Lunch | lunchin' in downtown Seattle

Since I was in Seattle from Wednesday to Thursday, I was able to hop in a couple restaurants for a real weekday lunch (none of that hybrid stuff that happens on the weekends where waits and prices can be unfavorable), including Local 360 and Il Corvo.

After an activity-filled morning at the Space Needle, Chihuly Garden & Glass, and the Olympic Sculpture Park, {1} we stopped into Local 360 for a legit lunch. {4} In fact, Local 360 is a sustainable restaurant and food producer in the heart of downtown, emphasizing local sourcing, as 90% of its raw ingredients come from farms/purveyors/vendors/artisans within a 360-mile radius of Seattle. {2,3,6} The interior of Local 360 has a feel of an old school tavern, comprising of mostly maple-colored woods.


{5} Even our soft drinks were locally sourced -- the restaurant's very own soda, Local 360 Low-Cal cola, as well as Rachel's ginger beer (which is handcrafted right here in Seattle at Pike Place Market). The Low-Cal cola was very light (not too much sugar at all, but didn't taste artificial either) while the ginger beer with nice and biting (as it should be) in that refreshing way. {7} We also shared an order of mussels with bay leaf, white wine, and frites, where the mussels were juicy and plump in a lovely wine sauce. {6} As my main course, I tried the oyster po' boy with tarragon remoulade and apple slaw, while {7} my guest had the butcher's grind house burger with lettuce, homemade red pepper relish, aioli, cheese, and bacon. The oysters in the po' boy well-fried and really tender and flavorful. However, I was not a fan of the seasoning -- not sure if it was the tarragon or some other spice, but it was really overpowering, taking away from the overall enjoyment of the dish. I've never had an authentic po' boy from New Orleans, so I can't say what seasonings I should expect on this sandwich, but one thing was for sure -- I just wasn't crazy about this one, which made me really sad because I loved everything else about it. The burger was very redeeming in contrast, as my guest said it was one of the best burgers he's ever had. Cooked to the perfect, juicy temperature with the right consistency of melty cheese and two perfectly seared pieces of bacon on top, the burger had everything you'd look for in the ideal burger. Plus the blend of meat in the patty, light spread of aioli, as well as the tangy relish made it that much better.

{1} The next day, we hopped on over to Il Corvo in Pioneer Square (also near downtown Seattle) after a morning of exploring Pike Place Market. {7} Even getting there relatively early at 11:30 PM (it opens at 11), there was already a line almost at the door! Expect a 15-minute wait at least during peak lunch hours (though, please note that Il Corvo is only open for lunch on weekdays). The space inhabited by Il Corvo is pretty basic -- a bunch of communal tables with {3} a shelf of vintage pasta makers/extruders/etc. and large scale prints featuring pasta along the walls. {5} The menu is pretty bare-bones simple as well -- a selective list of antipasti and a short list of pasta specials, all of which are fresh handmade!

We made sure to order {4} some homemade focaccia as well as the salami misti to nibble on while we waited for our pasta dishes to come out of the kitchen. Really fresh focaccia that was perfect for sweeping up pasta sauce later on. The salami was well-cured and gave a savory start to our lunch. {2} We both had the baked pasta misti with bolognese and béchamel -- essentially a traditional Italian lasagna (as indicated by the inclusion of béchamel) made using three varieties of pasta as the layers (other than lasagna pasta sheets). Quite possibly the best lasagna dish I've ever had because it was the perfect amount of sauce, meat, and creaminess/cheesiness without feeling overwhelmed or overdone, where the pasta wasn't drowning in sauce or cheese. Plus, the fact that all of the pastas were made by hand just made it THAT much more enjoyable. We also had a side of the al infierno sauce just to give it a taste. It had a sweet-and-spicy kick to it and would go great in a fra diavlo pasta dish.

Findings: Seattle definitely has some great lunch spots in its downtown area -- I thoroughly enjoyed the two spots we got to try. Local 360 had really awesome, locally-sourced American comfort food (still wishing for another bite of the butcher's grind house burger!) while Il Corvo has some pretty badass housemade pasta dishes. So if you find yourself in the Seattle area during the week, you'll be sure to find something delicious to satiate your lunchtime hunger at both these spots.

