Seattle Swirl Blog

Great Scotch!

2011-05-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

Whether you're trying Scotch whisky for the first time or the 300th time, it is best enjoyed with great company. Throw in a kilted Master of Whisky and it's even more enjoyable.

Breck Taylor, Ladies and Gentlemen

If you don't know a kilt wearing Master of Whisky, we're inclined to say things like "Poor you!", "Terrible shame!" and "There was a kilted Master of Whisky at the District Lounge on April 21, 2011, where were you?"

We're not going to say any of those things, though because that's snooty and because we realize that foul mouth never won fair Scotch drinker; well-seasoned or new. So instead, we'll do our best to entice you to join us next time.

Scotch Regions

Obligatory Food Porn

If you can’t tell from the photos, The District Lounge is swanky. I snapped my fingers to a jazz trio on my way into the Scotch tasting room.

The table was set and the whisky was already poured when I arrived. The smell of Scotch greeted me in one big gust. What a way to be welcomed! Lucky me to have the opportunity to taste with Breck Taylor in an intimate setting with a small, enthusiastic group.

Having volunteered at the Hopscotch festival, I recognized Breck immediately. The Scottish garb helped a little as you can see in the first photo.

Now here is a man who enjoys his work. He’s part educator, part history buff (take this guy with you to trivia!) and part performer. Mostly, he is a scotch enjoyer as is evident by the comments he makes after tasting. Particularly: “Mmmm. I love my job.” That's a direct quote.

Now the most important thing, our scotch tasting list:

Dalwhinnie 15 yr.

Cragganmore 12 yr.

Oban 14 yr.

Lagavulin 16 yr.

Johnnie Walker Green 15 yr.

The tasting was a four step process for each scotch. We tried each without water first, then with water.

The process went in this order:

Smell

Toast

Taste

Evaluate

To detect the nose the next time you try scotch, use this exercise that I learned from Breck:
First, place a drop of scotch into your palm with an eye dropper or spoon; then rub your palms together vigorously to burn off the alcohol. Once your palms begin to feel a bit sticky, bury your nose into your cupped hands and breath through your nose to smell with your mouth open.

Admittedly, I had trouble detecting the nose on any of the scotches, except for the Lagavulin. It may have been due to the scotch being poured thirty or so minutes prior to our tasting. I kept thinking, “Well, it smells like scotch.” Occasionally I could detect a hint of vanilla or caramel which comes from the oak barrels.

Tasting notes didn’t come easy to me either, which I found disappointing. I detected the caramel and vanilla that was so prevalent on most of the noses, but I had a hard time with peat and fruit.

You know what I need?

Practice, practice, practice.

The Lagavulin and the Oban were my favorites. I actually liked all of them, but I wasn’t overly impressed by the Dalwhinnie. I think I liked the Lagavulin the most because it had such a unique nose, taste and finish. I couldn’t help but be fascinated. I’m sure it didn’t hurt that this was the one scotch where I had no trouble detecting all of the notes that our little group discussed. “Band-aids”? Got it! “Old shoe”? Got it! “Oily nails”? Got it! “BBQ in your mouth”? Got it!

Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? It is unique and I probably want to like it just because it's weird (yes, you have permission to make fun of me). Anyhow, the Lagavulin is unique in the same way that beets are. Beets and Lagavulin are not for everybody and there are going to be haters always. Nevertheless I think it's great to try as many as you can and find one that bonds with you like a good childhood friend - you might end up making up silly songs together, you and your new friend Scotch. It will be just like playground days!

Between Breck's inexhaustible knowledge, the food (OMG! Great job, District Lounge!) and my delightful table neighbor, Glenda, my first scotch tasting was a fantastic experience. It was a great introduction to the world of scotch. I can even say Islay correctly now.

Join us next time.

Hit up Seattle Swirl on Facebook or leave us a comment below. I’d love to cheers you at the next event!

Elliott Bay Book Company Block Party!

2010-04-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the grand opening of Elliott Bay Books in its new location! Capitol Hill threw a block party complete with a band, beer garden, ice cream, pizza and cupcakes! Hundreds were in attendance and filled the store and street to celebrate.

Elliott Bay Book Co. Owner Peter Aaron

April 15, 2010 - Grand Opening of Elliott Bay Book Co.

Elliott Bay Cafe is under construction - set to open early May!

April 1, 2010 - Moving day

View more Elliott Bay Book Co. photos here!

Peruvian Cafe opens in Ballard!

2010-01-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

Made it over to Cafe Cuzco yesterday for lunch. They are currently serving coffee, pastries, salads, and classic Peruvian food. Cafe Cuzco is a comfortable cafe with beautiful wood furniture (most of it built by owner Dario), free wireless, a comfy couch, peaceful classical music playing in the background and Peruvian art hanging on the walls.

I can't wait to go back next weekend!

Peruvian Causa (Layered Potatoes with avocado, peppers and Aji Amarillo Paste)

Cod Ceviche

Huancaína - Boiled Yellow potatoes in a spicy, creamy Huancaína sauce

Cafe Cuzco
5701 15th Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-2112

Shaking away the Monday blues

2009-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

These days, we're all going back to school. Additional degrees and career-focused seminars are very much the norm as we all work to continue our education. Keep in mind, however, that not all continuing education has to be career focused.

Though the Sorrento Hotel's new Night School series might sound like another chore to do when you get home from your day job, it's really just a good opportunity to dust off your weekend drinking and eating shoes and slip them on – uncharacteristically, of course - on a Monday night.

No one has to know.

Last Monday night, I spent a couple of hours with eleven or so fellow drinkers at Night School's latest Drinking Lesson with Kathy Casey. Armed with shakers and strainers, Kathy set the stage at the Sorrento's Hunt Club bar for a great time learning about the mixing of cocktails as well as tidbits about the history behind the sipping of those cocktails too.

Kathy started at it with her shaker right away. Now I believe the idea was that if we learned all the right ways of going about making these signature cocktails of Kathy's that we could in theory, successfully make them at a party of our own with little chance of disaster, right?

