mangiabene

Thought folks might be interested in this special week of dining in Portland next week. I ate at Flying Fish during the Seattle week recently and the fish really was amazing. Vote with your fork for wild salmon, Sept. 19 - 23. This week 13 Portland-area restaurants are serving Bristol Bay, Alaska salmon, plating this healthy, sustainable salmon for diners and donating a portion of the proceeds to the Save Bristol Bay campaign. The 13 Dine for Bristol Bay restaurants are: Bamboo Sushi, Bluehour, Chef Naoko, Clarklewis, Clemente's Restaurant (Astoria), Metrovino, Mother's Bistro, Nostrana, Papa Haydn (Eastside location), Salty's on the Columbia, Serratto, Skin and Bones, and The Original. Or, you can also make a difference by dining in and buying Bristol Bay salmon at your local New Seasons Market, Sept. 19 - 25. All 11 locations will feature Bristol Bay wild salmon as their weekly special. And, on Saturday, September 24, enjoy free Bristol Bay salmon samples and meet the fishermen who haul in the catch.

Bay Area food lovers, Here's a great dinner to benefit Trout Unlimited's Save Bristol Bay campaign. The dinner, to be prepared by chef Ali Ghiorse, features organic, sustainable and carefully sourced ingredients, including grilled Bristol Bay salmon, cornbread made from freshly milled, local corn, heirloom squash, heirloom beans, hand-harvested wild rice, salads, bread and petite sweets. Wines are by Michel-Schlumberger and Rodney Strong vineyards and the beer is a pale ale by Marin Brewing Company. Hosted by Savory Thymes at Hillside Gardens, the event will take place in a lovely garden terrace setting and outdoor ampitheater, as well as in a spacious living room. Bristol Bay in a remote, rugged part of Alaska, is home to 10% of the entire planet's salmon runs. The pristine rivers of Bristol Bay and the surrounding ecosystem is under threat from the proposed Pebble Mine, which would be one of the world's largest open pit mines with an earthen dam purported to be larger than the Three Gorges Dam in China. Toxic metals that might leach into the waters could be catastrophic to salmon and wildlife, and also harm native communities and water quality. This intimate, exclusive event is being hosted by Savory Thymes at Hillside Gardens in Mill Valley, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6. Tickets are $125 per person and include a Fall Harvest Dinner, a signed copy of "Red Summer" by Bill Carter, and a chance to win a framed image by National Geographic photographer Michael Melford, who will present a special slide show preview of images from Bristol Bay featured in the upcoming Dec. 2010 issue of the magazine. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit: My link HOST'S NOTE: Click here for the terms under which this is listed on the eG Forums.

Thanks all. I too have had bad luck in past trips to Leavenworth. I have been to the cheesemonger's shop and that's a good idea. Supposedly there's also a crepe place now that's a decent alternative. But, chocolate and sausages are a good idea.

I'm sure this has come up before, but a search of the site isn't turning up more. Headed to Leavenworth this weekend and looking for tips on good places to dine. No, not a big fan of German food, but when in Rome... Any recommendations? Thanks!

I too love trolling for Korean. I've been to Four Seasons once and it was quite good and filled with Koreans. Another place where we're the only non-Koreans is Jin Mi, 14040 Aurora. Not a ton of ambience and their grills are portable. But the food's good, the price is good and they're always nice. A mixed experience is Merinae, 12020 Aurora. They have an excellent seafood pancake and good mix of panchan, but I found their bulgoki to be pretty weak. Old Village is usually fine, but I've never found it to be a standout. I've only been to the Shilla on Denny and it was so sub-par that I've vowed to never go back. Also, there's a place on 155th (I think), just off Aurora. It's the same turnoff to go to Aaron Brothers, Marshall's, Sears, etc. Small, flourescent-lit mom and pop joint in a strip mall on the north side of the road. Not a ton of ambience, but great, cheap, Korean food. I've found that you really have to specify that you want to BBQ for yourself. They seem to assume that if you're non-Korean, you just want it cooked and brought to you. Lastly, if you're in the UDistrict, Koreana is pretty good. Not grill your own, but the food is well flavored, fresh and cheap. Now, I'm really looking forward to trying Hae-Nam.

