bbqer

Well, many of us PNWers feel you can't find much in the way of good pizza here. No decent delis or bagels to speak of either. No city can beat NYC for its street foods and ethnic culinary diversity. But we do have our own special places that are getting better and better. Now if I could only find more good Tex-Mex and Q!

The Senseo system delivers...to a point. I recently bought one and have tried a few of the Egbert pods (medium and dark roast) thus far. First, do not confuse this system with espresso pod systems. The coffee delivered is not espresso, but it is fairly decent coffee. The foam delivered on the top is not crema...it is foam and is nothing to write home about. You are indeed stuck with the Douwe Egbert Senseo coffee pods; however, I've heard that the pods for the Black & Decker machines (Folgers and Millstone) are pretty much interchangeable. The Millstone Columbia is supposed to be pretty good, I've read. No, you can't use your own favorite coffee in the machine; it's designed to use those pods. However, there is another Netherlands company that offers a refillable pod...but it's pricy and there's the shipping, too. The beauty of the Senseo system -- and why I'll probably use it to some extent and enjoy it -- is the speed, ease, and quick cleanup of the system. I'm only a couple of minutes away from a nice, hot, and fresh cup of coffee. It's not espresso, it's not Starbucks, it's not even comparable to freshly ground coffee from a good drip machine. But it's a decent cup of coffee (smallish though -- 4 ounce or 8 ounce) when I want it without a lot of fuss. And maybe in the future there'll be more brands of coffee to choose from.

I enjoy drinking Ketel One. But I've heard a several different pronunciations of Ketel. Is it "KETtle", "kee-TELL", or "kuh-TELL"?

"No cheese for you! Come back in one year!"

I don't know what it is about the Deluxe. The toasted roll, the sauce, the combination...it is always a tasty treat for me. Yeah, the shakes are great, too, but for sheer decadence, try the hot fudge sundae. Inexpensive and delicious!

Some excellent single malts mentioned here. Does anyone know -- ballpark -- how many single malts are available for sale here in the U.S.? I haven't tasted many but of the ones I've had, Macallan 12 year old was like ambrosia to my unsophisticated palate. I have an affordable Aberlour in my liquor cabinet now, along with some JW Black (a blended Scotch, of course). Does anyone like theirs the way I sometimes do -- after a fine dinner, in a cognac snifter?

According to Shorty's web site, they also use Vienna hot dogs. I've never had one, what makes them special? Shorty's looks intriguing. They also mention having a full line of organic TV dinners. My mind boggles on that concept. Is that just a joke or are there indeed organic TV dinners at Shorty's? Anyone?

Starbucks is fine if you like bitter, overroasted beans. I detest their coffee. You know, I hesitated before I posted this, thinking I might attract some negative comments. You might consider re-wording your responses in a less offensive and/or more positive way. Why not just say you personally find Starbucks coffees bitter and overroasted rather than intimating that there is something wrong with people who prefer a bolder roast like Starbucks. I might not like the coffee you prefer, but I wouldn't attack you or your taste just because you prefer it. As the French say, "Chacun a son gout."

About a month ago, my wife started egging me on to learn how to make Cosmopolitans at home to have an enjoyable drink where we could have just one after work and feel its soothing effects. I bought myself a cocktail shaker and started experimenting. I read and tried some different recipes for Cosmos, adjusted proportions and ingredients, and finally settled on one the both of us really enjoy. Don't know whether it's the slightly unconventional proportions or the individual ingredients that hit our taste buds, but this is what I eventually came up with: 2 oz. Ketel One vodka 1/2 oz. Bols Triple Sec 1/2 oz. organic lime juice 2 oz. Ocean Spray cranberry juice Shake vigorously with ice in cocktail shaker. Strain and pour into classic stemmed cocktail glass. Or, if you've broken too many of these already, a conventional glass will do. I can't remember the brand name of the organic lime juice now, but it was far tastier than the RealLime brand. Of course, I'm sure fresh squeezed would be better but I have neither the time nor the inclination. That's my Cosmo and I'm sticking to it.

FWED, I would highly recommend getting a burr grinder as opposed to a blade grinder. Blade grinders “smash” the beans with a blade at very high speed. The ground coffee has larger and smaller particles and is warmer than ground coffee from burr grinders. Blade grinders create “coffee dust” which can clog up sieves in espresso machines and French presses. Burr grinders produce a more uniform, consistent grind and can be set for the kind of grind desired. I have a Capresso coffeemaker and a Capresso burr grinder (www.capresso.com) which I like very much.

I know it's not particularly politically correct, but at home I've been brewing a custom Starbucks blend (three-quarters Sumatra, one-quarter Italian) for years. I grind my own beans and always come back to this blend, even after straying to try others. If you like a bold, rich coffee you might try this sometime. Starbucks doesn't sell it under any name; you have to ask for a custom blend and then give them the proportions. Make sure they mix the beans well. The cost is slightly over $10 for a pound. You can get it ground, but whole bean is the way to go, grinding right before you brew, for the freshest, tastiest cup.

Thanks for the notice, Blue Heron. I stopped at the Soul Food Stop today and visited a bit with the proprietors. Sounds like they're off to a nice start, business wise. I had a barbequed beef sandwich combo, red beans and rice and yams for sides, along with a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, and soft drink. The beef was okay, nothing I'd write home about. The RB&R was way subtle by New Orleans standards but the mashed yams were quite tasty. Portions were small to average size. I may try something else there, like the smothered chicken,just to see how it is. Oh, and the pies sounded heavenly. My real fave for lunch in that end of the market is World Class Chili, which has been closed (I suspect for vacation), but will reopen Tuesday, June 8 (for anyone jonesing for a bowl of their Texas Red like I am!).

