Taste Washington event

[Fay Jai]

I'll see ya, laurel!

[girl chow]

MsRamsey, LEdlund and I had a FABULOUS time at Taste Washington last night. I'm still recovering (one more cup of coffee and I'll be up to speed). Per MsRamsey's "never post while buzzed" rule, I've waited until this afternoon to reflect on the event.

It was a dizzy spectacle -- with more food and wine than any human could or should ever consume over the course of a few hours. But we did our best to graze through the place.

Some of the highlights for me (can't wait to hear what MsRamsey and LEdlund have to say):

FOOD:

Lowell-Hunt Catering (Seattle/Woodinville): a braised venison ravioli that was fantastic with a shallot jus with crispy parsnips and wild mushrooms. Delicious. One of the highlights for me. A really stellar combo of textures and flavors.

Racha Noodles (Queen Anne): Wonton wrapped steamed prawn with grapes, bell peppers, sweet basil and a really wonderful green curry sauce. Really really deeply flavored curry and the dish worked really well with the wine it was paired with... a Working Girl White table wine (mix of chardonnay and riesling).

Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar (Bellevue): Scallop ceviche that was really well executed (with a fruity mango relish). Paired with a Columbia Valley 2002 Serience.

Ray's Boathouse (Shilshole): A phenomenal assortment of chillled seafood. The oysters were fresh, fresh, fresh and I thought the smoked scallops were the best I've ever had. I really liked the flavor of the smoked salmon, but LEdlund and MsRamsey and I agreed that the fish was a touch too dry.

Tulio (Downtown): Chestnut Gnocchi ...creamy, dreamy, rich and what every gnocchi should aspire to be. It was served with wild boar, which was great, but the gnocchi left such an impression.

Lark (Capitol Hill): I was not expecting the texture that the Lark dish delivered. It was a gelatinous concoction (very "aspic like" as MsRamsey noted) and I really didn't know if I was going to like it after the first bite (not such a fan of gelatin), but it was a really complex and savory combination of meats and vegetables, called a "cassoulet terrine." By the last bite, I wound up wanting a second plate. A really interesting construction of flavors and textures. Must try Lark.

DESSERT

Lisa Dupar Catering (Redmond). Her dessert selection was a pretty little mix of petit fours... a layered tiramisu, a pistachio, white chocolate... plus little candies they called "jellies" and Mexican wedding cookies. Delicious assortment.

Rainier club. They had a unique twist on PB&J... a peanut butter mousse with smoked (!!) bittersweet chocolate paired with a jelly lollipop of wild blackberry fennel. A really fun presentation and really delicious.

727 Pine. They had a really excellent idea -- a chocolate mojito popsicle. It was really refreshing and one of the last things I ate at the event.

Paired with dessert, we sampled some really fantastic late harvest and ice wines. The Yakima Cellars late harvest viognier was probably my favorite. I had it one time before at a wine dinner and it left a really wonderful impression.. this is a great dessert wine.

I also thought the Tefft cellars late harvest black ice was exceptional. And Gold Digger Cellars offered a really interesting 2002 Gewurztraminer.

Did anyone else go? What did you think? What were your favorite dishes/wines?