Very sad to see two more businesses in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle shut down. Here are workers taking debris out of Twist Restaurant and Lounge. . .

And Ventana Restaurant a few doors down already cleared out.

Both establishments are right across the street from La Taberna del Alabardero, which called it quits a few months ago.

Truth to tell, Spencer and I try to avoid this stretch of downtown after nightfall as it seems to have fallen into the hands of heavy party-goers and club aficionados.

A couple of weekends ago, during Seattle’s all-too-brief week or two of summer, we wanted to try a restaurant we hadn’t experienced in a long time, so drove over to a long-time favorite: the Montlake-neighborhood Italian restaurant, Cafe Lago.

Here’s the gorgeous, handmade Beet Pasta I enjoyed as my main. It was as light and lovely as the sunshine outside.

But the star of the show that evening was Cafe Lago’s Roasted Half Chicken–truly divine–with a very crispy and spicy skin (thanks to roasting in a charcoal Josper oven), tender meat and loads of flavor. Also a VERY generous portion. When we go back, I’ll urge Spencer to share with me (probably NOT gonna happen!) or simply order my own and take half of it home for later enjoyment.

Good news is, that Cafe Lago is currently offering a series of classes on various aspects of Italian food and culture.

Even better news is that each class (for up to 20 people) is free with dinner!

Upcoming Wednesday-evening lesson topics include, Why Seattle’s Best Gelato Comes from Ballard, Opera and Drink, and Italian Bombshells.

Class participants are asked to arrive at 6:30 p.m, pick a spot, and get to know their neighbors over complementary Prosecco and antipasti. Dinner orders are then taken and the class begins at 7 p.m. Dinner is served during the class and the nights’ lessons wrap up around 8:00.

Those interested in attending are encouraged to make reservations, although walk-ins are accommodated as space is available. To make a reservation, call 206-329-8005.

Here’s the schedule of upcoming classes:

· Wednesday, July 27, 7 p.m. – Why is Ballard a Hotbed for Gelato? w/ Marco D’Ambrosio, owner of D’Ambrosio Gelato in Ballard

If gelato is the royalty among ice creams, then D’Ambrosio Gelato in Ballard is the King. But what makes this creamy treat so special? It could be the cute little plastic shovels, but we’re sure there’s more to it than that. Fresh off the plane from his most recent trip to Italy, Marco will teach us how to make fantastic gelato, how it differs from ice cream, and some delectable gelato cocktails.

· Wednesday, August 3, 7 p.m. – TBD

· Wednesday, August 17, 7 p.m. – Romance, Scandal & Drinking at La Scala

When it comes to Italian opera, passion, revelry and mischief usually take center stage. And more often than not, a plentiful supply of tasty beverages moves the plot along—from the insatiable thirst of Sir John Falstaff, to the ode to drinking sung in La Traviata, to the mere illusion of inebriation in The Barber of Seville.

· Wednesday, August 31, 7 p.m. – Italian Mamas and their Power w/ Cecilia Strettoi, Associate Professor of Italian at the University of Washington

According to an Italian proverb, behind every great man is an even greater woman. A rare combination of strength, beauty, and nurture, Italian women range from the matriarch to the bomb shell; they are the multi-faceted jewels of Italian culture. Cecilia will entertain and educate diners on the nuances of true Italian women.

Our long-time friend and colleague, Jackie Roberts, owner of the venerable Pink Door restaurant in the Pike Place Market, and her chef, Steve Smrstik, have recently become avid beekeepers.

In an effort to raise awareness about the peril of the honeybee, Roberts and Smrstik will present the documentary,  “The Vanishing of  The Honeybees,” followed by conversation led by local “Beeks” (beekeepers)  from Seattle’s Urban Bee Project.com on Sunday, August 7, at 6 p.m.

“Our food chain is in peril as the honeybees are perishing,” Roberts told me. “We started this past spring with one hive in our backyard. The colony multiplied very rapidly and formed a ‘swarm,’ and right before our eyes 6,000 bees flew onto a branch 30-feet-high in our neighbor’s  back yard. It was quite thrilling!

