Nosh Pit

Video: Seattle Food Truckers Talk Life on the Road

“The tires could fall off. It could be raining, it could be snowing. It could be 32 degrees in the trailer, it could be 100 degrees in the trailer.”

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 25, 2012 at 08:30AM 0 Comments

There sure is a lot going on with food trucks these days. It’s as if a new one rolls out every week. Oh wait, they do. To bring readers up to speed, I compiled a hefty spread on the burgeoning trend for our May issue. Below is a teaser of the feature, but be warned: serious hunger may ensue.

Seattle Met Food Trucks from Seattle Met on Vimeo.

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Tags: Street Food, Skillet, Seattle Food Trucks, Parfait, Street Treats, Hallava Falafel, Crisp Creperie

10 Fun Facts About Skillet

Joshua Henderson’s forthcoming cookbook combines hunger-inducing recipes and revealing recollections.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 16, 2012 at 03:00PM 5 Comments

Joshua Henderson’s collection of recipes from his truck and diner goes on sale in July.

When he’s not tending to his two food trucks, planning a new outpost at Seattle Center, running a wildly popular diner, or preparing to host a new radio show, Skillet’s Joshua Henderson has been writing a cookbook. The Skillet Cookbook: A Street Food Manifesto comes out this summer, but local publisher Sasquatch sent over a preliminary copy, filled with favorite recipes from both truck and diner, and beautiful photos by Sarah Jurado. Henderson also weaves in his take on food safety laws, food quality in general, and the story of launching his high-end food truck in the days before everyone was obsessed with high-end food trucks.

My biggest surprise as I flipped through the pages was how much thought and preparation go into these recipes, since the end result never feels overly complicated. But there were a few other surprises too; here, a few facts gleaned from the book’s pages:

1. The original name Henderson envisioned for his truck was Le Pigeon, until a certain chef down in Portland opened a restaurant by the same name. Incidentally Skillet’s signature pork belly and waffle (currently looking awesome on the cover of our breakfast issue) was inspired by a brunch dish Henderson had at that same restaurant.

2. The inspiration for Skillet Diner’s kale caesar, a surprise hit on a menu full of less-leafy temptations, was none other than Cormac Mahoney of Madison Park Conservatory.

3. Henderson bought his signature 1962 Airstream trailer in 2007 for $5,000, after spending six months talking the owner down from his original $10,000 asking price.

4. Early ideas for Henderson’s street food venture included a grill cart and a scheme to operate Skillet as a private club, selling $1 lifetime memberships so people could buy the food. The city nixed both of those plans.

5. The now-signature burger made its debut (along with Skillet’s milkshakes and fries) at Henderson’s wedding.

6. Another signature item, the poutine, was originally made with cheese curds, “but they have more squeak than flavor, kind of like the Canadians when they bitch about our poutine.”

7. Running a restaurant, says Henderson, is easier than running a trailer. He likens mobile operations to legalized gambling, guessing each day on the right amount of food and staff. On a truck, “you can’t cut someone midshift and tell them to take the bus home.”

8. The book’s lunch recipe section closes with a mention that Henderson is considering what other bricks-and-mortar projects would best reflect Skillet’s spirit. The idea he throws out there—a beer hall. Yes, please.

9. Henderson’s biggest regret was keeping his prices so low in Skillet’s early days. Concerned that people would balk at street food with restaurant prices, he planned to gain a following, then raise prices to the level necessary to sustain the business. This tactic put Skillet “in a hole from day one,” he writes, despite the long lines of customers.

10. In late 2008, Skillet came very close to folding. Henderson writes that he and his wife Kelli had discussions about how to best shut down the operation. Enter the 2008 holiday season, and Martha Stewart and Real Simple magazine raving about Skillet’s bacon jam. A flood of orders ensued, which helped keep the business afloat. It’s only a matter of time before someone buys the rights to this story to make a feel-good holiday movie.

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Tags: Cookbooks, Skillet, Joshua Henderson, Josh Henderson

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Tom Douglas’s beer czar moves on, new chefs at Local 360 and Boka, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Mar 16, 2012 at 09:45AM 0 Comments

Via Tribunali’s New York storefront. Photo via New York Magazine.

OPENINGS

Via Tribunali
The wood-fired pizza joint has taken up its traditional position beside Caffé Vita in New York City. The pair softly opened last Thursday, and it seems like New Yorkers are taking to them already.