Price point: $10-15 for each sandwich at Local 360, $12 for each large plate, $3-6.75 for each beverage;

--August 22-23, 2013

Local 360
2234 1st Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98121
http://www.local360.org

Il Corvo
217 James Street
Seattle WA, 98104
http://www.ilcorvopasta.com

Feasts & Affairs | Outstanding in the Field NYC, 2013

Last weekend, it was time for our yearly tradition since 2010 -- another farm dinner with Outstanding in the Field (OITF) during one of its NYC stops. It was crazy to think that we (including Linda, John, Jess, and John) bought our tickets back in March (on the first day of Spring!) for this much anticipated dinner in mid-September. This would be my fourth dinner since Linda introduced me to OITF, and I was every bit as pumped as I had been that very first time in 2010. Plus, it was even more special for Jess's John (I will refer to him at JJ from now on :P) as this was his first time at an OITF event!


Our dinner last year was supposed to take place at Brooklyn Grange (an acre-sized rooftop farm in Queens we had all been to together two years ago), but due to some bureaucratic hurdles, it was moved to La Plaza Cultural at the last minute (which was also lovely, but in a different way). We were thankful to have another opportunity to enjoy an evening at Brooklyn Grange this time without a hitch -- this year, we were very excited to have Chef Sisha Ortuzar of Riverpark curating our literal farm-to-table dinner. Given how much I had been blown away by the restaurant's NYC Restaurant Week lunch menu (something that is typically watered down and may not properly showcase a restaurant's menu well) last year, so I knew we were really in for a real treat if Chef Ortuzar could really pull out all the stops here.


Upon checking in around 4 PM, Brooklyn Oenology started us out with its 2012 Social Club white wine, a chardonnay-based blend, to be paired with the hors d'oeuvres that had started making its rounds through Brooklyn Grange's grounds. The wine has a "food-friendly acidity, with notes of crisp apple, pear, and a touch of tropical fruit, while finishing with orange blossom and a lingering, palate-cleansing minerality."


One of the first bites we had were the rabbit rillettes with late summer berries and summery savory, which, funny enough, did not taste like rabbit at all! Upon these first bites, none of us had seen the printed menus at our seats so our next best guesses were crab or chicken. Boy, did they have us fooled, especially myself, since I usually do not like the gaminess of rabbit one bit. However, in this case, it was actually quite nice with a little tart from the summer berries and lightly creamy from the rillette base. Something else to note is how well toasted the circular cut-outs of bread were, as each bite had that lovely crunch without getting soggy from the rillette spread on top.


Next up were these flutes of  tomato & corn soup. For someone who doesn't really believe in chilled soups, these sweet shots of fresh summer could surely change a gal's mind. It had this richness to it that was not heavy or creamy in the traditional way a soup is but creamy in a magically fluid way. Little splashes of concentrated oil added some color and flavor to this beautifully emulsified soup, which reminded me of the chilled corn soup with red peppers and shiso I had at Riverpark. Not gonna lie -- I may have had another one of these shortly after I had my first one! :x


Last of the hors d'oeuvres were the ricotta crostini with pole beans, pickled shallots, and shiso. This had a fun interplay of creamy from the fresh ricotta, of bite from the pickled shallots, and of summer from the just-picked pole beans. The fact that the produce used as ingredients in these bites made them that much more appealing -- can't get any more "farm-to-table" than this!


Traditionally, OITF has set the "long table" at farms, at gardens, on mountaintops, in sea caves, on islands, and at ranches -- wherever its tours would take the table. Because of the limiting confines of the farm being on a rooftop, the tradition of OITF's "long table" at its farm dinners had to be slightly adapted by splitting the dining table into two shorter tables to fit comfortable on the grounds while accommodating all guests.


Here's the other table that was already set up at Brooklyn Grange. We decided to sit at the other table as it made for easier conversation because of the shorter table width.


While everyone enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres, host farmers Ben Flanner (above) and Anastasia Plakias gave small group tours of the farm while giving a brief overview of what Brooklyn Grange is all about.


Brooklyn Grange's crops and the view of the city skyline in the backdrop.


More shots of crops and skyline.


And of course, OITF founder Jim Denevan gave opening remarks right before dinner was to start.


Our obligatory group shot!


Another OITF tradition is BYOP, i.e., bring your own plates, so I made sure to bring the lobster plates Marcus bought for me a while back from Anthropologie (a throwback to Friends: Phoebe's philosophy of "lobsters" as soul mates).


Fresh miniature baguettes from a local bakery whose name escapes me now. A fun fact that all of the sit-down serviceware are all pieces from Heath Ceramics, one of the few remaining mid-century American potteries still in existence today, based in Sausalito, California.

All courses that arrive at the dining table are all served family style, to be shared among eight or so guests. We began the sit-down portion of our dinner with Brooklyn Oenology's 2012 Friend riesling, which was on the dryer side and not too sweet. The little bits of residual sugar adds "wonderful richness perfectly balanced by an abundance of apples, Asian pear, white peach, nectarine, jasmine, and a hint of petrol with a crisp, clean finish of citrus, slate, and honey."