“Our hope in showing this documentary is to help educate and raise awareness about the dire situation of the honeybee and what we can all do about it as urban dwellers. Many people do not realize that without the honeybee we would not be able to enjoy many of the foods we eat. Our front-yard vegetable garden is lushly thriving thanks in great part to our phenomenal friends, the honeybees.”

Attendees are asked to donate $5.00 to attend the viewing and join the conversation. The Pink Door will be serving complimentary antipasti.

So mark your calendars now for Sunday evening, August 7. Local honeybees, beekeepers, and the entire food chain will thank you!

Interior shot of Trattoria Cioppino

A couple of weekends ago, when Seattle’s summertime weather was still an iffy proposition and sunny days were still very much in the minority, we seized the day (so to speak) to trek the approximately three-mile circuit around Green Lake.

Just before starting, we walked by a small retail complex across the street from the lake that houses a BluWater Bistro, pizza joint, health club, and a new entry–Trattoria Cioppino. As we passed by, we recognized a familiar face–Erik Brisbane–long-time general manager at Barolo Ristorante in downtown Seattle and most recently employed by Cafe Campagne.

We struck up a conversation with our friend, picked up a menu, and snapped a couple of shots of the inviting interior of what used to be a World Wrapps!

Below are further details from a press release that Erik sent out yesterday announcing a new menu and other tweaks to this newcomer upon the Seattle restaurant scene.

Welcome to Erik and Chef Riccardo Simeone. Long may you reign in Green Lake!

<<Seattle’s newest Italian dining destination, opened their doors for business at the beginning of June. Chef and co-owner Riccardo Simeone (sim-ee-oh-knee) spent the month of June perfecting his timing and recipes and released a new menu the second week of July.

“I was finally able to source some good organic flour and perfect my recipes,” Simeone says. “The soft opening allowed me to experiment with my pastas and try out new techniques.”

Located at the north end of Green Lake in a former World Wrapps storefront, Simeone and co-owner Silvia McDowell have transformed a drab space into a casual dining spot with elegant and affordable food.

By its very definition, a trattoria is an informal dining establishment akin to a bistro or café. The fantastic, quick to prepare food is perfect for a full lunch or dinner, an afternoon snack with a glass of wine, or a perfectly crafted dessert with an espresso.

Hailing from Gaeta, Italy (located midway between Rome and Naples in the province of Lazio) Chef Simeone spent his youth working in kitchens throughout Italy. Upon arriving in the States in 1993, he perfected his kitchen skills in Las Vegas and Seattle, including stints with Cucina Cucina and Barolo. Most recently Chef Simeone ventured to the Washington D.C. environs to open the Buddha Bar there. After surviving an East Coast winter, he concluded that appeal of Seattle was too great and that he must head home to open his own place.

His business partner (and pantry cook) Silvia McDowell found the North Green Lake location and with a bit of imagination, paint, and marble they transformed the fast food restaurant into a casual 40-seat dining destination.

“Green Lake is wonderful,” says McDowell. “It’s close to where I live in Greenwood and the neighborhood itself is so dynamic and friendly. We’ve heard from our neighbors that there was a real need for a new place, so our timing is perfect.”

Though Chef Simeone’s birthplace is near the center of Rome, his culinary influences explore all of Italy, embracing Tuscany, Sicily, Sardinia, as well as his homeland of Lazio.

Homemade and inventive pastas are a passion for the chef. He constantly strives to find new combinations of flavors that marry well on the dish. He makes Cavatelli, multiple flavors of gnocchi, as well as raviolis on a marble-topped workspace in his kitchen. He is working with a local craftsman in designing a new table where he can make pastas in the dining room during the daytime. In the near future, he will sell pre-packaged pastas that he has created for people to take home and cook themselves. Along with his signature marinara sauce, one will have the option of enjoying dinner at Trattoria Cioppino or taking Trattoria Cioppino home with them.