Right.

Up first was the Douglas Fir Sparkletini.

Though the last part of the name makes it sound like something that you would be served if you were an extra on the set of Sex and the City on the day they ran out of cosmos, it's actually a dry cocktail. I myself am not fond of sweet drinks and the Doug Fir Sparkletini was not like a cosmo at all. As Kathy put it, this cocktail (and I believe all of the other cocktails that we sipped that night) would be best described as “Spirit Forward” - Kathy's words, not mine. I like the term though. This is a demure way of letting people know that they should 'sip wisely'. I like Kathy Casey.

The gin in this sparkletini was infused for twenty-four hours with a sprig of douglas fir. As Kathy pointed out: make sure not to use your treated Christmas tree if you're going to attempt this infusion! White cranberry juice, lemon juice and simple syrup were shaken up with the aforementioned gin and strained into a glass. Brut champagne topped it off. The doug fir sprig and floating cranberry garnish added just the right touch.

Next up on the menu was Kathy's Green-Eye Daiquiri. As you might guess from your experience with this cocktail's blended alter-ego, it is a rum-based drink and in this recipe, is mixed with Chartreuse, lime juice, thyme and a bit of sugar.

According to Kathy, the original recipe for Chartreuse was invented 500 years ago by monks. It has been passed down and even today, only three monks know the recipe. Something even more interesting about this tradition is that none of the three monks know the full recipe. It is a collaboration. I think that makes it a little bit special. One sip of that daiquiri, and I was enlightened. A daiquiri isn't meant to be pink and foofy!

My favorite drink of the night was the Number One Manhattan.

Brown spirit season has definitely arrived and this was a great way to kick it off. Rye and St. Germaine Liqueur with vermouth made up this cocktail and it was topped with a gold dusted Amarena cherry.

The gold swirls left behind in the drink were fun and very festive.

I felt like Kathy gave us, her twelve Drinking Lesson students, the confidence to like whatever it is we like. Terms we deem to be fancy like “double strained” simply means that your cocktail gets a second ride through the strainer. What is important to know about shaking vs. stirring? All I know is that if I ever have the opportunity to make Kathy a martini, I'm sure as heck not going to stir it! She's just not into that! Really though, it's all about what your preference is, so if you want your martini shaken, don't be afraid to speak up!

Oh! Let's not forget about the bites from the Sorrento kitchen too!

Since we were drinking some serious cocktails over the course of the night, I was very grateful for the substantial snacks that were laid out for us - grilled cheese, tomato soup, a Scotch egg and steak with bell peppers atop a thin slice of rustic bread.

Drinking Lessons are not the only thing shaking up the Sorrento these days. Earlier this month Chamber vs. Chamber, another event on the Night School menu, emerged with a showdown for it's inaugural night: Chamber Music vs Indie (Chamber) Rock.

Be sure to check out the events calendar for other gems like this. My art, music and food tummies are all growling simultaneously.

Have a happy Monday, folks. Perhaps you'll find yourself venturing out for a delicious cocktail this evening or making one for yourself at home! Cheers!

Foodportunity2

2009-11-07T12:25:00.000-08:00

(the Joule table)

The first Foodportunity and Foodportunity2 are the only food networking events that I've ever attended. To be sure, they were both a whirlwind. Between the panel, the wine glass I was carrying, remembering dish ingredients long enough to write them down, attempting photographs, having conversations and trading business cards mid-bite, I'd say that my second Foodportunity was a demonstration in efficient multitasking.

I finished up my work day later than I'd intended, so when I entered the Palace Ballroom at five past six, everyone was a-buzz and the event was full. I was surprised because the first Foodportunity didn't fill up until an hour after it had started. Not this time. Most were already carrying their first pour of wine and getting ready to hand out a fresh business card.

(A few food tweets)

Okay! We're not messing around this time!

I got in line for my complimentary pour of wine (I chose the Reserve Block 8 Syrah from Columbia Valley winery Terra Blanca) and then headed straight to the into the crowd of people huddled around the panel. Keren Brown, organizer of Foodportunity and the blogger known as the Frantic Foodie, was already at the mic making announcements and then as I walked up, introduced the panel.

Here we go!

Panelists:

Ethan Stowell
(How to Cook a Wolf, Tavolata, Union and Anchovies & Olives)

Kurt Dammeier
(Bennett's Pure Food Bistro, Pasta & Co., Maximus Minimus and Beecher's Cheese)

and a surprise panelist
Tamara Murphy
(Brasa, Elliott Bay Cafe and the upcoming Terra Plata)

I liked the change in panelists from food bloggers and journalists at the first Foodportunity to an all-chef panel the second time around. I enjoyed hearing about the Seattle food scene from people who know the business and the setting.

I will be the first to admit that the Seattle food scene is something that I stumble around – kind of like how an old movie might depict its main characters on a spontaneous trip through France. It's a lot of me walking around (perhaps with an umbrella in my hand) surprised and delighted by giant posters of Paris and Normandy, except that in this fantasy, you can replace the posters with a new CSA box item, a well-lit restaurant front or maybe frog legs from Anita's Crepes (those were certainly surprising and delightful.)

Of all of the topics, the one that resonated with me personally was the discussion about the challenges of operating a restaurant in Seattle. Of course, I am not operating a restaurant in Seattle, bu Kurt pointed out that Seattle goes to bed early. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a night owl. For a restaurant, this early bedtime can be an issue because the Seattle restaurant doesn't typically get that late-night table-turn.
I grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula but lived in the Midwest for a handful of years before I made my way into Seattle. When I arrived, I spent my first few months of nightlife wondering where the heck all of the people were.

It's eleven-thirty on a Friday night!

I remember exclaiming to a friend during my third week in Seattle.

Where is everybody?!

Though the late-night dinners of my past are no longer conducive to my nine-to-five work schedule, I still find myself longing for that late-night dining hour some days.

