Seattle Foodies

Tom Douglas interviews The Chef In The Hat, safely in 2-D.

After these dreary past few months, I’m feeling like our summer might need a jumpstart. Something amazing. A bit of pampering. Certainly some perfection. But unlike our weather forecasters, an unassailable track record is essential. And, certainly, we could use a little luck.

So Seattle Foodies has turned to Rover’s to for help. And for July’s First Friday Lunch Club, we’re going to get it all. Thierry Rautureau (a.k.a. The Chef In The Hat) has been dishing up exquisite French tasting menus in his comfortable “house” in Madison Park for over two decades. And if you’ve dined there, you’ve experienced his obsessive-compulsive attention to detail and service. All that doesn’t come cheap, of course, unless you’re dining with us July 2nd.

Here’s a sample menu for our three-course deal (ultimately to be decided by chef de cuisine Adam based on what’s fresh):

FIRST

Golden Beet and Pear Brandy Puree with Caramelized Onion and Apple-Almond Salad

- or -

Poached Egg, Frisée, Smoked Bacon Salad with Lemon Olive Oil and Red Wine Gastrique

SECOND

Troll King Salmon with Ramp, Lentils du Puy, Salt Pork and Red Wine Gastrique

- or -

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Farro, Asparagus and Rosemary Sauce

THIRD

Rhubarb Clafoutis Tartlet with Whipped Vanilla Crème Fraîche

All for 35 bucks (plus tax and tip). And you’ll want to join me with the $25 wine pairing to perfect the experience. (Vegetarian or restricted options available on advance request.)

So that should do it. Amazing food and pampering perfection from one of Seattle’s top, long-established gastronomes. But what about the luck? Without making specific promises, it was at Rover’s where I was slurping delicious oysters with foodie Chuck when he found a natural pearl inside one. Chuck never disclosed the exact value of the little gem, but he did suddenly take a year sabbatical soon after. So who knows?

11:30am, Friday, July 2nd at 2808 E. Madison. If you haven’t already, please RSVP by Tuesday night (June 29th) if you can make it!

UPDATE (6/28): Looks like another record lunch! Only six spots left . . .

Cantinetta waits for unsuspecting foodies.

Some people are saying Cantinetta’s Chef Brian Cartenuto has lost his mind. But it might be more accurate to say that he merely went nuts. I leave it to you to decide. (Caution: the following is a true story.)

For our June First Friday Lunch Club, Cantinetta generously agreed to open their dinner-only restaurant for a special lunch event. They sent a mouth-watering sample three-course menu, promised they could do it for only 25 bucks, and then cautioned (in hindsight, this was the first sign of trouble) that Brian wouldn’t settle on the menu until the day, so he could take advantage of what would be in and fresh that very morning.

The first wave builds in the kitchen.

Spurred by the double-whammy of Cantinetta’s tweets to their dedicated following and Lorna Yee’s blurb in Seattle Magazine, a record-shattering number of foodies came. The restaurant filled. New friends met. Eating stories were shared. Spirits were high. And none of us saw it coming.

Soon we were seated and the food started coming. And coming. But it wasn’t three courses. Heck, the first course alone had more than three courses. It was more like three waves. Except the second wave had three waves. And all of it impossibly delicious. It went like this:

ANTIPASTI

Shaved fennel salad, oil-cured olives, tangerines, fennel pollen

Green beans, anchovy vinaigrette, hard-boiled eggs

Grilled asparagus risotto

Insalata mista

PASTA

Veal francobolli (veal brains stuffed pasta envelopes)

Ricotta ravioli, tomato fondutta

Golden beet pansotti, arugula, pine nuts

CONTORNI

Braised greens, pancetta

Roasted cauliflower, 15-year balsamic, grana

SECONDI

Grilled Painted Hills teres major (beef shoulder tender), 15-year balsamic, sea salt

DOLCE

Lemon panna cotta, blackberry sauce

Chocolate ricotta tart

A thrilling food tsunami, so we ate and ate. Then ate some more. I could try to describe the deep flavors of the fennel and olives and tangerines in that fruity olive oil, the crisp beans and eggs richened with anchovy vinaigrette, tender just-made pastas, and on and on, but I would quickly run out of superlatives. Yet it seems insufficient to say it was completely unexpected and enormously satisfying. The pictures speak volumes, so click on any one to jump into the slideshow (huge thanks to foodie Bruce for taking most of them).

Eventually, after the waves receded, the electron cloud in the kitchen slowly resolved into Brian and his staff. Taking a short pause before spinning back up for dinner service, he deflected our praise and gratitude by explaining that he had simply wanted to give us a sense of what a true Tuscan lunch was like.

So my only question is: Has anyone seen my passport?

