Eastside Eats

Know Anyone Looking for a Great Condo in Redmond?

2010-02-24T15:29:00.001-08:00

Know Anyone Looking for a Great Condo in Redmond?

My wife and I just put our condo on the market!!!

$344,900

Commanding views of Redmond & Cascade Mountains! Amazing Sunrises and rainbows, too
Pristine, dramatic 2 Bedroom, 2 Baths plus a multi-use loft style condo in Knollwood Condominiums
Great Location: Close to Downtown Redmond and Redmond Town Center. Minutes to Microsoft and Marymoor Park. Right off West Lake Sammamish 520 exit
Remodeled and Updated to Perfection: Gorgeous upgraded kitchen with cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and Stainless Steel appliances, new energy star LG dishwasher and Whirlpool fridge, beautiful tile floors and brand new carpet throughout
Soaring 20ft ceilings in the living with dramatic picture windows.
Wood burning fireplace and sunny view deck for warm weather BBQ's
Warm and Inviting Master Suite with sitting, updated full bath en suite including new flooring and glass tile backsplash, oversized walk-in closet with built-in wardrobe organizers and convenient laundry area complete with folding table
Upstairs loft area with fantastic views. Perfect for office, den or exercise room.
Second bedroom on Main Floor with adjacent full bath and large closet.
Brand new carpet, blinds and paint! Recently replaced furnace.
Includes one covered parking space with plenty of easy, visitor spaces available
Dues include: basic cable, garbage, water, use of pool and hot tub
Recent complex updates including new siding, brand new vinyl windows and doors
Lake Washington School District
Listed by Rick Smith (425) 830-0067 ricksmith@johnlscott.com

Wintergrass: Insider's Guide to Bellevue

2010-02-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

This Thursday the Wintergrass Music Festival will be coming to the Hyatt Regency. While primarily a bluegrass festival there will be an eclectic mix of bands from many musical genres including Gypsy jazz, Celtic music, Old-Timey, Swedish polskas and many more types of acoustic string music. Having previously been held at the Hotel Murano in Tacoma this will be the festival's first year at its new digs in Bellevue. This is one of the best indoor festivals in the country and draws a very dedicated following of bluegrass fanatics, many of whom bring their instruments with them and participate in informal jam sessions throughout the festival space.

If you have never been, this weekend is a great opportunity to get to know this festival as it expands into its new home. For those who have been to Wintergrass when it was in Tacoma, it may be a bit intimidating to get your bearings, especially if you have not spent much time in Bellevue. This guide is here to assist you make the most of your time. Whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat in between bands, a more relaxing dinner, to whet your whistle or perhaps just want to get out and stretch your legs this guide is here to help you get around town. Not knowing what the Hyatt's music venues will be like until this weekend, it is clear that the sheer number of dining and entertainment options in such close proximity to the festival makes Bellevue a much better choice than Tacoma.

Quick Bites to Eat:

Casa D's Taqueria – Cheap, Fast and Big Portions
- 102 Bellevue Way NE – less than 5 minutes walk less than 2 blocks south of Hyatt
Blue C Sushi – Conveyor Belt Sushi, Pretty Affordable, Quick and Lots of Selection
- 503 Bellevue Square - 3 minute walk right down Bellevue Way
Boom Noodle - Pretty Quick, Affordable and Satisfying on a chilly, NW day.
- 504 Bellevue Square – 4 minute walk down Bellevue Way, just past Blue C
M.O.D Superfast Pizza – Fast, Thin Crust Personal Pizzas, $6 unlimited toppings
- 317 Bellevue Way NE – 5 minute walk, just south of Bellevue Square Mall

More Relaxing Dinner:

Daniel's Broiler – Great steaks, Killer Happy Hours (4-6:30pm & 9pm-12am), Great Views
- 10500 NE 8th St, 21^st Floor – In same complex (Bellevue Place as Hyatt), in Bank of America Tower
Maggiano's – Good Food, Great Service, Exclusive Wintergrass dinner show Friday night only 5-8pm for Wintergrass attendees only.
- 10455 NE 8th St – right across the street from the Hyatt at Lincoln Square
Pearl Bar & Dining – Beautiful Restaurant, Awesome Cocktails, Excellent Happy Hours (3-6pm, 9pm-12am)
- 700 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 50 – 5 minutes walk, on the south side of Lincoln Square, across from the Westin.
Monsoon East – Excellent Food, Elegant Restaurant, Weekend Dim Sum Brunch
- 10245 Main St. - A nice 12 minute, 3 block walk south of the Hyatt in Old Bellevue

Places to Whet Your Whistle:

Twisted Cork Wine Bar – Lounge will be an official venue Friday and Saturday but you don't need a wrtistband to get in here, great way to experience the festival without the expense of a ticket, great wine-by-the-glass selection.
- Lobby of the Hyatt (going to be busy, might want to make a reservation if you have your heart set on eating here)
Stir Martini & Raw Bar– Will also be a festival venue on Friday and Saturday nights but the dining room will still be open, Great Cocktails, Exciting Seafood based menu.
- Lobby of the Hyatt (going to be busy, might want to make a reservation if you have your heart set on eating here)
Tap House Grill – Best Beer Selection on Eastside, Over 150 Taps, Decent Happy Hour
- 550 106th Ave NE – 6 minute walk about 2 blocks south of Hyatt
Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub – Decent Pub Grub (Good Fish & Chips!!!), Guinness on Tap
- 700 Bellevue Way NE – Right across the street from the Hyatt, next to Maggiano's

Stretch Your Legs:

Lucky Strike – Swanky Bowling Alley with big video screens, decent happy hour from 4-7pm
- 700 Bellevue Way NE – right across the street in Lincoln Square, up the escalators one level
The Parlor – Upscale Billiards Parlor, Happy Hour all day on Sundays, $12/hr tables during the days.
- 700 Bellevue Way NE – 3^rd Floor of Lincoln Square, up one level from Lucky Strike
Downtown Bellevue Park – City Oasis, ½ mile loop trail, Cool Water Fountains
- 10201 NE 4th Street – About 5 minutes from Hyatt, just south of Bellevue Square Mall
Bellevue Botanical Gardens – Beautiful Escape from the city,
- 12001 Main Street – 5 minute drive away, on the east side of 405

Enjoy the Festival!!!

