Free Pizza!

If you're a fan of paper-thin Neapolitan pizza (and why would you not be), don't forget to stop by Tutta Bella this week to get your free pizza! That's right. You have til' this Sunday to stop by for a free pie. If you're willing to brave the wait, and the screaming children (at the Wallingford location only) I highly recommend you take them up on this generous offer.

Two Teaspoons, Meet Four Spoons

When Brian mentioned this cafe a while back, he said it was called, "Something spoons ... two spoons maybe?" And I said, "I think you're referring to that wildly popular blog: Two Teaspoons."

But there is, in fact, a cafe called Four Spoons in the neighborhood. It's teeny and tidy, charming, busy but without a wait when we showed up at 1pm last Sunday. The smallish menu has a variety of brunchy dishes, plus real lunch.

I don't remember what my dish was called -- or why I ordered something so huge when I wasn't that hungry -- but it offered eggs, potatoes plus pulled pork and tortillas. If there's a proper way to combine all these things, I missed that day in etiquette class. Nonetheless, my taco breakfast array was delicious in every way.

Brian forgot we were out for breakfast and ordered a french dip. His french fries were excellent. I captured a photo of him in a very serene state, eyes closed (bliss? napping?), but I'll refrain from including it here.

Cyndy's House Of (awesome) Pancakes

Aurora may not have trendy cupcakes or block-long ice cream lines, but it has plenty to eat: burgers, pho, teriyaki, teriyaki, teriyaki, and (opening soon!) Ethiopian. And, we have Cyndy's House Of (awesome) Pancakes.

Before we moved, I heard Cyndy's was becoming a strip club. Fortunately, this was either rumor or the deal fell through. Cyndy's remains open (though only till 3pm), with perfectly-cooked eggs, crisp bacon, and super friendly servers. The decor is charmingly 1970s: note the 25-foot metal flower collage on the wood-paneled wall.

But most importantly, the pancakes are fluffy and delicious. I don't know what makes a great pancake, and I've certainly never figured it out at home. How do you get them fluffy without being doughy? How do brown them just enough? What makes that perfect pancake flavor? I've read the recipes, but my best answer is to visit Cyndy's.

A Drink of Desperation

Four nights in tropical loveliness, followed by four nights of the head-cold from hell. Word to wise: Never (and I really, truly mean "never") fly with a head-cold, sinus infection, or any other nasal or ear nastiness. It's dangerous and oh-so-painful. My doing so created not just one, but two ear infections.

Today is the first day in the past 3 days that I can actually hear breathe without having to first submerge my head in a steam-filled basin (or salad bowl, if you, like me, are lacking in the basin category) of boiling water. Here's a tip: Add 2 Halls Menthol cough drops in a salad bowl full of bowling water, cover your head with a cloth and breathe in deeply. It clears the sinuses like a charm, and also makes for hilarious photo fodder for your husband.

When my self-made salad bowl spa was failing, I remembered a drink I get at one of my favorite all organic vegan restaurants, Chaco Canyon. They have a hot juice drink called the "flu buster" that it supposed to stop a cold before it starts. I decided to try to make my own version with the Black and Decker juicer I got for our wedding. Another word to the wise: Never attempt to make a drink involving cayenne pepper without a solid recipe.

Though mine tasted completely awful and could definitely use some revisions (how's that for an endorsement for you?), both ears are clear today, so maybe the disgusting-ness was worth it. If you're in a state of congested desperation, give it a try. I call it:


Cayenne K.O.
3 carrots -- I would add less next time as it was a little too carrot juice-y
Health benefits: stimulates the immune system and the production of anti-bodies that make good remedy in fighting off bacterial and viral infections.

