The 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off

Cook Off Co-Founders CB and Kevin....and Me!

A few months ago CB asked me if I was available to be a judge for a chili cook off. Me? A judge? I guess since I love food and am part of this kick-ass food blog that is all the qualifications required. I was honored to participate. Now, the story goes something like this, two friends got to talking about how they both made some good chili and somehow it turned into what will be now known as the 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off aka a friendly competition between chili chefs voted on by their friends and families.

I arrived at 1pm with my mom at the Sunset Hill Community Club house which is located in West Ballard. This is a great space, check it out.

Upon walking in, I was welcomed with a stylish and personalized judge's apron and a robust introduction from Chili Emcee Chas. Seated in front with the other 4 judges and four ballots, we patiently waited for the unveiling of the 4 chili's entered in the competition.

Each chili was brought out in a white paper cup and all were assigned a specific number. The first chili I sampled was the one below, this was contestant #4. The first thing that came to mind when tasting this was that all the ingredients were fresh and high quality. This was a top notch, choice chili. With two kinds of andouille sausage and bites of flavorful chicken the textures in this chili were my favorite. The ratio of meat to beans was tasty and the growing heat really made this a great chili. Let me also point out that cheese on anything wins.

The second chili I tasted was the green chili from contestant #2. The chili was thin more like soup but the taste alone made up for the consistency. Immediately touching my tongue this chili had an immediate bite. The pork was soft and the rich and spicy blend of chilies like poblano and jalapenos along with the red beans made a fabulous tasting chili. The layers of ingredients were evident when looking closely at the bright color and textures in this chili. Served with a slice of tortilla this chili had the heat that I absolutely love about chili. Superb.

Let me introduce you to chili #3, which was a thick, rich and sweet masterpiece. The one word you might to use describe this is succulent. I was waiting for the heat and it was there but subtle. I enjoyed the honey sweetness that lingered in your mouth. With a mix of portuguese sausage and kahlua pork you knew upon eating this how long it took to prepare. Although quite thick and reminiscent of bbq you would put on a bun, this chili created a lane all its own. It was during this taste, I realized that all of the chili we were eating were so different! Served with a soft slice of white bread, the whole package was there to win.

Lastly, I sampled the chili with the best presentation, contestant #1. Coming out with its own corn muffin and a patriotic plate, I loved the extra flare for the judges.This was the veggie chili and it was a first class mix of black beans, sweet corn and squash. I loved how all the veggies were crisp and flavorsome. Served with a white cheese blend on top and a side of lime, the flavors were blended quite well creating a unique, rich, meatless chili . The consistency was great and the blended beans almost created the texture of authentic refried beans which truly held the variety of veggies together. Only thing I would have added to this chili was more heat. This was a very good veggie chili and definitely stood strong among all the meaty competitors.


So now what? All the judges had to circle a number on a small slip of paper between 1-4.

Who is going to win!??!!?

Two awards were given away at the 1st Annual Great Ballard Chili Cook Off, one from the judges and one from the people. Four of Ballard's finest chili cooks waited to see who was going to get the bragging rights for this first annual event.


While we waited we were treated to some soulful songs from Youth Rescue Mission. Check out their myspace to listen to some of their music. Great harmonies for chili eating.

Emcee Chas Roberts was entertaining all afternoon and as he stepped up to the mic to announce the winners we all waited on his news and laughed with him, not at him. I have seen this guy host a few things at Re-Bar, kick-ass.

The judges award was given to the man behind chili #2 and his mamma's recipe, Santos!!!!

The peoples choice was awarded to the man behind chili #3, and chili cook off co-founder, Kevin Sur!!!!

I had a great time and can't wait until next year. I also make a really good classic chili with a few secret ingredients, perhaps I will enter the competition!

ps. i grabbed some photos from Kevin's facebook to supplement my pics. Thanks Kevin!

hello?

ah, the hotly-anticipated (maybe just in my world?) moshimoshi sushi spot in ballard! this old fisherman's warehouse's windows were papered over for months and months with the promise of "moshimoshi sushi, opening winter 2009." with the addition of shiku to ballard's sushi roster, i was wondering what aspect of japanese fare moshimoshi would provide.

i was hoping to catch mm's happy hour, but i was dining with a visiting minor...not gonna fly. instead, we ate dinner after picking him up from the airport! "perfect. he loves sushi. this is going to be great," i schemed.