The vast menu includes both the familiar and inventive. Trattoria Cioppino features the same menu (with few changes) both for lunch and dinner.

For appetizers, one can enjoy Crispy Calamari with Prawns, Zucchini, and Granny Smith Apples; Lemon-Butter Prawns; as well as a delightful Prosciutto and Marinated Fig Crostini or a Portobello Mushroom and Crab Patty.

Lunchtime selections include a Watermelon Salad with Aged Ricotta and a Raspberry Dressing as well as a Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Spicy Strawberry Jam and Goat Cheese.

Pasta highlights include a section devoted exclusively to pastas made in house including a variety of raviolis, Spinach Gnocchi with Prawns and Bottarga, and a Duck Ragu Cavatelli.

Living up to the restaurant’s namesake, a Rich and Robust Cioppino is offered to fulfill any seafood lover’s desires. With Manila Clams, Penn Cove Mussels, calamari, and so much more in the chef’s tomato broth, the seafood “stew” is a crowd-pleaser. Chef Simeone includes Free-Range Chicken, Natural Angus Beef Tenderloin (with a Garlic-Rosemary Truffle Butter,) as well as Veal Porcini, and Chicken Marsala.

Not to be outdone, the desserts made in house include the familiar (a quite light Tiramisu and a Seasonal Crème Brulée) as well as the “BDCIS,” a secret recipe cheesecake that Chef Simeone guards closely.

FAQs:

Address:

7900 East Green Lake Drive North Suite 107

Seattle, WA 98103

Phone: 206-526-7900

Website: www.CioppinoSeattle.com

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CioppinoSeattle

Hours of Operation:

Lunch: Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm

Dinner: Tuesday through Sunday from 4 pm to 10 pm

Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages are available.

Wheelchair accessible.

Kid friendly.

Reservations not required for parties up to four. Parties of six or more are highly recommended to book in advance, as space is limited.

Every now and again I get a craving for a particular food. Sometimes it’s Oysters on the Half Shell (which I attribute to low iron and magnesium counts). Other times it’s a good Salmon Caesar Salad. Sometimes (hate to admit it), it’s Southern Fried Chicken.

A few weeks ago, craving the city’s best Salmon Burger, I started my quest.

We began our search at the venerable Virginia Inn in the Pike Place Market, which has always been known for their crab cakes. The Inn’s burger,  pictured above, is made of ground salmon, basil-pesto aïoli, and a blanket of Swiss cheese atop. A bit gummy, okay flavor, but nothing to write home about.

We found the next contender at Chinook’s in Fishermen’s Terminal, a restaurant that has been featured previously in our Dish of the Day. This was an actual sockeye salmon fillet, simply grilled, on a plain bun with the fixings shown above. Pretty lackluster and ho-hum, sadly.

Finally, I found my favorite Salmon Burger at Ray’s Boathouse, a place we’ve written about in this blog and in “Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining.”

We enjoyed our salmon upstairs in the casual Ray’s Cafe upstairs. This was a well-seasoned, flavorful, perfectly grilled specimen on a good bun.

The description from the menu reads, “Fresh salmon ground and seasoned at Ray’s, spinach leaves, and tarragon-shallot mayonnaise.” The lovely side salad that I asked for instead of fries enhanced the flavor of the sandwich.

With picture-postcard views of Shilshole Bay outside our window-side seats and a couple of glasses of freshly brewed iced tea, we savored the joys of living in the Pacific Northwest as I enjoyed Seattle’s best Salmon Burger.

A recent press release from the good folks at Wine Yakima Valley touted their new “Grown to Greatness: Wine and Food Summer Escape.”

This self-paced, eight-week event highlights the four Yakima Valley growing and wine-producing communities in two-week successions throughout July and August: Zillah, Yakima, Red Mountain and Prosser.

Visitors can take part by visiting the tasting rooms for special offers, enjoying two community events, or by taking the bounty home with them in the form of recipe decks.

“Food and wine go hand-in-hand ,” the press release says. “And along with this taste tour comes culinary experiences and take-home recipe cards you won’t find elsewhere.”

