bbqer

Amen to what Reesek and kiliki said about the dearth of quality food with a view. I've in the past had lunch at Lowell's but the view isn't worth spending over $10 on fish 'n' chips and a drink. Better off forgetting about the view and sitting across the corridor at Market Grill for a superior fresh grilled halibut or salmon sandwich. Unfortunately, it seems that, in Seattle at least, all too often you pay for the view in loss of food quality or value. It's a shame.

Amen on the sweetness. I probably won't have it again because it's way too sweet for my taste. But oh, that chocolate intensity!

My preferred martini is with Ketel One vodka and a twist straight up. I occasionally enjoy a Bombay Sapphire martini and agree with the theory that Sapphire has a somewhat less harsh botanical flavor perhaps more suited to a vodka drinker's palate. And I like the cool blue color.

The Sbux I frequent, at 4th and Seneca, has been serving the breakfast sandwiches for some time. I've had them a couple of times and they're very good, especially compared to Mickey D's. Apparently they're pre-made somewhere else and then put in their display case. If you order one, they nuke it for you. 3 or 4 different varieties as I recall. They're not cheap (can't recall the exact price) but they are tasty and substantial.

In my preschool years I would demand that my mother make me a big plate of noodles with lots of pure butter for lunch nearly every day. I would salt and pepper it to oblivion and then gorge. It's no wonder I'm taking cholesterol and blood pressure meds today.

My preference is about 5:1 or 6:1. After that, I can't really notice the taste...and I do like the flavor the vermouth imparts.

Everything did indeed look fantastic, especially Fwed's lemon cinnamon flan napoleons. I was drooling over the pictures of those and the hand-made chocolates. I guess I have a sweet tooth this morning. You are all food artisans and this was a great concept, Abra.

Glad I wasn't drinking coffee when I read this or my keyboard would resemble the Mekong Delta!

Very interesting article, Mr. Kinsey. Thanks for sharing that. I may have to set aside my Ketel One and try Smirnoff for my evening vodka martini.

According to the concierge, the new venue will be the Coldwater Bar & Grill, a Westin owned entity. He's calling it sort of a marriage between Oceanaire and The Brooklyn. They will have some of the old Roy's appetizers, maximum $25 price on entrees, 30 minute (guaranteed) lunch, and some popular infused drinks. Sounds like they're trying to be all things bright and beautiful and timely. He didn't have an opening date but thought possibly late February.

The Cuisinart Coffeemaker Brew Central DCC-1200 fits all your requirements and then some. I just got one but haven't as yet used it. However, I researched coffeemakers and read a lot of reviews. This 12-cup model is sturdily built, has been around for a while, reportedly brews at a high enough temperature, comes with a permanent gold filter, has a charcoal filter if you wish to filter the water, can be set to turn off after a certain time, has an adjustable warming plate, special setting for 1-4 cups, sneak a cup feature, and comes with a 3-year warranty.

After reading these comments, I had to go across the street from my office and get one. Agree with all the observations I've read. It is very intense, chocolatety, and lots of nice mouthfill. I'd cut the sweetness though...it's a bit over the top for my taste. But for chocoholics, it is a fine sipping beverage that satisfies substantially. Nestles Quik it ain't.

And durn good 'uns, too. I had an apple fritter yesterday morning with my Grandé Sumatra. Top Pot rules!

Thanks, Carolyn and Bruce. Good to know. Didn't know there was that much aging potential.

Good stuff, Mt Veeder appellation , Small production. http://www.moonmountainvineyard.com/index_flash.html ← Thanks for the info, Bruce. I think I'll open it New Year's Eve for my wife and me and serve it with a couple of nice steaks.

Does anyone have any tasting notes and/or opinions on this nice Christmas gift from my daughter?

I'm guessing your dentist drives a Porsche... ← Don't they all?

Ms. Ramsey, Portage Bay Cafe is our favorite breakfast place. Besides the super pancake bar, they really do some incredible omelettes. And the coffee is always first rate as well.

Or, the worst of all worlds, a thick, juicy bacon cheeseburger. Mmmmm!

I may be weird (my wife will attest to this) but for a good cheap burger, I enjoy Dick's Deluxe and Wendy's. Dick's winning taste for me is the combination of burger, cheese, condiments, and sauce. Wendy's strength lies in the fact that they are nearly always juicy (remember the "hot and juicy" ad campaign?) and the beef just plain tastes good to me. Now, if I could find a good charcoal grilled burger place that's still cheap and convenient, I'd be a regular there.

Good points, Tomi, especially about the water. I've heard that as a reason we can't successfully imitate/duplicate NYC bagels here on the Left Coast. Since Via Tribunali has attempted to duplicate Italian water, perhaps someone ought to see if they can duplicate NYC water as well.

I walk by when I go down to the Market during the noon hour. Haven't been tempted but I have been tempted by the wafting aromas from the terayaki place on the corner. But for certain places, a recommendation from drunken Heinz is not enough.

I went out to Kitchenaid's site: New KA Dripper Yep, that's the 14-cup version -- only differences that I can see from the 10 are the greater capacity and the stainless steel finish. This one should be selling for around $99 as opposed to $79 for the 10-cup. I dunno, waves2ya, maybe it *is* near-rocket-science to commit to getting those brewing temps up there...or maybe they just don't wanna make any promises they could get dissed for not keeping in a review.

The Melitta sounds like a good deal, Alex, but the shortcomings are things I'd rather pay more to overcome. Thanks for the info on the Technivorm Clubline, waves2ya. It looks like a quality machine but my spatial requirements wouldn't allow its rather substantial size. Also, I read in a review that the Technivorm doesn't do a great job of spreading the water over all the grounds. I've been looking at a KitchenAid Java Studio 10 cup programmable. Unfortunately, it's not yet available (brand new) but it seems to have the qualities I'm looking for. Nice under-counter size, full dispersion showerhead/flat brew basket, permanent gold tone filter, 1100 watt heat pump with electronic temp control, 1-4 cup brewing, time since brew display, auto shutoff, front fill water reservoir. Will sell for $79.95 and has KitchenAid's solid 1 year replacement warranty. I may put up with my leaky Capresso until I can purchase this. It looks like a quality coffeemaker.

My 3-4 year old Capresso has started leaking water and its warming plate has become unsightly due to covering having been scraped off. It has made pretty good coffee but I don't think I want another Capresso. I paid about $180 for it. I want a 10 or 12 cup drip, automatic timing feature nice but not necessary, gold filter preferred, and hot brewing temperature very important. I occasionally make a 4 cup pot, so some adjustment for smaller pot would be good. I grind my beans in a separate Capresso burr grinder which is still grinding well. I would prefer to pay in the $80-$130 range for the coffeemaker. I am suspicious of the Krups and Braun top sellers that their brewing temp is not up there where it should be. I have heard some mention that Kitchenaid makes a good coffeemaker. Any brand and specific model suggestions appreciated. Will not consider Mr. Coffee or any of that ilk. Thanks for your help!