girl chow

Oh oh! I love Red Mill. I think I might try the Laurie A-B special next time! But I usually get either the veggie or regular burger with the big chile on it. Yummy! Also, MUST HAVE onion rings. And, because I live in the South End (which some refer to simply as "Hell"), I have to give props to a place in Pierce County called Wally's. It's a little drive-in located in Buckley that serves a mean char burger that could almost (but not quite) rival that found at In-N-Out burger, which is my all time fave burger joint (too bad they won't come north). Also, at Wally's, they've got amazing onion rings which rival those found at Red Mill. So, if you're ever on your way to Mt. Rainier on Hwy 410, Wally's is right there in Buckley.

I've been to Barking Frog in Woodinville under the watch of Stephene Desgaches (spelling?) and was completely underwhelmed. I haven't been since Tom Black took over. Anyone have a more recent analysis? The atmo at BF was really casual (with a slacker wait staff to match), but the pricing was definitely upscale -- which I find a clashing concept. My big problem with Barking Frog is that it touts itself as "the place" for NW wine, but had no sommelier on staff on my visits NOR a server or bartender who could answer any wine questions (errrrrrr). Lame. The food was just OK, although I didn't feel the quality matched the $25-$35 entree pricing. For that kind of cash, I'd hit something more reliable like Cafe Juanita in Kirkland or I'd go to the Third Floor Fish Cafe (both in the same price range). Also, there's Szmania's in Kirkland (very nice for dinner) and Marina Park Grill in Kirkland. All of these places are within a 15 minute drive of the course (or thereabouts) and will run in the $25-$35 range for entrees. Oh, if you want to check out another course in the area, go to the Golf Club at Newcastle (south of Bellevue). They have a very good restaurant on site called the Calcutta Grill. The view is really breathtaking. As for "one meal in Seattle," I'd also stick with the recs of Flying Fish or Etta's for dinner. Or, how about Matt's in the Market, it's small and more casual than Flying Fish or Etta's, but it might give you that real Seattle experience you're looking for. Really, though, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a great meal in Seattle. Just ask around when you hit the golf course. You're bound to find a foodie. As for sushi in Seattle, click on the recent sushi thread on this board. There are plenty of recs there. BH (et al), Bai Tong on Hwy 99 is really decent and would make a fine meal if you're staying near the airport, although it really can't compare to some of Seattle's top restaurants. Still, the story about the Thai Airlines employees is true and the food is reliably good. My one beef with Bai Tong is that the servers kind of rush you out of there when it's busy. I hate that. Also, if you're eating near the airport (but it sounds like you may want to stay in the city), I might recommend Spencer's Steakhouse at the Hilton right near the airport. It's a steakhouse with very good steaks (I think they're choice cuts, not prime) with flawless service. The atmo is sort of hotel-ish in an icky kind of way, but that's because the restaurant also must serve breakfast and lunch and a steakhouse atmo is just not suitable for breakfast and lunch. Spencer's is not much compared to Seattle's prime steak offerings (El Gaucho, The Met, Daniel's, Ruth's Chris, Morton's, etc), but it's all I could recommend near the airport. Unfortunately, there isn't much in terms of eating near the airport. Under no circumstances should you allow anyone try to talk you into eating at 13 Coins near the airport. The food is bad. In fact, I'd recommend staying in the city, eating somewhere great and then getting up at the crack of dawn to make your flight. You'll be much happier with the food selection. Hope you have a great visit!

Down south in Tacoma land....(but not quite as south as Portland) Harmon Brewery on Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. Great brews, perfect brewpub atmo (distressed hardwood floors and wood booths, along with separate areas for eating and drinking) and really good fish and chips. Just ok pizza. They have great happy hour deals on food. Staff is always kind AND it's kid friendly. Powerhouse Brewery in Puyallup. Same reasons as above, but even better food. Must try the portabella sandwich. The Swiss, Tacoma. Great tunes, better than Ok good (although not superb). The best bands in Tacoma (stop laughing) play here.

From Mamster: You know, this violates the merchant's contract with the credit card company.If you're good at dropping veiled threats, you could probably get them to quit, although perhaps not without damaging your status with the restaurant. End Mamster :) Thanks Mamster for that great tip! I've now got a fabulous plan in the works.... mwa ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaa.