As our second course, they served us (fresh) burrata with purple tomatillos, ground cherries, and lemon verbena. The burrata was incredibly fresh, a pretty white blob of creaminess that complemented the tomatillos similarly to a delightful Caprese salad, just with a touch of stone fruit (gotta love cherries!) and herbed with the fragrant lemon verbena. This dish didn't even need dressing -- it remained undressed so that the burrata could soak up the juices of the fruits without any distractions.


Alongside the burrata, we also had a spicy melon salad with chicharrones (i.e., fried pork rinds), Thai basil, and coriander flowers. This salad was very much like a more "ethnic" version of a panzanella salad, where the chicharrones, watermelon, and Thai basil respectively acted like the expected day-old bread, tomatoes, and Italian basil. It was a very interesting twist, as the chicharrones and watermelon were dusted with some medium-hot spices, giving it a little heat and panache to stand out. A really refreshing salad bidding an honorable farewell to the warm days of summer.

Our next wine pairing was Brookly Oenology's 2010 chardonnay, which deviates from the typical California chardonnays. Crafted in a Burgundy method, this chardonnay has a palpable "creaminess matched with great acidity and structure, with tastes of baked apple, dried pineapple, quince, coconut with layered vanilla and hints of smoke and honey." Essentially, it was a lot buttery than we may have liked.


For our third course, we shared some grilled prawns with nasturtium. The prawns were sizable and juicy, and the added florals of nasturtium and splash of citrus gave interesting flavor and visual appeal. Grilling the prawns with these herbs and seasonings and serving them cooled down made for a lovely summer-driven dish.


This was probably Marcus and I's most favorite dish of the night -- Sfoglini reginetti with squid ink, clams, calamari, baby octopus, sweet peppers, bronze fennel, and oregano. Reginetti is a ribbon-shaped  (with wavy, ruched edges) pasta commonly served with more delicate sauces. Also served chilled, the reginetti was simply delightful as the light cream sauce which had the most vibrant varieties of seafood and had the lightest kick from the peppers and fennel. The oregano gave a slightly earthy tone to the dish overall to counter the sweetness from the seafood. The inked pasta was a divine al dente, with the sauce swimming in its little crevices. What a well-thought-up course!

Our main course was paired with Brooklyn Oenology's 2008 Motley Cru red blend with "a core of juicy cherry fruit and spice on the palate." Very much like a Rhône-like wine, the wine is "round and soft with great acidity and fine tannins with a medium body and a texture of a robust pinot noir."


The fourth course was a Berkshire pork rack with grilled peaches. Not many things say summertime like grilled peaches do, and that's exactly how I felt here. They had smoky grill marks and ended with a sweet bite (in that limbo between a bruised ripedness and a firm under-ripedness. The cuts from the pork rack had a nice exterior of fat (plus the bone from it being prepared as a rack) that the meat soaked up in flavor and juice. Pork can easily be overcooked into something really unflavorful, tough, and difficult to eat, but this pork rack was so tender, soft, and tasty, especially as pork is always well-complemented with stone fruit.


The side dish for the pork rack was corn with purslane, chanterelles, and sun gold tomatoes. It was a little reprise of the corn soup we had as an hors d'oeuvre (sweet and chilling), but with a teaser of fall in the mix as chanterelles are in their prime in the coming season. Great accompaniment to the pork rack.


Approaching dusk at Brooklyn Grange.


Dinner by candlelight à la mason jar, as OITF tradition dictates! :P


We were given a tub of brown butter-sage ice cream to be served alongside our last course (dessert).


Dessert consisted of an olive oil cake with roasted figs, meant to be served with the brown butter sage ice cream. The cake had a favorable denseness to it -- quite moist while being able to soak up the creaminess of the savory ice cream without losing the great consistency of the cake. While the brown butter, sage, and olive oil flavors turned this into a much more savory dessert, only to be brought back slightly to the sweeter side with the roasted figs, which just had the right amount of sweet.


Jim Denevan, Leah Scafe (director of OITF), Chef Ortuzar, and his team from Riverpark greeting guests that night at the end of our farm dinner.

Findings: I probably say this every time I leave a farm dinner with Outstanding in the Field, but I think this year was by far my most favorite dinner -- if only because I thought Chef Sisha Ortuzar made the most dynamic and flavorful use of hyper-locally sourced produce and ingredients. This may come as unfair as Chef Ortuzar does this same exercise at Riverpark as the restaurant sources most of its menu from the eponymous urban farm located right next door on the same campus so the challenge may not be as prominent as it would be for other chefs whose sourcing radius is a little broader. The real challenge for Chef Ortuzar may have remain in the sheer number of guests for which he had to cook up this extraordinary dinner. It didn't seem to faze him or his team as the dinner went quite smoothly without a hitch -- even as the sit-down courses were all served family style, everything was beautifully presented and tasted just as gorgeous as it had appeared on the plate. And as lovely as the food was, the service team was delightful and pleasant during the course of our dinner, making everything that much more seamless and enjoyable.

