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Tuesday Take: April 3-23, 2013

Okay, so it’s been a few weeks since the latest Tuesday Take, but we’ve been busy busy! And yes, I know that it’s Thursday.

  • Temple Billiards – Aside from the fact that you can’t beat an afternoon hanging with your best ECS buds, thought this was a pretty cool spot to hang on a weekend afternoon to watch a game and shoot some pool. Good local beer selection, and the pizzas were solid. Great place to catch a Sounders away game (or a home one, if you’re without tickets).
  • Steelhead Diner – This has definitely been a bit of a go-to spot for lunch, business or otherwise. Aside from the pretty solid view of the Market and Elliott Bay, it’s a good portion of food for the price. Now, about the wine glasses…
  • Rione XIII – still one of the best bang for the buck restaurants of the Italian type – even with a corkage fee. Fun servers, good people watching (inside and outside), and a nice buzz, something that RN74 brings to the table as well. As an aside, we’ll be dining there on Thursday night for Dining Out for Life, as they’ll be donating 30% of our tab to Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
  • Ma’ono Fried Chicken & Whisky – We finally sat at the bar for brunch, and aside from the fact that we were thismuchcloser to the unlimited mimosas, it was just as fantastic as sitting in a booth or at a table, especially when the people watching factor comes into play. Aside from that, if you want to talk about great marketing, I’m pretty sure their proactive tweet @ Brittany Tracy and I about what the quiche was that weekend was a win. How could we not go in that weekend?

  • Cinnamon Works – Friends, Seattleites, Washingtonians, lend me your ears so you can follow me to this bakery and get your nom on. You really need to try the vegan banana chip muffin [photo: right]. Wanna get your gluten on? Done. Want some gluten-free options? Done. Cookies? Yep. Nice staff? Definitely. A fantastic perk of a place in Pike Place Market.

  • Restaurant Zoë – It’d been a few months since we had been to Zoë, and there’s really no good reason other than the amazing options we all have to dine at in Seattle. We visited during Restaurant Week, which was a fun way to try a few things on the menu that we might not have gone with otherwise. As always, Derek and the staff were super welcoming, the restaurant has really grown into the space on Cap Hill over time, and the burger is absolutely fantastic. Yep, even when you take home half of it and eat it a day and a half later for lunch.
  • Barrage Cellars – Kevin and Rebecca had their latest release a couple of weeks back, and we continue to enjoy visiting with them and trying their wines. The Outcast Cab Franc is always solid (I’m still a fan of the last vintage, but a lot of people were enjoying the 2010), and this year’s Syrah is drinking really well right now, for a new release. Really gotta complement them on doing “verticals” of this year’s and last year’s vintages of a number of their wines, giving a fun chance to see how the wine program has grown and what the future holds for the wine you’re about to walk away with.
  • Artusi – How have I not gone here before? Other than the fact that it feels like I’m cheating on Spinasse (they share a restroom, among other things) by going there, this is a great spot for an adult pre-game (read: a drink or a bottle of bubbles) before a nice dinner and walk around the Hill. The staff was great to chat with, and it was a fairly unpretentious spot to learn a bit about Italian wine while sitting at a bar.

We’ll have more next Tuesday (I promise!).

Taste Washington! 2013 – Day Two

After a pretty fantastic Day One of Taste Washington! 2013, it was on to day two. Much like Sundays in Woodinville, Sunday at Taste! was a bit mellower than Saturday, not to say it wasn’t also busy and enjoyable, not one bit. Sunday featured an opportunity to continue visiting new wine and food options, or revisit those you’d had a moment to savor and think about – or choose to reconsider.

While last year’s Sunday saw AQUA and Taylor Shellfish having cruised through hundreds of dozens of oysters with nothing left to shuck shortly after the grand tasting opened, this year’s was most certainly not a repeat.

For those of you whose heads have begun to spin, 800 dozen would be 9,600 oysters.

