LaurieA-B

Actually, we're dying to taste her chocolates, and we will on November 23!

Article about the Oreo spinoffs in the New York Times. Nice photo. Only problem is that it mentions at least a dozen Oreo products without acknowledging the excellent Oreo ice cream cones. I am also fond of the Oreo ice cream sandwiches.

Some good ideas on this Really Fast Dinners thread.

Where in Seattle did you get this great Reuben? I've heard good things about the Other Coast Cafe, but haven't made it over there yet.

I love desserts, the more dessert-y the better--crusty fruit pie a la mode, thickly frosted layer cakes, cheesecake, just about anything. So when I saw "mango and sticky rice" on the menu in Bangkok, I wasn't expecting it would be much of a dessert. MY GOD. It was one of the best desserts I've ever had. No resemblance to, say, a Linzer torte, but mango and sticky rice immediately became one of my all-time favorites. Something about the textures, the flavors, and the sweetness just hits it. The first time was at Sara-Jane's restaurant. I remember it well. The peach version is luscious. The key is to have some peach/mango and some rice in every bite. I always try to make them come out even.

What is it? (Correct spelling is pastitsio, right?) I found a few recipes online, but they vary greatly so I'm interested in your definition.

A mom and small daughter were dining there the same evening as us. I think they had sort of plastic/oilcloth covers on the tables. It is quite casual, definitely family-oriented (the hostess is expecting a baby, in fact).

Check this thread for discussion of the Kevlar glove. I first saw it in the King Arthur catalog. This page lists their prices for the silicone mitts also. When I looked around for the Ove Glove in town a few weeks ago, no one had it but all the stores had silicone mitts (Sur La Table, etc.).

This sounds like my favorite dish at Noodlehead--my beloved Noodlehead--one of my favorite restaurants in high school that closed several years ago. Matthew and I often mourn for it. Is it possible that it's been resurrected? The dish was called Spring Roll Noodles, and I've never seen it anywhere else.

Last year I saw a flyer for Catfish Corner in the Central District (corner of MLK and Cherry, I think) advertising deep-fried turkeys. You reserve a turkey, they deep-fry it out back behind the restaurant, and you pick it up. Not sure about MsR's timing concerns; this is certainly something you could ask them. I've eaten at the restaurant several times and always enjoyed it very much, including their fried catfish and hush puppies.

I went by the new gelato spot at the convention center this afternoon (on the bus, so I couldn't see much). It's called Gelatissimo, and is a walk-up on Pike Street, next to the Subway.

Penelope Corcoran covers the new Mojito in the P-I. Thanks for the description, Y-Y, it sounds fun.

Bambuza and their crepes: featured in Matthew's article in the Times yesterday. Banh xeo I haven't eaten at Bambuza yet, but when Matthew made banh xeo at home I found the addition of sauce key to bringing the flavors together and adding interest to the vegetables. Banh xeo, despite looking like an omelet, is unusual to me and fun to eat. I'm sure we'll visit Lemongrass soon, because Matthew really liked it and I haven't been there yet.

Yes. Which is across the street from my office. Miserable choice to have to make each payday. Side rant -- Portland still doesn't have a Crate & Barrel. Which is annoying, since they are so much cheaper than SLT and WS and sometimes you need that. The folks in your office must be giving some good business to the Whole Foods on the next block, too. Great location for work. In Portland, don't forget Kitchen Kaboodle. That was the source for all things kitchen in Portland before all these nouveau places showed up. I haven't been there in a few years, but they always seemed to have a good selection. Seattle and Bellevue now have a Crate and Barrel apiece, so I imagine one will show up in Portland eventually. (After all, Portland has its own Tiffany now. Good lord, what were they thinking? Why Tiffany in Portland in the first place, but to put it in the bottom of a parking garage? It looks awful. Sorry, mini-rant over.)

Oh dear! Here in Seattle we think of it as a local success story (like Starbucks). The original store is at Pike Place Market (near the original Starbucks). Actually, I've never been inside any of the other stores. There's a big one across the lake in Kirkland, which is where they hold their classes locally (the Market store is too small). Locals speak nostalgically of the original store before its remodel, which occurred some time before I moved to Seattle in 1996. As it is right now, it's cluttered and cozy and full of good stuff. Matthew worked there for a while. I always enjoy looking through the catalog, even though it is full of ridiculous items that I can't believe anyone ever buys. A new SLT opened in Portland recently, right next door to Powell's.

