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!

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

Summer Vacation: Roche Harbor Part 2

Looks like all our contributors are at home eating bbq and not going out to eat in July...

Last year in July I hit Roche Harbor for the national holiday on July 7th, this year I went to visit Carbos sister who is working in Roche this summer. We arrived on Saturday early afternoon and rolled up at Carbo's aunts house who after we enjoyed several bottles of champagne with, decided it was time for a mixed drink, so we hit the fields for some fresh mint.

We enjoyed what I tagged as a "bootleg mojito" which used club soda rather than simple syrup and Carbo who was the mixologist took it upon herself to muddle some blueberries for an even more special drink.

After leaving the comforts of her aunts we headed up to her sister's summer house so she could change before we headed down to the bar and grill for some lunch and more cocktails. Her sister lives in the woods with a bunch of other resort staff. WTF

Next onto Madrona Bar and Grill for some food, this was our first and only meal on Saturday so we got down on a few apps. A dungeness crab and artichoke quesadilla and some buffalo chicken wings. I liked the quesadilla more than the wings, I love fresh crab!!! The wings were a bit spicy and bit too small with barely any meat for me. Apparently they only have fresh seafood and not chickens on the island.


Next up were the drinks, I am pretty positive I wrote about these bloody mary's last year but they are amazing, the shrimp is the perfect touch.

I ended up ordering the chicken tacos which were pretty damn good, the tortillas they were served on were the perfect amount of crispy and salty. For some reason their guac was also quite good, even though it seemed a little too green to be real.


Carbo and her sister both ordered the chili rubbed chicken sandwich on a focaccia roll. I had a few bites of carbos and I will admit it had a nice kick and the chicken was nice and tender.

Towards the end of the meal resort staff and family friends kept showing up and taking seats at our amazing table with a kick ass view of the water.



See you soon, Roche!

My parking lot prejudice did me wrong

a few nights ago, one of my best friends, who was visiting for her sister's graduation, invited to me to enjoy italian food with her lovely family. for several reasons, i had never dined at grazie in all my years living in the area. first, this place is located in a lonely corner of the giant factoria mall parking lot; i never heard anything, good or bad, about this place; and it was in general, just off my radar. little did i know that it was my bff's little sister's favorite restaurant! what a treat!

as we were parking, S noticed that there was smoke billowing out the top of the small building....apparently they roast their own coffee there; no cause for alarm. the restaurant was filled with that rich, intoxicating coffee aroma. our party of 5 was seated in a mafioso-style corner booth; complete with quilted leather cushions.

the requisite bread and oil appeared on the table soon after, and it was very pleasant. the bread was pretty standard, nothing special, but the red pepper flakes and fresh garlic in the olive oil were a nice touch. one thing i did notice about the table was that our server cleared the salt and pepper shakers off the table after she brought the antipasti plate, never to return. very interesting.

E ordered the antipasti plate for the table, which is a chef's choice sort of deal. that day we had a variety of cheeses, including an emmental of some sort, a smoked provolone, and asiago; a couple different kinds of salame; a caprese salad; a skewer of grilled chicken seasoned with pepper and oregano; and some spreads, including a salmon mousse, olive tapenade, and a chopped roasted peppers. the plate was pretty impressive and tasty. i don't think we even finished it all before our entrees arrived.

S ordered the pesce special, which was a medium-grilled salmon dish served with a white wine sauce and grazie's signature risotto. S said it was delicious. i had a bit of the salmon and it was perfectly grilled; soft, moist, and flavorful. mmm.

since M was the grad girl, she ordered her absolute favorite dish ever: filetto gorgonzola, which is a seared, balsamic-marinated tenderloin topped with a gorgonzola pan sauce and a nest of fried onions. this dish is usually served with rosemary patate al forno, but M requested the risotto, which is also her favorite. there were no words when it came to this plate; it disappeared entirely, and that was testament enough.

E and i ordered the halibut genovese, which is a grilled fillet topped with basil pesto over tomato fonduta (like a par-cooked salsa). the halibut also came with the parmesan risotto. the halibut was nice. it needed a little bit of salt, but the lemon wedge helped with the overall zestiness of the dish. i'm a little finicky with white fish; it was a little underdone for me in the thickest part, but it would be suitable for most diners. the only thing that i thought could use reworking was the risotto. it was fundamentally well-cooked, in terms of texture and doneness, but it needed major salt and flavor!! i mixed up the tomato fonduta with the risotto, and that was much more enjoyable.


DESSERTS!

below S ordered the pannacotta; her favorite. we were all pretty full from our main courses, but it was a special occasion so we just went for it. the pannacotta was deliciously cool and smooth; the perfect contrast to the fresh berries served with it.

i love sweets, but i'm in general not much of a dessert orderer at restaurants. this place was so old school. everyone else knew what they wanted since they had been to grazie several times before, but i made the mistake of asking what they have. our server was very friendly, so it wasn't her fault, but what ensued was something i had never experienced before. she went over to the front of the house and grabbed the dessert display tray, then went on to explain in great detail all of the different (approx 8) desserts that were available and was able to show me what each one looks like in the process. :) i don't know why this was so hilarious to me at the time, but i could not stop smiling as she directed all her efforts toward me since everyone else was familiar with grazie's offerings.

i went with the torta di frutti, which she explained was imported from italy, oh my!! :) it was quite tasty; a basic pastry shell with a thin layer of creme anglaise overflowing with various frutti di bosco (raspberries, blueberries, marion berries, and blackberries) and then served on top of a generous helping of their house special, marsala cream sauce. mmm. that actually sounds pretty good right about now.


M again went with her favorite; the pistacchio canolo. the waffle tube was filled with tasty, sweetened ricotta, pistacchios, and chocolate. what a great finale to a great evening with friends and family. grazie, i apologize for letting my parking lot prejudice stand in the way of a beautiful friendship.



NB: there are three different grazie locations in the greater seattle area: factoria, southcenter, and canyon park.

an in-depth study of the ancient aztecs

sunday. lunchtime. bellevue. hankering for traditional mexican cuisine. all signs pointed to azteca.


how can you take this disney-mexi-land seriously? suge and i met up with a friend and his growing family here for a little post-christmas get together. though i'm not enamored with azteca in any way, this place is great for families. they have high chairs, booster seats, cribs, all sorts of contraptions for children of all ages.

suge went for the "tres amigos," which was a combo of chile verde, chile colorado, and a chile relleno. he said it was decent...nothing crazy, but not bad. it came on a plate that was so large that it could have been an actual trash can lid.

i wasn't super hungry, so i went with the chile relleno. i didn't know it was supposed to come with beans and rice, but hey, no biggie. the chile relleno was strange. the egg batter was really thick, and it almost had a custard consistency in the center. the chile itself was a little undercooked, so there was some bite back to the flesh. and lastly, the cheese wasn't quite hot enough. my critique should be taken with a grain of salt, though, since i like the cheese to be molten and hot enough to sear human flesh. however, the cheese should have oozed out when i cut it....it was clearly not melted enough.

all in all, i was kind of dreading going to azteca, but it wasn't bad. it was decent. i wouldn't go there again if i had the choice, but that's not to say that azteca doesn't have a time and a place.