Blue Heron

Laurie, What did you order when you were at Cassis, and how did you like it? I have had Cassis on my radar screen the last couple of weeks since I read a favorable article in the Seattle Times about their Bouillabase. Has anyone else eaten at Cassis?

You can add me to the list of people who would also love to learn more about Rhone wines, if anyone is willing to share their knowledge. Steve P. mentioned on another thread that he likes wines that have codification (if I have said that correctly?). How are Rhone wines codified, and what does that mean? What are some of our members favorite Cotes du Rhone wines, and what about them makes it a favorite?

I remember many years ago the first time I was ever served Seared Tuna. I didn't know it was supposed to be served that way, thought they had undercooked it, and sent it back to be cooked further. They obliged, and it came back not tasting very good. I left unhappy about the meal. In retrospect, I would have preferred they first had told me that was the point of the dish, and ask if I still wanted it to be cooked further, as I would have then known the chef knew what he was doing and I would have eaten and enjoyed it as is.

This is the first I've heard of Lapin cherries. It seems to be a new type of northwest cherry. Thanks for the link mamster. According to my Northwest Bounty cookbook by Ingle & Kramis, the Northwest has the following varieties of cherries: Bing Rainier (those 2 make up 95% of the NW cherry crop) as well as: Lambert (later harvest, bold flavor) Montmorency (best of pie cherries) Black Republican Black Tartarian Royal Ann Chinook Burlat Deacon

Your Tandoori recipe looks truly delicous. Thank you for posting it.

Jaymes - Thanks! I checked out your Curried Chicken Salad recipe and printed out a copy for myself. It looks divine as well as festive and really nice for a special luncheon. Steven S. - That is a great tip about fresh ground white pepper. I don't know why, but I've never bought white peppercorns before. I'll have to pick some up. (I also just read your thread on Pepper w/ link to Wash. Post article). Sandra - Thanks! Do you also use Major Grey's Mango Chutney? Is the consensus that it is the best? Suvir - Thank you for the add'l tips. Unfortunately, I don't know how to make tandoori. However, the idea of warm grilled chicken pieces over the greens w/ dressing and condiments/seasonings sounds very delicious. I once tasted a yummy Curried Chicken Salad that had rice in it. Has anyone made one with rice before?

Thanks! Looking forward to it.

Paulazuchef, thanks... that looks exactly like what I'm looking for, plus it looks easy, too, a bonus! Have you or others used chutney before in a chicken salad? Are chutneys always sweet and cinnamon-y in flavor? Are there some that are less so?

Does anyone have a good Curry Chicken Salad recipe that they would be willing to share? Or perhaps point me towards a particular cookbook that has a recipe they have tried with success? With the warm weather we're having, it would be nice to make one ahead of time to serve at lunch or dinner. (I am a curry novice, and so a google search has not been helpful in that I'm not sure which ingredients will produce the best results).

I really like Gerolsteiner sparkling mineral water from Germany which Trader Joes carries. It has a nice mineral flavor. I also like S. Pellegino, and Costco carries it now too, so that's a bonus. At home I also drink a lot of filtered tap water.

Yes, I've prepared them several times. We have thousands of them on our beach house property on Puget Sound (although they are farmed, the growers give us some). They are delicious... I think they taste like a sweet clam. The asians are also very keen on them, and I believe most them are grown for the Japanese market. They are also quite popular at the Pike Place Market!

Too big burger buns is a special rant of mine. I am embarrassed to say that I have been using toasted English muffins at home for my burgers, because they are just about the right size for me. Has anyone tried Salty's on Alki's burgers? I have a strong desire to go over there next week and try out one of their happy hour 3-6pm $5 cheeseburgers I read about (and hopefully get to sit out on the deck).

John, I just remembered another significant (informal) PNW eGullet get tother that I forgot to mention earlier. In Feb., the PNW eGullet group was lucky enough to have Tony Bourdain join us for 3 hours at a neighborhood pub when he was in town for a book signing. He was gracious, charming & witty (and never even used the eff word). Although he can speak for himself, I can assure you that he is no crazed serial killer, nor does he come from a lair. (just to clear up another mis-statement in your article).

