girl chow

Hey Klink, I live out in the boonies, also known as rural Pierce County (or hell, as I lovingly call it) ... I know the kids out here practice the sport of cow tipping -- especially in South Prairie ... I've heard some crazy stories about them kids... I'd like to take you city folk out cow-spotting in Graham. That's like the county seat for cow tippin' and beer guzzlin' and meth manufacturin' ... If we have time, we'll stop in Orting for lunch(or we'll just shoot us a opossum and boil it up on the roadside .. pretty much the same stuff served at the Orting Diner). Now, I've always wondered if all the farms out here sell their livestock for eating or if they're primarily dairy cattle... I'm gonna have to check that out and report back here.

I'm guessing it is Noodle Boat, just based on the location and other things I've heard. I'm wondering, though, if the restaurant could be the one (and only) Thai place IN Sammamish (the newly incorporated city). I'm going to have to consult with my MS buds to see if they know about this place. Hey Nightscotsman, I've been around, just lurking is all :)

Cafe Campagne serves a stellar cassoulet, but I don't know anything about Au Bouchon. The Campagne version is the traditional white bean, lotsa meat variety (lamb, pork, duck confit and garlic sausage...sounds like a Klink special). Extra yummy winter food. I read somewhere that they have a vegetarian version too.

You people are freaks. I want a hip-swingin' dude cheerleader for my avatar. I'm taking my husband to that Thai restaurant for his birthday.

I agree: a reviewer should tell me what they don't like, then tell me what works well.... and where to go to find what works well if the place they're reviewing doesn't offer it! But if a reader writes, "How does that help me?" about a roundup of a bunch of different places and their eats, well that tells me that the reviewer probably didn't do an adequate job. Or maybe that means the reader needs someone to hold their hand because they're too stupid to see that just because the word "stunning!" wasn't used, doesn't mean the food sucked. Let me clarify, I find criticism useful, but usually only when the reviewer tells us their foundation for their standard as well as the place locally that set their standard for them (and where that standard is located!). Of course, this requires a reviewer who has a great deal of experience and vast knowledge in the restaurant community in which they work. Frankly, a writer in a new community (like Corcoran) probably can't give that perspective. She simply may not know where to go. So it's easier for her to say, "This is a bunch of places I've eaten lately and what I found" rather than, "I went to Restaurant X,Y and Z, but you know, they weren't nearly as good as Restaurant A." Just another $.02 from me, the rambler.

Yikes! That was a yowza of an article. I think the telling point is in reading some of the questions from her readers, particularly the comment/slash/question: "In your Oct. 23 column, you wrote about several sandwiches, but you only liked one of them -- the $2 Vietnamese sandwich. How does that help me?" This tells me that a lot of food writers like Penelope Corcoran and her editors probably don't understand the notion that readers want more information and less hot air. I think it's true that readers want to hear less about the personal experiences (and blah blah blah personal stories) of critics and want more information about food and dining. And that doesn't mean there should be less criticism, the information just needs to be balanced with the criticism. Like maybe Penelope Corcoran could have told the reader where ELSE should could have gone to get a better sandwich, including the address and phone number of the other place...yada yada yada. Information like that is useful. We're living in an information-laden world. I can look up a whole bunch of stuff about the Patagonia Toothfish (aka Chilean Sea Bass) at 3 a.m. on the Internet if I want and food journalists at newspapers have to compete with the vast amounts of food information on the Internet. To keep up, I think food journalists and restaurant critiques need to keep in mind that they must be as informative as they are critical. For the record, I have liked many of the things that Penelope Corcoran has written. I like her honesty. Just me $.02 for what it's worth. I'd love to hear what you all think food journalists and restaurant reviewers SHOULD be writing!

Saffy, good for you for showing your kids how to cook! I wish my mom had spent more time with me in the kitchen, but as a working mom with three kids (and all hugely involved in school activities), I'm sure she just didn't have the time. I'm glad she did show me how to make her gravy (a secret recipe). It's the perfect staple for anyone who likes guilty food :) I plan on eventually teaching my son -- who is almost 2 now -- everything I know about cooking (which isn't much, I'm merely a competent cook). But what I hope he will take away from me is the discovery of how fulfilling it can be to make your own meals with your own hands. On a disclaimer note, I have to admit to cheating on dinners now and again when life has gotten really hectic (hey, I'm a working mom with a lot of hobbies, give me a break). There have been days when I've used a prepared tomato sauce with some boring pasta thrown together with some parmesan. Sound boring? Well, yeah, it is boring. And usually those are the meals that hubby never finishes :) I've found with careful planning, though, even busy working moms like me really do not have to use cheater food to get their families fed. Something I've learned that maybe someone else already has said, but I think is worth mentioning: Shop for meals every 3 days (on your lunch hour, it's easier without lugging along the baby!!). Instead of making a shopping list, make a list of the meals you'll be serving and then buy the ingredients for those meals. If you shop randomly, you'll just have spoiled stuff in your veggie bin. This might be really really really basic advice, but maybe it'll help one more working mama out there who never thought about shopping for meals rather than shopping for groceries.

