Some days it's too hot or too cold, or you've had a long day, or you just can't stand your own cooking anymore. You don't feel like going out; you just want to order some food, have it cooked for you, maybe even brought to your door, and eat off paper plates so you don't even have to do the dishes. Believe me, I know how you feel.
I have a little basket in the kitchen filled to the brim with food options for days like that. Here's a roundup of the take-out menus in that basket: a sampling of what Shoreline and surrounding areas can offer you on those lazy days. When a restaurant doesn't have a website, I've linked to other reviews.
Pizza and Pasta
Amante Pizza and Pasta, Shoreline. 206-362-6666
Free delivery between 125th and 175th, according to their map, but we live just outside that area and they still bring us food. And it's good food! We love Amante. The pizzas are tasty and come in all sorts of interesting topping combos, or you can make your own. My personal addiction is pepperoni, feta cheese, and big chunks of roasted garlic. They also have pastas, salads, decent buffalo wings, and calzones. There are low-carb options and sandwiches too. And after your first delivery, you get a set of coupons for things like a free half salad with a large or XL pizza, and they don't take the coupon away, so you can use it every time. They're open until 11 pm. A large "House Special" runs $22.00, XL is $25.20.
Pagliacci Pizza, Shoreline. 206-726-1717
A lot of folks swear by Pagliacci, and I'd rank them just under Amante. There are many, many toppings to choose from, including more interesting ones like capers, kalamata olives, and something called "Mama Lil's Peppers." They also sell gelato, according to the flyer I have, and wouldn't that be nice delivered to your doorstep on a hot day? A large "Brooklyn Bridge" costs $22.99.
Romios Pizza and Pasta, Edmonds. 425-744-0284 Another local favorite, Romios offers free delivery from 11 am to midnight on weekends (and until 11pm Sunday through Thursday). Their selection is very similar to Amante, with pizzas, pastas, calzones, sandwiches, low-carb offerings, and salads. A large "Complete Combo" will set you back $23.00.
Spiros Pizza and Pasta, Shoreline. 206-546-2900
A small, family-run place with three locations, Spiros is my personal winner in the pasta category. This is mainly due to their simple but tasty Spaghetti and Mizithra meal. Spiro's doesn't deliver, but their menu is online if you want to order something and pick it up. Pizzas range from $10.95 to $19.95, pastas from $8.95 to $10.95. The staff at Spiros is friendly and seems glad to accommodate you either for takeout or dining in.
Mexican
Taqueria Guaymas, Shoreline. 206-542-0302
I can't say enough about this place...I love it! Everything I've tried there has been delicious. You can eat in or take out; they don't deliver, but it's worth the trip to pick up some of their delicious Mexican food. You even get a bag of chips and some of their tasty salsa with your to-go. If you stay, though, you can order one of several margaritas. The tacos are my current favorite dish; for only $2.95 to $3.75 (depending on filling) per taco, you can build a happy plateful. Or for around $8.25 up to $12.95, you can choose your own combo of the various offerings, from verde enchiladas to chalupas, and all kinds of things in between.
Taqueria El Sabor, Shoreline. 206-417-3346
This bright little building on Aurora looks, inside and out, like some kind of Mexican fast food chain. I was surprised to find that the food there is actually not bad. With super-colorful photo menus, the business in the old U-Grill (R.I.P.) spot offers a selection of interesting items; the usual taco-truck offerings are represented, but also burgers, salads, and a parade of deserts. There's a to-go menu available, but the website appears to be under construction, so you might want to stop by and see the large color photos of the food you can choose from. Prices are great; tortas are$4.99, salads $5.99, and most of the other items run under $7.00.
Asian
Ichi Bento, Shoreline. 206-363-1663
A tiny building across from the Safeway on 15th, Ichi Bento offers a selection of sushi and bento meals. The sushi is all right, nothing superb, but the bentos are enough food for two people; you get soup, lots of teriyaki and rice, a ton of tempura, and a little salad. It's all pretty good, and the prices aren't bad: $8.25 to $8.95 for the bentos, and rolls from $3.99 to $7.50. They are closed on Sunday and open to 9pm the rest of the week. They don't deliver, but you'll want to grab a menu for takeout when you're in the area.
Asian Palette, Shoreline. 206-533-1927
In the relatively new strip mall that includes a Starbucks, Subway, Gold's Gym and the liquor store, this little shop seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. When they first opened, we tried out a couple of dishes, and found them disappointingly mediocre. Not long ago, they store appeared to have changed management, some items were taken off the menu, and trying it again, we found that the quality had improved a bit. Now, in a new attempt to find itself, Asian Palette has begun offering frozen yogurt. This, we have not tried. I'm not against frozen yogurt, but the last two experiences have made me wary. But if you're in the area, you might as well give them a try; they have an edible bento offering and a small selection of rolls. The main bento box runs $10.99, and there are several teriyaki dishes in the 6 to 8 dollar range. I don't know whaat the yogurt costs. Take out or eat in, they don't deliver.
