Nosh Pit - February 2012

Neighborhood Food News: More Pasta at Il Corvo and Dine Around Seattle Is Coming Right Up

Plus: Cheese field trips with Calf and Kid, Proletariat Pizza delivers, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 29, 2012 at 12:30PM 0 Comments

Shortened hours means more pasta at Il Corvo.

CAPITOL HILL
Melrose Market cheesemonger The Calf and Kid is reviving the elementary school joy of the field trip with day trips to Yarmuth Farms to tour the creamery, pet the baby animals, and eat a big, cheesy lunch.

DOWNTOWN
The bad news: Il Corvo, the fresh pasta joint tucked into a gelato shop, is closing Mondays, cutting its days to Tuesday–Friday. The good news: Owner Mike Easton is closing Monday to have more pasta-making hours, so he will actually be able to keep serving lunch until 3 on the days the shop is open and can have more beautiful specials. (Like ‘naked’ nettle ravioli).

GREENWOOD
Phinneywood reports that Chuck’s Hop Shop is hosting a beer tasting to raise money for Vision Greenwood Park tonight, Wednesday the 1st, from five to eight.

LYNNWOOD
There’s a new Whole Foods opening soon up north—the grand opening will be on Thursday, March 15. An hour of hoopla begins at 8, and the doors officially open to the public at 9. Then on Saturday, March 17, the store is having a family-oriented celebration from 10 to 2…free samples?

U DISTRICT
As part of Free First Thursday, the Burke Museum will be opening its Hungry Planet exhibit to the public free of charge. The exhibit explores the interplay between food and culture through photos of families in their markets and homes with a week’s worth of groceries, as well as a special display about traditional Native American foodways.

WEST SEATTLE
Proletariat Pizza is trying out a new delivery service—available Monday through Wednesday to addresses nearby the White Center shop, according to Eater Seattle.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
On Thursday, March 1, the new Washington liquor legislation kicks in, making it possible for restaurants and bars to work directly with distillers and distributors without the state as a middleman. But things might not really change too much, for now at least.

Food-lover magazine Bon Appetit named the Hot Cakes bacon, oatmeal, raisin cookies served at Stumptown as one of the nation’s best coffee shop desserts. (And they’ve got a recipe!)

On the subject of accolades, Where Ya At Matt was counted amongst the nation’s 20 best food trucks by the most well-known arbiter of taste in the restaurant world, Smithsonian Magazine.

Dine Around Seattle, the 3-courses-for-$30 restaurant extravaganza, begins Thursday, March 1, with more restaurants this year then ever before. Start making your lists and your reservations.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Pizza, Il Corvo, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Liquor Privatization, Food News Roundup, Liquor Laws, Food News, Pasta, Dine Around Seattle, Awards and Accolades, Where Ya At Matt

Bar-Staurant The Gerald Opens Late March in Ballard

Two local boys make good in the form of classic cocktails and comfort food.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 29, 2012 at 09:20AM 0 Comments

Owners Kevin Rothrock and Elliot Westwater in front of their soon-to-be establishment. Photo courtesy of Jodi Smith.

Just in case you thought the onslaught of new bars and restaurants on Ballard Ave was slowing down, here’s a new mid century modern–inspired bar-staurant called The Gerald that plans to open its doors in late March (target date: March 23) at 5210 Ballard Ave NW.

The owners, Kevin Rothrock and Elliot Westwater, are Garfield High alums who previously lived in Montana (a state that has been quite an inspiration to our local drinking community). Jodi Smith, Westwater’s fiancée and de facto spokeswoman for the new establishment, likens to vibe to “the essence of the Mad Men nostalgia popularity right now,” with “classic hand-crafted cocktails of yesteryears.”

The menu has mid-century comfort food overtones; the examples in a recent press release include fancy mac and cheese, fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, and devils on horseback. There’s also talk of cocktail and food pairing recommendations. The Gerald will be open from 4pm to 2am Tuesday through Saturday and—attention hung over people of Ballard—Sunday brunch.

Rothrock and Westwater initially had a different name in mind, but settled on The Gerald as a nod to the address’s previous occupant, T-shirt shop Elephants Gerald. And, says Smith, Gerald was the 60-something most popular name back in the 1960s. So there you have it.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Coming Soon, The Gerald, Kevin Rothrock, Elliot Westwater, Ballard Ave Boom, March Nosh News

Skillet at Seattle Center: It’s On

Josh Henderson will open a grab-and-go counter in the reimagined food court.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 29, 2012 at 08:37AM 0 Comments

Photo: Iris Dumuk

A Skillet burger can soon be yours at Seattle Center.

For a couple months now Josh Henderson has reportedly had his eye on Seattle Center House. Graham Baba Architects is revamping the food court there, which will reopen in late spring with a beefed up culinary program.

On Tuesday Henderson confirmed to Nosh he has inked a deal with Seattle Center and will bring his Skillet enterprise to the historic property.

Henderson isn’t opening another Skillet Diner, exactly. Rather Henderson described the setup as a grab-and-go counter with an area to take a seat while watching the kitchen. “It will be a fantastic spot to just hang out and have a burger and a beer.”

The menu will be comprised of “greatest hits”: pork belly on waffle, biscuits and gravy, the fried chicken sandwich, poutine, the burger. As for an ETA: “I really am not sure of the opening date as there are contractor questions that are being mulled over right now. We are hoping for June.”

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Street Food, Coming Soon, Skillet, Joshua Henderson, Seattle Center, Seattle Food Trucks, March Nosh News, Seattle Center House

Canlis Exec Sous Chef Patrick Ayres

The new second in command at Canlis may work fine dining, but he has a soft spot for gumbo.

Posted by: Jessie Wesley on Feb 28, 2012 at 09:00AM 4 Comments

The newly promoted exec sous at Canlis has a passion for quality ingredients. Photo courtesy of Patrick Ayres.

Welcome to So Sous Me, an occasional series in which we get to know the men and women who help burnish the reputations of Seattle’s most prominent kitchens and chefs.

Baton Rouge native Patrick Ayres was recently promoted to executive sous chef at Canlis, which means he helps run the show under chef Jason Franey at the sophisticated Seattle classic (which, by the way, is all over the James Beard Award longlist). Although Ayres initially studied music, he left after realizing that he was no match against kids who began training at age four. At a loss for what to do next, he ruminated on his passions and realized that “the only thing I always loved doing every time I did it was cooking.”

After making the big commitment to cooking, Ayres went to culinary school and scored a head chef job at a neighborhood Italian joint in Colorado. Despite the cushy position, Ayres says he wanted to be more creative, while the owners were wary of change. His move to Seattle gave him the chance to find a kitchen that was a good match for his creativity.

Ayres had a brief stint at the short-lived Artisanal in Bellevue, where he says he often had to work 17-hour shifts at the mercy of lackluster kitchen management. From there, he moved on to Canlis, where he was able to work his way up from garde manger, to exec sous chef. “It’s great to be in this kind of a spot in this caliber of a restaurant,” says Ayres. Like most ambitious culinary types, he has ambitions of going solo someday.

Here, a few questions for Patrick Ayres:

If you were to open your own restaurant today what kind of food would it serve?

There’s still too much to learn to narrow it down like that. Right now I’m learning from every dish I do. I’ll tell you this though: I’ve grown addicted to the purest ingredients. I’m serious…not sure I could ever go back. Other than the fact that the cooking will be refined, in the perfect coastal town, delicious, and known for innovation I’m not sure I could really pin it down for you.

What’s your favorite part about being an exec sous chef?

Being able to turn the pressure of the position into beautiful execution. There’s great pressure, but it forces creativity, organization and delegation. I love the amount of growth it demands of me.

What’s the most difficult task that you have been faced with as an exec sous chef?

The most challenging jobs are the larger events. We do a fair number of them, and with the type of food we do here, that means a lot of work goes into the organization and prep. One dish may have a dozen or more steps to it and require several days of preparation. Creating 100 of these in 12 minutes (as we had to while hosting Eleven Madison Park) is an adrenaline rush, but if you’re not organized, it’s a nightmare.

Tell me about your worst restaurant job.

I won’t name names, but the worst place I’ve worked was a little Italian restaurant in Louisiana. It was when I first started culinary school and would’ve worked anywhere to pay my way through. All the food was out of a bag or a can. The marinara was way too sweet, nothing was made in house and literally every dish, whether it was spaghetti and meatballs or penne alla vodka was covered in a huge handful of mozzarella and baked. There was just a great void of passion and attentiveness that I couldn’t imagine being a part of today.

Where do you like to eat in Seattle? And what do you order?

I am rarely awake for breakfast, but for brunch Tilth’s pulled chicken biscuits and gravy is just ridiculous. For lunch, I like La Carta de Oaxaca, tacos al pastor —I’m convinced there’s nothing better than traditional Mexican food and these guys do it right. For dinner, the Book Bindery’s Shaun’s foie gras is consistently transcendent.

What cookbook do you go to most often for inspiration?

The first book that really blew me away and I still look to is The French Laundry. The beauty of the food and the way Chef Keller writes about it is captivating. Others I look to are Alinea, Girardet, and Eleven Madison Park.

Describe your favorite comfort food.

I’ve built a career on fine dining, but when it comes to eating comfort food, I go back to southern soul food. I’m a Louisiana boy: jambalaya, gumbo, and boiled crawfish. When it’s right, the cooking is so honest – it takes me home.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Canlis, So Sous Me, Patrick Ayres

Nosh Pit Weekly Planner

Desserts with Gail Simmons, Brown-bag lunches at Volunteer Park Café, and oysters on the beach with Taylor Shellfish.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 27, 2012 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Shucking lessons and all the oysters you’ve ever dreamed of. This Saturday on the beach with Taylor Shellfish.

WEDNESDAY February 29

Dessert Party with Gail Simmons
The Book Larder and Tom Douglas are bringing Gail Simmons, host of Top Chef: Just Desserts, to the Palace Ballroom for an evening of sweets and discussion. The $45 ticket includes desserts prepared by the Douglas team, a glass of wine, a signed copy of Simmons’ book Talking With My Mouth Full, and some insight on how one becomes a professional dessert-eater.

Rub With Love Pop-Up
Seatown’s monthly Rub With Love pop-up is back, this time East Indian-themed, with the Bengal Masala Rub taking center stage. Drop by for an inexpensive meal —or if you miss it, don’t fret: some of the pop-up menu items will make their way onto the happy hour menu for the rest of the month.

Leap Day at Pagliacci
The local pizza chain is taking a trip back to 1984—another leap year—and dropping prices down to what they were 28 years ago. Grab a slice of cheese pizza for 90 cents, pepperoni for 95 cents, combo for $1.20 and primo for $1.35 at the U-District, Broadway, and Queen Anne locations.

THURSDAY March 1

Gail Simmons at the Book Larder
If you missed Gail at the Palace Ballroom on Wednesday, you’ll get another shot on Thursday morning at 9:30 at the Book Larder. This event is only $25, and you’ll get the book, a cup of Caffe Vita coffee, and some quality time with Gail in the Book Larder kitchen.

FRIDAY March 2

Poverty Bay Wine Festival
The Des Moines Rotary Club’s eighth annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival begins Friday and runs through Sunday. More than twenty Washington wineries will be in attendance, and $25 gets you 10 tasting tokens.

Lunch Break for Schools
Volunteer Park Café will be raising money for the American Culinary Federation’s Chefs Move to Schools program with a classic brown-bag lunch. The $12 lunch bags hold a totally non-disappointing old-school lunch: a sandwich, parfait, carrots, and milk. All organic, of course, and available for pick-up before school or to enjoy in the café.

SATURDAY March 3

Hard Liver Barleywine Festival
The 10th annual Barleywine Fest begins its three-day run this Saturday at Brouwer’s Café in Fremont. The fest will have dozens of varieties of the strong ale (usually 8 to 12 percent alcohol) to taste.

Streets and Beets
Hundreds of bikers will be pedaling 70 miles from the city down to Seattle Tilth Farm Works in Auburn to raise money for and awareness about the inequalities in the food system. Registration will run you $25 and includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and riders are expected to raise at least $100 in donations to participate.

Samish Sip n’ Slurp
Taylor Shellfish and non-profit Skagit Conservation Education Alliance are putting on an evening of wine, shucking lessons, and as many oysters as you can eat. The $75 event begins at 6 on the beach at the Taylor Farm oyster beds.

SUNDAY March 4

Sausage and Bacon Workshop
A meaty departure from the routine cooking classes: a sausage making and bacon-curing workshop. The $70 class will cover bacon, smoked garlic hot dogs, Italian sausage, and apple chicken breakfast sausage. The class begins at 2 at Cook’s World and is limited to 12 students.

TUESDAY March 6

Shellfish Shindig
Every Tuesday till April 18, Tom Douglas seafood restaurant Etta’s will be hosting a messy, delicious Shellfish Shindig. Call ahead and reserve your bucket of clams, mussels, shrimp, and vegetables (with bread for sauce-soaking as well as sautéed greens and cornbread pudding and coconut cream pie), $30 per person, with a minimum of 2 people.

BEYOND

March 8
Crab and Prawn Boil at Salty’s
The Salty’s chefs will be boiling up pounds of crab and prawns for a Thursday feast. The restaurant recommends making reservations for the $35 meal, which includes a pound and a half of seafood plus bread, chowder, salad, and a pint of hefeweizen.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Tom Douglas, Oysters, Volunteer Park Cafe, Etta's, Seatown Snack Bar, Seattle Pop-Ups, Book Larder, Weekly Planner

Rising Trend in Seattle Restaurants: “Only 30 Chickens a Night!”

Scarcity marketing comes to the dining room.

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 27, 2012 at 09:00AM 1 Comments

Ma’Ono Chickens: Get ‘em while they’re hot. (And before they’re all gone.)

We’ve all been to restaurants that run out of stuff—barbecue joints that close when the meat goes, sushi bars that nimbly switch specials according to what disappears, taco trucks that fold up earlier and earlier the more popular they become, bakeries that run out of their special brioche or—hey Nook !—freakishly delectable biscuits, a certain Cuban sandwich joint that routinely stabs its fans in the heart by hanging what might be the world’s saddest sign: No Bread.

(“I will buy them some bread,” muttered my devastated companion last time this happened. You want his number, Paseo?)

We all know why this happens: freshness demands it, and sometimes the best demographic demand prediction models—ie. guesses—are off.

So why not turn it into a marketing strategy?

Last week we were informed by our warm and welcoming waiter at Marjorie that its signature, The True Burger—a big freakin’ ball of beef with Worcestershire onions, harissa ketchup, bone marrow aioli, all the fixin’s, and a strip of bacon thick as a blade steak, on one strained-to-the-limit bakery bun—is only available to 10 lucky customers a night. “If you want one, you might want to tell me now,” our waiter confided when taking our drink orders. The place was starting to fill up.

Whew…we got ours! (It was fine, by the way…though insanely messy.)

Spring Hill did the same thing when it transformed itself a couple of weeks ago into the Hawaiian-tweaked Ma’Ono. The savvy joint knew how popular its fried chicken dinners were—periodic chicken-dinner-night test drives at Spring Hill had made that manifestly clear—so announcing that they’d be frying just 30 chickens per night and pricing them at $38 per couple seemed not just a safe strategy, but a savvy one.

Indeed, when I called for a table last week they were not only out of tables for the night—they were already out of chickens.

We will see more of this; from a restaurant’s standpoint what’s not to love? It sends the message that the kitchen cares about freshness. It (artificially) vaults a dish to star status. It has the potential to sell those tough-to-fill early tables. It grabs attention, of the sort I am bestowing right now.

And if it’s annoying for a customer to be told her favorite dish is already sold out for the night—it is, in equal measure, human nature being what it is, alluring. Indeed, call scarcity marketing the back-of-the-house’s version of a dining room’s no-reservations policy: A restaurant’s way of making itself look as popular as it possibly can.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Marjorie, Restaurant Trends, Food Trends in Seattle, Critic's Notebook, Critic's Notebook, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky, Nook

Details on the Molly Moon’s Capitol Hill Expansion

The Pine Street ice cream shop is taking over the former Flora and Henri storefront.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 24, 2012 at 02:44PM 0 Comments

Come summer, you watch this get made at the Molly Moon’s on Capitol Hill.

