Happy New Year

Well Happy New Year, sorry for the lack of posts on my part. Might as well explain myself, for those who care. A few things contributed to this...First came the start of the holidays which if you are going out to eat then you just haven't gotten invited to enough holiday parties. This time of year is perfect for overeating small snacks and hearty comfort foods. So, first there was Jive Turkey 2008 an annual holiday party that I have attended for the last few years hosted at T's posh West Seattle digs. This year was pretty amazing...nothing like over eating, drinking and dancing in someones living room.

appetizers included m.'s special deviled eggs, they were bomb

picture of my plate mac and cheese, stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes,
brussel sprouts. so glad my friends can really cook! Shout out to the amateur chefs

Second up was the great Seattle Snow Storm of 2009 which caused me to barely leave my home for a week and a half. Therefore going out to eat wasn't a top priority. Now, I love a snow day here and there just as much as the next guy. Waking up and running to the window in hopes that school would be closed is a fond memory of mine from growing up in Wisconsin. My current job operates on the same schedule as Seattle public schools, so I was out of work for a week and a half. Wow. I will give the city a D on how well they performed in this weather.

picture of snow at cal anderson park by my house
later that week i shared a nice cup of hot chocolate spiked with everclear with l.
ps. dont ever try this drink

One thing we did do during the blizzard was make a gingerbread house...it was a lot harder than I thought and quite messy. L. was not sure what the point was but by the end, we ended up making an amazing piece of artwork and having a good time.

if you cant tell from the theatrical lighting this was inspired by the
infamous stop motion animation flick Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Third, it was Christmas Day dinner at my Mom's. Everyone in the family was in charge of bringing a dish. I seem to have forgotten to take a pic of the apps, by B. which were really nice spreads as well as the kick ass sundae bar prepared by little B. Great job by all, I must say.

I made cornish game hens stuffed with bacon cornbread, L. made broccoli mashed potatoes,
other L. made polenta with veggie chorizo, and B.'s mac and chesse and squash.

And FINALLY, I have been on a detox since January 5th, a raw food detox to be more specific. The eve of starting the insane detox I shared a "good-bye cooked food" meal with some close friends at Honey Court. I also purchased some of their chili hot sauce to go. I cannot wait to eat that after the detox.

you know the regular stuff: chow mein, honey walnut prawns
aka mayo covered swimming rats and a few other things like the
interesting ginger chicken that is front and center of the photo.

Now on a solid day 6 of this raw diet I feel pretty good, a bit tired but not hungry. I also got a cold, which I am sure is because all the stuff is trying to leave my body. Needless to say it makes it really hard to go out to eat. A quick idea of what I have been eating includes: raw cereal made up of raw almonds, shredded apple, shredded coconut, a little honey, cinnamon and a splash of almond milk. This is actually so good, I do plan on eating this when the detox ends. If you want to check out some of the recipes check this site. I mean Rawchos? WOW. Another item I enjoyed was the raw spaghetti I made the other night which is pictured below.

Rawghetti

A final, big shout out to Juice It in downtown Seattle who hooked me up an amazing raw lunch today. I did however forget to take my phone for any pics. The place is a hidden gem for those trying to eat raw or healthy downtown. I will be back to dining out soon enough. I have a list of places I have wanted to check out.

See you soon.

happy hour surprise

i've been to i love sushi several times over the past ten years but have only recently discovered their new (as of 10/27/08) happy hour. a few months ago, my coworker took me out to lunch as a thank you for watching her dog, so when my girl, M, asked if i wanted to happy hour-it for dinner, i thought, "wtf, why not try out i love sushi's hh at lake union?!?"

$3.00: we started with a wakame salad. i was surprised when three different kinds of seaweed came out on the plate! they were all tender, briny, and tasty. there's one type of seaweed that is kind of rubbery that i absolutely cannot stand, but none of these were of that variety! i loved that they were simply tossed with white sesame seeds instead of overwhelmed with oil or any type of sauce.

$5.00: usually i go for the spicy tuna roll at any sushi spot just as a litmus test. instead, we ordered the spider roll (fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, tobiko, radish) which was tasty, but not as out-of-this-effing-world stellar as mashiko's. the crab was super fresh-out-of-the-fryer hot but severely under seasoned. it just needed a hit of acid, vinegar, lemon, something!

