Pearl

While there are many options for seating areas, including tables ensconced by sensual black curtains, I recommend the chef’s table where you can be close to the cooking action. You’ll likely see servers picking up orders of Pearl’s signature dish: sablefish in honey-miso marinade, Dungeness crab dumplings, and namya broth. Or maybe plates of Wagyu sirloin with blue cheese fritters and Yukon gold potatoes.

When you’re eating at a place named Pearl and partaking in all the opulence, it makes sense to order a plate of oysters. Paired here with a champagne mignonette, they look dazzling, much like most of the diners enjoying them. And as oysters tend to be in this part of the world, they’re simply delicious, each slurp a deep drink of an exotic ocean.

So what does Pearl’s plate of oysters teach us about sex?

It’s all about aphrodisiacal qualities, and related pearls of pleasure.

(Okay, this one was obvious. But, really, how could I not go there?)

Last week I was in Tofino, British Columbia, and had the fortune of visiting an oyster farm at Lemmens Inlet in Clayoquot Sound. A wise, old oysterman shucked oysters plucked fresh from the pristine waters, extolling all the benefits of the curious bivalve. He ended his sermon with a wink as he talked about the oyster being an aphrodisiac.

I’m often asked what foods are aphrodisiacs. Rather than focus on chemical qualities (like chocolate’s phenylethylamine), I think about the arousing aspect of the physical action of eating certain foods. Typically this involves the hands: detaching a leaf from a steamed artichoke (and scraping your teeth along its surface), scooping up Ethiopian food with injera bread (and the practice of gursha–hand-feeding your partner), pulling apart a roasted chicken and devouring it without silverware. Similarly, eating an oyster involves taking hold of the half-shell, coaxing the meat to your mouth, and slurping all its juices. Mmm.

Given the sensual nature of oysters, it’s not surprising that the word “pearl” makes its way into the lexicon of sexual play:

• Pearl is a gay term from the sixties for a drop of semen.
• Pearl is one of the many euphemisms for the clitoris.
• Pearl-diving is the pursuit of the above two treasures.
• The Rabbit Pearl vibrator is a popular sex toy.
• The Pearl is a sex position.
• And a Pearl Necklace results when a man ejaculates on the neck or chest of his partner.

Like oysters at Pearl, there are plenty of potential pearls of pleasure well worth pursuing.

First published in Seattle Weekly’s Voracious on December 1, 2011.

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 mussels, Dungeness crab, and much more–including fresh (think soups and stews) and frozen products. In the center of the store are tanks of oysters, a bargain to eat right on-site considering they’ll shuck them on put them on a platter of ice with lemon and hot sauce. Shigokus are running $15 per dozen, and other varieties are even less.

Today’s grand opening promises to be great fun, with prize drawings hourly and an action-packed schedule:

Live Music

• 2-4pm: Squirrel Butter
• 4:30-6:30pm: Zizzy zi Zixxy

Food

• 1-7pm: BBQ oysters
• 11:30am, 3:30pm, and 6:30pm: “Melrose” mussels
• 4pm: Xinh Dwelley’s geoduck ceviche
• 5pm: Xinh Dwelley’s curried mussels
• 4:30-6:30pm: David Leck’s oysters on the half shell

Author Appearances/Book Signing

• 11am-12pm: Oyster Bill Whitbeck–Joy of Oysters
• 1-2pm: Sharon Montoya-Walsh–Oyster Cookery
• 3-4pm: Becky Selengut–Good Fish

How-To demos

• 11am and 1pm: oyster shucking with David Leck
• 12pm and 3pm: crab cracking with Jon Rowley
• 2pm: geoduck cleaning with Xinh Dwelley
• 6pm: oyster shucking with Jon Rowley

I went to Elliott’s recently, and watched sous chef Charles Glenn shuck local favorites like kumamotos and hama hamas. Glenn was cracking through the shells and cranking through piles of oysters with ease. They were so delicious that I could almost eat them as fast as he shucked them.

So what do Elliott Oyster House’s oysters teach us about sex?

It’s all about avoiding injury.

I remember the first time I brought home store-bought oysters. I didn’t have a shucking knife, but armed with a dishtowel and a small screwdriver, I was able to open them successfully (and bloodlessly) despite the high degree of difficulty. Later attempts with a shucking knife proved much easier. But not everyone escapes injury-free when seeking pearls of pleasure.

And it’s the same with sex.

In the throes of passion, it’s not uncommon to pull a muscle or suffer a cramp, especially when trying to pull off more complex positions. Fingernail scratches can be a problem on the back, in the front, or even on the private parts. Nibbles can easily turn into bites and even hickeys. And there’s the inherent risk of slipping in the shower or even falling off the bed.

(Note that I’m just talking injuries, and not infections or diseases. On that front, it’s worth deploying protective gloves for hands just like using protective “gloves” for penises.)

