Gastrolust

During last month’s Seattle Restaurant Week, I wanted to try an “upscale” eatery offering a low-cost, $15 lunch. What better place than The Coterie Room? This relatively new restaurant from Spur chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough served a superb menu during SRW. I went for a very late lunch and [...]

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As we finish the month of March, I’m finishing my series of sexy small treats, which has turned out to be quite international. Recall that Sexy Feast sampled dill scones from Macrina Bakery, sponge cake from Dim Sum King, and sakura mochi from Umai Do. Now I turn to a [...]

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There’s been a recent profileration of Japanese pastries and confectionaries in the Seattle area. Fuji Bakery and Café de Lion are garnering rave reviews, with Fresh Flours, Fumie’s Gold, Setsuko Pastry, and Hiroki among others worth exploring. In contrast to Western cakes and candies and such, Japanese varieties are less sweet. [...]

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It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the Seattle dim sum scene. Quality here pales in comparison to what you’ll find north of the border in Richmond. Going out for dim sum here seems like throwing away good money.
So when I saw the low prices at the International District’s Dim [...]

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Wasn’t frozen yogurt an eighties thing? (I vaguely remember something called Frogurt…) Well, it’s back, with Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt among many vying for world domination. I watch as kids and adults alike flock to the Queen Anne store, where the “mix, weigh and pay” self-serve formula brings smiles to those wanting [...]

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Trellis probably tops my list of the most underrated restaurants in the Seattle area. It’s low-key, it’s in a hotel (the Heathman), and it’s in Kirkland. No wonder I’m always answering the “Trellis…never heard of it…where is it?” question.
This is a gem of a restaurant. Go on a Sunday or Monday, and [...]

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I remain admittedly ambivalent about cupcakes.
When they’re really good they can be a guilty pleasure, but when you’re paying about three dollars a pop for a dollop of frosting on a sometimes forgettable base of cake, I’d rather put that money toward a banh mi or a noodle bowl.
Still, I recently ventured to New York [...]

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brown butter sponge. cider. ice cream.
Perhaps you recognize the format (three supporting ingredients. all lower case. all followed by a period.) and know that this week’s Sexy Feast is about to feature Spur Gastropub. The dish is an “Apples & Caramel” dessert, and like just about all of Spur’s dishes, it’s got a [...]

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2010 was a big year for food writing for me.
Book-wise, I was pleased to be a co-editor/author for the Fearless Critic Seattle Restaurant Guide.
Magazine-wise, I’ve brought my worlds of food and sex together in writing the regular “Hot Plate” feature for Edible Seattle. I’ve also contributed to Northwest Palate magazine, and look for an article [...]

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This is the season of lists, and when people ask me what a food writer recommends as a great gift, I think of Fran’s Chocolates. While Fran Bigelow’s gray and smoked salted caramels get much of the (well-deserved) attention, her double chocolate figs have me swooning even more.
This delicacy is made with [...]

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