Lane Hoss, vice president of marketing for Anthony’s Restaurants, judges the West Coast’s best oyster wines

Winners of the 19th annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition were announced late last month by Taylor Shellfish Farms. As always, the competition was stiff, as leading food professionals in Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, searched for the ultimate “bliss factor” between wine and oyster.

I’ve been honored to judge the competition twice, and write articles for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine, Wine Press Northwest magazine, and Northwest Notes.

Heartiest congratulations to this year’s “Oyster Award” winners, which include:

**Cedergreen Cellars 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

**Chateau Ste. Michele 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

**Dry Creek Vineyards 2012 Dry Chenin Blanc (CA)

**Geyser Peak Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

**Kunde Family Estates 2012 Sauvingnon Blanc (CA)

Long Meadow Ranch Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

*Three Pears 2012 Pinot Grigio (CA)

Trefethen Family Vineyards 2012 Dry Riesling (CA)

Vinoce Vineyards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

*Willamette Valley Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (OR)

*Prior Oyster Award

**Multiple Prior Oyster Awards

The wineries listed above are 10 Equal Winners of the “Oyster Award” and are listed alphabetically.

On back-to-back evenings, beloved chefs from the Pacific Northwest will cook at the James Beard House.

John Sundstrom, chef/owner of Lark in Seattle, will work his magic on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 7 p.m. A James Beard Foundation (JBF) award-winner, John has just released his first cookbook. It is entitled, “Lark: Cooking Against the Grain,” and featured his rustic, yet elegant style of cuisine which focuses on the work of the finest local artisan food producers, farmers, meat producers, and foragers.

The five-course dinner, plus hors d’oeuvres, features Walla Walla White Asparagus Bagna Cauda with Cured Egg Yolk; Wagyu Flap Steak with Morels, Spring Onions, and Smoked Marrow-Red Wine Sauce; and Savarin Cake with Strawberries, Rhubarb Mousse, and Lemon-Yogurt Meringues. Wine pairings hail from Abeja and Belle Pente.

The next evening, also beginning at 7 p.m., Portland chef Jason Barwikowski of The Woodsman Tavern, takes over the reins in the kitchen, to produce hors d’oeuvres and a five-course dinner featuring European-inflected American fare sourced from local and artisanal purveyors. Wine pairings will be chosen by Woodsman Tavern wine director Carly Laws, with the same pricing as John Sundstrom’s dinner.

One June 10th at 7 p.m., Jessica Bagley, general manager/owner of The Painted Lady, located in Newberg, Oregon, and chef/owner Allen Routt, will bring a taste of the Willamette Valley to the James Beard House. Their innovative and locally inspired menu will be paired with wines from Anderson Family Vineyard, an organic, boutique winery.

All three dinners are priced at $130 for JBF members; $170 for the general public.

Not to be forgotten is Gabriel Rucker of Portland’s Le Pigeon, one of the chefs chosen to cook at The 2013 JBF Awards gala on May 6th. Congratulations to all our talented chefs who strut their stuff at the James Beard House!

Ever wonder how much the wine industry contributes to the Canadian economy?

According to a press release, the findings of the largest research study ever conducted on the Canadian wine and grape industry–Canada’s Wine Economy: Ripe Robust Remarkable–reveals a prosperous and expanding $6.8-billion-dollar industry.

Commissioned by the Canadian Vintners Association, the Winery & Grower Alliance of Ontario, the British Columbia Wine Institute, and the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, the report confirms the wine industry has become a large and significant contributor to the overall Canadian economy, especially in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

Key findings for British Columbia Wine include:

• BC Wine Economy has 212 wineries and over 864 vineyards on more than 9,800 acres of land.

• The BC Wine Industry’s $2.0 billion economic impact is a significant driver to the BC economy. For every bottle of wine produced in the Province, there is $42 of economic impact generated.

• More than 10,000 people have jobs in BC as a result of the wine and grape industry.

• British Columbians enjoy more than 234 million glasses or 47 million bottles of British Columbia wine each year.

• BC welcomes over 800,000 visitors every year through the wine economy, that is more than the province drew for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

• The BC Wine Industry generates $476 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact.

• More than $298 million in federal and provincial taxes and liquor board mark up is generated by the wine industry in BC each year. In taxes alone, the BC Wine Industry contributes $222 million.

For more on British Columbia wines, please refer to my seventh book, “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

With our condo perched at the intersection of First Avenue and Union Street, catercorner to the Seattle Art Museum, we’ve been lucky enough to have a bird’s-eye view of the new permanent outdoor art installation during construction and the intense testing process.

