We’re thrilled to welcome two new neighbors to the West Edge neighborhood: Cupcake Royale and the Seattle Great Wheel!

We’ve enjoyed watching the Wheel take its place on the Seattle Waterfront at Pier 57 and blogged about it on June 5 along with lots of photos. Even if you’re not a downtown dweller or visitor, you can watch the Wheel from the Puget Sound Cam. It is truly a magnificent sight!

The Wheel starts spinning and is open for rides today. Purchase your tickets here.

And ART Restaurant & Lounge, in the Four Seasons Seattle Hotel, has created a special dessert to welcome the Great Wheel.

The carnival-inspired “Ferris Wheel Cool Spin” has cinnamon-sugared elephant ears; a trio of housemade strawberry shortcake, raspberry scone, and deep-fried peanut butter ice cream; and is topped with truffle pops in cotton candy on a cool ice carving of the center ferris wheel. Man, it sure looks good!

Meanwhile, lots of news to report on tomorrow’s opening of Cupcake Royale’s sixth cafe, in the former Chocolate Box space at 108 Pine, just a block from the Pike Place Market.

Cupcake Royale’s new location is not only a cupcake bakery, but an ice creamery that will simultaneously launch Cupcake Royale Brand Ice Cream in all six cafes.

According to the company’s press release, “Cupcake Royale Brand Ice Cream, features a signature line of the original Cupcakes ‘n’ Cream ice cream as well as other amazing ice-cream flavor combinations that will have unique and delicious inclusions, all baked in-house.”

Our pal Jody Hall, whom we’ve profiled in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine, is owner/founder of Cupcake Royale (the first cupcake bakery in Seattle, if you can imagine that!).

Jody says, “We’ve always wanted to offer ice cream for our customers. It’s just such a natural pairing with cake—add delicious artisan espresso to the mix and it’s an amazing trifecta.”

I can’t wait to try flavors such as Burnt Caramel with Sea Salt, Blueberry Lavender, and Bananza (roasted banana, homemade gooey brownie, caramel).

But I’ll take a pass on Whiskey Maple Bacon Crack (bacon brittle) made with locally produced Woodinville Whiskey and Zoe’s Meats bacon, thanks.

Other flavors in the Cupcakes ‘n’ Cream line are based on the company’s most beloved cupcake flavors–Red Velvet, Dance Party, Salted Caramel, Peppermint Party, and Triple Threat.

In total, Cupcake Royale will carry 14 flavors of ice cream, two flavors of homemade ice-cream sandwiches, and Cakeshakes and Babyshakes (which are blended with either a cupcake or a babycake-size cupcake).

Even better news? Ice Cream flavors will rotate based on seasonality. And, as with its cupcakes, Cupcake Royale will source local ingredients for their new ice-cream line.

During construction of the latest cafe, Cupcake Royale has been operating an ice-cream cart in front of the new location. Chocolate Box, which formerly occupied the space, has consolidated it operations into a smaller space next door at 106 Pine.

Photos courtesy of ART Restaurant & Lounge and Cupcake Royale

Although Spencer and I eat out quite a bit, with such a wide array of cuisines and restaurants outside our front door, we usually just stay within blocks of our condominium building in downtown Seattle.

So I am embarrassed to admit that, up until a few weeks ago, we hadn’t enjoyed the many tantalizing tastes at Tamara Murphy’s “new” (at least to us!) Terra Plata, just up the hill from our condo in the Melrose Market.

“Earth to Plate” sums up the zeitgeist and ambience of this remarkable restaurant. Two long, hard years in the making (Tamara’s stories about landlord problems could curl your eyelashes!), the wait was well worth it.

Here’s the gorgeous Deviled Duck Egg with Salmon Roe that Tamara sent over as a pre-dinner surprise. Gamy, rich, and super-creamy, this perfect-for-sharing appetizer was the epitome of divine excess (in the very best of ways)!

We also ate way more than we should have (at least for our waistlines’ sake) of chef Tamara’s super-fun Blistered Shisito Peppers. Part of the Snacks and Small Plates offerings, the deep-fried peppers were accompanied by a super-smooth aïoli, and sprinkled with really good, crunchy sea salt. These things are addictive!

