FOOD NEWS: James Beard Award Semifinalists

On February 17th The James Beard Foundation announced its list of Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists. Below is a list of all the Seattle area Semifinalists.

Best New Restaurant
Girin Steakhouse & Ssam Bar - Seattle

Outstanding Baker
Evan Andres, Columbia City Bakery - Seattle

Outstanding Bar Program
Canon - Seattle

Outstanding Chef
Matt Dillon, Bar Sajor - Seattle
Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy - Seattle

Outstanding Pastry Chef
Junko Mine, Café Juanita - Kirkland, WA

Outstanding Restaurant
Lark - Seattle

Outstanding Restaurateur
Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants - Seattle (Anchovies and Olives, Ballard Pizza Co., Bar Cotto, Bramling Cross, Goldfinch Tavern, How to Cook a Wolf, MKT., Red Cow, Rione XIII, Staple and Fancy, Tavolàta)

Outstanding Service
Café Juanita - Kirkland, WA

Outstanding Wine Program
Canlis - Seattle
Wild Ginger - Seattle

Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Professional
Wayne Carpenter, Skagit Valley Malting - Burlington, WA

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Jay Blackinton, Hogstone Wood Oven - Orcas Island, WA
Maximillian Petty, Eden Hill - Seattle

Best Chefs: Northwest
Eric Donnelly, RockCreek - Seattle
Mike Easton, Il Corvo Pasta - Seattle
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins - Seattle
Edouardo Jordan, Salare - Seattle
Nathan Lockwood, Altura - Seattle
Dustin Ronspies, Art of the Table - Seattle
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule - Seattle

Congratulations to all of the Seattle area Semifinalists!! Best of luck in the Finals!!

FOOD EVENT: Dine Around Seattle

Get your appetites ready! Dine Around Seattle runs March 6 – 31st, Sundays through Thursdays. Participating restaurants offer 3-course dinner menus of one appetizer, one entree, and a dessert for just $33, with many restaurants offering a 3-course lunch menu for just $18. Check their website on February 11th for a complete listing of all participating restaurants.

TV SHOWS: Jason Stratton on Top Chef!

Jason Stratton (Photo Bravo TV)

Seattle's Jason Stratton (General Manager/Executive Chef, Mamnoon) will be on season 13 of Top Chef! The two-night premiere airs Wednesday, December 2nd and Thursday, December 3rd on Bravo. Top Chef will be road tripping across the Golden State of California with stops in San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Oakland and San Francisco. Padma, Tom, Gail, Richard and Emeril will be judging the chefs culinary creations through their six-city expedition.

Check out the Top Chef Season 13 preview! Top Chef California: West Coast Here We Come!

Here is Jason's bio from Bravo's Top Chef website:

AGE: 35
HOMETOWN: Seattle, WA
PROFESSION: General Manager/Executive Chef, Mamnoon
CULINARY EDUCATION: No formal training; Worked under the mentorship of great chefs including Bruce Naftaly (Le Gourmand), Holly Smith (Cafe Juanita) and Jerry Traunfeld (Poppy)
FAVORITE SIMPLE FALL RECIPE: Bagna Caoda Flan with Sunchoke Puree

Jason Stratton started in the kitchen at age 16 working as a dishwasher for the "Godfather of Northwest cuisine" Bruce Naftaly where he was immersed in seasonal cooking. While applying to graduate school for poetry, he secured a Sous Chef position with Holly Smith at Cafe Juanita which sparked his long love of regional Italian cuisine. He would later helm the celebrated Spinasse in Seattle, where he was awarded "2010 Food & Wine Best New Chef" after just 6 months in the position.  He went on to open Artusi, a Bon Apetít Best New Restaurant in 2012, and Aragona, a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2014 before taking on his current role of General Manager and Executive Chef for Mamnoon.

I can't wait for the start of Season 13 of Top Chef, and I wish Jason Stratton the best of luck!

FOOD REVIEW: Brunswick and Hunt

Brunswick and Hunt menus.

This review has been a long time coming. Brunswick and Hunt is one of my new favorite restaurants in Seattle. The restaurant is owned by longtime Seattle restauranteurs and brothers, Barry Rogel and Scott Rogel. The name of the restaurant, located at 70th and 15th in Ballard, has a great story rich in history.