Entitled, MIRROR, by Doug Aitken, the huge LED display wraps around SAM’s northwest corner. Digital sensors that monitor the weather, pedestrian activity, and surrounding traffic transmit data that is used to animate LED images taken from digital footage Aitken captured throughout Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest.

The exhibition will be unveiled on March 24. In the meantime, here are some images Spencer and I captured while shooting off our bird’s-eye balcony.

In our last two blog posts, we’ve discussed food and beverage trends for 2013.

Today we’ll hone in on one particular food trend that shows no signs of fading: The Locavore Movement.

In a recent article in Restaurant Hospitality entitled, “How Hot is the Locavore Trend?,” writer Bob Krummert noted that, “A new study finds 70% of consumers are willing to pay more for local food.”

Other interesting statistics brought to light in the A. T. Kearney study are the reasons grocery shoppers largely embrace local-food options:

1. It helps local economies

2. Local food delivers a better and broader assortment of products.

3. Provides healthier alternatives.

4. Improves carbon footprint.

5. Increases natural or organic production.

And subjects in the study aren’t just giving lip service to the Locavore Movement. Thirty-eight percent said they would pay up to 5% more for local foods; 24% would pay up to 10%; and 8% would pay more than 10%.

In our last blog post, we cited our 13 top culinary trends  for 2013.

Today we cover the top-10 drink menu trends for beverages, gathered from members of the United States Bartenders Guild.

United States Bartenders Guild Top-10 Drink Menu Trends for 2013

1. Onsite barrel-aged drinks.

2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings.

3. Culinary cocktails using fresh, savory ingredients.

4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor.

5. Locally produced spirits.

6. Locally sourced fruit, berries, and produce.

7. Beer sommeliers (cicerones).

8. Regional signature cocktails.

9. Beer-based cocktails.

10. Locally produced beer.

Source: National Restaurant Association

While I’m working out on the elliptical trainer at the gym, I like to read food- and beverage-related articles I’ve clipped from magazines or printed from the Internet.

Of special interest is anything having to do with culinary trends. These articles tend to come out at year-end or early in the New Year. So this year I began saving them early on and then read them en masse.

Below you’ll find my compilation of a baker’s dozen of the top trends that I see on the horizon for the coming year.

My trends are taken from a variety of sources including Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, AllRecipes.com, Associated Press, the National Restaurant Association, Sterling-Rice Group, Technomic, The Chicago Tribune, and the Food & Beverage Specialty Team of MSLGROUP North America.

Will any or all of these trends move into the mainstream in 2013? Stay tuned!

Northwest Wining and Dining 2013 Top Culinary Trends  

1. Locally Sourced and Grown Meats, Seafood, and Produce: Locavore Movement still white-hot. Hyper-local (restaurant gardens and rooftop beehives) even better. Wild crafting (rescuing heirlooms from obscurity or extinction) becoming important to some chefs. Environmentally sustainable as a culinary theme.

2. Healthy Restaurant Items: Gluten-free menus; chefs add brown rice, high-fiber grains, and vitamin-rich vegetable broths; chefs are more willing to accommodate special dietary requests from diners.

3. Vegetarian Dishes: Meatless meals, flexitarians, vegans, innovative salads, steamed and roasted vegetable dishes. Use of “new” and gluten-free grains including quinoa, amaranth, and millet. Kohlrabi Bourguignon an entrée at AQ restaurant in San Francisco. Vegetables serve as main dishes, not just supporting players. Millet may be the next quinoa.

4. Casualization of Dining: Food trucks, pop-up restaurants, “The Food Truck Handbook.”

5. Food in Small Packages: Cake pops, chicken bites, mini cinnamon buns, mini milkshakes, mini corn dogs, cheesecake bites, sliders. Small plates meant for sharing are being replaced by small plates designed for one person only, which leads to a truly customized dining experience.

6. Snacks as Meals: Snacks are now accounting for one in five “meal occasions,” bar food and happy hour remain wildly popular, along with tapas, mezze, upscale bar bites.

7. Asian Food Popular: Noodle dishes, pho, ramen, layered noodle bowls, fragrant soups, mixed-texture salads, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Sriracha sauce.

8. Bold Flavors: Spicy food, real ethnic food, South American (Brazil, Argentina, Peru) foods including South American-style grilled meats and ceviche, and drinks such as the Caipirinha and Pisco Sour.

9. New Cuts of Meat: Cuts from seldom-used pieces, e.g., Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major. Sustainable use of the “whole animal.”

10. Cocktail Craze: Bars dictate future flavors, craft cocktails, barrel-aged cocktails, micro distilleries, “girly” liquors (cake-flavored Vodka, Skinny Girl products).