YAHOOOO MAMSTER!!! I've noticed a scary trend in charging extras. One of my favorite Thai/Japanese restaurants in Kent -- Saya's -- is now charging $2 to use a bank card or Visa card!! THAT'S TWO BUCKS EXTRA ON THE BILL for a $6 entree!! Ridiculous. So now I refuse to eat there. I used to pick up lunch for my hubby and his co-workers -- probably about $100 worth of business a month. Well, they just lost that biz -- all because I don't want to make an extra trip to the cash machine for my portion of the bill (I never carry cash.. because I'll spend it if I do :). I was just thinking the other day that the Thai place near our house (All Spices Thai in Sumner/Bonney Lake) is now $10 for the mixed vegetables with peanut sauce I always get. The entree is $7.95, and then they charge me $1 for the extra tofu (it doesn't come with tofu!!! and it's a vegetarian dish.... errr) and $1 for rice, which should come with the dish anyway. Well, I told hubby the other day that we can wait an extra few days, save up $5 more and go to someplace with distinctive food and atmo -- like Papachef's Blue Onion Bistro or Eva or anyplace else that has something beyond generic food and atmo. I wonder if other diners will catch on to the dirty little "extra charge" secret and start chosing their dining spots more carefully like some of us have. Maybe I just need to write more letters to get my point across.... Just my $.02 for the day.

Hey there LainerX, welcome! We love new faces. I've written letters before and gotten mixed responses -- from free food like Mamster to no response at all. I think a letter probably would be more effective because it's hard evidence of dissatisfaction that's very hard to ignore. Maybe we should all start writing letters when we've been culinarily wronged and then report our results back here :) And I forgot to mention in my last post that there is a great restaurant across the street from Eva that I know all you posters know about, but I wanted the lurkers to know about too... it's Luau's Polynesian Lounge and they've got the best cocktails and atmo. The food is good (stay away from the vegetarian stuff, it ain't good), but I really like the energy of that place. It feels like a really loopy spring break in there all the time.

Oh egads. Not sure I'd go back after an experience like that. Inefficient service pisses me off even more than crappy food. Did you call the restaurant and tell them you were pissed? I find that works sometimes.. but not in a "hey, can I get a free meal" kind of way.. more or less just telling the chef why the meal sucked. I know chefs who find that kind of feedback invaluable. But I also know chefs who might hang up on you if you called to bitch. Still, I'm in favor of letting the restaurant know why you won't be coming back. As for the wine, crap, that's such a horrible situation that could turn into an entirely embarassing situation. I never know how to handle that, other than almost never ordering wine in restaurants anymore (for various reasons). We should get a thread going (if one doesn't already exist somewhere) on sending wine back. What's the etiquette and how do you get out of an embarassing position?

I've always liked Flying Fish, never had a bad meal there. Last summer, had a memorablemeal on their patio outside. Last time I ate there, our server screwed up and told us that a marsala sauce was a merlot sauce (probably just a slip of the tongue), but that was the only blunder I've noticed in service. Food is always good, or close to perfection. I love the kitchen's take on Thai style crab cakes. I think lemongrass is the secret weapon. Funny, I never had the impression that this was a singles bar or pick-up place. In fact, I've always thought of it as pretty casual and very friendly to us old married folk. Now don't get me started on Christine Keff's other restaurant, Fandango. I thought the food was good and interesting, but I really didn't like the atmosphere, which I thought was very "see and be seen" and I am not that kind of diner at all. It's a very "pretty" crowd. But I bet there's someone out there who didn't get that impression at all :)

I've eaten at Eva, the last time was in the Fall and I thought it was really quite good, although it didn't blow off my socks exactly (but still pretty good). The service was near perfect, save for the end of the meal when the restaurant picked up more biz ---- and the food was really good. So good, I'd go back if I lived closer. I liked the pricing. It was reasonable ($15-$17 range for entrees). And I think the atmosphere is really nice and relaxed and more casual (sort of like Zoe, but the tables are a little closer together). Prepare to roll your eyes, but I really liked the cabrales flan with the pear relish -- which I thought was a unique and cheeky take on the standard pear and cheese combo. We also had the mussels with cilantro, garlic and ginger. No complaints there. We loved the rabbit with chorizo bread pudding a lot. The chorizo pudding was really rich and had a wonderful texture. The ahi was nothing special but pretty good, but the salmon with corn pudding was fantastic (especially the corn pudding). Dessert was ok (chocolate tart w/a fruit sauce?), but not stunning, but nothing that wouldn't make me go back. Overall, I thought the food was a good value, especially because the bill is easily under $50 (w/out drinks or tip) for two -- and the food was good enough to charge a bit more, I think. And the service was really polished (aside from taking forever for the check). I'm curious to hear what went wrong with your meal!