But the risk is worth the reward, isn’t it? After all, a little injury is sometimes a small price to pay for chance after chance of juicy pleasure. At Elliott’s Oyster House, happy hour is the perfect time to pursue multiple rounds of such pleasure–providing an aphrodisiac experience for more prurient pursuits to follow.

First published in Seattle Weekly’s Voracious on July 7, 2011.

South Lake Union is the scene of Chef Christine Keff’s relocated Flying Fish restaurant. I went in for a tasting menu experience, expecting a series of small bites, but was blown away by a big, welcoming platter of crabs. Keff explained that she loves to serve such platters (which can also be sizzling Gulf shrimp by the half-pound or a whole fried rockfish) because they immediately break down barriers at the table. She smiled saying that she enjoys seeing business workers or people on dates “getting their hands in the food, getting dirty.”

Two of us dug into two pounds of salt and pepper Dungeness crabs, accompanied by comforting sesame noodles and fresh, crunchy bites of carrot daikon salad. It was indeed fun to crack open the crab to extract the succulent morsels of meat within. There’s a nuoc mam-like dipping sauce, but we agreed with those who prompted Keff’s comment that some people find the sauce overpowering. The salt and pepper (with slight bite, leading me to believe that it’s Szechuan pepper) provided the perfect amount of seasoning for the sweet crab.

Next came a couple of small plates, starting with ahi tuna poke. (Note that the photographs show half-portions, as the plates were shared.) The fish was fresh and flavorful, with just the right amount of soy sauce and green onions. I liked the macadamia nut togarashi (a peppery condiment that’s great sprinkled on certain noodle dishes or even plain rice), with the macadamia adding to the “Hawaiian-ness” of the dish, and the sweet potato strings offering additional texture.

Curried lamb ribs were tender and delicious, strong enough to stand up to the sweetness of currant chutney, which I loved. The pickled punch of green papaya on the side helped round out this dish.

And then it was time for the shared entrée: troll King salmon with sunchoke purée, matsutake mushrooms, and Concord grape chutney. I immediately leaned into the dish to inhale the earthy scent of the matsutake. Delightful. As for the fish, I admittedly tire of salmon (and halibut) served in restaurants, but the second straight chutney put an interesting twist on the dish.

We were feeling full at this point, but not enough to prevent us from finishing dessert. The cheesecake was refreshingly light and the perfect canvas for huckleberries.

For those wanting to sample Keff’s cooking but lacking time, On the Fly recently opened adjacent to the restaurant. This intimate retail shop serves up salads, sandwiches, baked goods and more. (The crab cakes looked especially compelling when I visited.) You can take advantage of outdoor seating, or simply get your goods to go. Note that there’s a nice selection of reasonably priced wines, and you can also peruse the artistically arranged cookbooks from Keff’s personal collection.

First published on TheSunbreak.com on October 27, 2010. (Thanks to Flying Fish for the interior photo at the top of this post.)

Kasu marinated king salmon collars

Wednesday, I got a sneak peek at Blueacre Seafood, Kevin Davis’ new restaurant in the Oceanaire space where he once worked. My dining companion and I dug the chance to sit in one of the marlin skin-like booths close to the opened-up kitchen, taking in some of the sights, smells, and sounds of the action.

Despite the name, landlubbers will find a good number of choices, from a lamb shank to a muffaletta to a sprinking of “vegetré” (okay, will someone enlighten us about that word?) options, including a farro burger. There’s even a Terresa salad, named after Davis’ business partner and life partner, who’s working hard while carrying a couple of potential future partners in utero.

[I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about the names of the sections of the menu, such as "the hunger," "the sunbleached shell," "wish sandwich," and "the thorny field."]

But our focus was fish – and other seafood. Davis’ food remains solid, with sometimes bold flourishes and far-away influences. A perky aji amarillo perked up the geoduck tiradito ($12.95), with corn-nutty goodness adding extra-textural sensation. We went from the south to southeast (and east) Asia as kasu-marinated king salmon collars ($10.95) came with a ginger nage and green papaya salad.

Davis loves his whole fish (this night both choices were from Idaho streams, as Davis wants to serve only American seafood), and we struggled before choosing the rainbow trout ($19.95) over the crispy catfish ($16.95). The trout was perfectly cooked, though we wanted a little more of the fire-roasted piperade and cured olives to eat with both the fish and the accompanying bruschetta.

But we were most excited about the seared Alaska weathervane scallops ($28.95 for an 8-oz portion). Simply seared, they retained their natural sweetness, served with some melt-in-your-mouth (okay, some chewing involved) oxtail and smoked cauliflower puree. This dish brought back memories of a Boston-area scallop and oxtail risotto plate that I’d like to see replicated here in Seattle.

