Party hardy along the cobblestones at the Pike Place Market’s 14th annual Sunset Supper on Friday, August 14!

Enjoy one of the city’s most magical evenings as more than 50 of Seattle’s top restaurants, wineries, breweries, and food merchants transform the Pike Place Market’s Main Arcade into one big party under the stars.

Guests will enjoy sample-sized portions of their favorite dishes created by some of Seattle’s finest chefs, plus enjoy tastings of local wines and beverages. Proceeds from Sunset Supper support the Market’s four human service agencies–the Senior Center, Child Care & Preschool, Medical Clinic, and the Downtown Food Bank. Together, these agencies assist nearly 10,000 local people in need each year.

The Pink Door’s famous lasagna is among the samples being served at Pike Place Market’s 14th Annual Sunset Supper
Details:

WHEN: Friday August 14th, 2010

7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

WHERE: Pike Place Market Main Arcade
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 774-5254

During our recent summer vacation to Scandinavia and Russia, we enjoyed a four-hour tour of Helsinki, Finland, that culminated in a Finnish food workshop.

We were offered Finnish beer or vodka to accompany the tastes of reindeer salami, smoked salmon, heavy butter with fish roe, and wonderful fermented dark bread.

Because I’m not much of a beer drinker, I opted for the tar-flavored vodka, which smelled so strongly of tar I could hardly get it past my nose. Once I took a small sip out of the little bucket (pictured above), the tar flavor continued along with a very sweet aftertaste. Hmmm. . .maybe this is an acquired taste.

Dessert brought some relief thanks to the cloudberry cake and cranberry-studded dark chocolate (Finns supposedly love their chocolate). But the salted licorice may be another acquired taste, not unlike the tar-flavored vodka.

Once Stateside again, a ProChef SmartBrief article showed me that perhaps the Finns were simply ahead of their time, since an Alaskan distillery is making smoked salmon-flavored and one in Seattle touts bacon-flavored vodka, both reportedly very popular for use in Bloody Mary drinks.

On a recent Saturday, as it was gettin’ toward noon, I was hankerin’ for some water views and a good seafood salad, so we hauled it over to Chinook’s at Fisherman’s Terminal for a Dungeness Crab and Bay Shrimp Salad, a special of the day. It more than fit the bill. . .plenty of succulent shrimp and salty-sweet crab with a good, garlic-y Caesar dressing.

Which more than qualifies Chinook’s seafood salad as our Dish of the Day.

On our final afternoon in Copenhagen, when temperatures were close to 90 degrees outside and temperatures had been unseasonably warm since our start in London 15 days before, we sought most welcome comfort at the cool (both literally and figuratively) IceBar CPH by IceHotel.

On Friday and Saturday, July 30 and 31, you can wine and dine in the pines at Suncadia, a year-round mountain resort community located just 90 minutes east of Seattle. The third-annual Wine in the Pines event invites guests to enjoy a superior array of Northwest wines and cuisine while unwinding amidst Suncadia’s natural beauty.

Above and below are some shots we’ve taken on several memorable visits to the lofty Grand-Lodge-inspired resort. 

“We are delighted to continue a regional tradition with this year’s Wine in the Pines,” said Andrew Wilson, executive chef and director of food and beverage at Suncadia. “With the participation of award-winning wineries, an exceptional selection of food and live entertainment throughout the weekend, Wine in the Pines once again promises to be a highlight of the summer season.”

Suncadia Lodge’s outstanding Pan-Seared Swift Water Trout with Haricots Verts and Almond Brown Butter served at Portals restaurant

This year’s festival boasts more than 30 participating wineries and a packed schedule of events. The complete schedule of festivities is as follows:

Friday, July 30, 2010
2 – 5 p.m.
Winemaker’s Reception – Theo’s Chocolates, Glondo’s Sausages, Beecher’s Cheese and Efeste Wines are presented at Wine in the Pines’ kick-off reception held in the Great Room at the Lodge. Free for resort guests.
6 – 9 p.m.
Wine in the Pines Preview Night – Held at the Suncadia Village Amphitheater, this event features a casual crab feed and outdoor reception with Northwest winemakers, along with VIP seating for the evening’s Summer Nights in the Village concert. Cost: $50.
7 p.m.
Summer Nights in the Village with Handful of Luvin’ – Friday night’s free concert is sponsored by the Suncadia Fund for Community Enhancement and is part of Suncadia’s summer concert series.

