Seattle - The Chain Food Capital of America

I went to Seattle, Washington with no idea what to expect in terms of chain food variety. All I knew was that I had to find the first Starbucks (which I did and it was kind of lame and there was some homeless dude singing outside). Well I arrive in the rain late at night and as the taxi is taking me to my awesome hotel room (I have a really good skill at getting upgraded to suites by being nice to the people at the front desk) I notice all the chain restaurant signs and smile from ear to ear. The next day I explore the city and realize that almost every single restaurant is a chain. In fact, I do not think I even saw a non-chain. Could this be true, could Seattle be my chain heaven. Am I meant to live in Seattle and find my McDreamy??? It is rainy and cold and I did not see people wearing much black, but maybe Seattle is where I am meant to be. My hair did not even frizz in the rain there.

Anyway, some of the chains I saw within a 4 block radius of each other were P.F. Changs, Gordon Beirch, Cheesecake Factory, and Palomino. Palomino, you must be asking yourself, what is that. Well I never heard of it either but I noticed it when I was in San Francisco so I knew it was a chain. Turns out it is a huge chain on the West Coast and my favorite state TEXAS!!!

Palomino is an upscale Italian and American restaurant. The one I went to was in an office building which makes it cool for lunch during the week but not sure if I would want to go there for dinner on a weekend. Their symbol is also a horse which made me want to try it because I love horses, probably because my brother always tells me I look like one.

Well I went and was really impressed. I would compare it to an upscale Macaroni Grill. They had a very nice menu. To start the meal you get bread with this delicious tomato sauce. For an entree I opted for the Chicken Marsala which was actually in a light, clear sauce, not brown. It was a very nice portion, two chicken breasts and a good amount of al dente angel hair pasta in a garlicy sauce that I found very tasty. I did not get an appetizer or dessert because my skirts are getting a bit tight trying all this chain food.

Some dishes that stood out on the menu to me were their Brick Oven Pizzas, Kobe Ravioli and Shrimp Scampi. For lunch they also have combos like Soup and Salads and Sandwich and Pastas. Very fun!!!!