From the “Earth” section of the menu came a delicate Spring Mesclun Salad studded with tender baby radish slices, green-apple wedges, candied hazelnuts, Cabrales (Spanish blue) cheese, and Champagne vinaigrette.

From the “Sea” section of the menu came The perfectly cooked Mediterranean Mussels with Sofrito (“a sautéed mixture of seasonings and finely chopped vegetables, such as onions, garlic, and peppers, used as a base for many Spanish, Caribbean, and Latin American dishes, according to The Free Dictionary), Olives, Anchovy, Lemon, and Parsley.

Spencer’s Whole Fish–a black sea bass that evening–was annointed with lemon butter and served with a wild watercress-and-radish salad. This bad-boy bass was almost too good-looking to eat, but Spencer managed to devour every last bite.

We washed down this earth-to-ocean feast with a bottle of Barolo that played surprisingly well with both our entrées.

Terra Plata’s interior space is beautifully executed, with an open timbered ceilingk, hardwood floors, plenty of ambient light from the wrap-around windows, and an inviting bar that welcomes locals and regulars, many of whom seem to who know each other and the bartender.

A rooftop garden is opening this summer. . .if “summer” ever arrives this year, what with our especially long stretch of “June-uary” weather so far.

Here’s chef Tamara and crew working the line. . .keeping Terra Plata the earthy, homey, and comforting–yet tantalizing– culinary treasure, it is.

We always enjoy eating at The Pink Door, the fun and funky restaurant with seriously good food located in the Pike Place Market along upper Post Alley.

But there’s no better time than spring.

The restaurant recently announced its new seasonal food-and-drink offerings, and they sound delish.

The Pink Door’s Duo of Spring Crostini

On the food side, we’re anxious to sample the Duo of Spring Crostini (fava-pea purée, radish, and sea salt. as well as shrimp, limoncello, and lemon-zest gremolata).

Spaghetti with Artichokes (spaghetti, fresh artichokes, parsley, garlic and artisanal olive oil) and the Bucket-O-Peas also sound so fresh and seasonal.

The Pink Door’s Fernet Mint Julep

New cocktails that signal spring include La Porta (Gin, Dimmi, Luxardo, and fresh grapefruit juice) and the Fernet Mint Julep (Bourbon, Fernet-Branca, and muddled mint, topped with soda). The latter sounds especially bracing and refreshing.

I’ve really been getting into the whole bitters thing (such as Campari and Cocchi Americano) lately. Both marry well with diet or regular tonic water as a mixer.

The Pink Door’s Everything Green Salad

Of course, nothing compares to the Pink Door’s Everything Green Salad with fresh fava beans, asparagus, English peas, and pistachios, all set atop lacy butter lettuce leaves and sauced with Green Goddess (creamy tarragon-tinged) dressing.

I’ve written about it many times in Northwest Notes, and love to add a mound of sweet, succulent Dungeness crab to turn it into a main-dish salad.

I also included the Everything Green Salad among my Favorite Dishes from 2011.

Crostini and Mint Julep photos courtesy of The Pink Door; Everything Green Salad photo by Braiden Rex-Johnson. 

It seems almost surreal that I am writing this Ode to Chez Shea, the über-romantic and sexy restaurant in the Pike Place Market, rather than the totally glowing Resto Review entitled, Chez Shea Shines Anew, that I had originally intended.

When SeattlePI.com announced last Wednesday, April 18, that the 30-year-old stalwart in the Market was closing its doors. . .to be replaced by a coffee company, no less (just what Seattle needs is another coffee shop. . .not!), I was heartbroken.

For over the 22 years we’ve lived in Seattle, we’ve dined there many times. Original owner Sandy Shea gave me a recipe for my very first Pike Place Market Cookbook. And then-chef Peter Morrison shared his Oysters Chez Shea recipe for my original Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook. We had our favorite oh-so-French female server there and have known Lotta Hashimura, the general manager, for years.

If I had been able to write my review, I would have raved about the classically prepared Escargots, pictured above. Pure garlicky, buttery bliss in a single bite.

Or the absolutely decadent Prawns Barcelona. More garlic, crispy kale, sherry, and more butter. . .but also crunchy toasted almond flakes. And such a generous serving!