Saturday, July 31, 2010
12 – 2:15 p.m.
Wine in the Pines Workshops – Four entertaining and educational workshops offer guests the opportunity to learn more about wine and winemaking from regional experts. Cost: $35
12 – 1 p.m. – Rhone Blending
Sean Gilbert of Gilbert Cellars will lead a Rhone-blending class giving attendees the chance to create their own blend from Gilbert’s barrel samples.
12 – 1 p.m. – Cabernet & Terroir
Tony Rynders of Swiftwater Cellars will lead a wine-tasting tour through three of Washington’s top American Viticultural Areas (Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills and Walla Walla).
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. – Malbec Mania
Sommelier David LeClaire, founder of Seattle Uncorked!, the Northwest’s largest wine club, will hold a discussion on the growing popularity of the Malbec grape.
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. – Aging Wines
Sommelier Tim O’Brien of Salty’s on Alki will present on how wines age, which wines age well and why certain wines age better than others.
4:30 – 7 p.m.
Wine in the Pines Grand Gala Tasting – Participating wineries and culinary delights provided by Theo’s Chocolates, Picasso 717, Lentines and Suncadia will be highlighted at this elegant tasting event. Cost: $65.
8 – 10 p.m.
Wine in the Pines Winemasters’ Dinner, “The Pacific Northwest Collection” – Suncadia’s Executive Chef Andrew Wilson and special guest chefs from Sunriver Resort, Skamania Lodge and Swiftwater Cellars collaborate to create a magnificent five-course meal. Winemakers will be seated at each table, and an auction of overnight packages and dream getaways will be held to benefit the Education Foundation for Cle Elum-Roslyn (www.cleelumedfoundation.org). Cost: $125 per person or $240 per couple.

Tickets to Suncadia’s Wine in the Pines events are available online at www.ticketweb.com. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for each event. For more information about Wine in the Pines or to make reservations with Suncadia, please visit www.suncadia.com or call (866) 904-6301.

Our friends and Sooke Harbour House Hotel owners, Sinclair and Frederique Philip, recently received a big hono(u)r–Lifetime Achievement Award at Vancouver Magazine’s 21st Annual Restaurant Awards, along with the award for Best Restaurant on Vancouver Island.

You may remember that the couple, along with Sooke Harbour House, were prominently featured in the Vancouver Island chapter of Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia, along with their recipe for Coriander-Crusted Albacore Tuna with Spicy Buckwheat Noodle Salad.

“Long before the 100-Mile Diet, before Bishops and Ocean Wise and the word ‘locavore,’ there was Sooke Harbour House,” says Christina Burridge from Vancouver Magazine. “And while regional cuisine is now garnering much media attention, “every proponent of regional dining owes a debt to the locavore granddaddy Sooke Harbour House.

“Sooke Harbour House has been celebrated by everyone from Condé Nast Traveler to Wine Spectator, and has drawn discerning guests from around the world, but it’s the Philips’ three decades of infusing visitors, chefs, and staff with their knowledge of place that has helped define West Coast food and earned them this award,” Burridge said.

For the Philips, serving seasonal, regional foods at Sooke Harbour House was never about being in vogue.

“In 1979, when we started to serve local food, we had no idea that eating regionally and seasonally would become as popular as it is today,” says Sinclair Philip. “When we opened, we simply thought, with such an abundance of high-quality regional ingredients, why would we need to bring in foods from anywhere else? We weren’t trying to start a trend, it was just common sense, and also the way we used to eat when we lived in rural France.”

Over the past 31 years, almost all of the food served at the Sooke Harbour House has come from its own certified-organic gardens and farm, local-area farms in Sooke and Metchosin, and the ocean around their doorstep.

“We still have some of the same suppliers we have worked with for the past 31 years,” says Mr. Philip. “We have established a regular supply of free-range lamb from across Sooke Bay at Silver Spray Farm, local rabbits, Tamworth pigs, suckling kid, Vancouver-Island bison, pastured Cowichan Bay chicken, and we serve rare-breed animals from our area. On top of this, we were perhaps the first restaurant in Canada to make widespread use of edible flowers, grown outdoors, twelve months of the year.”

Over these 31 years, the Philips and their team at Sooke Harbour House have learned to work with roughly twenty different types of local seaweeds and large numbers of indigenous plants, berries, wild herbs, and mushrooms.

The Philips have always tried to showcase the best foods from Vancouver Island.

“From the very beginning, we realized that it is important to support the production of small-scale, artisan cheeses from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. I even have a cheese named after me; that is St. Clair, from Hilary’s Cheese. We can now serve sheep, cow, goat, and water buffalo cheeses most months of the year so why would we bring in cheese from the outside?

“We have also worked to sustain local wines, spirits, ciders and vinegars, as well as meads from Tugwell Creek Meadery and Honey Farm in Sooke.”