Much like Bob, here are a few comments and thoughts, in no particular order, on what I saw and experienced. There are plenty of other great wrap-ups and commentaries out there on Taste!, so I felt I’d share a bit of what one might end up seeing, doing, finding out about while on the event floor.

  • (Re)visiting a few favorite wineries, including pours of DeLille‘s 2011 Chaleur Estate Blanc, Boudreaux‘s 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Barrage‘s Nuclear Blonde Chardonnay and Guardian‘s Chalk Line, to name a few, was a nice way to fill out the “schedule”
  • Getting food pointers from Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery while sipping on his ’09 The Bully was fun, especially after bumping into him the night before at everyone’s favorite wine hot spot, RN74
  • Huge props to the Taste! organizers and Talking Rain for seemingly infinite amounts of water to keep us hydrated
  • Bacon cupcakes? Yes, please. Enjoyed a chat with the Yellow Leaf folks about their fine establishment and what goes into making awesome bacon-y cupcake goodness.
  • Tried the ded.reckoning 2010 Reserve Syrah and perhaps it was just timing on my part, but it didn’t strike me as well as I’d like for an $80 bottle. Would love others’ POV on this wine as I know people dig Compass Wines so perhaps it’s just my palate…
  • Chatted with RN74′s Chris Tanghe about super cool wine storage spot Phenol55, something that I fear I may be approaching a need for soon, given our ever-expanding cellar. Well that, and our propensity to bust out a 1998 Barolo and take it to dinner randomly. More from GeekWire on Phenol55 here.
  • Did we talk about “secret” pours yet? Almost forgot to mention the 2006 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Méal we scored on Saturday, or the DeLille Grand Ciel on Sunday. Ask nicely (or at least search for the “passwords” on Twitter!)!
  • Lots more spit cups than I’d seen at previous wine events, so perhaps the word finally got out. Also seen: less visibly inebriated people.
  • Really liked the new “Taste the Vineyards” option this year. Much like being able to try out AVAs is always enjoyable (and a great way to avoid lines for some of the wines you might be looking to enjoy), this was a very cool thing. Felt very much like how the regional enotecas in Italy worked out, giving you an opportunity to give a number of things a try without trekking around too much, or missing out on things you just couldn’t get to.

Most definitely learned a lot at this year’s event and found myself spending just as much time chatting up fellow foodies, winery and restaurant staff and event folks as I did chowing down on some fun bites and tasting new (and familiar, in some cases) wines. Taste! has definitely grown on me as events go, partially because of the two-day format, and partially as we’ve met a number of great people in the space, as it makes for far less “trade show”-like atmosphere, and more of a fantastic way to do a zillion things in a compressed period of time.

While the scale and volume of everything in the event space is definitely daunting at first glance (and second, third…), it’s really a manageable event to attend and feel as if you got your “money’s worth” and came away with something valuable. Kudos to the event teams, kitchen staffs, winemakers and their crews and everyone else involved for cranking out another solid year of sharing some of the great things about Washington State.

Taste Washington! 2013 – Day One

Saturday marked day one of Taste Washington! 2013, a wildly popular event for those in Seattle and the PNW, and the largest single-region wine and food event in the U.S., for those not in the know. It’s a huge event featuring opportunities to taste wines from more than 200 wineries and food from 60 dining establishments that spans two days, while also offering seminars on everything from wine education to cooking how-to’s. Simply put, it’s a whole lot of event that you absolutely have to pick your spots on.

Personally, I’m a Leslie Kelly strategy kind of guy.

Crafting a well-mapped route for Taste Washington might be much more efficient, that’s true. But it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to have a pretty good handle on what’s there, but I also really like being surprised. Hearing on Twitter (the #TasteWa hashtag doesn’t get as much play as it deserves, but it works) what’s hot, where the “secret pours” are or what chef just showed up unannounced is kind of fun. Having someone you know from a restaurant you dine at mention that “you should absolutely try so-and-so’s something” is a bit of a trip.