Anyone know what's going on with the Bistro Antalya owner?

This is a post for any South King County lurkers. There's a fantastic little wine shop in Federal Way (I know, I know, something cool in Federal Way??) called the Wine Basket. The guy who owns it (or at least used to own it) is Cort Freeley (spelling?). He's one of the funniest wine guys I've ever met. He's a former techie who opened the shop in the early 1990s after retiring from IBM or some other giant computer company. He used to have wine tastings on Saturdays, which I had a great time attending. He always had a really interesting selection. My wine drinking days have been pretty limited during the last three years thanks to motherly obligations, but I plan to start drinking again like a fish now that baby is weaned and mommy can liquor it up. A lot has changed with wine since I hopped on the wagon. I missed out on a lot! The Wine Basket is located at 2118 S. 314th St., across from Target in Federal Way; 253-874-3070. They used to be located in South Federal Way, near Home Depot and Costco, but they moved :) Also cool things in Federal Way in terms of food: Indochine, a great Thai restaurant like none you would ever think you'd find in South King County: Verazzano's, great Italian with a deck and a view.... also, Roncella's, a fabulous and very small neighborhood Italian restaurant. And, of course, Lobster Shop at Dash Point and Salty's at Redondo.

I think the Pink Door has a great atmsophere, but I have no idea about the food. When I lived in Ballard in the early 90s, my roommate and I would take the bus to the market and wander around for hours. I have the best memories of winding up sipping too many glasses of sangria on the rooftop deck of The Pink Door and then stumbling to the Crocodile Cafe (or the old Off Ramp if we could find a cab) to hear a really loud, obnoxious grunge band. That pretty much sums up every sunny weekend in the early 90's for me :) As for the food, I don't think I've ever even eaten anything there beyond an appetizer :) It's all about the atmo baby.

In retrospect I'm not sure why we didn't go to Le Medusa. I think it might have something to do with the fact that my friend couldn't get reservations? I can't remember. Yeah, we should have gone to Salumeria ... we drove by after and it didn't look terribly busy (at least not as busy as La Medusa). Next time I'm visiting my pal in Columbia City, that's where we'll be going. I think it's amazing what's happening in that neighborhood -- as far as all the great little restaurants go. They also have a fantastic market there that has all kinds of interesting things (see farmer markets post for more). Other things on my list: Malay Satay Hut Eastside (been on my list forever), Seastar in Bellevue (ditto) and Bahn Mi 88 (although not for a lack of trying). I think I may have to pick up a second job to fund my eating plans.

Among the many bizarre things I did on my vacation (yardwork, freezing cold camping at Mt. Rainier, played a 5-hour game of rummy with hubby), I chowed down at Deux Tamales in Columbia City. I thought it was pretty boring, surprisingly! I had heard so many great things about its sister restaurant in W. Seattle (Les Tamales... never been there), so maybe I was expecting too much. We ate grilled prawns with an almost flavorless and alleged saffron aioli (boring), a mango and brie quesadilla (yawn on the smoked tomatillo salsa) and a snoozer of a pork chop dish that no amount of the OK glaze could have awakened. The only thing we thought worthy were the mojitos. It was a Friday night and we got there at 6 (had to rush because we had tix to Hairspray) and the place was dead. When we left a little after 7, the place was still pretty empty. Could this be an indication of where we went wrong? I spent the last half hour staring at Le Medusa, which is across the street. They had a line out the door. Did I just have an off night? Is this place really good? What about Les Tamales. Blue Heron, ever been there?

