Every now and then, a meal’s setting and the meal itself sync so perfectly that they form an unforgettable dining experience.

That happened to us recently at The Oyster Bar on the Chuckanut Drive, about a two hours drive from downtown Seattle.

With views like the one above, it’s hard not to be inspired. . .

But when dishes such as a lovely this Belgian Endive/Gorgonzola Salad begin to arrive. . .

Along with Nettle Wild Nettle and Artichoke Soup, made with a base of vegetarian consommé and locally gathered nettles, Yukon gold potatoes, fresh artichokes, and hint of dry Vermouth, this food writer’s heart leaps up!

California Red Abalone, farm-raised along California’s Central Coast, is seldom seen on menus in the Northwest.

So although pricey (at $65 per serving), we ordered it and weren’t disappointed.

Flash-sautéed doré-style and drizzled with hazelnut lime butter, The Oyster Bar’s rendition was more tender, flavorful, and downright delectable than ones we’ve had while visiting our neighbor to the south. (I took the shells home as souvenirs!)

Spring sturgeon from nearby Willapa Bay was fresh and clean tasting, not muddy as oftentime (lamentably) happens with this fish.

The dish was lavishly sauced with blueberries and topped with fresh raspberries, and encircled by reduced balsamic vinegar and basil oil. Yum!

We enjoyed our last sips of wine and morsels of food. . .and mentally prepared ourselves for the long journey home. . .the sun set. . .

And finally dove behind the distant mountains.

It’s a rite of passage in the Northwest. . .and a sign of spring and summer soon to come. . . when the Pike Place Market’s famous Pink Door Restaurant offers up its Everything Green Salad.

It’s a tasty combo of fava beans, English peas, asparagus, pistachios, and bibb lettuce served with creamy tarragon dressing.

I order a side of Dungeness Crab meat and–whoosh–this becomes a main-dish salad.

Just for good measure, here’s a shot of PD’s Antipasti Platter, one of the most colorful and beautiful about town.

The platter includes prosciutto, tuscan bean salad, mozzarella, tapanada, grilled seasonal vegetables, salami, and more.

But since I don’t do the charcuterie thing, I order mine with extra veggies and cheese. Delish!

Either of these treats more than deserve being crowned with today’s Dish of the Day.

We were very remiss on making a visit to our buddy David LeClaire’s wonderful new Wine World warehouse, a whopping 23,000-square-feet of everything wine and wine-related that opened last December after a whirlwind six weeks of renovation and remodeling.

Wine World boasts 500 Washington labels alone!

Not to mention Oregon wines. . .

Even Idaho!

Of course, foreign wines are widely available. . .

As is a whole section of Sustainable/Earth Friendly vino.

The massive space is centered by two spacious tasting bars with plenty of room to spread out, sip, and savor during one of the DAILY wine tastings!

There’s a big specialty-food section with cheeses, crackers, chocolates. charcuterie. . .

Such as these beauties.

There’s plenty of cold bubbly and white wine. . .

And microbrews from local favorites such as our good buddies Rose Ann and Charles Finkel of  The Pike Brewing Co.

There are wine-lovers’ gifts galore. . .

Including the latest and greatest books. . .

And magazines including Wine Press Northwest, where I’ve been a columnist the past 11 years (!). J

You can build your own basket. . .

Choose wines that have received ratings of 90 points or higher from leading publications, yet still cost less than $20!

Towards the back of the shop, along long the rear wall, you’ll find Wine World’s Staff Picks. . .

And a lovely seating area with recipe from the Celebrated Chefs Cookbook conveniently paired with reasonably priced wines.

Recipes are ready for the taking!

Two gorgeous event spaces have views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, and Interstate 5, which David told me looks like a sea of lights come nightfall.

A serving bar and changing artwork displays make for a sophisticated and welcoming place for a glass of wine or three!

Special events and classes are offered frequently. . .

Heck, even the ladies’ restroom is pretty!

Wine World’s Explorers Club offers great discounts and Explorers-Club-member-only events. And there are always Hot Buys just waiting to be snapped up. And most recent news on Wine World’s blog.

So don’t wait another minute. . .Wine World is like nirvana for oenophiles serious and casual.

Bravo, David and team!

Be on the look out for DRY Soda’s jaunty new “tasting truck” at your local supermarket and around the Northwest.

The truck debuted at DRY’s Pioneer Square headquarters early last month with a lively Kick-off Party in honor of its upcoming Savor-the-Flavor Tour.