A lovely bottle of Meursault (French Chardonnay) paired perfectly with both dishes and was served at exactly the right temperature (not too cold, as is often the case with white wines in restaurants).

A bite of salad to pep up the taste buds again. This one included Anjou pear, orange segments, toasted Marcona almonds, and a sprinkling of fresh goat cheese for saltiness and tang. Don’t forget the Tangerine Vinaigrette!

This Dungeness Crab Salad is one of the most simply perfect things I’ve tasted in months–the freshest crab meat interspersed with green mango, wild watercress, paper-thin radishes, citrus segments, kaffir lime leaf, and Asian herbs, including cilantro and the magic ingredient–shiso–a Japanese leaf that has minty/menthol-y/astringent flavors, and that I love. This one was lightly tossed with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette. Perfect!

Chilean Sea Bass with darling baby zucchini and just the right amount of Saffron-Tomato Sauce. . and a beguiling ring of Parsley Oil.

Spencer’s Rack of Lamb Persillade aligned with military precision and sauced in a Rosemary Jus. . .

RIP and thanks for the memories, Chez Shea.

It was both a happy moment and a sad moment, the best of times and worst of times, when Spencer came back from his morning coffee and workout session in the Pike Place Market a few weeks ago and showed me the photo above on his cellphone.

As he’d been wandering the Market’s nooks and crannies, he discovered my “Pike Place Market Cookbook” on the shelves at Metsker Maps along First Avenue.

Sad because the book was recently declared out of print; I bought 30 of the last 60 copies available; a new book entitled “Pike Place Market Recipes” will be published by Sasquatch Books next month. . .and I am not the author!

But out with the old and in with the (very) new as my “Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” which was published in 2005 by Ten Speed Press in a hardcover gift edition that remains in print, has just been released in an e-edition!

The electronic version of the seafood book, complete with gorgeous four-color photos, Fun Facts, and a How to Buy Seafood section (all part of the hardcover original), can be viewed on a Kindle.

IPhone and iPad users (such as myself) don’t despair! Simply download the free Kindle Reading App and you’ll soon be on your merry way.

Oysters on the half shell from Shuckers in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle before. . .

Sad to say, but the arrival of the first wave of fresh halibut last week at Pike Place Market fish stands, signals that we are nearing the end of raw oyster season here in the Northwest.

Now I know oysters are available year-round, and that the age-old advice about eating them only in “r”months may no longer be true.

But I simply don’t feel like eating raw oysters on the half shell in the summer months. . .they seem more like a fall and winter food to me and my palate.

With that in mind, here are some last thoughts on oysters on the half shell and which wines pair well with them. This list thanks to a seminar that examined the ins and outs of pairing wines from across the world with raw, local oysters.

The afternoon session featured Lissa James of the Hama Hama Oyster Company and winemakers from Girard Napa Valley, the Crossings winery in New Zealand, and Barone Fini from Italy. And even though I was unable to attend the seminar and sample the wines and oysters personally, the organizers were nice enough to share the results, which I find fascinating.

And for additional suggestions on pairing Pacific Coast wines with raw oysters, here’s an article I wrote last year for Wine Press Northwest. The link takes you to an e-edition of the magazine which requires a few extra moments to download due to all the text and graphics, so be patient. You’ll find my article if you flip to page 10.

Featured wines, and their suggested oyster pairings:

1. Girard Sauvignon Blanc 2010 & Kumamoto Oyster
2. Barone Fini Valdadige Pinot Grigio 2010 & Olympia Oyster
3. The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2011 & Hama Hama Oyster
4. Girard Chardonnay 2009 & Point aux Pins Oyster
5. Barone Fini Alto Adige Pinot Grigio 2010 & Blue Pool Oyster
6. The Crossings Unoaked Chardonnay 2009 & Totten Inlet Pacific Oyster

Oysters on the half shell from Shuckers in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle after!

Photos by Braiden Rex-Johnson

Several Sundays ago, with the currently showing exhibition at Seattle’s venerable Frye Art Museum about to close, we made an afternoon journey that included a little research into the museum’s Gallery Cafe.

We both enjoyed the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich with a Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I couldn’t resist shooting a couple of Hipstamatic photos, using one of my favorite iPhone4 apps.

