Paseo Is Summer

I’ve been enjoying Paseo, the tiny Cuban sandwich shop that has become a Fremont mainstay, for years but now that I’ve moved to the neighborhood and am just a quick walk away I’ve developed a feeling of ownership over the place. This is now my neighborhood sandwich shop and I can jog on over whenever I need a fix. And just in time, too–there’s something about Paseo’s tiny corrugated metal storefront and plastic tables and chairs that perfectly compliment the long, hot days of Summer, and as Summer draws to a close and the days get cooler a trip to Paseo will make you forget that Fall is just around the corner. Sitting outside, people watching as juices from your sandwich run down your arm, you feel transported somewhere else, somewhere tropical and relaxed, far from cold, uptight Seattle. Paseo is just what this city needs.

The menu at Paseo was revamped earlier this year and now features several new options, but the sandwiches remain just about everyone’s favorite and really should not be missed. They come on a baguette, wonderfully chewy and sturdy enough to hold the abundance of toppings, which include homemade mayo, cilantro, pickled jalapeños, romaine lettuce (for a bit of crunch), and a heaping mess of the best goddamn caramelized onions you will ever eat. These onions are so popular that Paseo now offers a sandwich where they are the main attraction. I prefer the grilled chicken breast and the fish, however. The meat is light enough to offset the heavier flavors of the sauce and onions, and tender and juicy to boot. The chicken thigh and pork are a bit rich but also delicious. The scallop, a new edition to the sandwich menu, is excellent; big, meaty scallops are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and packed (cheek to jowl?) on the bread. Keep in mind when ordering the sandwiches that these suckers are messy and you should have several napkins at the ready to sop up the juicy mess they will leave all over your hands, arms and lap.

The rest of the menu is just as good as the sandwich portion. The West Caribbean Bowl comes with two scoops of sticky jasmine rice, soft as rice pudding, soupy black beans, tangy and with a touch of spice, and a chicken thigh that, like all of the meat at Paseo, has been marinated to perfection. The flavor of tomato infuses everything. The Fresh Fish in Rojo I liked but didn’t fall in love with. The tomato sauce with peas and onion was spicy and a little sweet but the fish was nothing to write home about. Other entrees include a half chicken dinner, grilled pork, prawns, and a tofu dinner I hear tell is one of the best vegetarian meals in town.

So head on down to Paseo while the weather is still nice and treat yourself to a mini vacation.

Paseo

4225 Fremont Ave N

Seattle, WA 98103

(206) 545-7440

For a Good Time, Call The Pita Pit

I was recently made aware of the existence of The Pita Pit by a couple of Oregonian friends of mine, That’s What She Said and The Lovely Miss Q. We had gotten together for a Sunday afternoon stitch and bitch and needed some food delivered fast. “How about The Pita Pit?” Suggested the Oregonians. “We used to order from them all the time back in Eugene.” Apparently they deliver their pitas on a bike. A bike! How quaint! A quick perusal of the menu revealed The Pita Pit to have a layout similar to a sub shop. You take a pita, you choose from an extensive list of toppings, ie: meat, veggies, cheese, condiments. Pretty straightforward. While cheap, fast, and convenient, I believe that what really sets The Pita Pit apart are their hilarious stoner employees. A call made to inquire about their delivery options met with this response: “Um, well, yeah…I guess we deliver, but he’s on a bike so you have to live close by.” It was established that I live somewhere within a 20 block radius, but the stoner balked. “Oh, you mean way on the other side of the freeway?” (Four blocks on the other side, but who’s counting.) “Well, um…yeah, that might work…ok, let’s give it a try. It’ll probably work.” Fearing for the fate of our food, we decided to put our stitching and bitching on hold and go pick it up ourselves.

Once inside we were met by the same stoner that took our call. He went to ring us up but needed to take the delivery charge off of our bill first. “Um…wait. What’s $20.77 minus $2.50? Um…sorry, I just woke up and I really can’t do math right now.” It was about 6:00 at night. Having worked in customer service quite a bit myself, I have near infinite patience for people in the food service industry. It’s not as easy as it looks, folks. I helped him out with the math, and he promptly wandered off to help some new arrivals at the other end of the counter, leaving our money and ticket sitting by the register. He wandered back a bit later, and That’s What She Said and The Lovely Miss Q requested some sodas. As he was handing TWSS her cup, he suddenly and somewhat awkwardly said, “No, you’re not paying for this soda. Go ahead and have it”. Uncomfortable pause. Handing TLMQ her cup, “No–no, you’re not paying either”. It didn’t seem like he was trying to be nice per se–one got the sense that he didn’t want to be bothered with adding the soda charge to our bill. When I jokingly asked if I could have a free drink as well, my request went ignored. Of all the nerve.

Back at home, having been rung up at last by another employee who came over to bail out his incompetent coworker, we dug in. The pitas themselves were pretty good. I had the chicken breast with feta, several veggies, honey mustard, and ranch dressing. The chicken seemed a little…reconstituted, perhaps. Not as bad as a McNugget, but noticeable nonetheless. It was tasty, but in a fast food kind of way. Still, there were plenty of toppings and they didn’t skimp on the condiments. TLMQ was crestfallen that they had run out of hot sauce, which, to hear her tell it, attains almost magical levels of deliciousness when mixed with tzatziki. This disappointment aside, we all agreed that the pitas hit the spot. I would go there again the next time I’m craving something sandwich-y. I’ll just keep my expectations low regarding service.

The Pita Pit: pitas on a bike and hilarious stoners. How can you go wrong?