On Saturday, we approached Boudreaux‘s Rob Newsom early on in the 2pm hour, and he asked if we were having whites (too many people stick only to red and miss out, IMO), and suggested we try Array Cellars‘ Dijon Clone. Naturally, we immediately popped over to Array, and tasted through their all-Chardonnay lineup (2010 & 2011 Columbia Valley Chardonnay, 2011 Dijon Clone), and definitely enjoyed the lot.

That said, there are lots of great tips to enjoying Taste Washington (and other events of this type), some of which Bob Silver lays out in his blog, WA | WINE | PR. In one post, he’s got a brief Q&A w/ Steve Warner, the Washington Wine Commission president, and his second entry on the subject features commentary from a few fine folks in Seattle and points thereabout on how to enjoy yourself and get the best experience you possibly can.

But back to the topic at hand – Day One. Some thoughts/highlights on the wine front, in no apparent order.

  • It was great to meet Sean Sullivan and Annie Hong in person, after lots of tweets, blog comments and so forth. They’re also pretty good tipsters, so if you see them, say hello!
  • Chateau Rollat – after a truly negative experience in the tasting room a few years back (it was honestly quite awkward), we walked right up to their table to try the 2008 Rollat Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Edouard Cabernet Sauvignon, and were genuinely in tune with things this time around. Both were pretty smooth, and expressed really nice color. We’ll keep an eye out.
  • Kerloo Cellars - we’d already heard people talking about the latest Rosé that Ryan Crane (ed: check out our 7.5 w/ Ryan from last year) was pouring after having tried it on Friday night at Pike & Western, so it was nice to see it on the table when we arrived. We dig Ryan’s juice, and I think this grenache rose is super bright and just what the doctor ordered for that type of bottle. If only there was more room in the fridge.
  • Kevin White Winery – where’d this come from? Kevin was pouring a 2011 La Fraternite Red Rhône Blend and 2011 En Hommage Red Rhône Blend, both hailing from Yakima Valley, and a tease of a 2010 he still had handy. Genuinely enjoyed all three, and think there’s that “something” there that you like to see from relatively new winemakers. Thought it was interesting to get one pretty down comment about KWW wines from a local media person, but that’s the only real “negative” we heard from anyone that tried the wines. What did you think?
  • Owen Roe‘s Red Willow – all three Owen Roes were solid, but the Red Willow stuck out.
  • Reininger 2009 Syrah – something about having “current” wines that aren’t all 2010 or 2011 is kind of nice, and while you can make the argument against having juice in barrels so long, much of what we’ve had from Reininger for years now has really shown well, whether we let it sit for six months (or more) or opened it the night it was purchased. Another great Bob Silver tip was to stop by the TR for these folks, and we’ve made it an absolute must each time we go to Walla Walla. They were pouring two other wines – a 2010 Cab and 2008 Merlot, which we’ll hopefully try today, but were trying to experience a few wineries that were new to us. Total underdog player, and if you can snag some Carmenere or the Chardonnay you won’t be disappointed.
  • We also tried some Doubleback, Betz, Waters, Maison Bleue, Côte Bonneville, Buty, and Cave B throughout the day.

If there’s one thing you must do while at Taste, it’s eat something. Oh, and drink water. There’s so much great food to choose from, and we tried a fair amount, and are excited about what Sunday might bring. Here are a few highlights from the “plate” side of the event, not that anything stayed on one very long…

  • McMenamins Six Arms‘ hammerhead BBQ pork sliders just about made my afternoon. After a lackluster brunch at a location who will remain nameless, this was a grand find. Just the right pork-to-bread ratio, nice sauce, and well put together. I guess we’ll have to make the few block walk up the hill and stop in one of these days, lazy me.
  • RN74‘s Chévre cheesecake definitely worked for Brittany Tracy, and I know that Kim Mahar was excited to make something other than beignets that people adore. They’ll be rocking goat cheese on Sunday, too, from what I hear.
  • Seattle Salads may as well have filled a plate with awesomeness, so there’s that. A nice way to mix it up.
  • Collections Cafe had gambas, chilled prawns in a garlic chili sauce that I enjoyed.
  • Yard House‘s ahi crunch salad was pretty good
  • Belle Epicurean‘s caramel pecan brioche bun was really nice, as someone who enjoys a morning bun on occasion (read: all the time)

Really looking forward to Day Two…what were some of your favorites?

