The Mexican Fast Casual Sweepstakes

Most of us who are not at-home graphic designers in Wallingford, or Rainier Valley schoolteachers, do not have easy access to taco trucks during the workday. We're stuck in neighborhoods with nothing but faux burritos. And for us, there is a standard face-off in what the industry calls the Mexican Fast Casual category: Taco Del Mar vs. Blue Water Taco Grill. Both of these are locally-grown chains—TDL now much bigger, with franchises all over the country; Blue Water run by longtime local restaurateur Dave deVarona, whose previous stab at this business ended up selling out to the wretched World Wrapps).
I'm a diehard Blue Water man myself. TDL makes me wretch. But what about you, the discriminating Voracious readers?

Topics: The Food Section

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Veraci Pizza Moving to Non-Mobile Spot in Ballard

This jalopy gives good pie. Image: veracipizza.com

If you're a regular Ballard farmers market shopper, no doubt you've tasted the wares emerging from Veraci Pizza's mobile, wood-fired, thousand degree oven. Whether you select a simple (yet enormous) slice of pepperoni, or a piece topped with roasted veggies, pesto and olives, this thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizza is good eating.

Well, their traveling, dome-shaped clay oven is certainly a sight to be seen, parked on the patch of grass adjacent to Ballard Ave. But sometimes you just want to sit with your slice before it spills its contents. And a beer would be nice, too.

This family-run, mobile catering company is ready to settle down, and offer — in addition to great pizza — chairs, a roof, and eventually, some local beer to go with. But they've got a lot of work to do, as they've just got the lease signed (not even two weeks ago) and they have to build the oven.

Veraci is moving into a space that used to be a Domino's, and was more recently occupied by another pizza joint, Paradise Pizza, which closed not too long ago. It seems this location (at 500 N.W. Market Street in Ballard) is going through a pizza upgrade.

Veraci Pizza plans to open in July.

But until then, check out their calendar, for where to find these purveyors of a great slice. They'll even come to you.

Topics: Openings

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Wondering what to do with that refund check?

I just got my ridiculous stimulus check today. Woo — uh — whoo-hoo! Some of that money will be going to Visa (I wouldn't be surprised to hear that credit-card industry lobbyists came up with the idea, anyway), but I'm giving a big chunk of it to nonprofits who may lose government funding because of this election-year stunt.

Journalistic ethics guidelines suggest I avoid contributing to a cause I might write about, ergo no food-related nonprofits. But most of you don't have the same restrictions. If you're searching for a few worthy food-related causes to sign your stimulus funds over to, here's the Washington Food System Directory, a great online guide to organizations whose mission involves sustainable agriculture, food security, nutrition, and environmental preservation.

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First Call: Shea's Lounge

First Call: French Caribbean

Name: Jason Tibbetts

Establishment: Shea’s Lounge

Location: Top Floor, Corner Market Building, 94 Pike Street, Suite 34.

Ok, Jason Tibbetts, what’s this slightly sunny, slightly swanky concoction we have here? It’s a French Caribbean — lemon juice, orange bitters, aged rum and Cointreau, shaken up and poured into a martini glass.

This isn’t bad. It’s kinda sweet, but mostly not — like some girls I know. I like it. There’s just a little bitterness to balance out the sweetness and the rum.

Duality seems to be a theme here at the Shea’s Lounge: It looks like it’s going for the Spanish villa feel — lots of earthy tones and sharp contrasts. Or maybe it’s French. Chez Shea, the restaurant that accompanies Shea’s Lounge, is contemporary French Cuisine so I guess there’s not much Spanish about it. Either way, Jason, a former grad student in philosophy, earned his degree in London. He’s going back in two weeks for a friend’s wedding and is way excited. That last part isn’t very French, I know. But it’s European: close enough.

In contrast, the wall-art is more of the splattered-paint, modernist variety and jazz plays softly in the background. Overall, the place is a little convoluted but it works. Just like this tasty French Caribbean.

