FARM FRESH
The U District Farmers Market offers some items unavailable at other markets (and it’s one of the few open this time of year). Their exclusive properties include oysters and geoducks (those strange, clam-out-of-shell-looking bivalves) from Olympia; also available are rosemary, oregano, and mâche (also known as lamb’s lettuce), a small, delicate green that grows in small bunches and is great in salads or sautéed alongside your favorite risotto. The U District market is open 9 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturdays at University Way and Northeast 50th Street. To find a market close to you, visit www.dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/farms/farmers_markets.htm.
Advance registration or reservations are recommended for most of the following events. Prices exclusive of tax and gratuity unless otherwise noted.
DRINK UP
Thursday, January 18
Sport Restaurant and Bar is hosting a four-course brewmaster dinner with Bridgeport Brewery, the oldest brewery in Oregon. The menu, with beer pairings for every course, features Dungeness crab salad, shrimp macaroni and cheese, and sage-rubbed fried chicken, all finished off with an apple-craisin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. $35. 6:30 p.m. Sport Restaurant and Bar, 140 Fourth Ave., Ste. 130, 404-7768, www.sportrestaurant.com. QUEEN ANNE
Sample Italian wines at Il Fornaio, from Michele Chiarlo, Caposaldo, and Nozzole. Antipasto served, too. $10. 6–7 p.m. Il Fornaio Bakery Cafe, Pacific Place, atrium level, 600 Pine St., 264-0994, www.ilfornaio.com. DOWNTOWN
ON THE PLATE
Thursday, January 18
If you’re making the 30-minute trek to Snoqualmie Falls, or want something to do once you’ve climbed back up from this majestic and less-than-taxing hike [Speak for yourself—Ed.], consider reserving a spot at the Salish Lodge table for a meal of Pacific Northwest wild game, including pheasant, partridge, wild boar, and hare, paired with limited-production local wine varietals. $95. 7:00 p.m. Salish Lodge, 6501 Railroad Ave. S.E., 425-831-6564, www.salishlodge.com/culinary_adventures.php. SNOQUALMIE
BACK TO SCHOOL
Thursday, January 18
If diagrams of cows with all the parts neatly labeled (rump roast, short rib, skirt steak) seem like abstractions, this class could help demystify the basic, old-school skill of butchery. Whole Foods’ Basic Butchery class promises to cover terminology and basic cuts of meat and seafood, with hands-on knife-handling instruction. You’ll learn how to carve and prepare prime cuts of meat, how to use the scraps and bones for stock, and how best to ensure that those fancy knives you’re so proud of have a long, sharp life. $30. 6–8:30 p.m. Whole Foods Market, 888 116th Ave. N.E., 425-462-1400, www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/calendars/BLV.html. BELLEVUE
Saturday, January 20
If all of the healthy food classes on offer are not quite your speed, and this new year already feels like it’s flying by, maybe you need a lesson in how to create Classic Comfort Food. Yarrow BayBeach Cafe chef Cameon Orel offers instruction in how to concoct a few favorite winter staples: New England and Manhattan clam chowder, chili, tomato bisque, meatloaf with gravy, and hot chocolate cake. Come hungry, because at class’s end you’ll consume your creations, washed down with wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle. $60. 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Yarrow Bay Grill & Beach Cafe, 1270 Carillon Point, 425-803-2941, www.ybbeachcafe.com. KIRKLAND
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