Foodista Launches

I think I just fell in love with a new food site, Foodista. Another recipe site launched in Seattle, however this isn’t any site, it’s an encyclopedia of all things food related- yes, I am certain it’s a good thing. A collaborative  effort- it’s like wikipedia but for recipes, ingredients and so much more. Food is meant to be shared, so a site that encompasses technology and brings people together through food, I am certain it could revolutionize how we interact with our recipes. I’m excited to start using the site, rather than turning to my standard epicurious.com. I personally am trying to cook more, as a single person I am often challenged to find economical recipes especially cooking for one. Monday night a friend and I made a cabbage soup featured in the NYTimes, we doubled the recipe so both of us would have plenty of leftovers, well after three soup meals in a row I was ready for a break. I am curious to see if the site will be a bit more advantageous for the cooking for one crowd compared to most other sites which are standard serves 4-6. Regardless, the lovely pictures, easy to use format already have engaged me. Oh and I’m also smitten with Bitten.

Austin Cantina

In efforts to support my local economy, I dined at Austin Cantina tonight literally a few blocks from my house. The Austin inspired restaurant promises to bring the taste of the Southwest and Mexico to Seattle. After reading in several blogs the impending closure of the restaurant I finally made the 4 block trek. As much as I really wanted to like the place I found myself reaching for the salt to flavor the lackluster food. Ironically the last time I had dined at that location was at Dandelion the oh so wonderful organic restaurant with the Peugot salt and pepper shakers that my dining companion at the time was very smitten with.

It’s a charming space, warm and cheery even during the Seattle freeze. My dining companion and I happened to strike up a conversation at first with our gracious server but after receiving our meals they neglected to fill my water glass that was empty pretty early into the meal ; I had pho earlier today, needless to say, I was pretty thirsty. We both ordered a combination enchilada  plate- mole chicken and brown sugar roasted pork. I applaud their commitment to local ingredients, the sustainable and healthy cooking, however the flavor of the food needs some work.

The chips and guacamole we ordered was average, chips were most likely store bought unlike the lovely hot and fresh ones at La Oxcarta and the guacamole was a bit bland- I thought Southwestern food had a kick, fire- spice? I just bonded with the salt shaker. Next, the rice was dry and tasteless- I added some of the chipotle salsa but really it didn’t help. Beans, room temperature and blah. Meat was actually pretty decent, however the actual enchiladas were dry. Granted I can do without the ones at family Mexican dripping grease from too much cheese, but seriously they needed some kind of sauce and again spice.

Would I be crushed if they don’t make it, sadly no, I like local businesses and don’t want to see one fail, unfortunately this one needs to revamp their food to make it a place I would return to. I just felt like it was lacking the zsa za zu. I want my Southwest/Tex Mex to have spice, fire and interesting flavor. Hopefully in its place will be a great neighborhood eatery with affordable, delicious food. For now, I’ll have to trek to Cactus for good Tex Mex. Or really cross my fingers that La Oxarta has an open spot.

Cache aka Super Secret Dinner Club

Honestly I wasn’t sure what to expect. Instead of exchanging gifts this year two wonderful girlfriends and I decided to do a special dinner together. We had originally planned to do the Corson Building, but after Noelle heard about the mac and cheese at Cache, my mac and cheese lover friends suggested we do Corson in the spring and try the underground dinner club in Columbia City.

The menu:

First course

Mini gruyere sandwiches and roasted tomato soup

Third course

Our award-winning 5 cheese mac n cheese and balsamic-glazed meatloaf

Dessert

the BEST giant, warm El Rey chocolate chip cookies, salted peanut butter brownies, and a glass of boozy egg nog

In a darling 1920 bungalow tucked away in Columbia City is a foodies paradise- communal dining table with 12 strangers who also love good food, conversation and of course wine. We were greeted with champagne flutes with pomegranate seeds. I thought to myself, I can do this. At first I was mostly observing the surroundings, mostly trying to figure out how to incorporate our host’s style into my apartment. We struck conversation with the couple across from us and the evening flowed from there. Beautifully presented courses, some served family style. The theme of the evening, rich. Tomato soup with Gruyere crostini, the best tomato soup I’ve had in awhile, conversation slowed down a bit as we savoured our soup. A perfectly paired white, not a single bit of after taste, rather clean, smooth, now if only I remembered the name of the wine. Next, the ultimate in indulgence, the mac and cheese and balsamic meatloaf with bacon on top. All I can say is that I am very excited for my leftovers tomorrow. I’ll let the experts write about the mac and cheese, but this is for sure one of the top mac and cheese’s I’ve had including my mom’s homemade. Perfectly cheesy with a crumb topping. Rich and satisfying. Oh and red wine with this course, lovely, rich and not a bit of bite.

Lastly homemade boozy egg nog that almost made my toes curl and a Jacque Torres chocolate chip cookie with Del Rey chocolate and salt on top. Damn, the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve tasted. The brownies was super dense rich and good, but I’m not a fan of peanut butter so I let Noelle and Susanna split mine to bring home for later.