1 apple -- Maybe I'd add 2 next time
Health benefit: Helps to detoxify the body and has an antiviral property

2 large halfs of a ginger root -- I think this was plenty
Health benefit: anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, great for upset stomachs. Ginger’s warming action is also excellent for treating a cold or flu.

fresh lemon -- Don't put this in the juicer, use a lemon squeezer to get all the juice out.
Health benefit: Lemon has anti-viral properties and lots of Vitamin C

1 fresh orange -- Don't put this in the juicer, either; cut in small pieces and use the lemon squeezer
Health benefit: Full of immune system boosting Vitamin C

(very, very small) pinch of cayenne pepper -- I probably added 1/8 of a tsp and that went a loooooooooong, spiiiiiiiiiiiiicy way.
Health Benefit: stimulates circulation and blood flow. It's high concentratio of capsaicin also effectively opens and drains congested nasal passages. Read more about the benefits of cayenne pepper here & here.

2 garlic cloves -- I put in 5 and that was way too much
Health benefits: has very potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Raw garlic is a great natural antibiotic.

(I put in tabasco sauce at the last minute for an extra kick, and I'd definitely omit it next time. Flavor doesn't mix with the rest of the ingredients and the cayenne is all the pepper you'll need.)

Heat, serve, and witness the nasal-cleansing magic.

Via Tribunali: Buon Compleanno!

We've traded the cake and clowns for wine and buffalo mozzarella, but we have not outgrown the grade-school norm of pizza for birthday parties. Both times I've been to Via Tribunali, it's been for someone's annual celebration.

Photo from Via Tribunali

The newest location of the mini chain is a little outside the heart of Fremont, near a yoga studio, bookstores, and other neighborhoody spaces -- meaning more cozy than the weekend drunkenness of the Ballroom/Red Door region.

If Northlake is Seattle's strongest pizza institution (my mom's generation of Huskies frequented the tavern for heavy-weight slices piled precariously with topping), Via Tribunali is the best of the contemporary Neopolitan-style opposition: An average eater can devour an entire 10/12" pizza easily. Super-thin crust, restrained mostly-traditional toppings (meats, cheeses). The red sauce is awesome: a semi-sheer bright coating of perfect tomato. Other restaurants do the same thing, but none so well.

Plus, the big tables open for reservation, the mid-range prices, and the ideal balance between interesting/unusual ingredients and pizza's mass appeal make it a pretty great bet for your grown-up soiree. Feel free to provide funfetti cake -- we're getting old, but not boring.

Newsflash: We Love Teriyaki

Food journalism often offers a window into a class of dining in which I rarely participate. Sure, I've tried Tom Douglas and the occasional news-worthy restaurant. But for the most part, no one's writing headlines about my supper.

Until today! Behold, a NY Times feature on Seattle's silent teriyaki obsession. Yes, a food so familiar I've never really thought about it (though I have eaten plenty) made news for its sheer omnipresence in the city.

I was surprised to discover that while teriyaki exists elsewhere, other cities do not offer spicy chicken and gyoza from two shops on every block. The author gave a mention to my U District favorite, Nasai, and our new neighbor, 5 Season's Grill. (See the top right and lower left of the above photo.)

Teriyaki strikes me as Seattle's standard street food, except that our weather prohibits standing outside to eat most of the year. It was one of the few fast foods we ate when I was a kid. When I got tired of spicy chicken around the age of 13, teriyaki-shop yakisoba was my first experience with tofu -- as an eater, it was potentially life-changing (tofu-consumption was not common in south Everett in the 90s, but I loved it from the start).

Beyond the revelation that we're the richest city in the US, teriyaki-wise, the article doesn't give any great insight. There's no charming historical reason for the food in Seattle, just a large population of willing cooks over the last 60 years. There's not much variety, either -- sticky rice, saucy strips of chicken, and a salad of iceberg lettuce with sugary dressing. My teriyaki quality scale runs from Mediocre to Excellent-For-Cheapo-Food. I've never found either an inedible or mind-blowing teriyaki. But I do find it everywhere, and there's really no substitute.

