My boyfriend spent Sunday laboring away to build and plant our vegetable garden. I’d also dragged him to two wine tasting events (he goes along patiently, but is a beer guy!)
I thought Bob deserved a good hot dinner and some beer, and I instinctively guessed he’d enjoy the ambience of the brand new Woodinville Cut Shop. This restaurant had just opened three or four days ago, in the former McCorry’s on the Slough location.
I’d already heard a lot of buzz about this place, with several people describing it as a “hipster roadhouse.” I’m not a hipster, but could tell by the retro fonts and cheeky humor on the sign and Facebook page, I would likely at the very least be highly entertained by this restaurant/bar.
Directly inside the door, we were amused watching a couple of toddlers playing and giggling with the Windy the Clown balloon inflater machine. (Windy later followed me on Instagram, which rather creeps me out!)
I love the retro, homey and cosy atmosphere inside and the 1970s vibe. (I lived through that decade, though, and wouldn’t want to return!)
I wish I could show you more photos, but since I hadn’t called ahead and gotten permission for a photo shoot, I tried to just quietly take a few quick pics without disturbing other Cut Shop patrons. Love these booths!
I want to go back to check out the outdoor patio (I heard something about a fish tank or waterfall or something?) And my trip to the retro orange ladies room sent me past an intriguing antique faux fireplace and cozy looking “living room” area.
We loved that the front, side and back doors were open to let fresh air and the remainder of the sunlight in. The Cut Shop is apparently kid friendly, and several nearby tables had children, a few noisily squawking but most well behaved. I inquired about the kids menu – apparently there’s a grilled cheese, a noodles plate and a kid-sized chicken and dumplings.
I feel old when I complain about a place being too noisy, but I have to admit I had to learn forward and somewhat shout for Bob to be able to hear me. There was nice music playing, and it wasn’t too loud (unlike Sam’s Tavern where we no longer go because the music is so loud it prevents conversation entirely). I wonder if part of it was the excitement from all the patrons at checking out this awesome place, and partly because of the beautiful wooden furnishings and walls and flooring just amplifying the noise.
Our incredible waiter came over and took our drink orders, chatting with me about craft cocktails. I feel bad that I forgot his name after he introduced himself to us – I hoped to see it on our receipt but sadly it says “Your server was – BARTENDER.” The service here was impeccable, nonintrusive, and the waiter even came over a few times to refill our water glasses from the decanter that had been placed on our table. (I was too lazy and distracted to refill my own boyfriend’s water glass, shame on me!)
I ordered the Deep Purple cocktail – so good, it will be difficult for me to persuade myself to try something new next time. You’ll forgive me, I hope, for not ordering a Woodinville wine like you’d expect from a local wine blogger. After a long day of tasting delicious Woodinville wines, I wanted to indulge in a refreshing icy cocktail!
Bob was relieved to hear they carry his very favorite beer – African Amber from Redmond-based Mac & Jack’s.
Eyeballing the wine menu, I was delighted to see so many wines from Woodinville tasting rooms, including Damsel, Sparkman, Gorman, Board Track Racer, Novelty Hill, Chateau Ste. Michelle (of course), JM Cellars, Ashan, DeLille, Mark Ryan, Alexandria Nicole, etc. Great selection, and I appreciated how each wine was listed next to its area of origin in Washington. (Some wines were from Italy and Germany).
Ok, I have to tell you, I have a bit of a French fry addiction and I order them nearly everywhere I go. The French fries at Woodinville Cut Shop immediately hit my list of top 2 favorites (my #1 being the fries at Beach Cafe at Carillon Point.) Oh great, now I know a place I can get affordably priced insanely delicious fries AND a well crafted cocktail? Sigh. (There goes the last shreds of my New Year’s resolution, five months in.)
Earlier, we’d tried to order the jalapeno hush puppies, but our waiter said they were so popular, they’d sold out already. We ordered French fries instead and figured we’d just try the hush puppies next time we come in. (We could already tell we’d be popping in here often for a drink and a snack!) Our waiter surprised us fifteen minutes later with a bowl of the hush puppies – they’d had just one order left! Very kind of him.
I wondered, having made hush puppies myself at home, if they would be cooked all the way through – these hush puppies are huge! To my delight, they were perfectly cooked. I’m a wimp about spicy foods, but the jalapenos in this just added flavor and didn’t hurt my pathetic tongue.
I was excited to see a Waldorf salad on the menu – light and refreshing. It’s hard to get the dressing ratio down so it’s not soupy or watery, and they did a great job!
Someone will have to try the deviled eggs for me – they’re pickled with bacon, so not vegetarian. I heard several diners nearby exclaiming over how good they were!
Bob ordered, and devoured enthusiastically, Chicken and Dumplings. There were several other things he wanted to try. I found the menu sensibly limited – if you’re opening a brand new restaurant, it makes sense to do just a few things and do them well. If we came here very often though, I worry we’d get tired of the few offerings, however delicious they may be.
I was glad to see several vegetarian options (but no veggie burger like I might have expected). Next time I’ll try one of the other vegetarian salads, and the vegetarian lentil soup.
I found the range in prices a bit disconcerting – several things were quite affordable, most dishes cost what I’d expect in an upscale restaurant (but not at a “roadhouse”) and then a couple things were jarring – an $85 steak and a $27 relish tray? Our bill was a bit more expensive than I had expected, but that’s ok.
I’m really glad I ordered the Mushroom Stroganoff. It’s a nice vegetarian option. The peas were a wonderful texture and tasted super fresh, plus made me feel like I was eating something slightly “healthy.” (I can kid myself if I want to!) The mushrooms were expertly cooked, and I was impressed how all the noodles and the sauce were hot and not clumping together. It’s hard to serve a plate of Stroganoff and not have some of the noodles or sauce turn out cold. I will definitely order this dish again. I was pretty nervous about getting a good photo for you of the Stroganoff – I was trying to not irritate the diners next to me with my camera, and worried this would look like “glop on a plate.”
I was expecting a few hangups and errors because the restaurant had only been open a few days (and wouldn’t have been upset if anything went wrong). I am so impressed at how flawless the service was, the food was great and arrived hot and at the right time, and the other staff delivering dishes to our table were friendly too.
Here’s the really great news – The Cut Shop is open til midnight on weeknights and 2am on Friday/Saturday (unlike virtually everywhere else in Woodinville). They serve a small late night bar snacks menu (a patty melt, a grilled cheese, something called chicharone which I need to look up the definition of, French fries and the lentil soup). They have three tempting desserts on the menu (again, unlike anywhere in Woodinville, a place to get late night post-movie desserts!) And I’m pretty sure I saw something about their Happy Hour offerings and group event possibilities.
We’ll definitely be back, I can’t wait to bring my friends here to check this out. Already plotting ways to get in here a few times this week and next weekend!
-Carrie
Woodinville Cut Shop is located at 12801 NE 175th Street, Woodinville, Washington 98072.
Phone: 425-408-1173
Email: info@woodinvillecutshop.com
RESOURCES:
Woodinville Cut Shop on Facebook
Woodinville Cut Shop on Instagram
Woodinville Cut Shop at OpenTable
Woodinville Cut Shop at The Stranger