i apologize for the poor picture quality. i forgot my phone in the car and had to use a blackberry with its flash and extreme over exposure.

the setting is nice. simple, bamboo tables, long banquettes facing chairs. lovely stoneware. clean. simple. japanese. i would even say spa-esque.

the best part is the central cherry tree. this picture does it no justice, but it's basically a giant tree with twinkling, pink cherry blossoms dangling over the bar. it's stunning.

we started with the octopus sunomono, which was awesome. just the right amount of vinegar, briny seaweed, and tender octopus. mmm. definitely one to add to the list of tentacled delights around town. after much prodding, we got out 17 year old companion to try it. his words: "not that bad," which, when translated from teenager, means "the shit."

T ordered the vegetable tempura which came with the usual suspects: lotus root, carrot, kabucha, onion, mushroom, shiso, spring onion, eggplant. i didn't have any, but T said it was tasty time.

M and I tried the seafood tempura, which included ebi (shrimp), scallop, crab leg (shelled), and two kinds of fish that i've now forgotten. i thought it was alright. i wasn't a big fan of the batter, which i found to be a little soft. i love a somewhat untraditional take on tempura with soda water + rice flour + panko for extra crispiness. one of the fish was on the skunky side, but i didn't mind the flavor. i think the main problem was that everything lacked salt. also, i felt like it was a travesty to eat crab like that. i like my crab cold. but i know M enjoyed every bit of that plate.

our sushi included a california (for our californian), spider, and moshimoshi roll. the cali roll was nice. just what your would expect. the spider was good, though mashiko's absolutely kills this one. moshimoshi, see also: more flavor.

the moshimoshi roll included "king crab, cucumber, shiso, & umeboshi plum wrapped in seared sea scallop," or so the menu promised. i love pickled umeboshi, so i thought the house namesake was right up my alley. plus, i'm pretty committed to trying restaurant specialties because they're usually where the chef can show off her creativity. anyhow, the roll did had some scallop on top, but it was more like chopped scallop that was lightly passed over by a pastry torch. not exactly wrapped. not exactly seared. oh well. overall i thought it was fine. it just lacked flavor, buzz word if you didn't notice. M said it was gross because the plum didn't belong. i didn't find the umeboshi so offensive, as much as overall flavorless.

sigh. moshimoshi, i had such high hopes for you. i do want to try their happy hour, which sounds like some nice small plates, but again, i know what i like and were i like it (see: mashiko's and maneki).

tasty kakes

after a lackluster brunch at senor moose, we made a quick, run-in-the-rain stop at belle pastry's newest outpost on leary way in ballard. G had been craving a croissant all morning and his french pastry breakfast was vetoed in favor of moose. needless to say, french tasties were still on G's mind.

somehow i deleted a couple of the pictures off of my phone, so please excuse the lack of visual entertainment and poor pic quality.

as soon as we walked in, we were greeted by one of the bakers whose name i've shamefully forgotten. the interior is a little too fluorescently bright (almost clinical), but it just accentuated how clean the space is. perhaps some warm red decorations would help stimulate my appetite?

i guess my appetite didn't require a cattle prod for me to quickly settle on an apricot/creme anglaise/croissant confection. meanwhile, G picked up an eclair, napoleon, croissant, and baguette!

the buttery layers of flaky pastry were a perfectly crisp contrast to the soft, poached apricot. the entire pastry was lightly glazed...just enough for me to lick my fingers afterwards. J, G, M, and i all shared the goods in the car on the way back to phinney ridge. the only thing that made it past the stoplight at 15th and market was the baguette.

damn.

ps, out of recession v-day ideas? why not pick up a special pastry from either of belle pastry's locations and celebrate at home.

sometimes mediocre hits the spot

a couple friday's ago, my friends called me up to see if i felt like sushi. better question is, when do i not feel like sushi?!?! J suggested shiku in ballard, which she and her husband enjoyed several weeks earlier. i'd never been, so of course i was into it!

of course it's a friday. and ballard. so by the time we walked in at 6:30, all the tables were full and the wait was approximately an hour longer than we were willing to stand around in the freezing cold. so we walked to sam's sushi just up the street across market.

in all my years living in ballard, i had never eaten at sam's...gasp! i figured that if i wanted sushi, i would go to the places i already loved (maneki, mashiko, etc) instead of this amazingly-convenient, 2-block-away restaurant next to my old shoe repair go-to.