The Seattle scene in general, definitely poses its challenges from traffic to neighborhood loyalty, but something the panel gave a unanimous thumbs-up on was the quality and freshness of the food in Seattle. This was a common thread between the three chefs and as they all noted this as one of their favorite parts of the city.

From Ethan, who has been applauded for his simple and clean approach to food by using seasonal and fresh ingredients to Tamara and her Life of a Pig project, as well as Kurt who aims to help change the way people eat with Sugar Mountain; these are three well-loved, Seattle chefs who are invested in the local environment (check out Ethan's latest efforts towards cork recycling) and in creating outstanding dishes from our Northwestern bounty.

Fantastic panel, Foodportunity!

In the interest of giving a glimpse of the food at the event, I am going to post a few photos. The only complaint I have about Foodportunity2 was that the lighting in the Palace Ballroom was devastating to a novice photographer who needs a new camera. So with that said, please sprinkle in a little pinch of imagination to these photos. I did the best that I could with one hand and limited table space.

(The Tom Douglas table did a tribute to Gourmet magazine (RIP!)with these Stout Floats.)

Based upon my Guinness float attempts from the past, I'd say that the blackberry brandy in this simple concoction makes it work! We miss you already, Gourmet!

(Also from the Tom Douglas table came Gourmet-inspired filet mignon with brussel sprouts. Yummy.)

(Deviled quail eggs for Rover's dish, a sweet pumpkin soup.)

(From the Rover's table: Pickled golden chanterelles, apple, sweet pumpkin soup with a quail egg and a hint of heat. This was my first quail egg. Loved it!)

I loved the Lunchbox Labratory people. They were super friendly. The biscuit, pulled pork and slaw were all piled on top of each other in that order, creating a very tall dish. I pointed this out to them and they responded that they liked meals that were messy. I like them. Their spicy dish was enjoyable too!

While I was at the Lunchbox Labratory table, a conversation was started regarding Wink Cupcakes, one of the few tables with a sweet. Apparently the Wink red velvet is creating a stir with its cake.Now I'm not a red velvet fan, but I do have to say that Wink's red velvet is definitely special. The cake is dense and very moist. Once their Queen Anne store front opens up, I have a feeling that red velvet fans might migrate from their current cupcake shops. Oh yeah, I said it.

Wink sent me home with a box of four cupcakes. I wanted a box for one cupcake. They only had a box for four, so they threw in an extra three cupcakes. I couldn't argue.

(Wink's vanilla and lemon cupcakes)

Unfortunately, there was just not enough time to photograph everything that I ate, but I'd like to make a note of the two dishes Huiyona served. Their sweet corn potsticker was very tasty and the seared tuna with house-pickled cucumber and asian pear and celery salad was refreshing and stuck out in my mind even though the two dishes were my first tastes of the night.

Ethan Stowell, after speaking on the panel, was set up at his How to Cook a Wolf table. They were serving up a chanterelle, bacon, kale and farrow soup. Kale has been one of my favorite things this season and it goes swimmingly with bacon.

Lastly, the Sugar Mountain table offered poblano peppers and onions atop hominy in a Flagship cheese sauce. A delicious and wholesome end to my night.

Frugal Wallingford Remedies for the Grazing Nomad

2009-10-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

Most of my August through October weekends were spent out of town with close friends who are somewhere in the process of getting hitched. Now that things have settled down a bit, I have as well. A nomad by nature, I've temporarily changed my habits and have taken to hibernating next to the fireplace and getting the house ready for winter. Naturally I've also been staying close to home when it comes to dining. One of my biggest financial weaknesses is eating out (ALL OF THE TIME,) however traveling and weddings quickly wither away one's dining budget and one can end up consuming a lot of pasta and peanut butter and jelly in no time.

As is the case with any wanderer, it is only a matter of time before she will move. For me, it is only a matter of time before I come home from work in a good mood with restless feet and a desire for delicious food and drink to celebrate the day. This is when financial intentions are torn up into confetti and thrown into the air and this action is followed immediately by the sound of a key in the front door and the fading echo of excited footsteps.

So we know now that no matter what, for me, dining out is going to be inevitable (sigh) and so here are my favorite frugal options within walking distance of my home. I've tried to keep the budget to $15.00 or less. Enjoy!

Jhanjay Vegetarian Thai

The other day, I came home to a cold house with a sinus headache and I was craving spicy Thai food to remedy my situation. I refer to myself as a pseudo vegetarian and this just means that I go on the occasional meat hiatus. Jhanjay on 45th and Wallingford Avenue is a delight for veggies and non-veggies alike.
The interior offers polished surfaces, clean woodenen fixtures and a friendly yet unobtrusive staff. Most entrees hover around the $9 mark and though I was picking up an order for take-out, the hospitality wasn't sparse. My Thai food cravings are usually curry-based. I have hard time not getting the panang curry every time I go out for Thai.
Since my order was for take-out, I plated my food upon arriving at home and as you can see the brown rice and curry is as appealing to the eye as the belly. Go and taste for yourself! Jhanjay is opened until 10pm every night and their panang curry is only $8.95, so get yourself a side of rice and a Thai iced tea to quell those spice stars!

Irwin's Neighborhood Bakery and Cafe

[A Snickerdoodle Cookie]

I walk past Irwin's every day on my way to my bus stop and daily they are serving up fantastic breakfast cookies and other tasty treats like pizza, pie and tarts of all sorts. Recently I stopped in for a slice of pizza on my way home from the bus after work. Tucked away on N. 40th St. and Bagley Ave. N., Irwin's is frequented mostly by neighborhood folk and so as you can imagine, it's a friendly joint.
My tomato basil pizza had a delicious herb crust, large tomato slices and a generous sprinkle of basil. At $3.00 - $5.00 for a slice, it's hard to pass up (and I'm very sorry to say that my pictures of the pizza turned out blurry). The slice is comprised of about a quarter of a 12" pizza. I just eyeballed my slice, so if you end up with a slice of pizza from Irwin's, no rulers please.
The snickerdoodle cookie pictured above was as good as it looks.