snip from Mamster: Do you think they're correctly gauging local interest in wine reporting? I'm afraid newspapers are becoming less interested in what the readers want and far more interested in how they can bundle and market newspaper advertising to potential advertisers. I can see why the emphasis would be on wine in the "revamped" section.... think of how many wine shops, distributors, wineries and restaurants that would potentially buy an ad in a wine laden food section. From a marketing standpoint, the Times is positioning itself to the wine industry, not wine drinkers. The information in the section was barely reader friendly or leveraged much real "information." Rather, it read like a glorious back stroke to the wine industry. The "Wine Adviser" column is a clear example of this. I almost thought it was a paid advertisement. If the section was truly reader driven, the editors and writers would have featured much more consumer influenced topics. I think that's what most newspapers are doing to readers these days.. become much less relevant for the sake of advertising revenues. With corporations like Knight Ridder obsessed with obtaining 20 percent profit margins, there's an obvious shift from consumer to advertiser. Why do you think everyone is turning to the Internet for information? Because it's consumer driven, not advertising driven (oh, but that all is changing)! Forgive me for rambling, I've become very disengaged with the newspaper industry, particularly the features/living sections of the local papers. The coverage is so disappointing! So if I was a publisher and could create my own food section from scratch, I'd do exactly what heyjude suggested: create a forum for food discussion and create standing columns with consumer driven information. However, I'd have a hell of a time selling ads and I'd be out of business in three issues. For the record, the only thing I thought was awesome about the Food section is Nancy Leson's column. I love reading her stuff. She completely has her finger on what the readers want: real information!

Egads! But thanks for the post and the reminder about food safety. This is exactly why I'm reluctant to eat sushi anymore. Although I never gave it a second thought for years, I'm now afraid of the potential for critters! I'm sure most stuff is safe, but when I was preggers, my OB scared the hell out of me with stories about women whose babies were born with defects because their mothers ate raw fish/meats infected with critters (she wasn't just freaking me out, there is plenty of evidence that proves pg women should avoid all raw meat and fish). But thanks to the lectures from my doc, I can't even look at sushi (even post pregnancy) without hearing "TOXOPLASMA!!" in my head. When I do eat sushi, I feel horribly guilty and wonder if I have worms crawling around inside me for days afterward. Basically, it's taken the joy out of eating raw fish anymore. I've been reluctant to post on this subject because it's so controversial and I'm sure there will be many posts to follow about food safety and proper handling procedures -- people get really freaky on this subject. All I know is that I'm very careful and eat raw fish and meats very sparingly in the hopes it will reduce my risk of getting worms. uck! Is anyone else as paranoid as I am or do you think we're all full of crap? (and worms?)