as soon as J and i walked in, we saw the place was pretty packed, but there was only one couple in front of us. we weren't greeted and there was no visible wait list. after wondering if i would have to walk across the crowded restaurant to the "front" desk for 10 minutes with no acknowledgment from any of the staff, i got up and asked someone who i mistakenly identified as the host how long the wait would be. she said she wasn't sure. i let her know we had a party of 5, and she said about 10 minutes. during those ten minutes, i watcher her approach a solitary patron seated in a booth if he could move to a 2-top, and he obliged. weird, right?

anyhow, enough talk. not enough pictures.

we ordered the large sashimi appetizer plate, which took about 20 minutes to arrive. isn't the point of an appetizer to come before the entrees? if so, sam's missed the point. we were all ravenous by the time any food arrived! perhaps hunger and nothing to eat is the best appetizer of all.

m chose the lobster roll. i actually didn't have any because i'm not a huge fan of lobster, and since there were only 5 pieces, i figured everyone else would appreciate a taste more than me.

next came the rainbow, spicy scallop, and spider rolls. the rainbow roll is a perennial favorite if only because of the variety of fish draped over the top. it was solid. the salmon, maguro, and whitefish were nothing special. in fact, it wasn't flavor but texture that really distinguished them. hrm. the spicy scallop was nice. sushi is pretty much the only application where i enjoy scallop crudo. however, it was severely lacking the "spicy" portion as advertised on the menu. the spider roll was the best out of these three. sweet, fried softshell crab...i mean, c'mon. the only way to ruin this is to use old oil or burn the crab.

hmm, caterpillar roll. i don't think i had any. or did i? apparently this was an extremely memorable dish. success!

and last were the red dragon and california crunch rolls. the red dragon was supposed to be spicy (i assume...either that or a super-secret, underground ninja crime syndicate!), but 'twas not. the maguro and mild kewpie mayo stripe-age was nice, though. ah yes, the california crunch roll was basically a california roll (amateur, i know), but with tempura shrimp millefiore'd inside and them tempura-ed itself! again. frying. hard to eff up.

overall sam's was nothing special. it was solid. no offensive errors. no stellar standouts. sam's hit the spot when we needed it the most. ...and were on a schedule (K had to work at 9).

The Other Coast Cafe

"East Coast Sandwiches. Northwest Attitude." My guess is what they mean by that is you can get a deli style sandwich that wont cost you 20 bucks. Or that they use New York founded company Boars Head deli meats. Or maybe Northwest attitude means the staff have red hair and lots of tattoos.

Carbo was pretty excited to take me to a place I have never been so we hit up The Other Coast Cafe after one of our day long shopping trips to Target. I love sandwiches. When I was a veggie I had a hard time ever getting the kind of sandwich I truly desired. This place makes great hot sandwiches and also offered some classic cold options including Tuna, Bologna, Italiano and Roast Beef.

Carbo went for the Reuben which featured thin sliced pastrami, swiss, sauerkraut, mustard, and thousand island dressing on rye bread. The 6" set her back $8.25.

I went with what apparently is the most popular sandwich the Rajun Cajun. Thin sliced "cajun style" turkey, pepper jack cheese, tomato & onion with homeade spicy salsa mayo on a fresh crispy on the outside but soft on the inside roll. The 6" was

I hear they have another location downtown, but I think Carbo told me it wasnt as good... I will certainly go back if I ever get to Ballard before the sun goes down.


Mon – Fri: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sat & Sun: 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
5315 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Phone: (206) 789-0936

Paseo

Several people who know I love sandwiches were shocked to hear I had never been to Paseo. Paseo apparently now has two locations but we went to the original in Fremont. They do not have a website but I can tell you this Caribbean/Cuban inspired menu is full of meat. They have chicken, prawns and lots of pork. I did notice a few tofu things however...and the sides host everything from corn, beans, rice and salads. We went for lunch but apparently their dinners which include half chickens are also amazing.

Since it was my first visit I went with the original grilled pork sandwich and a side of corn.

The place was packed and no available seats so we carried our sandwiches down the street and camped out. When I was eating the sandwich I couldn't get over how messy it was but it tasted so good. I loved the combination of the big grilled onions, tasty cilantro and spicy jalapeños. The creamy sauce which is mayo based, was also a nice touch. The pork was grilled like a hamburger patty and a bit tough but the overall sandwich was amazing. I also enjoyed the corn but it was over steamed barely letting the garlic and butter get through, but that could be because we took it to go. L. also got a pork sandwich but it was more like pulled pork than a patty. I would have taken a picture we were attacked by bees.