Irwin's bakes their own breads and "Everything Cookies" daily. My roommate gets his Everything Cookie and drip coffee warm every morning. This is a great bakery to stop at if you have friends to catch up with or just need a fast slug of coffee and some sustainance. They do have free wi-fi. Stop by and say hello!

Chocolati - Wallingford

This is the place where you want to take a friend to chat and watch the cars go by. I also really enjoy their study-sized tables and available space which is much bigger than the Greenlake location. If you have work to do and just can't possibly sit in your house, this is a great place to go. They're open late as well, which is one of my favorite things. This nomad stays up past her bedtime quite frequently, even if it's just to day dream the time away.

Try the Cayenne Hot Chocolate when you go. That's all I have to say. It's spicy and is great for a chilly day and a wandering mind. Find it on 1716 N. 45th Street.

Musashi Sushi

Musashi's is one of those great neighborhood sushi gems. When I lived in Capital Hill, HaNa was my favorite staple sushi joint and I'm glad to have found a comparible (if not superior) location in Musashi's. If you've driven by Musashi's at 1400 N. 45th St. on any given night you've probably noticed a long line out front. I'm of the belief that it's not as bad as it looks. It's not even one-cocktail-across-the-street long but it does look interminable. I've been a few times and my longest wait was thirty minutes.

If you decide to brave the line, I recommend trying the Chirashi bowl while you're there. As you can read in the yelp.com reviews, it's not offered on the menu, but is available by request. This bowl is a solid dinner with quality fish accompanied by seaweed and rice. I've gotten it every time I've gone. For about $12.99 you'll find sixteen (plus) pieces of fish in your order. My recent bowl had salmon, tuna, Unagi (eel), bay scallops and shrimp.

photo courtesy of Alexis Hoverter

I think this speaks for itself.

If you're going with a few extra peeps and are sharing, the nigiri is also recommended. The nigiri (especially the salmon by my memory) comes in generous cuts and is immensely appetizing. It had our house visitor from St. Louis raving! I don't think you can't get better sushi in the city for this price. I'm a purist when it comes to sushi and so I'm not really looking for fancy rolls with cream cheese or a polished atmosphere. I just want good fish. The service at Musashi's is earnest and the fish is fantastic. I love this place.

What's your favorite Wallingford bite? Feel free to leave it in the comments section.

Some places I'd still like to explore are Joule, Cantinetta and the Teahouse Kuan Yin.

Stay tuned for a full report on Foodportunity2 next week!

A Taste of Peru!

2009-10-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things I miss about living in NYC is how easy it was to satisfy my craving for Peruvian food. Inca Kola, chicken marinated to perfection, papa rellena, and lomo saltado are all my favorites and Peruvian staples that haven’t been easy to find here in Seattle.

Just recently a co-worker told me about a little place in Lynnwood called San Fernando Roasted Chicken. So of course I had to go ASAP! San Fernando opened about 9 months ago, is located in a strip mall, has simple decor, clean exposed kitchen, and a basic authentic Peruvian menu! It is decorated with Peruvian art and the server only spoke Spanish. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking to try quality Peruvian food at a good price. The roasted chicken will be one of the most flavorful you have ever had!

Pollo A La Brasa - Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

Papa Rellena - Crispy fried stuffed potatoes

Papa Rellena - Stuffed with ground beef, onions, and eggs

Lomo Saltado - Top sirloin strips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, Peruvian peppers and french fries

Chicha Morada -Purple Corn Punch

Purple corn that is used to make Chicha Morada

Some of the dishes I plan on trying the next time I visit San Fernando:

Papa A La Huancaina - Halved Potatoes served in bed of lettuce with delicious cheese sauce

Chicharrones De Cerdo - Crispy fried pork with yucca and special salad

Ceviche and Seafood - served only on weekends

Helado De Lecuma - Lecuma Ice Cream. An exotic fruit grown in quanitity only in Peru

San Fernando Roasted Chicken

20815 67th Ave W

Lynnwood, WA 98036

425.275.9597

They do not have a website yet...

A Cupping at Makeda Coffee

2009-08-19T00:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, in heat that reminded me of my time in Milwaukee, WI, I boarded a bus with my friend to head up to Makeda Coffee from downtown Seattle. When Victoria and I planned our cupping with Prashanthi Reddy, the owner of Makeda, we had no idea that record-breaking temperatures were going to envelop Seattle. While sampling hot coffee is one of the last things I would have planned to do in such heat, my two guests showed no signs of backing out, and so it was that a cupping would still ensue.

As we neared our 78th Street and Greenwood destination, my friend and I made a beeline off of our public toaster on wheels. Once we disembarked, we took a nice fresh -only in comparison to our origin- breath of air.

Ahhh.

Okay. Coffee. We can do this.

We arrived at Makeda and as we said hello to our friends, Prashanthi had four waters at the ready.

I think the best words to describe Makeda would be intimate and welcoming. Record breaking temperatures aside, on a delightful grey Seattle morning, you might catch up with your friend here over a weekend morning cup. By all means, tote your Sunday paper (or your Sunday online news sources) with you on your visit but don't forget that the petite bar in the front awaits your next post-work glass of wine with a friend or maybe even a more-than-friend.

As we sipped our glasses of water, five trays of beans were set out for us and we walked back and forth to smell each bean.
This was the beginning of the cupping. Even for a novice bean smeller and coffee taster like myself, the nuances between bean scents were there. Over the course of the cupping, we tried five different beans. The Mexico Chiapas, Brazil Cerrado, Somatra Mandheling, the Na Pali Blend and the Anniversary Blend. Makeda serves coffee beans exclusively from local roastery Seven Coffee Roasters. The two make a great local pair.

The Mexico Chiapas offered a cinnamon aroma and I also thought of chocolate.