Happy birthday to me! Dinner at Cafe Bizarro

Tuesday birthdays are not conducive to large parties, but I definitely don't want my special day ignored. After work and an entertaining drink at the UW Club (formerly the Faculty Club, now open to lowly staff as well), Brian and I went to Bizarro for dinner.

I picked Bizarro from Seattle's many restaurants because it's unpretentious, interesting, and has never failed to offer fantastic Italian. The decor is immediately striking , an overwhelming jumble of chandeliers, paintings, mismatched chairs and tables, and all sorts of large odds-and-ends dangling from the ceiling. It's a smallish space (maybe 12 tables?), and my first visit was spent preoccupied about whether I'd be impaled by a falling bicycle or candelabra if we had an earthquake. A sign near the entrance reads, "No one is "fine" with water."

So the decor sets a tone. But once you look beyond it (seemingly impossible at first glance, but trust me), the food stands out. The menu is varied but not overwhelming - a small array of pastas, including seasonal and special dishes.

Our picks last night are pictured above: clockwise from top right, crostini with wine-poached figs and gorgonzola, Brian's seasonal elk sugo, my saucy lasagna, and the empty remains of our bananas foster. All the dishes were excellent, with the possible exception of dessert: Brian liked it, but the taste reminded me overwhelmingly of instant oatmeal. The house cabernet sauvingnon was somewhere between OK and decent -- sweet and fruity, but not at all bold or interesting.

Compared to thai, pho, and other Asian options, Seattle has a pretty limited selection of Italian restaurants -- and nothing I can think of in a very budget price range. Bizarro entrees are $14-18, placing it conveniently between the cheap eats of most midweek dinners and the more fancy fare you'd normally reserve for night-out dinners.

In addition to the atmosphere and food, Bizarro offers one more thing you won't find anywhere else in the city (fortunately discovered on observing our neighbors, not through participation): on birthdays, the servers will present your cake while meowing happy birthday.

Spring Hill's secret Monday menu

For my birthday this past October, my husband took me to a restaurant called Spring Hill -- a West Seattle restaurant that has been on my food radar ever since it opened last year. The restaurant boasts a commitment to using "local ingredients from Northwest farmers and fishermen" to make dishes that are "fresh, flavorful, and simple". It recently made Bon Appetit's list of "Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America". As recent West Seattle transplants, we were eager to find our new local spot. But I'll have to say, much to my dismay, it did not make my list of top ten, or even top 20 restaurants in Seattle.

My husband and I found the menu a bit too fancy for our tastes: a section for hot foods and cold foods? Really? Should I get the "dungeness crab with spicy mayo, celery, and squid ink crouton" or the "fattened duck liver terrine?" This is their idea of a simple menu? As my husband sipped his accidental $3 order of carbonated water, we weighed our expensive options. Ultimately I decided on the $17 1/2-lb. hamburger, which, I'll admit, was quite tasty, though definitely not worth the price. My husband ordered the flank steak -- hot, please.

As we left that night, we decided maybe we'd go back once or twice a year for special occasions. That is, until we discovered their secret menu: Monday Night Supper Club, a.k.a. gigantic (and relatively inexpensive) spaghetti feed!

The menu:
Caesar salad for 2: $10
White or red spaghetti: $10 (two people could definitely share this) that comes with a cheesy slice or two of garlic bread
Meatballs: $3 each
Red or white wine: $6
Sorbet for dessert: $4

We went back the following Monday to check it out and now we're hooked. Apparently, there is somewhat of a cult following behind this supper club and I can see why: deliciously fresh, simple, and flavorful local food at a reasonable price, right in our backyard. We may not have found our staple, everyday West Seattle restaurant joint, but we certainly found one for Monday's.
All photos via www.springhillnorthwest.com

Fonte's Sage Latte

Image borrowed from Cooking Light

Image borrowed from Sarah + H on flickr

I am a coffee addict. There, I admit it. And, in true Seattle fashion, I am a Starbucks hater -- though not for the typical anti-corporate-stick-it-to-the-man reason. I just don't like their coffee. It's bitter, burnt, acidic and boring. There, I said it. While Zoka's may be my one true love, as of late, I find myself having a repeated 10am affair with a 12oz 2% extra hot latte from the new Fonte Coffee & Wine Bar on 1st Ave that adjoins the Four Seasons.