And as I appreciate with all OITF dinners, I loved how we can get together as a group every year over this fabulous meal, meet other food enthusiasts who appreciate this kind of thing, and hear personal stories from farmers/purveyors/artisans about the very ingredients that were prepared before us. It is truly an unparalleled experience -- traditions are close to the heart for this very reason, and I am thankful I get to spend it with these fantastic friends of mine each year.

Thank you to the team behind Outstanding in the Field for organizing yet another unforgettable dinner here in New York City! Already looking forward to the next year's farm dinner (and maybe even one at Secret Sea Cove over in California if Marcus and I are fast enough to nab a couple seats!).

Price point: $230 for a 100% locally supplied 5-course dinner with wine pairing by local winery.

--September 14, 2013

Outstanding in the Field
P.O. Box 2413
Santa Cruz, CA 95063
http://www.outstandinginthefield.com

Brooklyn Grange*
37-18 Northern Blvd
Queens, NY 11101
http://www.brooklyngrangefarm.com

Riverpark
450 East 29th Street
New York, NY 10016
http://www.riverparknyc.com

Brooklyn Oenology Winery*
209 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
http://www.brooklynoenology.com

Sfoglini Pasta Shop*
630 Flushing Avenue, 8th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11206
http://www.sfoglini.com

Bodhitree Farm
2116 Jacksonville Road
Jobstown, NJ 08022
http://www.bodhitreefarm.com

Paffenroth Gardens
95 Little York Road
Warwick, NY 10990
http://hudsonvalleybounty.com/listing/paffenroth-gardens‎

Locust Grove Fruit Farm
154 North Road
Milton, NY 12547
http://www.locustgrovefruitfarm.com

Migliorelli Farm

46 Freeborn Lane

Tivoli, NY 12583

http://www.migliorelli.com

John Fazio Farms

497 Freetown Highway

Modena, NY 12548

http://www.johnfaziofarms.com

Prospect Hill Orchards

73 Clark's Lane

Milton, NY 12547

http://www.prospecthillorchards.com

S. & S. O. Farms

234 Mount Eve Road

Goshen, NY 10924

https://twitter.com/ssoproducefarms

Heritage Pork International

206 First Street

Seargent Bluff, IA, 51054-0668

http://www.heritagepork.com

Dinner | dinners & drinks in Ballard

My first day in Seattle involved exploring Ballard (thanks again to Linda for the enthusiastic recommendation!), where I was very much looking forward to a casual evening of small bites, delightful drinks, and plenty of oysters at The Walrus and the Carpenter (The W&C), but even getting there before 5:30 on a Wednesday night, I was met with a two-hour waiting list. Determined to dine at The W&C, I put my name on the list and gave the hostess my phone number so she could call me when my table was ready.

On my walk to The W&C, {1} I passed by this nifty restaurant/bar called Percy's & Co. so I decided to pop in there for a cocktail and a tiny bite while I passed the time for a table at The W&C. Located in the former home of the Old Town Alehouse, Percy's promises all of the charm the over-115-year-old historic building has maintained throughout the years. Originally built in 1898, the corner location "played host to liquor purveyors for much of its time -- even during Prohibition, the dry goods store that occupied the front of the building opened its backdoor as a speakeasy." The bar program is manned by cousins and best friends, Kyle Taylor and Joe Peterson, both who were born and raised in the Pacific Northwest as well as honed their skills at Apotheke in NYC. Along with Percy's other owners Jeff Ofelt and Wade Weigel, the duo has spent over six months restoring the space, including a back patio, the original fixtures, and a revamped kitchen. The kitchen is run by Chef Dave Lamping which will put forth "made-from-scratch" plates focused on the seasons and locality of Ballard.


{5,6,7} Percy's is inspired by the old school apothecary, both in its décor and drink offerings. {2} Also, how can anyone resist exposed brick walls as part of your dining experience?! I know I can't! :P The bonus was also that Percy's had only officially opened on Monday (with a soft opening the weekend before), so I got to really see this new up and coming joint before it becomes seasoned with regulars and press. My guest and I got really chummy with our bartender, JB, who made our experience very welcoming and that much more enjoyable with his natural congeniality.