First stop? Portland, with other West Coast cities soon t0 follow.

You can savor DRY Soda in six flavors: Lavender, Lemongrass, Blood Orange, Rhubarb, Cucumber, and Juniper Berry. It’s available in grocery stores, restaurants, luxury hotels, and boutiques in the United States and Canada and even in select international locations.

And, of course, from the tasting truck!

One of our favorite places to pop in for a late-afternoon, after-work glass of wine and appetizers is our neighbor just across the courtyard, ART Restaurant & Lounge in the Four Seasons Hotel.

We’ve long been fans of Chef Kerry Sear’s amazing sliders–available in salmon, veggie, and beef iterations. We’ve also loved his shrimp appetizer, which featured perfectly cooked chunks of shrimp with a shooter glass full of spicy tomato juice. Eat a bite of shrimp, sip the juice, and you had a cool-tasting treat.

After a recent menu change, we were heartsick to find out the former shrimp app had disappeared, replaced with a new version–Poached Blue Shrimp with Lemon-Cilantro Aïoli and Chili Olive Oil.

But not to worry. It’s a gorgeous dish, served in a clear cup over dry ice, so that it leaves a trail of “smoke” as it passes through the dining room.

Which more than qualifies ART’s Poached Blue Shrimp as our Dish of the Day.

I count myself among the luckiest people on earth because I live in the Pacific Northwest.

Apparently, even The New York Times agrees, since recently it listed the San Juan Islands as the #2 place to see in its list of “41 Places To Go in 2011.”

And this spring and fall, Friday Harbor House invites guests to the island for a new series of cooking-class getaways that take advantage of the culinary bounty of San Juan Islands–both by land and by sea.

The Couples Kitchen Mixers (designed for two) will be held at The Bluff Restaurant/Bar/Terrace and led by Chef Kyle Nicholson.

Each two-night getaway includes a cooking class hosted by Chef Kyle, a special welcome amenity from The Bluff, and lunch for two with wine featuring the ingredient or technique learned in class.

The culinary adventure begins on Friday evening with a relaxing overnight stay, followed by a signature continental breakfast on Saturday morning. The kitchen gets mixing at 11:00 a.m. when Chef Kyle introduces the recipes and begins the hands-on instruction. At 2 p.m. students will toast to their hard work with wine and a specially prepared lunch featuring the ingredient or technique learned in class.

Upcoming classes are as follows:

June 10-11, 2011--Chef Kyle will guide the class through “Handling Fin Fish Swimmingly,” instructing on topics ranging from buying to butchering and storing seafood with a professional touch. Students will learn how to fillet like a pro with techniques and tools that aid preparation such as fish spatulas, needle nose pliers, sharp and flexible knives, and more.

September 9-10, 2011–The “Spring into Late Summer Salads” class will have students whipping up light, yet filling, entrée salads bursting with seasonal delights such as heirloom tomatoes, pole beans, huckleberries, gooseberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Discover easy tips on creating the perfect dressings and garnishes to highlight the fresh, seasonal ingredients discovered and discussed.

October 7-8, 2011–During “Entertaining Autumn Cuisine,” Chef Kyle teaches how to entertain with ingredients such as eggplant, chanterelle mushrooms, red torpedo onions, and a variety of peppers such as sweet, banana. and bell guaranteed to make guests swoon.

November 10-11, 2011–Celebrate “A True Fall Harvest” with a tutorial on the freshest harvest items from the islands and beyond, using ingredients such as hedgehog mushrooms, golden and red beets, Hubbard squash, leeks, kale. and potatoes.

Friday Harbor House is located at 130 West Street, Friday Harbor, Washington 98250. Phone 866.722.7356 for reservations.

Soft Tail Spirits, which I wrote about for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine, has some exciting news: the opening of its second location.

Within the Woodinville Tourist District, Soft Tail is located on the south roundabout, across from the popular Brian Carter Cellars tasting room.

Visitors to Woodinville are invited to come by and sample award-winning spirits, as well as their new creations, while checking out Soft Tail’s Tasting Room and Distillery.

Reportedly, the second location boasts a little more room than the first location, with two decks, tables and chairs, and a fire pit for when it gets chilly.

Both locations will be open normal hours 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, with plans to have later hours in the summer months.