The Cache hosts were absolutely lovely. The food fantastic. I cannot wait to try another one of their gourmet dinners. I might even try flying solo!

Restaurant Zoe

In honor of my favorite promotion dinner club finally resumed for Dine Around Seattle in November. I had been to Restaurant Zoe about 4 years ago, however it had been long enough that it was like trying it for the first time. I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with my second experience. Having previous done the “3 for $30” at Lola’s the week before, feeling less than satisfied with my meal, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I was of course very excited to see the infamous gnudi on the menu, which all I can say is wow, they are in fact spectacular. Little bits of heaven filled with ricotta cheese. Perfectly cooked semolina balls resembling traditional Italian gnocchi but with a twist, more like ricotta encased in a semolina light dough entrenched in a beautifully rich and creamy sauce served with the perfectly crisp sage. A few other dinner club members tried the pear and celery soup which they said was good, but nothing special. The mixed green salad seemed to be pretty standard fare.

The majority of us chose the “whole hog” more out of intrigue turning out to be the hit of the night. Imagine slowly roasted pulled pork that is coated in a lovely batter, cooked to be perfect crisp on the outside and moist and flavorful in the center. Accompanied by caramelized apples, braised endive and a lovely crisp apple fennel salad with pistachios garnished with cilantro.  A combination of flavors I would of never picked together that perfectly complimented each other. I went out on a limb with this dish, not what I would normally pick, however I was pleasantly surprised. A few others picked the delicious and flavorful roasted chicken with a succulent broth and roasted root vegetables. This chicken may have outdone Crow’s (my favorite restaurant/dish in Seattle). Individual flavors shined in both entrees, yet truly melding together to create a delightful entree.

Dessert of course still remains my favorite part of the mail. I wish I had picked the maple vanilla panna cotta, perfectly prepared served with cranberries and walnuts. I chose the dense and uber rich chocolate souffle cake. The pumpkin ice cream was exquisite, served with whipped cream and caramelized pumpkin seeds. And last but not least the special dessert of the night, described to us by our waiter as a gourmet snickers bar turned out to be a delicious salty, chocolaty, caramel concoction that did not resemble a snickers bar in the least rather beautifully rich but not overly rich layers of chocolate, caramel, nougat encased in dark chocolate.

Zoe has earned a spot on my list of favorite place to eat in Seattle. Not only does the food shine, but the service including attention to detail. I of course loved that we each had our own bread plate with a few pieces of bread already waiting for us upon arrival. The large windows overlook Belltown give a bright airy feeling to the restaurant. I call the design, smart, modern, sophisticated without being too pretentious. Our waitor was able to suggest two bottles of wine in our under $40 price range, both Sangiovese, turning out to be completely different both complementing them meal well. As always enjoyable company makes the meal.

Hiatus

I know I’ve been absent from blogging recently. I promise to fix that. I have several posts to publish including a crepe trailer in Austin (pictures too!), Hudson on the Bend (another Austin restaurant) and a few Seattle ones as well- Crow, Ocho and possibly a few others. So stay tuned, I promise to be back and blog often. Unfortunately I was lucky enough to get the cold/flu everyone in this city had the past month and changes at work have distracted me. Several new places on my list to try including a much anticipated meal at the Corson Building in December. Dinner club has been on hiatus for the summer, that shall be back too.

Anita’s Crepes

Last night I had the opportunity to try Anita’s charming new restaurant in Ballard. I’ve had her delicious crepes before at the Ballard farmers market, but was excited to see what her new space on Leary would bring. Upon entry, I was smitten with the lovely restaurant- classic features with a very homey feeling. I had pretty high expectations; so far so good. Her signature crepes were featured as well as some nightly specials, which sounded divine, of course representing her commitment to local ingredients. Persuaded by the waiter, my dining companion and I split the sugar pie pumpkin soup. The soup was incredible, rich with pumpkin flavor, creamy yet not overly rich. A dollop of cheese (Gruyere?) melted in the middle adding an interesting element to the already delicious creation. Garnished with chives, which added another level to the flavor made the soup one of my favorites in the fall soup category this year. I have an affinity for the fall soups, especially the pumpkin and butternut squash variety. Typically apples or spices are added for “sweeten” the soup, however I enjoyed the fact that she let the pumpkin shine rather than overpower the soup with other flavors.

Of course the main attraction was the crepe. I ventured out to try the duck crepe with roasted duck, organic spinach and a ginger balsamic sauce. Something about crepes to me means cheese so I asked if I could add cheese, the chef recommended adding some of the buffalo mozzarella which was absolutely delicious. The duck was flavorful, moist, and tender. Oh and plentiful. The sauce was a light accent not overpowering. The crepe was made from buckwheat, a welcomed surprise. My companion enjoyed a classic mozzarella, spinach and feta crepe also served using the buckwheat crepe. The actual crepes were light and fluffy, flavorful- rich in color (I’m guessing from the buckwheat), honestly the perfect crepe. I partially do wish that the cheese was actually melted however I think we would have to sacrifice the merits of the crepe in order to achieve the gooey melted cheese.

