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scrat68

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  1. P.S. The woman who owns the International Bazaar and works there was really really nice. She was able to answer any question we had and was eager to show us new things that she liked. And, as a bonus on a hot day, she treated us to two mango drinks as we left!
  2. I've seen Josef Jimenez de Jimenez (Harvest Vine) at Maximillans
  3. Small blurb in today's PI - another fan! Taqueria El Riconsito
  4. Ellen - Your reports have been amazing! I feel lazy just reading about the hiking - well, I am lazy BUT I might be inspired to hike for some of these meals. Especially for the potato skins. Drool. Sigh. Looking around for hiking boots. Keep up the good work - I can't wait to read the next installment.
  5. For a variety of reasons, I felt it was time to post my last meal: 1) Butlered Hors D'Oeuvres (yes, I cheat here big time, but hey - it's my party! Actually, I cheat throughout the whole thing) a) Part One Hard Smoked Pacific NW Salmon on Rye with Cream Cheese and Capers Brushetta from both Filiberto's in Burien and Mama's in Chianti region of Italy Peanut Butter Crackers (one of my fav food groups) Bacon Wrapped Scallops Shrimp Cocktail b) Part Two A Selection of Sashimi and Rolls from Nishino's in Seattle to include Hamachi, Maguro, Spider Roll and California Roll House Vegetable Tempura from Nishino's to include Carrot, Yam, Acorn Squash, Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms Momokawa Pearl Sake from SakeOne in Oregon 2) Appetizer Course a) Appetizer from West, Vancouver, B.C. Quebec Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait on Apple Jelly with toasted Brioche b) Appetizer from Union Square Grill in Seattle Baked Escargot baked in a Puff Pastry Crust with a savory Garlic Herb Butter 3) Soup Course a) from Aquavit in NYC Sunchoke Soup with Foie Gras and Grilled Watermelon b) from Seattle Central Community College Student Restaurant Classic French Onion Soup Gratineé (done from scratch and the best I have ever had) 4) Fish Course Boiled New England Lobster served with drawn Butter and Wise Potato Chips (chips are a childhood thing) Ferrari Carano Chardonnay 5) Pasta Course Risotto with White Truffles, White Tuffle Oil and freshly grated Parmigiano (from a hole in the wall place in Perugia, Italy) 6) Poultry Course Peking Duck from Duck Chang's in Annandale, VA served with Pancakes, Hoisin Sauce and Scallions Pinot Noir 7) Pork Course Porchetta Sandwich from Salumi in Seattle (sigh) 8) Beef Course Beef Wellington (my mom's) served with Bearnaise Sauce and Grilled Asparagus Merlot 9) Dessert Course Stilton Cheesecake from Senses in Vancouver, B.C. Tawny Port 10) Cheese Course a selection of fine cheese that must include some illegal French triple creams, Cambazola, Irish Cashel Blue and Blue Castello. Other than these, I am wide open for suggestions. I just love cheese. Please note that for the wine selections minus the above notations, I would humbly defer to the sommelier at West as well as Seattle Sommelier Arnie Millan. Of course, as others have stated, this is subject to changes pending my next great meal.... Pat
  6. Two stories: My cousin and his wife took me out to Abe & Louie's in Boston. We were seated, offered menus and given water. My cousin and I both drank some of the water at the same time, realizing too late that the water had bleach in it. No, it wasn't just highly chlorinated water - it was watered down bleach, probably in a pitcher used for soaking utensils. Cousin's wife immediately calls over the waitress to get some fresh water for us. Meanwhile, our throats are burning. Waitress looks confused and wanders off. My cousin and I get up and head for the waiters station where we once again ask for water - no one responds!!!! They think we are loonies! We both end up running into the restrooms and rinsing our mouths out in the restroom sinks. When we return to the table, the waitress finally brings fresh water and apologizes but then states that there is no way that there could have been bleach in the water. They did give us a free dessert to split amongst the three of us which was nice. I would have preferred an apology or even a visit from the restaurant manager acknowledging their mistake. Secondly, While working as Director of Catering at a prominent Seattle hotel, I was on the floor managing a large banquet. At some point, quite a few salads were being sent back to the banquet kitchen. I rushed in to find out what was going on - each salad had at least one or two live large crickets crawling around. We immediately pulled all of the salads - the hosts and guests of the party were very gracious. I don't remember the exact compensation we gave them, but it was very generous and they were pleased overall at how we handled the situation. It turned out that every single case of the salad mix we had in house was infested with crickets. When we contacted the purveyor, we learned that every case of the salad mix that they had delivered that week had the same problem - crickets invade Seattle! Naturally, we arranged for the purveyor to pick up the tab for our comensation costs.
  7. On our second evening in Vancouver, Chef David Hawksworth at West put together a phenomenal dinner for us. Courses, pictures and wine pairings are below. Amuse Bouche Ahi Tuna Sashimi with Jalapeno Spiced Sesame Dressing garnished with Black Sesame Seeds and Daikon Sprouts First Course Quebec Foie Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait on Apple Jelly with toasted Brioche Loosen Brothers Riesling “Dr. L”, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2001 Second Course Pan Seared Scallops with Carrot and Star Anise Consommé garnished with a Concassé of Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Chives, Celery Sprouts and Hajiki Seaweed Yalumba Vigonier 2002 Third Course Fillet of Queen Charlotte Halibut with an Artichoke Roasting Jus and White Truffle Chive Cream Sauce served atop a bed of Spinach garnished with a Brunoise of Turnip and Tomato Domaine de la Ferte Givry-Antonin Rodet 1999 Fourth Course Roast Rack of Suckling Pork with Roasting Jus stuffed with dried Apricots served with Nutmeg Yukon Gold Gnocchi and Roasted Apples served on a bed of Haricot Vert Catena Malbec 2000 Fifth Course Selection of Fine Cheese Chaource and Epoisses served with homemade Walnut Raisin Loaf Okanagan Select Late Harvest Vidal 1997 Sixth Course Dark Chocolate Almond Ganache Cake with Chocolate Chip Whipped Cream Raspberry Tarragon Sorbet Truffle with Chocolate Tarragon Sauce Chocolate “Footprints”, Chocolate Caramels with Walnuts
  8. People - our wine glass icon for the PAC NW is almost empty - we need to get something going here!!!!! If you could choose your last meal, what would it be? The Rules: You may have up to ten courses Courses can be from different places or homemade You must include at least one item from a Pac NW restaurant or a local ingredient (so that we can keep this on our board) No Spam - or you'll be fired (unless you are originally from Hawaii)
  9. Having worked in the biz for many years in WA - the truth is as follows: If it is a service charge or an automatic "tip," then you must pay sales tax on it. If it is truly a tip and is completely voluntary, you do not need to pay tax. I unfortunately cannot recite the tax code, but I have reviewed the appropriate documents at one point in my career. It seems to me that a service charge tax is a real case of triple taxation - you pay the tax on the dollar, the restaurant pays the tax on this dollar and the servers who earn the "tip" pay tax on this dollar. It makes me dizzy to think about all of these taxes. How much of our dollar goes towards the real goods? Or tip to these poor waitpeople?
  10. SeAAttle - Now that we have been to two dinners "together", we will have to make a point to introduce ourselves at the next one!!!
  11. On one of my recent visits to Jumbo, I was appalled by the bathroom. I sent an e-mail via the KC site and had an amazing, fast response: ********** On "02/12/2003" at "03:30PM": A customer comment from Pat O'Neill was posted from the King County webpage http://www.metrokc.gov/health/foodsfty/whyclose.htm and mailed to jeff.ing@metrokc.gov Subject: Jumbo Restaurant on Rainier Ave S Comment Type: Problem Email Address: vinceandpat@seanet.com I love the food there but the "single" bathroom was atrocious when I went there a few weeks ago. Toilet did not flush properly and was constantly running. Two signs inside the door asked that "paper" not be put into toilet. People were/had been clearly using the trash can for disposal of their toilet paper. Bathroom in gerneral was filthy in appearance. ******** Wednesday 02-12-03 Hi Pat, thanks for the heads up on Jumbo Restaurant. I've forwarded your message to the manager or our Food Safety Inspection Team who will assign an inspector to visit the restaurant within the next few business days. The inspector will talk to the manager about ensuring that the they regularly clean the bathroom, keep it well-stocked with supplies and that the plumbing is functional. After the inspection is complete, the inspector will write back to you with details of the visit including what action was taken to address your complaint. Your complaint may be mentioned as necessary to complete the investigation but your name and email address will remain confidential to protect your privacy. If you have further questions or concerns about this process, please feel free to reply. Jeff Ing, Public Health Webmaster Public Health - Seattle & King County 999 3rd Avenue, Suite 1200 Seattle, WA 98104-4039 www.metrokc.gov/health ********* Tuesday 02-18-03 The reply was written by Anne Alfred the Environmental Health Specialist that is inspecting that area. Hi Pat-I went to Jumbo Chinese Restaurant on Friday, February 14, 2003. The men and womens' restrooms were all quite dirty as you described, and actually the three stalls were dirtier than the single bathroom. They all had the sign that said "please do not put paper in toilets". I took down all the signs and took them to the owner. We made some new signs that said "...toilet paper only in toilets" and "...no paper towels in toilets" Then we discussed his cleaning schedule. The owner informed me they are cleaned every morning. I said they need to be checked and cleaned, i.e. floor picked up and sinks wiped up at least two more times each day, after lunch and in the evening. He agreed. Then he and an employee went in and cleaned the restooms. I will make sure that I check them when I am at the restaurant inspecting. Thank you for your email. Customer input is a very important to protecting public health and safety. ********** I was very impressed by the speed and thoroughness of their response. It's times like these that really show us that the KC government is truly working for us. I plan to send them a thank you e-mail!
  12. One of our favorite pizza joints is Pegasus Pizza on Alki. Our favorite pizza is Tom's special - which sounds amazingly close to the house special at Amante's: Tom's Special Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Onions, Black Olives, Feta & Mozzarella Cheese, Fresh Garlic, Diced Tomatoes, Spinach, Sunflower Seeds and Topped with Shredded Pepperoni This is truly one of the best pizzas I have ever had in my life. It is a great combination of flavors and their crust is exceptional. When we used to live on Capital Hill, we liked Romio's. Plato's special was always my favorite. I guess I like Greek pizza. We used to eat a lot of Mad Pizza. I like the Mad Scientist (more feta cheese-are we seeing a theme here??). Tighe still does lunch there frequently. Piecora's was right down the street from us and serves very good basic NY style pizza. In our new neighborhood, we have fallen in love with the brick oven pizzas at Filiberto's Cucina Italiana, 14401 Des Moines Memorial Drive, Burien; 206-248-1944. If you do make it down this way, you HAVE to have their tomato bruschetta - it's one of the best I have ever had. Also, save room for the cheesecake! I have only been to Northlake Tavern once, but I thought their pizza was pretty good. Pizza Pizza!
  13. My bad - truffle confusion - probably shouldn't have been typing after 1 am and a couple of glasses of wine.
  14. Our other absolutely fabulous meal was dinner at Lumiére. The staff was so professional and so elegant - I truly miss that cosmopolitan kind of atmosphere here in Seattle. We each had different tasting menus as follows: Tighe (Seafood Tasting Menu): Albacore Tuna Sashimi Green Papaya Salad and a Chili & Lime Dressing Butter Braised Lobster with Mascarpone Risotto, Horseradish Sauce and fresh Herbs Sake & Maple Syrup Marinated Sablefish with sautéed Potatoes and Leeks, Shimiji Mushrooms and a Soy & Hijiki Froth Halibut Casserole with fall Vegetables and Black Truffle Broth "Le Fromage" A fine selection of Canadian Cheeses, served with Fruit & Nut Bread Kiwi Sorbet with Lychee and Lime Jus Muscat & Olive Oil Cake with a Concord Grape Gelee & Crème Fraiche Spiced Autumn Fruits with Zabaglione and Biscottini Chocolate and Jelly Scrat (Vegetarian Menu): Broccoli Soup with sautéed Chanterelles and a Gruyére Crouton Goat Cheese "Parmentier" Gratin with aged Balsamic and Daikon Sprouts Fall Root Vegetable and Wild Mushroom Ragout with a Black Truffle and Soy Vinaigrette and a Mushroom Froth Carnaroli Risotto with shaved White Truffles from Alba "Le Fromage" A fine selection of Canadian and imported Cheeses, served with Fruit and Nut Bread Lemon Sorbet with Coronation Grape Soup Chocolate & Pecan Phyllo Tart with Bourbon Ice Cream & a Honey Tangerine Jus Ginger Crème Brulée Chocolate and Jelly Once again, we were overwhelmed by the quality of the food and the graciousness of the staff. We decided at one point that we need to move to Vancouver - if only for the food. Sigh. Oh Canada, we will be back soon!!!!!!! Scrat
  15. One of our favorite meals during our trip to Vancouver was at Ouest. We made reservations at the chef's table, where we had a great view of the kitchen and all of its activities. We did mention that we were eGulleteers when we made the reservations, which they definitely took into consideration. Upon being seated, we were told that the chef, David Hawksworth, was "prepared to cook for us this evening" or we could select from the regular menu. Of course, we chose to let the chef choose: Amusé Bouche Fish Soup with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Frexinet Brut de Noirs Rosé, Spain Quebec Fois Gras and Chicken Liver Parfait served on Apple Jelly with homemade toasted Brioche Selbach Klosterlay Riesling Spatlese 1999, Germany (my favorite dish of the whole weekend; I wanted seconds for dessert) Pheasant Boudain served with a sautéed wild Mushroom Jus, Mushroom Cappuccino and Burgundian White Truffle de Alba Mission Hill Pinot Noir "Reserve" 2000, British Columbia (an absolutely mind-blowing sausage with truffles, dreamy) Roasted Scallops with crisp house made Bacon and Tomato Jam Di Majo Morante Sangiovese 2000, Italy Sautéed John Dory with organic Bean Minestrone, Spinach and house made Pasta Santa Maria La Palma Cannonau di Sardegna 2000, Italy Roasted Muscovy Duck with pan seared Foie Gras, Duck au Jus, Purée of Celeriac and grilled Fennel E & J Gallo Cabernet Sauvignon "Coastal" 1999, California (ahhh, more foie gras, lovely duck done to perfection) Two Desserts were presented: Pumpkin Cheesecake with caramelized Fig, roasted Pear and Caramel Sauce Bitter Valrohna Chocolate Cake with Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Hazelnut Mousse and Port Braised Pear Our bill was presented with a treats platter: Opera Cake Meringue topped Chocolate Macaroons Butter Toffee Truffles Both Tighe and I would definitely rate this among our top five dinners ever. The service was fantastic. David Hawksworth took the time to meet with us and chat about the food and about eGullet. We were well taken care of and ate REALLY well. I would absolutely tell anyone going to Vancouver that this restaurant is a MUST!!!!!!!!!! David mentioned that he was considering an eGullet dinner in February - if this comes to fruition - he can count us in for sure!! Pat
  16. As a followup, I just received a phone call from the Food and Beverage Director of Chartwell's at the Four Seasons. She was most gracious and apologetic for the waiterperson's behavior. She also expressed gratitude about our feedback. She indicated that she had reviewed the situation with the General Manager, the Executive Chef and the waitperson in question. I certainly appreciated her response and truly feel from our conversation that the matter has been addressed with the appropriate parties. She also asked that we call her personally if we return to Vancouver, and that she would make sure that we were taken care of well. All in all, I am very please by the response from the Four Seasons and would definitely consider another visit in the future.
  17. Knife skills would be great! I just had all of our knives sharpened at: Nella 112 South Mead Street (off of 1st) Seattle 206-766-8341 They did a great job - I don't think our knives were ever this sharp! And, very reasonable pricewise - $2 - $3 per knife. These folks handle most of the restaurants and hotels in the city - they really know what they are doing!
  18. Fois gras! Fois gras! Fois gras! Pleeeeeeease....pretty please?
  19. Tighe, Ms. Ramsey and I went to 727 tonight and had a great meal!!!!! Twenty-Five for $25 Dinner Prix Fixe Menu Offered Sunday through Thursday 5:30pm - 10:00pm Tighe had: Beet Carpaccio Salad Rogue River Blue Cheese, Orange Infused Olive Oil (fabulous combination of flavors, really great Blue Cheese - I will go back just for this starter!!!!) Grilled Center Cut Pork Loin Chop Farro Risotto, Cider Glazed Root Vegetables and Sage (pork chop was over done but flavors were nice; farro was really good) Ms. Ramsey and I had: Cold Smoked Salmon Fresh Dill, Horseradish Foam, Caviar (salmon was served lox style with an ample dollop of caviar, horseradish foam was perfect - just a hint of horseradish, light and fluffy) Snake River Farms Kobe Style Beef Pan Seared Wild Mushroom Fricasse, Braised Lentils (the Kobe beef was out of this world - tender and yet flavorful - the crust was beautifully salty. The lentils were wonderful, not sure what type of mushrooms they used but they were great.) All of us had the same dessert: Cinnamon Bread Pudding Ceylon Cinnamon, Caramel Ice Cream (the caramel sauce was dreamy and the bread pudding was the perfect texture.) We all felt that the service was very good - great attention to detail. Kudos to the Maitre D' who obviously was in tune with all of his staff. Hats off to the bartender - I requested a drink that I had at Szmania's on Sunday - a White Satin - some combination of Bailey's, Creme de Cacao and I don't know what else. I told the waiter if the bartender didn't know the drink to concoct something with Bailey's.... The result was a drink combining Bailey's, Creme de Cacao and their own housemade pumpkin, cinnamon vodka - it was FANTASTIC with the bread pudding. They should add this to their menu. BTW, they have six or seven of their own house infused vodkas - all of which were appealing! After dinner, we asked to view one of the guest rooms if available. One of the front desk agents, Heather, showed us a suite - talk about glamorous! Totally chic and yet warm and inviting. If only Tighe and I could have a bathroom like this...sigh....Heather was obviously well trained and proud of her hotel - what a refreshing surprise! I also want to give credit to the valet staff, especially Mitchell, who was knowledgeable, friendly, courteous and prompt. All in all, we were thrilled with the evening and definitely will return soon! Make sure you check out this restaurant during and after the promo! Pat
  20. Yes, I did contact the General Manager at the hotel and sent him a link to this thread. The waiter was French - and keep in mind that the service itself was excellent - timing was perfect, attention to water and bread were right on. My complaint lies soley in his chauvanistic behavior towards me. I am glad that you have had good experiences there though!
  21. Part 2 - The Fois Gras Tasting Menu at Chartwell's at the Four Seasons (menu available through 11/30/02 - $85 CDN per person exclusive) Oxtail and Goose Fois Gras Terrine with Horseradish Cream (our 2nd favorite course - the terrine was an amazing combination of flavors and the cream was the perfect complement) Sautéed Scallops with Goose Fois Gras Vinaigrette (the scallops were fantastic but the fois gras bits in the sauce were overwhelmed by other flavors) Organic Chicken Breast with seared Fois Gras and a Truffle Sauce (our favorite course of the evening, served on a bed of creamy risotto) Goat Camembert with Goose Fois Gras toasted Brioche (i.e. broiche fried in fois gras fat - sinful!) Goose Fois Gras Crème Brûlée and fresh Figs (not as bad as it sounds but not as good as I had hoped. Tighe and I were only able to eat a few bites as it was very rich and cloying. Excellent concept!) Overall, our experience at Chartwell's was favorable. The food was very good, high marks on presentation and flavor combination. Although the dessert was odd, it was very intriguing and definitely a worthwhile experience. The waitstaff was clearly well trained and experienced, and from that standpoint, exactly what one would expect from a Four Seasons restaurant. However, the old school style of service became really old with our waiter's outdated and chauvanistic behavior. We were by far the youngest diners in the restaurant. As we have experienced before in other establishments, we definitely sensed a condescending attitude and an aura of snootiness. The best part was the waiter's treatment of moi . The old world style really came through here. The waiter constantly deferred to Tighe and ignored me. I felt like I barely existed. The waiter came to the table on several occasions and refilled "sir's" wine glass and did not touch mine, though attention was required. The piece de resistance was, of course, the bill. The waiter predictably presented the bill to Tighe. At this point, I decided to use my "test" for sheer entertainment purposes - little did I know how much entertainment that would be! While our waiter was out of the room, I placed my AMEX in the check holder and placed it between me and Tighe. After he processed the charge, he returned to the table with check holder in one hand and credit card in the other. With a look that could kill, he asked me if the card was mine, to which I answered yes. He sneers at me and chuckles, drops the card in my hand and hands the check holder, with charge card receipt to be signed, to Tighe. I would not return to this restaurant for a few reasons. One, the fois gras menu was a once in a lifetime opportunity - one that we certainly enjoyed. Two, although the food was very good, I would not rate it as a contender with other restaurants that we visited during our stay. And thirdly, of course, when I pay the bill, I want to be treated with respect. Enough said.
  22. Tighe and I went to Vancouver last weekend - a culinary extravaganza! Our first meal was lunch at Cioppino's Enoteca I started with a luscious Sunchoke and Squash Soup, Tighe had a White Asparagus Soup with Truffle Oil. For entrées, I had Seared Tuna and Poached Buffalo Mozzarella with Olive Oil and Ponzu. The creaminess of the mozzarella was almost sinful and it was served over a bed of quasi ratatouille. Tighe had a Grilled Calamari Salad - the calamari was done to perfection and served over greens with a balsamic vinaigrette. Ah, dessert, a light and creamy Limoncello Cheesecake, perfect with a cup of espresso. If we had more time in Vancouver, we definitely would have gone back to Cioppino's - either the main restaurant or the Enoteca - what a fabulous meal!!!
  23. At our recent e-Gullet potluck, I had several discussions about friends who cannot or will not cook. Tighe and I have friends who actually think that heating up a "pot roast in a bag" qualifies as cooking a homemade meal. I understand that we are all busy working and cannot always find the time to prepare an elaborate, from scratch dinner. We have friends that are afraid to use their gas grill and/or feel that it is too much work! I think our friends had no training from their parents on how to cook. Maybe their parents' parents didn't teach them either. How many of your friends can cook a roast chicken? Ours = none. I think our friends are afraid to try new things - what's the worst thing that can happen? The food tastes awful and you call for take out pizza. The best thing that could happen - a great homemade meal that is a lot healthier than consuming sodium laden frozen entreés night after night. Jamie Oliver recently had an episode where he took pre-made foods and showed how to make a homemade meal that tasted better and took less time. I just watched an Alton Brown episode where he threw out (GASP!!!! from my friends) the Kraft box and made a delicious looking homemade mac and cheese. Hsiao-Ching Chou's article in the Seattle P.I. today sums it all up. We need more people like Chou and more articles like these!! "Semi-Homemade Food" Let me know what you think! pat
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