Gastrolust

With food scientist Harold McGee in town this evening, I’m recalling his appearance at the recent Culinary Institute of America’s “Worlds of Flavor” conference, where he talked about the complexity of flavor. McGee mentioned sensations such as the sound food makes, but argued that aroma might be the foundation of taste. For while the taste [...]

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As skeptical as I was about going on a food-related trip to Whistler, I was even more skeptical about making a similar trip to Vancouver Island. I’d been to both places about fifteen years ago, but I figured that Whistler had probably evolved more. The Olympics were there, foreigners hung out there on an ongoing [...]

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Leave me breathless instead of brothless Nearly seven months ago, on April 24, I broke the news that Din Tai Fung was coming to the Seattle area. My prediction came true: “Knowing the food scene here, knowledge of Din Tai Fung’s arrival will be cause for every food lover in Seattle to have a simultaneous orgasm – [...]

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So many in Seattle are atwitter with Canlis’ menu contest. And rightly so. In hiding 50 menus in 50 days (Sundays off, generally), Canlis is providing 50 lucky Seattleites the chance to dine (with a guest) at 1950s prices. It’s all part of Canlis’ 60th birthday celebration. The contest is brilliant on many levels. First, [...]

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I’ve been on a bit of a burger binge lately. Part of the reason: USA Today asked me to pick a best (though not necessarily the best) burger in Washington for a national feature. So I ate a few from around the state, and even sampled what turned out to be the best in our [...]

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Last weekend, I attended the 13th Annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley campus. The theme was “Japan: Flavors of Culture,” and a team of 39 of Japan’s most talented chefs came to teach other chefs, foodservice workers, suppliers, food writers, and more about the magic [...]

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Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the 13th Annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley Campus. For only the second time in its history, the conference focused on the cuisine of a single country: Japan. While I’ve traveled to Japan about ten times since [...]

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South Lake Union is the scene of Chef Christine Keff’s relocated Flying Fish restaurant. I went in for a tasting menu experience, expecting a series of small bites, but was blown away by a big, welcoming platter of crabs. Keff explained that she loves to serve such platters (which can also be sizzling Gulf shrimp [...]

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Behold the beauty of “Of Earth & Ocean,” one course from the new Autumn Tasting Menu at Canlis. The colors and forms of the dish are dazzling, so much so that I hesitated to take my first bite. But not for long. As expected, the flavors were dazzling, too. When asked about the inspiration for [...]

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While some are supping on sushi in Seattle, I’m down in the Napa Valley attending the Culinary Institute of America’s Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival, with this year’s theme being “Japan: Flavors of Culture.” And while I was especially amused seeing Masaharu Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai yukking it up, I must say there’s [...]

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