I love pho. But I can't believe I have never been to Than Brothers. I have never tried a cream puff I didn't like, so I must get there. It's now on the list. As for cooking pho, it's something I like to do in the winter at least once a month. Making it at home is actually pretty easy. I got the recipe from a local chef who specializes in SE Asian cuisine. His recipe calls for a base of chicken or beef stock. I almost always use chicken, although beef is just as tasty, I think. To the simmering stock, I add 2-3 whole pods star anise, 2-3 whole pods of cardamom, a cinnamon stick and 4 to 5 cloves (hubby likes more, but I think cloves can make the broth bitter) and some peppercorns. Sometimes I throw in several cloves of garlic and some onions and sometimes even mushrooms, but it depends on what I'm in the mood for. I let that simmer for about 45 minutes, then I strain the broth. While the broth is cooking, I usually put a good handful of rice noodles into a bowl of lukewarm water, which usually gets the best results. I like my noodles tender, with a little chew. I find that if you cook them with boiling water, they get gloppy and gooey, that's why I use lukewarm water. I usually let them soak for 30-45 minutes until they get the right texture. I usually get flank steak and I let it freeze for a bit to harden up, which makes slicing it thin a LOT easier. And it's a lot better if you slice it thin, I think. I slice up the steak just before service and let it cook in the broth for a few minutes (until it's like medium rare), then I add a dash of fish sauce (and sometimes a touch of sugar if the broth doesn't taste balanced), lots and lots of sweet basil (I love the stuff) and/or cilantro (usually whatever I have on hand), slices of jalapeno and green onions and several squirts of sri racha and the noodles. Occasionally, I'll slice up some lemongrass and add that, but hubby really doesn't like lemongrass (he's insane), so sometimes I just skip it. I've also used anchovy paste in my soup, but it always seems really too salty for me. I serve the soup with lime wedges. For the record, I don't like bean sprouts, so I rarely add them or use the ones provided at pho restaurants. I've tried pho at a lot of different holes in the wall. A few years ago, I had quite a list going of my favorite pho places, but I only eat at one or two places now. My favorite place for pho and where I eat it every few weeks is Pho To Chau in the Great Wall Shopping Mall (18320 E. Valley Hwy, Kent). I usually order the nam, ve don, which is a soup with rice noodles and skirt flank. I've tried the ph bo vien, which is pho with meatballs, but I hate the rubbery texture of the meatballs. Their pho with shredded tripe is decent, but it's not my favorite. They also have really good fresh spring rolls (although I like the fresh spring rolls at the Thai place next door better, as I've posted here before). Ok, so here are the places where I've tried pho in the past. I haven't visited some of these places in a really long time, so they may not be open (call first!) Andre's Eurasian Bistro, 14125 N.E. 20th St., Bellevue; 425-747-6551 (this is where I got my pho recipe) Saigon City, 15045 Bellevue-Redmond Road, Bellevue; 425-401-0823 Taste of Saigon, 4019 Factoria Square Mall S.E., Bellevue; 425-643-4656 (the cheapest pho anywhere, I think their pho used to be something like $2.50 a bowl). Pho Hoa, 15169 N.E. 24th St., Redmond; 425-641-7898. Pho Saigon, 924 Bronson Way S., Renton; 425-917-0305. Pho Hoa Vietnamese Restaurant, 2844 N.E. Sunset Blvd., Renton; 425-226-6886. (the best pho in the area) Pho Xuan Ha, 25006 Pacific Highway S., Kent; 253-941-3388. Pho Hoan Vietnamese Restaurant, 31871 Gateway Center, Federal Way; 253-529-7288. (I think this was the first place in the south end area serving pho, way back in 1996ish or something like that) Pho White Center, 9642 16th Ave. S.W., White Center, 206-763-8765. As for the ID, there are lots of good pho places and many have already been posted here. I like the usual suspects, but there's also this really dingy hole in the wall place 1 or 2 blocks east of the Wing Luke Museum that serves REALLY good meatballs. I know where it's at, but I can't remember the name of it. Anyone know the place I'm talking about? Happy slurping!

