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And please post on Guatemala - headed there later this year and there is woefully little info to be found. But I am guessing there is some interesting places to eat. Not fancy, but good? Happy special days.

mamster wrote all about it - but I just tried Jack's Tapas on the Ave (north end of University Way) and it was great. Not spicy, but ask for the homemade hot sauce if you need that. Jack's stir fried lamb - excellent. Hand shave noodles, thick and chewy, and addictive. The biggest sesame onion bread - great for sandwiches too. Not your chinese american type place. Northern Chinese/muslim/american.

Happy story telling - are you done with this stage or in process? And are you headed towards being a chef or in school? (Sorry if I missed the introduction elsewhere.)

Flank steak and brisket are two very different cuts - that could be part of the reason you aren't getting what you want. Typically, brisket is cooked a long time and flank is stir fried or seared and served rare.

Oh yes, Cafe Mazaran opened in Madrona - very french bistro like with a short, very traditional menu. Across from St Clouds. Only open Thurs-Sun. 20 seats. Beautiful beet salad layered with goat cheese. Shoestring like operation, but the comments of the diners were all good.

Wann opened on 2nd in Belltown between Virginia and Lenora (old Alexandria's, Falling Water space.) Small plates, Japanese style. The room is lovely - very traditional teahouse with a modern spin or two. Exceedingly earnest service. We samples 4 plates and a cocktail - chicken nabon (?) - fried chunks with eggy tartar sauce, shortribs - excellent, prawn fritters (fried shrimp with aurora sauce), and pork sausage (a little too hot dog like). Lots of interesting stuff on the menu, including a different alcholic beverage - sankuro?, a clear spirit they serve as a sampler or mixed into cocktails.

I believe she is referring to the one in the day labor for hire (Casa Latina?) lot on Western.

Oh thanks - I know about expediting and have watched John do that! Somehow I missed the term.

There is a variety of zucchini called "Eight ball" - "unique, round, dark- green fruits won this new zucchini an All-American Award" that looks quite similar. There are older globe shaped ones as well - Italian Rondo? And Round French Squash from Seeds of Change, "Round zucchinis of exceptional flavor throughout growth, but most delicious steamed at 3 inch or stuffed at 5-6 inch. Prolific." If the fruit is old, the seeds will be bigger and tougher.

Do you mean the Space Needle? Terminology of places in Seattle separate the tourists from the locals (however briefly.) You could take the day off and hit the last day of Bumbershoot at the Seattle Center. Just don't eat there (well, there are some booths that might be okay.) Keep an eye out for happy hour dining - this can be early evening or close to closing at lots of places. Just watch out - the drinks really add up. Welcome - and happy hunting.

Can you explain this one "expo" - I know it isn't that he has an exposition kitchen - unless you sit at the tiny bar. And welcome to the site. Lucky you - glad you had a good experience at Lark!

Another one for me - a birthday gift last month. Greg Atkinson's "Entertaining in the Northwest Style." Now I need a barn, a cabin, or a boat to hold a party.

Thanks for asking. I have been meaning to write up a special dinner. My first experience. A Friday night - no turns of the tables, maybe 1/2 full. Maybe one person under 50. How do they survive? The meal was well paced, with excellent service, and a few extras, courtesy of the Chef, including a glass of champagne. That always helps. An amuse of avocado tartlet was more pronounced in flavor than avocado alone - how is that possible? The crust could have been better. There were some nice wines by the glass - I don't recall what we ordered. I loved Tomatoes Lampreia - a bowl with a number of small bites, topped with a light gazpacho. Particularly interesting was the half tomato, half basil popsicle. Also, black truffle gnocci was a revelation. Mild at first, the truffle took an extra beat to work its way up to the sinuses, then, Wham! Fois was impressive, and I don't particularly care for it - but his was great. Octopus was excellent too, a very reasonable portion. The raviolo - any time, but that's me. I wish we had ordered the squash blossom dish as I think that is another signature item. The entrees - I would probably order more of the 1st and 2nd courses instead. That said, the duck and the fish were very good, especially the apricot confit/? for the duck. It was served 3 ways - patially completed (with a hit of wasabi?), preserved, and sauced. This was an interesting and tasty sequence of flavors and textures. The infamous veal chop was big, but perhaps uninspired. Desserts - the chocolate mousse with caramel - very yummy. The pineapple ravioli - good, not my style. The other dessert was inventive - but my memory fails - some sort of dumplings with chocolate sauce? It was good. A litttle dessert wine, and I was finished. Same after meal treats as noted in earlier posts. I hadn't reviewed this before going, so they came as a nice surprise - even if I took them home to eat the next day. Seems like they might need to shake up the mix to keep people coming back - but just about every party departed after speaking with Scott - "great as usual" etc., so he has a following. Can't compare to some of the other top line houses in town, but this was very good. The room/ambiance is a little stiff for my tastes, though one diner was there in a t-shirt emblazoned with some strange saying about bad girls, everyone else had made an effort to look nice.

