Last year Ballard couple Heather and Jefferson decided to eat at, and review, every restaurant and bar in Ballard.

A year and around $4000 later, they have reviewed 82 Ballard restaurants and published the reviews under Ballard Restaurant Project.

"In a way, we're kind of surprised how our project become relatively well known around Ballard. We started it just as a way to get out of our restaurant comfort zone and it turned out to be a good way to get to know Ballard better," said Heather. "Now we really appreciate what a great place Ballard is to live."

Heather said they were surprised by the sheer variety of restaurants Ballard has to offer.

"In Ballard, we have the choice of virtually any ethnic cuisine. Traditional American to Vietnamese to French to Mexican to Middle Eastern and onward. Once the Kangaroo & Kiwi moves into Carnegie’s old spot, Ballard will have every continent except for Antarctica covered food-wise," she said.

Despite the variety of food in Ballard, Heather said the neighborhood good still use a good, mid-range seafood restaurant.

"We have Ray’s Boathouse and Anthony’s but both are a bit pricy," Heather said.

The couple would also like to see a traditional deli, better teriyaki, and a Top Pot, and an Eltana Bagel opening in Ballard.

Earlier this week the couple released their Top 10 favorite Ballard restaurants, which featured Plaka Estiatorio as their number one.

"At our favorite restaurants, the common denominator was the care shown in everything from the décor to the service to the food and drinks," Heather said.
“Our top ten turned out to be a good mix of cuisines and price points."

The Top 10 best restaurants are:

10. Tie between Flying Squirrel Pizza and Bastille
9. Copper Gate
8. The Boar’s Nest
7.Pasta Bella
6. Thai Thani
5. The Sexton
4. Ocho
3. La Carte de Oaxaca
2. The Walrus and the Carpenter
“If you think the nation has overhyped The Walrus and the Carpenter, you’d be wrong. It IS as good as everyone says. The only reason it is not tied for number one on this list is because it is so blasted hard to get a seat,” said Heather.
1. Plaka Estiatorio
“We ate our review meal at Plaka Estiatorio way back in April and it has been at the top of our Best of Ballard list ever since,” Heather said. “We have never had a bad meal here, lunch or dinner. Everyone is super friendly. The meze are fantastic with the best hummus we’ve ever had topping the list. The ingredients are either local or brought in from Greece giving every dish a fresh, authentic taste.”

The couple will continue their restaurant project in a less formal form this year, and include restaurants outside the Ballard area, said Heather.

"We plan on continuing to do full reviews of new Ballard restaurants as they open," Heather said. "We'll do short reviews of other places in Seattle and elsewhere when we feel like it and gather Ballard restaurant news from other sources into one post every couple of weeks."