I've ordered wine through a catalog a couple of times, and also online and found that to work well, and is convenient (but not as fun as poking around in wine shops). I've ordered a couple of times from Geerlings & Wade (www.geerwade.com), which has a warehouse in Auburn or Kent, I believe. More recently I ordered some wine from www.enocollection.com, out of Portland, OR. They advertise themselves as sort of a premier Concierge Service, offering things from wine to caviar. I was surprised that for my 2 cases of wine, shipping from Portland to my doorstep (took just a couple of days to arrive) was only $6! If you order from them, I suggest calling them, as they sold me the wine for a cheaper price than was listed on their web site.

John, I edited my post to indicate that although you may have thought your article was well intentioned, I didn't interpret it that way. (just in case I hadn't made that point).

Hi jordyn, July 31-Aug. 4 is Seafair in Seattle and quite an excellent time to be in our area. There are lots of activities including hydroplane races, Blue Angel performances, navy ships to tour, etc. But onto the food... I can't speak for all restaurants, but the ones I've been to, I've never seen a problem with dining solo. The sushi bars are particularly condusive to solo dining, and I do it myself occasionally. Matt's at the Market has a counter and I noticed a couple of solos there when I was there, too. What type of dining experiences are you looking for, and maybe we can give you a better idea. ie are you looking more for fine dining (expensive) places, NW Seafood, waterfront view dining, singles hangouts, good ethnic places, etc?

John, interesting newsletter. Thanks for providing it. Regarding your comments about eGullet... IMHO, it seems to me that you had a particular agenda in mind when you wrote it. I didn't find it fair and balanced writing, but rather more of a critique (even if you thought it might have been well intentioned, I didn't interpret it that way). But that's your perogative, after all it's your newsletter. Anyway, to add a little more balance to your article...I would just like to say, that although the majority of eGulleteers are in the NY area, and the fast paced topics may seem to revolve around the NY activities, and discussions, there are many other regional boards here, too, and the participation in those boards is just as important to those members as what else is happening within eGullet. You are cordially invited to join in any of our discussions on the Pacific Northwest Board. On any given day you will find us talking endlessly and enthusiastically about every different type of bahn mi we can possibly find in Seattle, Farmers markets, various sushi spots we love to go and different types of sushi available, taquerias, burgers, Copper River Salmon...you name it. It's all done in a cordial and respectful manner. If we are clubby, it's only in that we are smaller group, but active none the less. It's made prominently clear everyone is invited to our events, including lurkers. To date, some of the things we've enjoyed as a group are 2 home potlucks, a dinner at a French Bistro, a dinner at a Mexican restaurant, numerous lunches at our favorite sandwich place Salumi, as well as bahn mi's, and perhaps some things I am forgetting or was not able to attend. None of these events would have occurred without the comraderie and interest in food that our group shares through our connecton to eGullet. I've poked my head into other regional boards and they are interesting, respectful and active as well..ie. interesting threads on Migas in Austin, groups busy organizing their own events, and so on. I realize writing about something as non-controversial as our little PNW group does not create the splash or controversy on your newsletter you are looking for, but just wanted to let you know my perspective of eGullet is not the same as yours.

If I had to guess, I will say that mamster is hee heeing because I included a citysearch review?...and they are not exactly the most reliable (reviewers are anonymous). And of course mamster being a Seattle Times restaurant reviewer ...well, is that what you meant mamster by hee hee hee? mamster, have you been to Matt's at the Market yet? I wish girlchow was around....she really likes Matt's and has talked about the place before. For the one and only meal in Seattle, I'm not sure I'd pick Matt's...I might choose one of the sushi places mentioned, or Flying Fish since it has a lot of Pan Asian fusion with Northwest ingredients that is very nice. However, the Pike Place Market is a landmark in Seattle, and is really nice to go to if in town. And Matt's is a great place at the market....Decisions....decisions.... Good Luck!