Here are the colorful results. As I’m writing this close to lunch time, and still have to do my daily workout, I’m wishing I had one of these plates in front of me RIGHT NOW!

While many people who read Northwest Notes regularly might not believe it, Spencer and I are aficionados of The Cheesecake Factory in downtown Seattle and often enjoy Saturday or Sunday lunches there while we are downtown running errands or going to the nearby Meridian or Pacific Place movie theaters.

A few Saturdays ago, we were pleased to discover the popular chain restaurant now offers a Skinnylicious menu, described as “a collection of fresh and delicious menu options with lower calories and signature rich taste. Skinnylicious redefines low-calorie flavor in The Cheesecake Factory tradition.”

Intrigued, especially since we have recently adopted “la vida low-carb” (the low-carb lifestyle), we were pleased to find not only Skinnylicious Small Plates & Appetizers (all under 490 calories), Salads (590), Specialties (590), Fresh-Baked Flatbreads (490), and even Skinny Cocktails (150 calories or less).

Here is the Beets with Goat Cheese small plate I enjoyed, although I turned it into a main-dish salad by adding a piece of grilled salmon.

Spencer adored his B.B.Q. Chicken–charbroiled chicken breast (three of them pounded thinly) served with green beans and corn succotash. (While the corn succotash is probably not the most low-carb item, a guy has to splurge every now and then!)

We’ll be back to try the Chicken Lettuce Wrap Tacos (butter lettuce leaves filled with grilled chicken and your choice of Asian, Mexican, or Mediterranean accompaniments) or the Skinnylicious Asian Chicken or Herb-Crusted Salmon Salads, perhaps even accompanied by a Skinny Margarita or Red Sangria.

Now, if they could just figure out how to make the cheesecakes and tortes Skinnylicious, too!

For several months now, Spencer (and to a lesser extent, yours truly) have been trying to survive on a medically supervised low-carb, low-fat, very high protein diet.

Right out of the gate, my significant other lost six pounds, and has continued to lose slowly even in spite of the holidays and nine days in California.

I lost an inch or two around my middle, which was a good thing, as my waistbands had lately gotten more than a little snug.

It’s been “interesting” figuring out what restaurants are low-carb friendly.

Here’s the way we navigated the menu at Chinook’s, a wonderful seafood restaurant we frequent when we are out and about in the car. It’s part of the Anthony’s Homeport family on Fisherman’s Terminal, just a few miles outside of downtown Seattle.

Chinook’s Manhattan Clam Chowder is always spot-on, and the Oregon Bay Shrimp Cocktails had lots of the small, but tasty, shrimp and chopped celery paired with a spicy cocktail sauce.

In addition to good food, there are gorgeous marina views that I enjoy snapping with my Hipstamatic app.

I must admit that I am not an expert when it comes to Korean cuisine.

I tested two recipes for my original Pike Place Market Cookbook that were submitted by Deluxe Barbecue, an old-time business has long-since been supplanted by a sushi place.

And everyone who’s a foodie knows about the nation’s national dish and passion–kimchi–fermented cabbage that comes in many different styles and variations.

But last month, when Spencer and I needed to make a Uwajimaya run for green tea and sake, we stopped off in the food court for lunch.

Shilla at Uwajimaya caught my eye, not only because I suspected it was an outpost of the venerable downtown Seattle Shilla, but because it was a step up from the pre-cooked, hot-table food offered elsewhere at the busy food court.

Shilla at Uwajimaya owner Ike Lee

Cooking to order, à la minute, Shilla’s owner Ike Lee told me he is a former owner of the original downtown Shilla. He’s an affable and faintly hucksterish (in a good way) sort of guy. It’s immediately apparent that he owns the place and he thrives on making his customers happy.

I happily settled in with the Tofu Soup with Seafood.

“Take the soup with a small bite of rice first,” Lee advised. “Koreans have a more spicy palate than Americans, so you need the rice to mellow the soup.”

Good advice, as the soup was pleasingly, warmingly, meltingly spiced.

Here is Spencer’s Spicy Chicken, which he asked for “extra-spicy,” so I could hardly even sample it!

Entrées came with brown or white rice, kimchi, and a chopped romaine salad with a light soy-sauce dressing.

We got out of there for less than $20 and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. Thanks, Ike!