Earlier in the week CHS dropped news of a possible expansion of the Pine Street Molly Moon’s. The blog reported the ice cream shop will take over the neighboring space left vacant by child clothier Flora and Henri. When CHS pressed owner Molly Moon Neitzel for details she wouldn’t divulge much, but instead responded rather curiously with a riddle from Willy Wonka:

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanna change the world?
There’s nothing to it!

Huh? Turns out there’s a reason for the rhyme.

During a phone call Friday Neitzel confirmed she is indeed taking over the storefront and will convert it into a Willy Wonka-esque “kitchen on display.”

“The space came up and I felt like we had to jump on it,” she said. The kitchen at the Capitol Hill shop, which also produces ice cream for the truck and Madrona and downtown spots, is “busting at the seams.”

Plans are still very much in the air, but Neitzel does intend to assume the space in its entirety. She envisions patrons being able to watch workers as they prep batches of Balsamic Strawberry or waffle cones. Neitzel said she believes strongly in transparency of ingredients, so it “feels only fitting we should show more of that. To make what we do in our kitchen more visible.”

In the coming months Neitzel will embark on a nationwide book tour; during the stops she will demo how to make ice cream at home. Upon returning to Seattle Neitzel imagines hosting similar events in her newfound real estate.

There’s no firm timeline for the build-out, but look for the space to open in the summer.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Coming Soon, Molly Moon's, Molly Moon Neitzel

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Skelly and the Bean opens, Damiana’s Blue Truck officially closes, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 24, 2012 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Skelly and the Bean’s funky, cozy, “farm-fancy” space.

OPENINGS

Skelly and the Bean
Zephyr Paquette’s new place opened yesterday, February 23, after much, much anticipation. We’ve got photos (and menu teasers.)

Koral Bar and Kitchen
The latest restaurant from the duo behind Pearl Bar and Dining opens next Thursday, March 1 in the former Twisted Cork space in Bellevue’s Hyatt Regency hotel. Self-labeled as the “new American kitchen,” the menu includes dressed-up classics like blue cheese meatloaf.

COMING SOON

Mediterranean Mix
Otmane Bezzaz, owner of J and M’s Café in Pioneer Square, is opening a similar restaurant at 23rd and Union, in the old Beehive Bakery space, says Central District News. The menu will be similar to J and M’s, with a few added items thanks to the larger kitchen.

Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff
The burger-based food truck is expanding in all directions: a brick-and-mortar restaurant in West Seattle is slated to open this summer, and a concession stand on Green Lake will be open by mid-April. The menu may be a little different at both new locations, but you can count on cheesesteaks from every Charlie’s.

Tippe and Drague
Though it’s been a year since the Beacon Hill alehouse was announced, it seems that things are finally coming together and it might be open by May, says Beacon Hill Blog.

The Oak
The folks behind The Redwood in Capitol Hill are opening another arboreal-named, comfort food, craft beer joint, this time in Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill Blog that a major remodel is underway and the owners are planning on a mixed bar/restaurant space.

The Wandering Goose
Beloved former baker at Volunteer Park Café Heather Earnhardt is opening a Southern-slanting breakfast joint in Capitol Hill. The Goose’s Facebook states that Earnhardt plans to open in June and serve fresh pastries and brunch, the North Carolina baker bringing biscuits and grits to the table.

CLOSINGS

Damiana’s Blue Truck Special
The gussied-up comfort food purveyor is retiring, sadly, but she’ll still be available for catering and special events.

Add a Comment »

Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Restaurant News, Closings, Seattle Food Trucks, Skelly and the Bean, Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff, Capitol Hill Openings,

The MacGregor from Honest Biscuits

Waiting for you at the West Seattle Farmers Market: one giant biscuit, filled with bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 23, 2012 at 01:45PM 1 Comments

Crunchy and crumbly on the outside, soft and buttery inside.

At the start of the year, Honest Biscuits set up shop at the West Seattle Farmers Market, where owner Art Stone tempts chard-shoppers with oversize, buttery packets.

Stone, who described his biscuits to Hanna Raskin as “crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside,” offers rotating flavors. On one recent visit, Honest Biscuits offered a standard version, another made with Beecher’s cheese, and an especially tempting-looking number with a big chunk of Theo chocolate baked in the middle.

But the $5 MacGregor might be the perfect introduction to Stone and his biscuits. This version is studded with Hempler’s bacon and caramelized onions, as well as Beecher’s cheese. Heat it up as a market-wandering snack, or take it home and make that bad boy into a sandwich.

You can track Honest Biscuits’ menu on its website, and keep an eye out for Stone to expand to other farmers markets in the future. There’s also talk of a Mexican-inspired biscuit recipe for Cinco de Mayo.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Biscuits, Biscuits, On the Menu, Honest Biscuits

Ethan Stowell Shares Details on Forthcoming Pizzeria, Roman-Style Trattoria

Well, technically he shares them with a newspaper in Montreal. But details, nonetheless.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 23, 2012 at 12:30PM 1 Comments

Oh, Canada: Ethan Stowell heads north to share details of his by-the-slice pizzeria slated for (surprise, surprise) Ballard Ave. Photo by Geoffrey Smith.

Ethan Stowell spent the week in Montreal recreating his Staple and Fancy restaurant for eager patrons as one of the six Seattle chefs at the city’s annual Montreal en Lumiere festival. And apparently crossing the border put the chef in a chatty mood. Stowell, who made the latest James Beard Award semifinalist list earlier this week, shared a few details with the Montreal Gazette about the by-the-slice pizza joint, Ballard Pizza Co., he’s planning at 5107 Ballard Ave NW.

Stowell told the paper he’s planning New York-style pies, a departure from his usual Italian ethos:

I didn’t want to do Naples-style, like those little 12-inch pies. I want to do huge New York style slices, so you could just come in and go, whether it’s early in the day or super late at night. A place to hang out, something casual and fun. I really love the challenge of doing things differently, but also better, and making sure it’s less expensive than you would expect. I appreciate the art of the pizza – those beautiful Italian pies. But I also wanted it to be approachable, to taste great, and to not have the bill to be the issue. I’m also going to open a classic Roman-style trattoria. We’ll serve things like braised artichokes, a mozzarella bar, stewed oxtail, really classic Roman pastas.

So there you have it: Yet another reason to hang out on Ballard Ave later this year. And a trattoria project to look forward to…perhaps on 15th Avenue?

Add a Comment »

Tags: Pizza, Pizza, Coming Soon, Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell, Ballard Pizza Co

Truck Stop: Pai Pongsupaht of Pai’s

“I like meals where you have different flavors and textures to chose from. It’s what makes eating fun.”

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 23, 2012 at 10:40AM 0 Comments

Pai Pongsupaht combines Thai and Hawaiian cuisines in a four-wheeler the color of Sunny D. Photo courtesy Pai’s.

Pai Pongsupaht doesn’t have formal training, but that’s not to say the Thai-born, Hawaii-bred Pongsupaht isn’t versed in culinary matters.

“I grew up around and have a really strong relationship with food. My family loves to eat. My mom is a really good cook. My aunt owned an orchard. And I would say that most Thais in general are really passionate, if not obsessive, about food.” The guy fried his first egg at age five, for crying out loud.

Pongsupaht moved to Seattle in 1996 to attend UW and would work in restaurants and bars through the mid-aughts. “Due to the nature of the work, I wouldn’t get home until about 3am. Food Network was just about the only thing on TV at that hour. Through many years of watching various programs I picked up culinary techniques to enhance my cooking skills.” He eventually left the industry to pursue the non-profit sector and joined such local initiatives as The Service Board and Seattle’s Youth Employment Program. When the recession hit and his contract with the city wasn’t renewed, Pongsupaht trolled Craigslist for work. “I fooled around and jokingly searched ‘food truck.’ The rest is history.”

Here, Pongsupaht pulls over for a few questions.

What item sells out first? Our huli-huli lemongrass chicken. “Huli” means to “flip” in Hawaiian. It’s basically grilled chicken that you can spot miles away because of its fragrant smoke signal. Ours is a modified Thai-infused version of that.

Where do your recipes come from? They are either classics or reinventions of classics with Thai and Southeast Asian ingredients.

If you could park anywhere in the city, where would it be? Somewhere flat, first of all. We tried to serve First Hill when we first launched. We had some of the best customers there. Reason for First Hill is because my heart goes out to medical workers. Many of them would tell us how grateful they were that they didn’t have to eat cafeteria food that day. These people save lives. They deserve good food.

Best part of the city relaxing street food regulations: The real benefit is that the buzz around the regulations essentially brought buzz to the food trucks and got the public excited—whether it meant people would be more inclined to eat at a food truck or more entrepreneurs would want to start one up.

What, if anything, would you like to change about the city’s new street food regulations? More than changes, I would like to see support from the city. I feel there are anti-food truck sentiments for fear of us stealing business. I feel that food trucks can work in conjunction with other businesses to promote food traffic in a way that everyone wins. Different government sectors oversee different portions, and it feels inconsistent and fragmented. I hope to see more communication between these government entities. I hope to see more We’ll provide these resources and make it work for you type of regulations than the These are things you cannot do regulations.

When I’m not in my truck you can find me eating at… A friend’s house. The one thing better than eating food is eating food with people you love. When I miss Thailand, I visit my friends Mark and Picha at Thai Curry Simple.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Truck Stop

Beecher’s Launches Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

Gluten intolerants rejoice, after months of recipe tinkering, the “World’s Best” mac and cheese is now made with rice pasta.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 22, 2012 at 11:35AM 1 Comments

Bringing delicious mac and cheese to the gluten-free masses.

Seeing as it says “World’s Best” right on the box, the folks at Beecher’s aren’t messing around when it comes to mac and cheese. The Pike Place cheesemaker’s original mac and cheese, made with a creamy blend of Beecher’s original Flagship cheese and the tangier “Just Jack,” sells all over the country, fulfilling America’s baked mac and cheese needs. Until now, those who are gluten-free have simply had to look on, hungry and mac-less.

No more. Last week, Beecher’s launched its “World’s Best Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese” after years of discussion and testing and tinkering. Founder Kurt Dammeier and Julie Riendl, marketing manager of parent company Sugar Mountain, tried over 30 kinds of gluten-free pastas, from corn to quinoa, finally settling on a rice pasta imported from Italy. They found it holds up best in the rich sauce and doesn’t have the intrusive flavor of some of the other wheatless versions.

The test kitchen has been a busy place over the last few months as the crew fine-tuned the recipe, creating the roux for the sauce with a variety of different gluten-free flours and sorting out how to combine the par-cooked pasta and sauce just so for the perfect final product.

And the tinkering goes on: the mac and cheese comes frozen, and can either be microwaved or baked—or a combination of both—every method resulting in a different sort of mac. The gluten-free noodles are a little more temperamental than regular noodles, and if they’re cooked for too long (or too short) they can get gummy. Dammeier likes to microwave then finish in the oven to get that crucial crispy crust. (And you can pop the frozen mac into your own dish for that just-whipped-this-up effect.)

However you wind up cooking it, it doesn’t taste like just an approximation of the famous Beecher’s mac—it really tastes like good ol’ mac and cheese, deserving of the lofty claims on the package. The noodles absorb the rich sauce that thickens as the dish rests, steaming, just pulled out of the oven. It certainly is a bit different from the regular version, the pasta is softer, lacking the familiar bite of traditional pastas. But really, anything smothered in nearly a pound of some of the best cheese out there is going to be good.

A tray of the new mac will run you $14, $2 more than the regular version, and is available at Beecher’s Pike Place shop or at sibling enterprise Pasta & Co. in Bellevue and at U Village. Gluten eaters will stick with the traditional version, but this is without doubt a cheese-laden blessing for those that can’t.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Cheese, Gluten Free, On the Menu, Beecher's

Neighborhood Food News: Tutta Bella Serves Presidential Pie, Belle Clementine Offers Meal Series Subscriptions

Plus: Grant Achatz seeks Seattle dining advice, Woodland Park Zoo teams up with Caffe Vita to save tree kangaroos and bring us coffee, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 22, 2012 at 10:15AM 0 Comments

Hot Cakes’ molten take-n-bake chocolate cakes are now available online. Photo courtesy of the Hot Cakes website.

BALLARD
Belle Clementine, the communal supper club, will be making subscriptions to its Seasonal Meal Series available today, the 22nd. Sign up in advance for a spot at one of the shared tables for multiple springtime meals and make yourself a Clementine regular.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Tutta Bella was lucky enough to make a pie for President Obama when he was in town last week. They crafted a spicy pizza topped with local peppers and sausage, appropriately titled “Il Presidente.” It’ll be on sale at all Tutta Bella locations this week, reports the Seattle Times.

Autumn Martin’s Hot Cakes are now available nationwide via her website. She’s opening a shop on Ballard Ave this spring, but to hold you over till then, her take-and-bake cakes, sauces, and cookies are all available online.

Grant Achatz, internationally lauded chef of Chicago’s molecular gastronomy mecca Alinea, is coming our way this weekend and Twitterland is full of suggestions about where he should eat. Tilth? Canlis? Walrus and the Carpenter? Chime in.

It’s James Beard season, and Seattle’s food folk have earned a lot of nominations. Shining Northwest stars from places like Cafe Juanita, Spinasse, Boat Street Café, and more are up for awards. Canlis took home three nominations, including Best Chef Northwest for Jason Franey, the first year the chef was eligible.

Woodland Park Zoo and Caffe Vita have teamed up to bring the first ever coffee from the isolated Yopono Uruwa Som forests of Papua New Guinea to Seattle. After the forested region became a protected conservation area, Woodland Park’s Tree Kangaroo Conservation program and the coffee company stepped in to help farmers create a sustainable, profitable coffee crop. The tasty and sustainable coffee is available at all Caffe Vita locations and Woodland Park ZooStores.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Pizza, Food News, Food News Roundup, James Beard Awards, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Woodland Park Zoo, Belle Clementine

Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff Will Open a Concession Stand on Green Lake

Veronica Weaver puts down roots in another Seattle neighborhood.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 21, 2012 at 02:09PM 2 Comments

Photo: Curt Doughty

Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff is destined for the shores of Green Lake.

Joggers, may this be the ultimate test of your willpower. The owner of food truck Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff is not only planning a restaurant in West Seattle, she’s also opening a concession stand on Green Lake.

The shack is located on the western shores near a popular swimming area, says Veronica Weaver. It’s already outfitted and should be good to go by mid-April. In October Weaver put in a bid with city parks officials and just recently learned she won the five-year contract. The drama that has surrounded Marination’s proposal to vend on city property seems to have bypassed Weaver.

The stand will stay open year-round, and the menu will fluctuate depending on the season. For example, Weaver tossed around the idea of setting up a grill outside in warmer months. Offerings may differ slightly from the truck, but staples like burgers and cheesesteak sandwiches will obviously be available. One may also encounter pastries and coffee.

Speaking of the truck, Weaver promises it will continue running as usual. In fact, with so many projects in the pipeline she expects her staff to jump from just a handful of people to as many as 25.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Coming Soon, Seattle Food Trucks, Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff

Damiana’s Blue Truck Special Discontinues Mobile Operations

Damiana Merryweather will focus on catering instead.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 21, 2012 at 10:07AM 0 Comments

Bummer: Damiana Merryweather’s Blue Truck Special retires from the road.

Damiana Merryweather, a beam of sunshine in the street food world, is retiring the mobile portion of her business. Merryweather says she will continue to operate Damiana’s Blue Truck Special but only for catering purposes and special events.

Merryweather arrived at the decision after “tremendous deliberation.”

“Building and operating the Blue Truck has been fun and challenging and a tremendous opportunity to learn about how I want to manifest my passions for service and food and building community.”

Damiana’s Blue Truck Special debuted in July and promptly gained a following for its newfangled approaches to comfort food classics. Menu items like the pork belly sandwich, braised in a brown sugar glaze and topped with kale, apple, and yogurt slaw, demonstrated Merryweather’s flair for incorporating artisanal technique into streetside fare. In recent weeks fans had been wondering when Merryweather would resurface after taking a rather lengthy winter hiatus.