Pullin Shots: Urban Coffee Lounge in Kirkland

2010-02-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

*This article first ran on Seattlest.com on 2/18.

In Pullin' Shots, Seattlest visits some of the region's best coffeehouses. Nothing is more Seattle than our unique coffee culture, and it is our goal to uncover what makes our famed "third places" so special. Today, Pullin' Shots stops in at Urban Coffee Lounge in Kirkland's Juanita neighborhood.

Where do they get their beans? Urban Coffee Loungs (UCL) uses Stumptown beans roasted in Seattle.

What espresso machine do they use? La Marzocca GB5

What kinds of milk do they carry? Whole and skim milk, soy ( an additional 40 cents & for Breve) and Hemp Milk for an extra 50 cents. We were very surprising and a sign of the times, to learn that they serve considerably more Hemp milk than Soy! Also of interest, UCL offers what they call a Top Shelf Mocha (which is a bit more than their normal Mocha) that uses handmade truffle chocolate syrup from Chocolati.

What food do they offer? For such a small place, UCL has a lot of great food choices. Two delicious looking loaves of fruit bread sit at the counter from Finales (this Seattlest tried the Vanilla Blueberry bread and it was great!), plus sandwiches and wraps from Domovoi Happy Foods, assorted other pastries and delectables from Essential Baking, McTavish Shortbreads, Blazing Bagels, Chocolati Chocolates and the list goes on and on.

Music? Devotion by Beach House, on the Band of Horses Pandora music station.

Snob Factor? Surprisingly, very low! Pulling into my parking space in this little contrived “Downtown” setting (complete with contrived, avant garde iron sculpture that seem to be all the rage throughout the Eastside!) in Kirkland's uppity Juanita neighborhood we couldn't imagine that this place is half as cool as it actually is. UCL is unexpectedly laid back with a mellow, natural meets industrial design and attention placed on all the details. Staff including Assistant Manager, Andrew are uber friendly and helpful. On a side note, we really have to respect such confident owners who step into the belly of the beast so to speak, and have opened UCL kitty-corned in the same small intersection with a bustling Starbucks.

Ambiance/Clientele: This is a great neighborhood coffeeshop doing a lot of things right, in quite the unexpected location. During the day they cater to the usual Suburbanite Soccer Mom crowd with kids in tow, laptop shielded students and a handful of groups conducting business over their lattes. At night UCL dons its hipster, cool-cat hat and welcomes yuppies (and yippies !!) to relax with coffee, a rotating selection of bottled beer (Everett's Scuttlebutt Brewing, Stone IPA, North Coast's Old Rasputin and La Fin Du Monde) and wine by the glass or bottle (including 14 Hands Chardonnay and Cab, Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir and Desert Wind Ruah). During the cold months, they host unplugged musicians on their small stage on Friday nights and then heads outside for louder live music on their expansive patio.

Andrea Nguyen Delights with Dumplings at Monsoon East

2010-02-16T08:02:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the Asian Lunar New Year, Eric and Sophie Banh of Monsoon East presented a celebratory lunch this past Friday hosted by acclaimed cookbook author Andrea Nguyen. Nguyen who recently published her second cookbook "Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas and More," is a very charismatic, personable cook who masterfully captivated the capacity crowd in Monsoon East's main dining room. Like any good speaker, Andrea worked the somewhat awkwardly shaped room expertly, making sure that everyone could see and hear what she was discussing and demonstrating.

With her new book it is Andrea's mission to demystify the revered Asian dumpling. For someone like me, who has hit up their share of Dim Sum brunches yet have fiddled at home helplessly with those sticky store-bought dumpling wrappers; Andrea Nguyen is a beacon of hope in a see of uncertainty. She took a big risk in trying to convince the average home cook that they can indeed make their own dumpling shells by providing a simple, food-processor recipe that she insists results in a much more user-friendly dumpling assembly process.

The five-course luncheon paired several styles of dumplings inspired by Nguyen's recipes yet prepared by the masterful Monsoon East kitchen, with some delicious teas that truly showcased the versatility of each. In between courses, Nguyen offered some insight into the dishes as well as tips and techniques attendees could use to make delicious dumplings at home. Some of the most useful tips were to make your own skins (as they will be more supple, more forgiving and likely hold more filling), to use a standard issue tortilla press to assist in the creation of a perfect round wrapper and to remove as much of the liquid and moisture as possible from your filling.

As for the food, it most certainly did not disappoint. The first course showcased a sticky rice dumpling technique that most closely resembled a stuffed and trussed pork loin, filled with mung bean paste and pork and served with cubed Vietnamese pork sausage on top. This dumpling was a wonderful play on contrast with the delicate flavors of the mung bean paste countering the toothiness of the cubed pork and the sticky texture of the rice.

The next course again showcased a unique texture, this time with a glistening tapioca pearl doughsphere filled with shrimp and taro root, swimming in a sea of delicious Nuoc Cham sauce (that ubiquitous Vietnamese sauce that is served alongside your spring rolls and usually has carrots floating in it). The chewy texture of the tapoica and the subtle flavors from the filling really popped when mixed with the sweet and tartness of the sauce. Next up was a delicious fried dumpling filled with lobster that was paired with the most delicious tea I have ever had; a magnificent toasted rice tea that was subtle enough to pair perfectly with the crunchy dumpling and its succulent filling.