I hear London’s nice this time of year. Yeah, but I’d probably rather go to the Caribbean somewhere and sit on a beach.

Well, this thing is close enough. Is this your own concoction? Yeah, personally rum is my normal drink, so anyway I can fit it into a cocktail is good.

Ah, rum, the Caribbean. I bet you dig Jimmy Buffett, huh. No. Actually, Jimmy Buffet’s painful. I make fun of my friends for listening to him.

Uh, yeah, er, me too. Jimmy Buffett sucks. Gimme some more rum.

Topics: First Call

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New Spot: Mallow, on Madison

At Madison Street and Boren Avenue, in First Hill

Peeking in the windows, this retail spot looks as if it's got quite ways to go before they'll be ready to open their doors, but the name, for one, makes me curious.

Mallow puts me in mind of the most delicious marshmallow I've tasted, though I'm not usually such a mallow fan. Like most people, I was raised on what Kraft still calls "Jet-Puffed" marshmallows, with ingredients like Blue 1 and tetrasodium pyrophosphate, with narry a smidge of marsh mallow root in sight...

But getting back to the tastiest one: an oversize puff of rosemary mallow topped a soup (I forget what kind it was, the sweet flourish was that good) at Veil a while back. In the white lab-coat styled room, this tiny square of herbed sweetness nearly made the meal.

So the name conjures good things for me, but I have no idea what's coming to this new retail space, just two doors up Madison from Sugar. They didn't know either, though they were selling a peppermint mallow last time I stopped in.

Anyone care to fill me (us) in?

Topics: News

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A taste of Molly Moon's

No one seems to have told Mother Nature, but it's the beginning of ice cream season.

I just had a chance to taste the ice creams at Molly Moon's, the new artisanal, locavore ice cream shop opening Saturday on Wallingford's main drag.

It was indeed the manna we hoped for, but I had two major complaints. One was that it was just a tasting, so I didn't feel right shoveling in cone after cone of the flavors I liked most: salted caramel, honey-lavender, and "scout" mint. (The latter cooled the place in my heart that's been burning since Girl Scout cookie season ended.) The second was that all the seats (giant, non-tippy wooden blocks) at the slate-covered tables were taken by children under six, so I couldn't grab some chalk and start drawing.

I'd expected the ice cream to be great, but the sauces took me off guard. Owner Molly Neitzel has teamed up with Veil pastry chef Dana Cree, so instead of run-of-the-mill scoop wetters, you get toppings worth eating alone, like bu-bu-buttery vanilla bean butterscotch and a sweet (seasonal!) orange-rhubarb compote that screams to slide down a mountain of the strawberry-balsamic ice cream. (Put that stuff in a jar!)

Molly Moon's is hosting a Grand Opening on Saturday at 3 p.m., with Eric Johnson (The Shins, Fruit Bats) deejaying.

Molly Moon's Ice Cream, 1622 � N, 45th St., 618-4934, WALLINGFORD.

Sweet On You, an ice cream shop in Greenwood whose owner calls it a "modern soda fountain," also opens Friday. There will be gelato for the first week or so, followed by the full menu, including traditional American ice cream, Pinkberry-style frozen yogurt, juices, and supplements.

Sweet On You, 8416 Greenwood Ave., GREENWOOD. Open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily (for now).

Topics: Openings

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Battling Muffulettas: Virginia Inn v. Marcela's

While I was on vacation, Mike Seely started slinging some nonsense about the newly reopened Virginia Inn making the city's best muffuletta. He repeated the claim to me this week, when I countered that new Pioneer Square restaurant Marcela's Cookery, which advertises authentic New Orleans cuisine, makes a durn good one.

There was some trash talking, I admit, and chests puffed out so far they almost came flush with bellies. An honest, old-fashioned muff off was in order.