It was still happy hour when I arrived, so I got a small plate of beet-cured gravlax crostini with herbs and pickled onions for $4 (normally $7) which was quite phenomenal -- the smoked salmon cured in beets tasted so different from all of the varieties of gravlax I've had before. It had a nice earthiness to it that was simultaneously refreshing. I also had a chance to enjoy two different cocktails:

• {4} Wild Ones with basil-infused tequila, orange liqueur, strawberry purée, and an incredible housemade sour mix: Hands down one of the best cocktails I had while I was out visiting the Pacific Northwest. The strawberry purée gave the drink a little extra fruity, viscosity, while the housemade sour mix added a whole other dimension to the drink -- a dimension that could never be accomplished with any of that pre-made crap found at the grocery store. The cocktail captured the summer's bounty as well as a bit of its heat in color and with tequila.
• {7} Cilantro G&T with cilantro-infused gin, tonic, fresh cucumber, and a cilantro garnish: Essentially an herbaceous gin and tonic with a vegetal yet sweet twist of cucumber.

Nearing the two hour mark, {1} I was heading back to The W&C in hopes that our table would be ready when I received a phone call from the hostess, notifying me that my table for two was ready. They're pretty good with their wait time estimates! {3} The restaurant's moniker is eponymous to the famous Lewis Carroll poem that was part of the Alice stories (namely, Through the Looking-Glass) that narrates a story about a Walrus, a Carpenter, and a bed of oysters. The sign outside the restaurant pays a cheeky homage to one of the lines of third stanza: You could not see a cloud, because / No cloud was in the sky.

Chef Renee Erickson opened The Walrus and the Carpenter with partners Jeremy Price and Chad Dale, the long-time vision she has always had for an oyster bar. {2,4,7} The W&C "blends the elegance of France with the casual comfort of a local fishing pub -- a space that is stripped of pretense and feels like home whilst serving  the highest quality food and drink." The restaurant sits in the newly restored Kolstrand building on the south end of Ballard Avenue with a heated outdoor space.

{4} We started the evening with a Moscow Mule with vodka, ginger beer, lime, fresh ginger {6} along with a side of bread and Vicky's butter. And I couldn't survive the evening without sampling four of the oysters the restaurant had on ice that day, which mind you, were some of the best oysters I've ever had:

• Eld Inlet (Eld Inlet, WA):
• Treasure Cove (Case Inlet, WA):
• Amai (Discovery Bay, WA):
• Glacier Point (Kachemak Bay, AK):

zucchini salad with cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, Jersey ricotta, and basil vinaigrette (10)
smoked trout with lentils, walnut, onion, creme fraiche (12)
manila clams with chickpeas, chorizo, peppers
house-smoked fish

My last night in Seattle ended as it began, here in Ballard, {1,5,7,10} where I started with drinks and small bites at Essex, a craft cocktail bar started by the folks of Delancey (incidentally right next door, sharing a kitchen), where I dined at later that evening. Just like there's a wait at The W&C, there is also a bit of a wait at Delancey, which is why grabbing a drink at Essex during your wait for dinner is key and quite necessary.

Our first round of drinks at Essex were both sparkling cocktails that they had on tap (how cool is that?!). Essentially, the bartenders make the drinks in large batches ahead of time and run them on tap later. {6} I had the Elderflower Spritz (the dandelion-colored drink with the twirly lemon rind) with gin, elderflower liqueur, citrus, and sparkling Grüner, which was absolutely delicious -- fizzy, tart, lightly floral, and refreshing. My guest had the Paloma Herrera (also sparkling on tap) with tequila, grapefruit, lime, and housemade Campari -- which had the rounded punch of a tequila cocktail with a bubbly finish. We shared {3} beer-boiled pretzels with housemade mustard and {9} roasted cauliflower toasts with harissa aioli and pine nuts. The pretzels were quite good with a little twist of childhood nostalgia coming through. The roasted cauliflower toasts were very smoky (mostly attributable it to the harissa) with the fantastic touch from the burnt bits of bread and browned crowns of cauliflower. The pine nuts were an excellent addition, as it really came together. However, I probably should've specified that I wanted the smaller portion size (at $4 compared to the full portioned $7).

After this, we headed back to Delancey, where I had no idea that there'd be a crazy wait, mainly because when we arrived at Essex, it was pretty quiet on the Delancey side. Man, I really should've asked because they would've probably been able to seat us after our first round of drinks at Essex. Who knew there was already a waiting list going at that time?! Anyhow, we put our names down for a 45 minute wait, making our way back to our table at Essex for a second round of drinks (d'oh!).