Merryweather intimated she has other projects in the pipeline. Hopefully we’ll be seeing her again soon.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Damiana's Blue Truck Special

Seattle’s James Beard Award Semifinalists

The long list is in for America’s top culinary honor. How did our region fare?

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 21, 2012 at 08:10AM 0 Comments

James Beard was a Portland native, but hopefully some Seattle chefs will walk away with one of these bad boys. Photo via James Beard Foundation.

I’ve never been big on NCAA basketball brackets, and I’ve only seen three of the nine contenders for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. But this, my friends—this is my season: The James Beard Awards.

Today the James Beard Foundation announced its long list of semifinalists from whence it will bestow the highest culinary honor in the land. On March 19, this group will be narrowed down to five nominees for each category. That’s when we begin parsing the odds of a Seattle versus Portland win in the Best Chef Northwest category.

This year the Foundation has added an award for Outstanding Bar Program and we rang in with just one entry, Zig Zag. Perhaps the biggest surprise (nay, thrill) was seeing Altura on the long list for Best New Restaurant, alongside the likes of Grant Achatz’s Next in Chicago.

The winning chefs and restaurants will be announced May 7 at the usual gala New York blowout, an affair that often invites Seattle chefs to cook. Without further ado, here’s the list of Seattle and Washington contenders.

Best New Restaurant
Altura

Outstanding Chef
Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita

Outstanding Restaurateur
Tom Douglas

Outstanding Restaurant
Canlis

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Blaine Wetzel, Willows Inn

Outstanding Wine Program
Canlis

Best Chef Northwest
Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen (Walla Walla)
Matt Costello, The Inn at Langley (Whidbey Island)
Matt Dillon, Sitka and Spruce
Renee Erickson, Boat Street Cafe
Jason Franey, Canlis
Ethan Stowell, Staple and Fancy
Jason Stratton, Spinasse
Rachel Yang & Seif Chirchi, Joule

Outstanding Bar Program
Zig Zag Cafe

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional
Alex Golitzin, Quilceda Creek Vintners (Snohomish)

Add a Comment »

Tags: Awards and Accolades, James Beard Awards

Nosh Pit Weekly Planner

Taste Skillet’s spring menu, learn about cider making, or spend a Sunday with roast pork and beer.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 20, 2012 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

Learn about the journey from apple orchard to apple cider at the Annual Cider Makers Dinner.

WEDNESDAY February 22

Skillet Street Food Spring Tasting Event
Taste-test popular food truck Skillet’s new spring menu at the food and drink open-house event at Melrose Market. Bluebird Microcreamery and a few other local vendors will be around as well. From 5 to 8.

THURSDAY February 23

Kitchen Remodeling 101
Ballard culinary learning center Dish It Up is hosting kitchen designer Bill VanSchoyck and architect Carol Sundstrom for a class on how to launch into a kitchen remodel—focusing specifically on cabinetry and surfaces. The seminar is free, a there will be wine and snacks to go along with the discussion.

FRIDAY February 24

Trellis and Hopworks Beer Pairing Dinner
For the second time, Kirkland restaurant Trellis and Portland brewery Hopworks are pairing up to put on a beer-pairing event. The $75 price tag gets you in for both the hour-long beer reception and the five-course dinner, each course paired with an organic Hopworks brew, of course.

SATURDAY February 25

Washington Beer Open House
More than 40 breweries across the state open their doors and roll out the good stuff for the second-annual open house event. Between noon and 5, beer geeks can explore new breweries or sample some limited releases at familiar taprooms. Making a day of it? Don’t worry; there’s a map for that.

Northwest Cider Association’s 2nd Annual Cider Maker’s Dinner
Schmooze with cider makers at the Lake Union Yacht Club, sampling their products and learning about the process. After hors d’ouerves, enjoy a three-course dinner—every plate enlivened by cider. $85 for non-members, the ticket price includes dinner and drinks.

Saveur Cooks Italian Classics
Bon Vivant cooking school will be partnering up with food mag Saveur to explore traditional Italian cooking. On the menu: classics such as broccoli rabe and lasagna, as well as ragu and paté. The class price, starting at $78, includes a year’s subscription to Saveur and a tote bag full of samples.

SUNDAY February 26

Snouts and Stouts
Starting now, the last Sunday of every month is now devoted to local beer and local pork at Little Water Cantina in Eastlake. Chef-owner Shannon Wilkinson will be roasting a whole pig out on the patio and dishing it up as pork tacos alongside the monthly beer of choice. $15 gets you a heaping plate of tacos and a pint of beer (and rice and beans.)

Seattle Wine and Food Experience
Oregon wine is the special focus of this year’s mega-exploration of food and spirits. From noon to 5pm, the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall is turned over to wines from near and far, and plenty of local restaurants offering bites. If wine’s not your thing, a new distillery row and beer and cider exhibit offer other forms of alcohol-based education. Tickets are $49 now, and $60 in cash at the door.

TUESDAY February 28

National Pancake Day
It’s that time again: free pancakes. In celebration of National Pancake Day, IHOP locations will be slinging free buttermilk pancakes, with the expectation that the syrup-saturated diners will leave a donation for Seattle Children’s Hospital in return.

NOW through March 4

A Taste of Trees
The arboreal-themed “A Taste of Trees” is back at The Herbfarm through March 4. Every plate in the nine-course meal has been somehow tree’d; whether smoked with applewood, braised with spices extracted from wood, or seasoned with the seeds, nuts, leaves, or needles of Northwest greenery. Dinners begin at 7 and last four to five delicious hours. They’re held Thurdsay–Sunday, and a meal will run you $169-$195, depending on the day.

Add a Comment »

Tags: The Herbfarm, Skillet, Weekly Food Planner, Weekly Planner, Little Water Cantina

First Look: Skelly and the Bean

Tour Zephyr Paquette’s new farm-fancy eatery before it opens Thursday.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 20, 2012 at 12:10PM 1 Comments

Salvaged barn wood lines the wall, while an equally salvaged chandelier serves as a weathervane.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Salvaged barn wood lines the wall, while an equally salvaged chandelier serves as a weathervane.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The restaurant’s logo, a garlic butterfly, hangs in the front window.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The restaurant’s name comes from an elementary school-aged family friend Pascal, nicknamed Skelly, who heard Paquette wanted to open a restaurant and handed over $10 to be her first investor. His little sister Nina, aka The Bean, gets naming rights too.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Staff make last-minute arrangements (like tying their plaid neckties) before a pre-opening private event.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Paquette’s rainbow-hued wall of gratitude thanks some people by name, alongside shout-outs to “Anonymous OCD helper” and “tater-tot tester.”

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A popcorn machine tucked behind the wall of love portends fancy bar snacks to come.

View Slideshow » Illustration: View Slideshow » Illustration:

The Easy Joe’s sign is getting removed today. Hanging on the bathroom wall you’ll find pen-and-ink drawings of the restaurant’s former life as bistro Cassis. Skelly GM (and Cassis owner) Jef Fike pulled them off his own walls to hang in the restaurant.

Capitol Hill’s flurry of new arrivals continues February 23, when Skelly and the Bean opens its doors in the space that most recently housed Easy Joe’s (and before that, the original Tidbit Bistro). Skelly populates a quieter stretch of the neighborhood north of the hopping Pike-Pine and Broadway corridors.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Zephyr Paquette, a longtime local chef who spent three years cooking for Tamara Murphy at Elliott Bay Cafe, and before that worked at Café Flora and Ballard’s dearly departed Dandelion. Paquette somehow managed to put together an entire restaurant without taking out a single loan. Skelly’s tables and chairs were all donated, thrifted, or bought on the cheap with donations from the restaurant’s membership program. A considerable amount of manual labor and some unifying coats of green paint bring the eclectic assortment into harmony, beneath a sky-painted ceiling.

A Capitol Hill Seattle post about the project back in December uses the word “grange,” and the 50-seat space definitely has a charming farm feel. In a lovely twist of fate, the restaurant’s general manager is Jef Fike, who ran the popular bistro Cassis in that very same 10th Avenue address until it closed in 2004. Hit up the slideshow above for a sneak peek at the space, which includes a stained-glass garlic butterfly and a wall of love bearing the names of various people who contributed to making the restaurant a reality.

Paquette has planned a menu that doesn’t let its hyperlocal stance get in the way of having fun. Dishes include a “mystery half-chicken” whose preparation changes daily, and a plate saucily titled “three-way on the side” that consists of any three items from the side dish menu. The tater tots are likely to become one of the restaurant’s signatures, but in SkellyBean parlance they are referred to as “petit paquets.”

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Skelly and the Bean, Zephyr Paquette, Jef Fike, Capitol Hill Openings

The Herbfarm Brings Back its Tree Feast

The Woodinville culinary legend goes all forest-to-table.

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 20, 2012 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

Doug Fir…it’s what’s for dinner.

Readers of a certain age will remember Euell Gibbons’ immortal phrase, “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible!” from a TV ad for Grape Nuts. For years I wondered which “food” was meant to benefit from that comparison, Grape Nuts or pine trees; to this day I’ve ingested plenty of one and none of the other. Thanks to The Herbfarm, however, I have eaten fir tree, in a Doug Fir sorbet memorable for its bracing resiny vapors. It was like swallowing a Northwest breeze.

That was back in the days of the charming original Herbfarm, an only-slightly-upgraded shed alongside a mom-n-pop garden business in Woodinville. Now again in Woodinville but considerably more than a garden shed, the Herbfarm jumps back into the tree-gnawing game with a nine-course feast (through March 4, Fridays through Sundays) built around our woody friends and their derivatives.

Applewood-smoked wild steelhead with acacia, ash, cherry, oak, and chestnut balsamico-mustard. Virginica oysters in pine-smoked sea weater gelee. An Oregon sparkling wine with your choice of tree elixirs: fir or juniper.

(Choose the fir! Isn’t juniper elixir just…gin?)

And that’s only the first course, off a menu that unspools across intrigues like sumac-crusted Pacific albacore, acorn-fed pork with chestnut spaetzle, Bartlett pear ravioli with Douglas Fir consommé—and all manner of other Northwest winter fare cooked, smoked, or seasoned with wood, then flavored with fruits, seeds, nuts, flowers, leaves, needles, berries, sap, and bark from regional trees.

Foodies will be dazzled; Northwest foodies beside themselves.

Add a Comment »

Tags: The Herbfarm, Critic's Notebook

Graham Baba Architects Works Its Magic on Seattle Center House

The firm behind Melrose Market revamps the dated food court.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 17, 2012 at 02:16PM 0 Comments

Seattle Center House gets a much needed makeover from Graham Baba Architects. Photo courtesy the firm.

Graham Baba Architects, the studio behind Melrose Market and Ballard’s Kolstrand Building (not to mention practically every new restaurant), is busy breathing life into another dated structure. The firm is overhauling Seattle Center House, an armory dating from 1939 that is today a rather stodgy food court.

On Thursday evening stakeholders and other interested people convened to preview the revamp. The firm plans to tone down “the visual noise” and open up Center House, stripping it of its heavy clunky feel. For example, the busy murals have been removed, and a western wall of doors leads to a terrace with a pleasant view of International Fountain. With a notably small budget, the idea isn’t to rework everything but rather work with what’s already there.

Street food buffs will be excited to learn the renovation calls for a “mobile market” that will accommodate six or seven vendors. Equally exciting: Skillet is slated to open an outpost in the atrium.

A mix of local and regional food merchants will line the eastern and western walls, with a restaurant and bar anchoring the southern side. In summer and spring expect a beer garden. Ideally the jazzed-up center will become a destination not just for tourists but also opera- or theater-goers, who often turn to Lower Queen Anne for sustenance. Reportedly current tenants Subway and Starbucks will stay put.

The goal is to complete everything by April 21. That’s when the Next 50, a six-month-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair, commences. But attendees last night seemed unsure of that time frame.

For a more on the Center House remodel, check out this article by Seattle Met writer David Laskin.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Seattle Center, Seattle Food Trucks, Graham Baba Architects, Seattle Center House

Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff Goes Brick-and-Mortar

The food truck plans a permanent outpost in West Seattle.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 17, 2012 at 11:52AM 4 Comments

A Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff restaurant is headed for West Seattle. Photo courtesy Veronica Weaver.

The latest food truck to enter the brick-and-mortar realm is Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff. Veronica Weaver says she is bringing her burgerific concept to 5214 Delridge Way in West Seattle. Planning for the build-out will begin next week, so Weaver estimates the opening will occur in early summer.

The Seattle native says the menu will follow that of the truck but focus more on burgers and cheesesteak sandwiches—apparently customers can’t get enough of the latter. A few kid-friendly items may be added to accommodate the family-heavy neighborhood. The space, a former vacuum repair shop, will seat 25 patrons. Weaver, who ran a hot dog cart before launching Charlie’s, has no plans to retire her roving operation.

Charlie’s joins an esteemed crop of trucks that have made the leap from mobile to mortar—and with resounding success. Skillet and Marination Mobile both opened restaurants in 2011, and Maximus Minimus owner Kurt Dammeier has talked of doing the same. It seems we have a trend on our hands.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Seattle Food Trucks, Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Restaurant Zoë and St. John’s Bar and Eatery open in Capitol Hill, Ballard has a new pizza food cart, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 17, 2012 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Restaurant Zoe’s new home at 14th and Union. Photo courtesy of CHS via the Zoe Facebook.

OPENINGS

Restaurant Zoë
Eater Seattle brings word that the former Belltown restaurant opened Wednesday in its new location. Capitol Hill Seattle blog got photos of the woodsy, cozy interior. The varied menu (from foie gras to compressed radishes) is up on the Zoë website.

St. John’s Bar and Eatery
Also in Capitol Hill, this new bar-restaurant (a place for drinking and eating) is softly open as of Wednesday.

Streetzeria
There’s a new food cart in Ballard, says Eater Seattle, run by an ex-hotel manager/food and beverage director from the Midwest and his family, slinging pizzas under the slogan “gourmet pizza at street prices.”

COMING SOON

Eltana
Capitol Hill’s favorite bagelery is expanding to Wallingford. Capitol Hill Seattle reports that come late summer or early fall, the wood-fired bagels we be available at 40th and Stone.

TBD in Georgetown
The owner of 9LB Hammer (and Loretta’s Northwesterner) is planning a 24-hour diner next to the Georgetown bar, says Seattle Magazine. Expect lots of grilled cheese.

BevMo!
West Seattle Blog says that BevMo!, a chain wine and liquor store, is planning a Southcenter storefront, thanks to the new liquor legislation.

Athena’s Gyros
Another food cart goes brick-and-mortar. The gyro truck is moving into the former Zippy’s Giant Burgers space, says West Seattle Blog. The food truck will keep hawking falafel (in fact, it’ll be parked in front of the new storefront starting today) and once the restaurant is up and running, it’ll serve as a commissary for the truck.

Paddy Coyne’s
Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, the newest Paddy Coyne’s pub is slated to open at Pier 70 around March 12.

SHIFT CHANGES

Canlis
Rebekah Denn of the Seattle Times has more details on the esteemed still-pretty-new pastry chef. Baruch Ellsworth came to Seattle from San Francisco’s Benu, run by longtime French Laundry chef de cuisine Corey Lee.

Banadir
Jacques Saar, former Africando Africando chef, will soon be cooking at Columbia City Somali restaurant Banadir, says The Stranger.

Madison Park Conservatory
Eater Seattle reports that author Maggie Savarino will be leaving the Conservatory, where she’s been managing front of house and bartending, and returning to consulting work.

Rob Roy
The bartending staff of this Belltown bar is shuffling around a little—Andrew Bohrer is becoming the spirits director for Vinium Importing, making room for Philip Trickey to come back to the bar.

Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar
The Alexis Hotel’s restaurant duo has a muscular new chef, David Hatfield, and a few new menu items.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Paddy Coyne's, Shift Change, Canlis, Rob Roy, Restaurant Zoe, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Madison Park, Bar Openings, Street Food, Closings, St. John's Bar and Eatery

Starbucks 31-Ounce Trenta Size Arrives in Seattle March 6

Move over, venti. There’s a new comically enormous beverage in town.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 17, 2012 at 09:30AM 5 Comments

Mermaid. Super-sized. Photo courtesy of Starbucks.

