With the expected finish date of our remodel just about 1 1/2 weeks out, I wanted to snap a few photos to show you how much progress has been made, but how our belongings are still in boxes and behind painter’s plastic.

Here is an actual view from my office. Note the beautiful expanse of maple floors, which have been undergoing sanding and three coats of finish over the past week or so.

And here’s’ a shot looking back towards my office and all my bookcases (behind plastic).

Here’s the kitchen. . .more plastic and an indeterminate amount of construction dust lurking everywhere. We have scheduled two deep cleanings before we move back in!

Finally, here’s a shot looking out from the “kitchen,” over the big granite counter, and towards the Four Seasons Hotel (our neighbor just across the courtyard). We will both be so very happy when the remodel is complete, the workers have moved on, and we can get back to “normal” life!

A recent press release from my beloved Pike Place Market alerted me to the upcoming Barbecue Competition. So I wanted to share it with you. . .

It’s a Smokin’ Good Time at the 8^th Annual BBQ Competition at Pike Place Market on April 18

Winners get awards and bragging rights when 30+ teams cook all Saturday night for the judges

WHEN: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Awards ceremony starts at 4:30 p.m. Load-in and set-up begin Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Along Pike Place from Pike Street to Virginia Street. Pike Place will be closed to vehicles Saturday night and all day Sunday.

WHAT: Big rigs and trailer pits move in as 30+ teams camp out for the night to slow-cook their meats. Cooks turn in their best BBQ items to judges, with the winners being named in each category at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Categories include pork butt, ribs, chicken and brisket.

This 2010 Washington State BBQ Championship at Pike Place Market is produced by the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association and is a qualifier for national BBQ championships such as Great American BBQ, American Royal and Jack Daniels World Championship Draw. Over $2,500 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Pike Place Market shoppers can stop and chat with chefs and their crews to get some great BBQ tips. BBQ sandwiches will be sold starting at 11:00 a.m. to benefit the human service agencies at the Market.

For more information, visit http://pnwba.com/.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2010
CONTACT: Anthony James, 206-910-4084

It’s a Smokin’ Good Time at the 8th Annual BBQ Competition at Pike Place Market on April 18
Winners get awards and bragging rights when 30+ teams cook all Saturday night for the judges

WHEN: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Awards ceremony starts at 4:30 p.m. Load-in and set-up begin Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Along Pike Place from Pike Street to Virginia Street. Pike Place will be closed to vehicles Saturday night and all day Sunday.

WHAT: Big rigs and trailer pits move in as 30+ teams camp out for the night to slow-cook their meats. Cooks turn in their best BBQ items to judges, with the winners being named in each category at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Categories include pork butt, ribs, chicken and brisket.

This 2010 Washington State BBQ Championship at Pike Place Market is produced by the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association and is a qualifier for national BBQ championships such as Great American BBQ, American Royal and Jack Daniels World Championship Draw. Over $2,500 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Pike Place Market shoppers can stop and chat with chefs and their crews to get some great BBQ tips. BBQ sandwiches will be sold starting at 11:00 a.m. to benefit the human service agencies at the Market.

For more information, visit http://pnwba.com/.

Back in November, I wrote a story about a little grappa maker striking it big just across the lake from Seattle in Woodinville, Washington.

Happy to report that last month, Soft Tail Spirits launched another enticing craft liquor–Vodka.

According to Soft Tail’s co-owner and distiller, Dennis Roberts, “It’s taken us almost a year but I can finally say that Western Washington has its first locally produced Vodka since Prohibition. We opened our doors with Grappa in April of 2009 and Grappa will always be our signature spirit. Now we are proud to announce the release of our Soft Tail Vodka.

“Our Vodka has been given the most scrutiny thus far; we attempted the pot-still method and weren’t pleased with the results. That led to purchasing a new Vodka still designed specifically for our needs.”

Robertson says he attempted a number of wheat-based Vodkas and didn’t care for the results. That led to the question, “What other resource from Washington State can we make vodka from?”

He claims the most obvious source was also the most recognizable–the apple.

“We have found that the Washington apple offers unique and higher-quality sugars for the distillation of Vodka than the more traditional potato or grain bases do,” Robertson says. “Through the multiple-distillation process, the apple flavors are gone and what’s left is a crisp, clean, and fresh premium Vodka that’s dangerously smooth.”

So go taste for yourself. Soft Tail Spirits’ tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. Soft Tail Spirits 80-proof Vodka sells for $28.00 for a 750-ml bottle.

