tsquare

Probably too soon for Ethan. But Maria Hines of E&O got the F&W new chef nod. That might have been a good one for him, though she is quite deserving.

Thanks for the heads up - I missed the announcement - thought I caught some of the pizza talk and referrrals to Cafe Lago! Batali/Douglas would be a fun match. They could both wear shorts and clogs = and fight for Salumi products.

Hey all - did you notice you can now spend the night at El Gaucho? Well, at the newly refurbished Inn above it. Bedside dinner service...watch out for those flaming skewers.

And don't forget - no corkage fee on Sunday - if what you bring isn't on their list. Please verify this offer is good beyond March 2005. Got this from their March newsletter. Also, The Staples are big supporters of the Woodland Park Zoo's Jungle Party. They bring a new specialty cocktail each year - and are currently identified as co-hosts or some such.

4 more. All About Braising The Gourmet Cookbook Zuni Cafe Home Baking

Try Crow.

I hate to be the one to suggest this - but Trader Joe's carries some of the same stuff as PFI - and has much better hours. Not a great selection - but some okay stuff.

It was at the news stand in the Market last week. And in the library.

I stuck my head in Friday night - it was pretty crowded, and I didn't stay. I'm looking forward to the Italian place next door.

Coming in April: Juan Valdez - yes, a coffee shop - no not a joke. On 5th Avenue adjacent the Betsy Johnson store. Let's see, just south of Pike.

Just a reminder - Ovio is providing the Evening at Boomtown dinner in April - on the 20th. $20 (or more generously), three courses, goes to a good cause. Wines available.

Replacing The Garlic Tree - something called "92 Stewart". Sign at Sophie's Donuts/Boat Street on Eastlake last weekend - now serving light breakfast on weekends.

Looks like they are doing a spring clean/paint. Paper on the windows the other day - but I think it was just for protection.

Infuse into steamed milk (of whatever variety) for lattes or hot cocoa. Wonderful.

Coming from Vancouver and not sure where 85th and 15th are...is this the Capitol Hill area as a friend just told me she went to a great Moroccan restaurant there? ← Nope, this is North Ballard/Crown Hill. Not to be confused with 10th or 15th on Capitol Hill. There is a poorly attended thread somewhere on the whole Moroccan renaissance.

Another plug for the wonderful world of Seattle: World Spice Merchants Only 27 listings under pure chiles. Tony Hill has a book out too - "Contemporary Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices: Seasonings for the Global Kitchen"

tsquare, Welcome to the northern side of the PNW I've been to that Handi, and they've opened recently in Burnaby ... or at least the name is "Handi" even though the Website (CLICKETY) seems to tell a different story. Good, basic fare ... delicious naan and their aloo gobi & lamb vindaloo is pretty awesome too. IMO, Indian is one of those cuisines it's difficult to do poorly, and difficult to do really well. The Himalaya (yes, they have the huge sweets counter) is a good example. For about $6 you can stuff yourself silly at the lunch buffet and you'd be hard pressed to differenciate it from more expensive buffets in the area. A. ← That a whole different Handi, methinks. I was curious about the first as the owner has a long standing place in the Seattle area - Raga (okay, Kirkland now, and they used to be located in Bellevue) and I wondered about him locating in Vancouver rather than Seattle. Thanks for the "welcome". I'm really overdue for a visit to Vancouver. Always a pleasure.

Talk to your fellow egulleteer (?): Melissa McKinney Chef/Owner Criollo Bakery mel@criollobakery.com

I didn't like this. Too much going on with nothing playing well with others. Like a 'Whatchamacallit' (which ain't great) with no focus. ← I've taken two "Take 5". I liked 'em. And I don't generally crave salt or like milk chocolate.

I have a sample of Richlite - made into a cutting board. First use, it is scarred. It's black and now has a whitish spot. I highly recommend getting a decent sized sample of whatever you are thinking of using for a countertop and put it through its paces - cut on it (you - or your guests - won't always get out a cutting board), let some lemon juice, red wine, even water sit on it for awhile and see if they leave a sign, try out your normal cleaning routine. It really depends on so many things - how you use your counters, how you maintain them, what you want them to look like - a nice patina? Go ahead and get stone (even marble or limestone) or concrete. Polished forever? Look at granite or manmade products that are hard. No $? Plastic laminate comes in a huge range of colors and patterns. Floors? Wood is nice. Linoleum is too - a natural product that actually ages nicely. Lots of colors and patterns, tiles or sheet goods. Again - if you are thinking about cork, get a sample and work with it. There are alot of different finishes - and I've seen some that look good under abuse, and others - not so good.

Recently had bread pudding made with a touch of it - plus chocolate chunks and dried cherries.

Restaurant Zoe newsletter states: "Bring your own favorite bottle to RZ Sunday nights and they will waive the corkage fee...Please note that wines available on the RZ wine list are not eligible for opening." (206) 256-2060 for more info - and reservations. FYI they are doing the 25 for $25 in March so they will be slammed.

Two more - accidents really - 1,000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone Lidia's Family Table by Lidia Bastianich Now, I didn't need another Italian cookbook, and I wouldn't have selected these two if I wanted to anyway - but I am quite happy to have them and have tried a few recipes already.

I am giving a big plug to Earth and Ocean at the W Hotel. I believe I went for lunch last March (?) and enjoyed my meal and service. I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a wide selection from the menu, with beautifully matched wines. I wish I had photographed the dishes as they were a pleasure to the eye as well. My favorites from the dinner include: beef carpaccio - semi cured, I believe, crispy veal sweetbreads - served with a small savory fig pastry and mustarda, roasted sablefish with a luscious celery root puree and braised celery, duck leg confit - slightly asian flavored, crisped to finish, and lamb chop, (the gnocchi maybe a bit too smoked.) Chef Maria Hines is one to watch. She is getting a real smoker, wants to make aged cheeses, selects products with great care and cooks them with a fine sensibility.

Another Sunday breakfast at Lola's. Service was friendly and quick, food was good (and hot upon arrival), price, not bad ($10-12). I am sorry to see the menu growing smaller - though the doughnuts and the octopus/pork belly are still both there. And yet, I've not ordered either! Oddly, my breakfast plate was adorned with a single thin slice of apple.