Guests can purchase a recipe deck complete with over 30 original recipes paired with featured wines from Wine Yakima Valley wineries. The deck is available for $15 and comes stocked with winery cards detailing features of each wine community, location, wines, hours, etc.

Ambitious wine lovers can visit all of the wineries over the eight-week promotion to taste their featured wines and get their recipe deck stamped.

Those who get at least 15 wineries to stamp their deck from July-August will be entered to win a VIP pass that gains them access to all 2012 events including Red Wine & Chocolate, Spring Barrel Tasting, Wine & Summer Food Escape, and Catch the Crush.

Those who present their recipe deck in hand will also receive special offers from the featured community wineries during their corresponding two weeks, including special reserve tastings, case discounts, or additional food pairings.

During their featured weeks each winery will also offer a local Yakima Valley-grown or -produced food item paired with their wines.

Yakima Valley’s extensive local bounty includes some of the best items in the state such as peppers, peaches, cherries, cheeses, and beef.

Food-and-wine pairings include: Peach Habanero Chutney with Riesling at Mercer Estates and Fries Family Apple Cake with Riesling from Desert Wind Winery.

Schedule of Events

July 1-15, Zillah

Named after the daughter of the town founder, Zillah is 18 miles south of Yakima on the north end of the Yakima Valley. This agricultural ‘bread-basket’ has been recognized as a producer of high-value, award-winning wines.

Grown to Greatness event: Zillah’s Chuck Wagon Party. Saturday, July 9, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Mosey over to the Knight Hill Winery barn for a chuck wagon-style dinner from Longhorn Cattle Co. which brings its 1870’s chuck wagon to the party with beef brisket, cowboy beans, salad, sourdough biscuits and wild mountain mixed berry cobbler with crunch top. This highly unique, multi-course, Dutch oven dinner is $90 per person and includes wine pairings from Agate Field Vineyard, Claar Cellars, Cultura Wine, Knight Hill Winery, Severino Cellars, Two Mountain Winery and Wineglass Cellars. After dinner enjoy music and try your hand at line dancing.

July 16-31, Yakima

Most wineries here are small family operations where unpretentious hospitality is the norm. Many are located within a rural countryside with unparalleled beauty. Enjoy a glass of wine while gazing at the beautiful snow capped Mt. Adams or overlook the diverse agricultural abundance of the Yakima Valley.

Grown to Greatness event: Yakima Barrel Cave Dinner. Friday, July 29, 7 p.m. Dinner with Chef Chris Peterson of Kirkland’s Milagro Cantina at the Cave at Gilbert Cellars. This cocktail party and wine pairing dinner at one long communal table in the Cave features Yakima’s own bounty of produce, meat and fish. Each of the five-courses is paired with a different Yakima winery, including AntoLin Cellars, Gilbert Cellars, Kana Winery, Naches Heights Vineyard, Southard Winery, Treveri Sparkling Wines and Wilridge Vineyard. $75 per person.

Concerts: Hey Marseille will perform on July 28 at Gilbert Cellars and Portland-based Blitzen Trapper will perform on July 30 providing additional entertainment during the two-week Yakima promotion.

Aug. 1-14, Red Mountain and Community

Located between Benton City and Richland, the Red Mountain American Viticultural Area, a subset of the Yakima Valley AVA, is the smallest in the state. The reputation of the wines produced in this appellation–Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc and Syrah–has brought the Red Mountain AVA worldwide acclaim.

Aug. 15-31, Prosser

Prosser offers one of the fastest growing wine villages in the lower Yakima Valley. It boasts many of Washington’s well known labels and has become a destination for wine lovers. It is also one of the more agriculturally diverse areas in the state.

Yakima and Zillah event tickets can be purchased online.

Since I don’t eat pork myself, and don’t cook it at home, my meat-lovin’ better half often orders it when we dine out.

And even though I won’t order it, I will taste it, and these two recent dishes are real finds. . .worthy of winning a joint Dish-of-the-Day award.

