Nosh Pit

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.

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

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.

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

So, How Did Seattle Fare in Food Network’s Food Truck Contest?

Oklahoma City trumps the trucks repping Seatown.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Sep 20, 2010 at 12:51PM 0 Comments

Oklahoma City: Home to America’s favorite food truck.

I know, I’m tired of talking about this too, but after all the coverage and all the Twitter talk, it only seems right to reveal the results. None of the eight Seattle food wagons jockeying for the crown of America’s favorite proved the victor. Yesterday the Food Network bestowed that title upon Oklahoma City’s Big Truck Tacos.

Props go to Marination Mobile for standing strong in the Top 10 right out of the gate. Here may I remind you Marination has already established its supremacy in another, arguably more hell yeah! national contest.

Congrats to Oklahoma City. You finally have something to brag about.

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Tags: Street Food, Contests

Food Network Popularity Contest Food Truck Competition Ends Today

Will Marination Mobile make a last-minute leap to the top?

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Sep 10, 2010 at 09:53AM 0 Comments

Marination Mobile: America’s best food truck?

The Food Network–sponsored contest to find America’s best food truck, the one in which trigger fingers can vote 10 times (!) per day, is closing the polls Friday.

Eight Seattle four-wheelers were in the running, with Marination Mobile holding strong in the Top 10 from the get-go.

The voting page is still up, so if you’ve yet to show your hometown pride, now’s the time to do it.

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Tags: Street Food, Contests, Food Network

Walkin’ in a Whoopie Wonderland: Photos from Oddfellows Cafe’s Whoopie Pie Bake-off

Professional and amateurs show off their best East coast cakeburgers at the inaugural showdown.

Posted by: Mary Pritchard on Jul 21, 2010 at 05:45PM 2 Comments

Variety was the name of the game. While the classic whoopie (marshmallow fluff sandwiched between two chocolate, cake-like patties) was well represented, unique variations on the old-school ’wich made this bakeoff distinctly Seattle. For example: both vegan and gluten-free pies made their appearance. There were also several booze-infused recipes, like the mini-margarita pies from the kitchen of Christy Beaver of Mini Empire Bakery. Lime zest and tequila wove their way into the frosting of these sprinkle-encrusted bad boys.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Variety was the name of the game. While the classic whoopie (marshmallow fluff sandwiched between two chocolate, cake-like patties) was well represented, unique variations on the old-school ’wich made this bakeoff distinctly Seattle. For example: both vegan and gluten-free pies made their appearance. There were also several booze-infused recipes, like the mini-margarita pies from the kitchen of Christy Beaver of Mini Empire Bakery. Lime zest and tequila wove their way into the frosting of these sprinkle-encrusted bad boys.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The creation of first-time maker Deb Vasseur, who incorporated the nickname her grown children gave her ("Bee") into her honey, blackberry, and rosemary recipe. “I’ve traveled to Pennsylvania and Ohio in Amish country, so obviously I’ve eaten whoopie pies, dreamed about whoopie pies, and when I heard about this contest, I knew it was finally time to make them.”

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This “Taste of Summer S’more Whoopie Pie” is a gluten-free creation from Jeanne Sauvage, who invents recipes for her gluten-free food blog.

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Crowd members and contestants stuffed both their mouths and the ballot box with their pick for the best cakeburger. Ballots gave samplers a place to rank the pies on form, decoration, aroma, texture and flavor, creativity, and an overall 1-5 (with five being “fabulous” and one being “eh!”).

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Judges John Roderick (writer, musician) and Christopher Frizzelle (editor of The Stranger), wait to load up their plates.

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The five judges started to look slightly daunted by the sheer number of pies they needed to sample. Chelsea D. Lin, Seattle CitySearch Editor and Whoopie Pie BakeOff judge, said afterward that the key was not to try to finish every bite. "Nibbling is the way to go! Judges also pictured (from left): Micheal Wells, Interim Executive Director for the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce, Linn, Molly Moon, owner of Molly Moon’s Ice Cream, Frizzelle, and Roderick.

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The judges headed out onto the sunny patio to deliberate away from the crowds. Judge Michael Wells (far right) said the humidity and sun can pose a challenge for whoopie bakers. “Having made whoopie pies myself, there are some challenges in keeping the consistency of marshmallow fluff on a humid day like this. Some people use frosting instead, but I’m really here to represent the most traditional of pies,” Wells said. And yet, according to fellow judge Chelsea D. Lin, “some of the messiest were the most delicious.”

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Tallulah Anderson, event organizer and new media director for Oddfellows, was first exposed to the whoopie pie during her first year at Sarah Lawrence University. When she tweeted a picture of one on Oddfellows’s twitter account, an anonymous response challenged the cafe to a whoopie pie bake-off. “It really happened very organically, which I think gives it a great community feel to it,” said Linda Derschang, Oddfellows founder.

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Seven-year-old Eliza Dworkin scooped up the prize for the best classic whoopie pie. Eliza and her “sous chef” (aka next door neighbor) Robin Whel-Martin entered the competition together after Eliza approached her with the idea.

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Anderson congratulates Dworkin on her win. While there was some debate amongst the judges on whether butter cream or marshmallow fluff was more traditional, Eliza’s sweet treat won them over regardless.

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Heather Earnhardt of Volunteer Park Cafe entered five different pies. “If I hadn’t ran out of marshmallow fluff I probably would have kept going,” she admits. It seems that the numbers game was in her favor, as Heather nabbed two of the awards: most interesting variation, with her chocolate raspberry pie (shown here), and best overall, a red velvet variety.