The fourth course, my favorite of the meal was a delicate rice flour dumpling wrapped like a mini-crepe filled with Kurobuta pork shoulder and Woodear mushrooms topped with batones of the same pork sausage used earlier. The delicate, thin texture of this dumpling worked perfectly with the unctuous filling and the light sauce to provide the best four bites I took all day. (Beautiful photo of this course is courtesy of Denise over at Wasabi Prime)

Finally to come full circle, the dessert dumpling showcased the same pork-loin-esque technique as the first course but this time was filled with banana that had intiguingly turned a muddish red color from its overnight cooking process and was accompanied by a delicious coconut and basil sauce. It served as the perfect final act to a great meal.

I would like to thank the folks at Monsoon East, Gruman & Nicoll PR and Andrea herself for putting on such a wonderful event. It was an eye opening experience for me and I look forward to trying out some of Andrea's recipes. If you are looking for an introduction to making your own dumplings at home, this book is certainly a great place to start.

Pullin' Shots: Soulfood Books, Music and Organic Coffeehouse in Redmond

2010-02-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

*This piece written by Eastside Eats originally ran on Seattlest.com on 2/12/10

In Pullin' Shots, Seattlest visits some of the region's best coffeehouses. Nothing is more Seattle than our unique coffee culture, and it is our goal to uncover what makes our famed "third places" so special. Today, Pullin' Shots stops in at Soulfood Books, Music and Organic Coffee House in Redmond.

Where do they get their beans? Soulfood gets their organic beans from Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Sleepy Monk is owned and operated by Victor Harding, who was the original owner and roaster at Victor's Coffee, a popular coffeeshop also in Redmond. Soulfood serves two proprietary blends, the Namaste Blend for drip and the Awake blend for espresso.

What espresso machine do they use? Astoria Rapallo AL2, lever-operated machine for manual extraction

What kinds of milk do they carry? Whole and skim from Sunshine Dairy. Rice, Soy and Hemp for an additional 50 cents.

What food do they offer? An assortment of pastries from Macrina, Hancock Bakery and Blazing Bagels both in Redmond. Fresh Panini Sandwiches

Music? Currently playing Joseph Childress's The Rebirths, from the Jose Gonzalez Pandora station.

Snob Factor? Very Low. The beans are quality, shots are pulled properly and products are purposefully locally sourced, but not in a pretentious way.

Ambiance/Clientele: Soulfood serves the best, most-consistent coffee on the Eastside in an uber-relaxed, community based setting. The coffeehouse is towards the back of the hippy-new age bookshop and is a great place to relax over a game of chess, book or laptop. They have numerous tables in addition to a living room-like circle of comfy chairs surrounded by local art on the walls. A couple nights a week Soulfood offers the best live music on the Eastside offering an ecletic mix of folk, jazz and rock. The first friday of every month is usually reserved for an incarnation of Twirl, Soulfood's owner Clint McCune's band. Come to see one of his performances and you will immediately know what Soulfood is all about. It truly is a shame that throngs of people in their Lexus SUVs and minivans shuffle through the $tarbucks drive-thru in the adjacent parking lot ,when one of the best and most unique coffeehouses in all of the Northwest is just a few steps away!

Bellevue's Popcorn Pavilion Delivers Quality Corn!

2010-01-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

Back in December, I received a press release (one of the cool things about blogging!) informing me of the opening of a new gourmet popcorn store called Popcorn Pavilion in the Bellevue Square Mall. I wrote it off as just another huge franchise bringing another homogenized food product to the masses at your local McMall.

Like any good PR firm they followed up with me last week, asking if I would like a complimentary sample pack to try out some of their popcorn. Looking a little bit deeper into the company, I found that this is the one and only Popcorn Pavilion and that it was founded by local Bellevue residents Grant and Ashley Jones, and having enjoyed my fair share of popcorn, figured why not!

The sample pack arrived at my doorstep in Redmond this morning (just two days late for me to celebrate National Popcorn Day!) and I quickly opened the box to see which of the 18 different popcorn flavors they had sent me. They have some pretty exotic flavors like Green Tea & Sea Salt, Seattle Style with Cappuccino flavored popcorn and their winter seasonal Peppermint Cocoa.

In the attractive sample box, I found Chicago Style, a combination of Caramel Corn and Cheddar Cheese popcorn, an enticing Jalapeno White Cheddar and the frightening Sweet Banana. I dug into each bag and was very surprised with the freshness and quality of the popcorn. They even go so far as to have the date the popcorn was popped and the name of the popper handwritten on the back of the bag. All the kernels were big, dense and crunchy, with each 16oz bag seeming quite heavy for its size. The Jalapeno White Cheddar flavor was my favorite with its cheesiness (think gourmet SmartFood) and a touch of fruity Jalapeno spice on the back end. The Sweet Banana flavor turned out to be pretty interesting. The flavor definitely resembled those banana shaped Runts candy you find in quarter vending machines, but the banana chips that were mixed in with the popcorn gave just enough contrast to make it enjoyable.

I would love to see the nutritional values for some of their flavors, as I can't imagine this incarnation of popcorn is a healthy snack. Additionally, I would be curious to know why Popcorn Pavilion chooses to use Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil ~~to pop~~ (ed. note: they use Canola oil for popping) in some of their corns, when there are likely healthier options available.

If you happen to be shopping at the Bellevue Square Mall or are looking for a unique gift, check out Popcorn Pavilion.

Wild Ginger Dim Sum Review from Cornichon

2010-01-21T10:28:00.001-08:00

Last week, I talked about the new brunch offerings at Wild Ginger and Barrio in Bellevue. While I had a mediocre meal off of Barrio's new brunch menu, my colleague at the Seattlest Ronald Holden stopped in to explore Wild Ginger's new Dim Sum offerings. Looks like he made the better choice.

Here is an excerpt his review from his blog Cornichon.

"This is Bellevue's version of Asian street food, not so much dumbed down as cleaned up. "Authentic"? If you mean aggressively spicy, no. The Ladies Who Lunch, who let the valet park their Lincolns, probably won't come in for the full-on Thai treatment, which you can find elsewhere on Bellevue's back streets, if that's your preference. But let's give Yoder (Wild Ginger owner) and his crew big points for going where mainstreet Bellevue hasn't gone before, even if it's where the Eastside is already heading: there's a huge Asian community out past Crossroads, and the young fashionistas cruising the Bravern's shops look more like China Beach than Jersey Shore."