When you enter the restaurant, you will notice the beautiful front bar to the right, made of American oak and birch. There is also an accompanying back bar in front of the kitchen. They were built near the end of the 1800's in Iowa by Brunswick Balke Collender and Company. In the early 1900's, the bars made their way to Winlock, Washington. That's where Barry and Scott found them. They had the bars moved to Seattle for a complete restoration. Opposite the front bar is a massive landscape painting by RJ Bocense titled, "The Hunt". As the story goes, The Hunt was painted as a companion piece for the "Brunswick", the front bar. The bar and painting have been together for over 100 years. The brothers had them both installed in their restored glory in the aptly named W.E. Hunt building in Ballard, and Brunswick and Hunt was born.

Heavenly Brunswick fried chicken with slaw and potato salad.

Brunswick and Hunt prepares fried chicken, one of my favorite foods, to perfection. The portion is generous with a breast, the leg and thigh joint. The chicken was juicy with a crispy, golden brown skin that is drizzled with truffle-honey. I could have easily ordered another helping. It is accompanied by a delicious coleslaw and a purple potato salad.

This ain't your Grandma's cornbread!

My friends and I also ordered the corn bread with honey butter to share. That is some seriously tasty corn bread.

Open kitchen offers great views of food preparation.

Brunswick and Hunt offers seating at the back bar that faces the kitchen. I love restaurants that allow you to watch the chefs in action. You get to witness all the fresh ingredients that are combined to create their delicious dishes. Not only is it entertaining, but you can learn a few things in the kitchen!

Brunswick and Hunt delivers farm-to-neighborhood food, and they do it right. I'm looking forward to many more visits to try out all of their other tasty offerings!

BEER EVENT: BREW Seattle 2015

If you're a lover of Seattle beer, then you have to check out BREW Seattle at Bell Harbor on October 23rd from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. The 3rd annual local-breweries-only tasting event features over 20 breweries from Seattle. Your $28 ticket gets you six tasting tokens, a BREW Seattle mini-mug, music and giveaways. You can purchase tickets here. At the event you can also vote for the Brewery of the Year! Pike Brewery currently holds the title. Let your taste buds help you select the next winner! Check out their website for all the info.

Here's a listing of all the breweries who will be pouring their tasty brews....

Counterbalance Brewing
Big Al Brewing
Bluebird Microcreamery & Brewery
Elysian Brewing
Elliott Bay Brewing
Fremont Brewing
Hellbent Brewing
Lowercase Brewing
Lantern Brewing
Machine House
Peddler Brewing Company
Pike Brewing
Reuben’s Brews
Rooftop Brew Co.
Seapine Brewing Company
Spinnaker Bay Brewing
Stoup Brewing
Two Beers Brewing
Triple R Brewing
Tin Dog Brewing
West Seattle Brewing
Seattle Cider Company
Schilling Cider
Number 6 Cider
The Soda Jerk
Outlander Brewing

OPENING SOON: Pecado Bueno is coming to Eastlake!

Pecado Bueno is coming to my neighborhood, Eastlake! I'm excited to see a business finally take over the former Quick Stop Grocery & Deli location at 2352 Eastlake Ave. E., and I'm really excited that it's Pecado Bueno! This will be the third location with the other two in Fremont and West Seattle. They are owned by James Schmidt who co-founded Taco Del Mar with his brother. James is no longer affiliated with the Taco Del Mar chain. The Pecado Bueno Eastlake location is scheduled to open the second week of September. I'm looking forward to the opening, and I'll write another post after my first visit.

FOOD EVENT RECAP: Pike Place Market Sunset Supper

Last Friday was Pike Place Market's annual Sunset Supper. Luckily the heavy rain let up just in time for the event and it was a huge success! Some of the area's best chefs, restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries sampled their delicious food and drinks. This is my favorite food event of the year. To be able to take in the market setting in the evening with great food and drinks is truly an awesome experience!

Proceeds from the Sunset Supper benefit The Market Foundation's mission to end hunger, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without, right at Pike Place Market. The Market Foundation is the heart of the Market. Their programs allow the diverse community to live and thrive at Pike Place Market. Learn more about The Market Foundation here.

If you didn't have a chance to attend this year, I highly recommend making the Sunset Supper a must-attend event for next year! Also, check out the Pike Up! website to learn all about the Market's expansion!