I could clearly detect that the acidity of the Brazil Cerrado was more intense when compared with the Chiapas and the result was a whiff of citrus. About the Sumatra Mandheling, I made the following notes: earthy scent, not as much acidity?; like a stout (comparing flavors to beer makes sense to me).

In addition to the three varieties, we also tried two blends. The Na Pali Blend (which is a blend of Kauai and Central American beans) and Makeda's own Anniversary Blend.

I am not sure if all cuppings are the same, but after the first round of bean sniffing, brew master Prashanthi ground up the beans and then we smelled the grounds too!

With temperature and timing and possibly other scientific components in mind, the grounds were added, spoonfuls at a time, into the glasses lined up along the counter. Finishing off this simple brewing process, heated water was poured into each glass.

The brew was left to sit for a few minutes and during this time a crust formed on the top of the brew. We each were encouraged to crack open the crust of each different brew (kind of like a creme brulee) and to bring our noses close to catch the escaping aromas.

Before letting us loose to taste the coffee, the grounds, which by this point had risen to the top of each glass to form the aforementioned crust, were skimmed off.

With a few smelling exercises under our belts, we were finally given a spoon and a mug which would be our slurping and spitting apparatuses respectively.

At the expense of an early bedtime, my mug was a frequently forgotten tool but the spooning and slurping I was good at. The idea behind the slurping is that you inhale a bit of air along with your sip of coffee. This allows one to detect the more intricate notes within each roast. While I could determine through my slurps that each roast did indeed taste different, I sometimes had trouble picking out the intricacies and recognizing notes. I almost think that I more accurately determined some of the notes of each roast through smelling the beans and grounds.

Okay. Now I see why we were encouraged to use our noses during this event.

From smelling the beans in their three different forms, my friend memorably detected birthday cake "notes" in the Na Pali Blend. Of course this turned out to be a citrus/blueberry-like component, but what did we know? We were just a bunch of amateurs consuming coffee in the name of science on one of the hottest days in Seattle history. Perhaps I might recommend that the Na Pali Blend have the alias: Birthday Cake Beans. I think that sounds nice.

Here is a rundown of each roast combining some of my notes with the determination of more professional tasters:

Mexico Chiapas – smooth, light acidity – I noticed chocolate-y, rich flavor (aka smooth) and cinnamon scent

Brazil Cerrado – spice fruit notes, medium acidity – I too noticed a fruity and acidic scent

Somatra Mandheling – smoky, full bodied, light acidity – I noticed medium to light intensity and an Earthy scent, and noted that it was “like a stout” (I think that maybe I was dead wrong here)

Na Pali Blend – Kauai and Central American bean blend – I noticed fruit and my friend noticed birthday cake, which eventually translated to citrus and blueberry

Anniversary Blend - Rich (my notes became a little spotty at this point as we began chatting and coincidentally, there isn't yet a description up on the Makeda website of this blend. Perhaps you'll just have to stop in for a cup and try it for yourself)

We probably spent a little over an hour at the cupping. About half of that time was spent smelling and slurping and the other half we spent just chatting up Prashanthi. A former New Yorker, Prashanthi admits that when she first moved to Seattle that at her first cupping, she too had difficulty detecting the different nuances and notes between roasts. Now that she's an expert on coffee, I can vouch that Prashanthi effortlessly combines her knowledge with a humble and warm presence, even though her passion undoubtedly keeps her up some nights.

Makeda does host frequent cuppings that are available to the public. I'll work on getting a hold of those details to post up here along with their hours of operation.

Until next time... [hat tip]

FoodPortunity

2009-07-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

Seattle Swirl recently made an appearance at the FoodPortunity event held at the Palace Ballroom last Wednesday, July 22nd.

The event offered a chance for food people from many realms to meet and make connections. Some foodies just came to hang out and enjoy the fare. In the midst of the eating and drinking a panel of four food bloggers and journalists were present to relay their opinions and reactions to all things happening in the social media world. The panelists were well chosen as their opinions certainly varied across the board and each of them surprised me with their answers at some point.

Panelists: Ronald Holden, Matthew Amster-Burton, Rebekah Denn, Nancy Leson

Live FoodPortunity Twitter Screen

As I finished off my glass of Riesling from Vin du Lac (which was crisp and refreshing with just a hint of citrus if you were wondering), I was ready to move away from the panel for some mingling and I suddenly found myself talking to “Eating Weird” man, Jason McBride. As you may have guessed by the title, Mr. McBride does have interesting dining aspirations and the results of said aspirations can be found on his Eating Weird blog. Read the Burning Beast post from July 14th and find yourself with a peculiar urge for geoduck.

Onto the food: My goto meal during the heat this summer has been fish tacos and that may be mainly due to coleslaw. After twenty some-odd years of disinterest, coleslaw has made a surprising leap onto my list of regularly-craved foodstuffs. This is where Maximus Minimus comes in.

They have yummy slaw.

The radish and cabbage are crisp and if you try the spicy version, the dressing is tangy and sweet with a mustard-y spice. The pulled-pork slider that led the dish was certainly delicious too. The Steel Pig and I have a date for lunch soon. Prior to Wednesday, I didn't know that that pig was producing such gratifying morsels. That's some pig.

Have you ever been seasoning your spaghetti sauce and stop to think “Eureka! Basil and Chocolate!”

I haven't.

Aaron Barthel, chocolatier for Intrigue Chocolates Co., may not have come up with the idea while he was making spaghetti, but he did indeed turn this curious flavor combination into a reality with his Saint Basil truffle. It's better than you can imagine.
Intrigue Chocolates Co. truly has some unique flavors happening underneath the powdery surfaces of their truffles. For some reason, I only ended up trying a couple of the available flavors and one of them was the basil. I also tried the Jamaican Hot Chocolate which makes me think of a Malbec. I don't know why. Perhaps it's because both the truffle and the wine seem to be spicy without being spicy in that traditional, meatball-type way. Both flavors were a taste sensation.
I'm not exaggerating.
I am going to have dreams about these chocolates until I taste more. I am under a spell. A chocolate spell.