We really wanted to try the crispy razor clams, which were sold out by 6:15 (really?), and the kitchen was reconfiguring the promising “charcuterie of the sea” platter. Bumps in the road, not unexpected at a preview dinner. I’ll be back, and will look forward to reports from others as Blueacre opens today. (And note that Steelhead Diner remains open, with Anthony Polizzi competently in command at that kitchen.)

Ivar’s is a Seattle institution. No doubt about that. And that institution was in the news this year, with stories about its underwater billboards. For me, the story is whether its food warrants a stop or not. This past year, I had chances to try the fish and chips, clam chowder, clam strips, and the like. It is what it is. Fairly fast food that’s fun for those who like their fish fried. For me, nothing special, though the chowder isn’t bad on a cold, wintery day.

If you’re on 15th in Ballard, as I was one trip to Ivar’s, I recommend driving a little further north and turning right on 70th, where you’ll find Honore Artisan Bakery. That’s a sweet plate of sweets, eh? I stared at the showcase, and couldn’t decide what would be best for my coffee break, so I decided to try three goodies: (clockwise from the top) a canelé, a coconut/salted caramel macaron, and a kouign amman. All were delicious, especially with that coffee. And note the caramel theme in the confectionery trio. I liked the macaron best, which means that next time, the challenge will be choosing from the ten or so flavors that Honoré offers.

Speaking of sweets, I find it sweet that 2009 was the year that food carts/trucks took off in Seattle. Perhaps sweetest of them all is Parfait, where Adria Shimada dishes out ice cream made with the finest, most local and organic ingredients – with no corn syrup, no added stabilizers, and no preservatives. Look for Parfait’s return in the spring, and while it’s hard to choose from the many tempting flavors (that are always subject to change), I’d highly recommend the fresh mint stracciatella made from mint leaves that give it a natural, refreshing taste.

Hallava Falafel is another food truck, but one that’s parked in a permanent position down in Georgetown. You’ve basically got two choices: the falafel sandwich, and the shawarma. (Hallava spells it “shwarma.”) Both are healthy-sized sandwiches, and both are adorned with beets and other goodies. Both are worth trying, though I think the shawarma edges out the falafel, which was just a little dry. Good deals at $6.50 each!

But the best food truck now roaming the streets of Seattle (and about the only mobile truck operating through the winter) is Marination Mobile. Take the wonderful forms of Mexican food, and amp up the flavor with Korean and Hawaiian influences, and it’s a whole new ball game. Tacos are just two dollars, and they’re available in four varieties–trust me when I say kalbi beef is the best.

What impresses me most, though, was the Kalua kimchi quesadilla. Oh, I enjoy the fermented veggies in the kimchi fried rice bowl ($5), with a fried egg adding its usual magic. But in the quesadilla, kimchi elevates what I usually see as a throwaway dish to something spectacular. The kimchi has more zing than in the fried rice, playing nicely with the Kalua pork, and a smattering of slaw and jalapeno slices on top finished the dish in fine fashion.

And in case you’re wondering, the spam sliders are surprisingly delicious.

Marination Mobile is proof that curb cuisine is catching kimchi-like fire in Seattle. How hot are the Marination mavens? They recently won Good Morning America Weekend’s national Best Food Cart Challenge. Great job, Marination! And here’s hoping 2010 brings us even more great street food…

Ogasawara came out strong, winning points with a poke-like preparation served up in a martini glass, which included salmon roe and crispy salmon skin in addition to the raw salmon pieces. I also gave him a slight edge for the second course, but then Hahne served up the best dish of the night for the final course: squid ink pasta with cured salmon as part of a squadron of seafood, including Kumamoto oyster, ahi, and scallop.

Based on points, the judges rated this battle close to a draw, though if the courses were rounds and we judged as in boxing, Ogasawara might have had a slight edge. This seemed to be the prevailing sentiment, as the overall verdict showed Ogasawara edging out Hahne by the slimmest of margins, earning him bragging rights for supremacy on 45th Street. At least for the night. I understand that this was just the first Battle in Seattle–with more to follow.

Song on This Month’s Menu
“Steaks ‘n Shrimp” by Uncle Kracker

Before mellowing out and into the Top 40, Kid Rock’s offspring Uncle Kracker was a raunchy rap-rock artist. This is not Dish-Off’s preferred genre, but the Michigan native’s explicative-filled “Steaks ‘n Shrimp” from his debut Double Wide serves this challenge well. How will two chefs from traditional restaurants interpret lyrics that end, “I’m all about today and I’m a die that way…bitch”?