Eastside News & Notes Roundup

2010-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

There has been alot going on in the Eastside food scene these days. Instead of doing short posts about each story, we have combined everything into one comprehensive post covering all sorts of local happenings.

Chef Brian Scheehser of Kirkland's Trellis is featured on PBS's Chef's a Field series this week in an episode titled "The Real Chef's Garden"
This episode of Chef's a Field showcases Chef Scheehser's relationship with the South 47 Farm in Redmond where he grows many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs that are served at Trellis. It truly personifies the connection between farm to table cuisine. As Scheehser describes of himself, "I would say that I am 75% farmer and 75% chef..." and later as "A Chef with Farmer Hands" it really shows his desire to perform both of these important, full-time roles. The episode shows the chef walking amongst the rows of the farm seeking inspiration from nature's gifts. He discusses what he plans to do with everything he grows; from the edamame like presentation of the fava beans, the many uses of all parts of fennel, to the simple, grilled preparation of the onion scapes.

Then the chef moves into Trellis' kitchen where he prepares his Two-Hour' Summer Salad with
Sweet Grilled Red Onion, Strawberries, Olive Oil And Balsamic Drizzle, Wild King Salmon Seared With Artichoke Salad, and a Summer Strawberry Shortcake with Mascarpone Cream. All three of these recipes can be found here.

PCC Natural Markets Donate to Haiti Relief
As reported by the Redmond Repo rter, PCC Natural Markets, the nation's largest natural foods cooperative has donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

“The magnitude of food, health care and infrastructure support needed by victims of this disaster is overwhelming,” said Tracy Wolpert, PCC’s CEO. “We are pleased to contribute to the recovery efforts being coordinated by the American Red Cross.”

If you needed yet another reason to support PCC, this is a great one. Be sure to check them out at their 3 Eastside locations in Issaquah, Redmond and Kirkland.

Things are Changing in Kirkland
As reported on the Eastside I nside blog, the TGIF in Kirkland's Parkplace shopping area has closed and in its place is the Parkplace Pub, owned by the same people that run Damien's in the Overlake neighborhood. They will be having an opening celebration next Tuesday night, January 19th that will a live DJ and drink specials.

Additionally, we have learned that a new Metropolitan Market is in the works to replace the Houghton Market at 10611 N.E. 68th St. in Kirkland. This will be the first Eastside location for this chain of upscale markets that currently has 6 locations in Seattle, Tacoma and Federal Way.

The new tenant will allow Houghton Market's employees to apply for jobs and will add more than 100 additional, new jobs once the store opens are its remodel.

Bellevue Happenings
As reported by the Downtown Bellevue Network, Cantinetta is rumored to be taking over Salute's vacant spot on Main Street in Old Bellevue. Cantinetta is a popular, neighborhood Italian eatery in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.

Although it has been on Eastside Eat's wishlist for a long time, we unfortunately do not have first hand experience about Cantinetta but have heard very good things, especially about their in-house, handmade pastas.

Hope this rumor is true, as the addition of Cantinetta would make Main Street quite the dining destination alongside Monsoon East, Bis on Main and La Cocina Del Puerco.

Additionally, as we learned from Bellevue.com, Toy's Cafe celebrated its grand re-opening last week at its new location at Bellevue Plaza, at the corner of 106th Ave NE and NE 2nd Street.

Toy's Café offers a mix of familiar Cantonese, Mandarin and Szechuan dishes. They have value-oriented lunch specials that run from 11:30am through 3pm, all under $7. If you need to have a working lunch, they also offer free delivery (within a limited area) for orders over $25 if you want to get your co-workers involved.

Two New Brunch Options in Downtown Bellevue

2010-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Bellevue already has two pretty decent offerings for authentic Dim Sum in Noble Court and Top Gun, but if you are looking for a little bit more of a comfortable, upscale experience in Downtown Bellevue, Wild Ginger fits the bill.

Beginning tomorrow Wild Ginger at the Bravern will be serving Dim Sum and a Hawker Brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10am through 3pm.

Most people are probably familiar with Dim Sum with its steaming dumplings, roasted pork humbows and assortment of various small dishes, but Hawker (street) foods are still pretty exotic for most Americans. Similar in fashion to the NYC hot dogs and falafel trucks or to some of Seattle's mobile food trucks, Hawker foods are ubiquitous around Asia where they are usually situated amongst open-air markets and offer customers good, authentic, affordable local fare. Wild Ginger already has some of Asia's most popular hawker foods on their menu; satay, laksa and curry crab, but are adding additional menu items like Singapore noodles, nasi goreng (fried rice topped with a fried egg), and coconut pancakes for these special brunches.

Barrio Restaurant recently launched their own new Brunch menu last weekend. Many of their regular menu items will be available, but there are some very enticing specialty items that will be available only for brunch .

Most notably are the Breakfast Tacos en Cazuela with scrambled eggs, housemade chorizo, habanero salsa, manchego cheese, fried potatoes, guacamole, fresh tomato salsa and house hot sauce that will run you $13, that sound great as well as the Mexican Style French Toast made from brioche accompanied with candied pecans and maple syrup for 10.

I think these are two great additions to the pretty lackluster assortment of local brunch offerings. Hopefully they will literally and figuratively, spice up the local dining scene.

I hope to check out these brunch spots in the coming weeks, but if you beat me to it please share your experiences by leaving a comment.

Four Local Chefs Advance to Next Round of Ramsay Auditions

2010-01-13T14:44:00.001-08:00

As we first reported last week, Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay's production company held an open casting call for amateur chefs in Kirkland this past Sunday for a new cooking show called MasterChefs.

