Early last year, I was dining at the counter of a favorite sushi restaurant with a couple of food writers who were seated to my left. The conversation was pretty passionate, as we were bantering about best and worst places to eat in the Seattle area.

It turns out that a diner immediately to my right was “eavesdropping” on the conversation. (I can’t say that I blame him!) As he got up to leave, he gave me his card and said, “If you like bold food, you should come to my restaurant.”

The card belonged to Chef Dustin Ronspies of Art of the Table restaurant.

It’s taken far too much time for me to file this, but I can report that Ronspies has every right to claim such confidence.

Most people I know have never been to Art of the Table. The majority of them have never even heard of the place. But those who’ve been give it rave reviews.

Once you discover the restaurant, you might want to keep it a relative secret. There are only about twenty seats in the small dining room, including a number at a communal table, and two that peek into the kitchen.

Thursday through Saturday Art of the Table is a supper club concept, with one seating at seven for a chance to work your way through the chef’s tasting menu for the evening. In the Fearless Critic restaurant guide, we called it a locavore experience that’s easy on the wallet, or “a trip to Herbfarm—minus the long drive, pomp, and circumstance.”

My most recent experience was a “Happy Monday” meal. These are a la carte small plates that are so reasonably priced and good that you might as well order the whole menu, anyway. We did. It’s great fun at a restaurant to say, “One of everything, please.”

This food is fun, creative, bold, and artistic. With apologies for the photo quality (it was fairly dark inside), here’s the menu, as written by the restaurant, for that Happy Monday meal:

toasts: smoked salmon mousse, salmon gravlax*, olive~caper relish, crème fraîche~$8 (one of my favorite dishes of the night, and sexy enough to be spotlighted in Sexy Feast)

soup: potato~leek soup, chives, olive oil~$5 (this soup could have used more seasoning)

salad: sherried chiogga beets, roasted brussels sprouts, aioli, basil oil, pea tips, pepitas, roasted pear~$9

veg: wild mushroom ragú, cheesy grits, roasted garlic cream, nw truffles, bacon~$11 (earthy and hearty)

fish: shellfish stew of mussels, clams, calamari & shrimp, spicy tomato broth, grilled garlic bread~$13 (my favorite dish of the night, with fabulous broth)

oxtail: oxtail & cabbage tian, root vegetables, charred treviso & endive, red wine sauce, sunchoke chips~$14

dessert: nut & caramel tart, rosemary ice cream, pear puree, vanilla apples~$8

The American Lamb Board sponsored a wonderful dinner at Russell’s in Bothell. A barnful of fabulous chefs were on hand to create dishes from various parts of the lamb, including host Russell Lowell, who gave a little lesson on carving the marvelous critter. I enjoyed offerings from Adam Stevenson (Earth & Ocean), Thierry Rautureau (Rover’s), John Sarich (Chateau Ste. Michelle), and Eric Banh (Monsoon) – whose Vietnamese lamb stew with lamb shank and lemongrass-grilled rack of lamb with tamarind sauce were my favorite dishes of the night.

But I also appreciated Lowell’s spit-roasted baby lamb Merguez sausage, as well as his seared lamb rack with stone ground mustard demi. And what a wonderful place for a meal. Be sure to check out all the nooks and crannies of the unique barn.

The next day was a special meal at Salish Lodge. I’d been to watch the waterfall in the past, but this was my first time to the Dining Room. Some highlights of the meal:

Salt-cured foie gras torchon: A very playful dish, with the gooseberries, raspberries, and lavender marshmallow, but I ultimately prefer my foie gras simply seared instead of moussed, foamed, etc.

Native-caught Columbia River cedar-wrapped salmon (with morel mushrooms, heirloom potatoes, snow peas, leek blossoms, celeriac-apple puree, and lemon confit): The concept was great (and another visual treat), and all-in-all it was a tasty dish. I especially liked the leek blossoms. My dining companions and I talked a lot about the salmon itself, which some of us thought was too soft and mushy. Some wondered if it was overcooked; some said that it was truly fresh, with wild salmon tending to have a softer texture.

