Chocdoc Sips in Seattle - tea drinker in a coffee culture

[Kerry Beal]

At Chocopolis we visited with the owners of Charm School Chocolate, manufacturers of white, milk and dark vegan chocolate. Really good vegan chocolate I must say! The white is totally top drawer, not too sweet, heavy on the natural vanilla - apparently tempers very nicely as well! 

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Alleguede said:

 

That would be Lisabeth - she writes the Ultimate Chocolate Blog and her business is Ultimately Chocolate. We visit and play with chocolate when I'm up in Manitoulin working.

 

[Shalmanese]

Revel is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle so I'm glad you got to experience it! 

[MelissaH]

We, too, enjoyed a dinner at Revel. That was about four years ago, on our last trip to Seattle. Apparently, the gang from Top Chef had been in just a couple of days before we were there. I no longer remember the specifics of what we ate, but I remember enjoying it tremendously.

[Kerry Beal]

5 hours ago, Shalmanese said:

Revel is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle so I'm glad you got to experience it! 

 

1 hour ago, MelissaH said:

We, too, enjoyed a dinner at Revel. That was about four years ago, on our last trip to Seattle. Apparently, the gang from Top Chef had been in just a couple of days before we were there. I no longer remember the specifics of what we ate, but I remember enjoying it tremendously.

I believe it was an @FrogPrincesse suggestion on the Suggestion for Seattle thread. So when we were heading out of the venue after setup this am and told one of the organizers which direction we were heading to do a few things - he also suggested it. That's quite a the area for restaurants - got the impression that it might be where the food trucks settle when they graduate from mobile to brick and mortar. 

[Kerry Beal]

Monsoon for dinner 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunter's Moon

 

 

 

 

Sweet Adelaide 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

 

noodles

 

 

green beans

 

 

tamarind soup 

 

 

imperial rolls

 

 

flank steak rolls

 

 

ribs

 

[Smithy]

I love tamarind!  Please tell more about that soup. What was in it? How did it taste? Were there contrasting textures?

[Kerry Beal]

49 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I love tamarind!  Please tell more about that soup. What was in it? How did it taste? Were there contrasting textures?

It did have some contrasting texture. We were debating if perhaps one of the veg might be loofa - kind of a spongy slice. There was pineapple, perhaps a few other Asian roots/shoots. Tasted like an interesting cousin to hot and sour soup. I think there were cherry tomatoes there too.

 

Did I mention that we were joined at dinner by @YetiChocolates? Willow came to Seattle for the show.

[Kerry Beal]

I was working on posting these pics yesterday when I got a text from a friend to say that her rancher husband had sustained an injury a couple of weeks back and was now having complications. Having a really large Y chromosome he had resisted going to hospital. They do live in an isolated area in northern BC and the very small hospital is a ferry ride away. Checking with me allowed her to convince him to go and get checked out, But - I missed posting these.

 

 

Our booth

 

 

brunch from one of the festival vendors - obtained before the huge lineups!

 

Willow took us to whole foods last night - today I have olives, chèvre and crackers!

[JohnT]

11 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

 

 

 

ribs

 

 

A question for anybody to answer - In North America a person talks of "ribs", as @Kerry Beal has above. When using that term, are the ribs always pork? I ask this as in my country we specify either pork ribs or lamb ribs, as both are freely available.

[Anna N]

 

@JohnT

 

I will speak only for myself. If I say ribs I mean pork ribs. I will definitely qualify ribs if they are beef ribs. Lamb ribs are pretty much unheard of. Most of my acquaintances will clearly say "beef" ribs if that's what they are eating. 

[Kerry Beal]

6 minutes ago, JohnT said:

 

A question for anybody to answer - In North America a person talks of "ribs", as @Kerry Beal has above. When using that term, are the ribs always pork? I ask this as in my country we specify either pork ribs or lamb ribs, as both are freely available.

There was lamb on this menu (which can be unusual I find in north america). But I'd say it's fair to say pork unless specified - and the other option would be beef ribs rather than lamb ribs - they are as rare as hen's teeth in this part of the world.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[JohnT]

Thanks Anna and Kerry. Solves that problem in my mind. I know that when I have tried to buy lamb (of any cut) on the US east coast, I have been unsuccessful. We have a lot of lamb here and of course a large Muslem population, who will not be seen frequenting a restaurant serving pork. I have never heard of beef ribs here. Thanks for your incredibly quick replies.

John

[Smithy]

That's an interesting point about "ribs" not applying to lamb here.  In this country we'd call it a "rack of lamb" or, in the fanciest presentation, a "crown rib roast" in which the rack is rolled into a circle and then roasted with a stuffing inside the circle. So yes, we do lamb ribs, but we don't call them that.  I agree with Kerry and Anna that the default animal for "ribs" is pork over here.

 

At the risk of Too Much Information: a place name modifier can specify the animal.  "St. Louis Ribs" or "Memphis-style Ribs" will definitely be pork; "Texas ribs" are beef.

[JohnT]

Ah Smithy, a rack of lamb here is a whole side of chops still attached to the spine with some rib protruding. You could not roll it. Our lamb ribs are just the same as the pork ones, more than likely basted with the same sauce that would be used for pork. Your roll you described with the herbs inside is either a pork belly roll or a lamb belly roll - both darn good if the stuffing is done with fresh herbs. 

 

Anyway, we are moving off topic so back to our tea sipping chockdoc and her show - hope you are getting orders Kerry!

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, JohnT said:

Ah Smithy, a rack of lamb here is a whole side of chops still attached to the spine with some rib protruding. You could not roll it. Our lamb ribs are just the same as the pork ones, more than likely basted with the same sauce that would be used for pork. Your roll you described with the herbs inside is either a pork belly roll or a lamb belly roll - both darn good if the stuffing is done with fresh herbs. 

 

Anyway, we are moving off topic so back to our tea sipping chockdoc and her show - hope you are getting orders Kerry!

 John I agree that a rack of lamb is not the same as lamb ribs but a crown roast of lamb is very doable Link.  Now back to our regularly scheduled program but I did feel the need to correct this (to curry favour with @Smithy) 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Anna N (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Betty in Queen Anne 

 

 

 

Betty Draper for me - extra ice

 

 

charcuterie 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

11 hours ago, JohnT said:

 

A question for anybody to answer - In North America a person talks of "ribs", as @Kerry Beal has above. When using that term, are the ribs always pork? I ask this as in my country we specify either pork ribs or lamb ribs, as both are freely available.

 

Here ribs are either beef or pork, depending on exactly where one is:  south east US (probably pork) or in Texas (most likely beef).

 

[gfweb]

14 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I was working on posting these pics yesterday when I got a text from a friend to say that her rancher husband had sustained an injury a couple of weeks back and was now having complications. Having a really large Y chromosome he had resisted going to hospital.

 

Testosterone is a neurotoxin

[Kerry Beal]

 

 

Steaks for both!

[Kerry Beal]

Lunches on the plane 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

Safely back home - sipping a nice cuppa before I head for bed. Tomorrow back to the grind.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting pastrygirl in person and a number of other eG lurkers and posters who's onscreen names I don't know. I try to encourage the lurkers to jump in and start posting. I think we all fear that we'll ask stupid questions.