ScorchedPalate

Wow, pretentious? That's about the last word I would use to describe the staff there. And yes, the menu is somewhat limited, but I find that there's enough variety to suit just about every taste. And as it changes seasonally (almost weekly) there's plenty for us regulars to keep trying. ~A

I'm going to get quite a reputation for repeating the same opinions over and over, but... My disdain for Assaggio is nearly as legendary as my love of Cafe Lago. ~Anita

Sign in the window at the corner says that the big white building at 22nd and Jackson -- former art college location, across from the bakery -- will be the new home of Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine. They're currently down on 25th and Jackson, if memory serves. Anyone been? Looks like the Stranger critic thinks it's good... but the only eG post I can find here is about their coffee ceremony.

Cool, PM me when you return and we'll schedule. Anyone else who wants to come along is very welcome, too. I want to try the enchiladas and/or the sopes next time, and maybe a burrito (but not of carnitas!). Alas, they didn't seem to have chiles rellenos, which is a standby for me. I don't know what the 'good salsa bar' consists of -- having never been to the other locales -- but the salsa bar here was workmanlike: A big container of escabeche (heavy on the carrots, light on the chiles, just right on the onions), lime wedges, radishes cut on the bias, and two salsas: one red, one green. The green was reasonably good, the red was watery and not to my taste. ~A

Third-hand info off the Good Eats email list:

I think the 4-taco combo is $4.69 in Bellevue, too, but the 5-taco combo was $4.99. The cashier is right: it -is- a better deal *if* you want another taco, which I didn't. So it must've been around $5.50 with tax... "close to $6" was perhaps an overstatement. But even the "$4.99 5-taco+drink" special is a poor deal when they're offering the 79-cent tacos. I'm willing to give them another whirl, given the level of eG love they've accumulated -- wanna meet for lunch some day, Jan? But I gotta say, this particular trip was underwhelming. ~A

Went with 2 coworkers to the Bellevue location today. They were advertising a special of 79-cent tacos, so (in the interest of research) I ordered four: chicken, spicy pork, shredded beef, and carnitas. I heard the cashier call for 2 carnitas, but I figured "ok, whatever" and let it go: either I'd get an extra taco or one of the others would be carnitas instead of what I ordered. (I've learned to let the universe give me the right food.) Then the cashier handed me a soda cup. When I said "Oh, I didn't order a drink" she replied "the combo includes a free drink." Huh, what combo? Anyway, I paid and walked away. Looking at my receipt while I was waiting for my food, I found that I had paid a lot more than 79x4, or even 79x5+tax -- the bill was close to $6! When I asked the cashier what was up with the extra taco, she said "Oh, we don't have the 4-taco combo right now, because the 5-taco special is a better deal." Again: "What combo?! Can't I just have 4 tacos for 79 cents each??" pointing to the sign on her cash register. I was met with an uncomprehending stare. Finally I decided it wasn't worth holding up the whole freaking line and gave up. So my $3 lunch set me back almost twice what it should have cost. Not that it was a bad deal considering what I got, but I ended up with an extra taco and a 'free' drink, both of which I didn't want. The tacos themselves would have been a good deal at $0.79, slighly less stunning at the regular price of (I think) $1.29. The chicken was good and spicy (little bits, not asado); the spicy pork was similar. Both the carnitas and the beef tacos were half full of big globs of unrendered fat (yuck! glad I didn't have a burrito -- at least I could pull them out of the taco) and noticibly lacking in crispiness. I wouldn't say the food was bad, and maybe this was a case of having too-high expectations (and a fair bit of feeling cranky 'cause I got the stupid gringa treatment), but.... I dunno. Based on this trip, El Rinconsito ranks high in the "tasty and authentic" department -- and that gets a lot of points in my book -- but it's just not "oh my god" amazing. I'm glad I never made a special trip to Burien for it. ~Anita fixin' a typo, changing an adjective

I'm just bummed that Alton Brown isn't part of the PacNW lineup; he's been doing the Super Chefs gig in California. :(

The delightful Pike Place Market Creamery (owned by the equally delightfully named Nancy Nipples) stocks quail eggs plus duck, ostrich, goose, and specialty chicken eggs. Here's their entry from the market site: PIKE PLACE MARKET CREAMERY Location: Sanitary Market Building, behind Jack’s Fish Spot Hours: Monday – Saturday 9 am – 6 pm, Sunday 10 am – 5 pm Address: 1514 Pike Place #3 Phone: (206) 622-5029

Just got my shipment from CMC (see contact info upthread). They arrived without incident and they are quite potent. $5.95 for 2oz, plus shipping. My thung ith veddy numpth. ~Anita

