Restaurants in Lake Forest Park

For more than 40 years, Robert C. Mathwig has owned Family Pancake House and defended his sanctuary for the fluffy breakfast staple against the ravages of time, stringently maintaining the same wholesome business practices that set the cozy eatery apart from the competition on its very first day. The kitchens still make most of the menu from scratch, sourcing as many ingredients as possible from local suppliers to ensure that each order arrives to its table at the peak of freshness. The whole menu of breakfast treats and savory later-day meals is available all day long, with fluffy pancakes, crepes, and omelets sharing space at diners’ tables with grilled cheeses and breaded pork chops.

Family Pancake House takes its friendly moniker to its logical conclusion by acting as a supportive family for the community that has kept the eatery's doors open for nearly half a century. The company routinely sponsors youth sports teams, and employees often volunteer their leftover flour supply to sweaty-palmed gymnasts.

Fusing traditional Indian culinary traditions with modern environmental responsibility, the chefs at Vatika Indian Cuisine simmer and roast a menu of classic Indian meals from fresh, seasonal ingredients. Diners choose from meat and vegetarian-friendly meals that include tandoor-cooked lamb kebabs, creamy malai kofta, and spicy vindaloo curry. Most dishes pair easily with slivers of warm naan bread, which guests can use to scoop up morsels of food as their eyes rove over the dining-room decor, which, like the restaurant's cuisine, fuses traditional Indian style with contemporary sensibilities.

The brisk sounds of live alternative rock, hip-hop, electronica, and punk music waft from High Dive's stage nearly every night. National and local acts regularly crank out tunes amid the blue- and purple-lit performance space, imbuing the intimate environs with a lively soundtrack to complement the upscale pub cuisine dispensed from the kitchen. Staffers fuel dance-floor festivities with hearty burgers forged from grass-fed lamb and premium Angus beef, and swathe sandwiches in such elegant accouterments as goat cheese, roasted peppers, and fried egg. To conquer seafood cravings or British trivia contests, they dole out fish 'n' chips that feature wild-caught cod hidden inside a jacket of batter made with locally brewed beer.

Owner Mike Salimi mans the counter at Nova Restaurant most days, opening and closing the cash-register drawer and handing over pizzas, homestyle burgers, sandwiches, and seafood to hungry customers. He has finely tuned his pizza recipe throughout the past 20 years, using trial and error to arrive at his current series of steps: hand-making pizza dough, homemade sauce, and toppings that are purchased each day. He also whips together an array of seafood dishes, including oysters, prawns, and Irish-style fish 'n' chips made with halibut or cod and coated in a specialty batter. He hangs colorful abstract paintings on the eatery's yellow walls, which is the closest humankind will ever get to decorating the sun.

Specializing in bombastic American fare, Chef Chris Nelson curates a menu of mouthwatering sandwiches, burgers, steaks, and salads. A bar remedies mouth droughts with a rotating selection of 12 draft beers, and big-screen televisions broadcast sports while the pool table extends hospitality to colorful balls.

Crafted to complement a selection of wines hailing from Washington and beyond, Village Wine Bar and Bistro's menu brims with gourmet appetizers and entrees made every morning with a retinue of fresh ingredients. While chefs ensconce baked salmon in a parmesan crust or slice up portions of turkey breast, havarti cheese, and avocado for the layered Wine Country club, smaller plates take on arrangements of toasty bruschetta or seasonal gems of fruit and cheese. Meanwhile, guests swirl local wines as they nestle into antique love seats in the warmth of the parlor’s fireplace, listening to a pianist tickle the ivories until they confess where they left the wine list.