Good people of Seattle: Starbucks has confirmed that its colossal trenta-sized cups (that would be 31 fluid ounces) will arrive in our part of the world March 6.

Team Mermaid launched the trenta in a few states last year, a move inspired a few memorable web moments, including the guy who poured an entire bottle of wine into a trenta cup, and a chart positing that the cups are bigger than the average human stomach. And as of March 6, the entire nation can laugh knowingly at these jokes.

Now, as before, the trenta will only be available for cold drinks (iced coffee, iced tea, and the like). However, as Eater National noted recently, this super-sized drink adds a new level of complexity to that old game of attempting to order the most expensive Starbucks drink possible.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Starbucks, Starbucks

The Former Rosebud Is Now St. John’s

A new chapter for a notable Capitol Hill address.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 16, 2012 at 02:00PM 1 Comments

The transition from Rosebud to St. John’s is official: Capitol Hill’s newest casual resto-bar is open for business. Photo: St. John’s via Facebook.

It’s been a busy 24 hours on Capitol Hill. Per Eater Seattle, Scott Staples’s relocated and reimagined Restaurant Zoe opened softly at 14th and Union on February 15. Then Capitol Hill Seattle Blog spread the word of another opening—St. John’s Bar and Eatery started welcoming customers Wednesday evening at the Pike Street address previously home to Capitol Hill legacy restaurant Rosebud. Apparently a lot of customers.

“It was the hardest soft opening of my life,” reports partner Val Kiossovski. “We were busy as hell.” Kiossovski and partner Billy Gould also own Solo in Lower Queen Anne. People more badass than myself might know them as members of Kultur Shock and Faith No More respectively.

The watchword here: affordability. “Both my partners and I, we hate expensive places,” says Kiossovski, who also bartended at the Crocodile for ages.

The New American menu is similar in concept to Solo, says Kiossovski, but St. John’s is “more of a dining experience” than its small plate-driven sibling (it’s also about 30 percent larger). Kiossovski spent opening night rushing around, but did find time to sample the menu’s hamburger, which appears alongside mainstays like pasta and roast chicken. The partners brought over Joe Randazzo, who had been cooking at Solo for about two years and recently graduated from Seattle Central Community College’s culinary program.

We discussed Seattle’s newfound penchant for bars that have restaurant-caliber food programs. Kiossovski said his staff hates the word “barstaurant” (so do I: too close to breastaurant) but since he arrived in the U.S. in the early ‘90s, “I have to dine at one place and go drink at another place and it never made sense to me.”

Next week the restaurant plans to deploy a happy hour from 2 to 6 each day, then again from 6 to 10. That food menu will be closer in spirit to Solo, says Kiossovski. On the drinking front, St. John’s has about 10 red and several white wines, selected for their friendly pricing as well as taste, six draft beers, and roughly a dozen bottled offerings. (A house cocktail program is taking shape as well.) And there’s plans for brunch to begin about two months from now. It would be a travesty indeed if the space that once housed Rosebud didn’t offer brunch.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Bar Openings, St. John's Bar and Eatery, Val Kiossovski, Billy Gould, Joe Randazzo, Capitol Hill Openings

Sunday Snouts and Stouts at Little Water Cantina

Local beer + roast pig = one hell of a monthly meal.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 16, 2012 at 12:30PM 1 Comments

How do you take advantage of an awesome patio during colder months? Break out your Caja China and set up a pig roast. Photo: Little Water Cantina via Facebook.

Little Water Cantina is combining two of the more enjoyable Seattle food trends of late: Family-style Sunday-night meals, and our ongoing infatuation with whole animals. On the last Sunday of each month, the Eastlake Mexican restaurant is offering up an event alliteratively titled Snouts and Stouts. Chef-owner Shannon Wilkinson will be roasting a whole, naturally raised pig out on the restaurant’s stellar patio and serving it up (indoors, at least for now) in the form of pork tacos.

Fifteen bucks buys you “a traditional giant Mexican plate” of the aforementioned tacos, with beans, rice, and handmade tortillas, plus a pint of beer from whichever local brewery is partnering up for the occasion. This month Odin Brewing Co. will be representing, and Wilkinson has promised the full lineup on tap.

All this monthly pig and beer action happens from 5 to 9pm, starting February 26. Wilkinson says he’ll use that same beer to make the beans, and hopefully to brine the pig as well. Subsequent Odin pints will be $4. You can RSVP on the Facebook page if you like, but these monthly pork-fueled gatherings are designed to be casual drop-in affairs.

UPDATE—I would be remiss if I did not mention that the first pig roast will feature the musical stylings of Squirrel Butter. If for no other reason than it’s fun to type “Squirrel Butter.”

Add a Comment »

Tags: Sunday Suppers, Seattle Food Events, Little Water Cantina, Shannon Wilkinson, Shannon Wilkinson

Coming Soon: Jemil’s Big Easy

The food truck is aiming for an early April debut.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 16, 2012 at 11:20AM 0 Comments

Yep, that’s Jemil on the side there. Photo courtesy Jemil’s Big Easy.

With winter on the wane there are some exciting things bubbling on the street food front, Jemil’s Big Easy being one of them.

Captaining the mobile kitchen is Jemil Aziz, a New Orleans native with 20 years under his culinary belt. Some readers may remember Aziz from La Louisiana on Cherry Street, an early aughts darling of both weeklies. (You’ll notice the links refer to him as Jemil Johnson, but he does in fact go by Jemil Aziz.)

Aziz is launching the truck with Dan and Julie Little. Julie and Aziz met at Blue Ribbon Culinary Center, where they both are instructors, about five years ago. (Aziz, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, has been there 15 years.) The two also are active at Coyote Central, a creative center for kids. They decided to launch the rolling restaurant about eight months ago, and friend Jeffrey Dunnell—the “nuts-and-bolts” guy—has since been outfitting the truck. They hope to be on the road by early April.

The team is understandably eager to get going. Aziz’s gumbo—loaded with handmade sausage smoked for 24 hours—is a show-stopper, and the rest of his menu looks equally promising. There are five types of po’ boys and two muffalettas, the bread for which Julie said she plans to make. There is jambalaya and fried okra and etouffee served with crawfish, shrimp, chicken, or catfish. For dessert: peach cobbler or bread pudding—a deliciously boozy bread pudding, promises Aziz.

Keep tabs on Jemil’s progress on Facebook, and be sure to check back here for updates.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Coming Soon, Seattle Food Trucks, Jemil's Big Easy

Dispatches from D.C.: Seattle Business Leaders Meet with Obama Officials

Among the invitees was Molly Moon Neitzel. She rehashes the experience.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 15, 2012 at 12:24PM 0 Comments

Molly Moon Neitzel, owner of Molly Moon’s ice cream shop, was one of several locals to meet with top economists in D.C. last week.

Last week the mayor’s office sent a handful of Seattle business leaders to the other Washington to meet with members of the Obama administration. The four-hour confab was part of an initiative in which representatives from several American cities are brought in to discuss economic policies and job creation.

Repping Seattle were marquee businesses like Microsoft and Boeing alongside smaller companies such as Cupcake Royale and Molly Moon’s.

We caught up with Molly Moon Neitzel, owner of the eponymous ice cream company, to learn about the experience—and of course, what she ate.

SM: So there were only Seattle businesses at the meeting?

MMN: Right. [The administration] has been inviting different business owners from various cities on different days. It was nice because we were able to talk specifically about Seattle’s economy and job creation with some of the smartest people in the country. We spoke with Obama’s chief economist and he gave us a great presentation.

SM: How many Seattle business owners where there?

MMN: You know, I’m not sure. I think maybe 15 or 20. I was the smallest business.

SM: Did the views differ between small business owners like yourself and larger businesses?

MMN: One of the themes from everyone was access to capital. Even with perfect credit and great numbers for years, everyone is having a hard time getting access to capital from banks. Congress and the Obama administration have done some interesting things through the Small Business Administration, but either we don’t know how to access that capital or the money that they pushed through community banks isn’t being doled out. It was good for the administration to hear, and I think they’ve been hearing it from the various business leaders that have been attending these meetings—that it’s still hard to get loans. And it’s a little ridiculous.

SM: Was there anyone you met that was particularly interesting?

MMN: I was really impressed with the economist who spoke to us, Mark Doms, and the facilitator of the meeting, Ari Matusiak—he was pretty incredible. I was just struck by how smart everyone was. These are incredible minds, and they did a lot of listening as well as a lot of telling us what they’re doing. I also felt valued, like they really wanted to know what Seattle business owners are thinking.

SM: Had you been in the White House before?

MMN: I had been on a tour, but I’d never been to a meeting. It was all business though. We were hoping for a visit from the president, and I heard that he was in the building, but he didn’t make his way into our meeting.

SM: But now you can claim having been in the same building as the president! Any good meals in DC?

MMN: You know, the food in DC is terrible! But I did have a good dinner at an Italian restaurant called Posto.

SM: What’d you have at Posto?

MMN: The appetizer was a warm La Tur cheese with roasted peppers, scallions, and black olives. The entree was the fish special, a creamy, delicious potato and carrot gratin. For dessert, a blood orange panna cotta.

SM: Any good snacks at the meeting?

MMN: There were no snacks provided! Look at those government dollars at work.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Business Trends, Molly Moon's, Molly Moon Neitzel

Neighborhood Food News: Lark’s Successful Kickstarter Cookbook, Take-out Neapolitan in Magnolia

Plus: Save the Ding Dongs at Mod Pizza, an upcoming restaurant radio show, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 15, 2012 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

John Sundstrom of Lark is using Kickstarter to launch a cookbook and accompanying e-book.

CAPITOL HILL
Lark chef John Sundstrom is putting together a cookbook, without the help of a publisher. Sundstrom’s chosen to instead call on the foodie community via Kickstarter to raise the money to shoot the photos, edit the book, and create not just a cookbook but an e-book to boot. And since this was announced on February 6, he’s met and surpassed his $33,000 goal, proving the viability of his non-traditional approach— the motivation for which Rebekah Denn of the Seattle Times explains nicely.

MAGNOLIA
Neapolitan-style pizzeria Queen Margherita just started offering carry-out. Now you can put off that stone pizza oven project and still have wood-fired pies at home.

RAVENNA
Ravenna Blog reports that Café Da Pino had a minor fire last Thursday night, caused by faulty wiring. Thankfully, the damage wasn’t too extensive.

WALLINGFORD
Some post-Valentine’s sweetness is happening at the Wallingford Community Kitchen cooking event this Friday the 17th, with plans to make peanut butter cup pie and other chocolate desserts. Register today and bring an appetizer or main dish to share at the Friday gathering.

ON THE AIR
Joshua Henderson of Skillet fame and Julien Perry are teaming up for a radio show. Expect raucous discussions of restaurants. More details here.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
MOD Pizza can’t bear to see the Ding Dong go into extinction, a possibility due to snack manufacturer Hostess filing for bankruptcy. MOD has been selling Ding Dongs since the pizzeria opened, and now its locations are cutting the pastry’s price in half, down to a mere 50 cents.

West Coasters rejoice, ice cream maker Parfait has further expanded its delivery program. Insulated boxes packed with dry ice and delicious pints of ice cream can now be shipped to all of Washington, Oregon, and Utah, and parts of Idaho, California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana.

New York Magazine has compiled a truly sweet tooth–tickling list of the country’s 101 Most Crazy-Awesome New Desserts and a few Seattle spots made the list: A La Mode’s Blue Hawaii pie, and The Confectional’s decadent quadruple-chocolate cheesecake.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Cookbooks, Pizza, Food News, Food News Roundup, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Seattle Food Delivery, Lark

Trophy’s Pacific Place Pop-Up Is Back

Avoid the Valentine’s Day doghouse with a last-minute cupcake run.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 14, 2012 at 02:30PM 0 Comments

Trophy’s dark chocolate raspberry flavor is available at Pacific Place. Photo courtesy of Trophy Cupcakes.

Seriously, people: Food folk wouldn’t continue bombarding you with news of last-minute Valentines options if you’d just make those reservations and purchase that teddy bear holding a heart a little further in advance. If you’re in need of some sweets for your sweet, Trophy Cupcakes has reopened its Pacific Place pop-up shop through the end of February.

The shop is on the mall’s third floor, next to the bridge to Nordstrom, and offers packs of favorite seasonal flavors, including salted caramel, red velvet, and dark chocolate raspberry. The temporary digs are open until 8pm, but stop by early for the best selection. Today is also the last day to score the infamously decadent Deathcake over at Cupcake Royale. And if cupcakes don’t get you out of procrastinator purgatory, there’s always drinking.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Valentine's Day, Cupcakes, Trophy Cupcakes, Valentine's Day 2012

Truck Stop: Diane Skwiercz of Street Treats

“Seriously, I can’t live without sweets,” confesses the owner of the bakery on wheels.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 14, 2012 at 01:10PM 0 Comments

Diane Skwiercz of Street Treats has more than 40 recipes to her credit.

No surprise here: Diane Skwiercz, owner of Street Treats, is a sucker for sugar. “Seriously, I can’t live without sweets. They’re my daily indulgence. I have at least a few treats every day.”

She’s also big on traveling. “I have a fascination with just exploring,” says Skwiercz, an Issaquah native who has visited around 30 countries. “So a mobile truck was a natural fit.”

In June of 2010 Skwiercz launched her bakery on wheels. She’s since become one of the more active members in the local curbside community. Skwiercz organized the now-defunct Capitol Hill Night Market, and last summer she was a vocal supporter of revising the city’s street food regulations.

Here, Skwiercz pulls over for a few questions.

What items sell out first? Our sweet and savory krispy treat. The coconut brownie, all of our cookie sandwiches (the ones without ice cream), and surprisingly a good old chocolate chip cookie.

What else should I try? Our ice cream. We make it from scratch using eggs, milk, cream, and sugar only. It is super old-fashioned and it’s pretty rare to find this style these days. You can have it by itself, in a build-your-own cookie sandwich, or a root beer float.

Where do your recipes come from? We usually start with an idea, then do our research, and then test, test, test. Most times it takes at least a half dozen times.

Best part of the city relaxing street food regulations: Being able to vend in areas where it was off limits before, ilke the downtown core and the University District.

Biggest four-wheeled misadventure? Our second week in business I didn’t lock the customer service awning. We hit a bump and the awning flew open, hitting a metro bus and slashing the back three windows in the bus. We were vending at a Mariners game that evening and we still made it, but lesson learned.

When I’m not in my truck you can find me eating at… Home, I really enjoy cooking. I like trading food [with other trucks], it’s the luxury of the job! And my new favorite is Chino’s on Capitol Hill.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Desserts, Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Truck Stop, Food Truck Pods, Street Treats, February Food Truck News

New Chef at Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar

Seattle native David Hatfield previously ran his own restaurant in Central Oregon.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 14, 2012 at 09:55AM 0 Comments

Photo courtesy of Kimpton Hotels.

Downtown’s Library Bistro and Bookstore Bar have a new chef. David Hatfield is now running the show at the restaurant within the Alexis Hotel, and its companion bar, known for a great happy hour and an impressive collection of whiskey.

Hatfield is a Seattle native who previously cooked at the Sorrento’s Hunt Club. He returns to the Emerald City from Bend, Oregon, where he opened locavore restaurant Cafe 3456, raised his own heritage pigs, composted his kitchen waste, and did all manner of sustainability-minded things that suggest he’ll fit right in once again in Seattle. Also: he looks like a model from a snowboarding catalog.

The new chef has already added a few items to the menu, including a monte cristo with housemade brioche, a lamb burger, smoked pork loin, calamari steak fries and a croquet madame with housemade bacon and ham. His predecessor, Tiffany Layco decided to take a break from the corporate restaurant world for a while, according to a rep.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Shift Change, Shift Change, David Hatfield, Library Bistro, Bookstore Bar

Skillet’s Joshua Henderson Talks Restaurants on New Radio Show

The street food maestro and food reporter Julien Perry take to the airwaves soon.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 13, 2012 at 02:15PM 0 Comments

Skillet founder Joshua Henderson, seen here schooling us in tailgate grilling, will be co-hosting a yet-unnamed new radio segment. Fire not included (but whiskey is). Photo: Chad Coleman

Coming soon: a new weekly segment on KVI AM 570 hosted by food writer Julien Perry and Joshua Henderson, founder of Skillet Street Food and its resultant diner.