The latest edition of John Thorne's peerless culinary journal, Simple Cooking discusses the US ban and lists another source for Sichuan Peppercorn: Seasoned Pioneers Ltd. (If you don't already subscribe, follow the first link above and send John some money right away. You won't regret it.) ~Anita

Getting totally off-topic: Kasma (the owner of the site that JGarner links to) is an amazing teacher. I'd highly recommend her to any of you interested in learning more about Thai cooking. I took 3 of her series when I lived in San Fran. Cam and I are going to Thailand with her on a culinary tour in December '05. Thanks, Abra, for a great blog. ~Anita

FaiJai, are you commenting on the loss of this place, or on the place itself? We ate there twice -- reasoning that just about anything is better than Olive Garden when stranded in Target-ville -- and I certainly won't miss it. The food ranged from middlin' to unremarkable, the ingredients leaned heavily on the Sysco pantry, and the service was of the '19-year-old with a nametag and a notepad' genre. ~A

Great topic! I used to be a terribly fussy eater, but I am in recovery. A lot of the things I thought I hated as a child and young adult were really because I hadn't had a good example -- tomatoes and chicken being prime examples. Learned to love: Sushi, avocado, sour cream, fresh fish, fresh oysters, nuts, tomatoes, white meat chicken Nice but not worth the expense, to me: Caviar, foie, most lobster On the fence: Beets, dark meat chicken Ongoing embarassments: Eggplant, most lamb, most duck, clams, cooked shellfish, dark meat turkey

I was just going to ask: Did you use Tom Douglas's Polenta Cake recipe? The rosemary syrup sounds familiar. I've made it three times, all to rave reviews. Once as a whole cake, once as two 6-inch rounds, and once as mini-muffins for a work event. I'm really enjoying your blog, Abra. Thanks for sharing it with us. ~Anita

Nancy's column (link above) said:

Oooh, excellent. Thanks, Gary.

Nancy Leson's June 2 column scroll down to: Sold — Blue Onion Bistro

We were all wrong: Whole Foods to anchor South Lake Union project

Cool! Thanks for the news, Judy. We're signed up for Tony Bourdain and Andrea Immer. We'll be waiting anxiously for news about Thomas Keller's date. John at Serafina said that he expected the price to be "a little less" than last year's $95, which included two books, as this year they will have a deal for couples who only need one book. ~Anita (+Cam)

I'd recommend Yan Kit-So's "Classic Food of China" (ISBN 0333569075). <snip> For a more introductory book, I always recommend her "Classic Chinese Cooking" (ISBN: 0789433001). <snip> If you're interested in a book devoted to Sichuanese food, then the most recent and one of the nicest would be "Land of Plenty". <snip> Thanks, Trillium. I'll see if I can find the two Yan Kit-So books you mentioned. I actually have had Land of Plenty on order as of last week. I read about the UK edition in John Thorne's Simple Cooking newsletter last year, and had been awaiting is US release. (Somehow I must have missed the news of its actually happening...) Thanks, also, to Qing for taking time to add a little more info to the data on the site linked to at the top of the thread. ~Anita

Our one visit there was so bad we vowed it would be our first and last. Food, service, everything. ~A

Resurrecting this old thread, as I, too, am becoming more curious about regional Chinese cuisine. I've (somewhat recently) moved to Seattle, where we have a strong Sichuanese contingent. For me, it's like having eaten nothing but Sicilian food all your life and then discovering northern Italy. :) I enjoyed reading the website suggested, but it's a bit too brief for my taste. Does anyone have suggestions of books (or other resources) that I can put my hands on to learn more? There area seemingly endless number of multi-region Chinese cookbooks out there, mostly out of print; I'll probably end up buying a couple of them blind if nobody can suggest a favorite. I'm not wholeheartedly interested in cooking from cover to cover, but reading recipes is definitely one way that I can imagine grasping some of the differences and specialties. Thanks, ~Anita edited for a typo

Yay! Lots of good neighborhood places. :)

I'm all with cxt on this subject. Goodness knows I don't need all that food in one sitting, and I have slowly come to terms with the fact that (with a few exceptions) I really don't enjoy leftovers no matter how tasty they were the first time 'round. To me, smaller portions are a blessing. Especially when it comes to Tom's coconut pie, where I would/could eat a whole pie if they put it in front of me... I also like it when food is properly sized so that I can enjoy an appetizer/salad, main course, and a (possibly split) dessert without bursting. Most american-sized portions don't allow for this -- and so to have the full taste experience you end up looking and feeling like a glutton. ~Anita