tsquare

Did she really beat me to that news?

That's cool, if creepy. I was so excited to see your space and try your products that I didn't notice any ghost vibes - but I never have anywhere before either. Here's hoping they are good spirits, just inquisitive.

Thanks for the feedback - yes, I knew I could count on the participants of this site to solve the mystery. Funny thing Russ - my brother brought me a copy of the LA Times Thanksgiving section with your fun take on who you'd like to cook the holiday meal - and he was surprised that I knew who you were (and impressed that we get to chat with you!)

Oh heavens - in Pienza last month and went for a cheap pizza for lunch at the place on the green square/auto park. Ordered a mushroom pizza that had a thick layer of fresh sliced porcini. Crazy good. Similar experience with a mixed mushroom pizza out in the east end of Venice. No light toppings either place. Umm, we get fresh porcini here in Seattle - last I checked, it was still part of the United States (a blue part.) I need to post on my dinner in Pienza - info not with me - pretty funny story and decent food too.

Beautiful pastry! Wonderous loaves of bread (I took home a hefty multigrain.) Left your card and some samples of breakfast treats with my hosts in Vancouver...great finish to the food filled weekend. Sorry to have missed saying hello.

Funny thing, I was in a hurry to leave town Wednesday (for a 5 hour car ride to Vancouver, WA!) and stopped for a couple of slices at Zeek's (of all places) on Greenwood. It was mid-afternoon - not a great time for fresh pies. Got a slice of Sunshine and one of Spanish Steps (??) - they heated them and put each in a separate wedge box. Took them home and they were very good! Crust was thicker than I like, but almost buttery, crisp on the outside, soft inside. Toppings were plentiful but not heavy, sauce was very fresh - tomatoey good. Guess it is time to try a whole pie again one of these days - or maybe just be happy with a giant slice.

John Howie is opening a new place back in Seattle - near Seattle Center somewhere - a "Sports Restaurant". Says him.

Two more memorable meals to report. Pappardelle with wild boar ragu - spicy, with lovely freshly made pasta. Kobe beef - two ways - small portion sliced (ah, bacon meets beef - a new taste sensation for me - no, no bacon, just incredibly rich meat) and a chunk of cheek - falls apart with the touch of a fork. Served over soft polenta with swiss chard. New pastry chef - lovely, tender apple cake.

"Patty Pan" - I was informed it is a VEGAN place!

There is also a German deli in the market - not fresh baked bread - but probably something reasonable - let's see - across from Saigon Deli. For fresh baked, you might try Tall Grass on 24th in Ballard - they have some dense loaves including that crazy cherry pumpernickle. Their loaves have heft.

There's a weird chocolate shop on Post Alley - down from Kell's - might have good options - but the varieties of chocolate available for sale did not impress. How about Rocky Mountain Fudge - do they make hot chocolate? I liked Spanish Table's when they made the thick stuff, but I don't think they do anymore. Torrefazione used to have a nice couple of options - including unsweetened.

Restaurant explosion in Ballard: Original Pancake House on 15th, just North of 80th (open or soon to be?) Cupcake Royale on Market Street, near the theater. The Hi Life - open in the old firehouse - typical for the small chain, Chow Foods, that includes Jitterbug, Atlas, Coastal Kitchen, 5 Spot, and E-Joe's. Breakfast daily (!), substantial dinner menu with vegan to steak entrees and Wood Fired oven PIZZA, as well as a family style menu that will change monthly - Italian right now. Big space, roomy - a little barn-like. Good latte. The little space that was Andres pizza, then a couple of take out / catering places, has a new sign - forgot the name already. Not much help - a block West of the hospital, South of Market...

"Mespilus germanica" - Medlar is my choice as the winning guess. I have an acquaintance in Seattle who works with someone who planted one last year and loves it (as a speciman tree.) I'll be hoping to find one for my yard and if it ever fruits, will report on it's habits in the NW. I know a quince when I see it. Wouldn't mind one of these at home, along with a pomegrante and a persimmon. Think I live in the wrong zone?