$8.00: the priciest item was the variety sashimi plate which comes with your choice of albacore, salmon, maguro, and/or yellowtail. this was by far my favorite dish of the afternoon. in the past i've wonder if ordering sashimi at any given place around the city would be significantly better or worse than anywhere else. i'm delighted to let you know that i love sushi's chefs are real pros. each cut was smooth and free of any connective tissue. i usually don't like salmon sashimi because i can never bite through it without looking like a slob pulling silly putty out of her mouth. the albacore was un-effing-believable, too. to be completely honest, every bite of sashimi was better than the one before.

if you're in the SLU area or even downtown and in need of happy hour with a parking space, hit up i love sushi. the food is on point, the prices are fair, and the green tea flows freely.

a questionable appetizer

i love pickles. i love fried food (who doesn't?). fried pickles seem like a no-brainer, non? over the years i've shied away from this novelty simply because my favorite part is the refreshing snap of biting into an icy cold pickle. a hot, sour pickle sounded disgusting.

along comes the people's pub's fried pickle appetizer. OMG. after a chilly afternoon of shopping post seattle winter apocalype, J and i met up with M and G in ballard for some simple german food.

THESE. PICKLES. ARE. BOMB. get thee to a fried pickle purveyor.

we also ate real people food, but i was so hungry, and the lighting was so dim, that i didn't capture my field roast sandwich, J's spaetzle with cheese and rotkohl, and the boys' meatfest.

exquisitely expensive

a little while back our friends (who actually worked on the space) invited us to dinner at spinasse since they had been there several times, raved about it, and told us we should all go some time. the interior is intimate and warm with a handful of small tables and one long, communal table. i love the old lady lace curtains which lend a homey authenticity to the space. the menu is brief, but well designed.

we asked the server for a wine suggestion, and she recommended a nebbiolo since it would be medium-bodied and drinkable before and during dinner. J and i decided on a Vietti 2006 Nebbiolo. fruity and delicious.

the house started us with some bruschetta. the first was fresh ricotta and olives.

the second was spinach and garlic. both were tasty and crisp, whetting my appetite for pasta. i was really into the ricotta bruscetta because it was also dressed with rich olive oil, my favorite.

since we had a party of 5, we decided to get two orders of antipasto misto della casa. below are the chicory/guinea hen/parmiggiano/balsamic salad and spinach fritatta covered in tiles of black truffle.

the other half of our antipasti course was pure meat, well almost: a cherry tomato stuffed with anchovies and dressed with a parsley pesto, vitello tonnato, prosciutto and grissini, and salame with roasted leeks. i liked the anchovy/pepper deal, but there was only one, and there were five of us. even though we got two orders of antipasti misti, that meant splitting two peppers among five guests. what the hell?!? is it really too much to ask for three peppers per $28 plate? i didnt eat any of the meat, but i was told it was great. M's favorite was the vitello tonnato, which is a traditional dish of tender veal topped with a smooth mixture of tuna, olive oil, and capers.

we also ordered a couple of vegetable sides. the first was a simple ceci con limone e prezzemolo (garbanzos with lemon and parsley). it was simple, tasty, and well-prepared, but J also made this dish a few days later at home, and it was just as good. i know spinasse is a whole experience, but sometimes it makes you question the bang-for-your-buck factor.

the rape saltatti (sauteed turnips) were tender and savory, sauteed in their own greens. also pictured are the ravioli di tapinambur al burro e salvia con pignoli, or jerusalem artichoke ravioli with butter, sage, and pine nuts. they were delicious, fresh, and well-paired with two of my favorite ingredients, sage and pine nuts.