It’s lunchtime and you’re in the mood for something special. You close your eyes and imagine yourself on a Tuscan hillside. It’s a warm spring afternoon. At a large table, you’re surrounded by friends and platters of hand-made pastas, organic produce from nearby farms, and succulent meats. It’s rustic, comfortable, and romantic all at the same time. Your wine glass fills with a gorgeous rosso. You breathe in deeply, the flavors permeate your senses, and you feel satisfied even before the platters are passed.

When you open your eyes, somehow you find yourself outside Trevor Greenwood’s ravely reviewed Cantinetta, staring through the front window, pining for a taste of Chef Brian Cartenuto’s magic. But sadly they won’t open until dinner.

Unless it happens to be Seattle Foodies First Friday Lunch on June 4th, when Cantinetta will open it’s doors for a special three-course Seattle Foodies-only lunch! (Special thanks to Robyn, Bruce, and Dana.)

Chef Brian will select our lunch based on last-minute market availability, so the menu will be a bit of a surprise. But here’s a recent example to get you salivating:

Shaved fennel salad, tangerines, oil-cured olives, fennel pollen

Ricotta gnocchi, pork & beef spezzatino, preserved tomato, chilies, mint

Lemon panna cotta, Marion berry compote, almond cookie

It’s $25 per person (plus drinks, tax, and tip), and the first courses will be served family style. 11:30am, Friday, June 4th at 3650 Wallingford Avenue. Please R.S.V.P. before noon on June 3rd if you can make it!

If, like me, you never made it into William Belickis’ Mistral in Belltown before it closed two years ago, you probably still get teary eyed at the prospect of life-long, deep regret. How could that be, closing after earning four stars, making the top 10 Seattle restaurant lists, and even being listed as one of the top 100 restaurants worldwide?

Well, turns out he was planning his new, gigantic, 5,000 square foot restaurant, now Mistral Kitchen. With many of the same staff, the same infamous Belickis foodie madness, plus a massive dose of investment into the kitchen and interior, Belickis’ new joint has been getting shockingly rave reviews.

So for the upcoming First Friday Lunch Club, we’re going to surrender ourselves at the front door, and enjoy a special menu we’re putting together (details to follow).

Skip it if you dare. And the regret will be yours to bear for the rest of your life. Or better yet, R.S.V.P. by Thursday, and show up at 2020 Westlake Avenue this Friday (May 7th) at 11:30am for a three-course experience you might just be gloating about for years to come.

UPDATE: I just heard from Amber at Mistral Kitchen, and we’re going to be pampered. Here’s the special menu:

SEATTLE FOODIE MENU

1st Course

Wild Arctic Char, Pea Spears, Pea Vine Salad

2nd Course

Slow Cooked Beef Shortrib, Red Quinoa, Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms

3rd Course

The Ultra Brownie, Fresh Mint Ice Cream, and Cacao Nibs

Plus some delicious fine print: “In light of our regular menus changing daily there is a very high chance of the vegetables on the two savory courses changing or being added to tomorrow morning.”

And the cost will be $30 (plus tax, tip, and drinks). See you there!

To make a bunny hop, you've got to break some eggs.

This is a heady time of year. The sun-warmed soil is bursting with promise, and the thought of all those spring flavors pushing mouth-ward makes me feel like dancing. Problem is, with two left feet (and one usually in my mouth), I’m no dancer.

Apparently, I’m not the first person with that problem. Why else would they have invented the Bunny Hop? Tap your foot, jump gracelessly back and forth, and hang on to someone else for stability. Sounds perfect, except for one thing: there’s no food involved.

So we’re reversing the imbalance on Sunday, May 2nd with Seattle Foodies’ version of the Bunny Hop. Dancing is strictly optional for this culinary plunge into rabbits and eggs, which will lead us through the following wine-paired steps:

rillettes de lapin, spring greens, tarragon mustard, crusty bread

asparagus soup, poached duck egg, pumpernickel

rabbit terrine, crisps, easter egg radishes, pickled baby carrots

wild rabbit ragù, pappardelle, parmigiano reggiano

celery and fennel sorbet intermezzo

rabbit loin, prosciutto, thyme-roasted morels, bay turnip purée, turnip greens

armagnac-braised rabbit, cherries, morello vinegar, almonds

tipsy “peeps,” orange shortbread ganache eggs, lemon “grass”

Of course, we’ll tweak the details to reflect the farmers’ market that week, and select wines with the help of our friends at Pike & Western. (Also note: depending on how many people join, we may need to vote a couple of the above dishes off the island.)

What’s more, we’ll get sharp by organizing a knife skills class on April 25, so we’ll be ready for the new-and-improved prep sessions (this time with “family meals” and wine built in). Check back for the full schedule and detailed plans, and please R.S.V.P. if you’re planning to come (which prep sessions, if any, and how many for dinner). As with all plunges, we’ll divide the cost between diners.

Hope to see you there. But until then, be vewy, vewy quiet . . .

Q: What could possibly be better than Beer Week?