Thank you, FoodPortunity. Thank you.

Odds and Ends

2009-07-21T00:32:00.001-07:00

"I love July in Seattle!" is not a historically popular phrase, but this year we're seeing lots of sun, swimming has become a possibility and I am not usually outside this much...

well at least not without sleeves.

Enjoyably, this favorable weather has allowed Seattle Swirl a nice environment in which to explore all Seattle has to offer in food and in drink.

Here are a few recent discoveries:

Healeo - This little oasis right before the crest of Capital Hill offers superfoods and organic supplements, which may be completely uninteresting to you, unless you are also into really awesome smoothies.

Try the Cacao Pow if you're a chocolate lover. My next visit means a hemp smoothie for me. I am not sure what sort of flavors a hemp smoothie holds, but I can't wait!

Oddfellows Cafe and Bar

This is a great place to catch up with a friend over a bottle of wine and a snack. It offers outdoor seating, open windows (to enjoy that warm Seattle breeze) and an inviting energy.

The Quinta Do Correio was our wine selection off of the menu. It is a rich, dense red and as our server claimed, very drinkable.

Because we'd already eaten, we didn't sample any of the food, but the smell of the fries in a cup made me consider a second lunch.

If you do happen to grab a bite or a drink at Oddfellows, your sweet tooth will be happy to know that the buzzworthy Molly Moon's is right around the corner.

My first cone at Molly's was the Raspberry Mint Sorbet. The mint was a kick in the teeth and if it wasn't clipped straight out of a garden the day prior, consider me fooled.
I also had a lick or two of the Balsamic Strawberry which was definitely not shy about the balsamic. I loved the creativity in this ice cream flavor. Overall it was smooth and let the strawberry do all of the talking in the sweet department.

I'm looking forward to going back to try the Honey Lavender and the Ginger.

While we're on the topic of dessert items, I recently had a delicious Tomato Soup cupcake by The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co.
Don't let the name scare you away! Try it!

Burning Beast 2009

2009-07-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

I have finally recovered from my meat hangover from this past Sunday’s 2nd annual Burning Beast outdoor feast! The event was held at Smoke Farm in Arlington, WA where a dozen cooking teams prepared an assigned animal, vegetable, and/or sea creature for a sellout crowd of 450!

Like many I arrived early and was able to wander the farm, drink wine, visit with chefs, and see some of the prep work involved with cooking up the pigs, rabbits, goats, chicken, lamb, beef, and more! I wasn’t there at 4am to see the burial of one of the pigs but did get to see the unearthing (photos below).

Burning Beast was truly an amazing event! Where else can one eat such a wide variety of tasty meats, chat with Seattle’s top chefs, watch a live aerial show, and camp all in one night?!

Season 6 Top Chef Contestant Robin Leventhal

Beef - Tyson Danilson (Le Pichet) and Monica Dimas (Spinasse)

Goat -Jonathan Sundstrom (Lark)

Unearthing the pig

Pig - Tamara Murphy (Brasa, Elliott Bay Cafe)

Chicken - Angie Roberts (BOKA)

My friend Megan finishing off our magnum of Efeste Cab!

Cheers!

Check out all of our photos from Burning Beast on Flickr

The Truth About Volunteer Park Cafe

2009-07-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am not a very good navigator. The ways that I take to get places when I'm driving are never what one would think of as exact. When I accidentally drove by The Volunteer Park Cafe three times in a row while trying to get to Volunteer Park last Saturday - no joke - the first time I exclaimed:

"Whoa! What's that place?"

The second time, I actually stopped my car like a stalker to read the sign and the third time that I drove by, I knew that I would be going there. Soon.

I went back the very next day with my friend Dana.

I admit that when I drove past this neighborhood joint once, twice and three times in a row, that I did not care what kind of food and drink they served. I was drawn to this cordial cafe solely by the metal chairs and tables on the corner of the sidewalk, which all happened to be full. Yelp who? No further research required.

My instincts turned out to be right.
As members of Greenscene and Slow Food, the owners of Volunteer Park Cafe and Marketplace are committed to providing a menu filled with seasonal and sustainable ingredients. They even grow some of the ingredients that they use in their very own organic garden in the backyard of the cafe! Hello Delicious!

Boasting a diverse menu that can provide the perfect nibble or a full, sit-down meal, the Cafe patronage ranges from neighborhood kids and adults (and dogs!) to destination-bound foodies and not-so-foodie and they all seem to meld together nicely in this environment.

Upon arriving around 2pm, Dana and I were happy to discover that the Sunday crowd was a bit more sleepy than the Saturday crowd I had seen from my car. So we had our pick of outdoor seating in the sun. Once settled, we anxiously decided to split both the Brie and Apple Panini (made on your choice of a baguette or a croissant)

and the Warm Hazelnut Crusted Chevre Salad.

Oh and two beers, please!

We ordered our panini on a baguette, which was no doubt the right choice. Thin slices of tart apple topped the creamy brie and the baguette that held the two together had a satisfying crunch. The lavender honey drizzled around the plate provided just the right amount of sweet. This would be perfect with breakfast or lunch or anytime, really. I would eat one right now if I could!

To a pair sitting in the sun, organic greens tossed in a pomegranate dressing created a refreshing and tasty bed for the hazelnuts, the hazelnut crusted chevre and the accompanying pear slices. A solid salad. Are you drooling yet? There's more!

Still a twinge hungry, we made the best decision of the day and went back inside to order the Mushroom Tart. Tomatoes, caramelized onions, chevre (yeah, we like cheese) and baby greens join sauteed mushrooms on a phyllo sculpture to create this house specialty.

The flavor of the combined ingredients pops in your mouth. Oh yes, it's a party on your tongue and I think that the tangy tomato is the Kevin Bacon of this hexad. I actually wish there had been a few more tomatoes in the dish because they pulled all of the flavors together so nicely.