J chose the maltagliatti (wide irregularly cut pasta) with hedgehog mushrooms and butter. i really enjoyed this dish as well. the pasta was perfectly toothy and obviously handmade to order. there is no substitute for fresh pasta.

unfortunately i didn't capture G or M's pasta choices, but they were tajarin al ragu and tajarin al burro con salvia, which are both thin, handcut pastas with a meat sauce and sage butter. the tajarin was also tasty, toothy, and refreshing. however, i don't know if i would return to pay $19 for a small bowl of pasta with butter and sage.

after we had all finished our pasta courses, we completely forgot that G and M ordered the braised goat! it came significantly after the pasta simply because it took that long to cook, but M and G said it was worth the wait. the goat was falling-off-the-bone tender, naturally sticky sweet, and perfectly reflective of fall flavors. we asked the chef how he cooked it, and he said it was only salt, pepper, and garlic on a bed of onion, carrot,and celery. it was really the standout star of the evening.

the overall quality and taste were extremely high, but i don't think i would go there again after G made pasta at home. it was about $400 without tip (i think) including two bottles of wine. despite the taste factor, spinasse is not a good value. $19 for a small bowl of pasta is pretty ridiculous, and c'mon, only one anchovy-stuffed pepper per antipasti plate?!?! no thanks. spinasse is great, just not worth it.



nb: it's super busy at any given time, so if possible, make reservations!

Dahlia Lounge Brunch

Yeah, thats right...brunch. Two weeks ago, my chef brother invited me and my family for a sampling of the soon to be launched brunch menu at the Dahlia Lounge. This soft opening allowed the kitchen to go through their menu and close friends and family to give their feedback. I will admit that I had been out the night before partying so the idea of brunch was perfect.

I started with coffee but B. and L. opened with a bloody mary...dont worry I had one after a bit of food. Remember I partied the night before. I have rarely been in the Dahlia Lounge during daylight but the way the sun filled the clean and spacious dining room was really comfortable and pretty.


According to our server we had to try the Monkey Bread so we ordered two for the table. This cinnamon sugary breakfast treat came out warm with a side of caramel. I dont really like sweet but I did sample a piece. B. was not impressed that it was called Monkey Bread because "traditional" Monkey Bread has more of a pull-apart consistency. Perhaps they will take that into consideration as they continue to improve on the menu. Regardless it was a nice treat and the warm caramel was tasty!


The menu was broken up to include Kick Start for the Table, (monkey bread, donuts or scones) Rise and Shine options (Biscuit and Gravy, Benedict, Hot Cereal and Beef Hash etc.) and After 11 Additions (Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Burger, Chicken Salad, Mussels). B. and R. both ordered the Eggs Your Way which came exactly how it sounds including smashed fried potatoes, biscuit and your choice of bacon, sausage, steak, trout or a crab cake. L. went with the Oregon Country burger...apparently I didnt get down on pictures of their meals. I'm sure as avid readers they can comment on their plates. Overall it looked good to me! We also ordered the Sourdough Applebread French Toast to share at the table which came with fruit, bacon and a side of pear maple syrup. It was a bit sweet for me, but for french toast lovers, this is a nice dish because the rustic bread is grilled.

I went with the Eggs Benedict (So did the other L.), of which I really enjoyed. I am a fan of Eggs Benedict and have tried as many as I can remember around town. It is just something about the way the egg is cooked and how the fat and creamy sauce all absorbs into the muffin. The ham which was covered with a green scallion hollandaise was very tasty. My only suggestion was that the pork needed more salt, of which I was informed will be included next time because it will have more time to brine. Another part of the dish that was pretty awesome was the Big Island Fruit Cup, full of pineapple, mango and banana in a bath of coconut water. This was the perfect complement to the heaviness of the benedict. I wasnt sure when I read "fruit cup" but this was not your typical lame cup of melon. You can also order the fruit cup, bacon, sausage or ham as additional sides.

Thanks to TD for buying our brunch and for our server for recommending some great treats. Overall the prices are just what you would expect for a nice city brunch, around $11-$14. I will definitely go back for this benedict!

Not sure if the brunch is Saturday and Sunday because their website isnt up to date yet so you better call and make a reservation to find out. 206-682-4142

2001 4th Ave.
At the corner of 4th and Virginia

Buddha Ruksa Thai Cuisine

I rarely get to West Seattle because I dont drive but on the few occasions that I do, I rather enjoy the restaurants. Perhaps because its something new, but I also like to leave cap hill and the pretentiousness that awaits you at several of the new restaurants.