A: Nothing. Excepting ending Beer Week with a whole roasted pig, and eating it one taco at a time.

I’m talking about the Palace Kitchen’s special lunch on May 22. Think green garlic guacamole, lime crema, pickled red onions, tomatillo salsa, jicama slaw, and handmade tortillas. Oh, and roast pork. And maybe even some beer (or wine, or whatever).

Seattle Foodies is reserving a block of 20 30 seats. We’ll start at noon. Tacos are three bucks each.

So now you know. Just let us know how many seats you’d like, before we run out!

Here’s my recipe for a limoncello-based lemon drop martini. It’s tart and sweet, and very lemony. A lot like the old-fashioned candy.

Lemon Head Martini

1. In a shaker, combine:
   • 1.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
   • 1.5 oz. homemade limoncello
   • 1.5 oz. Cointreau
   • 1.5 oz. good vodka (like Pearl, Chopin, Grey Goose, etc.)
   • ice
2. Shake and strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed martini glass
3. Garnish with lemon zest

For herbal variations, try muddling with a sprig of mint, thyme, or rosemary before shaking with ice.

Enjoy!

Group dining therapy at Steelhead.

Spring is here. And with the vernal equinox mercifully behind us, cherry blossoms exploding, our long summer days stretched out before us, and the Pike Place Market unloading the season’s early produce, my Seattle version of OCD is back with a vengeance. No, I don’t try to hide it. Obsessive Consumption Disorder is my diagnosis, the chief symptom being unbridled, frantic gorging on the fresh, what’s-in-season, right now. Such an affliction makes this a particularly hard town to live in, like a compulsive gambler settled in Las Vegas.

Especially with places like Kevin Davis’ Steelhead Diner. Located in the Pike Place Market (95 Pine Street), they focus on the local and seasonal, serving “nothing south of Oregon, nothing east of Idaho.” The dishes are inventive, generous, and delicious, and have earned Kevin a semifinalist position for the 2010 James Beard Best Northwest Chef Award.

In fact, it’s the perfect place for April’s group therapy session, a.k.a First Friday Lunch Club. We’re working on a special menu for the event, so stay tuned for more details.

The fine print: the Seattle Foodies dining plan covers OCD (pre-existing condition or not), so mark 11:30am, Friday, April 2nd on your calendars, and come prepared to get well. Also, please R.S.V.P. by next Wednesday so we can ensure everyone receives adequate treatment!

UPDATE: I just received this from Tiana Garrett, Steelhead’s general manager. They’re really excited that we’re coming, so we’re getting the private dining room plus a special Foodies multi-course tasting menu:

SEATTLE FOODIE MENU

Amuse

SMOKED ALASKAN BLACK COD SALAD

With Red Radishes, Chevril & Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

Appetizer

JUMBO LUMP DUNGENESS CRAB CAKE

With Crispy Parsley & Sauce Louis

Entrée

OLIVE CRUSTED BRISTOL BAY SOCKEYE SALMON

With Sauteed Asparagus & Spring Garlic ~ White Bean Puree

The cost will be $25 plus tax, tip, and any beverages (or additional food) you’d like. They’re doing separate checks, so feel free to go nuts.

As a reminder, we’ll start at 11:30. Steelhead is at 95 Pine Street, right inside in the arcade entrance, which is just uphill from Post Alley (and Beecher’s), and across from Sur La Table and Café Campagne.

If you haven’t RSVP’ed yet, please let me know by Thursday mid-day so I can let them know the final headcount.

Finally, as many of you know, I just can’t get enough of the Pike Place Market. So after lunch, if anyone’s interested, I’d love to do a walking tour of favorite spots. I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours!

See you there!

I woke up this morning still a bit depressed at having missed Mobile Chowdown III this weekend. Hardly soothed by reports of too-long chow lines, I am resolved to make it up to my mouth. The solution? Pedro Vargas’ Paladar Cubano sandwich truck on 90th and Aurora, which is reported to have the only authentic Cuban sandwiches in Seattle. I hear they also make a mean cafe Cubano, to get you back in action for the afternoon. (And Foodie Chuck swears by the fried plantains.)

So join us this Friday at 11:45 at 90th and Aurora for a street food fix. Until then, I’ll be day-dreaming about crunchy-crusted Cuban bread, succulent roast pork, salty ham, tangy mustard, oozing cheese, and crisp pickles.

To know me is to hear me yammer incessantly about how Tom Douglas’ Culinary Summer Camp was the best week of my life. Or weeks, I should say, being a repeat offender. And yes, I’ve signed up for a third round this summer. Once again, summer camp is shaping up to be a week-long belly flop into all things foodie. While making great new friends, you’ll be pampered, challenged, fed, taught, wined, relaxed, stretched, partied, rewarded, and finally mystified at how much was packed into five days, all for a fraction of the price of any travel-somewhere foodie vacation. What more do you need to know?