Yes, a pretty good year for tomatoes. Thought the Garden Peach were never going to ripen, but here they are, yellow and softly fuzzy. Mild flavor, but fun. Really like the flavor of the Black Russian - almost like roasted, straight off the vine.

Dinner suggestion for Tuesday - if you can talk your way in: Evening at Boomtown Fundraiser at Palace Ballroom, presented by Lark. Sold Out. Ling, Only the lower Queen Anne Larry's will become Metropolitan Market. This replaces their soon-to be-demolished store on the hill. It will become a QFC along with a bunch of housing. Neighbors are not happy. If you ever go to West Seattle, stop at the Metropolitan Market (Admiral Market) and get a prime rib sandwich. Generally great (it is possible to get a sandwich maker who doesn't get it right.) These are far better markets than Larry's, but Larry's was wonderful at the beginning, and Met Market is pricey. They only have a handful of stores. The rest of the Larry's? Soon to be GI Joes.

Second Ave - Belltown - is ripe for openings and construction: The japanese place where Falling Water and Alexandria's failed is ready (or open) Karma - south of Rendevous, looks close, Buddha Bar, south of Noodle Ranch, missed their opening date - can't tell how close they are, Ethan's place, south of Marjorie's (?) is under construction. To the north - a new pizza place, according to the paper. In other news, construction has begun on Daniel Brauns' Oliver's Twist on Greenwood (68**) Bistro M??? opened in Madrona - in the old hat shop, south of the Ale House I think. Traditional French.

Don't try this in hot weather.

Thanks Tony and crew for getting this on the air in such a timely fashion. Glad you got home.

I know zip about the lodge - but you better plan a visit to Theo Chocolates. research

I am in there way too often - and love buying 1/2 priced bread and pastries - half the time they go into the freezer anyway. But once in awhile, I still bake: Cream biscuits with black forest ham and romano cheese - though I lightened them up a bit. Apple anadama coffee cake Olivia's chocolate chip cookies Breakfast strata - this was a huge hit. Sweet & spicy nuts - an even bigger hit. I want to make the more challenging recipes, but don't seem to get around to it.

Got it a bit on the Brandywines, haven't noticed it on the cheokee purples or black russians - though these have something wrong with leaves crisping and wilting. Not on the sungolds (I assume that is what my unmarked plant is) or the garden peach or stiletz. What is the 6th... Good luck - I've never tried to combat it.

Isn't this the place at 47th and Aurora? The old wagon wheel spot? Very similar name and menu - and delivery. Eastern Europeans I think?

I was in several different plant stores today and they all still had Basil available. You should be fine. ← I was at Trader Joe's (QA) Monday and they huge bushes of basil. Didn't check the price.

Mae's is doing a later open (till dusk) ice cream stand, but I suggest Gelatiamo - gelato and espresso!

I love tartines. Anyone been? ← We took some friends there for lunch yesterday, it is fantastic! wonderful tartines all about $6.50. beautiful tiny little room and Jean-Michel is the best host! They have some nice soups and desserts also. Wines by the glass, half and bottle as well as a good selection of nice liquor. Go go and have a tartine, i don't know anyone else doing them like this in seattle! ← They were talking about this on Tom Douglas Saturday - along with Dinette and the bruschetta lady at the Ballard and Columbia City Farmer's Markets.