order the second dessert💋tip your server well💋the butter is the point💋wear the red💋order the second dessert💋tip your server well💋the butter is the point💋wear the red💋
The weekly letter. Every Monday, Thought, Taste & Presence rounds up the week's Lipstick on My Fork reviews, along with my essays and SZND recipes.
This is the loud one. Where SZND is my garden and my kitchen, Lipstick on My Fork is the night out — the splurge, the spectacle, the plate I'd cross town for.
Honest takes on the spots worth your appetite (and the ones that aren't). Decadent, a little flirty, never apologetic. If it left a mark on my napkin, you'll hear about it.
It's not about stars. It's about stories.
The scoring
Rated in lip prints.
One kiss to five. Because stars are for the timid.
💋💋💋💋💋
One
Wipe it off. Not worth the lipstick.
💋💋💋💋💋
Two
Fine. You won't write home.
💋💋💋💋💋
Three
Solid. I'd go back hungry.
💋💋💋💋💋
Four
Swoon. Bring a date worth it.
💋💋💋💋💋
Five
I'd skip home-cooking for a month.
On the menu
Where the cravings take me.
01
Date-Night Decadence
White tablecloths, low light, and a plate worth dressing up for.
Coming soon
02
Hole-in-the-Wall Gems
The unmarked door, the ten-table room, the best thing I ate all month.
Coming soon
03
The Splurge
The tasting menu. The wine pairing. The bill I'd do again.
Coming soon
04
Brunch With Bite
Bottomless something, a little decadent, a little unserious.
Coming soon
05
Cocktails & Courage
The bar program worth sitting at alone, dressed up, unbothered.
Coming soon
06
Eastside Eats
Bellevue and beyond — proving the suburbs can absolutely cook.
Coming soon
From the table
Every review lives here.
Lipstick on My Fork lives on katoyapalmer.com now. Honest takes and the occasional kitchen confession, delivered with a full mouth and a red lip, and rounded up in my weekly letter, Thought, Taste & Presence.
The column
A new review every Sunday, like the restaurant column that used to run in the Sunday paper. Newest first.
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Jay Berry's Cafe, Renton
💋💋💋½Three and a half kisses.
Jay Berry's Cafe, out on Renton-Issaquah Road, is one of my favorite places to grab brunch with family: my mom, my son, cousins, friends. This visit was my son's birthday brunch. We stopped in for hot tots while he planned the rest of his day.
Hot tots with the formaggi cheese sauce.My go-to: country fried steak and eggs.
Flavor
I always start with peppermint tea. Then the hot tots with the formaggi cheese sauce, the star of the table and never soggy. I loved that sauce so much I learned to make it at home. One tip: don't order the hot tots on Uber Eats. Get them in person.
Country fried steak and eggs is my go-to. My son has been a French toast guy for years, but he's tiptoeing into the grown-up world now and ordering chicken fried steak and eggs, just like his mom.
Service, value and vibe
Service is quick, the value is there, and the vibe is cozy. It's a real neighborhood breakfast spot: no frills, big plates. Bring an appetite and a buddy.
Lipstick Test
Not much left after my visits to Jay Berry's.
Kiss & Tell 💋
Hikers stop here before and after the Issaquah Alps and Squak Mountain trails. Sunday brunch runs till 2.
The Dedication
This one goes out to my son, who's always down for brunch with his mom.
Would I go back?
I already do, all the time.
Forkprint: June 13, 2025 · Jay Berry's Cafe, 16341 Renton-Issaquah Road SE, Renton
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi, Bellevue
💋💋💋💋💋I'd skip home-cooking for a month.
I've celebrated a lot of moments here, 31 floors up. June 2022 was the celebration after the premiere of No More Under's documentary Drowning in Silence, executive produced by Hill Harper and directed by Chezik Tsunoda. Hill passed the basket, Dr. Linda Quan (UW professor emerita and drowning-prevention researcher) was at the table, and I took the quail egg shot that used to be on the menu.
October 2022 was a night out with the lights low and The 1921, an Ascend classic served smoking. June 2023 was a solo lunch with a lake view before meeting friends at Julia's on Broadway. And every year, a board I serve on holds its annual lunch here. This year, the deviled eggs made the buffet.
The 1921, served smoking, 31 floors up.My standing order: the Nitamago deviled eggs.
My standing order
The Nitamago deviled eggs: soy-poached egg, bacon-pea jam and braised pork belly, still on the happy hour menu.
Trivia
Ascend has a six-tier steak menu, from Creekstone Prime all the way to Miyazaki A5 Wagyu. And that purple swirl is Okinawan sweet potato, ube's purple cousin.
The Dedication
This one is dedicated to the chefs on site.
Would I go back?
There have been more visits than the camera caught, including a celebration dinner for a former staff member who's now a colleague. I'll keep celebrating here.
Forkprint archive: June 23, 2022 · October 2022 · June 2023 · 2026 · Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi, Bellevue
Premiere photo credit in the video review: Adventures & Weddings, courtesy of No More Under.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Hilltop Red Apple, Beacon Hill
💋💋💋💋Swoon. Bring a date worth it.
The fried catfish in the hot case.
If you know, you know. The fried catfish in the hot case at Hilltop Red Apple is the reason I once drove all the way to Beacon Hill for a fix, and this week I almost did it again.
It's a little nostalgic too. Before Beacon Hill, there was the Red Apple that used to be on Jackson. My mom and I stopped there for catfish on so many Sundays after church.
Flavor
The fish is usually fresh, and it's fried the way I like it. Nothing tastes like home-cooked catfish to me yet, but this is my fix until it does. The hushpuppies are a must, and this visit I got a little peach cobbler too.
Service
The staff is always super friendly.
Lipstick Test
None left. Pass the tartar sauce and hot sauce.
The Dedication
This one goes out to the Hilltop staff. Always super friendly.
Would I go back?
I almost did tonight.
Forkprint: September 7, 2026 · Hilltop Red Apple, Beacon Hill, Seattle
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Primo's, Bellevue
💋💋💋💋Swoon. Bring a date worth it.
I've been coming back since January 2026. The first visit I worked through most of the appetizers with a colleague and fell for the drinks, the potato salad and the ribeye. Then I found Taco Tuesday: the tacos and sides are worth the trip, and my taco plates came with a free drink. I've also sampled their seasonal pasta and gnocchi at events, and they hosted my taste test for Golden Hour Unboxed.
The chicken and waffles took me back to my grandma's fried chicken. And the house salad is my must, every single time. It comes with steak, wrapped like a bouquet, and it's the best deal on the menu.
The house salad arrives like a bouquet.Unwrapped: steak, greens and an avocado rose.
The vibe
Live music most times I've been, and a playlist that jams when there isn't. The staff is always friendly and professional. My move is to go right at opening, when it's a little quieter.
The tab
Prices are decent if you have discipline. Drinks will bump the tab up quickly, so plan accordingly, or go on Taco Tuesday.
Lipstick Test
Wiped clean. Every time.
The Dedication
This one goes out to Chuck. I didn't know him before Golden Hour Unboxed. Primo's was the first restaurant to answer, and he didn't hesitate. He made the evening. That's what showing up for community looks like.
Kiss & Tell 💋
Primo's is named for the owners' friend Juan "Primo." Chuck also runs Vue in Belltown, karaoke suites and all.
Would I go back?
I can't wait to.
Forkprint archive: January 2026 · August 20, 2026 · Primo's, 1020 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue · primosbellevue.com
Disclosure: Primo's sponsored catering for Golden Hour Unboxed. This review isn't sponsored.