The duo will be on the air as part of a cocktail segment Saturdays from 5 to 6pm, and both hosts say they are eager to change things up from the standard recipe-ish food radio show format. They are envisioning a (slightly booze-fueled) conversation about Seattle’s restaurant industry, most likely with a dash of smartass. No formal name or launch date exist yet, but word is these two take to the airwaves in the very near future.

Perry says she first met Henderson when she interviewed him for a “Go Eat!” radio segment on KOMO back in 2007, shortly after Skillet first rolled into town, and the two struck up a friendship. Apparently Henderson’s talents extend beyond inventing addictive bacon jam and opening wildly popular eating establishments—Perry says the restaurateur has a very charismatic radio presence.

Henderson says he’s “excited to drink whiskey and chat about anything food-related with Julien.” He also promises to not drop any F-bombs, a promise that might become more difficult with each successive sip of whiskey.

Is it just me, or is Seattle’s restaurant scene having a multimedia moment? Sure, national food media pass through every few months to write about geoduck, food trucks, and how much they love Walrus and the Carpenter. But locals now have both TV and radio forums for geeking out on dining. This is a good thing.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Skillet, Joshua Henderson, In The Media, Radio, Josh Henderson, Julien Perry

Nosh Pit Weekly Planner

Keep the Valentine’s celebration going with red wine and chocolate on Whidbey, or get your Mardi Gras on at the I Love Glam! ball.

Posted by: Brian Colella on Feb 13, 2012 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Sample Kurtwood’s award-winning Dinah’s Cheese at Book Larder.

Photo: Kurtwood Farms

WEDNESDAY February 15

Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live off the Land
Sample cheese, hear charming stories, and ask questions about urban farming with Kurtwood Farms’ Kurt Timmermeister, in a free event at Book Larder coinciding with the paperback release of Timmermeister’s Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live off the Land. From 6:30 to 8:00.

THURSDAY February 16

Linda’s Tavern Turns 18
Capitol Hill’s mainstay for both nighttime hijinx and morning-after sustenance is now a legal adult. The bar is celebrating its 18th birthday by offering its happy hour deals on both food and booze all day long. A trio of DJs will provide a soundtrack to the orgy of discounted Oly drinking and burger consumption.

SATURDAY February 18

Red Wine and Chocolate
If you don’t get enough red wine and chocolate on Valentine’s Day, or you can’t celebrate during the week, take a weekend trip to Whidbey Island for the third annual Red Wine and Chocolate event from Whidbey Island Vintners Association. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door—of one of the participating wineries—and include a souvenir wine glass.

Mardi Gras Ball: I Love Glam!
Join Drinking for a Cause at 6 to support those affected by HIV/AIDS with dinner, dancing, and a silent auction at the fourth annual Mardi Gras ball. The event is semiformal but Mardi Gras–style costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $85 and must be purchased in advance.

Steer by the Stars
The Center for Wooden Boats’s 36th annual fundraising dinner and auction takes place at the Seattle Design Center in SoDo starting at 5. Entree choices are grilled bistro steak, herb roasted chicken, or butternut squash lasagna, from Eat and Drink Catering. John Curley of Evening Magazine plays auctioneer, while guests participate in a costume contest, golden ticket raffle, wine ring toss, and more.

TUESDAY February 21

All About Roasting
Drop in to Book Larder between 6:30 and 8:00 to catch James Beard Award–winning author Molly Stevens as she presents her book All About Roasting and taste some succulent selections from the volume. Bring your pressing roasting questions and learn how to produce perfectly roasted meals.

BEYOND

Feb 24 Kirkland’s Trellis restaurant and Portland’s excellent Hopworks brewery are collaborating for the second time on a beer pairing dinner with five-course menu by chef Brian Scheehser including grilled quail, short rib, and flourless chocolate cake, all courses paired with an organic Hopworks brews. The event starts with an hour-long beer reception at 5:30 included in the $75 ticket price. Dinner guests will be eligible for a discounted stay in Trellis’s home, the Heathman.

Feb 25 Love cider? The second annual cider maker’s dinner lets you get up close with cider makers and cidery experts. Chef JoAnn Cruz of Ravishing Radish Catering presents a three-course, cider-paired menu, following an hour of casual open bar and appetizers to kick things off.

Add a Comment »

Beware Falling Prices!

Trend of the month: Restaurateurs across town are repositioning themselves a little lower on the food chain.

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 13, 2012 at 09:00AM 2 Comments

Le Gourmand’s little downmarket sister Sambar.

Time was not so long ago when a restaurateur who wanted to up the popularity and lower the accessibility threshold of his or her restaurant would simply open a downmarket adjunct next door. Maestros like Bruce Naftaly at the (sob) soon-to-be-late Le Gourmand would open adjacent bars like the (sob) soon-to-be-late Sambar; the lesser then serving as a kind of literal and figurative anteroom to the greater.

Think Serafina and Cicchetti. Flying Fish and On the Fly. Elemental and Elemental Next Door.

These days the trend appears to have morphed into something else: upscale restaurants downscaling themselves.

Back in October the spendy French jewel in the heart of Pike Place Market, Campagne, became the more accessibly priced Marche Bistro and Wine Bar. (It already had a downmarket adjunct, Cafe Campagne.) Last week Spring Hill in West Seattle stunned the gastronomosphere by lowering price and concept to become Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky, in response to a city’s rapturous embrace of Spring Hill’s weekly fried chicken nights.

Now this week, Restaurant Zoe plans to reopen in its new digs on Union, having fled Belltown and big prices to adopt at least three of the biggest trends currently dominating Seattle dining: kitchen garden, Capitol Hill address—and, yes, a “loosened-up” price point.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Restaurant Zoe, Restaurant Marche, Serafina, Critic's Notebook, Spring Hill, Cafe Campagne, Flying Fish, Campagne, Sambar, Le Gourmand, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky

Australian Wagyu Arrives at the Metropolitan Grill

Just four restaurants in the country carry this premium beef.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 10, 2012 at 02:15PM 1 Comments

The rich cut of meat is served rare at The Met.

The Metropolitan Grill prides itself on being old school. Green plush booths, dark wood counters, white-jacketed bartenders, chop salad and steak old school. But there’s a notable new addition to the steak display case that greets you at the door—Australian Wagyu, the ultra-marbled and highly prized beef that comes from full-blooded Wagyu cows whose ancestors just happened to be dispatched from Japan to Australia in the 1990s. This beef rings in at $85 for a five-ounce cut.

The Met was chosen by producer Mayura Station as one of four restaurants in the States (along with two locations of Wolfgang Puck’s Cut and the Wynn Encore Resort in Las Vegas) to carry its limited-quantity luxe beef imported from the southeast coast of Australia. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, it’s the first time full-blooded Wagyu has appeared on the Met’s menu since hoof-and-mouth disease halted beef exports from Japan in 2010. Back then the restaurant was one of about a dozen nationally that offered the particularly prized Ohmi Wagyu, which cost $100 for six ounces.

Wagyu has attained designer beef status thanks to its generous marbling—the way the fat exists within the meat, infusing it with tenderness and taste. And not only is the marbling exceptional in the meat of these ancestrally Japanese cows, they have entirely different kinds of fats, fats that melt at a lower temperature. That old adage about something melting in your mouth as you eat it? That actually happens with this fat.

This is not a steak to serve charred, like a big New York or a ribeye. It’s a delicate thing—the product of a carefully raised cow, a cow fed tiny sips of beer before each meal. Met chef Eric Hellner says each precious steak is pan seared, finished in the oven, and served rare. The first easy cut into the succulent steak reveals a dark pink interior, the first taste a far richer-than-average, earthy, intense flavor.

“This is much more like something of a foie gras or a delicacy…you’d only eat it once in a while,” said Hellner. “You can’t eat it every day, it’s super rich.” Well you can, if you’re super rich.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Beef, Metropolitan Grill, On the Menu, Eric Hellner

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Regent Bakery and Café opens in Capitol Hill, West Seattle loses Avalon, and Branzino’s new chef has big plans.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 10, 2012 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Brightly colored pastries keep company with savory hot pots at the new Capitol Hill Regent Bakery and Cafe. Photo courtesy of their website.

OPENINGS

Pomegranate Bistro
The sunny Redmond restaurant is adding a bar—Pombar —on Thursday, February 16. The Bistro website says that to celebrate the opening, happy hour will go on all night, from 3:30 till the bar closes at 10.

Ben and Jerry’s
The Greenlake ice cream shop re-opened Thursday after getting new owners and a remodel, says My Green Lake. Now we just need another sunny ice cream-worthy weekend.

Regent Bakery and Café
The new Pine Street outpost of the famed Redmond bakery opened Wednesday on the corner of 14th and Pine, reports Capitol Hill Seattle. The shop does, of course, have pretty Japanese-meets-French pastries, but to our happy surprise, also a full-on savory Chinese lunch and dinner menu with items like hot pots and fried rice. And booze! The new restaurant plans to capitalize on the neighborhoods nightlife, with hours from 11 to midnight and a full bar.

The Amber Den
After a softly-open first week, the laid-back Ballard spot is now officially open. Eater Seattle’s got photos, and it’s the sunniest wine bar we’ve ever seen.

Paseo
Fremont Universe brings the good news that Paseo reopens today, after a long, Cuban sandwich-less winter break.

COMING SOON

Hot Cakes
For the past 4 years, former Theo chocolatier Autumn Martin has been providing Seattle with decadent treats, first in the form of chocolatey bake-at-home jarred cakes, more recently with cookies, hand pies, and sauces. She’s been selling at farmers’ markets and in a few retail locations, but Rebekah Denn of the The Seattle Times says that Martin just signed a lease for her very own space on (where else) Ballard Ave and has plans to open in May.

Five Hooks Fish Grill
Recently shuttered Tenoch Mexican Grill atop Queen Anne will soon be replaced by a “renewable seafood” restaurant, according to Eater Seattle.

CLOSINGS

Big news. Le Gourmand and Sambar
Bruce and Sarah Naftaly are are closing down their seminal Ballard restaurant and companion cocktail spot in June, after 27 wonderful years. Cookbooks, baking, and family time will replace the bustle of kitchen life for the Naftalys. More here.

Avalon
After just over a year, this fine-dining option in West Seattle is closing its doors. Owners told the West Seattle Herald that the rent was too high, the location was far from ideal, and that maybe there’s only room for one fancy restaurant in West Seattle. Or maybe not.

663 Bistro
One of Tom Douglas (and our) favorite I.D. BBQ spots was temporarily shut down by the Health Department, says The Stranger. …We did say “dodgy.”

SHIFT CHANGES

Branzino
After hopping around from Verve to Oddfellows to Terra Plata, Chef Garrett Michael Brown seems to have finally settled at Branzino, where he’s planning to revamp the menu and revivify the restaurant.

RN74
A new chef and perhaps some big menu changes for Michael Mina’s Downtown French restaurant. Seis Kamimura of Spago and Boka (among others) is taking the helm, and though he was trained at the French Culinary Institute, expect “bold interpretations” of the classics.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Shift Change, Pomegranate Bistro, Ice Cream, Sambar, Le Gourmand, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Bar Openings, Bar Openings, Closings, Branzino

Nook Does Japanese For a Week

Don’t worry, the biscuits aren’t going anywhere.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 10, 2012 at 09:52AM 3 Comments

Soba noodles. Photo courtesy justhungry.com.

Nook, the breakfast and lunch den known mostly for its biscuits, is throwing us for a curveball and hosting a series of Japanese dinners starting February 22.

Owners Aki Woodward and Alex Green have invited several restaurateurs from Japan to craft three-course meals with soba noodles at the center. Green worked with the guys in Japan, where apparently they own a slew of soba joints. The buckwheat noodles will be made from scratch each day; the main dish comes with either duck or oysters. (Sorry vegetarians, no substitutes.) The dinners are cheap (reserve in advance and the cost is $10, at the door it’s $12), and making reservations would be prudent—not only is Nook tiny, Woodward says the chefs are making only 25 batches each day. The pop-up runs through the 26th from 5 to 8 and concludes on Tuesday the 28th.

If the response is positive, Woodward says she and Green will consider organizing more such feasts. Not to worry, business will continue as usual during the day—that is, the biscuits aren’t going anywhere.

Call 206-268- 9154 0154 to reserve a spot.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Pop-Ups, Nook

Seis Kamimura Is the New Chef at Michael Mina’s RN74

Expect some “bold interpretation” of France’s classics.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 09, 2012 at 04:05PM 0 Comments

Seis Kamimura is the new exec chef at Michael Mina’s RN74. Photo courtesy of Midori Jordan Photography.

There’s a new chef in the kitchen at RN74, Michael Mina’s stylish downtown wine restaurant that arrived in June and has since challenged that adage that this town doesn’t cotton to big name chefs from other cities.

As of February 6, Seisuke (or Seis) Kamimura is running the show as executive chef. Original chef Michelle Retallack, who has spent most of her career cooking for Mina and waited for years for the Seattle job, is having a baby. It’s a process highly incompatible with the long hours and on-your-feet nature of kitchen life.

Kamimura’s resume incudes Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, Boka, and Terrance Brennan’s Artisanal Brasserie in Bellevue, a place that did fall victim to our skepticism toward outside chefs. Most recently he was at Munchbar, the loud clublike establishment that came to Bellevue Square by way of Vegas.

Per the press release, Kamimura cooked for Mina back in his Spago days. He trained at New York’s French Culinary Institute, which should be helpful in a French-focused restaurant, but the release also flat out says that the new chef will be applying some “bold interpretation” to the classics.

Though Mina, who grew up in Ellensburg but made a name for himself in San Francisco, has his hands full opening a big project in Baltimore, a rep says the chef will be spending more time in Seattle in the coming months while his new exec chef gets settled in.

Add a Comment »

Tags: RN74, Shift Change, Seis Kamimura

Regent Bakery and Cafe Opens on Capitol Hill

Don’t let the name fool you, this sweet shop is also a Chinese restaurant. And a bar.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 09, 2012 at 03:10PM 0 Comments

Capitol Hill has a new location for cake slices, flaky pastries and hot dogs wrapped in croissants.

As Capitol Hill Seattle blog reported yesterday, Wednesday marked the quiet opening of Regent Bakery and Cafe at the corner of 14th and Pine. The location is a second outpost for the Redmond original, which inspires rapt devotion, especially among employees of the ‘Soft.

Regent is mostly known for its bubble tea and sweets, an Asia-meets-France array of pastries, cakes, and breads. It’s not unlike Fuji Bakery in Bellevue and the I.D. (if you’re not familiar with Fuji, you should probably turn off this computer and go there immediately).

The Capitol Hill location does indeed have a mega-lit case of whole cakes and fruit-festooned individual slices. There’s also a wall of baked goods you access cafeteria-style, taking a pair of tongs so you can pile your plastic tray with chocolate buns, olive-studded brioche, and hello hot dogs and pieces of ham, each wrapped in a croissant.

So yes, Regent has baked goods. What I didn’t fully realize before I walked in: Regent is also a full-on Chinese restaurant with a sit-down menu for lunch and dinner. There’s also an entirely separate bar area, its status confirmed by two large flat screens. The space, located on the ground floor of a condo building, is bright and rather sterile, though I’m guessing the lights go down at night.

I’m curious to hear the general consensus on the restaurant food, but the pastries are a nice new addition to a neighborhood already filled with things that taste good. The CHS post has all sorts of pastry photos for your ogling pleasure. And remember, the neighborhood is getting more baked goods in the spring.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Bakeries, Regent Bakery and Cafe

Valentine’s Day Desserts

Sweet suggestions from 10 local bakeries.

Posted by: Emily Dhatt on Feb 09, 2012 at 02:51PM 0 Comments

Hoffman’s frosted cookies.

All photos courtesy the bakeries.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Hoffman’s frosted cookies.