We were unfortunately too full for dessert, however I plan future visits to Anita’s so that shall not be a problem. I like the space and the food, I could find myself here often. My budget may disagree, however the prices are still very affordable. Dinners are more expensive, however judging from sensational aroma’s from the kitchen, I doubt I’ll be disappointed. Plus I gather her talents and experience from her time at the French Laundry will shine in the entrees. Regardless I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience, only wishing I had eaten less that day and could have enjoyed dessert. Again still wishing my camera was not broken that I could of captured my dining experience.

Trophy Cupcakes

Trophy Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcake

I normally don’t even like cupcakes. They are often characterized as being overly sweet, airy/tasteless and mostly sticky sweet sugar frosting. I’m not impressed by Cupcake Royale, even though they were named best cupcake by Sauveur magazine. CR is good, but nothing exceptional. This weekend I visited Trophy Cupcakes in Wallingford for the second time. A friend who loves cupcakes was visiting so I figured I would take her to the place featured on Martha Stewart. My first time at Trophy I had the hummingbird cupcake: banana pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate cupcake to go with vanilla frosting. Both were excellent; dense, moist, rich full of flavor with decadent frosting.

This time I tried the lemon, which is actually one of the best ways to judge the quality of a dessert. The exact ratio of lemon to sweetness is hard to master, some places overly compensate the tartness of the lemon with too much sugar and a lemon dessert that is too tart falls more in the savory category. Trophy has mastered the art of a lemon buttercake with lemon cream frosting. Hints of lemon in the buttercake, most likely from a bit of the zest, yet the lemon was evident in the frosting, rich, tart and sweet.

Rows of Lemon Cupcakes

I still have yet to try the famous S’More cupcake and Red Velvet, which I hear from various sources is fantastic. One source did a taste test of Royale vs, Trophy, she said Trophy was the obvious winner. Trophy, you won me over to the dark side of the cupcake, I am certain to return to try more of your delicious creations.

Skillet Street Food

Skillet Airstream Trailer

Curry Cured Duck Confit

Every Tuesday my dull Sodo neighborhood is transformed, we are lucky enough to be a stop for Skillet Street Food.  Skillet, defined by their website as a “mobile joint,” otherwise known in the food community as  the traveling airstream trailer has received accolades locally and nationally. I personally have been lunching at the trailer for about 6 months now, sometimes on a weekly basis. Every Sunday I wait in anticipation for my menu to be e-mailed to me. Their mission, to bring “gourmet” food to the street, without the white table clothes and overhead of a restaurant. The Burger, their most notable item with ingenious bacon jam, a standard for most, is the only regular menu item apart from Poutine. All other items are reflective of what’s in season using mostly local ingredients. Last week they rocked my world with curry duck confit, moist flavorful with a delicious coconut curry rice salad topped with cilantro and peanuts. I’ve actually never had duck confit, however I decided to go for it upon recommendation from one of the owners who happened to be taking orders (who btw wins total props for remembering my name!). Along with some rich chocolate pudding topped with fresh blackberries and shortbread crumbles, my lunch was complete. For less than $15, I had a meal that would of easily cost me about $30 at a place like Palace Kitchen, generous sized portions but most of all their food is packed with flavor, each ingredient stands out with brilliant execution. However, this week I have to say I was not as impressed with the nachos. Granted the flavor of the homemade salsa & trailer-made chips were good, lots of beans and pulled pork, they were mushed and soupy. Plus the paper liner at the bottom didn’t really help with the overall mess. The special cheese sauce was almost non-existent, I couldn’t taste it, again became part of the soup. Props to them for using a variety of beans- black, pinto and kidney. Grilled onions on top were a nice touch. However I think nachos are better served hot on a plate. I wasn’t sure about them when I ordered them, but decided to give them a chance. Next week I’ll try whatever concoction or creation they come up with, I’m sure it will be delicious. This is not my last shout out to Skillet, they will for sure make a regular appearance on my food blog, but because I heart them so much and have been meaning to make my official launch they have the honor of being my first entry.

Start Of Something New

Here, I begin, my official food blog. I’m still playing with the format and design. Trying to make a montage for my front image. I’ve been talking about this for months, part of me still doesn’t know where to start. I have high expectations for this blog- something people will want to read. My culinary adventures range from my weekly Tuesday Trailer date with Skillet to finer dining experiences at Crush and Matts in the Market. Both represent one thing- good food. Food that melts in your mouth, toe curling and most of all brings us together with the fruits of the earth- a religious experience. For me, there are two parts to a culinary experience, the merits of the food- were the scallops cream on the inside with a crisp crust and the dining experience including the company, presentation and the dining space. All of these encompass your food experience. Sometimes good, sometimes lacking the necessary essentials.  Over the past few months, I’ve collected an assortment of dining adventures- I hope to write about those and current ones. Feedback is always welcome as this is something I wish to really develop, turn into something.