Gastrolust

It was standing room only at Murphy’s Pub as Chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi of Seattle’s highly acclaimed Joule restaurant did battle against Chef Jose Garces on last night’s Iron Chef America. Friends and family cheered and jeered throughout the sixty minute show, with Kitchen Stadium events stirring passion that easily rivaled the fevered [...]

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The scene is the back bar at Bastille, where food groupies writers have gathered for a meet-and-greet with reknowned chef Thomas Keller. Actually, it turns out to be less of a meet-and-greet and more of a simple “eat” with Thomas Keller – if being in the same room is eating with the man. Let’s call [...]

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Last night, I saw a big organ in a Pussy Room.
Yes, you read that right.
I was at an unveiling at Copper Gate, the Viking bar in Ballard with Scandinavian sensibility about sex. Contributing to the scenery are breasts, bras, and a Barbie orgy—that’s inside the women’s bathroom, along with a rideable vibrator. But near the [...]

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With the approach of the coming weekend, I’m holding on to great memories of last week’s Lamb Jam at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. As part of the judging panel, I had the tough task of tasting 17 plates of lamb, along with 17 wines, and choosing favorites in a number of categories.
Events like [...]

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As we head into the voting season, coming up will be one of the most important and interesting votes: Best Loin Taste.
One month from today, the lamb lies down, not on Broadway, but at the Bell Harbor Conference Center on the waterfront, for a lamb-tasting contest. Actually, not just one lamb, but many, as 15 [...]

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The next Battle in Seattle doesn’t involve Charlize Theron or the WTO.
Next Tuesday, Enotria restaurant will play host to a crudo versus sashimi competition. This Battle in Seattle is for bragging rights for supremacy on 45th Street, pitting Enotria’s Chef David Hahne against Rain Modern Infusion Cuisine’s Chef Takashi Ogasawara.
Each chef will prepare three dishes [...]

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One day ago, I ate tongue and tripe tacos at a taco truck in north Seattle. That’s typical of the food I most love: simple and flavorful.
One month ago, thanks to Keren Brown, this restaurant reviewer had the good fortune of meeting famed restaurant reviewer Ruth Reichl at Olivar in Seattle. (The photos here, taken [...]

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Did I mention I’m on vacation for the week?
We’re visiting Florida, and currently in Key West. Happy eating to all! I’ll likely not be posting until the weekend.

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Okay. Maybe it was a little unfair of us to tease a dinner that the James Beard nominees for Best Chef Northwest, including Ethan Stowell (pictured, photo by Rina Jordan), were preparing for a private little group of food writers. (Stowell sent out plates of six Shigoku oysters topped with uni – and that was [...]

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One week from tonight, four chefs from Seattle and one from Portland will be in New York anxiously awaiting announcement of which is Best Chef Northwest per the James Beard Foundation.
One week ago, all five came together to prepare a feast for a James Beard Best Chefs Dinner and Tweetup, held at Crush.
This was an [...]

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