Ground rules: Muffaletta is a sandwich of cold cuts, cheese, and olive relish that an Italian grocern invented at New Orleans' Central Grocery about 100 years ago. (Not that this makes me more qualified than Seely to judge, but I have eaten Central Grocery's ur-muffuletta — oh, wait, I am saying that I'm more qualified than him. But, this is Seattle, where the prevailing dismissal is "to each his own.")

In looks alone, Marcela's definitely wins, since it's served on a plate-sized, foccacia-like bread sold in quarters, halves (this one cost $17.50), and wholes:

Heretically, some would argue, Virginia Inn serves its muffuletta on a crisp, fresh chunk of baguette, but it has all the appropriate elements:

Virginia's muffuletta scores big on lots of meat, lots of cheese, and a black-olive-and-onion relish that I would professionally describe as "kicky" (the bar also does a veggie version with cheese, olive relish, and marinated artichoke pesto, which is satisfying as long as you don't eat pork).

Marcela's is thin on the ham and salami layers, I was forced to admit, which means the meat comes close to being overwhelmed by the bread. And while I'd prefer a little more garlic and spice in the green olive relish, Mike was forced to admit that it was fresher and more nuanced than the vinegary Virginia Inn stuff.

Mike says he's too much of a carnivore to give up his ground. I'm too much of a purist. Who wins if neither side concedes?

Whoever got stuck writing up the debate.

Marcela's Cookery, 106 James Street, 206-223-0042.
Virginia Inn, 1937 First Ave., www.virginiainnseattle.com .

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The Romans are leaving, which means more time to TASTE.

This weekend, May 10th and 11th, TASTE restaurant and the Seattle Art Museum will be open for 35 hours straight, when SAM gives folks one last chance to see the Roman Art exhibit before they ship her back to the Louvre. The restaurant will cook around the clock, adding an extended happy hour menu after the usual lunch and dinner service on Saturday, followed by a late-night menu from midnight to 4 a.m., then an early morning menu until lunch rolls around again on Sunday. We’ll head over around 3:30 a.m., when those killer frites with rosemary and remoulade are still available, then hit the museum’s “marathon weekend”� mid-stride. If all that marble makes us hungry again, we’ll go back downstairs just before dawn for TASTE pastry chef Elise Fineberg’s spring frittata with sweet peas and Quillisascut chevre.

TASTE ‘Marathon’ Hours & Menus:

SATURDAY
10 am to 11 am: Pastries
11 am to 3 pm: Lunch menu
3 pm to 12 am: Happy Hour / Bar menu
5 pm to 10 pm: Dinner Menu

SUNDAY
12 am to 4 am: Late night menu
4 am to 11 am: Early morning / Pastry menu
11 am to 3 pm: Lunch menu
3 pm to 9 pm: Happy Hour / Bar menu / Dinner menu

TASTE “Marathon”�, 10 a.m. May 10th to 9 p.m. May 11th. 1300 First Ave., 903-5291, DOWNTOWN.

Topics: Events

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Burmese Food Fundraiser This Saturday

According to this article in yesterday's Seattle P-I, the Washington State Buddhist Association will be holding a Burmese food fair this Saturday in Shoreline, and some of the funds raised will go to disaster relief. Not only may this be a rare chance to try ginger salad or mohinga, but you can provide some much-needed money to help out with what appears to have been Katrina to the 10th degree.

Shoreline Senior Activity Center
18560 First Ave. N.E., Shoreline
Saturday, May 10
4 p.m.-9 p.m.

Topics: Events

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Edible Seattle Arrives on Newsstands

Image: http://edibleseattle.blogspot.com/

This new foodie mag is full of thoughtful, well-researched, and substantial articles, including one on the foodie equivalent of scanning a new friend's book shelf: a peek into to the refrigerators (the pair of them) belonging to Boat Street Cafe's Renee Erickson.

Our own Jess Thomson offers seasonal recipes, written with a narrative you'll want to follow into the kitchen. Her wilted arugula salad with scallops and hot bacon vinaigrette sounds both spring-like and meatily indulgent.