I'm so glad Mamster brought up Farmers' Markets in the topic about evil grocery store cards (EVIL! EVIL!) So I've been compiling a list for years for myself and friends of great Farmers' Markets, their hours, and the stuff they sell. If you have any additions, corrections, etc. to make to my big ol' list, please post away!! I'd appreciate any updates you have. I know that most of the information is current, but some of the stuff on my list is a few years old (some of the markets I haven't been to in about 4 years!). Also, if you know of any really special products or produce available at the markets, please post! I even found a few more after I posted this! And I'm looking around for more. I know there are other markets out there that aren't on my list, please tell us about them! REMEMBER TO CALL before you travel to a market to make sure the hours and days are still accurate (I always do) because they change often. South King County/North Pierce County Kent Public Market, 206 Railroad Ave. N., Kent. Call 253-813-6976. Due to money issues and other problems, this market may be moving soon, or it may have already. The market features fresh produce, nursery items, handmade crafts, a meat market featuring smoked meats, a garlic garden featuring food products made from garlic, a specialty foods section sellling bread and cake mixes, jams, jellies, chocolate covered popcorn and more. Enumclaw Farmers’ Market, located at Cole and Initial Streets in downtown Enumclaw (near the Chamber of Commerce Office), Enumclaw. Call 360-825-1962. Season runs from April-Oct. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday. Featured items include fresh produce (cherries, orchard fruit, Asian vegetables, cider, pears, etc.), nursery stock, horticulture items, hand-made crafts (wood makers, bead makers, metal art, pottery, etc.). The market features more than 400 different kinds of dahlias and custom crafted teas. Regular artist demonstrations. Covington Weekend Market, located on 172nd Street Southeast, next to Taco Time and Les Schwab, Covington. Call 253-639-0942. Season runs from June-Sept. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every Saturday. The market features fresh produce, flowers and hand-crafted items and a swap meet area. Puyallup Farmers’ Market, located at Pioneer Park across the street from the chamber office (at 322 Second St. S.W., Puyallup). Call 253-845-6755 (or www.puyallupchamber.com). Season runs from May-Sept. Hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday. The market features baked goods, plants, bulbs, cut and dried flowers, fresh herbs, farm vegetables and fruits and food vendors. University Place Farmers’ Market, 3617 Bridgeport Way W., University Place. Call 253-564-6373. Season runs from May-Oct. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday. The market will feature Eastern Washington farmers, food vendors featuring food from local restaurants, craft vendors, children’s book readings, smoked seafood, specialty popcorn, organic produce and musical entertainment. Tacoma Farmers’ Market, located between Ninth and 11th Streets on Broadway, Tacoma. Call 253-272-7077. Season runs from June-Oct. Hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Thursday. Featured items include fresh produce, nursery stock, craft vendors, prepared food and live entertainment. EASTSIDE Redmond Saturday Market, 7730 Leary Way, Redmond. Call 425-556-0636. Season runs from May-Oct. Hours are 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday. Featured items include fresh produce (local and Eastern Washington farmers), flowers, plants, crafts, custom-packed albacore tuna and tuna jerky, fresh goat and feta cheese, composting bins, fresh-made crepes. King County Master Gardeners on site from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday. Kirkland Farmers Market, located at Park Lane East between Main and Third. Call 425-822-7066. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. Featured items include produce, crafts, flowers and homemade food. Woodinville Farmers’ Market, 13205 N.E. 175th St., Woodinville (next to Woodinville City Hall). Call 425-485-1042. Season runs from April-Oct. 14. Hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every Saturday. The market features produce from local farmers (the market is part of the Puget Sound Farm Fresh Program), crafts and handmade art from Washington state artists, a wide selection of plants (including perennials and specialty plants and flowers), handmade foods (from barbecue to pesto sauces), cooking demonstrations the third Saturday of the month and a barbecue the first Saturday of the month. Farmers’ Market at Country Village, 23730 Bothell-Everett Hwy, Bothell. Call 425-483-2250. Season runs from June-mid October. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. every Friday. Featured items include cut flowers, plants, fresh produce and food products. Issaquah Public Market, the historic Pickering Barn, Southeast 56th Street and 10th Avenue Northwest. Call 425-837-3276. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday. Featured items include produce, crafts and homemade foods. North Bend Farmers' Market, located at the North Bend Senior Center on Main and Park streets at SR 202. Call 425-888-4440. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. Season runs June-Sept. Featured items include produce, flowers, herbs and crafts. SEATTLE Pike Place Market, located in downtown Seattle (duh). Call 206-682-7453. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Market season is year round. Featured items include fresh produce, fresh seafood and meats, fresh and dried flowers, specialty handmade crafts and a bonanza of other items. Ballard Farmers' Market, located at the US Bank lot at 22nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 56th Street. Call 206-782-2286. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday. Featured items include produce, flowers, fish and baked goods. West Seattle Farmers’ Market, located at the corner of Alaska and 44th Street Southwest at the Alaska Junction. Call 206-935-0904. Season runs from June-Oct. Hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sunday. Featured items include fresh produce, organic produce, herbs, eggs, cheese, honey, fresh flowers, fresh baked goods and nursery stock. Special events include strolling musicians, onsite cooking demonstrations, gardening and composting advice from master gardeners. Fremont Sunday Market, located at North 34th Street and Fremont Avenue near the Aurora Bridge. Call 206-781-6776. Season runs from May-October. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every Sunday. Featured items include fresh flowers, produce, flea market treasures, antiques, hand-crafted items and more. Columbia City Farmers’ Market, located at the corner of Rainier Avenue South and South Edmunds Street, Seattle. Call 206-722-4835. Hours are 3-7 p.m. every Wednesday. Featured items include fresh produce, baked goods, fresh handmade pasta and sauces and prepared foods. Cooking demonstrations and other special events every week. University District Farmers Market, located at the corner of Universiyt Way Northeast and Northeast 50th. Call 206-632-5234. Season runs from May-Sept. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday. Featured items include produce, plants and cooking demos (I don't have a current schedule). Lake City Farmers Market, located at Northeast 127th Street and 30th Avenue Northeast (behind the fire station). Call 206-632-5234. Hours are 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Thursday. Season runs June-Sept. Featured items include produce, plants and crafts.