Here is Seared Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Yam, Clams, and Pickled Pepper from Tilikum Place Café. It’s very European in style, reminiscent of Portuguese Pork and Clams.

The spices (a dash of chipotle?) were amazing with the sweet, yet smoky, sweet potatoes.

And here is a Large Plate from Olivar’s menu–Duo de Cerdo–Grilled Pork Loin, Braised Pork-Shoulder Lasagne, and Spring Vegetables.

Although both parts of this duet were tasty, Spencer is STILL raving about the lasagne, in particular.

Cheers to Olivar and Tilikum Place Café for creating such original Dishes of the Day!

Northwest Niçoise Salad

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir

Serves 4

This hearty main-dish salad combines the best ingredients from Northwest shores and fields with a classic French dish to form an intriguing hybrid. Wine pairing is versatile, too!

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling pan

1 pound small new potatoes (1- to 1 1/2-inch diameter), scrubbed and cut in half

1/2 pound asparagus, hard ends removed, remaining portion rinsed, drained, and patted dry, OR 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

1/2 pound baby carrots, peeled and patted dry, OR 1/2 pound regular carrots, peeled, patted dry, and cut lengthwise into quarters, then crosswise into 2-inch lengths

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon dried tarragon, crumbled

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and bones removed

1 tablespoon good-quality regular or lowfat mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 pound mixed salad greens, rinsed, drained, and well dried

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2. To roast the vegetables, lightly oil a baking sheet and arrange the potatoes, asparagus (or sugar snap peas), and carrots in a single layer without crowding.

3. Drizzle the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then with 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and slightly charred, turning the vegetables once or twice during cooking. Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.

4. To poach the fish, bring the water, wine, and tarragon to a boil in a skillet large enough to hold the salmon without crowding. Remove from the heat, add the salmon fillets skin side down, reduce the heat to low, and return the skillet to the heat.

5. Partially cover (put a lid on the skillet slightly askew so that the steam can escape), and simmer very gently, until the salmon just turns opaque, 5 to 10 minutes (about 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness). Adjust the heat if the water simmers too fast or too slow. Do not allow the water to boil.

6. Remove the fish fillets and place on several layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to drain well and pat dry. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and any remaining pin bones.

7. Just before serving, add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and the mayonnaise and mustard to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the salad greens to the bowl and toss gently.

8. To serve, place the dressed greens in the center of individual plates and place a salmon fillet in the middle of each bed of greens. Divide the potatoes, asparagus, and carrots around the edges of the plates in a pleasing pattern and serve immediately.

With just about every chef and restaurateur in Seattle opening second “small-bite/casual” restaurants and/or offering up killer deals for cheap eats during daily happy hours, sometimes I wonder if fine-dining is dead in our fair city.

So a couple of weeks ago, I made a Saturday-night-at-eight-p.m. reservation at The Georgian, the stunning main dining room in the venerable Fairmont Olympic Hotel to find out.

As we settled in with a glass of bubbly (me) and a gin martini (Spencer) and perused the menu, we were (frankly) amazed at the reasonable price points for such a glamorous setting, with soaring ceilings, a live-music duo of pan flute and upright bass, extensive wine list, etc.

We could have ordered à la carte or opted for the three-course prix-fixe dinner ($69 per person with wine pairings; $49 without), but decided to go all out.

We chose the five-course dinner (including a dessert soufflé!), plus wine pairings, for $99 per person ($69 sans vino).

Here’s the gorgeous bread-and-butter set-up–with four flavors of butter and spiky strips of crunchy lavash cracker–that set the tone for a tone-y meal to come.

After a bit of a wait, the lovely first course came out–Tempura Morel Mushrooms with Truffle Camembert and Morel Shooters (light and lovely mushroom juice in test-tube-like shooters!).

Toothsome and gooey-good, the tempura morels paired perfectly with Domaine Schönheitz 2008 Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Gotta love that sterling-silver skewer and swipe of mushroom dust that makes this plate presentation so pretty.