I picked up B & B music factory from the airport and they wanted to eat. We stopped by their place to drop off their stuff and began calling around to find a place to get a reservation. It was Saturday and lots of places were packed for the evening. However, we were able to get in at 7:45pm at Buddha ruksa. My brothers favorite Thai place, so he claimed. The place is small with low lighting and every table was packed with diners. This is a comfortable spot and you could tell it was going to be good, the mood in the restaurant was very chill.

Prior to arriving at Buddha ruksa we had a few wild turkey's down the street (in honor of our band) even though our 4th member was off gallivanting in LA. We poured a little out for him. When we sat down I realized how hungry I was and the wild turkey was eating my stomach. I quickly reviewed the menu, satay, calamari, egg rolls, tom yum, fried tofu, crab wonton...we needed something quick. B said the best app was the crab wontons, so we ordered them immediately. The crab wontons were very hot and perfectly crispy. I love anything with cheese and the cream cheese to crab ratio was right on. Nice spicy sweet dipping sauce on the side too.

When it came time for ordering the meal, big B. took the lead. He decided to go for the pork green curry, which is one of my favorites. My only complaint is that we didnt order it a bit more spicy. Very tasty and again came out really hot. Perfection.

We also got an order of fried rice, which again had great balance of seasoning. It was a nice additon to our meal and the cabbage was my favorite part of the dish besides the grilled rice.

Alas, the reason B & B like to come to this spot is for the Crispy Garlic Chicken and now I know why...it was amazing. I could have gotten a whole plate of this for myself. The fried chicken topped with rich spicy garlic on top of some basil leaves made me unable to stop eating. Damn! B knew what he was doing when he ordered, because lucky for us he got two for the table.


I will certainly go back and sample more of their menu. I was interested in some of their other signature dishes including the wonton pad thai and the prawns & pumpkin curry. And for those of you who like crispy duck, they have six different ways.

Check it out. Its fairly reasonable prices too, you know if you've heard about the economy.

Buddha ruksa
Thai cuisine
3520 SW Genesee Street.
Seattle, WA 98126
T. (206) 937 - 7676
F. (206) 923 - 6470

Tuesday - Friday
Lunch & Dinner 11am - 10pm
Saturday & Sunday
Dinner 4pm - 10pm
Closed Monday

now that bbq season is over...

let's reminisce about afternoons spent on the alki seawall grilling pork loin, mussels, and fresh trout. sigh.

the mussels are my standard recipe: sautee onions, chili flakes, and garlic in butter; once translucent add mussels and heavy pour of white wine; cover to steam for 2-3 minutes; toss with italian parsley and enjoy. i don't know if it was the butter, charcoal, or amazingly fresh shellfish, but this batch of mussels was out of this world. we all feasted on this appetizer standing around the grill. i even ended up cracking a shell in half and scooping the wine/butter/parsley juice out of the bowl. absolutely bananas.

another crowd-pleaser is M's slow-roasted pork roast. he always dresses it with olive oil and whatever spices are lying around R's kitchen...usually smoked paprika, chili flakes, sea salt, pepper, simple stuff of that nature. M then sears it in the center of fresh coals (= hot grill), then moves it out to the perimeter to slowly roast for the remaining life of the coals. it always turns out great a couple hours later, but i couldn't personally attest to that. i can only tell by the glowing reviews from all the c-vores.

here we're cooking by camping lantern light, hence the blue tint to the photo. J grilled up some fresh trout fillets stuffed with onion and lemon slices which turned out great! they just needed a hit of salt before serving, et voila!

a few zucchini halves are hiding in the upper lefthand corner, i think...a barbecue staple.

i also cooked some yams in the cast iron pan with butter, salt, pepper, and garlic. it was simple but tasty. the only thing i worried about cooking with the cast iron pan was the actual temperature of the grill. it was far hotter than i anticipated, and the yams ended up burning on the bottom! eee! it wasn't that big of a deal, though, because we just ate the top few layers.

oh the carefree days of summer are long gone, but i hope this little shot of sunshine grilling will help you through the winter!