{7} This time, I had the remaining cocktail available on tap that we hadn't tried -- Pink Drink with Lillet, Cocchi rosso, Dolin blanc, spiced brine, and sparkling Grüner. When I had asked about what the "spiced brine" was, our server told me that it was going to sound wacky, but that it in fact made the cocktail that much more dynamic and punchy. It was pickled shallot juice. Yes I agree that it sounds pretty unappetizing when you put it that way, but she was right in saying that it adds a really interesting dimension of flavor and texture to the drink, in the same way that olive juice makes a dirty martini. It's biting and refreshing all at once, while having that puckery vinegariness to it. It's unlike any cocktail I've ever had, so it's something you must try if you happen to see it on the menu at Essex. {4} My guest had something a little more tame -- the Little Rascal with Espolón blanco, Burg's extra-special orange, Campari, Avery white rascal, and lemon.

About 35 minutes passed, and {1} we checked in with the hostess to see about a table at Delancey. We were seated shortly after, ready for the made-to-order pizzas firing up in the kitchen. {2-3,7} The interiors are minimal but warm -- can't go wrong with white walls and wooden tables/fixtures! Delancey, along with Essex, was opened by famed food blogger Molly Wizenberg of Orangette and her husband Brandon Pettit. Delancey is "focused on Brooklyn-style wood-fired pizza" as Mr. Pettit is originally from New Jersey and has been "obsessed with pizza since he was a kid." In fact, Mr. Pettit makes every single pizza served here, for which he uses a two-day fermentation process for the pizza dough (it has "an intense, slightly sourdough-like flavor") as well as basic topping combinations that "use the freshest seasonal ingredients available." Additionally, I love the subtle hat-tip to New York City in the restaurants' names, as they're both streets in the Lower East Side neighborhood.


{4} Marcus had the pepperoni with fresh and aged mozzarella, Grana, and Zoe's pepperoni, sans tomato sauce, while {5} I had the bacon and onion with tomato sauce, fresh and aged mozzarella, Zoe's bacon, and thinly sliced onions. Mr. Pettit does a phenomenal job bringing the Brooklyn-style of wood-fire pizza to the other coast here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm not particularly snobby about pizza or anything, but I don't usually go seeking pizza outside the Tri-State area (that is, when I'm traveling out of town). But when Linda raved about this spot, I knew it must have something special, and now I know it truly does! The pizza dough/crust is the perfectly calibrated thinness yet can hold the entirety of sauce, toppings, etc. without becoming a sorry slice of soggy, yet is loose and crusty when you bite into it.You can also tell that the ingredients were really fresh and well-curated. Plus, the blend of fresh and aged mozzarella adds that something extra that makes these personal pies stand out.

{6} I totally fell in love with dessert that was created by the restaurant's executive pastry chef Brandi Henderson -- nectarines and honey with Bill's nectarines, honey mousse made using Ballard Bee Co.'s honey, and bourbon caramel. Holy moly, I loved it so much, in fact, that I made sure to order some honey from Ballard Bee Co. so I can enjoy its sweet, nectary goodness back home. I might even dare say that if I were ever to pick my last dessert on earth, this would be it. Pair the ripest slices of nectarines with some beautiful honey and the smoothest mousse, and you will be dancing on cloud nine. So heed this warning seriously -- save room for dessert, no exceptions!

Findings: Ballard was easily my favorite neighborhood that we visited on this Seattle excursion, thanks to Linda's stellar recommendations! The atmosphere is relaxed and casual without an ounce of pretension -- your truest self is invited and welcome. For each of these four places, the quality of the ingredients and the execution in these kitchens and bars left a meaningful impression on me. I had some of the best oysters I've ever had at The Walrus and the Carpenter, some of the most unique cocktails I've ever had the pleasure of sipping (e.g., sparkling cocktails on tap and one with housemade sour mix) at Essex and Percy's & Co.; one of the best made pizzas (that dough!) at Delancey as well as the best simply prepared dessert (OMG that nectarines and honey dish!) over which I continue to salivate. Ballard has some wonderful restaurants and bars popping up, and these four certainly highlight that captivating charm that makes you want to return on your next visit. Ballard has a special place in my heart, and I'll always think fondly of our time here -- and hope to return soon!

Price point: $7-10 for each cocktail at Percy's & Co., $4 for each happy hour small plate; $2-3.50 for each oyster at The Walrus and the Carpenter, $10 for each cocktail, $10-12 for each plate, $4 for each side; $10 for each cocktail at Essex, $6-7 for each bread; $14 for each pizza at Delancey, $8 for each dessert.