All photos courtesy the bakeries.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A la Mode’s Sweetheart Cherry pie.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Belle Pastry’s chocolate shoes.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Belle Pastry’s strawberry tart.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Cupcake Royale’s Deathcakes.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Bakery Nouveau’s pink frosted cookies.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Trophy’s dark Valrhona chocolate cupcake, plus “his and hers” chocolate stout and pink champagne cakes.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Cupcake Royale’s strawberry champagne cupcake.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

High 5 Pie’s El Caliente mini pie.

A la Mode
A la Mode’s patriotic Star-Spangled Sour Cherry is reborn as the Sweetheart Cherry, underscored with almond and topped with a buttery crust of heart cutouts.
When to order: A day ahead; will also be available in store
Price: $25

Bakery Nouveau
Choose from an array of chocolates and pink-frosted shortbreads or the Aphrodite cake: lemon fromage blanc mousse over a thin layer of cherry-soaked sponge cake and raspberry gelee; an apricot glaze, madeleines, and a pink rose petal finish it off. The cake also comes in a three-inch mini size.
When to order: Two days ahead
Price: $33/large Aphrodite; $5/small Aphrodite; $1.75/cookie; chocolate boxes range from $10.50–$50

Belle Pastry
Belle Pastry goes the traditional route and serves up a ton of chocolate options. There are also strawberry tarts in small and large sizes and heart-shaped strawberry cake.
When to order: 24 hours in advance; large tarts are available by advance order only
Price: Chocolates $4-$40; small tarts $6, large tarts $10.50

Cupcake Royale
CCR’s cupcake of the month is strawberry champagne—a perfumy vanilla cake spiked with bubbly and smothered in strawberry buttercream, then finished off with edible gold sequins. And available till Valentine’s Day is the frighteningly rich Deathcake Royale: a Theo chocolate base infused with Stumptown espresso ganache and topped with a band of fleur de sel.
When to order: 24 hours ahead; strawberry champagne available in-store the whole month of February; Deathcake Royale available through February 14
Price: $3/Deathcake; $3.75/cupcake

Essential Bakery Cafe
Essential Bakery offers tarts for two in salted caramel or mixed berry flavor, plus a bigger berry tart with a chocolate base and cream filling. Grab a couple of raspberry whoopie pies on your way out.
When to order: Two days in advance
Price: $6/small tart; $12/large tart; $3.25/whoopie pie

High 5 Pie
The butter-crusted El Caliente is a Mexican chocolate mini cream pie spiced with traditional cinnamon and cayenne. “Piepops” come in apple or cherry-almond.
When to order: By February 12
Price: $3.50/pie; $5/piepop, $15/bouquet of three piepops

Hoffman’s
The February special is Strawberry Kisses cake: three layers of devil’s food and strawberry mousse with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Also find heart cookies of all sorts and chocolate-and-buttercream petits fours.
When to order: 24 hours in advance
Price: $24/Strawberry Kisses cake; $0.55-1.50/cookie; $5/petit four

Shoofly Pie Co.
Shoofly’s pie of the month is a brownie-esque black forest tart over a layer of cherry gelee, topped with whipped cream and fresh cherries.
When to order: Three days in advance
Price: $4.25/slice; $32.95/pie

Sugar Bakery
Pick up a flourless chocolate cake embellished with raspberry puree and freshly whipped cream, or a box of baked goods complete with chocolate and sugar cookies, Linzer sandwiches, and brownies accessorized with hearts.
When to order: Available through the 15th; order 24 hours in advance
Price: $14/cake; $2.25/cookie; $22/dozen cookies

Trophy Cupcakes
Trophy’s got three specials this V-Day season. For him: a chocolate cake made with Pike Extra Stout. Hers is baked with pink champagne. Also available is a dark Valrhona chocolate cake stuffed with raspberry buttercream and layered with Callebaut chocolate ganache.
When to order: His and hers cakes available in-store February 10–14; raspberry chocolate cake available through February
Price: $4/cupcake

Add a Comment »

Tags: Valentine's Day, Desserts

Le Gourmand, Sambar to Close

A pioneering laboratory of Northwest cuisine says adieu June 2.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 09, 2012 at 11:10AM 10 Comments

Bruce and Sara Naftaly at Le Gourmand. The restaurant will spend its final months regaling diners with a menu of greatest hits.

June 2 will be the last day of business for Le Gourmand, the pioneering restaurant that has stood on NW Market Street for 27 years, as well as its adjacent cocktail den Sambar.

Calling someone out of the blue and inquiring into various personal and business affairs is not my favorite part of this job. But when I reached chef-owner Bruce Naftaly this morning, he sounded downright excited. You see, Naftaly and his wife and business partner Sara are very hands-on. So much so that there’s no taking the night off and leaving the kitchen in the hands of a sous chef. Bruce Naftaly says he has cooked every dinner Le Gourmand has served, except for a few weeks eight years ago when he landed in the hospital. Dining at his restaurant “is like having people coming into your studio."

That pace, that schedule, get rather tiring.

“It’s wonderful and passionate and intense,” says Naftaly, “but you can’t do anything else.”

After Le Gourmand and Sambar bid Seattle farewell in June, the chef plans to finally write that cookbook he’s been planning for a decade or two, and continue teaching classes. Sara is interested in pursuing a bakery, and plans to work on a cocktail book with longtime Sambar barman Jay Kuehner. Also high on the couple’s to-do list: Spending more time with their son.

When Naftaly opened Le Gourmand back in 1985, his concept was a bold experiment for the time—classic French fare, made with seasonal, locally sourced Northwest ingredients. Today, the farm-to-table concepts he helped pioneer are practically gospel to the current generation of chefs, many of whom were born after the restaurant opened. When the Naftalys opened Sambar in 2003, no bars “were handling cocktails like you would an haute French sauce,” says Naftaly. Now the spirited experimentation espoused by Kuehner and other bartenders is all but expected when Seattleites go out for cocktails.

And while the economic downturn and the current trend toward casual dining have affected the Naftalys’ bottom line, Bruce says the decision was personal rather than financial.

So, Seattle, you have little more than three months to make a final visit to Le Gourmand. Starting in March the restaurant will offer a farewell menu featuring the greatest hits of nearly three decades. “I’m still extremely passionate about the whole thing, and I want to go out while I’m still feeling that way,” says Naftaly.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Closings, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Le Gourmand, Sambar, Jay Kuehner, Bruce Naftaly, Sara Naftaly

Marisa Lown Plans New Candy Company

Seattle Sweets and Company: gluten-free caramels and confections from the baker behind the Radical Cupcake.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 09, 2012 at 09:32AM 1 Comments

Gluten-free, and probably very delicious. Photo courtesy Seattle Sweets and Company.

Last we heard from Marisa Lown she was gearing up to launch an allergy-friendly mobile bakery. Those plans are temporarily on hold, but Lown does have another exciting project in the pipeline: Seattle Sweets and Company.

The “urban candy company” will specialize in organic, gluten-free caramels, both vegan and regular. Other products she’s working on include chocolate confections and dessert sauces.

Lown is known around these parts—and especially among wedding folk —for the baked goods she made while running the Radical Cupcake. Lown is phasing out the baking business but says she will happily consult those seeking an allergy-sensitive diet.

Lown currently has a few products on Etsy as part of a Valentine’s promo. By April Lown estimates Seattle Sweets will be fully operating, and once that ball is rolling she’ll probably go wholesale.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Candy And Sweets, Marisa Lown, Seattle Sweets and Company

Ethan and Angela Stowell Launch Eat. Run. Hope.

Lace up your shoes and loosen your belt: The new 5K and food fest will benefit the Fetal Hope Foundation.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 08, 2012 at 03:00PM 2 Comments

Chef Ethan Stowell and wife and business partner Angela have organized a new 5K run April 1 to benefit the Fetal Hope Foundation. And because this is Ethan and Angela Stowell we’re talking about, the run also happens to be a food event, complete with a beer and wine garden, all in Seward Park.

No surprise, the food tent will be packed with culinary heavy hitters. Brace yourself for a ridiculously long list of great chefs, including Canlis’s Jason Franey, Renee Erickson of Walrus and the Carpenter, La Bête’s Tyler Moritz (a Stowell alum), Rachel Yang of Joule and Revel, Maria Hines of Tilth and Golden Beetle, Daisley Gordon of Marché, Terra Plata chef Tamara Murphy, Bastille’s Jason Stoneburner (also a Stowell alum), Miles James of Dot’s Delicatessen (yep, him too), Taste chef Craig Hetherington, Ericka Burke of Volunteer Park Cafe, and pizza from Via Tribunali.

Last summer the Stowells lost their unborn twin sons to Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, a rare and deadly disease that occurs only in identical twins. This event is the couple’s way to effect change in memory of their sons—and the Seattle restaurant community’s way to express support for one of its most visible members.

On a lighter note, the participating restaurants will be running a bacon relay, a prospect that sounds both entertaining and kind of greasy. Angela Stowell will be crafting bacon batons for this less athletic follow-up to the actual 5k which apparently arose from Maria Hines throwing down a challenge to her fellow chef participants.

Registering for the run costs $35, and the food tent is $70. Interested in both? That’s $95. Register for Eat. Run. Hope. right over here.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Good Cause, Ethan Stowell, Seattle Food Events, Angela Stowell

Neighborhood Food News: Full Tilt Gains an Ice Cream Lab, Trophy Cupcakes Delivers

Plus: Met Market gets in the Valentine’s spirit, Tom Douglas Wants to Send You to Hawaii, Wild Ginger riffs on the Gauguin exhibit, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 08, 2012 at 10:30AM 0 Comments

Trophy Cupcakes now delivers. Photo courtesy their website.

BELLEVUE
John Howie is getting in on the Sunday supper trend. These new weekly meals will be sized for four and, of course, centered on a shared steak.

CAPITOL HILL
Eater Seattle reports that tonight at Bako there will be both free snacks and fashion. It’s a Wednesday night grab-bag of an event: a DJ, a fashion show, vodka drinks, and $5 Bako gift cards.

DOWNTOWN
Another downtown restaurant is finding menu inspiration at the Seattle Art Museum. Wild Ginger is creating a menu inspired by Gauguin’s Polynesia, on exhibit at SAM through April 29. The menu will be available tomorrow, but here’s a teaser: twice-cooked Indonesian wings, first simmered in a myriad of Southeast Asian spices, then fried and coated in hoisin barbeque sauce. Even better, these dishes are accompanied by a new tropical cocktail.

GREEN LAKE
Free babysitting at Café Bonjour on Valentine’s Day. Parents eat, kids play under supervision. (But if you have scored a sitter, boy have we got Valentine’s dinner ideas for you. Here and here.)

QUEEN ANNE
Metropolitan Market is going all out for Valentine’s: from 5-7 on Thursday there will be a champagne tasting, crab cakes, oysters, and chocolate covered strawberries at the Mercer Street location. And from 4-7 that same day, sample Cupcake Royale’s Deathcake and Macrina Bakery’s chocolate cherry heart loaf. Both pastries will be at the Queen Anne Ave location for sample and for sale on Saturday.

WEST SEATTLE
Full Tilt Ice Cream is expanding, though not with a new retail location this time (yet.) According to the West Seattle blog, the ice creamery is taking over a 6,061 square-foot space to use for manufacturing, storage, and as a laboratory, with tentative plans for retail space and perhaps a gallery in the future. The new space will allow Full Tilt to crank out more goodness, as well as give kids mouthwatering tours.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Tom Douglas wants to send you to Hawaii. Two tickets to Kona, three nights at a swanky hotel, and a big seafood dinner are up for grabs. Drop by any of his restaurants to pick up the contest questions, or download it here and drop it off.

Dangerous: Trophy Cupcakes are now available by delivery. A day’s notice and a minimum order of a dozen cupcakes (maybe a batch of February’s special dark chocolate raspberry cupcakes…) will get you delivery for $15 in Seattle, $20 in Bellevue.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Tom Douglas, Full Tilt, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Cupcakes, Food News Roundup, Wild Ginger, Sunday Suppers, Free Food, Contests, Trophy Cupcakes

Truck Stop: Barbara Pagarigan of the Bistro Box

“I love the creativity behind this new world,” says the sandwich and slider chef.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 08, 2012 at 09:00AM 1 Comments

The Bistro Box: sliders, sandwiches, and more.

In Truck Stop, we meet the folks at the wheel of Seattle’s food trucks.

When the economy spiraled downward and Barbara Pagarigan found herself without a job, she did as many have done and turned to trucks. “Loving the idea and excitement they were stirring up, I started checking them out,” says the Washington State native. “I love the creativity behind this new world and the ‘location, location, location’ factor, so I made the leap.”

Said leap was launching The Bistro Box, a trailer dedicated to sliders, sandwiches (including—awesomely—breakfast varieties), and Belgian-style frites. Pagarigan is most often found shilling in Renton but recently joined the pod at Microsoft. Here, she pulls over for a few questions.

What item sells out first? Our french dip: toasted baguette loaded with natural roast beef, horseradish sauce, and au jus—customers say they drink it to the last drop.

What else should I try? The OMG sliders (because they are OMG astonishingly delicious): kobe beef with peanut butter, thick crispy bacon, and pepper jelly.

Where do your recipes come from? They usually start with one key ingredient or flavor and emerge into a sandwich, spread, or entree. I consult the Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg quite often for inspiration combining flavors and ingredients. The best items on our truck didn’t take long to develop, if I have to work on it too hard it isn’t going to come together.

What, if anything, would you like to change about the city’s new street food regulations? Even with the new regulations there are still a lot of hoops to go through: permission from business owners, restroom agreements within 200 feet. I’d like to see those loosened up.

When I’m not in my truck you can find me eating at… My dining room table.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Truck Stop, The Bistro Box

Slideshow: Foodportunity Returns to Palace Ballroom

Check out what everyone was eating at Monday night’s networking event.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 07, 2012 at 01:20PM 0 Comments

Metropolitan Market whipped up mac and cheese made with a nutty-sweet gouda.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Metropolitan Market whipped up mac and cheese made with a nutty-sweet gouda.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

It’s Tulalip time: the casino and resort’s David Buchanan put out smoked sockeye salmon with shallots, dill, capers, and cucumber on chèvre.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Pasta (and amaro) man Mike Easton of Il Corvo prepares fresh garganelli.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Inn at Langley satisfied sweet teeth with smoldered spruce cream on a bed of walnut sugar. That’s aerated truffle honey on top.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Cupcakes, grain and gluten on the side, courtesy Wheatless in Seattle.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Mt Townsend Creamery offered up fromage blanc on apple chips alongside the very delicious Off Kilter, made with Pike Brewing Company’s Kilt Lifter Scotch Ale.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

More cheese, please: Kurt Beecher Dammeier schooled event-goers on the difference between cheese made with raw milk (above) and pasteurized milk (background).

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Il Fornaio’s Franz Junga grills veggies for an eggplant-zucchini-pepper panini.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Among the night’s top bites were these puff pastries from Volunteer Park Cafe. They were filled with caramelized onions and goat cheese and topped with roasted black trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Also a hit: pickled celery root wrapped in cured salmon and finished with sherry gastrique. Rover’s was to thank for this one.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

South American specialty food store Magic Road International provided an Argentinian chimichurri sauce—especially tasty when mixed with hummus.

Gastronomes and media folk descended upon Palace Ballroom Monday evening for Foodportunity, the network-and-nosh event put on by Keren Brown (aka Frantic Foodie).

Brown has organized Foodportunity for several years now, both here and in Portland. The idea behind these events is to come and converse with fellow food obsessives while sampling bites from top-notch restaurateurs and local purveyors. The chefs talk attendees through the dish they chose to prepare, which is a neat opportunity to get inside their heads. Name tags facilitate the networking side of things, as does the cash bar (it’s amply stocked). So convivial is the atmosphere even foodportunists flying solo will find someone with whom to chat.

Many of the people at Foodportunity are repeat attenders and will eagerly share lessons learned from past events. For example, they’ll tell you it’s best to arrive when doors open at 6, when few others are there. That way you can go nuts with the food and avoid the awkwardness of trying to converse while doing so. (Or worse, getting grub stuck between your teeth during a gab session—definitely a networking no-no.) Also: it’s easy to miss the booths hidden in the back right corner of the foyer, but they’re some of the best of the bunch.