Try this link here instead. (Edited to make the freakin' code work)

I'm from the midwest -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, specifically. What I miss most that I haven't found in the Seattle area is frozen custard. Although it looks a lot like ice cream to an outsider, custard is made from cream and egg yolks and has considerably less air added than ice cream, which makes it denser. And because it gets to your mouth before being refrozen, unlike ice cream, custard is creamier and softer than its more famous cousin. Bratwurst I can get here...frozen custard, I can only enjoy in my mind. Perhaps it's just as well...the waist is a terrible thing to mind.

I'm not aware of any specifically regional Indian restaurants in the Seattle area. Anyone?

Mmmmm...fresh grouper. Love it and it's everywhere down there (and cheap).

My wife and I both enjoy Indian food very much but aren't all that familiar with its preparation, nor the regional variances. As we dined at Sahib in Edmonds, before the Redmond restaurant was built, the owner, an Indian gentleman born and raised in Alabama (!) talked with us about his theories on cooking Indian food. He maintained that it didn't have to be very spicy (hot) in order to be flavorful and his food was evidence of that. I haven't found all that many Indian restaurants in the Seattle area I've considered exceptional. I was more enamored of the Indian restaurants in Dallas, TX, when I lived there. Seemed like the food was spicier and/or more interesting. BTW, wish we had a Curry Club here in SEA. You Portland folks seem to have some good times.

Great post and savory descriptions, Nick. Makes me wish I lived in Portland or at least got down there more often. Your description of the flatiron steak and your desire having seen it made me think of an idea. In this technology-oriented era, when digital cameras and color printers are cheap and abundant, wouldn't it be interesting if more restaurants featured pictures of their evening specials, presented with or included in the day's menu? I often find myself reading descriptions of food and wondering what the plated food looks like. This is why we brazenly stare at others' plates as they are served. One of the downtown Seattle lunch places I frequent, the Harbor Cafe, has full color photographs of the plated entrees they serve. It not only richly supplements the verbal descriptions, it provides a suggestion of unmentioned ingredients. I dislike bell peppers and it's annoying to find them in something I've ordered when they weren't specifically mentioned. Additionally, it provides a nice bit of visual "sizzle."

Sahib in Edmonds (near the train tracks next to the ferry landing) is the predecessor to Sahib in Redmond and has always had very good Indian food and luncheon buffets. Their lamb biryani has always been a favorite of mine. Nice location as well, practically right on the water.

We often meet friends at the Coastal Kitchen and love their breakfasts. Their spicy hash browns have a nice kick and their thick cut bacon is superb. Also delicious is their housemade coffee cake, a different one every week, usually served warm and substitutable (for fifty cents more) for toast. Oh, and they serve pure maple syrup, too (yum!).

I plan on spending five days in San Francisco next week and am looking forward to trying some of Hangar One's flavored vodkas (not available here in Washington state). Does anyone have any preferences or recommendations?

I am currently a Seattle resident, but back when I was young and lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Manhattan of choice was a brandy Manhattan, made with brandy taking the place of bourbon or rye. I wasn't much of a Manhattan imbiber, but those few I did try were quite smooth and good. I suspect the brandy substitution was due to the large population of German and Polish people in the area and their preferences.

Thanks to tsquare for turning me on to this great lunch place. Harbor Cafe's daily specials are quite tasty. For example, a generous portion of lean pork loin, vegetable, housemade mashed potatoes (with bits of potato skin), and gravy is Tuesday's feature. Wednesday brings pot roast of beef, thick sliced, fork tender, au jus, with aforementioned mashed taters and a vegetable. Most of their specials and other plates are just $5.95 -- $6.50 with tax -- and generously portioned. They taste a few notches above something just thrown together as well...thought has gone into their preparation and seasoning. My other favorites include a nice, spicy chicken curry with carrots and potatoes and chicken breast pieces, over jasmine rice. Yummy and actually spicier than most offerings of this type. Last but not least, their barbeque sandwich is presented on a nice bakery roll, very fully stacked with pulled pork in a thick, spicy barbeque sauce that doesn't run off when you eat it. Served with a small bag of chips, this is a tasty treat for lunch. The Harbor Cafe is on the west side of 4th Avenue between Union and Pike, and usually has a sandwich board sign on the sidewalk, in front of the building where they're locate, showing featured lunches for the day. These folks could use a big more business IMHO, so if you are in the area, give them a try for lunch. You won't be sorry.

Many moons ago, back when I was a wee lad in Wisconsin, the best fish for Friday night tavern fish and chips was either perch from Lake Michigan or walleyed pike. I was back in Milwaukee last year and had some walleye as part of a fish and chips meal in a somewhat more upscale establishment than I was used to from my youth. The times and surroundings upped the cost of that "fish fry" from about $2 to $12 or so, but the fish reminded me of what I used to eat when I was younger -- it was delicious! As were the accompanying fries and cole slaw. It's nice to know not all childhood memories are corroded by the sands of time.

Almost as good as donuts, eh? I too will have to try Chinook's. Sounds like a plan for soon.