While at first I found the interior coldly modern and sleek, complete with a dingbat baristra who (no joke) squealed at her horrid attempt at a leaf pattern in the foam, I decided to give it a 2nd chance. And then a 3rd, 4th...and...well...the coffee is just so damn good! And don't even get me started on their pastries...and the homemade jam? DE-licious. But, in all seriousness, in the past 2 months since it's opening, the cafe has certainly found it's footing, with an incredibly sweet team of baristas who literally start making my drink before I've even walked through the door and play the best (old) local Seattle music (I had totally forgotten about Damien's Where Shall You Take Me Album).

But, back to the point of this post (mindless wordy meanderings is inevitable when you start a blog post at 12:30am) -- today I tried one of the most inventive fall coffee drinks -- a sage latte -- complete with a rosemary rubbed cup. While my first sip took me a little by surprise (think forest in a cup), it's earthly, green, herbal goodness started to grow on me. And best of all, no sugary syrup was used! Though this was a Friday special, I'm hoping it'll still be on Monday's menu.

Take that Starbucks pumpkin latte.

Pho: 5 Season's Grill

Today, I vowed to blog about something other than soup, soup, soup. 

But tonight, I wanted pho, and remembered a recommendation for 5 Season's Grill from our home's former owner. Marvelous soup within walking distance? Oh my!

Brian tried beef, a very meaty option. I stick with veggie: carrots, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, along with the usual bean sprouts, noodles, a big sprig of basil, onions, parsley, lime. Plus an unfamiliar little knot of pastry (not sure what that is -- if anyone can identify, clue me in).

Dinner for two, with spring rolls: $18, and only 5 minutes away. We may have discovered why the previous owners pho'ed so often. 

Wine, with brunch

Aside from infrequent mimosas, wine is not something I drink before noon. But my love of both prosecco and brunch made Eva's invitation to a four-course Sunday brunch with wine pairings irresistible. Pinot nior and lamb hash? Don't mind if I do!

The event was the innagural collaboration between Jack's Cellars and Hudson Public House, adjacent establishments in the relatively uninviting intersection of 15th and Lake City Way. Inside, Hudson pub is warm and open, with friendly staff and a surprisingly ambitious menu.

I can't say every plate was successful -- too courses of duck is a bit odd, the basted eggs were undercooked, and the lamb hash was under-seasoned. Brunch, to me, is not a place to worry over fat or sodium content -- butter it up, and give me some salt. Overall, though, the ingredients were interesting and everything was thoughtful: breakfast food aiming for dinner caliber.

The highlight: a wine flight. Expert pairing and generous pours made restitution for any lacked luster on the plates. Glittering prosecco always makes me happy and I love a full-bodied red, so the first and fourth wines won me over before they hit my palate. We went home with the latter, a 2006 old vine zinfandel from Klinker Brick, and I'll look for the former, Fantinel NV Extra Dry Prosecco, next time I'm in need of bubbles. The first course was a basic cheese and fruit spread (decent figs), and the finale a fairly delicious, very peppery chicken sausage wrapped in a nicely-crispy crepe.

Our tablemates included another new-homeowning couple. She's the writer/photog for needle+thread, a Seattle street style blog; he's a web developer who recommended Basil Hayden. Regardless of whether one's first passion is fashion, food, or politics, I don't think I've met a Seattlite in years who's life isn't thoroughly knit with technology.