11. Bitter and Sour Flavors: Fermented cherry juice, varietal vinegars, homemade bitters, sour beer, kefir (naturally fermented milk).

12. Trendy Preservation: Cured, brined, pickled, dried, dehydrated, salted, and fermented foods, kimchi (Korean pickled vegetable).

13. “Hot” Ingredients and Flavors: Hibiscus, pomegranate, anything coconut (coconut water, coconut nectar as a sweetener, even coconut oil which was once demonized as a “bad fat), stevia, Greek-style yogurt. Leafy greens including kale and chard, plus beet, turnip, and mustard greens. Arugula a main salad component.

Thrilled to share the news that Lisa Ekus, my longtime literary agent and dear friend, who’s also founder and president of  The Lisa Ekus Group, will be awarded the honor of 2012 Outstanding Career by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau with the goal of recognizing and rewarding international culinary talent. Awards are given to cookbooks of excellence and culinary professionals from all over the globe.

The award will be handed out on February 23, 2013, in Paris, France, at the Gourmand Awards Gala event. Past winners of the Outstanding Career Award include Chuck Williams, Richard Grausman, and Dun Gifford.

From the press release I learned that, in her more than 30 years in the culinary industry, Lisa has cooked dinner for Julia Child; media trained Emeril Lagasse and Padma Lakshmi; secured book deals for more than 150 authors (me included–thanks, Lisa!); created culinary partnerships with leading manufacturers such as Lipton, Del Monte, Keebler, General Mills, Kraft, and Williams-Sonoma; and represented numerous restaurants, books, and food companies for public relations, including American Roland Food Corp.

Lisa’s cookbook collection numbers more than 7,000 volumes (and counting!). She also works closely with a number of charitable organizations, including The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Lisa Ekus Group began as a public relations agency—the first of its kind in the United States devoted entirely to cookbooks, chefs, and food products. The company has grown into a full-service culinary agency providing media training, public relations, consulting, talent representation, and literary-agency services to a world of culinary talent.

In 2000, The Lisa Ekus Group began offering Literary Agenting services and has since negotiated more than 350 book deals with such publishers as Andrews McMeel, Running Press, Artisan, Chronicle, HarperCollins, Penguin, Robert Rose, Simon & Schuster, Sterling, Ten Speed Press, and my personal favorite, Wiley, publisher of “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

Congratulations to Lisa for being such a pioneer in the culinary world. And personal thanks for all you have done to further and enhance my career.

Hope everyone had the happiest of holidays, and cheers to the New Year!

We will be taking the next few months off to clean out the office, while we noodle around on a new book.

Which means, for the foreseeable future, the Northwest Notes blog is on hiatus. I figure if Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson could take six months off last year, and Hillary (Clinton) is taking some time off this year, so can I.

Thanks for reading my bl0g over the past many years. It started way back in December 2004 with a recipe for Holiday Crab Boils. . .and wraps up for now, at least, with a total of 707 blog posts as of today.

I will continue to our Recipes of the Month, along with a suggested wine pairing, as recipes are one of the most popular features on the Northwest Wining and Dining website.

And perhaps I’ll write an occasional blog post about a subject of great interest and/or urgency. Got to keep that SEO ranking high as well. J

Please continue to catch up with me on the social-media networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

Also please don’t forget that my Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook is available in both print and e-versions. At just $14.95 per copy for the print version (substantially less on Amazon.com), it’s the perfect gift book and/or Northwest souvenir.

Thank you for your support so far, and cheers to the promise of 2013!

Every holiday season, my two honorary sises and I have lunch at icon Grill in downtown Seattle. I’ve written about these get-togethers for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine in an article about holiday traditions.

And I’m happy to report that last Friday we again partook of icon’s fun seasonal offerings while we basked in the holiday spirit amid a plethora of colorfully decorated Christmas trees and holiday tchotches.

As usual, I enjoyed the Butternut Squash Bisque and Grilled Pear Salad. Sis and Sis shared the Holiday Wreath Salad and Candy Cane Beet Salad.

We talked so much, and all had to get back to work or appointments, that we didn’t have time for dessert this year, sigh.

But if time had allowed, we would have tried a brand-new item that sounds decadently delish–Eggnog Pudding and Italian Rum Cake.

We were happy to see that, once again, chef Nick Musser and crew are offering a program featuring five Chateau Ste. Michelle wines by the glass or bottle  in which a portion of the proceeds benefit colleges and universities in our region that offer vitculture and enology programs.

The Grill’s popular Santa Brunches run Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., through December 23.