Eating Seattle

Food News: Columbia City farmers market opens today, more

2009-04-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

Been a bit quiet around here, huh? That's because I'm blogging over at Seattlemag.com most of the time now.

If you aren't reading the food blog over there, so far this month you've missed:
A 2009 Seattle farmers market calendar, with dates for all of the summer neighborhood markets. Check it out to find out when your local opens.

A spring restaurant opening update, including news on when we can expect Delancey, another Skillet Street trailor, and a second Agua Verde coming soon.

And lastly, you've missed out on getting the in-depth scoop on the return of William Belickis. Contributor Lorna Yee got the scoop just yesterday on the fall opening of Mistral Kitchen!

[where: 98118]

Food News: Sitka & Spruce Moving?

2009-03-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Say wha? You heard me: Word is, Matt Dillon's moving Sitka & Spruce to Capitol Hill. More details to come, but read about that and more food news over on my Seattle Mag blog.

[where: 98112]

Best Restaurants: The Ones That Are M.I.A.

2009-03-23T09:58:00.001-07:00

So far this morning I've recieved five emails from loyal fans of Serafina, telling me, in no uncertain terms, that I screwed up, missed the boat, or was crazy not to include them in our Restaurants that Stand the Test of Time section of this year's Seattle Mag Best Restaurants issue (on newsstands this week).

Every year our Best Restaurants issue is our most popular, and it's also our most controversial. But I love reading other diners' thoughts on which restaurants "make" Seattle. So please, chime in and nominate/complain all you want right here. I really do want to know what you think.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Culinary Communion closes for good

2009-03-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yep, the sad rumors were true: Culinary Communion is gone. Read all about it here.

Read owner Gabriel Claycamp's official statement over here.

[where: 98118]

Food News: A New Tom D. Resto is on the Horizon

2009-03-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yep, Tom Douglas is adding another restaurant to his collection. Read about it and more on Seattle Mag's food & drink blog.

[where: 98101]

Food News: 3 lunch options for south-enders

2009-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

Rejoice, south-enders (talkin' to you Georgetown and Beacon): There are two interesting new lunch spots (plus one returning champ) to check out. Two are cheap as all get-out, one promises to inspire, um, skepticism. Read about it all on Seattle Mag.

[where: 98108]

Food News: Pagliacci's 30 today, and the pizza's cheap

2009-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is one gimmick I'm actually planning to take advantage of: Pagliacci's turning back their prices to what they were in 1979 in celebration of their 30th year in business.

Get the whole run-down here.

Food News: Moshi Moshi opens Thursday

2009-02-02T09:53:00.001-08:00

Despite what you might've read, um, elsewhere (I'm a huge fan of Voracious, but it's probably a better policy to update a blog post when you publish incorrect info rather than deleting it from the blog and making your readers think they're going crazy), Moshi Moshi actually opens this Thursday, Feb. 5th.

I've been anticipating the opening of this place for months; seems like there's a lack of really good sushi in the neighborhoods, and I figured the team behind Bricco might just do it right.

Head over to my Seattle Mag blog to get all the details.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Poppy

2009-01-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

I've got a theory about Poppy which I'm hoping you can either confirm or deny. The theory goes something like this: Men hate/dislike/roll their eyes at the place, and women love it/like it/are intrigued by it/find it fun.

Now, I'm already about to throw a wrench into my own simplistic assumption by telling you that I do not love Poppy, and I am a woman. But then again it's entirely possible, and maybe even probable, that I like to eat more like your typical man than your typical woman. I don't know if this is true (more studies must be done, surely), but it's possible.

Anyhoo, my review of Poppy is up on the Seattle Mag website now, and I hope you'll read it to get a more rounded, broad idea of what I think of the place.

But if I were forced to sum up my reason for not loving it, it'd come down to this: I like to get lost in a dish I enjoy. I like for there to be enough of something warm, stewy, meaty, savory and so on for me to actually feel satisfied after eating it. I love a big bowl of pho, a hearty cauldron of ramen, but size isn't all that matters--we can all get our fill of a rich, hearty chili or an intensely clammy chowder in a thick cup of the stuff. I just like to take my time, taste it a bunch of times, really get to know my food.

