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Hilltop Kitchen

Don't miss great, flavorful dishes at this hidden gem

Rabbit Tacos is only one example that Hilltop Kitchen is not your everyday eatery. Photo credit: Dutch Randall

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There's a lot to be said about finding your favorite foods and eating them over and over again. After all, that is why these dishes have become our favorites. However, sometimes we just need to escape from our own comfort zone and try something new and unique in the hopes of finding a new favorite. A visit to Hilltop Kitchen is a guarantee that you'll find something new, unique and most definitely flavorful.

The first challenge visiting Hilltop Kitchen will simply be to find it, as there is no outside sign to say "We're here ... come in!"; there is only their name on top of the business hours. Yet, it was filled nearly to capacity on a weeknight when I visited.  So program your GPS and join the diners in Tacoma already aware of this undisclosed treat on Hilltop.

Your next challenge will be making a decision as to what you're going to eat.  With dozens of choices, each one a one of a kind, you're sure to spend some time reading through the menu over and over again.  These particular choices include Duck Rillette served with pickled blueberries, leeks and apricot mustard, or try the Smoked Elk Carpaccio which is served with a sorrel puree, spring peas, mushrooms and a cactus nori - just to name a couple.  I gave the Rabbit Taco a try, and discovered that these are not every day tacos, but a combination of tender rabbit glazed in a cherry / mexi coke gastrique with a collard green crema.  More sweet than spicy, it meets the goal of Hilltop Kitchen of distinctive, seasonal and fresh.

Even with all the care put into the kitchen choices, the stand out at Hilltop Kitchen however, is clearly the cocktail menu.  Again, this may take you some time to decide, but regardless of where you settle your selection, you will not be disappointed.  Much like the dinner menu, the bar menu is incredibly diverse and unique.  Drinks like the Dreamtiger, Corpse, and Surfbort, all combine several distilled choices into one miraculous cocktail.  Even the Margarita is unlike any other you've had before; with tequila joined by Amontillado sherry, pear brandy and grapefruit oil, it is hard to stop at just one.

Hilltop Kitchen could easily be your excuse to leave your food comfort zone and try something new.  Look closely so you don't miss it, and do not skip the cocktail menu when you give this local hot spot a try.

HILLTOP KITCHEN, 913 Martin Luther King Way, Tacoma, 253.327.1397

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