Please enjoy some pictures from this year's Sunset Supper.....

Food and drinks out on the bricks!

Rachel's Ginger Beer

Blue C Sushi

Blue C Sushi

Crowd enjoying the delicious food at the Sunset Supper.

Cafe Campagne

Rodeo Donut

Rodeo Donut

Macrina Bakery

Scutter's Gourmet Popcorn in Seattle Seahawks colors.

Pike Place Chowder

Fremont Brewing

Maninis

Heritage Distilling

Wilridge Winery

Treveri Cellars

Dry Sparkling Soda

Gazpacho from Luc.

Seattle Seahawks popcorn from Scutter's Gourmet Popcorn.

Dancing the night away at the Sunset Supper.

Hope to see you at the Pike Place Market Sunset Supper next year! Cheers!                 

FOOD REVIEW: Urbane at Olive 8

More and more local restaurants are offering fresh, local, organic food. Urbane at Olive 8 in downtown Seattle is doing it right. Urbane is committed to sustainability and featuring local ingredients. They source a majority of their raw ingredients from within a 200-mile radius of their restaurant, reducing their carbon footprint.

Summertime BLT with organic mixed greens salad.

I had the opportunity to enjoy a nice lunch at Urbane this week. Their menu offers a great mix of small plates, sandwiches and large plates. I ordered the Summertime BLT with a side salad. The sandwich comes well stacked with all fresh ingredients of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado on whole wheat bread. The BLT was delicious! The bacon was crispy and it had just enough avocado to give the sandwich some good flavor. I really enjoyed the side salad also, fresh organic mixed greens, radish, Willamette Valley aged gouda and verjusnette.

Sign of a good meal.

As you can see, I really enjoyed the sandwich and salad.

Apples and caramel dipping sauce.

For dessert, I went with the very simple, but very tasty fresh apple slices with caramel dipping sauce.

Oh, so good.

Urbane dining area.

The restaurant itself is nice, clean and minimal. Urbane is one of very few restaurants in Seattle with LEED Silver Certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to provide a standard for environmentally sustainable construction and operating practices. This certification adds to Urbane's commitment of sustainability, not only with their farm-to-table food, but with their day-to-day operations. I'm impressed with their efforts, and I can only hope more Seattle area restaurants take on the same commitment.

View from window towards 8th Ave. and Olive Way.

Urbane is one of over 90 restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries that will be participating in the Sunset Supper at Pike Place Market on August 14th. This is one of the best parties of the summer! Proceeds from the Sunset Supper benefit The Market Foundation. Their mission is to end hunger, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without, right at Pike Place Market. Find out more about the Sunset Supper at their website, and be sure to purchase tickets to the event to sample some of the region's best food and drinks!

FOOD EVENT: Sunset Supper at Pike Place Market

Are you ready for the party of the summer?! This year is the 20th Anniversary of the Sunset Supper at Pike Place Market! Over 90 of the region's finest restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries will offer up samples of their delicious food and drinks. The historic Pike Place Market serves as the perfect venue for the Sunset Supper. This event offers the a great opportunity to sip and sample great food and drinks as you chat with the chefs and try your luck on a raffle or spin the wheel for prizes. You can also dance the night away to live music. Check out the participating vendors here.

Proceeds from the Sunset Supper benefit The Market Foundation's mission to end hunger, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without, right at Pike Place Market. The Market Foundation is the heart of the Market. Their programs allow the diverse community to live and thrive at Pike Place Market. Learn more about The Market Foundation here.

The event is Friday, August 14th from 7:30 - 11:00pm at Pike Place Market. General admission tickets are $150 for each individual. Patron tickets are $250 for each individual, or $2,500 for a table of 10. Patron tickets include a 7pm early admission, canopied seating, exclusive wine service, free parking, and more.
BUY PATRON TICKETS
BUY GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS

Photos from last year's event.

FOOD EVENT: Vegfest 2015

This weekend is Seattle Vegfest 2015! Vegetarians unite! Vegfest is a healthy vegetarian food festival that offers food samples, cooking demonstrations, guest speakers, and health checks. Check out the Vegfest website for more info on the food festival.