And you can read the low-down on that most famous of porcine immigrants, the pricey and delicious Mangalitsa.

Printed on heavy paper with some lovely photos, this quarterly can be found at Metropolitan Market (among other venues) for $4.99.

Topics: News

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I Ate This: Memo's on the Ave.

Where: Memo’s, the U-District
When: April 25, 12:34 a.m.
Price: $4.35
Would I eat it again? I’d say there’s a better than average chance. But it’d have to be late night. And I’d have to be craving Mexican food. And I’d have to be drunk.

Memo’s opened in February and definitely picked the right location. Just north of 45th Street on the Ave, it should soon turn into a U-District staple. It looks like they’re planning for it. The place feels enormous with the monochromatic wood floor and seating. But tonight, it’s empty — a couple of frat kids packing it on, nothing else. It is, however, only 12:30 in the madrugada (early early morning): too late for normal food, but not yet time for sloppy drunken chowing.

This is definitely a late-night destination. The food is pretty decent although the lettuce tasted like it’d been in the refrigerator for a while. However, if you’re looking for close to authentic Mexican food — or, what the Mexicans call, “food”� — it’s a pretty solid destination. I had a chicken torta and it would have been good had I stumbled in from Earl’s down the street. But I didn’t. And sobriety, heavy food and midnight just don’t go together all that well. That being said, some guy ordered the Washington Burrito, a tortilla stuffed with steak, cheese, potatoes and salsa. It looked like the gut bomb from heaven.

Memo’s 24 Hour Mexican Food
4743 University Way NE
(206) 729-5071

Topics: I Ate This

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Pizza from a Prius

Pizza Fusion: A Seattleite, doing something about the city's paltry pizza scene, in a way only a Seattleite could? No. Pizza baked in an oven powered by cold fusion? Not quite.

Pizza Fusion is a Florida-based national pizza chain with a conscience, whose first Washington outpost will open this summer in Trace Lofts' north building, along with Barrio.

It will be Washington's first LEEDS-certified restaurant, which means that besides delivering in energy-efficient vehicles, Pizza Fusion will offset energy use with renewable energy certificates, recycle warmth from their pizza ovens to heat their stores, use reclaimed furniture (the Seattle store just snatched up a bunch of stuff from Sunset Bowl's auction) and biodegradable utensils, and [the list is long].

When I read the word "fusion," I got a little nervous about the food, but a spokesperson told me that "the ‘fusion’ side of the name represented the fusion of organic, eco-friendly, health conscious lifestyles into a socially conscious restaurant model." Well, I'll be damned.

So no worries about Indonesian-style pizza. Pizza Fusion will offer multiple crusts (like multi-grain and even a gluten-free option), and modern, healthy toppings, like organic steak, organic ricotta, and wild American shrimp. (There will also be sandwiches, wraps, salads, breads, and dips.)

Has anyone tasted Pizza Fusion elsewhere?

And be honest. Do you think of your delivery drivers' CO2 expenditure when you pick up a pizza?

Pizza Fusion, 1412 12th Ave., CAPITOL HILL. Opening summer 2008.

Topics: News

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Seattle Restaurant Gossip, a New Approach to Cookbook Reviewing, and Other Food News

Warning: Having not posted while on vacation (the Internet connection at the Sun God Lodge in Taos was spotty), this edition of "Food Section" is a little long:

First, other Seattle food pubs report several openings and closings: startender Jamie Boudreau leaves Vessel (P-I). El Greco Becomes Table 219 (Seattle mag). And chef-owner Kerry Sear announces he's selling Cascadia and moving to the new Four Seasons (Times).