Hey Mel, Just might be in your 'hood next week - what are your hours for the holiday? (W-Sat)

I tried Fremont Classic not too many weeks back and was truly disappointed. Neither the pizza nor the salad did anything for me - except make me wish I had gone to Persimmon across the street. Belltown seems to always be busy - I may have to try it one of these days.

Buffalo Deli makes a hearty chicken soup. On 1st, a bit North of the Market - past Virginia a block or two.

Thanks for all the confimation from England. I'm looking to plant a Medlar at home - though the frost component will be an issue. In the meantime, I cooked up a big batch of quince last night - to mix with apples in tarts, sweet potatoes in gratins, and to enjoy as is.

That's funny - I had seafood stew at Matt's for lunch and wild boar ragu for dinner at Zoe. Great minds...(and both were outstanding.)

Yeah, could be medlar -- which are nespole in Italian. ... ← Thank you! That's it. No wonder it didn't taste like much - needed time to soften. Wish I had brought some home - now I'll have to look for a tree start to plant. ← This last comment confuses me a bit. I've never seen Nespole sold unripe also they don't fit the description: Nespole are indeed crunchy but have one big central brown seed, and have orange skin when ripe and pale yellow when unripe. Even unripe ones are hardly tannic, rather very sour. I still suspect what you tasted were fresh giuggiole. I've asked around for a little info and found out giuggiole are usually sold fresh but need to be left some time out to dry, during which time they turn deep brown, wrinkled and sweeter. They're usually eaten cooked in brodo di giuggiole a fruit soup made with quince, giuggiole, dried fruit and eaten as dessert. Never had it myself but it's supposed to be delicious. There's an Italan expression for being extremely happy: "andare in brodo di giuggiole" (to go ? in brodo di giuggiole). ← Now I am also confused. Someone here did suggest loquat - which we eliminated from the discussion due to the seed. But the "open end" of the nespole is what is so convincing. I think the confusion is that there are two genus - common and japonica - with the second being the loquat? So the question remains as to whether the seed of the common is different?

I considered eating at a kosher restaurant in Venice. Yes, Italy. In the "original" ghetto area, there are a few that I walked by. But Italian cuisine without pork products? I didn't study the menus long enough to be able to recite what they were serving. Settled for buying a bottle of water from the kosher market down the block.

Faith, Thank you for participating in this forum. I had a wonderful trip to a small part of Italy last month - Milan, Florence, Venice, Siena, and a Val d'Orcia (SE of Siena.) I was surprised at the number of young women in the kitchen of the restaurants. Small, tipico type places. Is this common throughout Italy? At home, we tend to have immigrants in many of the back-of-house positions - I assume Italian policies make that more trouble than it is worth - or is it that the Owners aren't teaching the staff and the cooks are taught at home and bring their skills with them?

I recall seeing a tree with these on it, at the edge of a pear orchard just outside of Montepulciano - in the hail - in October. Glad I didn't eat the seeds when I bit into one!

I saw some of these trees while hiking in Tuscany. Arbutus unedo are common in the Pacific Northwest as well - used as a landscaping tree where a green hedge is needed. I've never tried the fruit, friends have and lived to tell about it. I think the Portuguese make moonshine with them.

Yeah, could be medlar -- which are nespole in Italian. picture here edit -- here is a better picture here. (edited again -- not to be confused with the soft yellow fruit from spain, often with black spots that is called nespole as well which is a loquat or Japanese medlar) ← Thank you! That's it. No wonder it didn't taste like much - needed time to soften. Wish I had brought some home - now I'll have to look for a tree start to plant.

Corbezzolo is what we call "strawberrry tree". That isn't it. The other doesn't really look like it - unless they were ripened a long time more. I have a picture I will scan and post, when I figure it out.