The Cure For Everything Is Salt …
… tears, sweat, and the sea. (Dinesen)
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Seattle 2012: The Recap
16 March 2012
As far as vacations go, Seattle was wonderful and now a million miles away, even though it was just a week ago today that Peter and I were ferrying out to Bainbridge Island for lunch. Special thanks to Jenni and Chris, Nicole and Anne, Jen, and Marsha for helping us to pick out terrific restaurants and taking time out their lives to hang out with us. Headed to Seattle soon? Check out:
Crush
2319 E. Madison Street
Seattle, Washington 98112
206.30.CRUSH
We were such big fans of this place the last time we visited that we had dinner there twice in a week. Three years later, it’s every bit as good as we remembered it. Octopus a la plancha, trumpet mushroom risotto, roast suckling pig, black cod, and a plate of local cheeses for dinner.
Canlis
2576 Aurora Avenue North
Seattle, Washington 98109
206.283.3313
The place is right out of North by Northwest (OK, I thought it looked upscale Brady Brunch in the best possible way, but Peter’s NBN reference is cooler). The restaurant has been in the family for more than 60 years, and the service is genuine and attentive. Jacket required, and it was well worth the dressing up.
Rover’s
2808 E. Madison
Seattle, Wa 98112
206.325.7442
We chose the lightest of the price fixe menus and were delighted with both the meal and the exquisite wine pairings. Chef in the Hat!!! Thierry Rautureau, who came out to talk with us briefly, knows Karl Gross from Oceanique, our favorite restaurant in Chicago, very well. The Chef in the Hat!!! told us he couldn’t imagine cooking anywhere else in the world like he’s able to in the Pacific Northwest, where so much can be sourced locally.
Portage Bay Cafe
391 Terry Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206.462.6400
They have three locations, and we went to their place in South Lake Union to meet Marsha for brunch on Saturday. Great food. Packed! Make reservations on the weekend.
Cafe Nola
101 Winslow Way E.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
206.842.3822
If you head out to Bainbridge Island, give this place a try. The bar is warm and inviting, and a bowl of their mussels with spicy Italian sausage and a tomato broth is the perfect thing for a misty and gray afternoon.
Etta’s Seafood
2020 Western Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
206.443.6000
Best Bloody Marys I’ve ever had, and fried shrimp for Sunday morning breakfast is a rare treat.
Beecher’s at Pike Place Market
1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101
206.956.1964
We went here to assemble a dinner gift for friends—I found out afterward that they serve meals, too. Friends, I’m warning you now that several of you are going to get their mac-and-cheese kit for the holidays. Say you love me in scotch.
Next time around, we’ll get to:
Travelogue: Corfu, Greece, Friday, 2 September 2011
8 September 2011
We wandered through the old town until we thought it was time for lunch. We tried to get seated at 11:15 a.m. at an open-air restaurant in a private courtyard off of one of the main streets in Old Town, but the owner waved us off. So we wandered down to a nearby cafe for a couple of Coronas and snacks.
We returned to restaurant at noon, just as the owner was returning from the market with plastic bags full of fresh vegetables in each of his hands. He nodded to us, so we sat down. A younger woman, presumably his daughter, came out to take our order: feta, olives, tzakziki, and a pitcher of local red wine to start, followed by the special mixed grill.
The meal was the essence of every romantic dream I’ve had about Mediterranean food: the feta, sharp and rich and fresh, the black olives, briny, and the wine light enough that Peter and I thought we could spend the entire day drinking it. The grill was a tower of pork. lamb, beef, sausages, and chicken served on a bed of crispy fries with fresh lemon and parsley. The owner smiled and told us to take our time. Bellissimo.
Barbara’s Birthday
18 August 2011
Dinner at Oceanique usually begins with an amuse-bouche of salmon tartare, leek, and one small and exquisitely made potato chip. It’s such a good chip that I’ve commented once and again that I’ll someday order an entire bowl of the chips alone. Last night, as the amuse-bouche arrived, the server also put in front of me an oval porcelain bowl. As he removed the lid, I saw a small treasure of warm crispy goodness. He smiled and said, “So you don’t have to ask.”
Stamtisch. Peter tells me in that, in German, the word translates into the concept of a regular’s table that’s reserved for their use. Oceanique is our stamtisch, place we’ve been so often that both casual weeknight dinner and big celebration lead us back. We like to think that the small front four-top by the bar, just past the entrance, is ours alone. In any event, it’s always ready for us.
And so it was last night, when we gathered with Barbara and Jen to celebrate Barbara’s birthday. The wine director Philip, Chef Mark’s son, steered us as always to some wonderful champagne and wine wines. Mark came out of the kitchen to give Barbara a birthday hug and to thank us for coming. And after a long evening of great food and drink and conversation, we made another date with each other and headed home. Philip called out as we left, “here’s to another 75.” Save our table, Philip, we’ll be there.
First Slice Cafe Comes to Andersonville
17 August 2011
I ran into Mary Ellen Diaz at the First Slice Cafe on Ravenswood yesterday. She told me that she just signed a lease for the space that was occupied by Sunburst Flowers on Ashland and Balmoral. She’s not sure yet when the grand opening will be, but I’m thrilled to have a First Slice so close to home!
City Provisions
15 August 2011
Come see about this place:
City Provisions
1818 W. Wilson Avenue
Chicago IL 60640
773.293.2489
info@cityprovisions.com
www.cityprovisions.com
Doug and Cindy introduced me to this place a few months back, and I’ve become addicted. If this place were any closer to home or work, I’d happily bankrupt myself going there daily for everything from breakfast pastry and americanos to deli sandwiches or cheeses, charcuterie, fresh meats, gourmet packaged goods, or artisan spirits.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
9 January 2011
Le Meridien, Rendezvous, the Art of the Americas wing and lunch in the new atrium of the Museum of Fine Art, The King’s Speech, Oleana.