Seattle’s pizza scene

After growing up on the East Coast and moving to Seattle in my 30s, my “sense” of what a decent slice of pizza probably leaned heavily towards the foldable, dab some oil off with a napkin, cooked just right pepperoni slice from one of the zillion corner pizza spots I was privy to. Having spent 3+ years in Seattle now, that’s definitely evolved and brought a better appreciation for pizzas of all shapes, sizes and styles.

Something I quickly found when arriving in Seattle was a predilection to consider pizza “good” if it cost $13-18 and had good ingredients. It’s still the case, and most restaurants are fairly deserving of being considered pretty solid in this area. That said, I’ve been absolutely shocked when the only “high end,” craft pizza, so to say, that people have had is from Tom Douglas’ Serious Pie. Hell, I gave it four stars in a Yelp review back in 2010 (and would still bring friends and family there) but after exploring no less than 7-10 well-crafted spots that have pizza in town, Serious Pie should definitely be visited, but it’s not the dominant player that people might perceive it as given the play it gets. (Also: location, location, location)

For me, not much of that similar “style” beats Alibi Room, all things considered – price, quality of ingredients, location, and so forth. Their Andouille sausage and peppers ($14.50, or about $7 on happy hour) would beat Serious Pie’s fennel sausage, peppers and provolone 10 out of 10 times in my experience. Aside from the fact that the HH / lunch portion is about the same size as the “full price” Serious Pie edition, there’s just something different about it, down to the tomato sauce can your pie is set atop at the bar. Plus, it’s always surprising as getout to people that Alibi Room rocks a pretty good set of pizza pies.

Personal favorites aside, though, there’s a whole lot to enjoy about Seattle pizza, even if you’re just trying it all out to trash talk your friends on “your style” or what your particular neighborhood favorite does with the crust. Some people like to order in their Pagliacci, others dig Zeeks, but has anyone outside of Cap Hill made their way to Hot Mama’s? After a fellow resident at the building I’d moved into found this gem, I had my New York-ish style pizza haven, just a few blocks’ walk. If that, or the late-night stylings of A Pizza Mart don’t get your pre-hangover blood flowing, you can always get in line and hang for Delancey, which was a meal I really enjoyed. This could turn into a crazy listing of pizza places, and I most certainly didn’t set out to create any sort of comprehensive list, just wanted to share a quick POV on what’s been a curious bit of exploration.

Net-net, while people like to trash talk the [insert food] scene in Seattle for just about any option, my advice would be to keep your eyes open, and don’t just stick with the crowd – or, in cases like Delancey, avoid the rumors in an effort to be a contrarian.

First Impressions: Tanglewood Supreme

One of the hurdles that appear during an effort to do a lot of one activity or another, from dining out to exercising is the ease of getting into habits – good or bad. In the case of exercise, it’s not challenging your body to the levels you need to continue progress rather than maintaining, and with enjoying the fruits (and vegetables, I don’t discriminate) of others’ labor in the restaurant business, it’s quite easy to stick to your favorites and not explore very often. [ed: First world problems, I know.]

Generally speaking, we’ve made an attempt to regularly pick a few new places to try, whether at home in Seattle or while traveling, just to mix it up and keep solid perspective on what’s out there. This doesn’t always mean trying the gleaming, shiny object restaurant that just opened in the next neighborhood, sometimes it’s about heading to a neighborhood classic that perhaps you’ve overlooked or heard not-so-great things about. For weeks now, my #1 choice on this particular list of “go somewhere new” spots has been Tanglewood Supreme in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.

