Gastrolust

It seems like island bites are the big thing right now, with foodies flocking by plane and ferry for their culinary pilgrimages. Nowhere is the boom bigger than the San Juan Islands, especially after The New York Times singled out Willows Inn and Allium as top dining destinations.
Online, Allium is receiving a [...]

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So far this week, there have been Andrew Zimmern sightings at The Walrus and the Carpenter, Fu Lin (not a place I’d recommend for ramen), and Marination Mobile, a few of the places he’s visiting while shooting a Seattle-area episode of Bizarre Foods. Perhaps most bizarre was his visit to Sea Breeze Farm, where he [...]

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When I attended the Culinary Institute of America’s annual Worlds of Flavor conference last year, one speaker cited a report that there are 25,600 ramen restaurants in Japan. Those are dedicated ramen shops, selling little more than gyoza on the side.
Seattle has two such shops.
To learn more about my favorite Japanese noodle [...]

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Not long ago, the main thing to love about Ballard was lutefisk. But Ballard has changed. There’s much to do in this popular neighborhood—so much, that we’ll be revisiting for future reports. For now, let’s focus on what to do when you bring your love to Seaview Avenue.
PICK UP PIG FOR A [...]

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I have a friend who simply adores emmer&rye. When I ask why, she says the dishes feel right for the moment, simple enough to highlight stellar ingredients and yet still creative.
I think about this as I sit on emmer&rye’s front deck, a late afternoon escape from the office. In my hands I [...]

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So just where will Zimmern find freaky food in Seattle? Early word is that he’ll be hitting eateries old and new. In the middle of the week on a day that begins with a “W,” look for Zimmern to be munching on SPAM musubi at Marination Mobile (and maybe checking out other food trucks), and then sucking down ika no shiokara (fermented squid guts) and more delicious delights at Maneki.

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As if the Melrose Building didn’t already have enough quality eating options, Taylor Shellfish Farms is celebrating the grand opening of its Capitol Hill store today.

The store’s actually been open all month (daily 10 to 7), and it’s a fabulous place to shop for shellfish. Here you’ll find local geoduck, Manila clams, Mediterranean [...]

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Dish: Combo Vermicelli
Place: Ba Bar, Capitol Hill
Price: $12.00
In the bowl: From the menu: “Imperial roll, grilled white prawn, grass-fed beef bo mo chai, cucumber, rau thom.” This and more (see below) over cold rice vermicelli noodles.
Supporting cast: A side of nuoc cham (made with nuoc mam, a.k.a. fish sauce).
What to do: Pour the [...]

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As a food writer and sex educator, I’m sharing hedonistic ideas (from nibbles to “naughtiness”) for couples visiting Seattle-area neighborhoods and more distant destinations in this new Passport to Pleasure feature.
Wallingford has had a reputation as a neighborhood for families. Whether you have children or not, here are some ideas of [...]

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If the photo looks familiar, it’s because I just showcased the inaka udon at Showa in this week’s Mein Man column. Now, two days later, the noodles are providing fodder for this week’s Sexy Feast. Why?
I liked this udon dish so much that I wanted to learn how to make it at home. When [...]

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