Although Eastside Eats did not attend (thinking you've got to be a bit sadistic if you want to get ridiculed by Gordon?), but heard there was a pretty decent turn-out at Kirkland's Sur La Table. Of the many hopefuls, four Seattle food personalities have made the cut and are moving on to the next round of auditions. Since starting Eastside Eats, I have had a chance to immerse myself in the Seattle food blogosphere and it seems like Ramsay's casting agents did a good job. They selected Seattle Food Geek Scott Heimendinger, Leslie Kelly of Whining and Dining and the PI, Linda Miller Nicholson who writes the Salty Seattle blog, and last but not least Mark Schermerhorn, who by all accounts doesn't have a blog, although he does Twitter!

By trying to decipher Mark's twitter feed it looks like the four MasterChef hopefuls had a follow-up interview with the casting people on January 11th, but have yet to hear anything back. Good Luck to everyone!

Update: For those interested in a closer, first person report from the auditions, check out Leslie Kelly's post this afternoon on the Serious Eats blog detailing her experience.

Off the Eaten Path: Tropea Ristorante in Redmond

2010-01-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

David Siegel covers the burgeoning Eastside food scene on his blog Eastside Eats.

In Off the Eaten Path, Seattlest visits some of the overlooked and under-rated restaurants in the Seattle area. Whether they are found in strip malls on the Eastside, next to a casino on Aurora or hidden away in South Park these are the places that don't get the exposure they deserve--until now. Today, Off the Eaten Path looks at Tropea Ristorante in Redmond.

Tucked behind a wall of hedges in the most mundane of strip malls in downtown Redmond is Tropea Ristorante, a true hole-in-the-wall. Situated next to an insurance office and a Mexican grocery sits one of the most authentic and personable Italian restaurants you will find in the Northwest. Named after the hometown of owner Lorenzo Scordamaglia, Tropea is the quintessential independently owned restaurant. From the family portraits and mural of the Italian countryside on the walls to the handwritten Specials Board to the ever present futbol on their tiny TV, this is certainly no Olive Garden!

After placing your order with their uber-knowledgeable servers, a bread basket accompanied by the most delicious olive oil dipping sauce is brought to your table. Brimming with fresh chopped garlic, red pepper flake and fresh herbs it is a challenge in itself to not spoil your appetite on this pre-Antipasti treat. Your self-restraint will be rewarded when your appetizer arrives; whether it is Tropea's sumptuous bruschetta, wonderful Caprese salad or their wholesome Pasta Fagioli soup.

We have been delighted with nearly everything we have ordered for dinner here, aside from their pizza which unfortunately has missed the mark on numerous occasions. Instead, order off the special board or stick to their menu standards. The Spaghetti Bolognese is superb as is their Lasagna Tropeana with its rich Italian sausage and hearty meat sauce. They prepare veal expertly, too especially the Vitello Pizzaiola showcasing the flavors of the Mediterranean with a decadent sauce of tomatoes, capers and plenty of fresh basil and oregano. If you have the room, don't pass up their homemade Tiramisu or handmade Cannoli. On a recent visit, they had a special Limoncello Gelato that was the perfect palate-cleansing finale to our rich meal.

With its rustic interior, top-notch cuisine and a deep wine list, Tropea is the place to come for Italian on the Eastside. With most dishes under $20, you get alot for your dollar especially considering the attentive service you will receive. Just don't tell too many people or you will have trouble getting a table as they do not take reservations.

** This post also runs on the Seattlest blog site as part of the new Off the Eaten Path feature that will cover affordable, independent food businesses that most people don't know about.

Casting Call in Kirkland for new Gordon Ramsay Show - Amateur Cooks Only!

2010-01-06T00:15:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 10th there will be an open casting call for Gordon Ramsay's newest cooking show called MasterChefs at the Kirkland Sur La Table from 11am to 4pm. Unlike most other cooking competition shows, this one is only looking for amateurs "from all walks of life - amateur chefs, passionate foodies, the ultimate dinner party host/hostessess."

MasterChefs will celebrate great people who make great food. Contestants will have the opportunity to develop their cooking skills while being encouraged, mentored and celebrated by the undustry's best and evaluated by world-renowned judges!

Personally, I have a love/hate opinion of Chef Ramsay and am not sure if I would want to participate on one of his shows. He has a couple of decent cookbooks (especially Three Star Chef) and has some really great cooking videos up on Youtube that I have emulated to create some awesome dishes. In interviews he comes off like a very genuine, likable person which contrasts with his brazen, caustic, sometimes even abusive personality on some of his shows.

If you are interested in learning more about the show or the casting call, check this out.

M.O.D. Pizza Coming to Bellevue

2010-01-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

As first reported by The Downtown Bellevue Network, a new pizza restaurant will be coming to Bellevue. MOD (Made On Demand) Pizza is a new pizza concept brought to you by the same folks who own and operate Top Pot Doughnuts. This will be the second location, with the first on 6th Ave in Downtown Seattle right across from the Washington Athletic Club. What sets MOD apart is their one-size-fits all pizza pricing, as all 11 inch pizzas are $5.88 regardless of how many toppings you have, and their speed as pizzas are prepared and cooked in less than 5 minutes in their stone fire oven.

They have 10 unique topping combinations to choose from, including the enticingly, spicy Calexico with their signature red sauce, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, chicken, hot buffalo sauce and crunchy jalapenos. or you can make your own combination from their seemingly endless list of ingredients. The crust is thin and crunchy, perhaps more like a flatbread than your traditional pie. To accompany your pizza they also offer some salads, garlic knots and the random Hostess Ding Dong for dessert. Also not to be missed are MOD's old-fashioned milkshakes available in Vanilla, Chocolate or the not to be missed Huckleberry.

The Bellevue location will be at NE 4th ~~Avenue~~ Street & Bellevue Way, where Clampitts Dry Cleaners used to be across from Safeway. It will be nice to see another quick, affordable and unique eatery open up in Downtown Bellevue. This is a trend I would love to see continue. MOD Pizza is set to open later this month.

