Recent Stories in Food

While we were down in Columbia City the other day visiting the Columbia City Theater, we stopped in for lunch at Geraldine's Counter and had a bowl of three-meat chili ($6.95) that it took some digging to reach the bottom of. After a quick conference, The SunBreak Breakfast Team moved Geraldine's up to the top of our breakfast hit list.

Geraldine's Counter (4872 Rainier Avenue South) is right around the corner from a lot on South Ferdinand Street full of 2-hour parking spots that cost exactly $1. (It's also, I will estimate, a 7-minute walk from the Columbia City light rail station.) That's almost thrill enough, but the ambiance of the place--booths to your right as you walk in, light pouring over tables set next to windows on your left, and just in front, the eponymous counter seating--exceeds expectations.

The place is rated highly by the Surly Gourmand, which makes sense because our lunchtime waiter, if not surly, must have made some crotchety vow of silence. There was never any warning or explanation for the fact that two bowls of chili, a cup of tomato soup, and three-cheese sandwich ($6.50: cheddar, Havarti, gruyère) ) took over half an hour to arrive. (In some circles, half an hour is lunch.)

Everything is better with breakfast, though, and that included our service. I asked the waitress for help deciding between the biscuits and gravy ($9.50) and corned beef hash ($8.75), and she gave it real thought--it's a dilemma!--and said hash. I will have to return for biscuits and gravy to be sure, but they serve up a mighty plate of corned beef hash.... (more)

Suddenly, it’s September, and though summer seems to be slipping away, here’s perhaps one last chance to salvage some sunny vibes.

Sunday, September 12, will be the fourth annual Seattle Chefs Collaborative Urban Picnic, from 1-4 p.m. at the Rainier Square Rooftop Courtyard in Downtown Seattle (between University and Union on Fourth Avenue).

Chefs Collaborative, founded in 1993, is a national network of more than 1,000 members of the food community who promote sustainable cuisine by celebrating the joys of cooking local, seasonal, and artisan foods. 

This mission is reflected in the food of the day, as you can expect stellar bites from:

• Maria Hines, Tilth
• Jason Franey, Canlis
• John Sundstrom, Lark
• Ethan Stowell, Anchovies & Olives
• Seth Caswell, emmer&rye
• Kären Jurgensen, Quillisascut Farm
• Rachel Yang, Joule
• Riley Starks, Willow’s Inn
• Dan Braun, Oliver’s Twist
• Autumn Martin, Hot Cakes
• Tara Ayers, Ocho
...

Pork chops ready for sous vide bath

We've come a long way since the boil-in-a-bag lunches of chicken à la king I enjoyed as a kid back in the Seventies.

But for this collector of kitchen gadgets, I feel like I've come full circle with a Sous Vide Supreme (and vacuum sealer for the bags) sitting on my kitchen counter.

Note the location. While my four waffle irons, three woks, and much more are stored away safely in the pantry, this monster of a machine must sit out, taking up valuable real estate in my favorite room in the house.

That said, I've been delighted to have an opportunity to demo a unit, and to learn more about the style of cooking (based on precise cooking temperatures) that's the rage in restaurants--and now in some homes--of late.

Pork chop on the plate

I started with the simplest of recipes, a basic chicken breast preparation, and was pleased with the moistness of the meat, though I definitely appreciated the quick searing at the end of the cooking process. A few other meat preparations yielded similar results, including the pictured pork chops, though I can see how some people might initially question the texture of the finished product.

There are many pros to sous vide cooking, such as a fail-proof formula when following recipes (cooking times are forgiving, so it's hard to dry out meats), fairly quick clean-up, the need to do advanced planning as called for by cooking times.... (more)

Lorna Yee, local food lover

As I start posting reports about the local food scene as well as culinary escapes from Seattle, I thought it would be interesting to share a perspective on the sometimes hard-to-define Pacific Northwest cuisine.

