dog. Again, not just your ordinary Ball Park Frank. This dog was juicy, plump, a little spicy and FULLY LOADED! A big fat wiener with onions, cheese, jalapenos, chili and everything else you would want on the best hot dog ever.


Somehow, I stopped myself from eating everything in front of me, so I could save room for dessert. Ice Cream Sundae and chocolate chip cookie, HERE I COME!!! I shared with my husband, so I didn't devour the sundae alone. Perfect ending.


Just in case you're wondering, there is also a decent wine list, full bar and great beers on tap.

Typical teenager choice: Hot Dog, Fully Loaded.

What's the husband order? Steak and Fries, duh!

OK, I just was not going to order a salad, surrounded by all that testosterone. I got the Nachos with Texas Chili, sour cream and guacamole too!

That was an Ice Cream Sundae...YUM!

John Howie Steak

John Howie Steak is a great place to meet for Happy Hour. The same great food and service that John Howie delivers at his other restaurants. The bar is a little loud, well, a lot loud, but who cares? Great atmosphere, perfect lighting, come with a group, come with a date, you'll enjoy the experience either way.

Fried Gnocchi.

I am trying to stay away from carbs, but these little babies are a MUST HAVE!!! I had to tell the waitress to take them away because I would have eaten the whole bowl.

Teriyaki Tenderloin Bites: Great chunks of medium rare beef

Vegetable and Crab Tempura: Real Crab!!!
We ordered Frites too.

John Howie Steak

Happy Hour is from 3 pm to 6 pm

Get there early. I got there at 4 pm and the place was almost full. There seemed to be plenty of corners to put more people. Several people moved on to dinner in the dining room, so no problem getting a place to sit and service right away.