Welcome, CT. Just checked and Pambiche is open till midnight, Canita till 2 am, on Friday. Not tiki, but colorful Cuban/Caribbean style. Canita is downtown on Burnside, and it has the liquor license for cocktails. Both have great food.

Is this the Seven Stars Sichuanese Restaurant?

A Seattle chef recently told some egulleters that he thinks the Portland food scene is the most exciting around right now. The Oregonian article that he mentioned is the one Jim linked to above (the main article, and the profiles of each chef). If you need ideas for where to eat on your next trip to Portland, this is it. Matthew and I had a delicious lunch with Jim at Park Kitchen earlier this summer, after which we immediately headed to Ken's for more bread and pastry. We also sampled both Ken's and Pix pastries at the Saturday farmers market. Edited to remove reference to expired link.

I checked out Bottega Italiana, on First near Pike Place Market (see tsquare's post) last week. Very small but charming spot. I had the small two-scoop: sour cherry (amarena, I think) and hazelnut. The texture was firmer than the gelati I've tried before; other places it was almost as soft as soft-serve. The texture difference wasn't necessarily negative, just different. (I don't know what "authentic" gelato is supposed to be like.) The cherry was fruity but not at all sour, a bit too sweet. Hazelnut had a great rush of toasty nut flavor, I really enjoyed it. There's an excellent post reviewing all the Seattle gelato spots over on chowhound. I think I saw a sign for a new one opening at the convention center, too. Haven't tried the Gelatiamo being served at Pagliacci on Broadway yet. I can't remember how much it cost, but the price seemed high to me.

Pambiche! While Canita (same owners, very similar menu) is right downtown, Pambiche is very close by car. I have lunched at both and they were both great. While I like Canita, I love Pambiche. The ambience is very pleasant; it is smaller, on a nicer street, with outdoor tables. Canita is more slick and had a business lunch crowd. The food is very cheap and so good. Be sure to try the drinks. I especially love the banana shake. The desserts are gorgeous, but I've never managed to sample them (servings tend toward ample). Jim Dixon's review

We enjoyed a dozen or so dishes at Harvest Vine, including foie gras, smoked fish, and mussels, but my favorite taste by far was a slice of bread dragged through the mixture of beet juice, olive oil, vinegar, and salt left on my plate. Heaven. Like everything else I've sprinkled it on, the beets are fabulous with Jim Dixon's Portuguese flor de sal. (Jim, I don't see salt information on your website?)

The Breeze was exactly like a Blizzard, but made with lower-calorie frozen yogurt instead of soft-serve. Frozen yogurt was also an option for cones, sundaes, etc.; it was a creamier color and dispensed from a star-shaped, rather than the usual round, dispenser, so that it looked different from the soft-serve. I don't see any mention of the frozen yogurt on the website, so it must have been phased out.

The Dilly Bar is a round ice cream bar: ice cream on a stick, dipped in chocolate/cherry/butterscotch dip, stored in the freezer. When I was a kid the cherry Dilly Bar was my favorite DQ treat (I think it was the name). I think it's still around.

The Seattle Cheesecake Factory is in the heart of downtown, and it is just as popular as everyone has described here. It's on the street, not in a mall, but is a block away from a mall and across the street from a movie theater. I have never been there, and now that a good Vietnamese restaurant (Bambuza) has opened on the same block, never expect to go there.

Here's a few threads with suggestions: Seattle restaurant suggestions Brasa bar menu: Since you mentioned happy hours, this is the place. Just had dinner there recently and it continues to be delicious, and a wonderful bargain. I haven't been there, but I have heard Tango's happy hour is also good. Eat where the chefs eat As I mentioned in the first thread, I had lunch at Matt's in the Market recently and enjoyed it; they are open for dinner, and reservations are recommended. Another place I would love to go back to is Flying Fish. The food and service were both excellent, really exceeded my expectations. Harvest Vine was amazing but probably outside your budget. Cassis on Capitol Hill is a very nice French restaurant that has weekday early dinner specials. If you want to check menus, many of these restaurants have websites, and you can also use the Amazon restaurant search.