I enlisted the help of Lorna Yee, a local food writer who just co-authored The Newlywed Kitchen: Delicious Meals for Couples Cooking Together. Yee has an adventurous appetite and is one of the people in Seattle I most trust for restaurant recommendations.

As someone who's lived in both Vancouver and Seattle and has spent time exploring the food scene in Portland, how would you define Pacific Northwest cuisine?

Pacific Northwest cuisine seems to center around salmon, shellfish, and foraged ingredients like fiddlehead ferns and morels. There's a bit of Asian influence, of course, though Vancouver chefs like Rob Feenie (ex-Lumiere), Seattle chefs like Tom Douglas, and Portland chefs like John Gorham seem to draw inspiration from around the world and apply it to the ingredients most readily found in their hometowns. There doesn't seem to be a "right" or "wrong" way to do things here—we don't have an almost religious (and admirable!) adherence to certain recipes and culinary traditions, like they do in the South. Chefs here are constantly innovating: there's no lack of creativity here in the Pacific Northwest.

Having recently moved to Seattle, how would you refine your definition of Pacific Northwest cuisine to make it more Seattle-specific?

Seattle is an incredibly green city that's focused on sustainability. Shopping at the farmers' market is routine for many of us here, and the "local, seasonal" mantra is not just one we see in restaurant kitchens. Many home cooks have adopted this way of cooking and eating in their kitchens, too.

What are Seattle restaurateurs and chefs doing well?

They are doing a great job of working with the reality that many of us are looking for a more laidback, more affordable dining experience nowadays. Casual sister restaurants, like Luc, or less formal options (like the bar/main dining room of Mistral Kitchen) ensure that restaurateurs are attracting larger clientele.

On the flip side, what's missing or done poorly here?

Asian food—with a few Eastside exceptions—is sorely lacking. Hopefully, with Bellevue's Din Tai Fung opening, we'll see more demand for higher quality Chinese food. I'm not an expert on Indian food, but Indian friends also tell me that they haven't found much excellent Indian food in Seattle proper.
... (more)

Peaches. 'Tis the season.

Earlier this week, I was thrilled to see that Metropolitan Market had brix (basically, a way to sneak inside the fruit to measure its sugar content and predict its sweetness) ratings for its Frog Hollow Farms and Pence Orchards peaches.

The Frog Hollow peaches, brought in from California, are beloved and generally fantastic, but the Pence peaches, from the Yakima Valley, were a little less expensive, and had higher brix ratings. (Staff at Metropolitan Market told me that the Frog Hollows had come in too early.) I went local!

My mission was sorbet-making, so I used a recipe from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, which has been reliable for me in the past. The finished product was good, but lacked the punch I expected from the ripe peaches. Speaking later with sweets superstar Autumn Martin, we lamented that sometimes peaches and other stone fruits are best eaten out of hand, as the flavor impact gets lost in many, if not most, cooking preparations.

I went back to Metropolitan Market yesterday and was surprised to see the brix signs gone. I then walked across the street to the Queen Anne Farmers Market, found some perfectly good "seconds" under a vendor's table, and took them home to eat over my sink. They dripped with sweet goodness, just the way fresh, juicy peaches are meant to be.

Tani Creek Farm

If the meal in front of a mountain tempted you earlier this week, here's exciting news: Outstanding in the Field is coming right here to the Seattle area.

Outstanding in the Field ups the ante on the farm-to-table concept by putting the table right out on the farm. For this local event, the location is the Tani Creek Farm on Bainbridge Island, with a landscape described as a cross between Pacific Northwest and Mediterranean (picture fruit and nut orchards, olive trees, hops climbing trellises and the like), and sloping hills that offer stunning views of Puget Sound.

Expect a farm tour to start the event before proceeding to the long, white-clothed table that is the signature of the Outstanding in the Field communal dinners.... (more)

On the heels of our burger shack survey, the SunBreak Burger Team decided to visit The Counter in Ballard (4609 14th Ave NW), which is, as you know, "the 21st century’s bold answer to the classic burger joint." It turned out to be an oddly taxing experience, not least because two burgers, two fries, a malt and a soda came to over $34.

