Ten Of The Year's Best For Good, Cheap Eats

"Don't you ever eat where real people eat?"

That's the question that gets thrown (or mailed on a hasty postcard) whenever I write a glowing review of a place like Gerard's or Roy's or Canlis.

The uneasy fact is that I DO eat in more pedestrian places - all the time - and if the embarrassing truth be known, I prefer them. In fact, I feel more comfortable over a bowl of dumplings in the International District than I do in a suit and tie at the Four Seasons Olympic, judging a prize-winning martini with a side of lobster cocktail. Truly.

Seattle is blessed with hundreds of informal gathering spots where fine food and sensible economics meet.

Here, in no particular order, are 10 that I enjoyed in '96.

1. The Bay Cafe, Fisherman's Terminal, Salmon Bay (282-3435). Spotlessly clean, bustling hangout for Seattle's commercial fishing fleet. Great seafood, impeccably fresh and simply prepared (by a Greek couple from Chicago) is dished up at low, low prices. Great burgers. Closes at 2:30 p.m. every afternoon, but early breakfasts are equally popular.

Weekend breakfasts featuring four-egg omelets (order Waffle No. 2 instead) are hopelessly mobbed.

2. Southsea Grill & Noodle Restaurant, 514 12th Ave. (860-8164). Dozens of Vietnamese places now dot the local landscape, but none is less expensive or more welcoming than the Southsea Grill near Seattle University. Beautifully tender, unfried "potstickers" with ground pork fillings light as marshmallow. Outstanding Chicken Pho Ga for $4.50. Daily lunch special at $2.99!

3. Pagliacci Pizza, 550 Queen Anne Ave. N. (and other locations; 285-2134). Many quality pastas augment a lineup of the best pizzas in the city - especially the seasonal specials like Walla Walla Sweets and the autumnal Eastern Washington pear toppings. Zeek's and Alekos Pizza run close competition.

4. Catfish Corner, 2726 E. Cherry St. (323-4330). Sit down or take out some of the finest, authentic, farm-raised, corn-meal dipped, fried catfish in creation, with beans, rice, potato salad and a warm, moist corn bread muffin. Owners Rosemary and Woodrow Jackson offer a House Special Gumbo ($7.25) on Wednesdays, brimming with crab claws, shrimp, hot links, chicken and rice. And don't miss Auntie's Peach Cobbler.

5. Burrito Loco Taqueria, 9211 Holman Road N.W. (783-0719). Seldom has so much sheer goodness come from such unassuming surroundings. Looks like a convenience store adjunct to the gas station next door, but it's the real thing. Terrific, fresh Mexican sauces, especially the house mole: deep, dark, rich, mysterious and balanced. The Chile Relleno is the best in the city.

6. Thai Chef, 1645 140th Ave. N.E., Bellevue (562-7955). Start with the Shrimp Superb (immodestly named, but accurate) or the Fish Cakes, then move on to the Garlic Prawns (daringly underdone), the Sizzling Cod topped with spicy sauce or the Phad Thai Chicken.

7. Seattle Crab Co., 1000 N.E. Northgate Way (366-9225). This is the earnest attempt by the new, local owners of Skipper's to turn around a once-solid fast-food chain that had nearly been ruined by years of out-of-state pizza-chain corporate management. Surprising seafood quality ("waterfront dining at half the waterfront prices . . . ") aims to attract young families and frugal retirees. No plastic baskets. Best choices: Crab Cake Sandwiches and the original recipe Fish and Chips ($3.80 to $6.70) made with fresh cod.

8. Saigon Bistro, 1032 S. Jackson St., Suite 202 (329-4939). Probably everybody's favorite Vietnamese hangout. The utilitarian, almost plain dining room is backed up by a kitchen of sheer artistry. The most popular dish on the menu is the Coconut Chicken ($3.95), a twice-roasted split broiler that's been marinated in coconut milk and fish sauce. Even the most expensive dishes (around $8.95) are massive bowls of elaborate soups and noodles meant to feed several diners.

9. Matt's Famous Chili Dogs, 6615 E. Marginal Way S. (768-0418). OK, so it isn't really a restaurant. But it's the only place I know of within 2,000 miles to get a real Chicago-style hot dog ($2) in a steamed bun, complete with sport pickles and celery salt. There are some things for which there are no real substitutes. The franks, incidentally, are from Vienna Beef in Chicago. The chili dogs (good but not great) are Boarshead of New York.

10. Lucy's Taqueria, 5602 First Ave. S. (767-3767). "Lucy" isn't Mexican. In fact, the owner/chef isn't even Lucy. She's Sandra Doyle, who started up her restaurant career with partner Rob Gray as the resident caterers to the "Northern Exposure" television crew. But Doyle is accomplished; her little south-end spot is popular with area employees and her freshly made self-serve sauces - arrayed almost like a buffet - are irresistible. (Copyright, 1997 John Hinterberger. All rights reserved.) John Hinterberger, who writes the weekly restaurant review in Tempo and a Sunday food column in Pacific, visits restaurants anonymously and unannounced. He pays in full for all food, wines and services. Interviews of the restaurants' management and staff are done only after meals and services have been appraised. He does not accept invitations to evaluate restaurants.