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award also marks the 21st consecutive year that the Sooke Harbour House Hotel has received the award from Vancouver Magazine as Best Vancouver Island Restaurant. The Philips credit much of this to their staff at the Sooke Harbour House.

Frederique Philip says, “I am very proud that our kitchen team has once again been honoured with this distinction for their hard and consistent work. It is very hard to maintain this level of quality day in and day out and I really admire them for their ongoing creativity and consistency. It is a pleasure to work with artisans who come up with new dishes that reflect the rhythms of the seasons, and who respect the intrinsic nature of the ingredients from our certified organic gardens and the sea nearby. We have been very fortunate over the last thirty years to have been able to work with such outstanding people.”

On Friday, May 28, our friend and award-winning Seattle chef/owner Christine Keff reintroduced Flying Fish’s new location in hot new South Lake Union and we were lucky enough to be among the hordes who descended for the opening-night party the evening before.

In addition to mouth-watering happy hour, dinner, and late-night dining, Flying Fish now serves lunch at its new location. The menu features small plates, large plates, platters, and bowls to encourage diners to sample a wide variety of the kitchen’s creations and includes such “Fish” classics as Sister-in-Law Mussels, Crispy Calamari, and Grilled Fish Tacos. Flying Fish will also continue to feature a full bar and wine list to fit any taste and budget.

The new “Fish,” located at 200 Westlake Avenue North, brings its flair for fresh, creative dishes to Vulcan’s environmentally friendly, LEED Gold-certified Westlake/Terry Building on the corner of Westlake Avenue North and Thomas Street. It’s easy (and fun!) to hop on the South Lake Union Transit (SLUT) from the Westlake station in downtown Seattle and be whisked to within a few steps of Flying Fish’s door in a matter of minutes.

Happy hour begins at 4 p.m. each day, and dinner is served seven nights a week starting at 5 p.m. Regular lunch service is offered Mondays through Fridays.

A busy Sunday evening at Flying Fish’s new South Lake Union location

On a subsequent Sunday-evening visit, we hopped on the SLUT and sat at the bar for a glass (or two) of French Rosé and several apps. There was a good crowd and the small plates we tried were all grand.

Crispy Calamari, Field Greens Salad, Sea Scallops With Sunchoke Purée

Hawaiian Grey Snapper Carpaccio and Curried Lamb Ribs

“This is the start of a fresh, new chapter for Flying Fish. We look forward to continuing our tradition of service, creativity, and superior sustainable seafood in the revitalized South Lake Union neighborhood,” Chris Keff says. “Our new location in this dynamic neighborhood allows us to grow and expand our Flying Fish community in new ways that perfectly align with our values of innovation and commitment to sustainability.”

Although experiencing a rebirth, Flying Fish will stay true to its roots and commitment to delivering the freshest possible fish to create signature dishes featuring local organic ingredients, global spices, and forward-thinking styles of preparation. Keff remains committed to the values that first brought local and national acclaim to Flying Fish: an inventive, always-changing menu featuring the freshest, in-season seafood and produce from local farms and regional fishermen.

Congrats, Chris! And here’s to many more years of making Seattle diners and visitors mouths water and tummies happy.

Earlier this month, our friend and local restaurateur Donna Moodie, owner of the much-beloved and long-lamented Marjorie (which saw its location in Belltown close more than a year ago) sent out the welcome word that she’d (finally) found a new location and would swing open its doors to friends and family for a preview run on May 14 and 15.

Exterior shot of the high-ceilinged, airy space at 1412 East Union Street

The lovely buffet spread at the opening of Marjorie on Capitol Hill

We were happy to attend, and glad to report that the new Marjorie embraces some of the same features as the old location, while happily settling into its new Capitol Hill neighborhood like an old shoe.

Interior shot of Marjorie

Take, for example, the rich royal-blue walls and dark woods that harken back to Marjorie/Belltown. Or the smallish number of seats (35-40 indoors, counting the communal table; 20 outdoors).

The eclectic eggplant salad served at Marjorie along with a vintage record for the unisex bathroom’s turntable

Or the eclectic menu that draws from Moodie’s mother’s own soulful Islander roots, but also embraces Asian, regional, and international cuisines.

The good-looking men of Marjorie pumping out dishes behind the line

“We’ll see what the neighborhood brings,” hunky, dred-locked chef Kylen McCarthy (formerly of The Harvest Vine in Madison Valley) confided.

The ultra-thin, totally addictive fried plantain chips served at Marjorie’s friends-and-family party

Doubtless many good things to come!

The new Marjorie, which officially opened for business on Tuesday, May 18, will serve dinner only (for now) Tuesday through Saturday.

Best of luck Donna, chef Kylen, and Marjorie crew on all good future success.