Chilled Strawberry Soup

Varietal: Late-Harvest Riesling

Serves 4 to 6

This interesting dessert-soup recipe comes from my colleague and friend Sharon Kramis, who has been singing the praises of home cooks using local, seasonal produce in their daily meals for many years. Sharon was a student of the late James Beard, and spread his (and her) philosophy through her popular cooking classes and cookbooks such as “Northwest Bounty” (Sasquatch Books, 1999). More recently, she and daughter Julie Kramis-Hearne have co-authored books on cast-iron and Dutch-oven cooking. Sharon is also a long-time consultant with the Anthony’s Homeport restaurants, where she continues to champion the use of the freshest, farm-grown produce and seafood. Serve this “best-of-the-season” strawberry soup with homemade croutons (see the Cook’s Hint, below) when local strawberries are at their sweet peak of perfection.

4 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced

1 fresh banana, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

1 cup freshly squeezed orange or canned pineapple juice

1 cup light sour cream

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur or raspberry syrup

2 ice cubes

6 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the strawberries, banana, orange juice, sour cream, and raspberry liqueur until smooth.

2. Add the ice cubes and swirl briefly to chill the liquid, removing the ice cubes before they melt completely. (Warning: Do not crush the ice!)

3. To serve, divide the soup among small, chilled bowls. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve immediately.

Cook’s Hint: Serve the soup with pound cake “croutons.” To make the croutons, cut a pound cake into 1/2-inch cubes until you have about 1 1/2 cups. Preheat the broiler, then toast the cubes, turning once to brown on two sides. Float the croutons on top of the bowls of soup before serving.

Recipe reprinted from the “Pike Place Market Cookbook: Recipes, Anecdotes, and Personalities from Seattle’s Renowned Public Market” (Sasquatch Books, 2003, $18.95) by Braiden Rex-Johnson.

Since its launch in 2007, Pacific Rim has been extolling Riesling’s virtues–versatility, purity of vineyard expression, and the varietal’s ability to inspire all manner of culinary exploration.

Since Monday, May 16, the winery has passed the torch to its 12,000-plus Facebook fans and a nation of passionate Riesling zealots. Pacific Rim fans and all lovers of this most noble of wine varietals have enjoyed the opportunity to lead the Riesling conversation by sharing their personal “Riesling for Being” on the Pacific Rim Facebook page.

www.facebook.com/pacificrimwine

www.twitter.com/rieslingrules

Each week until July 24, fans will vote to award $1,000 to the author of the most popular weekly submission. Entries are limited to 20 words or less and will be accepted from Monday through Friday.

Voting will occur on Saturday and Sunday. The contest is open to United States residents aged 21 and older in all states except California. Riesling fans can learn more and enter by visiting Pacific Rim’s Facebook page.

Brand Development Director and Co-Founder, Shawn Barvaresco, explains: “We want to inspire our fans to openly express their love for this glorious grape through personal connections and passionate proverbs. We’ve been singing Riesling’s praises for nearly five years… It’s now time for our fans to voice their love of Riesling. All personal anecdotes, creative puns and jokes are welcome–as long as the submissions are relatively tasteful and pertain to Riesling.”

Pacific Rim has over 12,000 Facebook fans. The brand’s fan base of Riesling loyalists was built through several innovative social-media programs launched in the past few years, including the RIESLING RULES BOOK and SAVE WATER/DRINK RIESLING sustainability program (a conservation awareness program promoting the preservation of wild salmon ecosystems). To date, Pacific Rim has distributed over 40,000 complimentary copies of its RIESLING RULES BOOK, which is also available online.

Pacific Rim makes 10 different Rieslings in 10 different styles (from bone-dry to medium-sweet to dessert sweet… and everything in between).

www.rieslingrules.com |

The good folks at Tourism British Columbia sent us word about a cool new travel service–604pulse–for tourists planning a visit to Vancouver:

If a spring journey to Vancouver, Coast, and Mountains proves a burning agenda item, be sure to check out 604pulse.

A one-stop shop for insider information, this new site highlights the best of the region’s offerings–the who, what, where, when, and why–alongside online tips and insights from the locals.

Looking for tasty B.C. menus? Tune in for the tweets.

Eager to seek out that one-of-a-kind find crafted by a local designer? It’s all sewn up, courtesy of some savvy B.C. bloggers.

Indeed, 604pulse provides the skinny on what visitors can see and do in the region.

And, with new info online each and every day, your options are limitless.

After all, these guys have their finger on the pulse.