But first we were confronted by the "Build Your Own Burger" menu, which would make Barry Schwartz scream, "Have you learned nothing from my work?" Essentially, you walk in and are presented with a pop quiz for your stomach. Not only are there 17 million combinations to choose from, but some are "free," and some are priced like extra toppings on your pizza ($0.50 to $1.00 per).

The smallest burger size is one-third of a pound of Angus beef, antibiotic- and hormone-free. ("Weights AFTER cooking," the menu tells you proudly.) That sets you back $8.25 before you've added anything at all. 1/3-lb. ground beef! Does anyone else remember when the quarter-pounder was a large? The result is a burger you have to slice in half just to get your hands around a manageable piece. (Later I felt like a python that swallowed a deep-fried goat that had just sucked down a shake.)... (more)

If you couldn't tell from the increased traffic and the sonic booms, the President made his somewhat-close to annual trip to Seattle on Tuesday.

While no one with less than a six-figure income could get within 300 feet of the President, for only $15 you too can have the pleasure of eating what Obama ate at Grand Central Bakery.

Twitterers such as @hsiaoching and @obamafoodorama, as well as the Grand Central themselves (@grandcentralSEA) kept us well informed of the Commander-in-Chief's dining habits. Here, a replica of the President's meal (courtesy of @hsiaoching's twitter feed):

Turkey and chutney sandwich, Skagit Valley salad & a jammer.... (more)

Note: Part 1 of this Escape from Seattle is here.

Waking up in Whistler, this calorie-lover knew there was a big day of eating ahead.

Just a short walk from my base at the Westin Resort & Spa is Lift Coffee Company, with outdoor seating and a morning menu that tempted me with a coddled egg and smoked black cod. I enjoyed this little glass ramekin of comfort food, accompanied by assorted baby lettuces, grilled rye, and puttanesca vinaigrette.

What most made me want to order this dish? "Shaved Montana," which sounds like a great name for a band, but turned out to be a cheese topping for the salad.

Lift's comfortable outdoor sofas looked tempting for a post-breakfast nap, but those seats have view of the entry point for my next stop: the Whistler Village Gondola, which would take me up nearly 6,000 feet to connect to my PEAK 2 PEAK Alpine Experience.

Choose your Peak 2 Peak gondola correctly, and not only do you have a 360-degree, panoramic view from as high as 1,430 feet from the valley floor, but you might also have floor windows that allow you to look straight to the ground.

For someone who no longer skis, this 2-and-3/4 mile journey was a great way to get a feel for the majesty of the Olympic venue, and a sense of awe in the marvel of construction of the peak-to-peak cable connection. Completion of Peak 2 Peak broke records for longest unsupported span, highest lift of its kind, and longest continuous lift system on the planet.... (more)

We visited Cafe Flora (29th & Madison) earlier this year to try out their breakfast menu; this time they invited us down to see the backyard patio and sample options from their cocktail menu (pdf). Click through the gallery for glimpses of vegetarian and vegan takes on cocktail hour.

Cafe Flora opened in 1991, the year I moved to Seattle, though the two events are largely unrelated. I do remember my first meal there, and the thrill that came with eating vegetarian fare that wasn't trying to taste like a meat dish. Everything celebrated precisely what was on your plate.

Now there's a new(ish) owner, Nat Stratton-Clarke, who started five years ago as a buyer, became general manager, and then took over the reins completely when founding owner David Foecke wanted to move on. So while Café Flora lives on, new approaches to menus and décor are being tried out.

To go with the cocktails, there's a Happy Hour: Monday through Friday, from 3-6 p.m., they offer select beers at $2.50, wines at $5, and a daily cocktail at $5. For the ultimate escape from a hectic day, make tracks for the back patio, and try the intensive garden immersion therapy it provides.