The second and third courses brought Neyers Carneros Chardonnay and Fess Parker Pinot Noir, served with a smoked duck and shallot fritatta and a lamb hash with basted duck egg, respectively. I'm neither a chardonnay nor pinot fan, but found both of these appealing enough to finish at least a glass of each -- possibly due to being already tipsy, among good company, and having nothing more pressing at home than a nap. And, ultimately, this sense of leisure is undoubtedly the most compelling part of a Sunday brunch -- to savor the indulgent, indolent moment between work weeks. If someone wants to pour me a few glasses of wine to aid this endeavor, I will not turn down the invitation.

Cheap date: chicken and cake

Last week, Brian and I warmed our new house with about 20 friend and a big plate of friend chicken from Ezell's (world famous) Chicken. The local chain has five take-out-only locations, a short menu of classic southern (Texas) comfort food, and devoted followers including Oprah and a collection of Seattle Seahawks.

Brian and I became fans when I suggested Ezell's and a picnic at Volunteer Park, not far from the original Ezell's location in the central district. The picnic went awry when we were attacked by rabid squirrels, but the chicken came home with us.

The menu offers sweet potato pie, greens, beans, and other predictable items, but this short list is longer than we need. We stick with spicy fried chicken (not very spicy, very delicious), potato salad and coleslaw, and too many of those fluffy white-bread rolls they throw in. It's a little messy and definitely not health-food, but perfect summer take-out.

A testament to the local reputation: While discussing an upcoming social event at work last week, my fellow event-planning and food-buying colleague suggested Ezell's for low-budget catering. I was so excited with the idea I jumped up from my mid-meeting drowsiness and clapped wildly. The rest of the group was equally enthused, and we predict an increase in attendance by at least 200% when we advertise this popular local flavor as part of the event agenda.



Brian and I also got a giant chocolate cake from Costco, to honor his birthday and my love of giant chocolate cakes. While hoisting it into our cart, an old lady congratulated us on our choice and declared that she "used to make the best chocolate cakes for year and years, but not after discovering these!" Apparently Costco is not only the northwest's source for bulk mayonnaise and mini-wheats by the bushel, but also a convenient replacement for a lifetime of baking experience.

Fancy dinner: Stumbling Goat

First and best find during the home-buying process: our real-estate agent, Eva, who came recommended from another couple. Most recent example of her fabulousness: cheese and wine at her place, then dinner at Stumbling Goat with that helpful couple who recommended her to us, in celebration of all our fabulous new north Seattle houses.

Stumbling Goat is well-established as a cozy but fairly high-end Seattle neighborhood place. Organic, local, seasonal ingredients with unpretentious preparations. They underwent a recent change of owners and some staff, but kept it within the Seattle restaurant family: the old chef went to a new place, and the new chef came from some old places, and our server (who's been at Stumbling Goat since the previous owners),  told us all about the changes without any hint at major shifts in the restaurant's focus. The lighting was flattering, the decor was clean and warm, and the view into the kitchen showed a happy family of chef, cooks, and other staff.

And dinner was excellent -- not just because it was free or accompanied by bottles of wine. The tiny menu doesn't offer much variety (a few proteins accompanied by a little starch or vegetable), but I loved everything. Wild-boar "rillettes" (a word I've never heard before but apparently means tasty spreadable meat) was surprisingly delicious. Another appetizer of fig and arugula pizza was not complex, but anything with a delicious fig and a bit of cheese is pretty near perfect. My seared salmon with crispy skin came served over sweet -- almost syrupy --roasted beets (I rarely turn down a roasted beet). Brian had a pork porterhouse, which he refused to share even a bite of, but I heard was pretty great. And for dessert, Bailey's bread pudding, which I would probably eat by the pound if I had any idea how to make such a deliciously creamy thing out of bread and liquor.

The friendly staff was sweeping the floor and stacking the chairs when we left at midnight. Prices ($20-25 entrees) were too much for frequent dining, but I would happily go back for my next special occasion. Maybe in celebration of ... Monday? Who wants wild boar, anyone?