For Love of Taco Trucking by Jean-Paul Renaud (LA Times) and Keep on Taco Trucking by Jonathan Gold (LA Weekly): This is a two-week old story, but it touches my heart: Los Angeles forces taco trucks to move on after only an hour in one location. Thank you, Seattle/King County, for making it easier for taco trucks to set up in semi-permanent spots compared to Los Angeles or San Francisco (where, when I last checked a few years ago, the city was charging aspiring street-food vendors a scandalous one-time fee of $10K, which is why all the taco trucks are in Oakland).

Court Orders Tyson to Suspend Ads for Antibiotic-Free Chicken by Annys Shin (Washington Post): This story creeps me the frack out. Injecting antibiotics into eggs so you can claim the bird is "raised" free of antibiotics?

Save the World — Eat Less by Vikram Vij (Toronto Globe & Mail): I'm ashamed to admit that I've lived in the Northwest two years and still haven't been to Vij's in Vancouver, though a friend who loves Vij's cookbook has wowed me with a few of its specialties. My admiration for the man blossomed when I read this article. To hear a restaurateur in these struggling times advise customers to order less? That's just un-American! Oh, wait . . .

Finally, this week, I want to honor two reviewers for innovative takes on the art of criticism:

First, Take Your Frozen Mash... by Jon Henley (UK Guardian): Venerable cookbook author Delia Smith has shocked Britain by coming out with a cookbook centered around canned and frozen foods. An equivalent scandal in America would be Julia Child (RIP) releasing a collection of souffle recipes to be made with Egg Beaters and soy milk. The Guardian has responded to the controversy by having a couple of professional cooks make a few of Delia's recipes and serve them to a panel of food experts. Brutal.

The Momofuku Superlative Matrix (Savory Tidbits, via Chow): New York chef David Chang's new restaurant, Momofuku Ko, has gotten so much hype (including a New Yorker profile and an instant rave from Ruth Reichl) that Savory Tidbits has created a spreadsheet listing each menu item along with all the words that New York critics have slobbered all over it.

Topics: The Food Section

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Zippy's Fulfills My Dream for West Seattle

They had me the minute I saw the used Dog-n-Suds wrapper framed on the wall. After seeing their "Sorry we ran out of food" sign on Sunday, I was doubly eager to try Zippy's Burger, the new burger joint on West Seattle's east side. "Burger joint" has been on the top of my list of community needs since I moved to this not-quite-an-island.

A standard Zip burger is char-grilled quarter pounder, cheese, a tangy 1000 island-like secret sauce, plenty of onion and tomato for $4.75. Come again? Yes I will. I am a connoisseur of burger stands, and ZIppy's is conveniently on the way to my studio. The service is super sweet, and the woman working the counter is a neighbor. I get the feeling after two visits—you're a regular as far as she's concerned.

I waited, guzzling a Gray's root beer (all the way from Janesville, Wisconsin, tasted just like childhood). The burger joint (can it be a stand, if it's in a building?) has eight root beers, and 25 sodas total, all made with cane sugar. The owners hope to amass an even larger root beer collection in the coming months. Boatloads of root beer trumps a milkshake, agreed?

I'm only going to say this one last time: There is money to be made for a smart, simple business (cough good espresso cough) in West Seattle SOUTH of the Junction and EAST of 35th. We may have far less strollers and Labradors per household, but we're hard working, dual income people who are starving and thirsty.

Bless you Zippy. Bless you and your special sauce.

Zippy's Burgers
1513 SW Holden St.
Mon-Thu 10:30am to 9:00pm
Fri 10:30am to 10:00pm
Sat 11:00am to 10:00pm
Sun noon to 7:00pm

Topics: Eats report

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Ciao, Val's

One of Phinney Ridge's lone remaining greasy spoons is soon to close its doors, as is the neighboring Daily Planet, where I once purchased a robot named Toby to serve as a research assistant. Says my pal Jeff of Val's: "When I started going to Val’s, they had a great hamburger steak & eggs and a gorgeous brunette server named Heather. She might have been the hottest chick to ever pour me a cup of coffee."