A food writer/restaurant reviewer can't, and shouldn't, eat out all the time. A simple salad or bowl of broth is a great break from far too much fat that's inevitable with many meals out.

My go-to meal when the refrigerator and pantry are bare, and I'm otherwise uninspired: ma po dou fu.

I love it, and make it almost every week. After testing many versions, I make mine based largely on Fuchsia Dunlop's recipe. (Main adaptations: I prefer pork over beef, substitute scallions for leeks, and drop out the white sugar and soy sauce.) As Dunlop describes it, this classic Sichuan tofu dish is named after the smallpox-scarred wife of a Qing Dynasty restaurateur, who prepared the dish for cooking oil-bearing laborers on their way to market.

Ma po dou fu is intended to be a fiery dish, so I laugh when I see the brown versions at area restaurants. Instead, I'm looking for a red color, which makes me salivate from thoughts of spiciness.

In addition to the Sichuanese chili bean paste in Dunlop's recipe, I typically double the amount of ground, roasted Sichuan peppercorns (this gives the ma, or numbing sensation), add two tablespoons of chili garlic sauce, and then add her suggested ground Sichuan chiles. (The last two items increase the la, or spice/heat factor.) 

Ma po dou fu is a dish I want to taste the next day--and not just as leftovers for lunch.

The American Cheese Society is having its annual convention at the end of August, right here in Seattle; Michael Pollan will be keynoting. They're mixing things up a little by inviting the public to their awards ceremony and Festival of Cheese, held at Benaroya Hall on Saturday, August 28, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

To publicize the cheesemonger Main Event, Beecher's owner Kurt Dammeier invited an assortment of foodies, bloggers, and media to the Pike Place store for a preview, and regaled us with stories and cheeses: "I'm Kurt Dammeier, and I'm the founder and owner of Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Middle name, Beecher, hence the name of the store."

Dammeier has been involved with the Cheese Society for five years, and is the board treasurer. "We now have over a thousand members," he said proudly. "Nearly every American cheesemaker of note will be attending this event." About 320 difference cheesemakers have entered their products into the competition.

As co-chair, Dammeier shares most of the responsibility for how this Benaroya Hall festival goes. Normally the awards ceremony is an industry event, on a separate night. But Dammeier thinks it'll be a bit of a thrill to see which cheeses win, and then have the chance to go meet the cheesemakers and taste the award-winners:... (more)

In an ill-timed move, Seattle Mariners' management fired Don Wakamatsu, Major League Baseball's first Asian-American manager, just prior to yesterday's Japanese Heritage Night at Safeco Field.

Yuji (pictured), visiting from Tokyo, circled the stadium in search of something special to eat. (With 62 food stands and 26 kiosks on site, this process took time.) In a "No Ichiroll for you" moment, he settled upon Grounders World Famous Garlic Fries (which came to Safeco in 2001, the same year as Ichiro); in a "Freedom Fries" moment, we used the Japanese word to rename them "Ninniku Fries" as a form of protest for Wakamatsu's firing.

Not really. Yuji says he just got tired of smelling the fries all around the stadium without getting a chance to eat them. The fries are seasoned with parsley, Kosher salt, and lots of garlic, with the resulting odor creating chaos as fans abandon seats in the area. The section in the photo was full moments before the shot.

Again, not really. But the two apple slices included with the fries are just a joke as an attempt to get rid of garlic breath. Still, two thumbs up from our Japanese friend, who said "oishikatta."

If there's a vanguard for the back-to-the-future, "Victory Garden" era in horticulture and landscaping, Colin McCrate is leading it. As the recession stretches out, garden-happy Seattleites are switching flowerbeds and shrubs into edible greens, fruits, and vegetables. At McCrate’s Seattle Urban Farm Company, the requests for residential farm landscaping (and chicken coops) keep increasing.