Matt's at the Market 94 Pike St Corner Mrkt Building Ste 32 Seattle, WA 98101-2066 Phone: (206) 467-7909 For a review, Click Here For citysearch review, Click Here Although they do not officially take reservations, when I asked about it while I was there, they said if you call 15-30 minutes ahead of time at lunch they will hold a table for you if they have one, and a call about 30 minutes ahead will hold a table for dinner, if they have one open or one just going to open. They only have about 6 tables total, and a counter space, it's a really small place.

however, from your interest in tv shows, you do like a good mystery, no? You could think of it as a good mystery, on every page. I'm trying to think of the mystery game they played last year at the elementary school I volunteer at....something like "Where is Momo this week? ( if memory serves me correctly it was a dog visiting different places) with various clues...the first person to guess where he is that week gets a prize. Kids love mysteries.

Oh, yes! On the way out, I asked him where the rest of the kitchen was, in the back? (there was no back, of course). I was in awe that they do such an incredible job with such a tiny space. I think sitting at the counter would be much fun! I was also surprised how pleasant the room temp was. The windows were open and it was very comfortable (even being on the 3rd floor on a hot day).

If I were doing this children's book, I'd turn it into a mystery or guessing game, to get the little ones thinking about the answer before they find out (they'd have to turn the page to find the answer). On one page, I'd have an illustration of Momo in whatever country or area the dish comes from, with illustrations of the ingredients, and the question posed... what do these ingredients together make? Then when they turn the page, they would see another illustration of Momo holding or eating the completed dish, with the name of the dish listed in Big Letters just below the illustration. I love Bigbear's idea about a host dog, too. You could combine it with a mystery of which country or area Momo is in (based on Momo's attire, illustration of Bigbears host dog, or other clue) and make that part of the guessing game, along with guessing which dish the ingredients will produce.

Bee-uutiful day at the Pike Place Market today! Sunny & blue skies, couldn't ask for better weather! I had my first meal at Matt's at the Market. girlchow.. it was just as good as you and everyone has been saying it is...even better. We arrived at 1pm and got a seat immediately next to the window overlooking the market. We started with a soup: pureed carrot, ginger and nectarine soup served cold...deelish & complex in flavor. I ordered one of the off menu entree specials: Pan Roasted Halibut with olive-lentil cake, & tomato coulis w/green beans. This dish was more successful than I had even hoped for. I'm not normally keen on lentils (especially when dining out), but I trusted Matt's and they didn't dissappoint. There was not a preponderance of lentil flavor, but the olive flavor really shone through (I love olives so that was very nice), and I liked the grilled onions in it, too. The cake was in the shape of a crab cake, with good texture. The halibut was fresh, moist and rich in flavor, w/ slight carmalization...yummy! These items were served with a light tomato coulis and served over fresh steamed green beans. Mr. H. ordered the other entree special: Seared Skipperjack w/ black beans and corn salsa. This was another successful dish in our opinion. The skipperjack is similar to tuna, only darker in color. The bites I had of his were very yummy. A couple of beers (Bitburger Pilsner and Islander Maritime Pacific Pale Ale) quenched our thirst and went well with our lunch. On the way out, we walked through the market, and I picked up a couple of Spring Rolls from Saigon Restaurant to eat later on tonight (as I heard that is one of Tom Douglas' favorite places). We also stopped at Macrina bakery for a fresh loaf of potato bread (which is the bread they served today at Matt's). I think I can also get it at the Admiral Thriftway, but I just wanted an excuse to stop at Macrinas.

Hi southern girl! My vote would also go to Flying Fish, 2234 1st Ave., Seattle, (206) 728-8595 . Excellent seafood with a Pacific Rim East meets West kind of thing goin' that represents Seattle very well. Be sure to try the fried razor clams if it's on the menu if you haven't had them before (yummy!). To see a sample of their menu (although it changes daily) to get a better idea if it's what you would like, Click here Unfortunately there are not many good dining choices near the airport. However, I have heard good things about a Thai place near the airport called Bai Tong, 15859 Pacific Highway S. Seattle, WA Phone: (206) 431-0893. I've heard rumors that it's a favorite of the Thai Airline crew when they are in town. For more info Click here . Does anyone have any other knowledge of this place, ie mamster, girlchow, etc?? I've always wanted to go there, but am usually busy picking up someone up or dropping them off at the airport. Others here are more familiar with Eastside dining and downtown sushi spots than I am. I usually go for sushi in West Seattle at Mashiko's, which is very good.