We concluded our visit with a chocolate chip and toffee bit cookie, which was a tough choice to be sure with a spread like this:

We didn't leave one leaf, crumb or morsel on our entire table. We loved it all. Volunteer Park Cafe hasn't seen the last of me yet. Especially since I saw a note on their window about a wine dinner the second Saturday of each month.
During the monthly dinner, a family style meal is served and paired with wine and the winemaker is even present at each dinner too! This could be very good.

Curio Confections

2009-06-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

A brilliant new confection shop located in Seattle's University district, along University way between 55th and 56th, boasts a variety of fun new options for the experienced sweet tooth.

My personal favorite the Oreo Marshmallows are a perfect square of pillowy soft marshmallow, with what seems like entire cookies thrown in it! It's a delightful taste treat.

Now that being said the most impressive thing in my mind is that the menu changes daily, depending on what is fresh, and in season. They do however give you a few ideas on their website of things to expect such as, Snickerdoodle apple pie, and Apricot Frangipane Tart. Curio also features a few savory bites as well making it a must stop shop when in the University area!

The Lookout opens tonight!

2009-06-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Formerly Artemis Cafe, new bar The Lookout opens tonight (8 p.m.) after a stylish remodel. The ownership remains the same but expect a more casual menu, imported beers, wine, cocktails, back patio and incredible views of downtown!

We certainly missed this space during their hiatus and can’t wait to try it!

The Lookout, 757 Bellevue Avenue East (206-860-2752 or thelookoutseattle.com).

Trade Route Brewing Co.

2009-06-17T12:43:00.001-07:00

It is certainly no secret that Seattle is home to many a micro-brewery. Yes, our home-sweet-home provides many options to beer fans and so in this Seattle Swirl post, we're trading in our grapes for the moment to appreciate hops.

A long-time fan of dive bars, secret spots and diamonds in the rough, I instantly fell in love with Trade Route Brewing Company. Off of the beaten path in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood, this two-year old brewing company resides in a one-room, warehouse-style building. As I bellied up to the tiki bar to join my fellow Seattle Swirl people, Chris Castillo, our tour guide and an owner of Trade Route, jumped right into teaching us about all things beer. Then he swiftly poured us a (generous) taste without missing a beat. Ahhh. Thanks, Chris!

Before continuing, I'd like to point out the Trade Route tasting agenda: Six beers. Six tastes. Three dollars. That's achieving happiness at a modest price, folks.

Chris, a genial and down-to-earth fellow, first poured a round of Dragon King Lager for myself and my cohorts to try. Dragon King is a crisp, clean, Asian-style lager that is sure to please on a hot, summer day. In fact, I remember thinking at that moment that a mid-Saturday tasting was a brilliant idea (thanks, Victoria!)

With no delay, Chris began to demonstrate his vast knowledge of beer and he didn't disappoint. We asked a lot of questions and he enthusiastically answered every one.

While I have a well-seasoned and unbiased appetite for this classic, fermented beverage, one might be surprised to learn that my basal understanding of the product is primarily consumption-related. Gulp.

I had a lot to learn.

For one thing, I was not aware that a pilsner and a lager are pretty much the same thing. A pilsner is actually a pale lager which was developed in the 19th century in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic).

The word lager meaning “to store” hints at one of the main developing points of this style of beer: the storage! Lagers are fermented with slow-acting yeast which allows the fermentation to take place at the bottom of the brew. Storage at low temperatures and bottom-fermentation contribute to the clarity, flavor and even the shelf-life of this type of beer! The lager was indeed a drastic arrival when compared with it's cloudy, top-fermented, Bohemian, ancestor beers.

Up next in my glass appeared the Mango Weizen which is Trade Route's wheat beer. At first sip, I was swept away to a hearty barbecue where guests easily managed to gulp two-thirds of their first Mango Weizen out of the keg. Well done, Trade Route!

Summoned to walk through the brewery, I happily complied. Lifting myself from my tiki stool, I continued to enjoy each sip of Mango Weizen, briefly holding it in my mouth before letting it wash down the hatch.

Each swallow contained a subtle mango flavor, which experts have recently paired with duck and arugula salad. I am convinced that this beer has few flavor foes. Creating the flavors from the source (real mango!) achieves an inconspicuous vim. Those not usually fond of fruity wheat beer might even enjoy it!

Returning from my imaginary barbecue, I find myself in front of some serious machinery:

- That's Chris talking about the fermentation process, not his latest catch from the lake.

My crash course in brewing beer was a bit like playing goalie on my childhood soccer team; my attention was undivided but as earnest as I was, I wasn't catching nearly enough of what was being shot at me.

With the help of Wikipedia, I've cobbled together my scribbled notes to bring you a succinct tale of how beer is born (the unfortunate news for most of us is that there aren't any beer storks).

Malt, which is made from malted grain, is the 'personality' of your beer. Malts can be light or dark, depending upon the amount of roasting.

- We literally tasted both the honey and the chocolate malt from Trade Route. We all agreed that the honey malt tasted like Grape Nuts which is interesting since a beer is anything produced with a cereal (malted barley). Did Post miss their calling?

Malt + Heated Water: This is the beginning of the brewing process. The temperature of the water is determined by a brewmaster. These two ingredients are mixed together in a “Mash Tun” in a process called mashing. After the mashing, the liquid is strained through a slotted false-bottom in the Mash Tun and this process is called lautering. The strained liquid is known as wort. The wort is moved into a large tank where it is boiled with hops.

At Trade Route, the dregs from the hopped wort creation are given to local farmers for feeding their animals. How about a thumbs-up for that!

Hops play a very large role in how your beer turns out. The hops are responsible for the aroma, flavoring and bitterness of the beer. After a hopped wort settles, it is moved into a vessel where it is cooled. At Trade Route, they use a compressor that they've affectionately named Old Betsy. She cools the wort at a fast pace.