Hi Elswinger, A great place to find most of what you're looking for is Pacific Food Importers (PFI). They're just south of the I.D., at 1001 6th. Ave. S. Level B (It's off of 6th a bit, in a brick warehouse -- you have to walk through the parking lot to get to their entrance.) Most of their food is Italian, but their meat and cheeses selection is broad. You do have to generally order by the pound, but if you're having a party, that should be no problem. They also have great olive selections by the pound. They probably don't have Kaisers and Hoagie rolls, but there are plenty of places you can pick those up. http://www.pacificfoodimporters.com/

Another idea I'll add to the throng is Caffe Umbria coffee, which you can buy at DeLaurenti's. It's a small boutique roaster from the same family (the Bizarris) who brought us Torrefazione. When in the market, I also like to buy Biringer Farms tea cookies for gifts when we travel. I have yet to go wrong with any of their flavors. Happy shopping.

Jbonne, I've generally been disappointed too in most Italian offerings here, including Cafe Bizarro, Il Bistro, Al Boccalino, Luigi's Grotto. Sometimes it's fine to go to more of an Italian-American style eatery -- i.e., Machiavelli, Stella's Trattoria, Trattoria Mitchelli, etc. -- if you're in the mood, but authentic Italian without steep prices seems to be almost non-existent in this town. (I was pretty underwhelmed by Osteria La Spiga as well. Fine, but not special. Certainly more authentic than many joins in town. Same with Serafina -- fine, but not outstanding.) There are other places I need to try -- Swingside, Ponte Vecchio, Cafe Asteroid, etc. -- but after having so many lackluster experiences, it's hard to get psyched for it. I have heard good things about La Rustica in West Seattle too. I'd certainly like to try Cafe Juanita at some point too. La Vita e Bella is solid and has good value, but it's not mind-blowing by any means.

Another option is Mamma Melina's at 50th & Roosevelt. I haven't eaten a full meal there, but the panna cotta was divine and the prices are considerably lower than Troiani or Tulio. It's got nice ambience, but I don't remember anything about the wine list. I haven't found Italian dining nirvana in Seattle yet and I have a hard time paying Cafe Juanita or Troiani-like prices when you can have a fabulous meal in Italy for considerably less. Portland, though, they've got great Italian at great prices.

I recently checked out the happy hour at 35th Street Bistro, the former Still Life Cafe space in Fremont. (Yes, it's weird to see the Still Life reinvented and upscale.) The prices are phenomenal. They have about 8 bar items for $1 a piece, including excellent garlicky fries, calamari, salad, a simple pasta tossed with oil, and more. The servings are small, but we made a meal out of 7 or 8 of them. They also keep bringing you complimentary baguette slices with great butter and olives. Wine and cocktail list is pretty good too. And they have a create your own cheese plate by the ounce. To boot, it wasn't crowded at all. Definitely a find!

I too am a fan of Rinconsito, but since this thread started more than a year ago, I'll say that I think the quality has slipped. The prices have gone up as well. So, while I was super enthused at first, now I don't get that cartwheeling feel when I go. Still good, just not stellar.

I'm throwing in a vote for the pork at Yasuko's Teriyaki in Magnolia (it doesn't seem to be the same elsewhere). It's more like a combination of Chinese-style BBQ pork with teriyaki sauce. They pull it out and cleaver it before you. Delicious and a huge plate is a deal at $5.50.

Hi newbie here. Been reading for a while and finally decided to make it official and join. Brasa is still my favorite happy hour place and it's awesome that half priced food lasts until 7 p.m. on the bar menu. Another one that's pretty good is the Icon Grill, which stops at 6 or 6:30. They have their scrumptious 4-cheese mac, as well as salmon cakes (not as good), pizza, artichoke dip and more, all for half price. Drink specials too. Anthony's, especially out at Shilshole, also has half price apps in the bar and outdoor area. They've got generous helpings of mussels, etc. And, if you're looking for the ultimate cheap happy hour -- i.e., free -- Il Fornaio at Pacific Place has a free food with pizza, pastas, salad, veggies, etc., if you order a glass of wine or beer.