"It’s definitely true," said McCrate, atop Ballard's Bastille restaurant (5307 Ballard Ave. N.W.), where he's installed a prototype rooftop garden. "More and more people are taking advantage of yard space to supplement their food needs. The sale of vegetable seeds has gone through the roof."

Seattle’s climate, even in a cloud-shrouded summer like the one we are currently experiencing, is perfect for cultivation of greens, herbs, vegetables and fruit, particularly native apples, cherries and plums. Rain and peek-a-boo sun makes for perfect growing conditions.

Some local gardeners have always made a sport of growing food products, and Seattle’s P-Patch network has been flourishing since the hippie-intensive 1970s. But now, people are farming for keeps, both residentially and commercially.

"Our customers are constantly surprised at the yield from even a small plot," McCrate commented.

A few years ago, Bastille's James Weimann and Demming Maclise purchased a building on the resurgent Ballard Avenue. (If you haven’t been over there recently, make plans. It’s as nice a mix of retail and restaurants in the city). Their goal was to create a restaurant that adhered to the strict demands of French cuisine, namely the use of fresh ingredients. They succeeded in spades, but not before an intensive remodel and some bold thinking.... (more)

Tillamook’s Loaf Love tour is making a stop in Seattle, and the welcome party is at Capitol Hill's Po Dog (1009 East Union Street), purveyors of fine hot doggery and dog-related accoutrement. Here is everything you need to know wrapped up in a tidy cheese package:

For one hour only–5 p.m. to 6 p.m.-on August 5th, 2010, Po Dog restaurant, Capitol Hill location, will offer free Tillamook-themed hot dogs, "The Mac & Tillamook Cheese Dog," in celebration of Tillamook’s Loaf Love Tour, the first ever cheese tour comprised of three refurbished VW buses designed to look like baby loafs of cheese, arriving in Seattle and rolling around until August 16th. In addition to free hot dogs, the Loaf Love Tour will be handing out free cheese samples, coupons, buttons & more to help spread the love of tasty cheese to the people.

We couldn't make this stuff up. Further details: The VW buses are 1966 vintage, and cheese is delicious. You can probably still eat it even if you are lactose intolerant. Tillamook is a cooperative. They're 101 years old. They also make ice cream and butter. But their cheddar is what gets you. You probably don't realize how good you have it, cheddar-wise. You can eat too much cheese, I'm told. Moderation in all things, even the extra sharp.

While Jay will surely address the Seattle food scene, summer and fall are excellent times for excursions, so he’ll also spotlight some accessible food and fun in an "Escape from Seattle" series.

Whistler. Coming off this year’s Winter Olympics, the name conjures up images of graceful and powerful athletes wearing skis and riding luges. Even in the height of summer, there’s snow on the slopes and people (mostly young, mostly with snowboards, and mostly texting while riding up the lifts--or so it seems) ascending high above the village, eventually coming down to earth along with fit hikers and ferocious mountain bikers.

Whistler must be one of the fittest places in North America; there’s a lot of beefcake and bodacious bods—healthy people showing off rippling muscles and summer tans.

And then there’s me.

My exercise: hustling from one eatery to another, and then thinking about ways to burn off some calories before inevitably just relaxing or even napping. Some are calorie burners; I, in contrast, am more of a calorie lover.

Not completely, though. In my one previous visit to Whistler, about fifteen years ago, I found myself in a canoe, struggling to row around a lake. And then, afterward, back to my real sport: struggling to find a decent place to eat. A struggle it was. But now, having heard rumblings that the food scene had improved, it was time for a return visit.

In Vancouver, I reluctantly put away my list of dim sum palaces and ramen joints, and skeptically boarded the Rocky Mountaineer to ride the rails to Whistler. While the trip proved that train food is much like plane food (it’s plain food, indeed), the service was stunning, and the scenery spectacular on the sea-to-sky climb.

