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Guy from Jelly Belly was on tv last night - said they used bitters with worcestershire for this one, after not getting any good ideas after sampling from his own ears!

I'll jump into this fray. Why would anyone expect a restaurant that feels like a corporate hotel lobby to serve authentic asian foods? The place is on "best of" lists all around, but I don't know anyone in the food business (or interested in food) that thinks the food is interesting. And plenty of animosity towards them for the huge stink (pun intended) they mounted against the possibility of locating an urban "rest stop" next door (a place for homeless to shower, do laundry, and take care of basic necessities.) At the moment, their downstairs theater venue construction has pickets outside - carpenters protesting the Associated General Contractors. Try places such as Malay Satay or Mai Thao (Vietnamese) for asian cusine, not dumbed down. I've heard there is a place North of where MLK crosses Rainier (close to Franklin High School) that has great Thai food - haven't managed to try it out, yet.

Use the hollow stems as stir sticks / straws in bloody mary's.

Purely entertainment: "Stanley Park" by Timothy Taylor - hip restaurant, innovative food, homelessness, big business, mystery, all rolled into one. Set in Vancouver, BC.

New Gelato! Bottega Italiana at 1425 First Ave - a few doors south of DeLaurentis (did I spell that right?). Small store, making a full cooler of flavors in the back. Illy espresso too. New flavors (to me) such as green apple, pear helene, sour cherry, as well as more typical. Nothing too fusion sounding. First try - the texture is not as smooth as Gelatiamo, but the flavors are bright, and they serve in reuseable pastel plastic tulip cups with plastic gelato paddle/spoons. Small - 2 flavors, $2.50.

In May 2003, we in Seattle had the opportunity to hear a prison food storyteller live. She was released from federal lock-up (a murder conviction (?), but she was surprised to be released after 10 years.) I think she spoke for 10 or 15 minutes. To quote myself, she spoke on "Prison food - from a ten year victim of the institutional and the forbidden (the high fat and salt treats the women managed to make out of this and that.) She told about the joys of top ramen burritos!" She also told some fairly disgusting tales of the mistake she made by declaring herself a vegetarian. I don't recall the specifics.

Another mail order source from the Pacific NW: The Spanish Table, stores in Seattle, Berkeley, and Santa Fe mail orders: http://www.tablespan.com/

Thanks MsRamsey. One more urban legend debunked. How the heck did you come up with a nutrition link sponsored by Singapore!

I wasn't thrilled with my first try last year - but it was a place that used powdered fruit flavors and big dark tapioca "pearls". Fun for the first few, then just sickening. Since then, I've heard rumors that each of those pearls has some enormous calorie count. Anyone got the 411 on this?

I was lucky enough to have a Cobb Salad at the Brown Derby. There was a something very special about that salad. Just the right proportions of ingredients, chopped into a uniform (small) size, and mixed with a creamy, tangy dressing. Adding to the mystery, I was the one of the kids at this dinner party, and one of only two people who figured out that was one of the options for your starter course. I have no memory of the rest of the meal! No one has mentioned spinach salad - wilted. American or ? One of my favorites is a Northwest style salad of mixed greens tossed with pears, gorgonzola crumbles, and toasted pecans. Dress with a sherry vinagrette. Love watermelon with red onions, fennel, cucumbers, basil, and feta. Salad = fresh for me. But also happy to eat potato salad with lemon-tarragon dressing. Some waiting for me tonight. Hate all those cool whip/mayo/jello things.

kimchi?

and this: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/29826_dine04.shtml not that it tells you what you want to know.

At your own risk. According to Botanical.com, "The Grape Hyacinth, very much cultivated in England as a garden plant and occasionally met with in sandy soils in the eastern and southern counties, has, like the Wild Hyacinth, a poisonous bulb." Botanical: Muscari racemosum (MILL.) Family: N.O. Liliaceae They do have a disclaimer that the site, based on "A Modern Herbal" was written with knowledge common in the early 1900's, so perhaps, like thinking on tomatoes, evidence to the contrary has determined these are edible?

Hal commented "I've also seen Tom Douglas and the chef from Rovers eating there (at Harvest Vine) as well." What other chefs and restauranteurs have you seen eating and where? Jonathan Sundstrom (E&O at the W) at Fandango and Salumi. Thierry Rautureau (Rover's) and Charles Ramseyer (Ray's) at Brasa. Matt (Matt's in the Market) at Cafe Campagne. Eric (Matt's in the Market) at Salumi. Jim Drohman (Le Pichet) at Matt's in the Market. Chris Keff (Flying Fish and Fandango) at Matt's in the Market. Jacques Pepin and Tony Bourdain (I didn't witness these) at Cafe Besalu. No, not together. Wouldn't that be fine?