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Audrey Mormanus won the honor of crowd favorite with her grandmother’s whoopie pie recipe, brought all the way to Seattle from her hometown, Boston. “My entire life we’ve always made them, and when I moved here seven or eight years ago, I didn’t realize no one else knew what they were!” Here she proudly displays the Oddfellows tote bag all of the contestants received for competing.

The dust has settled from Oddfellow Cafe ’s first annual Whoopie Pie Bake-off, where dozens of hungry onlookers gobbled up platters of bite-sized samples, and overstuffed, sugar-soaring judges managed to put down even more.

With over 24 entries in the competition (note: many bakers had more than one pie on the ballot), the five judges were asked to select winners in three categories; meanwhile, audience members sampled to their hearts content and voted on a crowd favorite.

And the winners are…

Best Classic Whoopie Pie: Seven-year-old Eliza Dworkin and her sous chef/next door neighbor Robin Whel-Martin, with their “Classy Classic” whoopie pie.

Most Interesting Variation and Best Overall Whoopie Pie: Heather Earnhardt from Volunteer Park Cafe, with a chocolate raspberry and red velvet whoopie pies, respectively.

Crowd Favorite: Audrey Mormanus, with “Nana Cuoco’s Whoopie Pie”, her grandmother’s recipe she brought with her from Boston.

To see what their creations looked like, and to check out more scenes from the event, click the slideshow.

All photos by Mary Pritchard

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Desserts, Contests, Oddfellows,

Want to Win This Year’s Grilled Cheese Contest?

Thierry Rautureau of Rover’s tells you how.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 26, 2010 at 09:25AM 0 Comments

Your golden ticket.

Anyone aspiring to top honors at Seattle Cheese Festival’s grilled cheese contest has until May 1 to perfect their recipe. What’s that you say? Your ’wich is more mess than masterpiece?

Cue Thierry Rautureau of Rover’s. Those who caught him on Top Chef Masters two weeks ago will vouch the man knows his grilled cheese—that gooey specimen he whipped up for the Quickfire Challenge looked ever so tasty.

Here, Rautureau’s roadmap for crafting an award-winning sandwich. Your first and foremost consideration: “There’s nothing worse than having a dry piece of cheese between two dry pieces of bread."

Bread: Rautureau recommends a sourdough or baguette, preferably from Columbia City Bakery.

Cheese: Goat, specifically the curd-like caillé, and taleggio. Spread the caillé on the inside of both slices of bread, and melt the taleggio on the outside. This outer film yields a crunchiness and flakiness and gives it texture, a key component of a good sandwich. The caillé adds a freshness of flavor and the ever-important moistness Rautureau alludes to above.

Other ingredients: Rautureau says practically any ingredient can work, and for this contest you are allowed up to six. You’ll remember Rautureau used harissa on Top Chef Masters. This, he says, packs heat, and the chili sauce certainly adds interest. Other ones to consider: caramelized onions, roasted bell peppers, and arugula. Before serving, splash a touch of olive oil in the middle of the sandwich.

Preparation: Contrary to common thinking, there’s no need to load the bread with butter—or any, for that matter. Rateaureau doesn’t. (“Strangely enough, for a Frenchman,” he quips.) Cook either in the oven or on the stovetop, but note this is “not a science of time” and more about preference. Check after one minute—that should do it if you’re after a blonder sandwich—then flip.

And voilà! Now get practicing. Time’s tickin’.

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Tags: Cheese, Contests

Saveur Recognizes Three Local Food Blogs

Vote for them in the magazine’s Best Food Blog Awards.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Mar 02, 2010 at 07:00AM 2 Comments

On Monday Saveur.com unveiled the nominees for its first annual Best Food Blog Awards. Among them are two Seattleites, Jessie Oleson (aka CakeSpy), and Michael Natkin, who runs Herbivoracious.

Oleson is nominated in two categories: Best Baking and Desserts Blog and Best Individual Post—about her love for salted peanut crisps. Natkin is up for Best Special Interest Blog, in which the software-engineer-by-day relays tips for vegetarian cooking. The locally based Small Potatoes: Adventures in Eating Close to Home is vying for the title Best Regional Cuisine Blog.

You can see the full list of nominees here. Help the local foodies win by voting for them.

Props to Seattle Food Geek for the tip.

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Tags: Locavore News, Bloggers, Contests

Grilled Cheese All-Stars, Get Ready:

Seattle Cheese Festival’s annual contest is upon us. It’s time to show your city what you really learned in college.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 25, 2010 at 10:14AM 3 Comments

You garnered your skills while babysitting your little brother, who would only stop crying when he smelled the Land O’Lakes hit the pan. In college, you aroused the suspicion of your RAs…must have been all those tie dye-wearing long hairs lined up outside your door. But when campus security arrived, they found that the only fix you were supplying was the kind that came between two buttered slices of bread. Oh yeah, you are—always have been—a grilled cheese god(dess), in possession of melting powers unknown to mere mortals.

And here’s your chance to show the world all that you can do with a spatula and a skillet.

Of course, you’ll be competing against some of the city’s best chefs, so you may want to test your recipe before you send it off to the judges at the Seattle Cheese Festival. You have two months—submissions are due May 1, check the festival web site for details. (Don’t check today, it’s in need of an update.)

Every year judges pick one winner from a gooey mess of submissions—last year’s champion was a cheesewich that featured Walla Walla onions, three kinds of cheese, and one pint (per four sandwiches) of “good German beer.”

The 2010 Seattle Cheese Festival will be held May 15 and 16 at Pike Place Market. Events include cheese education seminars, chef demos, and cheesemaking presentations—the monsieurs from Maximilien will show you how to make raclette, De Laurenti staff will demo mozzarella and burrata, a cheese so creamy-delicious it’s downright unholy.

Get grilling.

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Tags: Cooking, Recipes, Cheese, Pike Place Market, Food Events and Festivals, Contests