Leaving urban for countryside, I found myself quickly relaxed, enjoying the views while sipping post-breakfast wine. My only exercise during those three hours: getting up for occasional walks to the open-air Heritage Observation Car when attendants cued us for photo opportunities of Pacific waters, snow-capped mountains, and cascading waterfalls. Little did I realize how making the 74-mile trip by rail, without worry about watching the road, would be such a wonderful experience.... (more)

A little while ago, the Hansen Beverage Company sent me a test pack of their new natural soda, The Grove, which unites the taste of berry and citrus and cane sugar (no high fructose corn syrup for you). I don't actually drink soda, unless it is united with the taste of booze, but I know that lots of people do, so fine. I took a sample on a boat race to see how it performs.

This is likely the only review of The Grove you'll find that details its drinkability both leeward and windward.

The Grove is new--it may not be in stores yet, I don't see it on the Hansen's product page--but like the rest of Hansen's natural offerings, it contains no caffeine, no preservatives, and no artificial flavors or colors. If you follow the science and policy of taste creation, you will already know that any natural flavor can be wholly produced in a lab and still marketed as "natural"--Hansen's goes the extra provenance mile and assures you of extracts from California and/or Florida limes and lemons, U.S. strawberries and yumberries.

If Princeton researchers can be believed, the best part about Hansen's is the cane sugar sweetener, rather than high fructose corn syrup. That way--and I think the data is conclusive--if you happen to feed Hansen's to your pet rat, he or she will substantially less weight gain than a rat chugging HFCS.... (more)

Last week Octo Sushi opened up in the 12th Avenue space where dearly departed Crave used to be.  Actually, the restaurant is larger than the Linke Building's former occupant, taking up both the front windowed area, as well as the room behind. It's a smart idea (that front section is both tiny and prone to getting hot in the summer), but while the back section is cool (and well-designed with wood paneling), it's also dark and maybe too large for the amount of business the restaurant is getting thus far.

I was there for a Thursday dinner in which the front section was completely empty and the back room only had a few tables with customers during what should be its prime dinner hours (6:30 till 8:30 or so). But as a result, the service was attendant and the food arrived in no time. The kitchen is up front, while the sushi chef is busy cutting in the back. And yet somehow, my order initially arrived with sashimi instead of nigiri, and I overheard another table have a similar issue with a roll. Also for the record, if you bring me the wrong item of food, I will gladly eat that while you prepare the correct one. Just sayin'.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

When I planned this out a few weeks ago, the South American teams were excelling and the Europeans were disappointing. So, knowing very little about soccer (or anything really), I thought it would be fitting to end with South America.

Of course the final two rounds of the tournament were dominated by the Capri pants-wearing continent, so I am going to spin things this way: Since I started this project with the World Cup's host, let's end it with 2014's, the country of Brazil.

Many people think of South America as a haven for drug dealers, flesh-eating fish, and rich American students riding llamas up mountains. I don't know if this is true, as I've never traveled south of Holgate Street; however I do know there must be a lot of socialists, death panels, and Subarus down there, because the continent produces a ton of wine and cheese.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

We've come a long way from that first day of games. Remember, South Africa vs. Mexico at Café Presse? You wore those jade earrings, I walked you back to your car, we promised each other so many things.... I just want you to know that throughout everything I still love you, and I just got scared.

So much has changed since that cold, cloudy morning--so many games, so many countries that we've forgotten about. So while you watch the Netherlands and Spain flop for world supremacy, take a moment to remember those little nations that were gone in the blink of eye.

Honduras is a country of seven million people; roughly the number currently waiting at the five-way stop near Baskin Robbins in Greenlake. Their team had to qualify for the World Cup while their country was in the middle of a coup, and did so for only the second time in history.

They also provide the world with coffee, including the Honduras Las Capucas, which I bought at Seattle Coffee Works. It's described "medium-bodied" with "hints of caramel and melon." Yet, it's pesticide-free, which is actually what gives coffee its kick. Luckily I had some in the basement, and added a spray or two—ah yes, that's the stuff.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

Last night as I watched the Opposite Day sun sink low in the Eastern sky, I reflected on the East's performance in the World Cup. For the Far East there was great success, with Japan and South Korea both advancing to the knockout stage, while the Eastern Europeans--Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia--came oh-so-close.