I’ve been remiss in posting photos of the remodel currently engulfing our condominium and my home office, but suffice to say, there’s been A LOT of progress in the last week or so.

Here is the actual view from the place where my computer used to sit and should (we hope) return by month’s end.

And here’s the view looking inward. Note the floor sander in the foreground, which was used to sand down our wood floors prior to refinishing them.

You may remember that the floors were severely damaged on July 4, 2007, when our elderly neighbor left the plug in his kitchen sink while doing his dishes, forgot about the water, and went to bed.

Several hours later, water had intruded into five units here in the building, with our unit one of the most severely hit.

So we are so happy to finally have the floor situation resolved.

In addition to the floors; new ceiling beams; a new, low-voltage lighting system; and overall painting, here is our new pride and joy: a floor-to-ceiling Sub-Zero wine cooler.

The remodel is supposed to end in another two weeks, god willin’ and the creeks don’t rise. Keeping fingers crossed. . .

A couple of weeks ago, before a movie at the Harvard Exit on Capitol Hill, we stopped in for dinner at Olivar, the popular Spanish-French bistro located in the historic Loveless Building right across the street from the theater.

Every dish from the Baby Lettuces with Butternut Squash and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds to the Sea Scallops with Roasted Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, Currants, and Fresno Chile Oil was outstanding, but it was one of the ever-changing daily specials–the Mussels with Salsa Verde–that really won my heart. Tarragon was the herb du jour/del día featured in a light broth that might have been thickened with tangy crème fraîche rather than weighted down with heavy cream.

Coincidentally, a few days later, a press release showed up in my in box, touting three-course, $25 “Taxpayer Special” dinners offered at Olivar three nights a week.

“Everyone can use a little help these days,” says chef/owner, Philippe Thomelin.

Amen.

The prix-fixe menu will run through April on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights. (As of April 1, Olivar will be closed on Mondays.) The $25 “Taxpayer Special” will also be available during Sunday brunch hours.

Here’s a sample menu:

Baby Lettuce with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sage Vinaigrette & Pumpkin Seeds

or

Nettle Soup with Wild Rice, Hazelnut & Cranberry

or

Serrano Ham Tarte Fine with Caramelized Onion & Aged Mahon

—

Pimiento Relleno a lo Pobre (Stuffed Anaheim pepper with braised pork, potato & fried egg)

or

Grilled Squid with Housemade Harissa & Crusted Vegetable Galette

or

Roasted Quail Stuffed with Mushroom, Sage & Polenta

—

Chocolate & Almond Pithiviers

or

Rhubarb & Apple Crumble with Vanilla English Custard

Spencer wants breakfast. I want lunch. Or vice versa.

Unfortunately, not a lot of places serve both. . .

But a good alternative for “blunch” is Cafe Campagne in the Pike Place Market. On a recent Saturday morning, I opted for the fluffy, light Vegetarian Quiche. When I asked our server how they got it so light, she said all they use in the filling is egg yolks. Sacre bleu!

Meanwhile, Steak Frites was Spencer’s lunch of choice that particular day. It’s a manly-man sort of dish and he even lets me steal the occasional French fry. 🙂

Cafe Campagne means a lot to us and we go there often, for dinner as well. It’s where we went the evening my mother died and we needed some nourishment before we got on the American Airlines red-eye flight to Dallas.

And. . .ta-da. . .it’s the place where we had the idea for “Five More Minutes With,” our new Web site that launched on March 26. You can read more in “Our Story,” and I certainly hope you will enjoy the site and check in often.

This is no April’s Fool prank!

One nice thing about undergoing a remodel of our condo has been that it has forced me to clean out my office. Here’s the actual top of my desk, something I literally hadn’t seen totally naked in years and years.

Of course, all that stuff had to go somewhere. So here is the pile of boxes (full of files and papers) right behind my desk. Note the painter’s plastic and pogo-stick-like poles that formed the “bubble” (for lack of a better word) that has surrounded my office for the past several weeks.

And here is yours truly, a.k.a., Bubble Girl, looking a bit doubtful that this will ever be over and life will return to normal in my office and the rest of our condo.

Tango, just up Pike Street from the Seattle Convention Center, has always been one of our favorite places for top-quality tapas and paella, its outstanding wine list, and romantic ambience.

So we were especially happy to learn that next month marks the Spanish sweetheart’s 10th year in operation.

Owner and affable general manager Travis Rosenthal sent me the link to all the planned festivities for the big birthday celebration and shared some reflections on being in business for 10 whole years.