Check out the slideshow for more from the event and a sampling of the food on offer.

All photos by Seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Palace Ballroom, Seattle Food Events, Foodportunity

Cafe Munir: Lively Lebanese in Loyal Heights

Bright little plates in a simple space make for a sweet shared meal.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 07, 2012 at 09:15AM 1 Comments

Inside the restaurant, handmade metal lamps sent from Egypt by Gargour’s family dangle from the high ceiling and a gilded portrait of his son hangs on the wall.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Inside the restaurant, handmade metal lamps sent from Egypt by Gargour’s family dangle from the high ceiling and a gilded portrait of his son hangs on the wall.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Gargour has loved hosting his neighbors and friends in the cozy space and introducing them to traditional Lebanese cuisine.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Big windows let sunlight stream into the café, illuminating the bright paintings and the colorful bottles that line the wall behind the bar that leads into the open kitchen.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Gargour’s family sent the eye-catching lamps over from Egypt.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Gargour likes to put his own spin on Lebanese classics—for example, his mukhaddara, a green incarnation of the traditional red muham’marra.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Brassy bells hang by the doorway.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Sweet and salty Mahallabieh, milk pudding flavored with orange flower water and topped with pistachios.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Aside from the large whiskey collection, Café Munir also carries Arak, a traditional anise aperitif.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Diners can watch their meal come to life in the kitchen.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Batinjan Josephine takes center stage, thick, creamy yogurt topped with roasted vegetable and bright parsley and olive oil.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The café’s painted signs hang in the large front windows.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A portrait of Gargour’s firstborn has a central spot in the restaurant. Of the gilded painting: “It’s a little over the top, but it fits.”

After moving to Seattle, Rajah Gargour missed the large, lively family meals of Lebanon, where he spent the first ten years of his life. So the Serafina and Szmania’s veteran brought them here, to his new Loyal Heights restaurant called Cafe Munir —which he’s confident is the only authentic Lebanese restaurant in Seattle. The airy white-walled space opened briefly in December, but Gargour held the official grand opening a few weeks ago, welcoming the neighborhood in for a colorful feast in the fresh space.

Currently he serves dinner only, but Gargour has plans for lunch, especially on Sundays, when he’s imagining a leisurely, end-of week family feast. With most items on the menu of hot and cold mezzes coming in around $5 and sharing plates the norm, Cafe Munir is a solid spot for dining cheap. But the refined space is nice enough for a quiet date, and the food sampled on a recent visit is certainly interesting enough to merit a drive from more distant neighborhoods.

“In Lebanon there’s a real tradition of…having big family lunches and dinners and drinking,” Gargour explained of the culture he wants to replicate in his new spot. He’s kept the interior simple with only a few thoughtful decorations, hoping to fill the space with something other than baubles. A real Lebanese feast, he says, is a “multisensory experience…shisha smoke in one nose and whiskey breath in the other…the people getting louder and louder.” Cafe Munir isn’t quite this raucous, but Gargour, a self-proclaimed whiskey nerd, does have an extensive collection of whiskeys and traditional Lebanese spirits stashed behind the bar.

The food is multi-sensory too—Lebanese tradition eschews individual plates in favor of dozens of colorful little bites called mezze; this culture was doing small plates before small plates were hip. The chef-owner wants his food to reflect the same purity as his space: “We’re trying to do things very simple…we don’t care about garnishing for looks, we’re garnishing just for taste.” Nothing is frippery here; a good example is the muhallabieh, a light milk pudding breezily flavored with orange flower water and topped with finely crushed pistachios. Or the traditional semolina cake made new with house-made arak syrup, the tiny pasty buzzing with anise.

The restaurant’s color, says Gargour, should come from the dishes and the people gathered to eat them. And soon a table was filled with color: first tiny fried pastries stuffed with bright pink beetstalks, lamb, and pinenuts, one of Gargour’s twists on a Lebanese basic. Seconds later, red muham’marra, which Gargour likened to romesco—a rich puree of roasted red peppers brightened with chilies and walnuts. This was served alongside the less traditional bright spring green mukhaddara, a Cafe Munir blend of poblano peppers, mint, almonds, and pistachios. Then batinjan Josephine, a bowl of incredibly rich labne—yogurt strained for a day to peak creaminess—topped with a mound of roasted onion, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Soon after that: the most delightfully smoky baba ganoush I’ve ever tasted and delicate arayess, minty haloumi cheese wrapped in delicate phyllo and fried.

In keeping Cafe Munir simple, Gargour keeps the focus on the food and the act of sharing it, recreating those Lebanese family meals he remembers. The slideshow above shares more details on the space and the food.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Restaurant News, Cafe Munir, Rajah Gargour

Branzino Brings in New Chef, Revamps Menu

“It’s kind of like we’re hitting the reset button,” says Garrett Michael Brown.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 06, 2012 at 01:46PM 1 Comments

Does a new chef and menu signal a comeback for Branzino? Photo courtesy branzinoseattle.com.

Belltown’s Branzino opened several years ago to plaudits and accolades from local food folk. The appearance of the restaurant’s executive cook, Ashley Merriman, on Top Chef kept the buzz coming for awhile thereafter, then the spot sort of fell out of conversation. But Branzino’s most recent hire believes the restaurant is about to get its second wind.

“It’s kind of like we’re hitting the reset button,” says Garrett Michael Brown, new executive chef. “We’re poised to make a comeback and hit it again.”

Brown started the day after Christmas but only recently revealed the transition. Before settling at Branzino, Brown engaged in a bit of kitchen hopscotch following the closure of Verve, where he spent five years: for a few short months he was at Oddfellows, then took an even shorter stint at Terra Plata.

With the addition of Brown has come a slew of changes. All the pasta is now made in-house, for example, and the kitchen is aging and curing meats. The menu rotates weekly, and is far more rooted in local ingredients. Brown describes the focus as “Northwest based in Italian.”

So, anybody been lately? What’d you think?

Add a Comment »

Tags: Shift Change, Garrett Michael Brown, Branzino

Nosh Pit Weekly Planner

Beer and chocolate at Pike Brewing, Gail Simmons at Book Larder.

Posted by: Brian Colella on Feb 06, 2012 at 12:20PM 0 Comments

“Foreplay before the big day” at Pike Brewing Co.’s Chocofest.

MONDAY February 6

Thanks to a juggernaut of tweets, blog posts, and sneak peek videos, most local food peeps are well aware that Andrew Zimmern’s Seattle episode of Bizarre Foods airs tonight. His Puget Sound exploits included a trip to Marination Mobile, and the food truck and sibling restaurant concocted a special today-only menu item in honor of the TV host. It’s a kimchi fried rice with Spam, but in this case Spam stands for “Some People Are From Minnesota,” which happens to be Zimmern’s home state. Apparently Zimmern isn’t such a fan of this particular precooked meat product. Offer some proof that you hail from Minnesota and you can score a free Spam slider as well.

TUESDAY February 7

Central District youth organization Coyote Central has launched a monthly pop-up-ish dinner in its new professional kitchen, inviting notablelocal chef to put on a three-course meal (with wine) for about $50 a person. Marjorie chef Paul Hyman kicks things off. Other chefs on the calendar include Terra Plata’s Tamara Murphy, Wayne Johnson of (as of recently) Ray’s Boathouse, and Plum Bistro chef Makini Howell, recently deemed easy on the eyes over at Eater Seattle. Proceeds support Coyote’s culinary youth program, and middle-school-aged graduates assist with service and plating. Hyman’s dinner is $45, or $160 for four.

SUNDAY February 12

Pike Brewing brings together chocolatiers, winemakers, brewers, cheesemakers bakeries, and restaurants for the fourth annual ChocoFest. Pregame for Valentine’s Day with beers brewed specially for the occasion—Pike will be offering the XXXX Cocoa Cherry Porter—and maybe pick up some great last-minute gifts from local vendors, all while supporting FareStart. Call 206-812-6604 to reserve your spot.

This month’s Sunday supper at Ethan Stowell’s Tavolata features Garfield’s favorite. Chef Brandon Kirksey’s four-course menu offers two lasagnas: beef ragù and Swiss chard with mushroom. The communal-table dinner starts at 6 and costs $25 per person. Call 206-838-8008 to reserve one (or more) of the 26 seats.

TUESDAY February 14

Tom Douglas is hosting a special Valentine’s night at the Palace Ballroom, to help you and a special someone get a little bit closer—longing gazes and G-rated canoodling are encouraged. Warm up at 7 with cocktail hour and a truffle-making demo, then sit down at 7:45 for four courses including a third course served for two to share (if you want). Feeling footloose? Get down to the sounds of the Jacqueline Tabor Trio. Tickets are $75 per person plus tax and gratuity.

BEYOND

Feb 27 Chris Camarda and David Oldham of Andrew Will will be on hand at RN74 to give guidance in enjoying the Vashon Island–based winery’s vintages. The Behind the Bottle series brings in guest winemakers to demystify the sauce, while lead sommelier Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen explains the food pairings.

Feb 29 Book Larder and Tom Douglas are coming together to present a dessert party and conversation with the author of Talking With My Mouth Full, Top Chef judge, and host of Top Chef: Just Desserts: Gail Simmons. The $45 ticket includes desserts, a glass of sparkling wine, and a signed copy of her book. Perhaps a few glasses of that sparkling wine will inspire Simmons to drop a hint or two as to whether Seattle might actually host the next season of Top Chef.

Add a Comment »

How to Look Like a Seattle Restaurant

Opening a Seattle area restaurant? Check out our handy design template!

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Feb 06, 2012 at 09:00AM 3 Comments

Tin Table, a Type 2 Seattle restaurant. Exposed brick wall, check.

Prospective restaurateurs, listen up: Anyone opening a restaurant in the greater Seattle area is legally bound to follow one of three design mandates, on file in the city licensing office. Doubt it? Then why does it seem as if every new Seattle restaurant looks like one of the following?

1. Cool. Stark. Minimalist. Hard-edged. (Frequently deafening.) Think Black Bottle, Spring Hill (soon to be Ma’Ono), Revel, Crush, Boom Noodle, Mistral, Madison Park Conservatory.

2. Hipster chill, mottled concrete floor to exposed ductwork ceiling. Must have at least one wall of exposed brick; extra points if faded paint from a ‘40s-era wall ad is barely discernible. Think Tavolata, Brave Horse Tavern, Staple and Fancy, Terra Plata, Tin Table.

3. Elegant Designer Living Room, upholstered in creamy neutrals. Think Art at the Four Seasons, Canlis, The Book Bindery, John Howie Steak House.

Of course there are exceptions. Think of the overwrought Old World opulence of the Georgian Room; the early-Rococo, late-exploded-flea-market Bizzarro Italian Café; the sparkling, retro-cute Skillet Diner. And don’t forget the magnificent theater pieces from restaurateurs/set designers Deming Maclise and James Weimann, whose Poquito’s is a visual feast of lush Mexican tile and wrought iron, and whose Bastille could be arrested for impersonating a Paris train station.

Maclise and Weimann will be among the panelists tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 7) at Town Hall in the Seattle Architecture Foundation forum, Restaurant Design: How Design Affects the Dining Experience. My esteemed colleague Allecia Vermillion will moderate as they, along with restaurateurs Ethan Stowell and Chad Dale, discuss and debate and digest this most under-discussed critical aspect of the dining experience.

Should be great. See you there at 7pm.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Mistralkitchen, The Book Bindery, Spring Hill, Black Bottle, Critic's Notebook, MistralKitchen, Terra Plata

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Spring Hill surprised Seattle with a concept overhaul, Microsoft became home to the newest food truck pod, and Seattle Pie Company announced their move from Magnolia to a pie-boat on South Lake Union

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 03, 2012 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

Seattle Pie Company is moving…to a pie boat. Photo courtesy of their website.

OPENINGS

Eat Local
Queen Anne’s prepared foods purveyor is opening a second shop in the Joule building on Broadway, according to the CHS blog. This shop will be larger than the original Queen Anne location, with a broader selection of artisan-y handmade foods that you can pretend you made yourself.

The Wurst Place
It’s finally opening today, beer and sausage lovers rejoice.

Lunchbox Laboratory
Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the Bellevue outpost of the gonzo Seattle burger shop is opening this Saturday. From that day on the location will be providing its famous giant gourmet burgers every day from 11 to 11.

Mestizo Tequila Ultra Lounge and Grill
In Belltown, what used to be Twist Restaurant and Lounge is becoming Mestizo Tequila Ultra Lounge and Grill, a lounge complete with more than 200 types of tequila, says Eater Seattle.

Microsoft Food Truck Pod
The Microsoft campus is now home to a fleet of food trucks: Where Ya At Matt, Street Treats, and the new Portland-transplant Happy Grillmore, to name just a few, are all moving east for lunch.

Restaurant Zoe
The new home in Capitol Hill is almost ready —there’s hopes to be hosting diners by Valentine’s Day. Though owners Scott and Heather Staples are bringing along most of the staff from the original Belltown location, pretty much everything else will change: menu, logo, prices. Plus they’ve got plans for a deck, kitchen garden, and even rooftop bees.

CLOSINGS

Greenwood Market
Greenwood Market is closing on Saturday, making room for nearby Fred Meyer to expand. Phinneywood reports that as the store’s inventory winds down, there’s lots of Gefilte Fish up for grabs.

Seattle Pie Company
Magnolia Voice reports that the neighborhood is losing Seattle Pie Company. The beloved pie shop is moving to South Lake Union and setting up shop on a boat, making the establishment Seattle’s first floating pie company.

SHIFT CHANGES

Cicchetti
Eastlake’s small plate drinkery has a new bartender, Kate Perry of Tango.

REVAMPS

Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky
Spring Hill surprised us all on Tuesday with news of its pending transformation February 8 they’ll become Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky, with a Hawaiian-inspired menu centered on shared fried chicken dinners. We’re excited.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Pie, Burgers, Spring Hill, Fried Chicken, Seattle Food Trucks, Shift Change, Food Truck Pods, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky

Of Dining and Design

Come hear the restaurateurs behind some of the city’s hippest spaces talk shop.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 03, 2012 at 11:45AM 0 Comments

Does the food at Poquitos taste better because you’re eating it in an awesome space? I plan to ask the owners. Photo by Geoffrey Smith.

I’m hardly a design expert, but I do know that a good meal takes on added layers of enjoyment when you eat in a well-conceived space. We ostensibly go out to eat for the victuals, but dining is its own form of theater…even food trucks. I’ll admit it: I enjoy a good meal or cocktail all the more in a beautiful setting.

Hence I was flattered to be asked to moderate the Seattle Architecture Foundation panel Restaurateurs and Their Spaces on Tuesday, February 7 at 7pm at Town Hall. Organizers somehow managed to get four very busy guys to in the same room on the same night to answer questions about the dozen-plus restaurants, bars, and coffee shops they have opened and owned around Seattle.

Those guys would be chef-of-many restaurants Ethan Stowell; James Weimann and Deming Maclise of Poquitos, Bastille, and Macleod’s; and partner-in-many-restaurants Chad Dale, who is involved with Staple and Fancy, Walrus and the Carpenter, and Revel. Maybe you’ve heard of them?

Honestly, one of those bobble-necked drinking bird dolls could facilitate an entertaining conversation among these gentlemen. I’m guessing they have some memorable tales of design triumphs and the crazy things that happen when you tear out walls in old buildings. Also, can someone please share details about the secret spot where all these restaurants find incredible salvaged fixtures and furniture?

I’m told the key to being a good moderator is drinking wine (in moderation) before said moderating occurs. Grab your $20 ticket right over here and please do say hello.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Ethan Stowell, Seattle Food Events, Deming Maclise, James Weimann, Chad Dale

Here Comes Another Food Truck: Off the Rez Hits the Road

Find the truck in SLU, Fremont, and serving late-night grub on Capitol Hill.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 03, 2012 at 08:55AM 0 Comments

Off the Rez, ready to roll. Photo courtesy Off the Rez.

The street food news has been flying lately, and look, here’s more.

Co-owner Mark McConnell says he’s rolling out Off the Rez for a “soft opening” on Saturday, February 4. The truck, known to elicit some lively discussion, is parking outside Big Mario’s and Caffe Vita from 10pm till bar time.

