SeattleBrad

Starting January 1, chain restaurants with more than 15 locations nationwide are required to post calories and nutrional info. I took photos of 8 of them on the hill, including Subway, Tully's, Peet's, Pagliacci Pizza, Starbuck's, Taco del Mar, Noah's Bagels, and Domino's.

The only one in non-compliance was Domino's pizza on Broadway. After waiting for 10 minutes for the clerk to get off the phone, he said he didn't know about the rule, and didn't even have nutritional pamphlets.

The friendly guys at Peet's Coffee said people were doing this: "I'll have a Caramel... wait, is that the calories?!?!?! Okay, make it non-fat, sugar-free, and hold the whip." At Pagliacci Pizza, a cheerful clerk said that half the people don't even want to look at the calories.

My Awards:

Most legible: Subway
Least legible: Taco del Mar (they put light blue numbers on a dark blue background)
Most friendly staff: Pagliacci Pizza and Peet's Coffee
Least friendly staff: Subway on Broadway (the photo was from the Pine location)
Highest calorie coffee: 720 Veinte Intense Dark Mocha from Tully's
Highest calorie food: 2170 Platter from Taco del Mar
BUSTED: Domino's Pizza (no calories posted)

I think it's now time to ask the small locally-owned restaurants to do the same. This is important info.

See the eight readable high-res photos in this Flickr set. Click on All Sizes to see the larger ones.

The Oddfellows Cafe + Bar feels like something special from the moment you arrive. The exterior has a cozy European vibe, and the spacious interior makes you feel like you’ve arrived at your favorite cafe, with old brick, exposed beams, and rustic hardwood floors. The menu is printed on a large sign on the wall (and I hope this doesn’t make them reluctant to change it). The large windows are good for reading and people watching. The unusual tables in the center looked like little plastic picnic tables at first, but I’m pretty sure they were painted wood. They weren’t very popular while I was there for lunch, but I suspect they will be more popular for late night drinks. Old-timey details, like an antique typewriter, old black and white photos, Mary Jane candy, and a rustic flag, make it look like it’s been around forever. The antique  Oddfellows sign shows that someone really cares about this place.

My hot tea arrived in a quaint press pot with a pre-warmed cup and saucer. Big points for the pre-warming. My pulled pork sandwich arrived with a surprisingly flattened toasted sesame bun that looked like something from Denny’s, but it tasted fine. (This is a tough category because I recently discovered RoRo BBQ, formerly the Rowdy Cowgirl, in Fremont which is hands-down the best BBQ I’ve ever had.) The sandwich looked a little lonely with just a pickle accompanying. This place seems to respect your waistline more than usual, but I was disappointed that fries aren’t even on the menu. But I like a place with moderate Euro-size portions, since it’s really all you need. I’ll let the other foodie reviews below tell more about the food.

The place reminds me of Quinn’s, just a block away, but with a more casual touch. And with hours 7a-2a daily, they’re going for all four crowds: coffeeshop/breakfast, lunch, dinner (five until midnight), and after-dinner drinks. Quinn’s often looks crowded at night so I see myself going to Oddfellows when I just want drinks.

Room for improvement... Finding the restroom felt like an expedition, so they could use much better signage. The menu needs more names to make things easier to order. For example, they offer this for breakfast: Cappucino or latte, juice + baguette (6). Couldn’t they call this the Sunrise Special or something easy so you don’t have to point and explain what you want? Also, the location is a bit difficult to find (10th between Pike and Pine, around behind Century Ballroom and across from the old KFC) so I expect to see sandwich boards on Pike and Pine. Tenth Ave doesn’t get much foot traffic so I hope it gets enough business to thrive.

I’m a huge fan of pay-first service because there’s no waiting for the check when you’re ready to leave. I was pleased to discover Quinn’s doing this, and Oddfellows does the same (dinner is regular waiter service) by giving you a number and then delivering it to you later. I always think of pay-first as the Ponderosa style service, and I’m still confused about how to tip. Any suggestions?

I have a good feeling about Oddfellows and it’s a welcome addition to the non-fancypants part of the hill.

See more photos and the menu.

Other reviews here and here.

The new year brings a few new regulations:

1. Electronics recycling is now free. But please don't dump everything off this week. Give them time to ramp up.

2. Chain restaurants must post nutritional info, and all restaurants cannot use trans fats.

3. Minimum wage bumps to $8.55

4. Grocery bags are now 20 cents and styrofoam is banned for takeout food. Remember to bring your own bags. And take video of other people having temper tantrums about it. (The ban is on hold until the referendum is voted on.)

This sums up my frustration over the last several days...

This is what Santa looks like in my neighborhood.

If you ever ate lunch at Charlie's, you probably saw Juanita. She had lunch there every day. But she died in November. The PI has the story.

More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adonisphotos/sets/72157611334436925/

Found this very talented guy outside the Harvard Square QFC. He was using an amp with the cello. Very talented. He really cranks it up near the halfway mark. I think he said his name is Brandon Smith.

A Slice of Cello Heaven from Brad Kevelin on Vimeo.

The PI has a story and photo about Ed Jackson.