American Kobe rib-eye steak (with butter-braised lobster tail on three generation fry bread, and summer green and yellow bean salad): The beef side of the entrée was my favorite course of the night. I was glad for that kind of cut of beef, as it’s one of my favorites. I took home a portion of the steak and thin-sliced it to add to the bowls of cold Korean noodles. Delicious! I also enjoyed the lobster tail and accompaniments, though the fry bread felt a little forced and a bit unwieldy to eat.

The dinner at Salish showed me that a trip to Snoqualmie can be a feast for the eyes both outside the lodge, and inside its dining room. Now that Executive Chef Brad Komen and Sous Chef Matthew Mina have joined Chef de Cuisine Jack Strong, it will be interesting to see how the food there evolves.

The folks at Fresh Bistro, the new West Seattle restaurant from Herban Feast, throw fresh into all that they prepare. We took our fresh lemon and vanilla bean-infused Gin & Yang (get it?) drink to our dining room table, where Chef Dalis Chea sent a bunch of plates enhanced by fruits and vegetables—with varying degrees of success.

First up were shiso-crusted honey pecan prawns with green mango slaw and sriracha foam. I laugh whenever I see honey walnut prawns on menus of restaurants that claim to serve authentic Chinese food, and shudder when I think of the mayonnaise, condensed milk, and other creamy sauces I’ve seen served with the shrimp. And yet they can be a guilty pleasure. The slaw was a good counterpoint in this dish, though I wish there was more heat from the sriracha.

I should say that I’m not sold on the “foam phenomenon” in restaurants, as I’m not quite sure of the point. And sometimes I feel the same about the “flanification” of vegetables. A green olive and pecorino-crusted halibut was okay (as long as I’m lamenting certain foods, it’s as good a time as any to say that I find halibut a bit boring, which is sad since it’s served so much this time of the year), but while I liked the roasted tomatoes and other vegetables, the spinach flan was a fail for me. Beautiful color, for sure, but as with many foamed ingredients, flavor was lost.

Still, points for trying, and same for a couple of crisped dishes. The “Bellies Up” asparagus came with nice flavor from pickled red onions, shaved fennel, dill, and preserved lemons, but while I like the idea of deep frying the salmon bellies, salmon is a fish I prefer not battered. Likewise for the crispy veal marrow in the oxtail bourguignon plate. The joy of the marrow was lost once battered and fried—and it was simply too oily. But I liked trying it, and otherwise appreciated the meaty dish freshened up with baby carrots, parsnip puree, frizzled chervil, and appropriately and amazingly crispy chips.

As vegetables were the strength of the meal, it’s no surprise that my favorite dish was the “Beets Me” salad. Just as I’m an advocate of using the whole animal, here we got the greens on one side, the fleshy roots on the other, and a glass of golden beet gazpacho to boot.

But the big surprise came at dessert. All those vegetables should have been the telltale sign that there’d be a twist at the end of the meal. And there was. Pastry Chef Maya Barber Kurose’s dessert was unmistakably creme brulee, but I did a double-take when I saw that it was topped with tomato, basil, and some balsamic vinegar. A salad dessert? A dessert salad? Either way, it worked me—as I don’t always want my dessert too sweet. Others might. Fresh Bistro is touting itself as serving internationally inspired, locally sourced bistro cuisine. Expect a tossed salad of ingredients in any of their menu selections. And maybe a few surprises.

Meanwhile, Maria’s neighbors down the block are also getting their fair share of praise and prizes. Chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi recently won Seattle Weekly’s Innovation Award, and Joule was named one of the country’s top 50 best new restaurants in the May issue of Travel + Leisure. And just today, Yang flew to Seoul as the special guest at the 7th Seoul International Tteok Fair, which celebrates rice cakes in Korean culture. She’ll be doing some cooking demos there, and if what she makes is anything like the rice cakes I ate at Joule recently (Korean mochi with oxtail ragout, nettles, and soy cured egg yok – pictured), those attending the fair will be producing good fare in their homes in no time.