I have read a lot about how this place runs out of bread, how the service is horrible, how they don't care to advertise because they have "too much business" and how the owner closes up spontaneously and goes on vacation...until something horrible happens to me I will certainly go back and possibly check out the new location!

Paseo, 4225 Fremont Ave N, 545-7440 or Tues-Thurs 11:30 am-9 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am-10 pm, Sun noon-9 pm

or

6226 Seaview Ave NW

BRING CASH

mio viernes oaxaqueno

when i used to live nearby, la carta de oaxaca used to be a great option for a quick, inexpensive (early) dinner. the only problem with this place is that it gets so packed so quickly! la carta is open for both lunch and dinner with a two hour siesta between shifts.

i love the dining room: red, brick walls; rustic, white, shared tables; black-framed/white-matted photos of la vida oaxaqueno; rattan chairs; and a salsa bar. sheesh i love salsa bars. the menu (carta) is a simple, well-executed mix of moles, tacos, and seafood dishes.

our party of five started off with chips and guacamole accompanied by a mix of pico, chipotle, verde, and roasted tomato salsas from the aforementioned bar. the chips were hot and, dare-i-say, over-salted. they were good, but not moose-good.

B ordered the mole negro oaxaqueno (the house specialty!). this mole was served with olive-oiled white rice, chicken or pork mole, and freshly-made tortillas then sprinkled with a salty, dry oaxaqueno cheese. delicious and devoured.

A sampled the tamales de mole negro. what made this dish oaxacan is the banana leaf wrapper in place of the traditional corn husk. the leaf imparted a distinct banana aroma and flavor...so much so that A swore there was banana in the masa dough. i tried a bite of the masa, and it was oddly banana-y, but im sure it was great with the deep, umame-ness of the mole.

M and i shared the tostadas de camarones which were simple and straight-forward. the chopped, lime-laced shrimp was mixed with tomatoes, jalapeno, avocado slices, and garnished with queso oaxaqueno. perfecto.

M selected the tacos al pastor filled with barbecued pork chunks, cilantro, chopped onion, and salsa verde. they looked and smelled refreshing and summery and were served with a lime wedge and lightly-pickled radishes (one of my favorite taco accompaniments!).

E also ordered the mole negro oaxaqueno...again, tasty!

lastly i tried the sope caldo, which was a large bowl of fire red, spicy broth filled with bone-in, skin-on fish chunks, carrots, potato, green beans, and zucchini served with fresh tortillas. the broth was spicy-spicy in a good way and especially delicious after i squeezed in some lime and threw in the juice-less body. i really enjoyed cupping broth out of the bowl with pieces of tortilla and would definitely order this dish again in repeat visits.

please enjoy la carta de oaxaca for lunch or an early dinner since the wait can be intimidating in the later evening hours. M's only complain was that the servings were quite small, and he was hungry even after he and B shared a second plate of tacos carnitas.

la carta de oaxaca
5431 ballard ave
206.782.8722

Senor Moose Cafe for Brunch

A few weeks ago before going to see Ironman we had brunch at Senor Moose Cafe. Yeah, I said Ironman...it was awesome and so was brunch. As you may have read we have reviewed the dinner at senor moose, which was also quite amazing. Since it was brunch it was time to start with some mimosas. They were tasty and came in nice big cold glasses. perfect.


Then out came the esquites with some tortillas and lime. The cheese was overflowing the bowl and the corn was soaked in rich cream and spices. Damn, it was so good. It was gone in minutes.


We also enjoyed some of their guacamole, which came with fresh chips. I love this guacamole because of its simple spices allowing the flavors of the vegetables to really come through. I sincerely love these chips.

Since it has been too long since we went out, I cannot for the life of me remember what the people had who I was with....sorry. Enjoy the photos and peep their menu online.

L.
A. and R.

I had scrambled eggs with chorizo. This dish was perfectly spicy and rich. I also enjoyed the potatoes and beans. All around this was a good brunch dish, I have even thought about making this at home.


After brunch it was off to more cocktails and then the movie which at this point, I have already seen twice. I seriously need to stop writing these posts before I eat. I am tempted to take a cab to this spot for some esquites.