The second course was another visual knock-out and tasted just as good. Deadliest Catch included razor-thin shavings of the sweetest Alaskan King Crab along with Dungeness Crab Fritters, artistically topped with Arugula Salad. It also went well with the Alsatian Pinot Gris.

Inspired!

I adore beets in just about any form, so was super-pleased with the third course, Roasted Baby-Beet Salad with Candied Pecans (like the best fruit-and-nut bar I’ve ever tasted, probably due to lots of added butter), Goat Cheese, and Walnut Vinaigrette.

The goat cheese is the white blob on the right-hand side and was done molecular gastronomy-style–it was light and fluffy in texture and simply the essence of chèvre.

Unlike me, hubby hates beets, so our server graciously substituted the Olympic Caesar Salad from the three-course prix-fixe dinner and didn’t even charge anything extra.

Both salads were paired with Poet’s Leap Winery 2008 Riesling, one of our all-time fave off-dry Rieslings, and another thoughtful pairing from The Georgian’s long-time (seven years) sommelier–Joseph Linder.

After so much good food, we could hardly believe that entrées were yet to come!

Here’s my gorgeous Smoked Alaskan Wild King Salmon. It was served with Shaved Granny-Smith Apples, Locally Foraged Morel Mushrooms, Yukon-Gold Potato Balls (fun to eat!), and a rather sweetish-sauve containing Olympic Rooftop Honey.

Rex Hill 2008 Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was a truly wonderful wine for this perfect pairing.

We both gasped in wonder when we saw the artistic shapes, dots, and lattice-work on Spencer’s gorgeously plated Roasted Rack of Lamb with Tomato Crust, Kalamata Olives, Sweet-Pea Quinoa, and Grilled Spring Onion.

The lamb was flavorful without being too gamey; the pea quinoa is something I’d like to make at home; and the lattice work grating is something I’ll gladly leave to Georgian Executive Chef Gavin Stephenson to prepare.

Spencer was more than happy with his entrée’s wine pairing: Château de Clairvoy 2005 Côtes de Bourg from Bordeaux.

Sad to say, but because they are labor-intensive and temperamental to cook, few restaurants bother with making soufflés any more. Lucky for us, The Georgian still turns out a stellar daily-changing version.

Ours was called the “Black and White,” served with Crème Anglaise and a chocolate-covered strawberry, but they also offered up Chocolate Mint. Hard to go wrong with either one!

Although there were occasional service gaffes (a long delay between aperitifs/cocktails and the first course, being seated at a table facing away from the musical duo, the hostess setting up our table after we had been seated), we left thinking that, at least when it comes to its food-and-wine offerings, The Georgian still offers up very fine dining in Seattle.

A couple of weeks ago, over Mother’s Day weekend, with 400 e-mails staring me in the face, I told Spencer I needed to get away, even if just for one single Saturday night.

Unsure of where to go, we settled upon Semiahmoo Resort, on the north edge of Washington State. It’s so close to the Canadian border you can see White Rock, British Columbia, across Semiahmoo Bay.

Since it was a few weeks before Memorial Day, when the resort’s “high” season begins, it was easy to secure a reasonable overnight room rate complete with dining voucher, part of a bed-and-dining package.

The fine-dining restaurant, Stars, wasn’t yet open, so we ate lunch in Packers Lounge and Oyster Bar and dinner at Pierside Restaurant. Funny thing was, both places featured the same menu–simple items such as fish-and-chips, salads, and grilled fish and meats–and that was just fine.

For once, I wouldn’t have to think about everything sip and sup I put into my mouth!

Here are the lovely Flame-Grilled Oysters that I spotted while we had a pre-dinner drink in the bar, then later ordered in the dining room as my starter course.

Perfectly broiled so the oysters were still tender and moist, but the garlic butter and Parmesan cheese topping was hot and bubbly, these beauties were eclipsed only by the view of Semiahmoo Bay outside.

Grilled Oysters à la Semiahmoo before. . .

Grilled Oysters à la Semiahmoo adieu!