Once cooled, the wort is moved into a fermenter where yeast is added (this is the exciting part!). Yeast is the magical component that turns the sugars within the malt into alcohol. Do I hear applause?

Before the beer makes it into the bottle in your hand, the yeasty concoction is often filtered to the satisfaction of the brewmaster to remove some of the yeast and particulates.

Wow. That's the watered-down version without any of the chemistry and strategy. Maybe we should pretend that there's a beer stork after all.

Loaded up with tons of great information about beer, we returned to the tiki bar to finish up our tasting.

From the beginning of the tour, I noticed a ginger beer on the menu. I've recently become a ginger fanatic and was itching to see what Trade Route had created. Traditionally ginger beers are non-alcoholic (and super tasty), but this beer, the Ginger Pale Ale does in fact have the well-loved alcohol component in it.

I loved this beer.

The ginger component was, in my opinion, perfectly balanced. Trade Route uses a Thai ginger in their beer called Golanga. This type of ginger has a more earthy tone to it than other gingers. Refreshing and flavorful, it is recommended to go with sushi or into your next Dark and Stormy. I concur!

The last three beers we tried were the Infidel Lime IPA, the Pandan Brown Ale and the Sweet and Sour.

IPA fans are usually characterized by an undying love for a strong hop-y flavor and the Infidel Lime IPA won't let them down. Made with kaffir limes,I would classify this IPA as “middle-of-the-road-hop-y” or one for IPA fans and “commoners” alike. It's not knock-your-socks-off bold, but it would certainly stand up against other IPAs.

I am a huge fan of brown ales and I love that Trade Route's Pandan Brown Ale is made with Pandan leaves. A Pandan leaf, as Chris explained it to us, is like a palm leaf but is sweet and so is frequently used in southeast Asian desserts like sticky rice. Here is a beer that might accompany me on a snowboarding adventure in the back country. There's nothing quite like a good beer in the snow and if the sun happened to be out that day, even better!

Aside from my snowboarding backpack, the Pandan Brown Ale was also recommended to accompany a red coconut curry. Make mine a five-star.

Our sixth and final beer was the Sweet and Sour.

This memorable beer is brewed in small batches and is Trade Route's seasonal summer beer (this means that it's only available for a short time). This was my very first Sweet and Sour beer and I have honestly never been so excited about a beer. A laco-induced version of the Ginger Pale Ale, the rich, gold color is enticing and the flavors are masterfully blended.

Only one word is necessary: Delicious.

A growler full of Sweet and Sour.

A big “Thank You” goes out to Chris at Trade Route for answering loads of our questions while we were there. Thanks, Chris! I can't wait to taste the Purple Yam Porter!

Wine glass seminar with Georg Riedel

2009-06-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

“Who believes a glass does not make a difference?”

I know! I never really thought too much about it either until Georg Riedel asked that question to begin his seminar last night at the Washington Athletic Club.

I’m guessing many of us were still a little skeptical – until Georg spent the next 90 minutes illustrating to us that wine does taste remarkably different in different glassware!

The first wine we tasted was a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. The traditional notes of grass, citrus, and mineral came through loud and clear in the “proper” glass. There was good balance on the nose and palate. We then were instructed to pour the wine into a plastic cup. The aromas were severely muted and I couldn’t detect the notes I had just experienced moments earlier!

We then moved on to the Sauvignon Blanc in the Chardonnay glass. The aromas came back to life, but this time the taste was different – it was clearly more acidic. Interesting… I whispered to my friend Doug “It must be the power of suggestion.” Glassware can’t make a difference but I was sold!

Doug on the other hand wasn’t sold until the end when we tasted a highly tannic Cabernet Sauvignon in a Cabernet Sauvignon glass, a Pinot Noir glass, and finally a Chardonnay glass. The tannins went from intense to burning in the different glassware and I could definitely detect different flavor notes in each glass.

“You don’t taste wine on the palate, you feel it,” Georg noted many times throughout the night. From the way the glass feels in your hand to when you take a sip and it falls onto your palate capturing the texture and weight. Then it is all about the wine! I had never put too much thought into glassware before this seminar. It was a pleasure to drink alongside Georg Riedel, and I found the experience to be extremely informative and entertaining!

Plus, how great is it that we each went home with a beautiful new set of glassware!

Check out all of the photos from the Riedel tasting on Flickr

Operation Stemware

2009-06-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure how much people think about how something like glassware might affect your wine experience. Everyone knows that there is a red wine glass and white wine glass and a champagne flute, but that might be the extent of thinking about the container that holds their favorite wine.

But on Monday, my friend Doug from WINO Magazine and I are headed to the Washington Athletic Club to meet the man whose name is virtually synonymous with fine wine glasses and decanters, Georg Riedel (that's ree-del, as in rhymes with needle).

So I don't know a lot about how the night will play out but I'm guessing that we will sample the same wine in four different glasses. We'll be tasting Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Montrachet, and Riesling Grand Cru. And for the price of admission ($64.95), we get to take the stemware home at the end of the night.

If you happen to be attending, please find us and say hi. I'll report back on what Doug and I discovered after the event.

Welcome To The Swirl

2009-06-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Here we go....another blog out in the blogosphere.

Only this time, it's about the finer things in life.

You know: wine, beer, scotch, chocolate, coffee, food and even glassware. Ah, now we have your attention.

I'm Victoria Odell, and I'm the owner of Seattle Swirl, which started out as a small wine events company that I created to educate people about wine in a fun and interactive way.

Over the years, we've grown into exciting new areas. Now we organize private corporate events as well public events at venues all over Seattle. We've been fortunate enough to have worked with several of Washington's top sommeliers and winemakers to bring these food and wine experiences to life!

Along with my enthusiastic team, I will share our tasting adventures. We'll report back on everything from our experiences at formal tastings to hidden treasures in the Seattle food scene.

Drop us a comment and let us know what you want to read about. You can always connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, or WineChatr. And of course, feel free to drop me a line at victoria@seattleswirl.com.