Black Pearl, Shoreline. 206-365-8989
Delivering between Northgate Way and 185th, Black Pearl is a great lazy Friday option. They offer a fairly standard selection of Chinese (American Chinese) food, with a few standout dishes. I particularly like the soft wontons in spicy garlic peanut sauce appetizer ($7.25), the Black Pearl Special Fried Rice ($8.95) and the Four Season Delight ($14.95).
Sushi Moto, Edmonds. 425-673-5477
This is, to me, the best sushi in the area. They don't deliver, but are great for take-out or eating in. Sushi Moto offers katsu and teriyaki dinners, donburi bowls, noodles, and so on, but I go there for the sushi and sashimi. There are several tempting combos, if you're feeling like some variety: a sashimi/sushi combo for $20.50 provides 9 pieces of sashimi, 6 pieces of sushi and 8 pieces of rolls. Sushi combo A ($15.50) includes 6 pieces of sushi and 8 pieces of rolls, and combo B ($9.50) gives you 4 pieces of sushi and 6 pieces of rolls. The combos all come with miso soup. There are over 20 rolls to choose from on the regular menu, and as many choices in the nigiri sushi list.
Indian
Taste of India, North Seattle. 206-528-1575
They're a bit outside of the Shoreline range, but close enough, and just plain wonderful enough, that I didn't want to leave Taste of India off the list. No delivery, just take-out and eating in the small, always crowded restaurant – but some of the best Indian food in the the area. Prices have gone up over the last few years, but they're still reasonable for the quality: most dishes run $7.95 to $13.95, depending on the main ingredient (veggies, chicken, lamb, beef, fish or prawns). Family favorites for us include the mango curry, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken and – trust me on this – you HAVE to get a garlic naan.
Zaika, Shoreline. 206-306-0880
This small shop on 15th only recently caught my eye, though apparently they've been there for two years or so. I can't say I regret not noticing them earlier, because we were pretty unimpressed by the meals we tried at lunchtime one day. And on top of that, the owner was burning so much incense that you could see it hanging in the air, and smell nothing else. I was told that they do deliver, but only for orders of $50 or more. Prices are decent, however; most entrees are in the $10 to $13 range.
Thai
Thai Bistro, Shoreline. 206-533-6200
Located in the same little strip mall as the abovementioned Asian Palette, Thai Bistro is the far better choice. No delivery, but it's worth going in to see the unexpectedly lovely decor. They offer a great curry selection – red, yellow, green, panang, mussaman, duck, royal curry and jungle curry. The prices for those range from $9.25 to $13.95, and all are delicious. Also tasty are the signature plates; my favorite is the Crispy Garlic Seafood ($13.95). When eating in, have a Thai iced coffee. Yum!
Kam Rai, Shoreline. 206-366-0999
Another constantly changing business, this tiny building shares a parking lot with a 7/11 and the Shoreline Community College hair salon on 160th. But don't let that fool you; the current owners are serving up very good Thai food, and will deliver for orders of $20 or more. We found it hard to rack up that much in charges, believe it or not; the prices are quite good, for large portions of tasty food. The phad thai, noodle dishes and curries all run around $8.50; prices were recently raised, but only by around a dollar per dish. The Garlic Lover's Delight, my favorite meal, is also only $8.50, and it lives up to its name. They're open every day until 9pm, and also offer catering service.
and finally...my choice for best take-out in Shoreline:
Grinders, Shoreline. 206-542-0627
Oh, Grinders. How wonderful you are. Even thinking about you causes me to gain weight. But I do so love the food there! Every single thing that has ever come out of the Grinders kitchen is, to the best of my knowledge, heavenly. The sandwiches. The salads. And the incredible bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Oh so good. Prices may seem high for a sandwich, but believe me, you get more than "just" a sandwich; two people could eat one of these for lunch with no problem. My favorite is the Ciabatta Grinder ($8.95), with tons of Italian meats, mozzarella, and some kind of yummy garlic spread. If you dine in, be prepared for a bit of a wait, because word is getting out about this place. But they do offer a very good beer selection to wash down your grinder, and the owner will help you pick just the right one for the sandwich you choose. My only peeve about Grinders is their wacky hours. They're open until 8 pm (only 8 pm!) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and closed Tuesday and Sunday. But...but...I really want a grinder some Sundays! Still, I forgive Grinders because they are so very good. You must, must try that bread pudding some time. Trust me.
That's it; I hope this list has been helpful for you on those don't-wanna-cook days. But we'd love to hear from you about your favorite Shoreline chow! Please take a moment to leave a comment about places you like, want to try, or want to warn everyone away from. You don't need an account to comment!