Topics: Restaurant Buzz

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With a name like Honore, the bread better be good

Riding down NW 70th street yesterday, I ran across a new bakery, Honore. The outside looks more or less finished, and quick peek in the window revealed pastry cases ready for business.

If you name a bakery Honore, presumably after the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, you're either an idiot, or you've come to play with the big boys. I sincerely hope it's the latter.

Anyone know who's behind Honore? Who's in the kitchen? When does it open?

And are they for real?

Honore, 1413 NW 70th St., BALLARD.

Topics: Restaurant Buzz

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Brown-Bagging for Breakfast

It's 8:02 a.m., and the couple in front of me aboard the ferry from Bremerton just cracked open a pair of Miller High Lifes. OK, so, I guess it's not technically brown-bagging if you don't put it in a bag.

Happy Monday.

Topics: Beer

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I Ate This: Frito Pie, or, Back from Vacation

Origin myths under debate:

1. Was the universe created in one Big Bang or seven days?
2. Did Marco Polo really bring pasta to Italy from China?
3. Was the Frito pie invented in Texas or New Mexico?

Re the latter: Here's a recent Dallas newspaper article that reviews Frito pies in Santa Fe, New Mexico, yet argues the dish must have been invented in Texas. (Though the author can't back up her assertion with any facts. Hunh. Texans.)

Before I drove around New Mexico last week, I asked fellow bacon addict and former Santa Fe Reporter restaurant critic Gwyneth Doland for advice on where to get the best Frito pie when I stopped in Santa Fe. She, as well as onetime New Mexico resident Laura Onstot, both said that the best place to get Frito pie is at high school basketball games. Basketball season being over for the year, Gwyneth said I should visit the Cowgirl.

Holy shit, was it good: Served in a bowl (well, it did cost $7), with just enough of the bag appearing to make it "authentic," the Cowgirl's Frito pie was one big mess of chips slathered in spoon-tender beef stewed in red chile sauce, which I spruced up with onions, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, and sour cream. I felt a little guilty for eating the Frito pie with metal silverware, but after the second bite I stopped caring. The next day, when I was describing the dish on the phone to my mom, who has never been to either New Mexico or Texas, she requested that I recreate it for her when she comes to Seattle for Mother's Day. So I have to do a little reverse engineering, using red chiles I bought in Chimayo, and will hope that it's not too spicy for a Hoosier palate.

Another high point of the New Mexico trip, as you might imagine:

Topics: I Ate This

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Cinco de Vino: Ola Yakima!

No, no, no... This is not a tasting of Mexican wines. Nobody wants that. Not that Mexico couldn't make great wine, it just doesn't, for the most part.

This Monday evening make a play for Wine Yakima Valley's annual tasting, this year at SAM's Sculpture Park. 20 some wineries, appetizers from TASTE events, a killer view, and some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, along with great wines. Tickets are $35, and the event runs from 6pm to 8pm (uh, hello sunset).

Tip numero uno: Get there on time if you want you nibbles' worth. People can be kinda shameless at events like these, like they're going to the chair. Seriously, I used to work tons of these events, but it does make for good people watching.

Tip numero dos: Make sure you check out newbies Milbrandt Vineyards (new to wine making, but not growing, they've been providing amazing grapes to some of our states most noteworthy wineries for years).

And after that much rich, spicy Washington red, you'll be wanting a tart margarita...so after you go local, go more holiday appropriate and walk yourself right up to 2522 Western Avenue to Casuelita's. This Caribbean joint is my de facto choice in the area for Cinco de Mayo. The food is so good, it's close enough for me.

Wine Yakima Valley's Cinco de Vino
@ SAM's Olympic Sculpture Park
Monday May 5th, 6 - 8pm
Click here for tickets or more info

Topics: wine

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Mycological Maynia

Image: http://www.extremescience.com/biggestlivingthing.htm

Did you know that an enormous fungal colony spans nearly ten square kilometers in Eastern Oregon's Blue Mountains? This species, Armillaria ostoyae, whose fruiting bodies are commonly known as honey mushroom, might — if the colony is considered one entity — be the largest organism on the planet. How is this possible, you ask, and might there be a similar mycological behemoth lurking in the Cascades?

