Mmm-matador

The happy hour nachos at the Matador may well have been one of the major inspirations behind Ballard Nacho Review. These tasty tidbits cost $7.50 during less-happy hours, but are an unbelievable $4.00 from 4-6pm and again after 10pm. You even have the option of adding steak or chicken, either of which would push the regular price up over $10.
Enough about the price, let's get down to discussing the substance.

Location: The Matador, 2221 NW Market Street, Seattle, WA 98107

Date: 12/8/2007

Ingredients:
chips
cheddar and jack cheese
black beans
pico de gallo
sour cream
guacamole

Evaluation:
It's telling that the place is packed for happy hour even with all the drinks at full price. These nachos are a hit, from the fresh thin crunch of the chips to the even distribution of elastic cheese to the wonderfully fine chop of the tomatoes, onions and other pico de gallo elements. The black beans assert their presence nicely. The guacamole has better promise than execution, with little more than a token spoonful to scrape off the top. The spiced sour cream is a nice addition and seems to go further than the guac.
As mentioned, there are no drink specials for happy hour, but this self described tequila bar has a fun variety of margarita options, several local and Mexican beers on tap and an almost freakishly fruity sangria. Other food specials we've sampled include $5 beer battered shrimp tacos and $4 chicken quesadillas. Both are satisfying and well worth the price.
Readers not close to Ballard will be happy to know that The Matador Restaurant/Tequila Bar has established several other locations in the few years they've been established. They can now be found in West Seattle, Redmond, Tacoma and even Portland, Oregon.

Plenty of Cheese on the Shipping Canal

Ballard Nacho Review is back after a four-week hiatus for National Novel Writing Month. Stay tuned for more frequent updates during the current comfort food season. Today's review is a somewhat overdue look at the cheesy creations of one of our closest neighborhood bars.

Location: Lockspot Cafe, 3005 NW 54th St Seattle, WA 98107

Date: November 13th, 2007 (yes, I know)


Ingredients:

chips

cheddar and jack cheeses

onion

tomato

jalapeno

guacamole

salsa on the side for dipping


Evaluation:

Two aspects of these nachos stood out: the copius amounts of cheese and the roughly chopped onions scattered across the top. I was apprehensive about the onion, having sampled other menu items at the Lockspot that came with thick, tear-inducing cross sections of it. However, while I can't vouch for the everyday, on this particular occasion the onion was mild, offering a pleasant offset to the thick layers of gooey cheese. Speaking of layers, the cheese was well distributed. This batch erred on the side of needing a fork to scoop up leftover gobs from the bottom of the pile.

The tomatoes were tasty while the jalapenos were your standard jarred variety. Scoops of sour cream and guacamole perched on top of the pile. While the guac was nothing special, we did appreciate the fact that it came standard with the dish and was not subject to an extra charge like many places.

The salsa was a somewhat disappointing accompaniment. It was a generic seeming, runny tomato mess. Fortunately, there were enough other flavors going on in the nachos that I forgot to actually dip my chips in salsa for most of the time I was eating.

Another positive is the decent selection of local beers that the Lockspot offers from Hale's Ales, Maritime Pacific, Boundary Bay, and other Seattle area favorites. If you're not in a beer mood, the Lockspot also offers a full bar, pouring reasonably strong liquor drinks.

Can't get enough of the Lockspot? Disagree with my analysis? Read other reviews of this and other neighborhood businesses or even add your own thoughts at http://www.98107.net/.