--August 21 & 23, 2013

Percy's & Co.
5233 Ballard Avenue Northwest
Seattle, WA 98107
http://www.percysseattle.com

The Walrus and the Carpenter
4743 Ballard Avenue Northwest
Seattle, WA 98107

http://www.thewalrusbar.com

Essex

1421 Northwest 70th Street

Seattle, WA 98117

http://www.essexbarseattle.com

Delancey

1415 Northwest 70th Street

Seattle, WA 98117

http://www.delanceyseattle.com

Lunch | Umami Burger (NYC)

To kick off Labor Day Weekend right, Marcus and I hopped on over to Umami Burger, the California-born franchise which opened a month ago in the Greenwich Village, for lunch after we wrapped up our half-days at work around 1:30 PM. I was pretty concerned about the wait times (I've heard they can be brutal, many times up to three hours!), so I called an hour before to get an estimate -- at 12:30, it was about a 5-10 minute wait. That we can do, I thought.


Marcus arrived a few minutes before I did, when the host told him that the entire party needed to be present in order to be seated. Thankfully, I had arrived merely seconds later, when he told us it'd be about a 15-20 minute wait. Lo' and behold -- we only waited a couple minutes to be seated. We got so lucky, because the crowd got a little bigger shortly after.


I like how Umami Burger organized the seating area -- very loose and comfortable, so it feels less like a fast food joint and more like a sit-down restaurant. Umami Burger focuses on "the art of creating the perfect mouthful." Its hamburger patties are house-ground, hand-formed, and infused with the Umami master sauce and enhanced by "the vibe of the room and the energy of the community" as well as "explodes" with the lightly toasted yet sweet bun, homemade sauces, and unique sides.


Along with the burgers you'd expect on the menu, there were a few salads available to start. Clearly, we were starving and just wanted our burgers, so we just bypassed all that. Next time, though!


To drink, I had a ginger beer bottled by Ithaca Soda Co., while Marcus had the tropical green iced tea. The ginger beer was nice, though not as biting as I would've expected -- it tasted essentially like ginger ale and sprite blended together. Marcus wasn't crazy about the tropical green iced tea (it was on the sweeter side), but it came with a free refill anyhow.


Marcus had one of the specials offer that day -- the pastrami burger with Umami's special beef blend patty, thick slab of pastrami, American cheese, mustard spread, and green relish. For you meat lovers out there (or hell, burger lovers), this is one burger you should not pass up, especially if it's offered as a special that day. As with all the burger patties at Umami, the special blend produces this juicy yet unified glory to it that just makes you say, "Damn, this is one hell of a burger!" This burger undoubtedly marries two classic diner favorites -- a pastrami and mustard sandwich with a classic cheeseburger -- and creates a whole culinary synecdoche that no words can describe but rather taste can only describe alone. With each bite, the bun just melds into burger as one, where bun-to-patty-to-condiment ratio isn't disturbed or knocked off balance.


I couldn't resist ordering the truffle burger with a special blend of beef, roasted garlic aioli, house truffle cheese, and truffle glaze. In a place called Umami Burger, you would expect nothing less from a burger that boasts the tease of truffle, which not only lives in the chosen sauce (or in this case, glaze) but in the cheese as well. Some people have reported that this burger is quite overwhelming, I didn't find it as fragrant or intense as I would've expected it to be -- after all, it's a burger priced at $12.50 as essence of truffle is the idea. Though I don't believe anything will beat the white truffle burger at Burger & Barrel in intensity, the one at Umami Burger surely lives up to that silky, sleek sensation you get from experiencing umami flavors like truffles. It was one sexy burger, and just like with the pastrami burger, it kept the ratio intact, as I had no need to reshuffle the patty on the bun in order to get even bites of both as I nommed away. The medium rare center made for a juicy, utterly enjoyable texture and taste, making these one of the best burgers I've ever sunk my teeth in (up there with Good Stuff Eatery)!


We shared a side of thin fries made "manly" (i.e., with beer cheddar, bacon, and onion strings). While the thick bits of bacon were on the saltier side, the cheese was fantastic, the onions were nice and crispy, and the thickness of the fries made them even more delicious (i.e., the perfect amount of friedness and potato).


Each side of fries comes with four house condiments -- housemade Umami ketchup, roasted garlic aioli, jalapeño ranch, and spicy diablo sauce. If we had known about the condiments, we probably wouldn't've gone the extra mile with the manly fries because the fries are already great with these four delicious condiments. If we had known that there would be this many varieties of condiments, we would've just thought to order the thin fries plain to thoroughly enjoy each of these! My favorites were the housemade ketchup and the roasted garlic aioli, while Marcus enjoyed the spicy diablo sauce (though he wished that and the jalapeño ranch would've been spicier). Truffle fries are also an option, so keep that in mind!