Hmm, is that Cafe Besalu Jacques Pepin is sitting in, in today's PI column? I think H-CC bribed him with James' pastry (quiche, tartlet and croissant)! Looks like he ate somewhere other than Harvest Vine afterall. (edit: I meant, in addition to.) (BTW, I recommended Cafe Besalu to you all September 11, 2002 when the question of decent pastry in the area first came up. Well, don't listen to me - it saved you 8 months of calories )

Someone has opened "Diner" in the old Denny's location on Aurora, North of Denny Way. There were people in there last evening...not me. A new Italian flavored stop in the Market. Lost my receipt, and the name. Bella something? Everything is truffled (except the desserts?) Celeraic soup, lentil and sausage soup of the day, a variety of meat and vegi sandwiches with truffle oil or spread. Also, selling olive oil, preserved truffles, dry pasta, dried mushrooms...Tried a porchetta sandwich. Tasty, but they need to figure out to operate the place and get the food warmed and served. Won't be the draw that Salumi is, but a decent addition to the Market food scene.

Not too far - try a restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel? FatGuy recommended Aqua at the hotel - I had lunch at the there in September 2001 (memorable) and thought it was lovely. $$$

Kind of on topic - fresh cheese. Just last night I had some "fresh" cheese imported from Spain. It had been cut and packaged in early May according to the local re-label. Unwrapped it to find the originally label said best consumed prior to Feb 2003! No wonder it had a sour taste.

Baguette with mozz, tomato and basil. Slice of tart - short crust with pear slices topped with chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache. Why not.

Just had a small dish of carrot ginger ice cream - a lighter styled scoop, so it was creamy but almost like an ice milk. More like freshly made carrot ginger juice. Quite refreshing.

I finally made it to Harvest Vine a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure if my expectations were just too high or what, but I didn't love it! I had a nice (small) crab and truffle salad that looked very smart and gave me a good hit of fresh truffle. A glass of spanish sparkling wine to go with. On to a red "old vines" wine to accompany the salt cod and potato stuffed red peppers in a soft chili sauce. I thought this was awfully bland. Next, the best of the bunch, 3 small cubes of venison over oyster mushrooms. I liked the "wildness" combination of this dish. Had the chocolate dessert torte with walnut ice cream - and liked it alot. Not sure what was missing...watching from the counter, seemed like the main cooking techniques involve a quick cooking with lots of olive oil (both cooked and poured over the final dish), salt and pepper...maybe this is just too much like home?

Finally! Read all about it: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/busi...hocolate21.html I thought mamster had picked up this scent last month when he reviewed their current cafe and sang the praises of their chocolates. (Sorry, can't seem to find the link.)

First report from the Fish Club. Unfortunately, the restaurant, located within the Marriott Hotel, is separated from the waterfront by Alaskan Way and parking along the street. If only the floor could have been raised 3 or 4 feet, the view would have been much improved. The space is fronted with windows and backed by an open kitchen, not really adding energy to the room over the too loud techno music pumped in to the space prior to 9 p.m. No booths, some banquettes, chairs too high for short legged diners. Big blocks of color, hard floor of wood, marble and glass tile inlays. Too many staff wandering around, dressed mostly in black, at times surrounding a neighboring table to deliver 4 soups or salads at once. Tucked into the corner of the kitchen is an open oven labeled “Todd English Oven Company” or something similar. Unfortunately, no pizzas are delivered from that oven. We did devour a crisp flatbread topped with proscuitto, Gorgonzola, and date spread. House cocktails are generous, tasty, and $9. Wines by the glass run $6 and up. We also cleaned up a fava bean flan, though the color and texture were akin to baby food. It topped a nice mix of cherry tomato halves and rock shrimp, along with olive oil lightly flavored with lavender. A simple bibb lettuce salad was showered with blue cheese. Copper River Salmon ($24) was well served over fresh pea puree stuffed raviolis. The pasta was too thick and chewy. We had hopes for delicate skins to match the light flavored filling and minty(?) sauce. A whole red snapper ($26) served over creamy rock fish and lemon risotto was platted with grilled tomatoes and radicchio. Leftovers made a nice lunch and dinner snack the next day. Desserts are fun and tasty combinations of lots of things carefully fashioned and put together. We shared a chocolate terrine with caramelized banana slices and nuts paired with panna cotta atop a cinnamon cookie as well as a butterscotch pudding in a chocolate cookie crust topped with a couple of half dipped sugar cookies. Verdict? Unclear, ask again later. At least worth trying. If you walk up the exterior public stair to the south of the hotel you can lust after the indoor/outdoor pool on the hotel terrace.

anyone been to all of them? I need to go to Mistral and Rover's. Funny, thought I ate a fair amount of French cuisine...so many to choose from. So many less expensive options.

I thought Nightscotsman might come to the rescue. That's the cake I was referring to as well - started eating it back in '74! I have a recipe for a 8"x8" size - same ingredients, slightly different proportions. Also, a carob (!!!) version with a coconut-walnut bake-on topping. Hey, it was Santa Cruz (California) style afterall!