At Poppy I was frustrated by all the little dishes that neither added real value nor enhanced the other dishes. But mostly I was frustrated by the tiny portions at the heart of the thalis, because, when they were good, I just wanted to get lost in them, and I couldn't. Have you ever been to a mediocre (or even worse) restaurant, eaten a full meal, but left feeling like you just didn't scratch the itch? You're belly was full but you were far from satisfied?

So Poppy doesn't curl my toes. What about you?

[where: 98115]

Top Chef: Why the Chefs Should Be Older

2009-01-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last night's episode of Top Chef really chopped my hyde.

The "chefs" were gifted a trip to the gorgeous (I've been, and trust me, it's amazing) Stone Barns, where they were literally tripping over lush vegetation and fantastic produce, and what did they do? They bitched about not being able to go to Whole Foods. I'm sorry, but did we just time-travel back to 1994? Are all of these "chefs" really so unfamiliar with the not-exactly-cutting-edge farm-to-table movement, aka a walk through a farmers market as inspiration for a meal, that this kind of thing throws them off their game? Is this for real? Or are all the chefs just way too young?

During the episode, they, collectively, removed all the fat from a pork loin (and didn't, you know, render it and use it), they took the tender, lovely meat of a baby lamb off the bone and pounded it out like it was a tough piece of crappy grocery store flank steak, and they made CUTLETS (Jesus, 1983 much?) out of the farm-raised whole chickens. Is this for real?

Now, since the oldest contestant got kicked off last night (Ariane), it might seem illogical for me to argue that the reason all of these chefs f'ed up so badly is that they're too young. But I can't figure out another reason for their cluelessness. As Tom Colicchio kept saying (last week with the whole-fried fish, this week with all the meats): respect the protein. Maybe it sounds precious, but seriously: Respect the life of the animal that died for your meal.

When I worked in kitchens, it was always the young chefs who over-worked and over-thought things. Their attemtps to impress were never the "let the ingredients speak for themselves" variety. They were the "let me show you my skilz" variety. Sadly, up til now, those "skilz" are what the Top Chef judges have been asking to see.

But last night the "chefs" were cooking on a farm for the farmers who grew the food they were preparing. They were cooking for people who already know how incredibly sweet that corn is, and (I'm just guessing) want to see that the chefs recognize it too. Can you imagine spending all summer working the soil, weeding, waiting for your tomatoes to ripen, and then having some dufus come in, pick all your ripe summer tomatoes and make a tomato frickin' jam out of them? Tomato jam is what you eat in WINTER because you preserved summer tomatoes. Come on now. Is this food 101 or what?

Anyhoo, Ariane went home for literally butchering that poor baby lamb. But it could've been any one of them. Stupid Jeff and his fat-free pork, stupid Leah and her not-doing-anything when she knew how to tie the lamb. Maybe next year they'll actually get some older, wiser, more experienced, less desperately unsure-of-themselves "chefs" for the show. But probably not.

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: A look back at 1986

2009-01-04T14:58:00.001-08:00

It's pretty incredible to think of how much has changed in restaurants (and in dining at home, too) in the last 20 years or so. How we've slowly been turning away from the box and back to the farm, away from the machine and back to the hand, away from "convenience at any cost" and toward the hard-earned and appreciated.

I feel like my generation is returning to the joy of the long, shared meal. I have friends (and a husband!) whose idea of a wonderful, perfectly fulfilling night is just eating dinner together, at home or out, and it still amazes me that I've found others like myself. Because of these friends, I feel like less of a weirdo for being completely obsessed with cooking big family meals, and enjoying dinners out more than pretty much any other activity. You can keep your Saturday matinees; I'm going to dim sum.

You might be wondering where all this rambling is coming from. Well, here. It's an article written back in 1986 recapping the dining scene of that year. In it we find out that

Seattle chefs are doing imaginative things with seafood, using techniques that no one attempted in the years of the almighty cow.

