This week, the James Beard Foundation whittled down its list of nominees, announcing finalists for culinary distinction. For cookbook awards, locals made the list in three categories. In “Baking and Dessert,” Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance are finalists for The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle. Nathan Myhrvold (whose lecture I attended a little over [...]
Entries Tagged as 'events and adventures'
The Seattle Area’s Slew of James Beard Award Nominees, Plus a Top Newbie
March 21st, 2013 · No Comments
Tags: events and adventures
Religion in Restaurants: Is God a Good Thing?
March 21st, 2013 · No Comments
In this installment of Tabletop Wrestling, Jay Friedman spars with himself about the issue of religion in restaurants. Religion in Restaurants? I Stay Away. When I used to fly on Alaska Airlines, I’d always ask for the oppression-free meal. Most flight attendants would nod knowingly, offering empathy, some later telling me in the galley how [...]
Tags: events and adventures
Cochon 555 in Seattle: The (Pork-Filled) View from the Judging Tables
March 19th, 2013 · No Comments
Yesterday, Serious Eats posted my report on Cochon 555 in Seattle. An excerpt: This was true nose-to-tail eating, most prominent in the long-cooking broths with head parts, the ubiquitous use of lardo, the addictive chicharrones, and the appearance of pork in the desserts. Judges sometimes received more “courses” than the general public, giving more to [...]
Tags: events and adventures
Find Some of America’s Best Chinese Food…in Flushing
January 7th, 2013 · Comments Off
New Year celebrations may be behind for most people, but I’m still looking forward to my favorite of the year: Chinese New Year. It’s about a month away, and as with Thanksgiving day and Christmas day, I’ll likely spend it in a Chinese restaurant in Seattle. Or, more likely, Bellevue, as that’s where the better [...]
Tags: beyond Seattle · Chinese · events and adventures
2012 in Food: No Top Chef, But 26 Favorites for the Seattle Area
December 31st, 2012 · 1 Comment
As the year comes to a close, seems like everyone is compiling their Top 10 restaurant lists for 2012. Meanwhile, throughout the year, people take to Twitter and Facebook to scream that “this” or “that” is the best—making your pick more like the worst. I feel fortunate for any opportunity to eat out, and prefer [...]
Tags: events and adventures
Celebrity Chef Tour: Five Chefs, Foie Gras, Flan with Wine, and Funds for the Future
October 22nd, 2012 · No Comments
About once per year, something called the Celebrity Chef Tour makes a stop in the Seattle area. A benefit for the James Beard Foundation, it’s been held in recent years at the Columbia Tower Club, with the host chef opening up the kitchen for one or more guest chefs to wow an audience of appreciative [...]
Tags: events and adventures
An Unforgettable 10-Course, 5-Hour Dinner at Feast Portland
September 25th, 2012 · No Comments
One of the most fascinating aspects of last weekend’s spectacular Feast Portland festival was the Dinner Series and its intriguing teaming of chefs. Matthew Lightner (Atera) with Sean Brock (Husk and McGrady’s), for example. Or how about Jenn Louis (Lincoln and more) and April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig and more) with Hedy Goldsmith (Michael’s Genuine [...]
Tags: beyond Seattle · events and adventures
Best Bites from the Feast of Fields on Vancouver Island
September 18th, 2012 · 1 Comment
Yesterday, Serious Eats posted my “Best Bites from the Feast of Fields on Vancouver Island” article after attending the event this past weekend in Duncan. An excerpt: Nearly 60 restaurants, breweries, wineries, and producers were there: at the “interactive” crab boil, firing pizza all afternoon, and serving zany black pepper raspberry s’more macarons for dessert. [...]
Tags: beyond Seattle · events and adventures
Good Food Attitude at VUDE
September 16th, 2012 · No Comments
There’s an interesting allure to the secret (and not-so-secret) dining scene, with its underground restaurants and supper clubs and the like. Especially in Seattle, the in-crowd wants to be in-the-know and on-the-list for culinary events. The craze is partly why events like Foodportunity and Baconopolis and Feedingtubetopia (okay, I made that one up) are so [...]
Tags: events and adventures
My Cha-kaiseki Experience: A Klutz at Kaiseki
July 10th, 2012 · 1 Comment
Cha-kaiseki made me realize that I’m not Japanese. Of course, I already knew that, but many of my friends have joked that I must be Japanese, as there’s so much I appreciate about the cuisine and the culture. Or so I thought, until I encountered cha-kaiseki. Actually, in discussing my cha-kaiseki experience, I’ve come to [...]
Tags: events and adventures · Japanese