Maria Hines’ photo courtesy of the James Beard Foundation.

I knew that FareStart is a job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. When I first moved to Seattle ten years ago, I did some volunteer work at one of the organization’s events. But it wasn’t until I met with Karla Smith-Jones, FareStart’s Marketing Communications Manager, that I learned just how extensive the program really is. The apparent focus of the 16-week program may be about culinary training, but it also teaches students how to survive and thrive in the working world. The funds from FareStart businesses provide for each student’s housing, transportation, and medical needs. Students also receive assistance with goal-setting, crisis management, life skills, and job placement. This holistic approach helps explain why more than 85% of FareStart’s graduates find employment within 90 days of program completion.

If you can’t make it downtown for one of FareStart’s lunches (the menu includes sandwiches, salads, and a variety of specials), there are plenty of other ways to help support the cause. Thursday Guest Chef Nights are extremely popular; not surprising, since you can score three-course meals from some of Seattle’s best chefs (who work with FareStart students to prepare the meal) for $24.95. Summer brings the annual Guest Chef on the Waterfront event (this year on July 15), featuring a night of great food, wine, and entertainment. I was fortunate enough to be a judge for last year’s event, where the FareStart crew drew kudos for Best Entree when they wowed us with their Kobe beef sliders with heirloom tomato relish. And if you’re as humbled as I am by FareStart’s contribution to the community but can’t attend an event, you can always contribute a donation.

Speaking of events, May brings the start of the Urban Eats (3 courses for $30) promotion featuring an exciting list of area restaurants, and this Saturday (1-4pm) is a special kick-off event: an Urban Eats Nosh-a-Thon. $30 gains you entry to a launch party at the Basco Kitchen Design Showroom in Tukwila, where a number of the Urban Eats chefs will be showing off their culinary skills. A fabulous chance for some food samples, beverages, prizes and surprises – all again benefiting FareStart.

Meanwhile, the waterfront Beach Café will meet the makeover gods, with light remodeling scheduled this spring. The café will remain open throughout, but then just in time for the spectacular summer days and nights, diners can look forward to a new fireside lounge, a new patio to double the capacity of outdoor, seasonal waterview tables, and the addition of daily breakfast service.

Jumping into Yarrow Bay Grill’s location will be bin on the lake, furthering the evolution of the Woodmark Hotel’s bin vivant restaurant which opened just last summer to much fanfare. Chef Lisa Nakamura and sommelier Dawn Smith have since left, so I’ll be curious to see what the future holds for the restaurant, which many believe is losing an opportunity to change its awkward name. “bin” will remain open in its current Woodmark location until mid-June before transitioning over to the plaza level shortly thereafter.

Chef Angie Roberts was out there doing the grilling, and the burgers were simple and good. Add some chips and a Thomas Kemper root beer, seats on the sidewalk, and smell of the smoke, and it all combined to make a nice lunch. An urban barbecue, of sorts.

I returned to BOKA later in the year to eat breakfast, something I rarely do, and enjoyed that as well. Two of shared not-so-classic eggs Benedict and potato rosti with smoked salmon, and we were sufficiently stuffed until dinner that night. We basically had the place to ourselves (ah, the joys of a late breakfast), so it was quite comfortable to linger without worrying about the world outside.

So, BOKA is two-for-two in terms of my experiences there. I’m looking forward to actually having dinner there sometime, and taking in more of the quite colorful atmosphere.

Dinner was on-site at The Restaurant at Alderbrook, where we put ourselves in the hands of Chef Christopher Schwarz, who sent out small plates of many menu items. The shellfish sampler was a wonderful start: a gorgeous dish highlighted by a pink scallop.

After a couple of competent salads came the most memorable part of the meal: a pair of stellar soups. A coconut-based soup smacked of Thai green curry (though not as strong) featuring sweet potatoes along with peas, pea vine tendrils and snap peas that made the dish ring spring. And a tomato-basil soup was a throwback to childhood days of a grilled cheese sandwich and Campbell’s tomato soup. But this was the adult version, rich and sophisticated, topped with a cheese crouton and a sprinkling of herb oil. Delicious!

