Nancy Leson's Favorite Edmonds Restaurants

A while back, I set a lunch date with Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson. As both a foodie and a longtime Edmonds resident, Leson could give me the scoop on her favorite plaches to nosh up north.

A woman after my own heart, Leson loves all Asian cuisine. And so we agreed to meet at T&T Seafood Restaurant on Highway 99 -- a place Leson has been a regular at for years, and one that's long been on my list to try out. Though the enormous Chinese restaurant began serving dim sum last year, we decided to order off the regular menu. Leson asked me if I had any dietary restrictions (my response: "I eat everything"), and then ordered for the two of us. We ended up with a plate of pea vines, hot and sour soup, and a whole tilapia, skin and bones included.

While digging into the delicious food with our chopsticks, I asked Leson for the rundown on her personal restaurant picks in Edmonds. Here are a few that made her list:

1. Highway 99 through Shoreline and Edmonds has become a sort of Mecca for Asian food lovers, and many of Leson's top eats center around the neighborhood. She's a huge fan of a relatively new Korean soup place just one block south of Ranch 99 Market. Neither of us can read the Korean lettering, but the English portion of the sign reads "Traditional Korean Beef Soup." (Check out our critic's review of the place ) Following her recommendation, my boyfriend and I stopped in for dinner one evening, and we devoured our soup and a plate of dumplings.

2. Another Highway 99 favorite of Leson's is the . The strip mall includes a small Korean market, a Than Brothers pho shop, and a Vietnamese restaurant called The original Seattle Deli is on 12th and Jackson, and both shops serve up cheap banh mi sandwiches. (Check out our food critic's of Seattle Deli.) 

3. When Leson finds herself dining on Highway 99, she also often scoops up food to bring home to her kitchen. In the spring and summer months, she's a regular at Country Farms, a giant produce stand with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. At any time of year, she visits Ranch 99 Market to pick up Asian greens, produce, tofu, noodles, and condiments. "All the Asian staples I use regularly," Leson said.

4. When venturing away from Highway 99's Asian corridor, Leson frequents a few favorites in downtown Edmonds. She sings the praises of chef Michael Young, the man behind The Winged Pig and a new wood fired pizza joint, Il Buffone. Before changing the downtown Edmonds restaurant space to Il Buffone this winter, Young served up small plates at Olives Cafe and Wine Bar (our critic's rave review ), which exists no longer. Leson counted herself as a fierce fan of Olives. "Michael Young is an unsung local chef," Leson said. 

The above restaurants are just a few of Leson's picks for Edmonds, as the foodie could reel off a number of other beloved spots. What do you think of her selections? And what other places would you count as top dining destinations for Edmonds?