MOD Pizza - Bellevue
317 Bellevue Way NE
Bellevue, WA 98004

Have you heard of Eating the Road?

2010-01-01T01:46:00.000-08:00

I recently got turned onto the awesomely, entertaining food related flowcharts made by the folks at the Eating the Road blog.

These flowcharts are fascinating on multiple levels; not only are they informative all by themselves, but their breadth and reverence for their subject matter is impressive.

Of the ones I have seen, I think my favorite flowchart so far is the Candy Edition with honorable mention going to the Chain Restaurant chart.

Enjoy!

Do you return Bad Produce?

2009-12-30T01:50:00.000-08:00

I came across an interesting post on the Cheap, Healthy, Good blog about what people should do if they get produce items that are rotten on the inside or happen to spoil prematurely. This is somewhat of a frequent occurrence at my house and is often a point of contention between my wife and I. She avoids returning anything at the store, unless it is very obvious like bad meat or chicken. I think that if the store is selling a product, no matter what it is, it is their responsibility to ensure it is of the highest quality. If the product is not, they should be willing to provide a refund.

We have found lately that this is a recurring issue with produce we get from Trader Joe's. Believe you me, I LOVE TJ's and think it is the greatest place since the bakery that first sliced that bread, but it is a known fact amongst those in the know that Trader Joe's produce is often hit-or-miss. Just this past Tuesday night, we were getting ready to roast some asparagus (that was purchased on Sunday) only to find that it was rotten despite looking good beneath its strink wrap (which is an entirely different issue, that could be discussed at length). Although the new TJ's in Redmond is just down the hill and around the corner to our house, we decided to chuck it and just cook something else. The situation can get even stickier (hopefully not literally!) if you purchase organic produce that usually degrades faster than conventional produce that is grown without pesticides or preservatives.

Where do you draw the line with your funky produce?

Interesting Discussions on Casual Kitchen Blog!

2009-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Since beginning to write my own blog, I have started to read alot of other really interesting, well-written food blogs. One of my recent favorites is the Casual Kitchen blog, which is a food blog focused on food philosophy, money-saving ideas and easy and inexpensive recipes. They provide helpful tips, strategies, recipes and advice to people who want to make cooking at home a bigger and better part of their lives.

They have had some pretty interesting posts lately. One that comes to mind is a set of Guidelines for Using Food and Wine Jargon without coming off like a jackass. Certainly, rules that every responsible foodie should follow! Another was a great discussion of What Defines "Great" Service at a Restaurant. Enjoy!

Exciting Eastside NYE Dining Options

2009-12-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Have you made your plans for New Years Eve yet ?

The best restaurants typically book up early, but in this economy there is sure to be more people staying home meaning more openings still available. This might be good news for you procrastinators out there who are late to consider your options.

Of the many special dinners and events going on for the holiday, here are some of the most interesting and enticing options on the Eastside:

Stir Martini & Raw Bar in Bellevue at the Hyatt Regency hotel is hosting a a New Years party that will include a red carpet, dance floor, fiery favors and drink specials to celebrate each time zones' midnight. Sounds pretty fun!

Also of note if you are concerned about staying off the roads, the Hyatt Regency is offering a special $99 nightly rate for guests of Stir. Pretty good deal if you are looking to make a little more out of the night. You can make reservations at (425) 462-1234 and be sure to mention the STIR New Year’s special.

The Pomegranate Bistro in Redmond, will be offering a 5-course feast for $65 ($100 with wines) that will include Maine lobster in Sauterne, stuffed quail, and braised lamb shank. Sounds like a pretty decent meal at a decent price, especially compared to some of the exorbitant prices for some of the other local restaurants.

Finally and also in Redmond, the Stone House will be offering what looks like a stupendous New Year's Eve dinner for $52 per person including a champagne toast. Here is the menu:

First Course (choice of):
Cider Braised Pork Belly, Creamed Kale, Hedgehog Mushrooms
Kumamoto Oysters on the half shell with champagne-Meyer Lemon Ice
Buckwheat Crepes, Wild Mushrooms, Braised Spinach, Leek Cream Sauce

Second Course (choice of):
Truffled Potato and Sun Choke Soup, Micro Arugula, Meyer Lemon Oil
Pear and Persimmon Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, Goat Cheese and Pepitas
Golden Beets, Spinach, Rogue River Blue Cheese

Intermezzo
Blood Orange Gelato

Entrée (choice of):
Grilled King Salmon with Dungeness Crab-Potato Soufflé
Chili Crusted Filet, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Broccolini, Red Pepper Coulis
Seared Sea Scallops, Meyer Lemon Jam, Yam Puree, Bacon-brussel sprout, parsnip Hash

Dessert (choice of):
Chocolate Soufflé Cake Crème Brulee Banana Foster Bread Pudding

If I were staying in town, you would find me at the Stone House cozying up to my wife and that King Salmon with Crab-Potatoe Souffle. Sounds like a perfect, elegant New Year's Eve close to home!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Bellevue's Barrio Reviewed on Cornichon Blog

2009-12-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

There is a review of Bellevue's Barrio on the great, Seattle food blog Cornichon, written by my colleague Ronald Holden at the Seattlest. Ronald always finds an interesting way to talk food.

My favorite quip in this review has to do with the seasoning in one of his dishes;

"Only in Bellevue, one feels, is a ban on salt written into the Municipal Code. Just requesting a salt shaker is akin to asking (aloud, in public) for kiddie porn."

Great stuff Ron, keep up the good work!

Off the Eaten Path: Bamboo Garden in Bellevue

2009-12-16T14:19:00.000-08:00

Thousands drive by it everyday, yet few venture inside. Perhaps the jewel in Seattle's Chinese food crown is Bamboo Garden, precipitously located next to a sketchy adult store in the shadows of Bellevue's condo-mania. Specializing in Szechuan cuisine this is the place to go if you can take the heat, although they do a fairly good job with the standards.