It'll be here on Thursday (or Friday or Saturday). How will you guys be cooking it? I'm grilling it on the Q and maybe using my John Howie plank (www.plankcooking.com). As for adornment? Maybe some salt. Maybe some pepper. Maybe a squeeze of lemon. It doesn't need much. Also, can people start eyeballing prices and list them here? Some places really overcharge, especially for the sockeye. I'm not paying $18 a pound for CR sockeye. Maybe for King though. I'm keeping my eye out to see how restaurants are serving it ... and what they're charging.....

I wish I could join you all for lunch! But getting to Seattle takes too much out of my work day... As for the cotecchino sandwich, it's a sausage (as Jim Dixon said below) not a salami as I thought it was...I was a vegetarian for 10 years until 3 years ago and I still confuse my meats.. which my husband finds hilarious when I call a sausage a salami... insert sick joke here. At Salumi the counter guy told me they make it with vanilla and black pepper and there are a bunch of other flavors I couldn't quite pinpoint. It's a very aromatic experience! The sandwich is served either hot or cold. I ordered it hot. It comes smeared with your choice of condiments....I usually just tell them to pick whatever they want, but I've noticed other people requesting certain oils/spreads. A lady in front of me once requested a basil oil type smear (I can't remember what she called it) once, so I told them to put that on mine too. It was a good call :) It seems that the stuffings vary from visit to visit and sandwich to sandwich, but the last time I was there I think it was purple cabbage and onions that rounded out the sandwich. The bread is great -- nice and chewy. Where do they get it? Or do they make it there? Anyone know? I've also tried the coppa and Salumi salami. As with everything, it's all good!

Oh man, I love this place. I almost had a heart attack the first time I bit into the cottechino sandwich. For newcomers who have no idea why we all salivate over the thought of a Salumi sandwich, the proof is really in the meat. Go check this place out. It's located near Pioneer Square.. 1 block west (i think) of Union Station and next door to the police museum. 309 Third Ave. S., 206-621-8772. The sign is really subtle, so I always tell people to look for the police museum. It's next door. They have a menu of sandwiches, as well as meat by the pound. And I keep hearing from foodies here and elsewhere that they have these amazing dinners, but the waiting list is 8.5 miles long. I'm curious to hear a discussion on the dinners (or maybe it's already been discussed here and I missed it?). :)

Happy birthday! Please give us the rundown of your birthday dinner :) Truffle fries? I am soooo there. I can't believe I've been to E and O yet. Are the truffle fries a standing menu item? I have a feeling I won't get there before the fall. I have a lot of places on my list. Right now at the top are: Seastar in Bellevue, the new Malay Satay Hut in Redmond (ugh, I've been trying...) and, of course, Banh Mi 88 :) Maybe I should start a new thread asking what's on everyone else's dining list right now (besides Salumi!)

Larry's announced today they willl have CRS on Sat. 5/18.

I was so disappointed yesterday evening when I walked into Banh Mi 88, ready for my banh mi feast. As soon as I got through the door, the guy at the counter (very nice guy), said "I'm out of bread!" He looked more disappointed than me. Poor guy. I could tell he doesn't like turning away customers. I promised him I'd come back. So, I went into the parking lot and turned around in a circle three times (sort of like my dogs do before they go to sleep), scoping out the view of the other banh mi places within walking distance of Banh Mi 88/Video West. I ruled out Than Vi to the Northwest and looked to the Northeast. Bingo -- Saigon Deli it was. I walked into Saigon Deli and was greeted with the most delicious aroma -- sort of a ginger mixed with cooking pork smell? My comments here are totally redundant (everyone else has given a similar review) -- but I just have to agree how great these affordable little sandwiches are. I ordered 2 bbq porks (one for me, one for hubby's midnight snack) and a vegetarian (tofu). I watched the counter lady as she smeared a slightly pinkish-cream looking sauce on the cut rolls and piled on the toppings. There were lots! I can't belive these sandwiches are only $1.25. They were loaded with julienned slices of slightly crunchy daikon and carrot, a few slices of jalapenos, bunches of cilantro, sprinkled with pepper and piled with thick slices of barbecued pork (and marinated tofu on the veggie...I detected notes of ginger and garlic in the tofu) and they nicely toasted the bread per my request. I was in heaven! My only complaint was that the sandwiches were a bit too dry for my liking. I like 'em saucy! I almost grabbed a package of fresh spring rolls. The guy at the counter said they were $1 each, although I got the feeling that price was negotiable. I decided two sandwiches would probably be more than I could handle. I was right. I could only eat half of each. I'm a wimp! Next time, I'm trying the chicken. I still can't believe my bill was $3.75 for dinner and a late night snack. Wow. I can't wait to eat at Bahn Mi 88!

Anyone know the hours of Banh Mi 88or the Saigon Deli? I'll be crusing near the ID after work today (wish me luck in the Mariner's traffic!). I thought I'd stop by there and grab a sandwich before heading to a meeting downtown. I'll be sure to sit next to the person I least like and breathe onions all over them :)