Editor’s Note: Now and then we'll spotlight one of our amazing Google Places reviewers. Both so you guys can start to get to know one another and so we can pull together and share our favorite local places. Today we introduce you to Jessica Tupper from Seattle.
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Jessica Tupper, a Washington state native, grew up most of her life in Bellevue and now resides in Seattle. She went to college in New York, then came back to the area to work for the Washington Conservation Corps. She spends her spare time baking, playing video games, reading and crafting silly hats.
Do you have any secret talents?
I’m really good at memorizing random facts. I used to be a volunteer and gave tours for the Woodland Park Zoo and the Seattle Aquarium, and it stuck. That and I can sing Tom Lehrer music like nobody really should in public.
What's your favorite thing about sharing reviews on Places?
That I can be quite honest and silly about my opinions. I'm not very serious, and it shows in my writing. I'm usually the person my friends go to for restaurant advice anyways, so it's fun to share what I know.
Share an ultimate insider tip for Seattle:
Read your neighborhood blogs. I read the Capitol Hill Seattle blog daily, and it's a great way to keep tabs on new restaurants in the area. Like now, I desperately want to go get pastries one morning at Ba Bar thanks to an article from that blog. They just got a new pastry chef and it all looks fantastic.
If you could see any celebrity's reviews on Places, who would you choose and why?
I'd love to see reviews from locally celebrated chefs, like Tom Douglas, or even awesome area chefs who may not be as famous, like Brandi Henderson (she teaches a mean pie ninja class at The Pantry).
What's your ultimate guilty pleasure?
Gray salt caramel from Fran's Chocolates with Old School vanilla custard and homemade hot fudge. I also just made David Leite's New York Times chocolate chip cookies, so I'd use those to make an ice cream sandwich for good measure.
Have any embarrassing moments you'd like to share?
I was a model for the Magic: The Gathering Friday Night Magic campaign. It was a fun experience at the time, but the finished commercial meant I've since had to prove to people that I wasn't a token girl on set and could actually play.
Finally, can you share any of your favorite Seattle places with us?
Old School Frozen Custard - Only two flavors and a flavor of the day, but they're pretty awesome. Basically it's like eating Dairy Queen, only without the chemical aftertaste and better hot fudge.
John Howie Steak - Ah, John Howie Steak. This place is meant for business meetings - if you go in during lunch, they will up front ask if you have time limitations. The food has been good every time, if in portions so large I can't ingest it all. The potato salad portion that comes with burgers is as large as the burgers; it needs a lighter salad instead of all those starches. However, the burgers are lovely. Napkins are required. Go at happy hour for an $8 burger and you're set.
Armadillo Barbecue - I once ordered a chicken to go, started eating in the car, and realized within ten minutes I had eaten half a bird. It is that good. It's a lighter sauce, so thick sauce purists will be upset. But they do a nice job for smoked meat, and probably the best in terms of consistency in King County. But it is definitely a trek, and not someplace I'd go to unless I was already that far out.
Mashiko - Mashiko is one of those places that feels somewhat cursed for me: every time I've gone on a date there I've loved it, but bring in a group and things go poorly. Omakase there ends up with some amazing things, like the best rainbow trout sashimi I've ever had. I admit I really like their boiled/fried options best, so when the fryer dies it's a rough night for me. But Hajime Sato is awesome, and the first night I went there he was joking with a customer about putting Polar Bear sashimi on the April 1st menu.
Pike Street Fish Fry - Pike Street Fish Fry is one of those places you go to when you're having a rough week. You just want something greasy - but not too greasy - and awesome. Their fries are awesome, but what shines are their proteins. Even their grilled portobello mushrooms are awesome, and everything fried comes with a fried lemon wedge. Get the lemon wedge. It will make your day. The coleslaw is nothing worth ordering, and I really wish they had functional to-go boxes. But these are minor issues that don't detract from what this place does well: fried things with lemon wedges.
Posted by Charles Koh, Seattle community manager
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