Here's a chance to consult the experts at this all-day, all-mushroom event, sponsored by the Puget Sound Mycological Society. You can sample fungi soups, learn how to cultivate your own edible mushrooms, make spore prints, and take a lesson in turning these ancient organisms into homemade crayons (!), which your kids will probably love.

Sunday, May 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Burke Museum, 17th Ave. N.E. and N.E. 45th St., 543-5590, $8.

Topics: Events

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Course Alert: Dish Development Seminar (Tonight!)

Image: http://www.culinarycommunion.com/

A seminar for those who know their way around a kitchen. With demonstrations in how to sauce, spice, and garnish a dish. You will consider texture, flavor, seasonality and look, among other elements.

For those that want a preview (or can't make it to class) consider the reading list: Grey Koontz' The Elements of Taste and Culinary Artistry by Dornenburg and Page. Yes, there's homework, but no, this is not a hands-on class.

Saturday, May 3, 6-9:00 p.m.

Culinary Communion House at Beacon Hill
2524 Beacon Ave S
Seattle, WA 98144
(206) 284-8687
$79, includes a full meal.

Topics: Culinary Classes

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El Greco reborn: Table 219 opens today

Last week, Gary Snyder and Stacey Hettinger, owners of Capitol Hill's El Greco, closed their doors. The restaurant reopens today as Table 219.

“We’ve made some fun changes, putting high banquets and bistro tables in the front of the restaurant, new lighting, revamping the bar, that kind of stuff,”� said Hettinger. “We want Table 219 to be cozy.”�

The brunch menu will stay the same (which is good news for El Greco fans), but dinner will take a more creative twist, with items like duck confit nachos, zucchini fries, and a grilled hangar steak with smoked bone marrow butter. All menu items are between $5 and $14.

Table 219, 219 Broadway Ave. E, 328-4604, CAPITOL HILL.
Open for brunch Fri. to Sun., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; for dinner Tues. to Sat., 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Topics: Openings

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Meet the New Beav, Same as the Old Beav...almost

Definitely bigger, but not necessarily better, the new Beveridge Place is open, as I'm sure their fans are well aware and already have partaken. The game room is bigger. There's an outdoor deck looking at what will be a new park (now just a crappy gravel lot), and the pub still maintains it's unique tap selection and huge list of bottles.

The owners and staff are the same wonderful people that made this pub so cozy and inviting, but the building itself...well, bars shouldn't smell like model homes. Right? If ever there was an excuse to bring back smoking in bars, it would be to get a patina on this place and fast. I know the owners have plenty of beer tschotchke to adorn the walls, maybe that will make a difference and help the room mesh with the gorgeous back bar.

So, pssst, next time you're at Beveridge Place, you could spill a little beer in the interest of ambiance.

The New Beveridge Place Pub
6413 California Ave. SW
www.beveridgeplace.com

Topics: Beer

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Green (and Fatter) Solutions

A University of Washington study found that some residents in north and south Seattle, Delridge, South Park, Sandpoint, Greenwood and Ballard are isolated from grocery stores. That is, they’re farther than � mile walk or a 30-minute bus ride. To illustrate the point, the P-I followed a Delridge woman who climbs ten flights of stairs and spends “hours”� on the bus to get to her grocery store, according to the story.

The distance alone would keep the pizza place on my speed dial, but in addition, farmers are shying away from traditional crops in favor of corn for ethanol. This, in turn, limits the supply of traditional grains, spurring the cost of those foods ever higher. Also, in 2003, a University of Washington researcher found that healthy food costs more per calorie than processed food. That’s no secret to anyone who’s been forced to live off of ramen noodles for weeks at a time. Those things cost like 10 cents a package if you buy in bulk.