They're sauteing, poaching, broiling and serving seafood raw. They're turning it into splendid mousses. They're devising sauces made from ingredients such as tamarind, macadamia nuts and jalapenos.

Of course it's tempting to be all smug and "ha ha, aren't we so superior" about this type of thing (I mean, honestly, jalapenos?), but then you can probably read through any of the recent missives written about the "best tastes of 2008" and pick out the "jalapeno" of this year. I'm as guilty as the next gal at declaring things new and revolutionary, with awe in my voice.

Still, it's a pretty fun read. Take a look.

Eating In: Moose Stew (yes, really), Potato Bread, etc

2008-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't felt this relaxed in years.

The snow has forced me to stop all the running around, all the furious "I've gotta do this" and "I'd better do that" and just enjoy my house, my yard, my dog, my kid and my snowshoes. It feels like the life I've always imagined people in small towns live. It's just not my nature to sit still, but the snow if forcing it, and I'm completely digging it.

I'm also going nutso in the kitchen. Yesterday, after snow-shoeing over to my parents house with Ruby in the backpack, I cooked up a batch of those no-bake chocolate-peanut butter-oatmeal cookies I remembered my mom baking us when we were little. My sister's 4-year old son, Zach, helped out. It took all of 10 minutes to make enough for days!

But really, the most exciting part of the weekend, cooking-wise, was making the moose stew last night.

Yep--it's made with real moose meat from a moose my dad and uncle got this past October in New Hampshire. Since my uncle lives out there, he's doling out the meat in small batches (for shipping cost reasons, I guess), but since my dad knows Ed and I love wild game (and honestly, we're really the only ones who'd go to the trouble of making a braised shoulder, or slow-cooked stew), we were gifted some stew meat and some sirloin, which went into the stew last night.

I usually cook all my stews in two steps: First, you brown the meat, slow-cook it in some wine/water/broth/herbs/onion-carrot-celery/bay leaves for a couple of hours. Everything but the meat and broth will eventually get tossed out, since the veggies become mush. This step is all about making a really yummy broth and tender, yummy meat. What I do is strain the broth into a big bowl and pick the meat out of the colander, and then return the broth and meat back into the pot. You'll see that the veggies are worthless, but if you're hungry you can salt the veggies left in the colander and snack on 'em, or make baby food with 'em.

Second, you prepare the veggies you'll actually eat in the stew, and I usually do these in steps in a separate pan, coq au vin-style. So last night I cut up a couple of russet potatoes, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and fried them up in a nonstick pan with a little olive oil until still al dente but nice and golden brown, then I put them in a bowl on the side. Next I seared my mushroom quarters in butter with fresh thyme and rosemary, then added them to the potatoes. Then the same with some hunked carrots and large-chopped onions. Cooking on med-high heat the whole time, you're really just getting some color on the veggies. Finally, you put all the veg in with the meat/broth and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

I finished my stew with fresh cream and lots of black pepper and some chopped Italian parsley. It was divine.

We ate it with buttered potato bread, which Ed had made the day before. Head over here for the recipe for that easy, incredibly good bread. Unlike the moose stew, you probably have all the ingredients for the bread in the house already.

What are you cooking in this incredibly snowy weather?

[where: 98118]

Eating Seattle: Farmers Markets, Open vs Shut

2008-12-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

I can't believe it, but the University Farmers market is going to be up and running tomorrow at the crack of 9am! I knew farming was a game for the hard-nosed, hardy type, but holy cannoli people! Driving from Carnation to Seattle to sell us snow wussies a pot or two of jam? I'm impressed.

UPDATE: Chris Curtis emailed and gave me some specifics. Get all the info over here.

[where: 981o1]

Eating NYC: Reports from Momofuku Ssam, Tailor, more

2008-12-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

I'm plain tired of traveling. I know, I should just zip it. After all, it's pretty gloomy outside right now, and NYC was gloriously sunny and chilly. I don't want to make you cry, but we even got SNOW during our 3-night trip. The Gods were smiling on us.

