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This has been the summer of Zoe for me - enhanced by a card giving me a free appetizer with the purchase of a specialty cocktail. I think the bartender is great - and mixes wonderful drinks (such as the sage margarita.) Again, the solo raviolio has been beautiful - light pasta with fresh fillings and toppings. Recently had dinner there - pork tenderloin with figs sauced with port-pepper reduction, sitting atop fresh aspargus and a gorgonzola potato cake. Pure bliss. They gave me two amuse - before dinner - lentils with pork confit, and after dinner, a tiny puff filled with lemon cream.

The paper is off the windows, they hosted a wedding there last Saturday - but the word is they won't open till September...the place looks great! Was told it has the same Owners as Zeitgeist.

From the PI: "Minion and his wife, Angel, have formed Angel's Taste of Heaven catering company, which specializes in barbecue (253-941-5937); you can give them a try this Saturday at the Low & Slow. Angel Minion left her position at the University of Puget Sound to focus on catering." Otherwise, I've heard great things about Lowell-Hunt Catering: http://www.lowell-hunt.com/ven.htm Best Wishes!

Did you go to the pre-party on Monday? Hear it was pretty crazy. Any idea what the food is/will be like? Sure looks a lot better, but that was easy.

Save $240 on the duck press!

Cute little lunch place on Fremont - "Persimmon" - across the street and north of Paseo's sandwich place (at 42nd St?) Haven't seen the menu.

Is this the same unit sold as campfire espresso makers in the US? I've been using these (first an Italian import and now, from REI) for years. It works (though my brother did thoroughly clean mine once when visiting!) Mine requires a little cup for the brew to flow into rather than stored in the unit itself. For morning brew, I do toss the resultant beverage into a cup of heated milk (be it dairy or not.) If I'm feeling lux is in order - I foam the white stuff with a milk foamer - mine is glass and you have to heat the product and then pump it up - but friends have a stainless stovetop version - heat and froth in one. Very cool (hot?)

I grew stevia last year - the plant didn't survive a second season. It was just as described, though I never harvested the leaves for drying. I've used stevia powder as a beverage "sweetener" for a few years, and have some "immune system tea" that contains stevia. I like the taste and the idea of it. Easy to believe the rants on that link, but also the helpful information. The little package of Stevia Plus is labelled as a nutrional supplement. "You may wish to reduce your sugar use by 2 tsp. for each packet (.035 oz. / 1 gram) due to its natural and intense sweetness."

Lemon balm might take over your yard, but not verbena. Never. At least not in a cold climate.

Yup, "Cha Bar" is gone. Forgot the name on the coming soon sign.

It's open - they had a decent late lunch business when I looked in yesterday. Same room layout, a stone/water wall at the entrance (too small) and some big rocks and tropical wall coverings. Same Owners as Chinoise according to the news. On another note - The Woodlawn Park Inn has closed - to be replaced by a new mixed use building. Did anyone ever eat there? Prost - the tavern up the road on Greenwood, North of 73rd, seems to be doing good business.

Stone: What else do you have growing in those flowerpots? Guessing something in the cabbage family? Have you noticed white butterflies? These lay "cabbage looper" green worms. The droppings could be from those as well. Hand pick - look for the tiny ones on the back of leaves and along stems. You can get ahead of them. Unfortunately, the only way to really avoid them is to use a row cover type protection system - sunlight and water penetrable spun polyster know as Reemay is the common choice. But it would detract from the aesthetic quality of growies (that's a technical term, you know.) I have been told by knowledgeable gardeners that tobacco and tomatoes don't mix - so I wouldn't spray tobacco water on my tomato plants - or for that matter, any of mine.

Ah, but the free rides end at 7 pm. (Still, off peak hours for the bus are $1.25 or so.)

Gracias. (They don't bite, do they?) Don't think so - but they slime - might want to wear gloves or use a utensil. Love the duck idea.