The true signs of an authentic Chinese restaurant are an old woman separating pea shoots at a vacant table in the bar and lots of people speaking foreign tongues eating things that most Americans would not recognize. Both can be found at Bamboo Garden, but they take the latter sign of authenticity to heart and provide a “Wild Side” page at the back of their expansive menu. Here you will find the specialties of the house; the Swimming Fire Fish in addition to Sour and Spicy Jelly Fish and the appropriately titled “The Other Parts of the Pig.”

Be sure to try the unctuous Green Onion Pancakes, Stir Fried Prawns in Hot Garlic Sauce with succulent, chunky bamboo shoots and a perfectly balanced sauce that provides just the amount of sweetness to counter the heat. Also not to be missed are the Spareribs Glazed in Tangy Ginger Sauce and Pineapple. These delicious jewels of goodness are popable and messy, but are well worth the cleanup.

The ambiance is adequate with lots of wood and bamboo accents. Service is hit or miss. Frequent communication breakdowns will occur and your food will come out from the kitchen out of order, but the food is ultimately what you are worth it. See for yourself if Bamboo Garden is what many call the missing link in the Chinese food chain between San Francisco and Vancouver. We seem to think so.

Bamboo Garden
202 106th Place Northeast
Bellevue, WA 98004-5723
(425) 688-7991

** This post also runs on the Seattlest blog site as part of the new Off the Eaten Path feature that will cover affordable, independent food businesses that most people don't know about.

Happy Hour Report: Seastar in Bellevue

2009-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

On a recent chilly evening, my wife, Michelle and I unexpectedly found our commutes home had us crisscrossing near downtown Bellevue. It was the perfect opportunity to check out Happy Hour at Bellevue's famed Seastar Restaurant and Oyster Bar.

Arriving at about 5:20, we had to quickly make our menu selections to get our order in as Happy Hour awkwardly ended at 5:30. Running from 3:30 to 5:30, this has to be one of the most non-customer friendly time frames, not giving most 9to5-ers the opportunity to get there in time to enjoy much of the happiest of hours.

We ordered two glasses of wine, one white and one red (missed the specifics, sorry) which turned out to be barely drinkable. I guess when you get a $3 glass, you can't have overly lofty expectations. For food, we ordered up a Spicy Tuna Roll ($3) for my spicy tuna connoisseur wife, Garlic Grilled Shrimp with Mashed Potatoes ($5), Putaportiwon's Calamari Poppers ($7.50) and the Seared Kal-Bi Pork Medallions ($7) to make it a Surf & Turf affair.

The Spicy Tuna Roll arrived first. As we dug in we were disappointed that the roll was ice cold and gummy, having obviously been pre-made and chilled. The disappointment continued on this menu item as any nuisances and flavor of the tuna were overpowered by red pepper flake and sriracha. Once again, it was only $3 but if you are a high-end seafood restaurant who chooses to serve sushi, you should provide better sushi than QFC.

Luckily, the Garlic Shrimp and Pork Medallions arrived and were much more appealing. The shrimp were cooked perfectly; nice and firm with a nice, subtle garlic flavor. The accompanying potatoes unfortunately were overpowered by the flood of melted butter they were topped with. Sure, who doesn't love a little butter on their mashed potatoes, but this took it a little far. The pork medallions were the highlight of the meal, perfectly cooked and accompanied by a nice, sweet sauce. They were exceptionally tender and had a nice sear. Great Dish!

Considering our meal thus far had been pretty hit-or-miss, the most bizarre dish of the night was by far the Calamari Poppers. Presentation wise the poppers looked like bloated fingers after too much MSG; almost like bloated mini haggises. They were advertised as being "semi-fried," dipped into a watery beer batter and fried. The fried coating only seemed to accentuate the rubbery texture of the calamari and did not add any contrast to the gummy, chewy stuffing. They were oddly accompanied by sliced grapes and a zesty slaw. When our waitress returned we inquired about the dish and she informed us that the stuffing was the same spicy tuna mixture they used in the spicy tuna roll we had earlier. If anything they were consistent, as we didn't enjoy it in the sushi and didn't like it any better stuffed into the calamari.

At the end of the day, we got alot of food for our $40 and left relatively satisfied. The atmosphere in the bar was nice and we enjoyed the game on TV. Service was adequate, but nothing extraordinary. If happy hour is supposed to entice people to return for dinner, Seastar definitely failed in this endeavor. With all of the new offerings in downtown Bellevue, nothing about this experience begged for another.

Grade: C

Eastside Extended: Snoqualmie's Zoka Coffee Sold

2009-12-15T09:39:00.001-08:00

As reported by Melissa Allison on her blog Coffee City, Zoka Coffee Roaster and Tea Company has sold its Snoqualmie Ridge location to a local resident who plans on opening up a donut shop, called Steve's Donuts early next year.

Zoka currently does all its roasting out of a facility in Ballard and operates three coffee shops; one in Tangletown, another adjacent to University Village and the newest in downtown Kirkland which opened this past summer.

New owner Steve Pennington, a former Microsoft project manager, plans on keeping the staff intact and will even continue to serve Zoka coffee. He plans to source as much of his ingredients locally and is hoping to produce all natural donuts.

Good Luck Steve! I applaud your passion and wish you much luck in bringing more personality to the Snoqualmie Ridge neighborhood.

Eastside Beverage Events this Weekend to Make Ted Nugent Proud!

2009-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

If Ted Nugent was an Eastsider (I'm pretty sure he's not!) what would make him happy this chilly December weekend? My guess would be some rock n'roll, beer, wine and some hunting followed by a wild game feast. Channel your inner Ted and you can experience all of this and more at two excited events this weekend.

Everett's Lazy Boy Brewing and Michael "Whip" Wilton (founder and guitarist for Queensryche) will release their collaboratively brewed beer called "Whip Ale" at Valhalla in Kirkland. The beer is advertised as being “Bold, rich, and aromatic – smooth and well flavored," but it seems to be a pretty aggressive yet well balanced Pale Ale.