But now I'm just full. And tired. So please, do me a favor and head over to read a little about my trip (and what I ate) at the Seattle Mag blog. I'll be back. After a nap.

[where: 98101]

Eating Detroit: A report from Rock City

2008-12-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

We're back in town for a few days before making another trip: This time, we're heading back to NYC for the first time in two years! Got recommendations for me? Send 'em. We've only got one night undecided at this point--figuring a walk-in at Gramercy Tavern or Babbo, although Corton (Paul Liebrandt's newest) is compelling. Lunches, tho, are relatively wide open.

Otherwise, head over to my Seattle Mag blog to read about everything we ate during our trip to Detroit. Includes one Iron Chef and one local bbq joint.

[where: 98101]

Turkey Day Leftovers

2008-11-22T21:28:00.001-08:00

We're flying to 36 (but feels like 24) degree Detroit Rock City tomorrow for Thanksgiving, which, sadly, means no Thanksgiving at our house.

We'll be doing a little cooking though, since we'd feel like we didn't really get to have a Thanksgiving if we didn't get to participate.

And I'll probably make my way into the kitchen to come up with some mushroom pate too, since it's the best thing in the entire world.

Anyhoo, since we're kind of half-assing things this year, I thought I'd just own it and pull the lamest of lame blogger tricks: I'm sending you back to the posts of yesteryear.

Perhaps you'll pour yourself a nice glass of whatever tickles your fancy and read about our feast from last year.

Or join me in my cheese consumption by watching this masterpiece.

Or, lastly, this post, in which I basically call my parents bad cooks and claim to be a martian from a foodie planet far, far away. See how ungrateful I am? Don't be like that. 'Tis the season to be thankful for what you've got. And you--you incredibly good looking devil you...

Well, you've got a lot to be grateful for. Happy Turkey Day.

[where: 98101]

The Best Thing You Ate All Year

2008-11-17T15:09:00.001-08:00

I don't think it's letting the cat too far out of the bag to tell you that our April Seattle Magazine issue is our Best Restaurants issue. The thing that might surprise you is that I'm already knee-socks deep in the planning (and EATING) that goes into that issue.

We actually started talking about the issue in September, and so far I've been to handfuls of older restaurants to check out which ones are worth including in the issue. We always cover new restaurants, and since those are so fresh in my mind, that part's usually a cinch.

The tricky part comes in choosing the best restaurants that aren't new. Many of Seattle's best restaurants are 5, 10, 15+ years old, but a girl can only eat out so often. Yep, even a "food editor" has geographic and gastronomic limitations. I'm not saying I have foods I won't eat; I'm game, so that's never really been an issue for me. The real issue comes in having the time to eat everything I want to eat, in neighborhoods that might be 45+ minutes from my home while still, you know, working and keeping clean clothes on my kid's back. In the course of a year I eat in an embarrassing number of great (and not-even-close-to-great) restaurants, but by the time the Best Restaurants issue comes around again, my knowledge is already 6 months, 9 months, a year old or older. So you see the problem here.

So here's where you all come in: Tell me the ONE single best thing you tasted all year. It doesn't have to be fancy. In fact, most of the time the tastes that linger for me aren't fancy at all.

the awesome fig tart at Columbia City Bakery...the best thing YOU ate all year?

There's a Calvin Trillin quote that I've always liked. He wrote that, whenever he'd ask strangers in a strange city for restaurant recommendations, he'd always say something like, "Don't give me the name of the rotating-continental-restaurant-in-the-sky, tell me the first place you'd eat when you just got home from war." THAT's what I'm looking for. The one dish you crave constantly.
Please leave your ideas in the comments. And thanks.

End of autumn, in pictures

2008-11-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

The sun surprised me today, so I took a walk up to Columbia City to grab a coffee and get the dog out of the house. Took the camera, too, and shot some pretty pictures along the way...

