ON THE PLATE
That’s Amore Sip superior Italian wines by the glass while dining on a classic antipasto of tomato, basil, grilled eggplant, and fresh mozzarella drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette ($9.95), or grilled, poached pears with blue cheese and glazed walnuts on a bed of wild greens ($6.95). The cheese-stuffed tortellini, tossed with bits of chicken, prosciutto, and tomato in an herbed white-wine butter sauce ($12.95; $13.95 with fresh pesto), is a house specialty. 1425 31st S., 322-3677.
Racha Fresh from a complete makeover at the hands of a leading Thai architect, Queen Anne’s temple of noodle cuisine continues to offer novel twists on traditional Southeast Asian cuisine. Try the grilled portobello mushroom on a bed of crispy taro root topped with peanut sauce ($8.95), or the spicy red Thai salsa with ground pork and prawns over sticky rice ($7.95). A salad of deep-fried rainbow trout is served with a citrus, apple, mint, and lime dressing ($10.95). And the prawns in coconut-milk curry sauce over sauteed vegetables ($16.95) demand a try. 537 First N., 281-8833.
Wild Ginger Light Asian-fusion cuisine for hot summer evenings: Malaysian-style seafood “bouillabaisse” ($4.25), spicy squid with aromatic herbs and fish sauce ($10.25), Burmese-style curried crab fresh from the tank (market price), seared scallops tossed in soy and black pepper ($14.75, dinner portion $22.50), or wok-seared lamb tenderloin in garlic, sesame, and chile with hoisin sauce ($19.95). 1401 Third, 623-4450.
IN THE GLASS
’99 Cadence release Three vineyard-designated reds from the Red Mountain AVA of Washington. Varying from soft to firm and fruity to dry, all three are fresh and drinkable now, though ready to age gracefully as well. $30 at specialized wine merchants.
AT THE MARKET
First-of-season corn and new potatoes are trickling in. Local blueberries and Wenatchee apricots are showing up as well. Basil is in full spate, as are all the varieties of summer squash, along with squash blossoms for stuffing. Look for cut lavender: not just for sachets and flower arrangements, but for candying, baking, lemonade-flavoring too.
COMING UP
7/22 Join wine writer Stephen Tanzer in a celebration of the noble wines of Quilceda Creek and their maker Alex Golitzin: Eleven cabernet sauvignons, 1983-98, accompany a five-course Gavin Stephenson menu featuring seared breast of squab, truffled tomato terrine, roast beef with forest mushrooms, and gouda fondue with frozen grapes. $185 plus tax and tips. 5:30 p.m., Olympic Four Seasons Hotel, Georgian Room, 411 University, 621-1700, ext. 3123.
7/24 A month of mussel mania begins when Pioneer Square’s Trattoria Mitchelli throws a Post Alley block party featuring three tons of the succulent bivalves—steamed, saffroned, curried, pizza’d—and 17 tons of hot muscle cars. The special mussel menu continues at all three Mitchelli Family locations through August; today the fun begins at 5 p.m. Call 682-4757.
8/2 Music, drinks, and world-class barbecue at the 2001 Northwest Grillfest to benefit Northwest Bookfest. Celebrity chefs include Nanci Main of the Ark at Nahcotta, Madison Park Caf駳 Marianne Zdobysz, Rick Rodgers of Barbecues 101, and, for the less flesh-oriented, Asian vegetable specialist Sara Deseran. Rainier Square Roof Park, 6 to 9 p.m. $70, $130 per couple. Call 378-1883.
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