Tag Archives: seattle

What I ate this weekend

Posted on July 13, 2009 | 5 Comments

I swear, every time I visit Seattle, I love it more and more.

And this time was no exception.

It goes without saying that I ate copious amounts of chocolate this weekend. No, make that obscene amounts of chocolate. Chocolate bars, cocoa nibs, truffles, single-origin products, blended products, chocolates I loved, and chocolates I…didn’t.

But this post is not about chocolate. Forgive me. Instead, I’m going to tell you about the deliciousness that I ate this weekend.

I went for dinner at Steelhead Diner, which is a gem of a place in Pike Place Market. Platters of oysters on the half-shell, flash-fried geoduck, little battered smelt with hot mustard, mussels with chorizo, crab cakes with crazy giant pieces of whole crab leg…oh, I’m just getting started.

One standout was the caviar pie, a delicious slice of four colours of caviar on creamy mousse (creme fraiche? cream cheese?) on a bed of finely chopped red onions, hard-boiled eggs and capers.

The other one was the house cured beef bresaola, all smoky and rich, served with the season’s first Rainier cherries, goat’s cheese, tangy olive oil, and twisty-turny bread sticks.

As if that wasn’t enough, dessert was – quite literally – the world’s best pie, from the expert herself. I mean, I pride myself on my pie. I’ve been working on the crust recipe for years. But hey, I know when I’ve been beat. Crumbly, sweet, and infinitely delicious, this was The World’s Best Pie.

I also had breakfast at Tilikum Place Cafe. (Hrm, website maybe be broken? It’s not working for me.) Lovely pastries. Beautiful blueberry muffins, still-warm raspberry cake that was positively juicy, all of it washed down with a pot of insanely robust coffee. Whether you pick the house-made sausage, delectable baked beans, creamy baked eggs or the insanely cute Dutch baby, I think you’ll be happy and full.

Both meals were marked by great food, and more importantly, great company. As in, great company. You know who you are – thanks for the good times.

Steelhead Diner
95 Pine Street
Seattle, WA
206-625-0129
Steelhead Diner on Urbanspoon

Tilikum Place Cafe
407 Cedar Street
Seattle, WA 98121
206-282-4830
Tilikum Place Cafe on Urbanspoon

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A sweet weekend

Posted on July 10, 2009 | Leave a comment

I love nothing more than lazy weekends that feature crossword puzzles, being near the water, and drinking more coffee than is good for me.

Well, this will not be one of those weekends.

On Friday, I’ll be judging at CupcakeCamp Vancouver. It’s one part sugar-tastic cupcake bonanza and one part fundraiser. Attendees bring, share and eat cupcakes for a suggested donation of $5 at the door. All proceeds go to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, which is a safe space for women and children in the downtown eastside.

Once I’ve recovered from sugar shock, I’m heading across the border for Sunday’s Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon. It’s the second year for the Seattle event (others are held in San Francisco and Chicago). I’m imagining a trade show, but with chocolate. And that, my lovelies, should be awesome.

CupcakeCamp Vancouver sold out in 25 hours. Apparently, there is serious cupcake love in Vancouver.

You can still get advance tickets for the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon here, but only until the end of the day. Some tickets will also be available at the door.

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Happy birthday, Chocolopolis!

Posted on July 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Hey Seattle folks, you should make your way down to Chocolopolis lickety split. As in, sometime in the next week or so. They’re celebrating their first birthday today (wheee!) and are saying thank you with a whole week’s worth of great tastings and events.

They’re featuring Norman Love, Christopher Elbow, Lillie Belle Farms and Michel Cluziel treats in the confection case. They’ve also just re-formulated their in-house single-origin truffles. And did I mention the deliciousness that is their chocolate-covered vanilla and strawberry marshmallow?

Their anniversary week events are posted on their homepage.

Chocolopolis
1527 Queen Anne Avenue North
Seattle, WA
(206) 282-0776.

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Chocolopolis

Posted on June 15, 2009 | 7 Comments

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m a culinary tourist. I know most people head to new places with lists of museums, sights, or shopping districts. I prefer to arm myself with lists of restaurants, bakeries and chocolate shops.

Well, when I was in Seattle last month, I headed straight for Chocolopolis. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Not only did I get to speak to the lovely Lauren Adler, but she told me about the artisan chocolate makers that she gets to work with. The store is stocked with artisan chocolate bars that I’ve never even heard of, much less tasted. And the confectionary case is stocked with a rotating selection of offerings from top-notch chocolatiers. When I was there, they had Theo Chocolates, Norman Love Confections, and Christopher Elbow Chocolates.

Christopher Elbow was in the store the previous day, doing a tasting and demonstration. I missed him by 18 hours.

I drowned my sorrows in a mug of warm drinking chocolate, served with a homemade vanilla-strawberry marshmallow. A double-layered marshmallow that tasted like fragrant vanilla and juicy strawberry, dunked in thick, luxurious drinking chocolate: it was like a warm, adult version of neopolitan ice cream, eaten straight from the bucket.

And then I carted home a bag stuffed to the brim with artisan chocolate bars.

Chocolopolis
1527 Queen Anne Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 282-0776

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Playing catch (up)

Posted on May 18, 2009 | 7 Comments

On Saturday night, I attended a Words & Wine event featuring Ruth Reichl. I wasn’t even 24 hours into the IFBC, but I was already feeling the effects of overeating and undersleeping. In a quiet moment, I commented to The Daily Spud that the hors d’oeuvres plate I was holding was just too damn heavy.

We both stopped as we realized how silly a statement that was. I mean, really? “Oh, my life is so hard. This plate of fabulous hors d’oeuvres – roasted vegetables, amazing cheese, with local wine - is just too heavy.”

Later that evening, as we waited in line to get our books signed: “Le sigh. I can’t believe this lineup to meet Ruth Reichl.”

And the next day, lining up for the conference lunch, featuring caviar, a crazy spread from Herbfarm, and handmade pasta from Spring Hill: “This lineup for amazingly fresh, local food is simply too long!”

Egad, life is hard sometimes.

I’m slowly working my way through an amazing backlog of chocolate. Between my visit to Soma last month and Chocolopolis this weekend, I have nearly 30 artisan bars to taste, and more than a few boxes of chocolate confections in the fridge.

See what I mean? I’ll stop complaining now.

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