Cha Cha Lounge in Seattle - MAINLAND EDITION

Seattle.  The first stop of 11 cities on our cross-country train adventure.  Tom and I flew over together on the red eye flight.  We were bursting with excitement.  We arrived at the painful hour of like 5:30am and took the train to Kelly's neighborhood.  Kelly lived in Hawaii for a few years and was a core member during the founding year of the nacho blog.  She has never met a nacho she didn't like and had done extensive research on nachos when she moved there in preparation for our visit. She picked us up freezing on a street corner.  It must have been like 50 degrees.  Tom and I thought we might die from the cold.  We went back to her home and took a nap but not for long because we were ready to take on the town.  After a long day of adventuring with Blaine, my other favorite ginger, (adventuring defined as eating and drinking all damn day), we met up with our other Seattle friends at a place called Cha Cha Cha's for a plethora of bar nachos.  Lori came all the way from Bainbridge Island, we met dancing in the front row of a Cut Copy show at the Republik. Bryan, a born and raised Honolulu transplant showed up with homemade dark chocolate caramels.  David, a friend from his college days on Oahu brought a couple friends.  Autumn, a regular visitor to Seattle, had her own entourage as well.  Tom's buddy from college and his wife (also named Shannon) joined us too as we proceeded to have one large table that took up most of the main room. 

I was in love with the bar as soon as we came down the stairs into the red lit dive bar with cozy booths and big comfy chairs.  There was an old movie playing on a big screen and you could smell the amount of fun this place has on a daily basis.  There was vending machine that had your standard things like cigarettes and snacks, but also really cool things like t-shirts, patches, inflatable flamingo coozies, etc. The group was all excited to try the "Stoner Nachos" because they used Doritos for the chips.  We ordered one of each kind they had and they all came out.  Because it was so dark in there, you couldn't really tell what you were eating.  Which was both fun and dangerous since one of them was super spicy.  Nom nom nom nom no...SURPRISE...spicy AF nachos in your mouth.  The plates were passed around the table with this nacho roulette game of the mouth.  We had a lot of drinks and a lot more fun. We made friends with everyone in the room and I passed around my adventure journal encouraging everyone to write a haiku. If this is day 1 of our 26 day cross-country train adventure, I don't know that we will survive. 

I found out my bestie from high school was in town for work and at dinner with her family a couple blocks away.  I snuck away to give her a hug and meet her hubby.  What a special treat!  When I came back, all kinds of debauchery was going on.  Someone had done a little too much partying and while being helped to the bathroom by Autumn, lost her nachos all over her shirt.  LUCKILY for Autumn, there was that vending machine with t-shirts so she could change right away.  I love you Seattle. 

 

 

Nachos - SM $7.95/LG $8.95 - Corn tortilla chips with melted jack cheese, green onion, jalapenos, pico de gallo salsa & cumin-lime sour cream.  Add beef, chicken, pork verde, beans & guacamole or vegan "chicken" $1

So good to catch up with you David!

Shannon and Steffan? (4) – PRESENTATION: First impression: God Damn I'm so excited to eat that!  Couldn't tell which toppings were what….is that cheese?  Sour cream?  Doesn't matter too much since it will all be delicious! RAD: Nachos made with doritos.  ALL the thumbs up. LAME: …but it wasn't as dorito-y as I was expecting?  Maybe because they were cool ranch instead of nacho cheese.  A choice would be awesome. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5!  I thought there were parts of the plate with tons, parts with less, so you could find what you wanted.  Nachos were hard to tell apart because of the lighting which I dug, so presentation doesn't matter.  The pork nachos are a 5…holy shit!

So good...so good...so good.

Unknown (3) – PRESENTATION: Sloppy. RAD: Guacamole is pretty fun.  Stoner nachos weren't as bad as I thought.  LAME: I do not like Doritos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5.  Great time, thanks Shananigans!!!!!!

Debauchery...

Kelly (5) – PRESENTATION: Yaaaaaaaaaas! RAD: This is my favorite bar in Seattle! LAME: Can't tell what I'm eating. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: A perfect 5!  Everything was awesome.  I just need to know what I am eating.

Iafay (4.5) – PRESENTATION: Basic delivery with moderate portions. RAD: Variety: Bimbo's, Stoners, ??? LAME: Can't see them.  TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, excellent topping ratio, could have used more cheese.  The company rocks!!!!

Shananigans (3.75) – PRESENTATION: How many kinds are there???? They just keep bringing out plates.  However the dark, red lighting makes it impossible to tell them apart.  They just look like piles of non popping colored nachos.   RAD: Um everything about this place is rad.  The lighting makes every bite you take a surprise in your mouth.  You have no idea what edition of the nachos you are tasting or what any of the toppings are.  Some are super spicy which is always a fun surprise.  It is fun to try to figure out what you are eating. LAME: I want this bar in Hawaii.  TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.  I loved the vending machines that had anything and everything you could possibly need.  We had a large group and then some people left.  The staff basically took our table apart and gave it to someone else. I guess it was their way of telling us it was time to leave. 

Tango Tango (4.5) – PRESENTATION: A deceivingly large pile; 7 plates came upon us! RAD: Dorito chips!!!!!  This setting is impressive considering the lack of recreational drugs.  Melted cheese, not liquid cheese. LAME: The dim red lighting made it impossible to differentiate the ingredients.   TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4.5, whatever the version, the Doritos chips were GOD.  Not bad! I would love to eat here again.

Mikey (3) – PRESENTATION: Toppings are evenly spread across the plate (could use more layering).  Sauce is nicely laid out.  RAD: Guac has nice consistency.  Chunky and smooth at the same time. LAME: Chips are a mix of fresh and stale chips.  The jalapeno and butts are on the plate. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Horizontal ratio 1:2, Vertical 1:5 (chips).  365 Day of the Dead Spinning Ghosts!!!

Nacho Granny (4.5) – PRESENTATION: Lovely oval plates. RAD: This venue. LAME: Spicy ass nachos in my face. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Seemed okay to me.  Lovey my peeps!!!!

Bryan (Stoner Nachos = 4+, Spicy nachos = 3) – PRESENTATION: Stonery nachos - horrifying idea, but totally works. RAD: Spicy nachos are really spicy and really good. LAME: Red lighting of restaurant makes it impossible to tell which type of nachos you are eating. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Add crunchy cheetos to the stoner nachos!  A special nacho haiku: 

Stoner nachos are
A bad idea but are
Incredibly good

Why you so sleepy Kelly?

 

Known this lady since I was a teenager.  We adventured around Europe when we were 16 and 17 years old.  What are the odds she would be in Seattle for business during my 2 days there AND be having dinner just blocks from where I was.  Life is good!