Planet Earth used to have two distinct soccer regions: Europe and South America. However, just as once fast food was only available in America, globalization has spread soccer to all corners of the globe. Japan and South Korea started put themselves on the world stage in 2002, and were back this time around. In honor of this, I made Korean BBQ beef, or bulgogi (much less ambitious then the Korean dinner I made in the spring).

I took some thinly sliced beef, marinated it in Korean BBQ sauce--which may not have been a real thing until some entrepreneur slapped that name on bottles--overnight, then cooked it in a pan at the highest temperature possible, to try and simulate the cooking surfaces used in South Korea.

The sticky, sweet, and salty beef was washed down with sake imported from Japan. Now, because fish are the only other animals on the planet that can feel pain, I don't eat seafood. However, for some reason the sake tasted like what I feel seafood would taste like.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

I'm not going to label Spanish sports fans as racists, especially when you can lump their athletes into that category as well. However, Spain is turning into quite the little sports factory. Pau Gasol bailed out Kobe and the Lakers in Game 7, and Ricky Rubio is apparently the point guard of the future. Their soccer team is the defending Euro Cup champions and are one win away from World Cup glory.

In honor of this, I was planning on a large tapas meal with some Jumilla wine. Then over Fourth of July weekend, a friend produced some quality chorizo, and well, I couldn't help myself. This Spanish sausage was dry and spicy, much like other tube meats I've eaten from warm and sandy locales.

As far as I know, taking the insides of animals, hair, and dead flies and then putting all of that in a casing made from a different dead animal started in damp Northern Europe. So when it came to German food, I knew that I was getting something juicy.

I went to Prost for an early Germany game, and found that for the low, low price of $25,  I could have an entire boot of beer, and then...keep the boot! These are the sort of things I probably won't be able to spend money on when I have kids.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

At the turn of the century, Mexican food in Seattle was limited to Rosita's, La Cocina Cantina, and Taco del Mar, and I would fly to the Oakland Airport just for lunch. Since then, we've been hit by a wonderful amount of taco trucks and regional restaurants, giving the area tasty variety.

With that being said, I am using my Mexican meal to further a cause that should be near and dear to the heart of every Seattleite: saving the Roanoke Tavern.

Every Wednesday the Roanoke serves dollar tacos, with the most amazing salsa in the city. The recipe is a secret, and the contents, along with the bar itself, may be lost forever because its building is for sale.... (more)

In general, I am loath to travel to the Eastside.  But I'm willing to make the trip over the bridge for a new spot from the good people at Heavy Restaurant Group.  If Purple is their wine bar and Barrio is their Northwest-minded taqueria, then LOT No. 3 is their speakeasy-ish pub, with a long list of brown liquors and beers, as well as some simple, gourmet takes on pub grub. 

Just looking at the menu [pdf], it is mostly booze (care of gifted bar manager Casey Robison, often found at the Capitol Hill Barrio), but LOT No. 3 still puts the food front and center, with plenty of small bites, entrees, cheese and Salumi meat plates, salads, and sandwiches, including hot dogs and a peanut butter and bacon sandwich.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

Ghana has knocked Team USA out of two straight World Cups. So instead of taking Friday off for a long weekend of 'Merica lovin' that would have kicked off with drunken giddiness at some crowded bar, I'll now have to go to work trying like to hell to hide my drunkenness at some morning meeting.

Ghana, you are on my list! Why can't you be more like the Ivory Coast and their amazing Didier Drogba?

Unlike his influential peer Lady Gaga, Drogba is so revered that when he pleaded for an end to his country's civil war, both sides listened, and a ceasefire was brokered. Unfortunately, he broke his arm right before the World Cup started. Seriously, if you believe in karma, you are a dumb person.... (more)