Gastrolust

Food exploring and reporting

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Entries from August 2012

Sexy Feast: Shabu Chic and Getting Your Freak On…Wrong

August 31st, 2012 · No Comments

As far as I know, Shabu Chic (behind Viet Wah in the International District) is a one-of-a-kind restaurant in Seattle, the only place doing shabu-shabu meals. Shabu-shabu is a variant of the hot pot dining you can find at a number of area Chinese restaurants, but instead of totally immersing the meat with other ingredients [...]

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Tags: Japanese · Sexy Feast

Sexy Feast: Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen’s Gritty Lesson on Lumps

August 24th, 2012 · No Comments

Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen is the newest restaurant in Ballard serving up barbecue, with whiskey and its brethren creating a somewhat boisterous atmosphere. I enjoyed the meat piled high in my Smokestack sandwich, and the five house sauces in a tray on each table present a terrific opportunity to play with your food. In the [...]

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Tags: BBQ · Sexy Feast · Southern/soul

Raising the Steaks for Carnivorous Dining

August 21st, 2012 · No Comments

This hole-in-the-wall noodle lover has had an interesting and unusual opportunity to eat at three steakhouses this summer. For those yet to partake in steak at an upscale establishment, you’re usually paying for higher quality meats, fine quality service, and typically big portions. I like to call it fine dining Flintstones-style. While two of my [...]

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Tags: American · steak

Serious Eats: Torrija Andaluza at Harvest Vine in Seattle (Hangover Helper)

August 20th, 2012 · 1 Comment

Last week, Serious Eats posted my “Hangover Helper” article about Torrija Andaluza at Harvest Vine. An excerpt: I want to eat the [small hockey puck of foie gras] butter on its own, but fight temptation and spread some on my toast, then drag a biteful through the cherry preserves. The toast has that familiar crusty [...]

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Tags: brunch · Spanish

Sexy Feast: Golden Beetle Colors Me Aroused

August 17th, 2012 · No Comments

Maria Hines says she named her Ballard restaurant Golden Beetle after a 27-ingredient Moroccan spice mixture called ras el-hanout which includes dried golden beetle, a Spanish fly that is considered an aphrodisiac. That said, this Sexy Feast is not about the aphrodisiacal qualities of Golden Beetle’s dishes, though you’ll enjoy plenty of Eastern Mediterranean flavors [...]

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Tags: Sexy Feast

Noodling Around: Soba by Soma Pop-Ups Continue

August 15th, 2012 · 1 Comment

Several months ago, I reported about former Chez Shea chef Mutsuko Soma and her desire to bring a soba restaurant to Seattle. She did a pop-up at Sushi Kappo Tamura, serving zaru-soba as part of a multi-course lunch to showcase her handmade buckwheat noodles. Soma’s pop-ups continue, with the latest at Miyabi Sushi in Tukwila. [...]

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Tags: Japanese · noodles

Sexy Feast: Bisato and Its Blini of Red Beet Makes Us Blush

August 10th, 2012 · 1 Comment

I never got to eat at Scott Carsberg’s Lampreia, so I absolutely jumped on a recent chance to try Bisato. I’d heard that the dishes are artistic masterpieces, and while that’s true, there’s a high price of admission for somewhat small works. And since eating involves more than the eyes, my taste buds can tell [...]

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Tags: Italian · Sexy Feast

POP Kitchen + Bar Is All Right (and a Bag of Chips)

August 9th, 2012 · No Comments

I’ve already spent more days at the Seattle Center this summer than in my previous twelve years of living in the Emerald City. The new Chihuly Garden and Glass is well worth a visit, the Experience Music Project remains entertaining, and there’s always the Space Needle. It’s fascinating to feel the tourist vibe at Seattle [...]

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Tags: American

Cupcake Royale Makes My List of Top Ice Creams in Seattle

August 3rd, 2012 · No Comments

Serious Eats just published my list of favorite frozen treats in Seattle. Just after compiling the list, Food & Wine Magazine unveiled its 25 “Best Ice Creams Spots in the U.S.” Two local picks made it into the list by Food & Wine, but not mine. I applauded Food & Wine’s choice of Mora Iced [...]

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Tags: sweets

Sexy Feast: POP Kitchen + Bar Chips in with Condom Tips

August 3rd, 2012 · No Comments

Collections Café and the Armory food court (where you’ll find Skillet‘s latest incarnation) are two of the newer food venues at the Seattle Center, but let’s not forget about POP Kitchen + Bar at the Experience Music Project. Connected to Wolfgang Puck Catering, this museum café (no museum admission required) serves up a fairly safe [...]

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Tags: American · sandwiches · Sexy Feast