So many great places to eat in Ballard! If it's Mexican you're after, Ristorante Michoacan at 15th & 83rd is the best *authentic* Mexican place in town, as far as I'm concerned. And that's coming from someone who grew up in L.A. Here are a few more of my Ballard faves:

* Sofrito Rico (2320 NW Market St) - Excellent Puerto Rican restaurant... the pigeon peas & rice are amazing.
* India Bistro (2301 NW Market St) - Just plain yummy. Great dals and samosas.
* Hattie's Hat (5231 Ballard Avenue NW) - This is the sort of place I'd go to catch up with friends (and I have). The sweet potato fries are awesome.
* Sushi Bento (8501 15th Ave NW) - Great Japanese restaurant with excellent prices. Another good "let's catch up" place.
* Acorn Eatery (9041 Holman Rd NW) - Excellent pasta dishes and pizza. They always have a squash-related special (like butternut squash ravioli). I'm not a huge squash fan so I just stick with the everyday good stuff, but I've heard the squash specials are yummy.
* Madame K's (5327 Ballard Ave NW) - Brothel-turned-pizza joint serves up tasty pies with a side of sass! (I swear I wasn't paid to say that. They're just that good.)
* Cafe Besalu (5909 24th Ave NW) - Without a doubt, the best French pastries in town. This is where I meet up with former co-workers for weekend breakfasts to catch up.
* Thai Siam (8305 15th Ave NW) - Pretty good Thai restaurant... maybe not the best in town, but it's hard to mess up Thai.
* Matt's Gourmet Hot Dogs (2325 NW Market St) - The only place in town to get a decent veggie dog. I've heard their meat ones are quite tasty, as well. Get Chicago Style with sport peppers... bestest hot dog EVAH!
* Mr. Spot's Chai House (5463 Leary Ave NW) - I haven't tried much of their food (although their desserts look great), but they serve delicious concoctions made with Morning Glory Chai. Good bands sometimes, too.
* Great Harvest Bakery (2218 NW Market Street) - Alright, it's a chain, but that doesn't make their sandwiches any less fabulous. And the cinni-minis are crazy delicious.

That should keep you busy for a while. For what it's worth, here are the ones I'm not too crazy about:

* Lombardi's Cucina - I've eaten here three times and I felt sick after each time. If you like pasta drowning in ultra-rich cream sauces, this is the place for you! It is not the place for me.
* Oaxaca - Everyone raves about this place, which is why I was so disappointed when I went. It's not that I don't like it, I just find it terribly overrated and over-pricy. I could just be bitter because of the limited vegetarian selection.
* Golden City - It's really hard for me to NOT like Chinese food, but I hate this place. My food was over-salty (probably loaded with MSG) and cold and just overall disgusting.

Just my opinions... I'm sure other people have theirs, as well, and you'll probably hear them. Just remember that I'm the one who's actually right. :)

I think my wife had something to eat at Ristorante Michoacan, Nica, and she raved about it--an uncommon thing from her. Thanks for the confirmation! You've given me a lot to choose from, too. Very nice, thank you.

Johnny, I love pho, and Than Bros. do great pho. Thanks for the heads up on that!