Findings: Perhaps I am biased about this review of Umami Burger as I didn't have to consider an appalling wait of an hour, let alone three! While I can't speak to dinner hours and what the wait can get like, I know that lunch time on a week day around 1:30 PM is undoubtedly more accessible with lower wait times and a smaller crowd waiting outside. So yes, I think the hype is worth it (though not sure I would wait more than an hour for a burger...), as you will certainly get what's due -- the juiciest and tastiest burger that you'll fall in love with at first bite. There's a burger for everyone, especially those who swear by the flavor of umami and its treasure cove of culinary delights. The blend of beef in its patties are key -- the secret to the restaurant's success. Plus, the waitstaff is super friendly and helpful, ready to guide you through your conversion to the Umami way. So order your own burger with fries to share with your partner in crime, and I promise you will leave pleasantly full, dreaming of the next time you step foot into this fantastic joint.

Price point: $12.50-15 for each burger, $6.50 for each side. $3-4 for each beverage.

--August 30, 2013

Umami Burger
432 Sixth Avenue
New York, 10011
http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/eats/umami-greenwich-village

Dinner | The Leadbelly

A couple weekends ago, Lisa and I stopped by at The Leadbelly on the Lower East Side to satiate our long-time craving for some oysters. The Leadbelly is a cocktail and oyster bar run by the same team behind The Fat Radish which "boasts a generous selection of East Coast oysters, seasonal cocktails, and hearty bar snacks."


Additionally, The Leadbelly has live performances each night and daily happy hour specials from 6 to 8 PM, which include select oysters, beers, and cocktails at half price.


Lounge area at the front of the restaurant.


Inside The Leadbelly.


Gawk-worthy raw bar. Look at those beauts!


The dining area at the restaurant's rear. Love the worn-in den feeling!


In lieu of a bread basket, lightly salted popcorn was served. Yum!


To start, I had the Nice and Stormy with Blackwell rum, lime, ginger beer, and fresh ginger. Lisa had the special cocktail that had elderflower I believe. Both were really refreshing and well-made -- a nice balance of sweet and spirit.


Starting at five/six o'clock, beginning and ending with the same oysters to make a full dozen:

1. Kumamoto from Totten Inlet, WA: A solid favorite, as always with a buttery texture that is both smooth and sweet and finishes with a light hint of honeydew melon.
2. Hama Hama from Hood Canal, WA: Plump with a subtle salinity, some cucumber notes, and a sweet vegetal finish.
3. Chatham from Chatham, MA: A little brinier, but still good.
4. Northern Cross from Cheraton, VA: Briny and vegetal with a walnut and celery-like finish.
5. Barcat from East Coast: Not bad -- quite decent for a buck! :)

Except with our experience at Maison Premiere, Lisa and I rarely are able to say that we have thoroughly enjoyed any given selection of oysters at a restaurant. I am happy to report that The Leadbelly joins this exception -- great to have an oyster bar go-to on the Manhattan side, even with the handful of varieties offered here. 

As for snacks/bites, Lisa and I tried the Salvatore ricotta and spring pea crostini. Normally, I can't digest too much ricotta, but this threw any and all of my reservations out the window when I took my first bite of it. It had a light and fresh, not-too-dense creaminess to it, further honed by the snappy spring peas and spring herbs. So, so, so good! I'm now inspired to make a similar dish like this at home with fresh farmers' market ricotta -- thanks, Leadbelly!


Obviously, Lisa and I couldn't go the evening without ordering truffle fries -- thick-cut "chips" with truffle and Parmesan. Even though they were thick, chunky wedges of potato, they were thoroughly cooked with a fluffy interior and super crispy skin. The amount of truffle oil was heavenly, and the sprinkling of Parmesan was a nice touch (even for me!). Plus, the garlic aioli that came with it just made it even more awesome.


We also had the lamb sliders with roasted garlic, tzatziki, and brioche bun. It was the perfect ratio of lamb, tzatziki, and brioche -- not too much sauce, not too much bread, and just enough meat to fill a slight craving.

Findings: Lisa and I really enjoyed the small plated fare at The Leadbelly -- just what we're always looking for, especially when it comes to having quite a decent selection of quality oysters available to order from a raw bar like this one. The cocktails are also very refreshing and well made, and we found most of the menu isn't too expensive. The atmosphere is relaxed and chill -- ideal for playing catchup with a close friend or two. I definitely foresee The Leadbelly in Lisa and I's future eating adventures.

Price point: $34 for a full dozen order of oysters, $8-10 for each plate.

--May 4, 2013

The Leadbelly
14 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.theleadbelly.com