Trace
What was Earth and Ocean reopened March 9 as Trace in the W Hotel. The new chef, Steven Ariel has created breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bar menus, bringing Asian influences into the seasonal cuisine.

Hummus
Phinneywood reports that a new Middle Eastern joint has arrived at the corner of Greenwood and 85th in what used to be a gelato shop.

Cafe con Leche
Seattle Magazine says the former Paladar Cubano truck that drew crowds with its Cuban sandwich feats has been reincarnated as a cafe in Sodo.

CLOSINGS

Alki Crab and Fish
West Seattle Blog reports that the beachfront joint has officially shuttered, making way for the Marination outpost coming this summer.

SHIFT CHANGES

Local 360
Hanna Raskin says that the hyperlocal Belltown restaurant has replaced ousted chef Mikey Robertshaw. Stepping in will be Paul Hyman, currently executive chef at Marjorie on Capitol Hill.

Elliott Bay Brewing Co.
Warren Peterson, Tom Douglas’s “beer czar” and sous chef, is moving over to the newest location of Elliott Bay Public House and Brewery, according to Washington Beer Blog. Peterson will be in the kitchen, and is also happy to be close to the brewing. The Lake City location, the brewery’s third, is slated to open on March 26.

Boka Kitchen and Bar
The former McCormick and Schmick’s on South Lake Union reopened in November as chef-driven Harborside. And a few months later the chef driving that concept, Peter Birk, is now running the kitchen at Boka and Hotel 1000.

Beer Junction
West Seattle’s go-to bottle shop is moving to a larger location, which is about double the size. The shop should be open in the new location on California Ave in just a couple weeks.

Aquaterra
The Sea-Tac Marriot’s restaurant has revamped both its decor and food; unlike most other restaurant retoolings of late, the reimagined menu is slightly more formal, and the dining room is more dramatic.

COMING SOON

Pretzelwagen
Allison Barnes will bring pretzel goodness to West Seattle this summer in the form of Pretzelwagen, the food cart that hawks Oma Stein’s pretzels coupled with cheese or sugar.

Seattle Center House
Fremont’s Pie shop is expanding to the renovated Seattle Center House, along with Skillet and potentially mobile operation Big Food and bagel shop Eltana. This project gets more exciting by the week.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Seattle Center House, The Beer Junction, Pretzelwagen, Trace, Via Tribunali, Seattle Center, Pie, Skillet, New York, Closings, Eltana

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Top Five Restaurant Openings of 2011

Lots of newbies…but which were best?

Posted by: Kathryn Robinson on Dec 27, 2011 at 11:00AM 2 Comments

The tidy, white-and-celery Skillet Diner is one of our new favorites.

Like 2010, this year brought spinoffs aplenty, with restaurateurs like Tom Douglas colonizing in earnest—in his case, South Lake Union (see Serious Pie, Serious Biscuit, Ting Momo, Brave Horse Tavern, and Cuoco.) Jason Stratton of Cascina Spinasse brought us his Italian aperitif masterpiece Artusi, Maria Hines of Tilth delivered her ode to the Arab Spring in the form of Golden Beetle, and Scott Staples of Quinn’s enhanced his portfolio with Uneeda Burger (even as he diminished it by Restaurant Zoe).

Mobile operations like Marination Station, A La Mode Pies, Seattle Sausage Company (which would become Dot’s Delicatessen), and Skillet Street Food went bricks-and-mortar, while Mexican food went the new-restaurant equivalent of viral. (Openings included Poquitos on Capitol Hill, Kirkland’s Milagro Cantina, Coa on Roosevelt, Fremont’s Pecado Bueno, Eastlake’s Little Water Cantina, and the jaw-dropping Queen Anne sister to La Carta de Oaxaca, Mezcaleria Oaxaca.)

But of all the openings, five stood out as superstars. In alphabetical order, they are:

Altura Shhh…open since just October, it hasn’t been operating long enough for my print review to come out. At the risk of spoiling the surprise, let’s just say this North Capitol Hill beaut fires on every cylinder and then some: creative and seasonal Italian food; a romantic space presided over by at least one member of the heavenly host; and some of the most gracious service I have encountered in Seattle.

Bar del Corso Look up “neighborhood restaurant” in the dictionary and there’s a picture of the burbling happy room that’s made Beacon Hill dwellers lose their minds. Perfect wood-oven pizza, nice bitter cocktails, Euro nibbles and salads, and all the community you could ever want—in one deafening room.