The proud winner of $100 (me!) holding a crisp new Ben Franklin dispensed from the cash machine

On Saturday morning, we decided it was time to get our poor car (which sits in the garage most of the time since we live, work, and play downtown) out on the road.

Amazingly, we’d never made the trek over I-90 to the (relatively) new Snoqualmie Casino, although we’d heard good things from fellow foodie friends (Kathy and John Casey) about its Monday-evening Dungeness crab buffet, and were curious about it’s upscale restaurant–Terra Vista.

Turns out Terra Vista is open for dinner only, but luckily there were several other dining options.

We opted for the lunch-time buffet, although we could also have chosen the good-looking Kindai Sushi and Noodle bar or the more casual Box Car New-York-Style Deli.

Behind the Falls Buffet line, we watched a cadre of Chinese chefs huddled over the Mongolian grill, were tempted by all the usual breakfast/brunch items one could ask for (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles), a nice assortment of salads (one quibble–several of the leaves in my spinach salad were wilted to the point of slimy–a BIG no-no in my book!), standard lunch items such as meatloaf and chicken parmesan, and some really good desserts.

We tried the sugar-free peanut-butter cookies and peppermint cheesecake (which were really good and didn’t taste at all artificial), the chocolate torte (several to choose from–ours was dense as fudge and studded with bittersweet chocolate chips), and the swirl-your-own French Vanilla, soft-serve ice cream (which is as much a treat for big kids as younger ones).

After gorging our way through the buffet (reasonably priced at $17.95, especially for the wide selection of offerings and the fact that you can go back as many time as you can “stomach” it), we decided a coupla turns at the slot machines was in order.

The $20 we pumped into the Lucky 7 machine, wasn’t so lucky. But after moving on to a nearby machine, on the third pull, we won $100! After playing that up to $120, then back down to $100, we stepped away, determined to walk away with something in our pockets. A final $20 stop at a penny slot near the Men’s room that I figured would be “hot” wasn’t very. . .

We figured out that after the $60 we put into three slot machines, plus the $38 we spent on brunch buffet ($17.95 per person, plus a $3 tip), we went home with $2 in our pockets.

The handsome dining room at Terra Vista, along with sweeping mountain views outside and a thoughtful regional and seasonal menu from chef Bruce Dillon (King Salmon Trio–Pacific Northwest, Scottish, and New Zealand) piqued our interest, and had us vowing to return SOON!

In a culinary sense, Portland has recently become known as one of the United States’ most cutting-edge cities. Of course, we Northwesterners have known that all along.

In late April, our neighbors to the south proved their expertise to the rest of the world when they pulled out all their food, wine, and hospitality stops as they welcomed the International Association of Culinary Professionals 32nd Annual Conference.

Among many memorable moments was a tour of biodynamic and sustainable vineyards in the Willamette Valley. The vines were just undergoing bud break (pictured above) and the air was full of fresh scent of the earth reawakening after a long winter.

The wines we sampled–Oregon’s famed Pinot Gris, Blanc, and Noir, as well as Dijon-clone Chardonnay–were all drinking exceptionally well even in spite of negative early-on reports by national wine writers about the 2007 vintage. The photo above shows the dried herbs (such as stinging nettle and valerian) as well as the cow’s horns filled with compost that biodynamic farmers plant in the fields during certain times of the year (depending on the moon’s cycles) to create healthy soil.

In addition to outstanding wines from Soter Vineyards, Montinore Estate, and Anne Amie Vineyards, we were treated to a “snout-to-tail lunch” offered up by Thistle restaurant located in nearby McMinnville. This über-local “Modern American resto” (which sources most everything it serves from within a 35-mile radius and changes its menu daily) was a delight for some, while somewhat of a nightmare for non-pork eaters in the crowd (including yours truly).

Here is the poor animal’s head just waiting to be devoured.

And here’s its heart, blithely draped over the most beautiful farm-fresh local eggs (I ate two of those sans the pork!).

Luckily, in addition to the carefully coddled eggs, there were slabs of a nummy triple-cream cheese on the table, as well as a perfectly dressed salad of baby greens and a platter of pickled veggies and cornichons, so the more faint of heart of us among didn’t go hungry.

Here’s a shot of the complete groaning board, which one of the hosts described as a spread “like something from King Henry the VIII’s table.” You can see all my fellow foodies scurrying around the table trying to find the best camera angles. No doubt some of them, like Spencer, had been in Delores Custer’s food-styling class earlier in the week.

Dessert was the coup de grace for all to enjoy. . .a dense almond polenta cake with a crown of unsweetened whipped cream. Wish I’d saved enough room for two slices of that.