Wanted to add that the best peanut sauce I've had was at a Thai restaurant in Port Townsend.

Swimming rama may or may not be authentic, but I'm in heaven when a peanut sauce achieves the perfect balance of spicy and sweet. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you meant by your post Mb70, but are you suggesting Thai chefs have a menu for Thai diners and a menu for Americans from which they cook? What has been your experience in getting the secret ingredients unleashed? To take the topic into home cooking, Thai cooking for me is all about learning to balance flavors (whether or not the dishes are actually Americanized or whatever). I think Thai chefs have taught diners like me much about the balancing of flavor principles, whether or not the dish is authentic. And when I learn something from Kasma Loha Unchit's cookbooks (who we've discussed at length in other threads here), I really feel I'm discovering an amazing approach to flavor. And I've heard her critics say she cooks too "American," whatever that means.

I have no idea how I got that kind of royal treatment at Broadway Grill because I've always had pretty crappy service there too ... although some pretty tasty cocktails. The place was dead on a Saturday night, and the manager was new. My guess: they're in trouble and trying to fix the crappy things they've always done wrong. I really don't like that place or the food much, but it's an alternative when you're dining with people who are afraid of Thai food or pretty much anything that has an ounce of flavor (errr). Tsquare, thanks for the explanation of what happened to the Fremont Noodle House. It's good to know. :)

Wow, lettuce leaves for the mieng kahm doesn't really sound like it would work. Maybe it does, I'll have to see. I just think the texture of a lettuce leaf wouldn't really match the texture of a bai cha plu leaf, which I might compare to maybe spinach, but with a bit more texture and aroma? (the perfect descriptor escapes me). I had the chance to go to Simply Paradise on Saturday, but after reading the mixed posts, I decided to skip it. Instead, we went to the ol' standard Broadway Grill. They royally screwed up my order, but they made it right. The manager actually came over and apologized (and this is without me even complaining one bit.. I simply sent the dish back to the kitchen and asked them to make me what they had described on the menu)... and the manager asked if he could buy dessert .. and said if I didn't like the order after they fixed it, it would be free. It had been eons since I've had this great of service. He also gave us all coupons for free breakfast. Sorry, getting totally off topic, but I really wanted to share that experience. :)

I'm loving reading this thread, thanks for sharing your recs :) A good friend from college who grew up in Thailand, but came here for college and stayed, introduced me to Racha Noodles on Queen Anne several years ago. I love that place. I know that they recently got a new chef from Thailand (her name is Chef Daeng) and they recently added a bunch more seating and some new dishes. They do noodles very well, but I also really like some of the more unusual menu items like the duck with the ginger sauce and the Thai catfish (sounds weird, tastes good). I used to really like the mieng kahm appetizer at the Fremont Noodle House, but that place is gone, right? I think I've read they moved and renamed (to Ballard?), but I haven't gone looking yet. Anyone know where mieng kahm is served (besides Typhoon, which I like, but not a whole lot)? Mieng kahm is the app with the little bits of coconut, ginger, onion, chilis, lime, peanuts, dried shrimp and other little bits that you wrap up in leaves yourself and pop into your mouth. I love to balance the flavors to get a perfect combination of hot, sour, salty and sweet -- the foundation of pretty much all Thai cooking (or at least the stuff I like :) I know a lot of people rave about Bai Tong near SeaTac airport and call it "authentic," but I've found that place to be pretty average when it comes to what you can get everywhere else at the countless neighborhood Thai joints and for cheaper. The story is famous: Thai Airlines sets up kitchen to feed hungry Thai pilots. But when it comes down to it, their phad thai is pretty average and their swimming rama is just as soggy and steamed as everywhere else (except for that place on the Ave I will now be trying!). Oh, and there's a neat Thai grocery store and video place in North Auburn across the street from the Valley Drive-In that sells all kinds of cool stuff. Just wanted to give a heads up about this place... especially if you are looking for Thai videos or know someone who is :) It's called Khon Khaen and it's at 5001 Auburn Way N.; 253-813-9768 edit: I am the typo queen. Also, wanted to add something about my favorite Thai grocery in Auburn.