Coterie Room Thank you, Dana Tough and Brian McCracken (Spur Gastropub, Tavern Law), for opening a restaurant that’s brought a little life and beauty back to Belltown. The schtick in this elegant white fin de siècle room is timeless comfort food (grilled rib eye, buttermilk chicken) brought off to a turn, with all the modern methods chefs love to employ but hate to own up to.

Revel Sue me, it opened the tail-end of 2010. The folks who brought you Joule have trained their perfectionist eye on Asian street food, and the short rib rice bowls with kimchee and pork belly pancakes and warming morning porridge are simply the most exuberant thing to happen around here all year. A treasure.

Skillet Diner The Pike/Pine neighborhood of Capitol Hill is breathless over its clattering drop-in diner, where the fried chicken has a fennel seed crust and the grilled cheese is made with brie. It all adds up to the perfect ratio of foofy-to-fun, in a tidy white-and-celery space where the cocktails go down like Kool-Aid. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Skillet, Revel, 2011 in Food, Altura, Coterie Room, Bar del Corso

The Gastro Gift Guide Part 2: For Those Who Slather

Rubs, jams, jellies, and condiments galore for a tasteful stocking.

Posted by: Stephanie Rubesh on Dec 08, 2011 at 11:15AM 0 Comments

Tom Douglas dishes out the love freely (well, almost) for happy plates.

Photo Credits: tomdouglas.com

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Tom Douglas dishes out the love freely (well, almost) for happy plates.

Photo Credits: tomdouglas.com

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Pork in a jar for easy Christmas giving.

Photo Credits: Mark Pascua

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Get Dark chocolate, Classic Caramel or Raspberry according to your sweetie’s taste

Photo Credits: Fran’s Chocolates

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Joy in a jar. It’s peachy.

Photo Credits: Zachary D. Lyons

Sometimes Seattle and its sobering rain stats can rub people the wrong way. But believe us when we say Seattle knows how to do rub right. Jellies, spreads, and sauces too. A host of area restaurants, including Skillet, Wild Ginger, and the Tom Douglas empire, have achieved local condiment fame by offering their trade secrets in little containers for you to purchase. And then there are the offerings from our farmers markets, food boutiques, and specialty food shop. Yep, Seattle has rubs, condiments and spreads galore; and for (mostly) under $10, they happen to make excellent small gifts or stocking stuffers.

For the spice lover:

Curry powder from Wild Ginger is a signature spice blend of cumin, anise, ginger, and fennel among others. At $5 a bottle, it can be used as a marinade, in a sauce, or just to kick the flavor up a notch or three in any chosen dish.

The African Peri Peri Rub is a Tom Douglas concoction and part of his Rub with Love line; it’s infused with garlic, black pepper, citrus bursts, and chipotle chilies. Check out Douglas’s online store for more rubs, sauces, or snack mixes.

Pepper-jelly shop Mick’s Peppourri gives you a Red Hot Pepper Jelly: a delicious jalapeno jelly, light on the hot, heavy on the flavor. This is one of their flagship bottles, but go for raspberry pepper jelly, cabernet wine jelly, or hot garlic pepper jelly for a twist on the traditional. Order online or pick them out at Pike Place Market.

Food-truck phenom Marination finally buckled down and bottled their famous Nunya Sauce, a blend of mayo, onions, and a stash of spices that will remind your mouth what it means to be alive. Bottles are available at Marination Station or at the truck.

For the salt fanatic:

If you know Skillet, you know Skillet’s bacon jam. Really though, what’s not to love about bacon, onions, and spices in spreadable form? There was much fanfare and celebration when it hit the shelves in 2010, and now everyone (all but the vegetarians) on your Christmas list can find out why.

Volunteer Park Cafe made a splash in the NY Times with their bottled mac-n-cheese sauce (aka Mac Daddy) and we hear that it may be rolling back into town in time for the holiday season.

For the sweet tooth:

“Try us on toast” is their tagline, and after skimming a list of Deluxe Foods
jams that covers apricot vanilla, almond tea, jeweled strawberry, grape and walnut, gingered rhubarb (among others), all we can say is, “yes, please.” Rebecca Staffel is a jamming authority in these parts, and her creatively combined, locally grown fixings can be found either online or at a crowd of neighborhood shops and markets. Your toast may have met its renaissance.