From the fresh sheet, we loved the smokiness of the chili marinated gulf prawns, though we picked around the accompanying baby chick peas (as we did with the shellfish sampler). An even better starter was the hot smoked Columbia River king salmon; served with snap peas, pea tendrils, golden beets, and a mild horseradish crème fraîche, the salmon (apparently just smoked) was almost candy-like—in a good way.

Disappointing were our entrées—Anderson Valley lamb T-bone chops (a little gristly) and grilled bigeye tuna (a bit bland)—which were abundant (the full plates had huge portions) and ambitious, but perhaps overly so. Chef Schwartz’s dishes tend toward complex—great when it works—but for these entrées, there were too many ingredients and tastes competing with each other. For example, the tuna came crowded with sweet potato hash, spring onions, brown butter and bacon-braised green beans, and roasted tomatillo salsa.

Alderbrook can be a great getaway for fjord and food fun. We’d encourage you to especially try the soups and seafood starters, and to time your dinner to coincide with sunset, as the water view is special. You can enjoy dessert as we did in the dining room, though note that if kids are about, you’ll likely find makings for s’mores at the firepit. From the tomato-basil soup to the s’mores, the kids in us came out as we retreated to our room, enjoying our relaxing stay.

Originally posted at Seattlest (where “we” = me) on June 16, 2008.

Inside, it’s quaint and charming, with the staff adding to the warmth of the home. The menu changes daily, tilting a bit toward Italian, but reflecting a wide variety of dishes using specially sourced and seasonal ingredients. We decided to let Chef Geraldine Ferraro (no, not the one who said Barack Obama is “lucky” to not be white or female) do the choosing for us. She chose well.

Four Swallows, you had us at duck.

The smoked duck breast appetizer was our first dish. We love duck—the fat, the flavor, and the full-on red color. Several slices swimming in a rich cherry-red wine sauce would have been enough to make us happy, but this dish also featured Persephone Farm greens and buttered brioche along with it. Oh, and wait…hiding beneath…some Delice de Bourgogne cheese. We’re talking triple cream that’s rich, smooth, and slightly pungent. (We purr for pungent.) The dish was delicious—simple and sensational ingredients contributing varying textures and tastes.

The same greens reappeared (no complaint!) in a roasted beet salad with Point Reyes Original Blue cheese, candied pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette. We enjoyed a grilled Carlton Farms pork chop served with red onion marmalade that elevated its elegance, and an Alaskan halibut filet that was perfectly cooked (seared outside, succulent inside) and generous in portion—though some light saucing might have made it even better. The signature bread pudding dessert was heavenly and put the meal over the top. We were full for the 15-minute walk back to the ferry—full of happy memories, particularly the duck.

Originally posted at Seattlest (where “we” = me) on April 28, 2008.

Sazerac’s had a bit of a makeover, with red and amber shades and new lighting creating a chic atmosphere. Tables and table settings have changed; we especially liked the new pig napkin holders. (Then again, we like anything pig.)

Chef Jason McClure sent out 16 dishes. Sometimes-underloved dishes like oysters and oxtail shined in the simplest of preparations, whereas the liver and geoduck were over-adorned in a way that made them safe but lost as ingredients. This liver lover missed the liver taste and texture when crisp-fried in cornmeal and topped with red pepper marmalade and garlic aioli, while the geoduck (which is all about texture) crudo was sliced too thin (impossible to pick up—chopsticks, please?) and overwhelmed by okra pickles, olives, and Fresno chile.

But, what stood out were smoked, saucy dishes. The applewood smoked pork back ribs were cooked perfectly, meat falling off the bone and the cider-glaze finger-licking good. The smoked Oregon quail was the standout dish, offset nicely by springtime rhubarb and a white barbecue sauce made from aioli, crème fraiche, honey, and cider vinegar that was unique and, well, yummy.