Lunchbox Laboratory is inspiring

Lunchbox Laboratory

7302 1/2 15th Ave. N.W.

706-3092

Hours, Mon: 11-8, Tues: Closed, Wed - Fri: 11-8, Sat: 11-9, Sun: 12 - 8.

By Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson

Remember your Lost in Space lunchbox? Ever wonder what happened to it? We found it - it's on the wall at 15th Avenue Northwest's Lunchbox Laboratory. This mind-blowing new restaurant may have found a way to connect to some of Ballard's deepest, most primitive food and ambience desires, judging by the constantly busy state of the tiny new place. The Lab's unbeatable combination of friendly and quick service, a hilarious and inviting concept, and comfort food to die for make their opening the 2008 Ballard food event thus far.

The little space was most recently Ballard Brothers Burgers, and before that was Dino's Mr. Hall BBQ, one our favorite little places. So the lineage of comfort food is clear, and Lunchbox Laboratory takes this genre to the next level, or maybe even the next planet. Plastered all over walls are rows of old, chuckle-inducing lunchboxes. Some of our favorites are "Land of the Giants," "The Exciting World of Metrics," "Secret Agent," "Double Deckers," the rousing, rough-and-tumble action scene captured on the "Six Million Dollar Man" box.

Open only for a few weeks, the staff of three appear to have hit their stride already, pumping out the burgers, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy, handmade milkshakes, and the like to customers who share a uniformly enthusiastic look when eating this lovingly prepared food. Owners Scott Simpson and Allegra Waggener, both with lengthy Seattle food CVs, handle the small kitchen with grace, good humor, and absolute consistency.

Burgers ($8) are popular and almost moving in their presentation and execution. The basic (and massive) beef version comes with whatever cheese you want and sauce you choose from a list of twelve, ranging from ketchup to basil aioli. On Essential Baking Company buns that shame most burger breads, these are served quick, juicy and hot, always with an artistic presentation worthy of the fanciest food magazines. The more adventurous can upgrade to a flavorful and mild lamb patty for an extra buck. Falafel and quinoa burgers are on the rotating menu, too.

Fries come in many shapes and sizes (we like the classic and Paris-style "skinny fries." as well as the sweet potato variety), and are almost free at $2. Some may moan about the "$10 burger," and for them we recommend walk a little more, drive a little less, and use the extra money to come to the Lab and eat what may be the best burger in the city, instantly rivaling the Palace Kitchen's standard by which all other burgers must be measured.

But there is more, so much more at the Lunchbox Laboratory than burgers. The menu is tweaked daily, and specials, under the lab-themed heading "Today's Experiments;" include a variety of high-quality non-burger sandwiches. All the experiments are priced at $10, and include a side order. "Porky'z" features a generous mound of hot and steaming pulled pork, mixed with sweet and smoky sauce, kissed with melted Colby Jack, and topped with fried little onion crisps. With space at a premium it's smart to serve most of the sandwiches on the aforementioned top-notch Essential Baking Company roll, which is nicely paired with the pork. After cooling a little at the table, the sauce and the bread begin to meld, until it's all just one soft, fragrant, luscious thing, like any good BBQ pork sandwich should be.

Mac and Cheese ($5) is neither highbrow nor trashy, and finds the balance between the two. Mashed potatoes and gravy are a steal at $3, with vegetarian mushroom gravy, served the potatoes studded with tangy pickles! This is the kind of stunt we used to pull as kids, shoving olives, pickles, onions and whatever else caught our fancy into mashed potatoes. Here, they do it for you, and the pickle flavor prompted smiles and some glee at our table.

Lunchbox Laboratory is both inspiring and worthy of celebration. The love, warmth, and care that's gone into the d/cor, the menu, and most importantly the food wraps around diners like a warm blanket, holding customers close like a mother's hug.

Other Tidbits: It looks like The Wine Shop on 24th is headed for a new incarnation. We'll miss the George Foreman grill, but will keep an eye on the new place now under construction ... When we want a taste of Hawaii, we pick up some of the fresh ahi poke in the fish section at Ballard Market. The ginger-soy-onion-raw tuna medley hits the spot when yearning for the islands ... Also on the radar: the Il Giardino family Italian restaurant in the 65th Street Gulch. We've heard mixed reports. Have you been? Join the Ballard Food Police (BFP) and let us know at bnteditor@robinsonnews.com.

Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com