Stone - them's slug or snail droppings. Look for them after dark, hand pick and toss. The basil is fine. Hopleaf - peppers can be picked when they are green - or when they are mature - be it red, yellow or green. You will need to guess a bit, if you pick 'em green - to figure out if there is some meat to the wall structure. Like most of this stuff, think heavy weight relative to size. Tomatoes - wait for them to be ripe ripe - or, you really can pick them fully colored, but still firm and leave them out on a counter till you need them. Don't put them in a refrigerator! I've never had any luck with cilantro regrowing after it has bolted (gone to seed.) Time to replant. Easier to get additional growth from basil - cut it back, leaving some twin stemmed junctions. guajolote - hand pick those slugs and get them out of the garden (bag and trash, let loose on a 4 lane highway, drop 'em in a can of gasoline.... sorry PETA.) Also, watch for slug eggs and destroy them (small clear-white clusters of bb's.) There are some organic type slug baits, especially if you aren't dealing with edibles. Or the old beer trap - not as successful for me.

Are you referring to Bee Balm? Bunch of other names as well. Really a different plant than Greek or Italian oregano - have all 3 at home!

I've heard the sausage cart outside the stadium is worth a stop. Stadium area is a wasteland - the International District is probably the best bet, close by. Tighe's suggestions make sense as well. We haven't had any reports on Luigi's Grotto, Cafe Bengodi, or Luigi's most recent place (?) that I can recall. These are all just north of the Pioneer Square area. I last ate at the Grotto (before it was called that) over 6 years ago. It was very good. There are also a couple of new places - at the base of Smith Tower - tavern type place that looked fresh, and a small plates overly creative place on First, next to the map store, that got a pretty good review for it's efforts. Anyone know these two and what they are called? Unfortunately, don't think Cassis's sibling is open yet.

Even though I know better - I added a fair amount of minced fresh lovage to turkey meatballs last night, after I realized I had pulled up my parsley plants a week ago. Decidedly "celeryish", too strong a flavor to mess with like that. Happily, the fresh frozen tomato sauce from late last fall almost masked the flavor.

Have you tried Waterfront. Now that's a well positioned restaurant. Anyway, Nancy Leson reviewed Fish Club in the Times today - she was in full agreement with us! I did go for a drink one night before a concert on the Pier - asked a bartender if Todd English had really been in the week before - he was amazed that I knew who the executive chef / hottie was by name! Even more surprised when I told him I cook from the 3 cookbooks. Some really wonderful recipes - not too difficult either.

Coop might be on to something - even if it hasn't happened yet...(ie, Roy's.) New "Q" on Aurora!!! Anyone know anything about the Rusty Pig (or if that is the right name?) BBQ place next to the Scientology building - West side, maybe at Aloha/Prospect or so? Saw it last night from the bus - about 7 pm, the parking lot was full. Has a mock "pigs on parade" pig anchoring the corner (think it was the Fremont free public art interpretation.)

Because she is boring and the reviews are not well written?

"Local" celebrity, read here: http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/...ery=graham+kerr (how does one shorten those clickeys?)

Yellowish plants = too much water (not enough nitrogen.) Add fish emulsion.

MsRamsey and Tighe, You are welcome. I'm otherwise scheduled, but thought I'd offer some advice. While dining late is oh so continental, at Boomtown, it can mean running low on food - or smaller portions. Suggest earlier reservations. The room can be hot on a summer night - dress accordingly (and casual is fine.) Service is volunteered - sometimes flakey, sometimes charming. Last year, wine flights were available, supplied by a single winery, $10? - don't know if they are still doing that - 3 glasses in an hour made me quite tipsy, but maybe that's just me! It's for a good cause - and the food and prep are donated - so it's not like eating at the host restaurant - but all the meals I've had were quite good - some were excellent. Chefs, bless their hearts, want diners to think good things about them and their craft (art?). Please post after if anyone goes!

Not a wine dinner - well, you can usually buy wine too, but a charity dinner: Evening at Boomtown: July 16th, meal prepared and donated by Chef Chris Zarkades of Brasserie Margaux of the Warwick Hotel. Minimum donation of $20 per meal (3 courses). To make reservations, call the cafe at (206) 625-2989 or e-mail info@boomtowncafe.org