Nice quote Shielke!!! (even if it's an ooooooldy but a goody).

I've been to Seattle Cooks twice and thought it sucked. It reminded me of the Exhibition Hall at the Puyallup Fair where there are too many people crammed in too small of a space selling crappy kitchen stuff you don't really need (but without the smell of cow poo nearby). Maybe it's changed, I haven't gone for a few years. The cookbook authors and chef demos were worthy, but not worth the admission alone simply because you can see these chefs and authors at a ton of other FREE events. The cooking demos were pretty much standing room only and the sound wasn't all that great. I'd probably skip the whole thing unless I got free tix. As for Le Pichet's charcuterie, that is indeed what they call it. It's a selection of cured meats, which I love love love love love! Of course, I love pate too. In fact, I love everything at Le Pichet. Yummy yummy yummy and affordable for poor peeps like me :) And for the record, I love choucroute too and pretty much anything else with sauerkraut on it. Yum.

The charcuterie platter is a bargain at $10 (at least it was on my last visit) and easily feeds two and maybe three light eaters. It's freakin awesome. The last time I was there (June or July?) I got the chicken liver terrine ($7, I think?) and it was fantastic. I think I ate a loaf of the bread myself between the terrine and with the salt cod app I stole from my dining pal. I love that place. I still haven't had the roasted chicken though. Next time....

There is a fantastic place for hand dipped truffles in Mercer Island called Oh Chocolate, 2703 76th Ave. S.E., next to a travel place and a hair salon. The owner, Carl Krautheim, is just a fantastic guy. I really like to stop in and get a dipped truffle or a chocolate dipped caramel. Really, really fresh and delicious chocolate and a really low-tech environment (it looks like a shop you'd find in a little town in the middle of nowhere). Yet another worthy destination in MI :)

I was at the 74th Street Alehouse Friday and my friend ordered a burger and it rocked. Nice, hand formed patty, thick and just the right amount of juice. It came with chips, which I don't like. I was wondering what they could do with fries there.... I ordered the fish tacos, the speciality, and they sucked due to way too much chipotle. I like spicy, but this was a ridiculous amount of heat.

Yeah, I think the Aurora Cinema Grill closed three or four weeks after I wrote that post last year. I felt partially responsible, seeing as how I didn't post about it earlier. That place was wacky. If anyone ever encounters a combo movie house and restaurant, please let me know. My desire for good cinema eats has gone unfulfilled since ACG closed.

Doh! I forgot to add that I put copious amounts of cilantro in my salsa. How could I forget to type that in? That's the pulse of the salsa man. Valley Harvest in South King County (two ethnic grocery stores in Kent) have had cilantro and limes on sale this week, which has made my life wonderful. Now, if only eggplant would go on sale... I am soooo going to give that cream of tomato soup recipe a try. I sincerely doubt it will make it to the freezer, so no worries there. I love soup. Soup rules. Hey, I have a mess of basil leftover from a carrot basil soup I made earlier this week. I think I'll add that to the cream of tomato soup. I can never get enough of the tomato basil combo :)

Fresh salsa has been my answer to the 10 plus pounds of tomatoes I've acquired in the last two weeks. I've made batch after batch and I plan on using up my last bag of tomatoes for a big bowl of salsa for a party I'm hosting tomorrow. My recipe is pretty simple: lots of tomatoes, the juice from 1 or 2 limes, onions, garlic and whatever spices you like to make it punchy (I like cayenne and dried ancho chile powder). I try to throw in a few jalapenos and maybe a habanero if hubby is eating it. The peppers also add nice color. I'm getting sick of tomatoes. I hate saying that knowing that the next time I'll see a good tomato will be months away, but this year I really got way too many of them.

