Restaurant Insider Blogs

Tuesday, 11/20/2012 3:34 AM
The runner-up on my list of Fall's Most Exciting Restaurant Openings (second only to the craziness that will surely accompany the opening of Shanik on December 3rd), Mamnoon is opening in a converted warehouse across from the Melrose Market. And that opening is happening...today, November 20th!
Monday, 11/19/2012 7:21 PM
Wine is my absolute favorite condiment on the Thanksgiving table; it's an important supporting character at the feast, but not necessarily the star. After many years of searching for that perfect complement to all the diverse flavors at the mother of all traditional meals, Riesling from Washington State has become my go-to wine on the third Thursday of every November. Just like cranberry sauce, it’s a little bit sweet but has a snappy kick to it, too.
Thursday, 11/15/2012 9:46 PM
Thanksgiving tends to be so focused on eating that the drinks often become an afterthought. This is a shame, as the right drinks can add extra pizzazz, help the food go down easier, and make dealing with relatives much more manageable. Following are three Thanksgiving drink ideas for each course of the meal: the first for when your guests arrive, the second for the meal’s beginning, and the third for when the meal is done.
Thursday, 11/15/2012 12:17 AM
I’m not shy about my love of Deluxe Foods jams and cocktail syrups. I wear a t-shirt, sporting the logo and tagline (“Try us on toast!”) and I used the syrups in my last Pantry at Delancey cocktail class. I’m pals with the Chief Tasting Officer at Deluxe Foods, Rebecca Staffel. But just because we’re pals doesn’t make the jams and syrups any less worthy. Don’t take my word for it though.
Tuesday, 11/13/2012 8:25 PM
Seattle loves pho (if you're new on the block: our dining editor explains what it is, how to pronounce it and where to get her favorite here). And Seattleites love to claim they know where to find the best pho.
Tuesday, 11/13/2012 6:56 PM
It’s impossible to see images of the wreckage from Superstorm Sandy and not feel compelled to try and help. But how? How about a trip to NYC? You don’t even have to leave Seattle.
Monday, 11/12/2012 6:44 PM
All set for Doomsday? It’s coming right up, you know. At least that’s what the latest mailer from Pagliacci says. Yes, we’ve been hearing about December 21, 2012 as the end of the Mayan calendar for years, and some predict the end of the world as we know it. But for a restaurant/pizza delivery chain to actually embrace it as a sales and marketing tool? Pretty darned crazy/brilliant! This fall/winter newsletter pokes fun at the never-ending string of doomsday predictions. Remember Y2K? What a bust. 
Friday, 11/09/2012 8:12 PM
If, like us, you think the approval of Referendum 74 is something to celebrate, head to the Capitol Hill location of Cupcake Royale (1111 E Pike St.), where owner Jody Hall (featured in our October story about local love stories behind Ref. 74) is giving away (for free!) slices of this amazing, giant rainbow cake shaped like the state of Washington.
Friday, 11/09/2012 7:46 PM
Ballard restaurant and oyster bar Walrus and the Carpenter
Last year, I took the idea of having three days in Seattle to do nothing but eat, eat and eat some more, and I used that as a guide post for the varied restaurants we included in the Best Restaurants issue. Our list of the 7 Restaurants that Define Seattle Dining Now was—and to a large extent, still is—my idea of how to taste the best in Seattle dining in one very filling weekend.
Thursday, 11/08/2012 7:24 PM
After daylight savings, the chance for an after-work or evening cocktail accompanied by even a wisp of sunshine has vanished (at least here in the Northwest), which—some days—makes a good drink all the more necessary. I think the perfect drink for this time of year can take two paths. It can either embrace the dark, like the first choice here, or bring its own ray of sunshine like the second. Try both and let me know which you think is best.  
Thursday, 11/08/2012 5:11 PM
Theo Chocolate
After that bitter, seemingly endless campaign season, aren’t we all in the mood for something sweet? At Theo’s, the team has cooked up a super cool collection for the holidays sure to melt the hardest heart. It’s called Mirepoix and it’s a collaboration between Theo’s chocolatiers and students from FareStart, the wildly successful program that provides job training for the homeless.
Monday, 11/05/2012 6:53 PM
I’m still recovering from a wild New Year’s celebration. On Saturday, hundreds of shellfish fans converged in a massive tent on Pier 56 for Elliott’s 20th annual Oyster New Year, a celebration of the beginning of prime oyster eating time.
Monday, 11/05/2012 6:17 PM
No matter how this election turns out, most people are ready to celebrate the end of a bitter, seemingly endless campaign season. Here are a few places to get your drink on among your fellow civic-minded citizen while votes are tabulated: The Pink Door’s pouring $1 Obamaramas (that’s the restaurant’s original concoction of fresh grape juice, vodka made in the U.S.ofA., a squeeze of lemon and curaco, starting at 3 p.m. The 104-inch TV will be tuned to live television coverage tracking the races.
Thursday, 11/01/2012 10:43 PM
No matter what side you’re on during this year’s election, let’s hope we can agree on two things: First, that an election night party just isn’t the same without a good cocktail (that fits both a winning and a losing mood). And second, that the following drinks are better than any other election night cocktails. Because you can’t trust all those other drinks, people. But these drinks? These drinks you can trust.
Thursday, 11/01/2012 3:54 PM
What may strike you about the restaurants we included in the November Best New Restaurants issue (on newsstands now) is just how specialized and unique each of the restaurants is.