Local chocolate artist Fran Bigelow transformed her renowned handmade truffles into delectable flowing form to top desserts (or oatmeal, or spoons, or milk) with ease. Fran’s Dark Chocolate Sauce is rich and creamy; buying it supports the work of Neighborhood House, helping with the fight against poverty—so really, you’re giving two gifts in one. Bravo.

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Tags: Tom Douglas, Skillet, Seattle-Made Condiments, Seattle Food Trucks, Holidays 2011, Gastro Gift Guide 2011

Skillet’s Latest Farmstead Meatsmith Event Is Happening at Hilliard’s

Learn ‘the anatomy of thrift’ with a butchering demo and a tasty pig-centric meal.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 08, 2011 at 03:00PM 0 Comments

Josh Henderson, he of the ever-expanding Skillet empire has another butchery event in the works with Vashon Island’s Farmstead Meatsmith.

On November 20, Farmstead butcher Brandon Sheard will be breaking down half a pig on a makeshift stage before a (presumably rapt) audience at new Ballard brewery Hilliard’s. The gathering also doubles as a release party for the first in a series of educational webisodes Farmstead is putting together, with funding help from a previous Skillet event.

The first webisode On the Anatomy of Thrift puts lesser known pig parts to economical and delicious use. Attendees will wash all this newfound butchery knowledge down with copious amounts of Hilliard’s beer.

Meanwhile, Henderson and crew will be laboring over a grill, cooking up the other half of said pig as part of a six-course Skillet dinner. The event runs from 5 to 9; tickets are $75 and you can find them here.

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Tags: Locavore News, Food Events and Festivals, Butchers, Skillet

Skillet Street Food Adds Second Truck, Ponders Second Restaurant

Josh Henderson takes on winter with seven days of Skillet.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Oct 31, 2011 at 12:05PM 1 Comments

Expect to see plenty of Skillet in the coming months, winter be damned. Photo courtesy Skillet via Facebook.

The colder months tends to send food trucks into a state of semi-hibernation, but Skillet mini dynasty owner Josh Henderson says his iconic food truck will be going strong through the winter months. In fact, he expects a second Skillet Street Food truck to be street legal by late November. Both trucks, says Henderson, will be running seven days a week. Oh, and he’s scaling back some of his prices and scouting locations for another brick-and-mortar restaurant.

First reported by Seattlest, the second truck, dubbed ‘Skillet Squared’ is a more traditional food truck rather than an Airstream. The two trucks’ schedules are still being finalized (got a location? get in touch with Henderson), but look for more Eastside appearances. Also, more Friday and Saturday night stops outside area bars, like this last weekend’s appearance outside Capitol Hill’s Stumbling Monk. Henderson says a location near Westlake is also in the works, which would be big news for downtown lunchers.

Henderson’s also bracing for the winter by tweaking the trucks’ fare to offer more items for $8 or $9. Sorry guys, but his signature burger isn’t getting any cheaper. In fact, he says the bacon jam-slathered burger comprises about two-thirds of his sales.

Meanwhile, he’s looking at spaces for a follow-up restaurant to his ever-bustling Skillet Diner, most likely in SoDo or South Lake Union. No details yet, says Henderson, but “you’ll definitely see some additions to Skillet in a brick-and-mortar capacity.”

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Tags: Street Food, Skillet, Josh Henderson

Skillet Is Releasing a New Bacon Jam Flavor

It’s black pepper fennel.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 21, 2011 at 10:10AM 0 Comments

Skillet is producing a black pepper fennel bacon jam.

Skillet, entrepreneur of the local bottle-and-sell-your-condiment craze, is coming out with a second flavor of its wildly popular bacon jam. In a recent newsletter (do you read these? They are reliably rife with fun morsels), the food truck states that a black pepper fennel spread will start lining shelves, “most likely by late summer.”

So in addition to Marination Mobile’s Nunya sauce, Boat Street Cafe’s pickled preserves, the Mac Daddy mac-n-cheese mix of Volunteer Park Cafe, and that original bacon jam (so good on grilled cheese!), you soon will have one more way to mask “blah” home cooking.

Here’s hoping Revel, purveyor of addictive table-side Korean condiments, is the next to hop on the trend.

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Tags: Skillet, Food Trends in Seattle, Seattle-Made Condiments