Combine all these factors, and it’s no wonder people choose fast food over PCC. It’s closer and it costs less. What goes unnoticed is that ironically, green solutions — ethanol and a lack of cheap gas and cars — is, at least partially, making us less healthy.

Topics: News

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SeaTac Launches Farmers Market

Image: www.all-creatures.org/recipes/i-asparagus.html

Located smack dab between Seattle and Tacoma, and most famous for its airport, this tiny city, measuring ten square miles, with a population of 25,230, is launching it's own farmers market.

The SeaTac Sunday Farmers Market will open mid-June, and will be held at Angle Lake Park, 19408 International Boulevard, SeaTac. The market will operate Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 15-September 14, 2008.

So if you've leave yourself a little extra time on the way to the airport, you might want to pick up the perfect local gift on the way to your flight. Perhaps some smoked salmon, a bag of locally-grown hazelnuts, some tulips, perhaps a delicious baked good? Yes, good snacking for the plane.

For a list of other local markets, and their open dates, check out Jess's recent post here.

And if you're a vendor, SeaTac is looking for you, and offering a sweat deal:

For the 2008 season we are waiving any registration fees and percentages of gross sales to our first season vendors. For the 2008 season stall fees will be at a flat rate of $15 per each market day, with vendors that sign up and prepay for the full 14 week season receiving two market days free.

Check out their site for the specifics.

Topics: News

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New Place on 12th: Majles Middle Eastern Cafe & Hoohka

Strolling past Lark the other night, I spotted a sign for a new place, set back from the sidewalk.

The tiny print on their hand-painted sign in the window reads:

This is a private club. Inquire inside about membership.

Topics: Restaurant Buzz

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Gelato, gratis!

Gelatiamo, the cute Italian gelato shop downtown, is celebrating May Day (and the completion of its recent renovation) today with free gelato from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

I was there yesterday (of course!), and after a thorough sampling, I can report that hazelnut was my favorite, followed closely by pistachio and the dark chocolate.

Gelatiamo, 1400 Third Ave., 467-9563, DOWNTOWN.

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Topics: Events

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Serafina's Sunday Jazz Brunch

Where: Serafina Osteria & Enoteca
2043 Eastlake Avenue East (Eastlake)
(206) 323-0807

Time of Entry: Sunday at around noon (Sunday Jazz Brunch is 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.)

Level of hangover: This is a button-down-shirt-touched-by-a-hot-iron-on-a Sunday kind of place. A bleary-eyed hangover might just get frowned upon.

Staff's level of hangover: Nada. The staff is wide-eyed and chipper. (And very happy with their recently completed kitchen remodel. It's a rather pleasant space, but the living room decor is unchanged.)

Prescriptions: So what exactly is an Italian brunch? Not so far from what you might expect. Eggy dishes made with Italian ingredients, in Italian. One: an egg scramble with prosciutto, peas, and creme fraiche (OK, only partially Italian at that). But the eggs, in this dish and the Borsellino (less elegantly described as poached eggs in ham baskets) were both perfectly cooked. The poached eggs were richly viscous and only ever so slightly runny. Sides of potatoes with the eggs and ham provided the requisite starch to grease to protein ratio.

Hair of the Dog: A generous glass of the house white (yes, really) fit the mood of the place. And accompanied the ham baskets quite nicely, surprisingly enough.

Do you really want to have jazz with your brunch? No, not so much, really. Especially if you've got some self-generated pounding going on. When the electric guitar and sax took a break, we spotted an iTunes set-up behind a screen. The preset playlist sufficed, actually. Even the better-dressed tables were talking over the live mood-music.

Success of the Soak: The food was great, if a bit pricey. A classic date place if ever there was one, I'd rather go here for the night before than the morning after.

My only complaint: Their garden patio (equipped with heat lamps) was not yet open.

Topics: Soak It Up

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