Friday, March 21st and Saturday, March 22nd, 2015
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
10am - 6pm
Tickets available at the door
Adults $8, Kids 12 and under - Free

FOOD NEWS: James Beard Award Semifinalists

Photo Credit: James Beard Foundation

Last month the James Beard Foundation announced the 2015 Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalists. As always, Washington state has a good representation of outstanding chefs and restaurants. Here is a list of the Washington state Semifinalists. The finalists will be announced on March 24th, 2015, at the James Beard House in New York City.
  
Outstanding Baker
Evan Andres, Columbia City Bakery - Columbia City, Seattle

Outstanding Bar Program
Canon - Capitol Hill, Seattle

Outstanding Chef
Holly Smith, Cafe Juanita - Kirkland, WA

Outstanding Restaurant
Canlis - Queen Anne, Seattle

Outstanding Restaurateur
Ethan Stowell, Ethan Stowell Restaurants (Staple and Fancy, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives, Chippy's, MKT., Red Cow, Rione XIII, Tavolata, Ballard Pizza Company) - Seattle

Outstanding Wine Program
Wild Ginger - Downtown Seattle and Bellevue, WA

Rising Star of the Year
Jay Blackinton, Hogstone Wood Oven - Orcas Island, WA

Best Chef: Northwest
Eric Donnelly, RockCreek - Fremont, Seattle
Renee Erickson, The Whale Wins - Wallingford, Seattle
Jeremy Hansen, Sante - Spokane, WA
Nathan Lockwood, Altura - Capitol Hill, Seattle
Garrett Melkonian, Mamnoon - Capitol Hill, Seattle
Dustin Ronspies, Art of the Table - Fremont, Seattle
Jason Stratton, Spinasse - Capitol Hill, Seattle
Blaine Wetzel, The Willows Inn on Lummi Island - Lummi Island, WA
Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule - Wallingford, Seattle

A full list of all the national Semifinalists can be found at the James Beard Foundation website.

Congratulations to all the Semifinalists and good luck!

REVIEW: The London Plane

Last weekend I had Brunch at The London Plane in Pioneer Square. I have been wanting to eat at this cafe since it opened a year ago. The London Plane is owned by Mathew Dillon who also owns the popular Sitka and Spruce, The Corson Building, bar ferd'nand, and bar Sajor. It is also a partnership between Katherine Anderson, owner of Marigold and Mint. The London Plane is one of many new restaurants that have opened in Pioneer Square over the last year that has started a revitalization of Seattle's oldest neighborhood.

The London Plane is located at 300 Occidental Avenue South. It is a corner space in a beautiful historic building. The space has huge floor to high-ceiling windows that just flood the space with natural light. When you enter the cafe you are greeted by a large table of beautiful flower arrangements from Marigold and Mint. The counter to the right offers fresh bakery goods and an array of salads, soups, and other delicious looking food items. There is seating available upstairs on the second level that offers up a great view of the main dining area and cafe bar.

I was really looking forward to trying the food at The London Plane. Matthew Dillon had huge success with Sitka and Spruce, so I had high expectations. I decided to start with one of the baked goods, as they all sounded so delicious. I wanted to go with the orange scented morning bun, but they were unfortunately out of them that morning. I went with my second choice, the warm biscuit with seasonal preserve and crème fraiche. I'm not going to lie, this biscuit with the preserve and crème fraiche was one of the best biscuits I have had in a very long time. So I'm kind of glad they were out of the morning bun. 

I love Brunch. It gives me an excuse to have an alcoholic beverage in the morning. Not that I really need an excuse. The Mimosa was very tasty and it was a generous pour. So we were off to a good start. Next came the main dish.

I ordered the salt cured king salmon with marinated beets, fennel, crème fraich and a boiled egg. First off, the presentation of the food was amazing. The food almost looked like a floral arrangement, and it tasted as good as it looked. Everything was so fresh and full of flavor. I really liked the paper-thin shaved radishes. I'm a big fan of fennel, and this dish had just the right amount to not overpower the salmon, which was delicious! The boiled egg was just slightly more than soft boiled and the yolk just slowly oozed when I cut into it. I would definitely come back for more of this dish.

The London Plane is also a specialty foods store. They offer foods, gift ideas, cookbooks, soaps, cards, tableware, and other great food-related items. I highly recommend stopping into The London Plane,either for some delicious food, or to wander through their store items. If you do plan on going for dinner, I would suggest making reservations, as they tend to fill up very quickly.