“Ten years in restaurant years is a long time and definitely worth celebrating! This April we will celebrate this important milepost with free El Diablo [one of Seattle’s best-ever desserts], happy hours all night long, and live tango dancing.

“Back in 2000, many people had not tried, or even heard of mojitos, ceviches, sangría, and paella. Actually, I’m not sure people even understood the style of “tapas” and “small plates.” Sharing was something we taught our children but would never do on a first date.

“Times have definitely changed! Sometimes it’s better not to be the hot, new Seattle restaurant that everyone writes about for a year and then forgets. I think we are a very comfortable ‘sure thing’ for our regular, local diners. Our guests continue to come back even during hard economic times and, with continued support, Tango should keep dancing for many years to come.”

Imagine the chance to work side by side for an entire week with award-winning masters in Washington State’s premier wine industry, Chicago’s exciting restaurant scene, or a small island resort in the British West Indies!

That dream could come true if you are the lucky winner of the 2010 Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) Legacy Awards.

This year’s awards will be given in three categories:

Culinary: Hosted in Chicago by Dames Carrie Nahabedian, Chef/Owner of NAHA Restaurant, Deann Bayless, Owner of Frontera Grill, and JeanMarie Brownson, Culinary Director of Frontera Foods.

Wine: Hosted in Washington State by Dames Kay Simon, Winemaker/Owner of Chinook Winery, and Patricia Gelles, Managing Director/Owner of Klipsun Vineyards.

Hospitality: Hosted in Little Cayman Island by Dame Gladys Howard, Owner, Manager, and Executive Chef if Pirates Point Resort.

Established in 2009, each Legacy Award offers a one-week workplace experience to beginning or mid-career, non-Dame women in the U.S.A. and Canada. Candidates must have at least two years of experience and must be currently working in the food, beverage, or hospitality industries. Working beside Dames with award-winning credentials, the recipients will experience high energy, intense, career-expanding days and nights with extraordinary teams.

“The award fulfills the LDEI mission of education, advocacy, and philanthropy,” said Teresa Farney, president of LDEI. “By linking three deserving women with highly successful Dames in food, beverage, and hospitality, they will expand their education, and we will be advocating professional development in a philanthropic manner. It is hoped that they will, in turn, mentor other women in culinary careers perpetuating a lasting legacy.”

Travel and hotel accommodations for six nights will be reimbursed for each winner up to U.S. $2,000. Applications are now available and must be submitted by April 16, 2010. The second annual Les Dames d’Escoffier International Legacy Awards winners will be announced on May 15, 2010, and must be fulfilled by October 15, 2010.

Les Dames d’Escoffier International is an invitational organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality whose mission is education, advocacy, and philanthropy. Presently, there are 27 chapters and 1500 members in the USA and Canada.

If you have any questions about the awards or entry process, please contact the Legacy Awards Chair, Lila Gault at (212) 242-5644 or email her at lila@gaultgreen.com.

On the first day of March, we trotted down to the ever-charming Boat Street Café for the official book launch of Seattle author and lifestyle maven Rosanna Bowles’s new book, “Coming Home: A Seasonal Guide to Creating Family Traditions with More Than 50 Recipes” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $27.50).

While the Marco de Carvalho trio played softly in one corner, natty men in striped shirts, bowties, khakis, and navy blazers mingled with well-coiffed women in flowered dresses and flats.

Candlelight bathed the cream-colored walls, while Asian parasols floated upside down from the rustic wooden rafters. Blackboards scrawled with the restaurant’s daily specials also featured a portrait of Boat Street owner Renée Erickson’s cute doggie-dog.

Once the crowd quieted down, Rosanna thanked her daughter, Howard Schultz (yes, THE Howard Schultz of Starbucks fame, a close friend), John Granen (the photographer who followed her all over the world taking pictures of her  for the book), Dr. Pepper Schwartz (well-known sociologist and Rosanna’s agent), but most of all her mother.

“My mother, who is no longer with us, was my muse and role model and the love of my life,” she said. “All I am doing is passing along her legacy to you.”

Rosanna read the introduction to her book, in which she urges us to “re-establish traditions, incorporate simple pleasures into our daily lives, and to celebrate life’s small moments.”

I smiled once I returned home, opened the lovely hardcover tome, and read the words she’d inscribed in flowing script: “Come Home! Rosanna.”

Rosanna reading from her new book to the rapt crowd.

A luxurious spread with recipes from the book.

Par-tay on!