As reported by the Washington Beer Blog, "Whip Ale is produced by Lazy Boy Brewing on behalf of, and under the direction of, Michael Wilton of Queensryche. Our conversation with Shawn Loring of Lazy Boy Brewing suggested that Michael played a larger part in shaping the beer than many people might imagine. “He came in with good information and a pretty good idea of how he wanted the beer to taste,” Shawn told us. “We threw some ideas around. I told him what was and was not possible and we came up with this. He did his research, that’s for sure.”

The release party will be held this evening beginning at 7pm. 5 bands are on the bill including Kevin Hoffman, Dirty Hollywood, Guns of Nevada, Midnight Idols, Hairmageddon and there is NO COVER.

Valhalla
8544 122nd Ave NE
Kirkland, WA

If you prefer the grapes and a quieter, more subdued event, head out to Woodinville on Sunday afternoon for a Wild Game & Wine Tasting at Sheridan Vineyards. Chef John Caudill will have three kinds of game meat to pair with wine on Sunday: elk, venison and lamb. The menu for the day is:

Elk medallions with a demiglace of wine and blueberries, which will be paired with Sheridan L’Orage, a 2/3 cabernet sauvignon/1/3 cabernet franc aged in new and old French oak.
Venison skewers with the pairing TBD
Lamb sausages with Moroccan spicing and a rosemary gremolata will meet Sheridan Mystique, a merlot-based red wine with black fruit notes to compliment the lamb’s richness.

The event is 12-5pm at Sheridan's tasting room in Woodinville, and costs $10 per person

Space is limited and reservations are required. Please RSVP with your last name and the number of people attending to 425-401-0167 before 5pm Friday, December 10; or e-mail info@sheridanvineyard.com

Sheridan Vineyards

18564 142nd Ave NE

Woodinville, WA

New Chipotle Mexican Grill Opens Today in Bellevue

2009-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

A new Chipotle Mexican Grill will be opening today in the Crossroads neighborhood of Bellevue. This will be the 11th Chipotle location in the state, the 4th on the Eastside. Chipotle is a chain that began in Boulder, Colorado in 1993 and has expanded very quickly to over 860 outlets.

They are best known for their burritos, but I think more importantly should be their "Food With Integrity" philosophy. Especially impressive (and important!) for a chain of this size, is the fact that they put so much focus on the sourcing of their ingredients. Here are some interesting facts:

Chipotle is the largest restaurant buyer of naturally raised meats in the country with all Washington locations offering naturally raised pork, chicken and beef.
Chipotle purchases 25 percent of a single ingredient from a local farm. All Washington locations receive red onions from River Point Farms in Hermiston, OR; green bell peppers from Fewel Farms in Prosser, WA; and herbs from Herbco in Duvall, WA. This makes Chipotle the first and only national restaurant committed to buying local ingredients on a significant scale.
All of the dairy products Chipotle uses (cheese and sour cream) are 100 percent rGBH-free.

Considering Chipotle is a publicly owned company that is concerned first and foremost about their bottom line, I think it is great that they are taking responsibility for their sourcing. They are a great example that will hopefully pave the way for other national chains to do the same.

Personally, I do enjoy a Chipotle burrito from time to time, but was very surprised a few months back when I saw this Nutritional Calculator on one of their fan sites and found out that a fully loaded chicken burrito came in at over 1100 calories and 50g of fat. Even though the food is sourced from local farms and their proteins are relatively natural and free of hormones, it still is definitively not "healthy."

Chipotle Mexican Grill
800 156th Ave NE
Bellevue, WA 98008
425-214-0011

Dinner & Dom at Grand Cru Wine Bar in Bellevue

2009-12-09T16:07:00.001-08:00

Times are obviously tough for everybody, especially small independent businesses. To drum up additional exposure and business restaurants are resorting to all sorts of promotions, but I have not seen one as interesting as the one currently running at the Grand Cru Wine Bar in Downtown Bellevue.

Offered every Wednesday and Saturday night, Grand Cru has a special complimentary "Dinner On Us" menu. No additional purchase is required, but an 18% gratuity will be added to your bill which will include the value of the free meal.

Here is what they are serving tonight (along with the value if you want to figure out what you are on the hook for):

Complimentary Starter Course
Mixed Green Salad balsamic vinaigrette, chevre croutons ($7 Value)
or
Corn and Red Pepper Chowder ($6 Value)

Complimentary Main Course
Wild Mushroom Bourgogne sauteed wild mushrooms, onion, fresh herbs, red wine, pappardelle pasta ($14 Value)
or
Baked Prawn Casserole scallions, garlic, mushrooms, white wine butter ($16 Value)
or
Spicy Pulled Pork slow roasted pulled pork, tomato salsa, served with steamed rice ($14 Value)

Reservations are required and can be obtained by calling (425) 455-4278 or via their online form here.

Also of interest for those who are in a celebratory mood this holiday season, Grand Cru will be popping bottles of 1999 Dom Perignon Champagne which will be available for $25 a glass. Not bad if you can't afford a bottle yourself!

Parking Situation at Bellevue Towers Improves

2009-12-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

As reported by the Downtown Bellevue Network, the dreadful evening parking situation at the Bellevue Towers should drastically improve with the addition of two additional parking options. If you have dined (or attempted to dine) at Purple Cafe & Wine Bar or Barrio, you have likely encountered a long line to enter the garage or found that it is full.

In addition to validated parking which will still be available in the Bellevue Towers garage, you can now park at two other lots:

- Key Bank Building Surface Lot (across NE 4th Street) which will be offering complimentary parking every day after 5pm and all day on the weekends with no validated ticket necessary

-Ampco System Parking Surfact Lot (across 106th Avenue NE) which will offer free parking Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights after 5pm with a validated parking ticket.

Hopefully this will make it easier and more convenient for people to visit both of these restaurants.