After this weekend McConnell and chef Donovan MacInnis are headed for Boren and Harrison on Wednesdays from 11 to 2 and Evo on Thursdays, same times. As for the possibility of more midnight stints, McConnell says, “We’re going to try doing Vita late night every week and see how that goes.”

The arrival of the Rez is exciting, and not solely because the Indian tacos and frybreads promise to be excellent drunk food: The Native American-inspired truck is the first of its kind here and ensures the hard-to-find cuisine—absent even at brick and mortars—is readily available.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Off the Rez

Will Seattle, in Fact, Host Top Chef?

We’ll know in a few weeks.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 02, 2012 at 01:50PM 5 Comments

Earlier this week Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau president Tom Norwalk caused a significant uproar amidst food nerds locally and nationally when he let fly to KIRO’s Josh Kerns the fact that Seattle is a finalist to host the next season of Top Chef.

Norwalk confirmed to Seattle Met that our city is indeed one of two remaining contenders for the culinary competition reality show: “We got close last year and didn’t get the nod.” He says the final decision should come within the next few weeks.

At issue for this season, and any season, is whether the host city can pony up enough money to help cover production costs, an estimated $200,000 to $300,000. In exchange, Seattle would be the setting for at least 10 episodes of chef competition, culinary hijinx, restaurant wars, man buns, and the occasional on-camera meltdown. A Seattle-based season would guarantee lots of Space Needle, fish-throwing, and local chef cameos on millions of TV screens around the country.

Top Chef won’t share the identity of the other city vying for hosting rights, says Norwalk, though we’re hearing some (highly unconfirmed) rumors that Portland was also under consideration.

If Seattle doesn’t make the cut again this year, at least we’re still in for some local restaurant television action with the upcoming premiere of Check, Please! Northwest. There’s also the Top Chef season nine finale in Vancouver.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Reality TV, Seattle on TV, Top Chef

Valentine’s Day Dinner, Part II

Book a table for two at any of these decadent feasts.

Posted by: Emily Dhatt on Feb 02, 2012 at 01:20PM 1 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

Valentine’s dinner goes Mediterranean at Golden Beetle.

Anchovies and Olives
The Capitol Hill pasta house will create a seafood-focused five-course dinner. Among the pastas are salt cod ravioli pappardelle with Dungeness crab and smoked tomato. Entrees are roasted pork loin, grilled swordfish with horseradish cream, and king salmon with fregola sarda.
Price: $80/person
When: Feb 14 from 5–11

Bastille
For a pseudo-Parisian V-Day, Bastille has cultivated a small collection of romantic dishes: a dozen Hama Hama oysters on the half shell; scallop cru with lime; golden turnip ravioli gratin with marinated leeks and Washington truffles; and entrecote for two with pommes dauphinoise and artichoke mustard. Plus, “his and hers” punch cocktails: hers is flowery and champagne-heavy, his is citrus-based and laced with bourbon and rum.
Price: Plates range from $14–$60
When: Feb 14 from 5–11

Golden Beetle
Maria Hines’s multi-course menu is inspired by Mediterranean flavors: grilled halloumi cheese, grape leaf–wrapped albacore, wild boar shank tagine, black walnut backlava, and more.
Price: $37/person
When: Feb 14 from 5–10

Hitchock Restaurant
Hitchcock’s prix fixe menu features entrees such as grilled Pacific octopus, smoked quail, and black trumpet and hedgehog mushroom risotto.
Price: $65/person
When: Feb 14 at 5
Menu

How to Cook a Wolf
New chef Jake Martin’s four-course menu includes casarecce with rabbit sugo, braised pork cheeks, seared day boat scallops, and grilled beef strip loin with charred eggplant. For dessert: vanilla bean panna cotta, pecan tart with bourbon ice cream, or warm chocolate cake with salted peanut butter ice cream.
Price: $80/person
When: Feb 14 from 5–11

Salish Lodge
Available Valentine’s Day and the weekend previous, the five-course menu at Salish Lodge features Northwest delicacies like vanilla bean and butter-poached lobster, duo of Oregon lamb and elk in wild mushroom demi-glace, and seared day boat scallops with white bean puree. If your sweet tooth isn’t satisfied by the honey-pear tart or the chocolate souffle, book a getaway package complete with mini chocolate fondue and port served in-room.
Price: $130/person
When: Feb 10 & 11 from 5–10; Feb 14 from 5–9:30
Menu

Salty’s at Alki
Salty’s serves up some serious sweetness with its Valentine’s menu: coconut-crusted wild prawns, spiced top sirloin with blackberry honey-glazed carrots, white chocolate mousse cake, and tableside bananas foster for two.
Price: $59–$119/person; vegetarian menu $55–$90
When: Feb 14 from 5:30–8:45
Menu

Staple and Fancy Mercantile
Chef Ethan Stowell offers up apps to share, like Hamachi crudo, pork belly with apples and walnuts, and Shigoku oysters on the half shell. Guests choose their pasta, main, and dessert courses. Enticing entrees include grilled beef tenderloin, roasted duck breast with fried Brussels sprouts, and fennel grilled swordfish. Desserts are creme fraiche panna cotta and warm chocolate cake with peanut butter gelato and peanut brittle.
Price: $80/person
When: Feb 14 from 5–11

Tulio
Tulio’s a la carte menu sets the mood with aptly named cocktails like I’ll Melt With You (prosecco and raspberry granita) and Blushing Lady (vodka, Pama lieueur, grapefruit juice, and a sugared rim). For something a little more substantial, consider the black truffle chicken, scallops with potato puree, and crispy pork belly.
Price: $12–$36/plate
When: Feb 14 from 5–10
Menu

Volunteer Park Cafe
Charming Volunteer Park Cafe will serve up a five-course dinner on the 14th. Highlights include the second-course "fondue for two,” zesty blood orange and shaved fennel salad, and lamb rack with minty white beans and pomegranate Greek yogurt.
Price: $75/person
When: Feb 14 at 7

Add a Comment »

Tags: Valentine's Day Dinners 2012

The Wurst Place Opens

The occasion takes place February 3.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 02, 2012 at 10:45AM 0 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

The Wurst Place: sausage, beer, and eclectic design.

Really truly finally—it’s happening.

The Wurst Place, the South Lake Union restaurant and deli serving sausages of all stripes, is set to open on Friday, February 3 at 5pm.

It’s been a long haul for owner Bob Liptak, who first revealed his plans to Nosh Pit in late April. Numerous delays and construction hiccups would ensue, as would a relentless stream of inquiries from fans and bloggers (yep, guilty). But the wait appears worth it. The distinctive interior, the impressive selection of beers, the exhaustive and carefully curated menu of franks and frites all suggest good things.

Gander at that interior in this First Look, and get more on Wurst Place beer here.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, South Lake Union, The Wurst Place

An Opening Date for Skelly and the Bean

This most unusual of restaurants opens officially on February 23.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 02, 2012 at 09:30AM 3 Comments

Don’t let that insouciant pose fool you: This woman has been busting her posterior to open later this month. Photo courtesy of Skelly and the Bean.

Zephyr Paquette, a memorable personality in Seattle’s already colorful world of chefs, is less than a month away from opening her restaurant Skelly and the Bean. She has amassed tables and chairs and burnished the floors in rice bran oil. Upended old barn planks now line the walls like some sort of bucolic wooden fence beneath a sky-painted ceiling. She has also set a February 23 public open date.

To say this Capitol Hill establishment is community-driven is a comical understatement. Thanks in part to a membership program she devised last year, Paquette, a veteran of Cafe Flora, Elliott Bay Cafe, and the former Dandelion, is somehow managing to open a 50-seat restaurant without taking out a single loan. She has relied instead on member contributions, the kindness of strangers, and support from friends and acquaintances acquired through her career. And lots of her own manual labor, of course. Paquette won’t say exactly how many members she has, but she’s planning on capping the list soon and releasing a few memberships each subsequent season. She also meets each member in person before bringing them on.

The former Easy Joe’s space on 10th Avenue is now home to a most decidedly mismatched assortment of tables and chairs. Every item in the dining room, says Paquette, was donated or purchased with member contributions. This means every piece of furniture has a story, from the table some friends grabbed from the side of the road while en route to the airport (they still made their flight), to the freebie table from Craigslist. The owners originally promised it to another taker, says Paquette, but revoked the offer once they read about the restaurant.

The menu will also contain its share of stories, like the “Rowley bites” mussel po’boys and geoduck salad, named in honor of sustainable shellfish superstar Jon Rowley. Other items sound like the chef herself: deadly serious about sourcing, but pretty damn fun. There’s the “buckets of rain” dessert (yes, named for the Dylan song) that’s an actual bucket of raindrop-shaped doughnuts with chocolate and jam to dip. Or the secret half-chicken: It could be stuffed, fried, braised—you won’t know till it arrives at the table. But do know this: There will be tater tots, made in-house and dubbed “petit paquets” (har).

In addition to dinner service, Paquette plans to open her space to classes and an incubator series that give young chefs and other un-restauranted talent a chance to do their thing. She’s already signing up chefs for the incubator calendar but is looking for more “upstarts” who might be interested.

Members get a monthly dining stipend and a few other perks, but the rest of us can start making reservations shortly after Valentine’s Day.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Coming Soon, Skelly and the Bean, Zephyr Paquette

More Details on Ma’ono

Marjorie Chang Fuller explains the reason behind the big changes at the Restaurant Formerly Known as Spring Hill.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 01, 2012 at 12:00PM 0 Comments

Ma’ono’s fried chicken: kind of a big deal. Photo by Geoffrey Smith.

Yesterday I caught up with Marjorie Chang Fuller, who was busy fielding a torrent of calls after she and husband Mark Fuller broke the news that Spring Hill will be Spring Hill no more as of next week. It seems the public’s unbridled love for fried chicken helped inspire the decision to change the destination restaurant into the more casual, Hawaiian-focused Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky.

Fuller says the couple was considering the name and concept change this past fall when they re-launched the revered Monday night fried chicken dinners under the Ma’ono name (the Southernist original recipe remains on the menu, along with more Asia-fied preparations). The chef-owner decided to retire these weekly feeding frenzies a few months earlier, prompting a torrent of emails, comment cards and even in-person visits from diners who objected to a world without such brined and battered goodness.

“It was so popular and when we took it away, we didn’t realize the impact that would make,” says Marjorie Fuller.

But flipping back and forth between elegant destination dining and greasy-fingered fried chicken fest didn’t sit right. “I think people got mixed messages as to what we were about,” says Marjorie Fuller.

She describes the new incarnation of Spring Hill as her husband’s style of comfort food. Mark Fuller grew up splitting his time between Kauai and the Puget Sound area. Some of the menu items, according to his wife, are riffs on the picnic lunches Fuller would back with his grandparents before setting off for the beach. Front and center on the new Ma’ono website is a family photo of Mark Fuller’s grandparents, mother, and uncle.

The new menu does maintain some other original dishes, and brunch is largely unchanged (for now). The restaurant’s interior will mostly stay the same, says Marjorie Fuller, save the handy substitution of paper napkins for linens, a savvy idea when trading in mass quantities of fried fare.

As for the Whisky part of Ma’ono, Mark Fuller is a big fan of the spirit, and has been working with bar manager MiNan Ahn to expand the liquor inventory and create a list of more than a dozen whiskey-based cocktails. Ahn, whose bar experience includes Tamara Murphy’s former restaurant Brasa, is also focused on food and spirit pairings, says Marjorie Fuller. According to Eater Seattle, Ma’ono will also add a counter to the bar for more seating.

And in case you’re wondering, the Fullers did consider changing the name to Spring Chicken.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Spring Hill, Fried Chicken, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky, Mark Fuller, Marjorie Chang Fuller

New Food Truck: Happy Grillmore

The Portland transplant is big on burgers.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Feb 01, 2012 at 10:40AM 0 Comments

Ingredients are locally sourced and organic whenever possible, says McGill. Photo courtesy Happy Grillmore.

Among the fleet of trucks at the new Microsoft pod is Happy Grillmore, which comes here by way of Portland.

The menu is heavy on burgers and fries but rotating items highlight the foods Darren McGill and wife Kryse Martin-McGill grew up eating. He’s Hawaiian a member of the Miwok tribe, she’s Filipina. Past specials include a chicken adobo sandwich, a salmon teriyaki burger, and pork sliders with heaps of pineapple slaw. The duo also runs a cart in downtown Portland but have momentarily shuttered operations there. Worth noting: last year that cart won an Eater Portland best burger contest for its Chubs angus patty finished with Tillamook, spinach, arugula, red pepper aioli, and spicy mustard.

Yes, the Chubs is available up here. But Darren also suggests trying the Happy burger. It comes with bacon, those same greens, and “really, really creamy” Gorgonzola on a ciabatta bun, which soaks up the sauces nicely.

Seattleites may remember Grillmore from last year’s Mobile Food Rodeo, where Darren says he was pleasantly surprised with the enthusiastic response. So far Darren and Kryse have found similar success at Microsoft, he added.

Happy Grillmore is slated to serve the Redmond crowd through mid-May; the truck is parked on campus weekdays 11–2. After that the couple hopes to settle elsewhere in Seattle (maybe they could team up with fellow Portland transplant Crème de la Crème?) Darren mentioned South Lake Union, Fremont, and a forthcoming downtown pod, and possibly some late-night spots.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Street Food, Seattle Food Trucks, Happy Grillmore

Neighborhood Food News: Globetrotting Mondays at La Bête, Late-Night Cheese at Art

Plus: A Super Bowl Facebook competition at Skillet, Raclette at Cafe Presse, and Valentine’s Day plans.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 01, 2012 at 09:45AM 0 Comments

TASTE at SAM has a new Polynesian-inspired menu to go along with the Gauguin exhibit. Photo courtesy of the SAM website

CAPITOL HILL
Skillet is celebrating the Super Bowl with a Facebook competition. Help them get to 10,000 likes and suddenly become the most popular person on the block with a Skillet-catered party this Sunday. If the restaurant and food truck empire achieves 8,000 likes, it opens up a drawing for dinner for two at the diner, while 9,000 likes means dinner for four.

Mondays are going international at La Bête. The two chefs at the helm of the French-influenced restaurant have started a series of global Monday night menus—they’ll be exploring India through March, then on to Eastern Europe, Mexico, Japan, Italy…

Raclette, the perfect warm dish for a cold February evening, is back at Café Presse. Loosen your belt and prepare for some bubbling melted chalet cheese with potatoes, salami, and two kinds of ham.

DOWNTOWN
The new late night happy hour at Four Seasons restaurant Art starts today, reports Eater Seattle. The insane spread of cheese and antipasti that lures crowds in the early evening resumes once again between 9 and 11. The all-you-can-eat spread runs $7, with discounted wine selections to boot.

SAM’s Taste restaurant has developed a Parisian-inspired, Polynesian-based, Northwest-leaning menu to complement the Gauguin & Polynesia: An Elusive Paradise exhibit, on display through April 29. A good example of this three-pronged inspiration: seared scallops with ginger and pine.

Boka is joining the dollar oyster club. Sunday through Thursday, 9:30 to close, stop in for $1 oysters and $5 glasses of sparkling wine.

EASTLAKE
To make sure all their pals working a restaurant industry schedule can make it in, owners Rene Gutierrez and Charles Walpole have extended the hours of Blind Pig Bistro. Walpole and new arrival Matt Fortner will be in the kitchen Monday through Saturday, beginning February 6.

PHINNEY RIDGE
418 Public House is now family friendly, till 8 o’clock at least, ways the PhinneyWood blog. The restaurant is now open to those under 21 until 8 pm, and has a new kids menu too.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
We’ve rounded up some Valentine’s Day dinners from around the city. Your guide to everything from chocolate cherry jubilee to caramelized shallot consomme with braised oxtail is right over here.

Don’t forget—Savor Seattle’s foodie hunt begins today. A puzzle and a prize a day, leading up to the grand prize at the end of the month: a tour for two through every Tom Douglas restaurant.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Valentine's Day, Contests, Skillet, Spring Hill, Fried Chicken, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Cafe Presse, La Bete, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky