Fish

Here is what I have: more info

Naturally they serve Dahlia Bakery's House loaf (my favourite bread in Seattle). The burger roll (I refuse to call it a bun!) is excellent, too, though I doubt they make them in-house. Something else I like about the PK burger: it's not vast. J and I occasionally split one if neither of us is very hungry, but it's a nice meal for one. I really don't like super-large portion sizes: they make me feel like I'm being ripped off, since I can't finish them. - S

So last week, I had the good fortune to have lunch at Oceanaire with the brave Mamster (brave because he chanced both my company and my driving). I was very curious to try their Kobe beef burger, and compare it to the very fine burger at Palace Kitchen. Last night I went to Palace Kitchen, and the verdict is in: despite their non-Kobe beef, and with a price almost 30% less, Palace Kitchen's burger is the hands-down winner. It's tastier, it's better presented, the accompaniments are much tastier and the fries are MUCH better. Oh, and the service is more professional, and they have killer desserts. They also don't overcook the meat (which Oceanaire did, to my huge annoyance). Oh, and the best part is that you can get the PK burger at night, which means it will be more than a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing for me. - S P.S. I mentioned some of this to our waiter at PK, and he said that they often have Oceanaire staff at PK eating their burger.

On a tangent: they've started construction of a new Trader Joe's on Capitol Hill, around Madison and 17th (just east of Madison Market). Woo hoo !! - S

So whose pizza do you like in Seattle ? Bummer ! We very very occasionally go there when we need something cheap, quick and somewhat tasty. I rather like Pagliacci (well, I did until I started making my own) and I have some good memories of pizza there, though mostly at the store on the Ave. Maybe the gelato makes up for it ? Mmmm, gelato ! Care to share your secrets ? - S

A Singaporean guy I work with loves the Malay Satay in Bellevue - I think he eats there every day. Personally, I think the food is terrible, but then I won't eat the stuff (esp pork) that's recommended. Everything else has been massively underwhelming. - S

I don't suppose you remember what kind of port was used ? LBV, Tawny, Ruby ... ? Thanks everyone for the great info - I'll definitely be trying this again soon. - S

Fish's standard response to anything knife related: send them along to Bob Kramer at Bladesmiths. Get him to sharpen them and repair them for you - they'll be better than new. - S

In his book "A Return to Cooking", Eric Ripert has a delicious recipe for halibut with grapes and a port-red wine reduction sauce. I've made this sauce on my own several times, and was never sure what the consistency was supposed to be. I suspected the liquid I got was incorrect (though it tasted delicious), and I've since confirmed that with someone who has had the dish prepared by Ripert. Has anyone else tried making this and gotten a nice thick creamy sauce ? What's the secret ? I've tried reducing the port and red wine mixtures by more than the half recommended, and that didn't help: both were still very watery when I was done reducing them. Does this thickness come entirely from the butter ? Suggestions ? Anyone ? - S

Hell yes ! Less so in the summer when the neighbourhood Farmers' Markets are open: I had a lovely time at the U District market yesterday. The cherries are in, and they are sooooo good ! The big secret of going to the market is knowing that Pike Place public parking garage offers 1 hour of parking free, which is more than enough time to buy fish, veggies, a new gadget at Sur le Table AND some goodies at Di Laurentis, if you stay focused and hustle. You have to be a bit pushy to get through the crowds of gawkers, but as a New Yorker, I'm sure that won't be a problem for you. Knowing how to get to the parking without having to drive through the market makes the whole thing a lot less stressful. - S

When I was up at Bob Kramer's place he showed me some of the Damascus steel stuff he's been making - gorgeous. And for only an additional $350, you can have your knife made with it, too. Yowch ! - S Edit: Fixed the URL - thanks Schielke !

We went for a group dinner about a month ago, and the food was mostly awful ! We started out with some wings which were actually pretty good, but were clearly a smokescreen. I ordered the fish and chips. The fish was covered in a thick, rubbery, tasteless batter which I peeled off to reveal very skimpy pieces of fish. My girlfriend ordered a burger, no cheese, please. The burger came with cheese. She sent it back. The kitchen then sent her burger back to her, with pieces of cheese that they hadn't managed to scrape off still visible. She sent it back again. While she was waiting, the server arrived with a random salad and asked if she'd like it. Huh ? The burger eventually arrived, and wasn't worth the wait. To make up for this, they sent out a very, VERY ordinary creme brulee. Whatever. I won't be spending money there, except maybe on the wings. It boggles the mind that a place serving mediocre food with awful service can survive. I guess most people are happy as long as you feed them beer. - S

And perhaps another reminder not to let anyone else use said chef's knife ? - S

The U District Farmers' Market (in Seattle) had a cheese maker last year. Haven't noticed if they're back this year, but then again, I don't really eat cheese (gasp!) so I haven't been looking. - S

Uh Boise!! You can ride from your office and be on dirt trails in our foothils(which have been ranked as the #1 trail system in the US) in no more then 15 minutes from anywhere in the city. Or you can be out on our open-noncongested roads in less time then that. Yeah, but ... does Boise have a Cafe Besalu from which one can purchase delicious rewards for riding so hard ? - S

According to J, North Hill Bakery has the best of what she's tried (Cafe Besalu, Le Fournil, North Hill, Wholefoods and probably some others). Ask me nicely and I'll bring you one. - S

I think both cities are big on bicycling, though Seattle is very hilly (like San Francisco) making it more strenuous to get around. That's the whole point, isn't it ? Riding on flat roads gets really boring after a while. One needs the agony of a nice hill to remind one that one is alive, and that one deserves a croissant from Cafe Besalu as a reward for all one's suffering. - S

I can't speak for Portland, but Seattle has some excellent biking, and assuming you're not too put off by a bit of rain, it's rideable all year round. We have some very nice trails, and the drivers aren't toooo dangerous. Also some excellent mountain biking, though I imagine Portland offers great access to that too. As for the grey getting you down, my solution is to go somewhere sunny (preferably outside the US ) sometime between December and March. Makes all the difference. - S

Did you ever make it to Le Fournil ? It's convenient for me, so I'm curious how it stacks up against Cafe Besalu. We finally made it to Cafe Besalu today, and all I can say is, thank goodness that Ballard is such a shlep from Cap Hill, or I'd be even fatter! Without a doubt, those were the best croissants I've ever eaten. Sooooo good. The jam wasn't brilliant, but that pastry ... OMG ! I also had a Pain au Chocolat (do you understand the "fatter" comment now ?) which was superb, and we split a hazelnut twist (not so good). My better half is a brioche fanatic, so we brought one home for her, but she tells me the North Hill variant is better. Also lurking in the bag is an orange current brioche for me, for after the 30 mile bike ride I have planned for later today. Hopefully that will put me only a few thousand calories behind the game ... - S

My pet peeve (and the reason I won't go there any more): the waiters don't seem to understand that pork fat is not part of the vegetable food group. They use pork fat in the bread, and don't seem to understand that that disqualifies their sandwiches from being vegetarian. - S

Especially since you now have to pay to park at St Eddies (at least if you're mountain biking you do). I'll make a note to avoid the place on the day of the beerfest - the last thing I want is to be barreling through the woods on my bike only to have one of you beer-swilling lot stagger out in front of me - S

I used to see him (and other chefs) regularly at El Greco on Broadway for brunch on the weekends, though since Thomas Soukakos sold the place, I haven't seen him there. Thomas told me a few weeks ago he's been helping out at Harvest Vine - hopefully he'll be opening a new place soon. I've also seen Josef at Le Fournil (poor guy, he was trying to carry a latte, about 10 baguettes and a bunch of other stuff, and his latte ended up on the floor) - S

You never know - there are lots of people who don't eat pork, and not just Jews. And there are lots of Jews who don't keep strictly kosher (and would eat cookies in the office) but definitely won't eat pork (e.g. me) If I had eaten one of those cookies and you hadn't mentioned the lard, I would be really unhappy with you. Morale of the story: always mention ingredients people might have a problem with, unless you know (for sure). - S

Did you ever make it to Le Fournil ? It's convenient for me, so I'm curious how it stacks up against Cafe Besalu. North Hill Bakery on 15th is even more convenient (like, "2 minute walk" convenient) but I've not been blown away by their croissants - a bit too doughy for my liking - so I usually drive down to Le Fournil. Now, if we're talking "best ever", I don't think one could improve on a fresh croissant from the late Zerban's in Camps Bay (South Africa) after a 40 mile bike ride along the coast. *sigh* I'd stop off on my way home and pick up a dozen, and do my utmost to ride the last couple of kilometers with the bag over my handlebars without eating all of them. Ahh, the memories. - S

Are there still spots ? I'd love to come along ! Edit: Darn, I need to learn to read the whole thread before responding. Waaah ! - S