And Suddenly We’re in Paris
21 August 2010
Helsinki came and went quickly—a tram tour introducing us to the city in a figure-eight route starting and ending at the senate square. And while we loved Copenhagen, the standout city of our cruise, the persistent rain drove us back to the ship earlier than we’d planned. Both days, we sought the comfort of lamb burgers on the Lido. The days at sea, we passed in a blissful peace of reading through the morning and afternoon (I finished “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” “Heat Stroke,” “Chill Factor,” and “Spies of the Balkans“) with an occasional visit to Neptune’s Lounge for canapes or espressos.
Thursday, a long travel day from Amsterdam to Paris. We arrive in the late afternoon, quickly settle into our apartment in the Palais Royale, pop to the local Monoprix for provisions, and then endure a truly bad dinner (one of only two horrible meals I’ve ever had in this city) at the restaurant across the courtyard. The next morning, most likely because of that meal, I’m sick, and Buck’s sicker—he stays in bed our first day, while I pump myself up with antibiotics and other drugs for our first full day in the city.
It’s August, vacation time for Parisians, so many good restaurantsas well as, to my heartbreak, my favorite stationery store on the Rue Louis Phillipe–are closed. But Honey P. and Jeff and Marc (who arrived by train from Frankfurt and joined us midday) find some lovely clothes in Melchior. Six hours later, we return to the apartment, get some stuff for Buck who’s thankfully on the mend, change for dinner, and head back to the Marais.
Le Coude Fou. The man who seated us was owner’s son–he was pleased when we told him that we had come here for the first time almost 10 years ago and we returned to the restaurant every time we visited. He explained that the restaurant had been around for more than 25 years and that they still had the same chef. Another delicious meal at a wonderful price. It’s good to be back.
Zins, Cedar Rapids
29 January 2010
I have to admit that when I heard the forecast for snow, rain, and a wintery mix, I was hoping for something along the lines of chicory, frisee, and perhaps some curly endive. But sleet and ice be damned, we had a great time launching a new project in Cedar Rapids, and we had a couple of terrific dinners as well. If you’re ever in the area, check out Zins, which I am told is the new “it” place downtown. The dining room is warm and inviting–the kind of place that can feel both romantic and gregarious, depending on your company that night. And framed on the main wall is a shroud from the flood–a tablecloth upon which the impression of plates and place settings has seeped in indelibly as the restauranteurs quickly abandoned the building for safe and dry. Thank goodness for the restaurant’s resurrection.
Small plates, their specialty, a sort of international tapas approach. We shared classic pommes frites, meatloaf, tasso ham pizza, gnocchi, greek lamb burgers, as well as some salads and soups meant for one. The place was so great we went back a second night and ordered what we didn’t have the evening before. Next time we’re there, I’m going to try to score the semi-private table with a window into the kitchen.
The Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop
9 January 2010
The Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop
http://www.thecowboystar.com/
640 10th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619.450.5880
Angie greets us with a big smile and friendly “welcome back.” Our second night at The Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop. She may be excited to see us, but we’re even more excited just to be back.
“Same drinks as last night?” Angie asks. We nod, and the vodka martinis materialize in champagne coupes. They’re perfect—shaken just vigorously enough to produce those happy little ice crystals that float on the surface of the cold, cold drink.
We’d decided last night what we would be ordering tonight, but I’m swayed by two of the specials: the bone marrow appetizer served with toasted brioche points and the elk rack. Honey P. and I debate for a moment and decide to proceed, as planned:
For appetizers, braised lamb short ribs with potato dumpling and whisky-currant sauce, and bourbon braised berkshire pork belly with celery root puree, natural jus, frisee garnish. And for the entree, Elysian Fields farm lamb with green garlic farro, grilled artichokes, lamb jus, and rabbit duo with potato gnocchi, organic swiss chard, morel mushroom sauce. The wine, a 2006 Elizabeth Spencer merlot (thank you, Michael M., for introducing us to this label at In Fine Spirits!).
It’s hard to properly describe precisely how well prepared our meals are—they simply are wonderful. Everything from the quality of ingredients to the harmony of flavors to the size of the portions—all brilliantly balanced and presented with simple elegance.
And just as our meal is wonderful, the setting is also extraordinary. The interior design strikes me as a blend of Chanel and Tom Ford sensibilities, with a touch of The Territory Ahead and Patsy Cline. The space is beautiful, and I fight the urge to sing harmony on “Strange.” And though the restaurant is fairly full this particular Friday night, Honey P. and I can enjoy a quiet conversation. Priceless.
Even though I’m not a dessert person, I’m tempted by a number of the items they have on offer: profiteroles, a cheese plate, bread pudding, and, most honestly, the absinthe. We resist, happily pay the bill, and stroll back to the Hotel Solamar—all the while thrilled by our good fortune to be enjoying a warm breeze under a Western night sky.
Restaurant Week in Buffalo
22 September 2009
OK, it’s not quite Fashion Week in Manhattan, but it’s plenty good. Restaurants all across the city doing tasting menus for $20.09. On Art’s recommendation (and with a little help from him in actually getting in), Rebecca and I went to O’Connell’s American Bistro. A five-course meal: risotto with guanciale, lobster with ravioli, lamb with potatoes, an aged steak, and a dessert that I skipped in favor of a flight of wines and a martini. All fantastic, and only one of the many choices we had for the evening. I’ve become a big fan of Buffalo as a result of the people I’ve worked with on my recent project with UB–wish there were more restaurant weeks timed so perfectly with onsite visits. Home, tomorrow, yay, with the hope that our late-harvest salad greens on the deck are ready to be eaten. The summer ends, but the hope of good food lasts forever.
