Koral Bar & Kitchen

For date night this week my husband Joe and I dined at Koral Bar & Kitchen in Bellevue thanks to a deal on LivingSocial. The restaurant is a newer addition to downtown Bellevue and offers a casual and warm dining experience with very flavorful food. 

We had made reservations and were seated promptly when we arrived. Our server Kristin was very fun and helpful with the menu. She brought me a delightful glass of Cabernet to start off the meal with.

For our appetizer Joe noticed something new on their menu we had not tried before and since we are adventurous diners we started our dinner with "roasted marrow bones, crispy crostini and a parsley-caper salad". We are very glad we tried it, but I don't know if it's something we would order often. It's very buttery and rich, but a little unctuous for us. If you are a person that likes to suck the fat off your bones you will very much enjoy this. I thought of my mother as I was eating this because after a family barbecue of my Dad's famous babyback ribs you will find my mom sucking the flavor and oil off the bone.

For dinner I ordered the housemade Gnocchi which was bursting with flavor and prepared very well. Gnocchi is an Italian dumpling and when cooked right is very soft and melts in your mouth. Executive Chef Bradley Dickinson prepares it in a herb butter sauce with heirloom tomatoes. Joe ordered the center-cut filet mignon with a herb demi glaze. The filet was extremely tender and packed full of flavor. Joe enjoyed savoring every bite and said it was one of the best filet's he's ever had. I'm not one to order filet mignon (being a rib-eye girl myself), but I do believe I would return to Koral Bar & Kitchen specifically for their filet mignon.

Here's what sealed the deal for us though. One of my favorite desserts is chocolate mousse and they have "chocolate mousse for two". For fun they serve it in a huge bowl with two spatulas - no joke. The mousse is luscious and decadent and they serve it extra thick with whipped cream that is not too sweet. We were in heaven and felt like kids again eating with spatulas. Thank you Koral Bar & Kitchen for a wonderful and delightful meal last night.

Beats a Red Robin burger!

I'm actually a fan of Red Robin burgers, but the burger at Earls takes it to a more sophisticated level and tastes so good it's making my mouth water thinking about it. The certified Angus beef is full of flavor and cooked to perfection. It is garnished with melted cheddar, dry cured bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mayonnaise and mustard. All the necessities! What really sets this burger apart though is their house made bun. It's warm, soft and buttery and holds all the delicious burger together. It's served with either a salad or fries, but go for the fries. They are delicious skinny cut fries that aren't too greasy and just enough salt to satisfy your craving.

The service at Earls is very friendly and warm. Our server was very attentive and accommodating and when one of my friends had a tooth reaction to her dinner the manager came over to see if she was alright and if they could get her anything else. My friend was fine, but it was a very appropriate gesture for the manager to come over. They also comped her entire tab which was very kind.

The atmosphere at Earls is different than other restaurants in Bellevue, but definitely still carries the sophistication you expect of Bellevue. Once inside Earls you almost feel like you have three types of seating to chose from. The bar is fun and comes alive at night. They play the games on the big flat screen TVs and the seating is very group friendly. Another part of the restaurant has a more retro 1970's diner kind of feel and the other part of the restaurant has more of an elegant sophisticated feel. This place is great for large parties because not only can they accommodate them, but it doesn't make the rest of the guest feel like the large parties are dominating the restaurant. There is a very large and long fireplace in the restaurant and all the window seating overlooking the main street in downtown Bellevue can slide open so you almost feel like you are sitting outside on the sidewalk. I also love the all glass wine room.

Earls is a very fun place and I look forward to returning again and trying something else on the menu. I have a feeling I will specifically go there to get the burger though.