El Gaucho: Grilled certified Angus beef filet with lobster medallions and Béarnaise sauce

For Cain, ”Steaks ‘n Shrimp” is all about getting rich, making it to the top and then enjoying the good life. (His “Bitches and Prawns” course is spiced with attitude, while his salad is “all about the green.” ) With his booming laugh, Cain explains “I need to get across the fact that this is as good as it gets”—which means preparing a dish with simply the best ingredients for good eating. His “Top Dog Status” plate features El Gaucho’s best aged steak adorned with over-the-top lobster medallions. Add in a rich Béarnaise sauce and some of the fluffiest mashed potatoes that I’ve ever had, and I’m certainly feeling like the top dog.

Frank’s Oyster House: Lobster-poached Gulf prawns on cauliflower-potato puree with gingered veal demi-glace

Penn mentions the misogynistic tone of the song but also senses some old school in it, which suits his cooking style. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should,” he explains, preferring to pay homage to the classics in a timeless fashion. Penn serves up steak tartare and aspic (bay shrimp-tomato) as part of the meal, but the most exciting offering is lobster-poached Gulf prawns complemented by classic French ingredients: cauliflower, potato and veal. This dish is decadent, with the lobster and butter infusing the shrimp, and the ginger in the veal demi-glace further boosting the flavor. I close my eyes and imagine myself like Uncle Kracker: “I do big plates eight times a day…The crew be livin’ large at the seafood bay.”

All photos in the post by Rina Jordan. (Click to enlarge them.)

Note: Dish-Off reviews are based on announced visits. Restaurants get guidelines and choose what to serve according to the month’s song.

Further note: As mentioned in the previous Dish-Off, City Arts now features only one dish per restaurant. Both restaurants this month prepared multi-course menus based on the song before this change was announced. Here are photos of the other dishes from this Dish-Off.

The menus

El Gaucho

Bitches and Prawns: Courvoisier and tarragon with a whole lot of attitude

All About the Green: Field greens, manchego cheese, peaches, pecans, sherry vinaigrette

Top Dog Status: Grilled certified Angus beef filet with lobster medallions and Béarnaise sauce

Up Here in the Past: Oldskool bananas Foster

Frank’s Oyster House

Shrimp broth-poached quail egg on truffled steak tartare

Shanghai soup dumplings (beef, pork and prawn) with Chinese vinegar

Tomato-bay shrimp aspic with sweet corn and avocado salad

Lobster-poached Gulf prawns on cauliflower-potato puree with gingered veal demi-glace

I was happy to simply enjoy the dinner they called “A Match Made in Heaven,” with Chef Jeremy McLachlan and Sommelier Tim O’Brien pairing wild salmon preparations with Pinots from Oregon. The dishes were all intriguing, including the sweet corn chowder with hard-smoked river run salmon (the belly), and Copper River salmon braised in Pinot with morels and king mushrooms – then topped with caviar. But my favorite dish didn’t make it into the photos, as it was part of passed appetizers before the formal meal commenced: a salmon mousse-stuffed sweet pepper topped with a delightful little Spanish anchovy.

Sitting at O’Brien’s table, I enjoyed hearing his insights about the intricacies in working with salmon and Pinot. And I also applauded the “debut” of Pastry Chef James Gibson (son of Jane, who is now strutting her stuff at Bakery Nouveau), whose dessert dish included a blackberry macaron with chocolate-blackberry filling.

Missed out on the fun and festivities? Watch for another wine dinner soon at Salty’s on Alki, where the view and the vinocultural dinners are superb.

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And one week from today, May 20, Salty’s on Alki Beach will be offering a “Match Made in Heaven”: their Wild Salmon & Pinot Noir Dinner. Sommelier Tim O’Brien has made some super wine choices to pair with Executive Chef Jeremy McLachlan’s menu, which celebrates wild salmon:

• Argyle Sparkling Brut & Passed Appetizers of Copper River Salmon Terrine with Fresh Fig Salmon Mousse-Stuffed Sweet Peppers & House-Cured Lox in a Lavosch Cup
• Daedalus Pinot Gris 2007 Willamette Valley – A Pinot Adventure & a Sampling of the Three
• Species of Salmon: King, Coho & Sockeye
• Broadley Reserve Pinot 2007 Willamette Valley & Soup Course of Sweet Corn Chowder with Hard Smoked River Run Salmon
• Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvée 2005 & Salad Course of Spring Sprout Salad Tossed in House Mustard with Salmon Sausage
• Intermezzo – We will keep you guessing!
• Ken Wright Nysa Vineyard 2007 Willamette Valley & Entrée Course of Copper River Salmon Two Ways: Braised in Pinot with Mushrooms & Grilled with Fresh Spring Peas
• King Estate Vin Glace 2006 & Dessert Course

McLachlan impressed me in winning a bivalve competition in Sound magazine last year, so I expect his creativity and quality will shine in this meal as well. Make reservations by calling 206-937-1085 by Friday, May 15, with the cost at $125 all-inclusive per person.