Sauerkraut, sweet onions, a massive chicken fried steak and loads of wonderful wine. Those were just a few of the highlights from a weekend in Walla Walla.
There are more than 100 wineries in and around the city so nice they named it twice, yet I visited just two on Saturday and had two perfect experiences. Which I’ll fill you in on in a sec.
Plum Bistro, the family-owned and all-vegan restaurant on Capitol Hill—known for hearty meatless burgers and signature “mac ‘n’ yease” (plus incredible dishes chock-full of locally-sourced and organic ingredients)—wants to go mobile.
Owner/chef Makini Howell is using the online crowdfunding program Kickstarter to help raise the $28,000 needed to bring Seattle its first vegan food truck, which her staff hopes will “spread the vegan magic to the nonbelievers” beyond the restaurant's homebase on Capitoll Hill.
We've been telling you about Meeru Dhalwala's Shanik, the most anticipated restaurant opening of the year, for a while now. (Pick up our November Best New Restaurants issue to read our full-length preview of Vij's much-anticipated sibling restaurant!)
Five mixes that you’ll want to have on hand if your neighborhood is ever invaded by the undead. Or, if you decide to throw a Halloween party. Whichever comes first.
MORA Iced CreameryThe new Jack-o’-Lantern Ice Cream flavor from this Bainbridge Island ice creamery is a spin on MORA's own traditional Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, but with Belgian chocolate added to the mix. Don't live near one of their far flung locations? No worries, the ice cream will be available for purchase online.
Seattle-based food writer Kim O’Donnel was into Meatless Mondays long before Mario Batali and others shoved this notion onto the mainstream consciousness. Hooray and pass the kale chips! (You’ll find a recipe for those crunchy green gems in her first cookbook.)
Watching Obama and Romey face-off is always more fun in a crowd, so join friends at one of these neighborhood restaurants to watch the third and final presidential debate (10/28, 6pm), focusing on foreign policy. The themed food and libations offered here should definitely pique your electoral energy.
Bartenders are so awesome. They serve you drinks, they have stories a-plenty, and they tend to dress snazzily. But what would they tell you about bartending, bars, drinking, and cocktails if they didn’t have to go make four more Ramos Fizzes? Well, now you can find out, as I asked four of our favorite local drink slingers what they’d like the people to know (we’ll take it for granted that one should always tip well and be a decent human being at the bar). Here are their answers.
Where are my fave fat pants? My must-chew calendar is cram-packed with loads of tasty events the next few days and I want to be ready for the inevitable “Fall 5.” (As in lbs., followed by the Winter 10 and the get-ready-for-sleeveless spring season –15.) Here are some sweet and savory dates you might want to check out:
Danielle Custer, who old-timers like me remember from her chef jobs at 727 Pine and Fullers in the Sheraton, and who more recently worked at Taste SAM, is launching Monte Cristo, a gourmet grilled cheese truck on Monday, October 22nd at Starbucks in Sodo (for more current whereabouts, visit Monte's website or Twitter page).
Some kitchens have revolving doors. Chefs come and they go, sometimes shouting, screaming, laughing. But that's the restaurant business, ever-fluid, never a dull nanosecond.
Still, I was flat-out bummed to hear the news that Chester Gerl is leaving Matt's in the Market. Yes, of course, I understand. He's de-camping to NYC to be close to family. Plus, he's got a kick-ass job waiting for him thanks to Top Chef Masters judge Jonathan Waxman. (More about that in a jiff.)
Fall’s crisp air lends itself to many seasonal treats (including some previously-mentioned fall drinks), but no ingredient says “fall” as much as an apple.
Luckily, we don’t have to be like Herculus and travel to the Garden of the Hesperides to find fantastic apples, as they’re abundant at our local farmer’s markets.
He's growing... again!
Tom Douglas—the 2012 James Beard Foundation restaurateur of the year and one of Seattle Mag's most influential people of 2011—is going to open The Grange Hall next spring, a 10,000-square foot space on the ground floor of the apartment building going up on Sixth and Lenora downtown.
Walking through my neighborhood, I can't help but covet the fig trees weighed down with green figs on the verge of full ripeness, the Asian pear tree in my neighbor's yard which holds, I'd guess, 40lbs of fruit right now. But in a few weeks, these and the myriad apples that are ripe right now in trees on nearly every Seattle street will perish, rot, or fall and turn to brown muck on the sidewalks if they're not picked and eaten.
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