La Medusa, oldie but great-y

[where: 98118]

Food News: Five new pizza places

2008-11-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hi y'all
Been a fun couple of weeks. I've been eating my way through the city--Le Pichet last week (that place is just so right--terrific food, easy atmosphere), Matt's in the Market a couple weeks back (still great, although one of the chefs is finishing sauces with way too much lemon and it's distracting).
But even more news: Five new pizza places have opened (or are on the verge) all around the city, from my hood (Seward/Columbia City) to northern Ballard. Check it out on my Seattle Mag blog page.

OH, and take a minute to look our new website over! Way more links, and now (get this): EVERYTHING from our issue is available online, including my review of the Corson Building. Thanks, yes, it does feel good to join you all in the 21st century ;)

[where: 98101]

Food News: Veil's closing this week, more

2008-10-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

I know this is only the beginning---the economy (even if it is relatively strong here vs elsewhere) is going to start taking names and some of Seattle's most unique restaurants are bound to fall. Today comes news of the impending closure of Veil. Read the sad news on the Seattle Mag food blog.

[where: 98101]

Food News: Poppy taking reservations, opens Sat.

2008-09-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

Finally, Poppy is opening. I've heard from two friends that the food is really good and that the space is chic but approachable--sounds like a nice fit for the hill.

More here, here and here. Or just skip it all and make your reservations here.

[where: 98102]

Food News: Traunfeld's Poppy to open Sept. 13!

2008-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yippee! Jerry Traunfeld's fanatically anticipated new restaurant, Poppy, which promises to breathe some life into the no-mans-land of north Broadway, is opening on September 13th (reservations will start being taken via email on Sept. 6th).

I am so excited. Check out Poppy's website for menu items--minted lentil goat cheese strudel, anyone?--and you probably will be too. More on Seattle Mag.

[where: 98102]

Surly Gourmand on Spring Hill

2008-08-20T14:28:00.001-07:00

Two posts in one day = banner day round here.
Just dropped in again to point you toward the Surly Gourmand's latest reviews. I missed the Spring Hill review when he wrote it a month ago, but since my Spring Hill review won't be publishing in Seattle Mag until October, who better to should nudge you all toward West Seattle's best new restaurant than the SG?

For years the downtrodden people of West Seattle have had to deal with culinary bullshit: Shadow Land sucks. Ama- Ama is good enough, but it would be better if the topless girl in their logo was totally nude. Talarico's is pretty good but turns into a giant frat party after 9 pm. Blackbird tries too hard. Mission, packed to the gills with yuppie scum, wants to be Fremont West; plus I only like Mexican food that comes out of a truck, so Mission sucks extra.

But way funnier in my oh-so-important opinion (hey, it's my damn blog) is the Cremant review.

The Jarret d'Agneau au Vin Rouge ($22) was a lamb shank, braised in red wine until it fell off the bone. It came with a ramekin of aoli (mental note: complain about aoli in a future review) and was served atop a smashed Yukon Gold which was so lightly smashed that the smashing didn't look intentional. It was barely dented. In fact, that potato looked as though someone started to step on it, then realized they were stepping on a potato and jumped off before they could totally crush it. Still, it was good.

Happy hump day.

[where: 98101]

Eating Seattle: Georgetown Via Tribunali, plus terrible food at Serafina

2008-08-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

I've been neglecting my responsibilities, that's for damn sure. I've let my dear blog get all dusty and oily and I've just walked by pretending I don't see it. Sorry folks. I've been blogging over at Seattlemag.com, but I haven't been posting here much.

I'd like to send you over there to read about my dinner at the new Via Tribunali in Georgetown and my very disappointing dinner at Serafina. Ugh. Read all about it here.

[where: 98108]

Food News: Anita's Crepes gets a home

2008-07-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

I absolutely cannot resist Anita's ham, egg and Estrella cheese crepes whenever I can make it to the Ballard Farmers Market, so I'm really looking forward to having a place to get 'em whenever the craving hits me.

Head over the my Seattle Mag blog page to read about Anita's new space, and to find out when (and where) she'll be opening the shop.

[where: 98101]