Hence my being thrilled when on Friday night, I was treated to a great meal organized by my dining partner in crime Brittany, who scored us an 8p reservation at the counter, in prime view of the kitchen [photo: right]. As owner Kent Chappelle was nice enough to talk us through after dinner, his goal was to have a neighborhood seafood spot that was a great value and didn’t fit the same mold as some others in Seattle. To his point – and which a lot of us would agree – this is Seattle, shouldn’t we be able to have a fantastic seafood meal that stands out, every single time you have it? We have access to amazing fish and produce – and talent – and making sure it stands out, all the time, is something that came off as important to Chappelle, and most certainly his staff, including sous chef Tyler Johnston and chef Jeffrey Kessenich (more on the spot in this Seattle Met piece by Allecia Vermillion from last fall).

The restaurant has an appropriate number of seats for its space, and didn’t at all feel cramped when we arrived and it was fully seated just before our appointed reservation. The counter / kitchen area seated six, I believe, and was full for the better part of our meal. Overall, it’s a combination of booth seating, European-style “longer” tables, the counters, and so forth. We’d highly recommend dining at the counter if you can secure a spot. [ed: Thanks to Chris Nishiwaki for the pointer there!]

The menu is, in my opinion, one of the more well-priced in town, portion size, experience and vibe all included. As a relatively picky eater (cheese, as some of you might know, isn’t really my thing), it’s the first time in awhile that I’ve gone to a restaurant and would have been disappointed to order any selection. We contemplated the $40(!) tasting menu for a bit, but were in the mood to mix-and-match, and did so for pretty much the same cost. We’ll definitely go back to give it a whirl, however. As Hanna Raskin noted recently in Seattle Weekly:

Nor are prices ratcheted up to announce artistry, or account for it: A seven-course tasting, drawn directly from the menu, is a remarkably reasonable $40. While there’s plenty of deliciousness available, dinner at Tanglewood is always presented as a meal, not an event, which is probably why the restaurant languished for months without much online love.

But there’s nothing wrong with a restaurant that doesn’t mug for the cameras (or make a noisy fuss about the eaters armed with them).

Our only real criticism of our meal might have been the pace. While we didn’t go with the fixed-price option, we were seated directly aside Kessenich’s view, and given that the window was right next to our seats, were caught slightly by surprise once while completing a course by the next one approaching. That’s not to say we weren’t on our final bite (or two), but perhaps we got spoiled by the insanely well-paced experience we had at The Herbfarm on Valentine’s Day.

We started with a grilled albacore crudo, which was served with beets, frisee and hazelnuts, along with steamed edamame, garnished with pink peppercorn and Murray River salt. That was followed by an heirloom lettuce salad [photo: right] ($6) which came with a pretty awesome, and lighter-than-expected sunflower brittle, while Brittany chose the asian pear and red quinoa ($6).

For our mains, we went with the Hawaiian blue prawns ($22), which adorned grilled polenta and featured turnip greens and a grapefruit nage, and the Alaskan Weathervane scallops ($24), served with naan puffs that even usual non-carb eater Brittany raved about. As the above-mentioned Raskin piece notes, Tanglewood Supreme has a relatively limited liquor and wine selection, but don’t let that dissuade you, or have you in a tizzy like this guy. The corkage fee is $15 (!) which is an absolutely fantastic value, especially given that most of us locals make a point to have a bottle or two (hundred) sitting at home. We brought along two selections, ultimately going with a 2000 Torciano Cavaliere IGT that’s been calling our name for awhile. After about 15-20 minutes of air, our wine opened up nicely, and meshed well with most of our meal, considering we brought it as a bit of a wildcard. Oh, and if you drink red wine and are planning on having dessert here, save some.

For that final course, we went with a goat’s milk cheesecake, completed with warm asian pear and apple and candied cilantro, along with the chocolate cake crowned with a ginger-orange coulis [photo: right]. Did I mention the red wine with chocolate dessert? A super solid finish to a well-portioned, never-overwhelming meal.

We spent about ten minutes chatting with Chappelle about the restaurant, the Seattle food scene, and some of the behind-the-scenes in putting Tanglewood Supreme together, and enjoyed his perspective and motivation for opening the spot. If you’re looking for an atypical seafood-focused meal in Seattle, this might be just what you’re looking for.