BH, are you talking about the store with the really steep stairs and the fish tanks in the entry? I think that is the Viet Hoa Seafood Market, isn't it? Maybe I'm wrong.... I should pay more attention to signs :) I think Mamster might be talking about the produce store across the intersection, which I think is now called the Chinatown Market, but used to be called the Viet Hoa? :)

Check out this huge, giant ripoff. I just read in a review of food served at Seahawks Stadium that a place called Saigon Stand is selling bahn mi for $7 a sandwich inside the stadium!! The reviewer, Bart Ripp of the Tacoma News Tribune, described the sandwiches as "Vietnamese sandwiches" with "beef, chicken or pork with lettuce, carrots, cilantro, radish and jalepenos." I wonder if those football fans know they can get the same sancwich (probably better) for $1.50 about 5 blocks from the stadium. I feel like going down there and setting up a sign or something..."for cheap, good food, head 5 blocks East people!!" The rest of the review talks about how expensive and crappy the food at the stadium is. Probabaly not a shocker for most sports fans, but still an entertaining read. When Bahn Mi 88 starts selling hot food, will someone please post here? Many thanks!

Yes, by all means, bring on the discussion. Maybe I shouldn't have posted that shitty little remark about bitching, but I'm coming from a seriously defensive place at this moment after reading these posts. I really have felt an underlying current of attack on our culture here. When I read criticism ranging from our dress at the opera to our preference for "chummy-but-sloppy, over-friendly style of service over professionalism," well dammit I take offense. If you want that level of elitism, you go to New York. In Seattle, that style of service won't fly (at least not now). I think the scene is progressing nicely and I'd hate to see -- really -- a trend toward a more stuffy, pretentious style of dining because I just don't WANT that to fly here. I like that our fine dining establishments are accessible to people from all economic spectrums and one wouldn't feel that showing up at Cascadia or Kaspar's or Rover's wearing dockers and a polo shirt would get them kicked out of a restaurant... while I know on the East Coast that underdressed diners are turned away with a scoff. I rather prefer our style of doing things here. I like walking down the street and not knowing if that guy in the Levi's is a dot com billionaire or a dude on his way to his job at a warehouse. That's what I love about the Northwest, we're more accepting here and perhaps not so quick to judge on appearance. And let me talk about fine dining service and what my expectations are for those restaurant owners who may be lurking out there ... I don't care much if the waiter folds my napkin while I visit the restroom, but it's a nice touch. I don't expect that they'll wipe the crumbs from my table between courses, but I'd love it if they would (although I wouldn't be offended if they didn't). What I do really appreciate is this: a server who brings my drink within a reasonable time frame, a check back after the entrees are delivered and removal of dishes promptly after a course is completed. A chilled plate for my salad is always greatly appreciated. What I think is unacceptable: more reservation policies like that of the Herbfarm (ridiculous), dress codes (please, I hope that never flies), automatic gratuities added to a check no matter the party size (silliness) and servers who constantly interrupt the table conversation. Rude.

Sure there are some established restaurants that have been here for ages (Canlis comes to mind), but the bulk of the restaurant landscape here is really quite young and inexperienced (thus my descriptor of fledgling), especially if you consider that the Belltown explosion didn't begin until late 1995. And that's not a negative thing, it just means the scene here is young, but growing (as I said before). If you drove down First or Second Avenue in 1993 on a Friday night, the scene would have been completely different. There were few great restaurants and, well, a lot of undesireable people urinating openly on the street. Now, it's a thriving restaurant and retail district (and some might start shouting things about the gentrification of the 'hood, but that's another topic). And that transformation has been all within the last 7 or 8 years, really. And maybe that's why this whole discussion of an immature service climate is ping ponging around in this thread... the industry here is really, really, really young. We don't have the depth or duration of the New York restaurant industry and I think it's unfair to draw a comparison with a town that is known worldwide for its dining culture. Give us another decade and then come back and revisit this discussion. Right now, it's unfair to criticize an industry this young, in my humble opinion. Take that for what it's worth. I'm no restaurant expert, just a restaurant watcher.

Did any of you live here 10 years ago? Even 5 years ago? If you did, then perhaps you're sitting here reading this thread with a smirk like I am. Seattle and Eastside restaurants have come such a long way in a very short amount of time. It's embarassing, I think, to see the snippy criticisms of such a fledgling industry. Nightscotsman makes an excellent point that the scene is most definitely immature (although I would have phrased it differently)... but at least it's a developing landscape out there... I can only imagine some food lovin' poster from some Midwestern town getting pissed to read that we're criticizing a restaurant scene that offers really top-notch places like The Flying Fish, Brasa, Cascadia, Waterfront ......and no fewer than 50 different family-owned Thai restaurants in the greater Seattle area. We have choices. We have great restaurants. World class competition for New York or London? Probably not even close, but it's getting better. Areas where we are close to world class: neighborhood finds, ethnic eateries and exquisite seafood. So I guess what I'm saying is kwityerbitchin. What we've got is good and getting better. Geesh.