Recent Stories in Food

Amy Vanderbeck, her sister Katy, and Daniel Perry, all graduates of the Vivace empire, built Watertown Coffee on the grave of Coffee Animals, on 12th Avenue just south of Seattle University.

They opened in early 2009, and look to have been squirreling away board and video games in the cavernous interior ever since. (After months of "meaning to stop in," I was challenged to a ping pong tournament on their new table. The less said about that, the better, although the bourbon and hot apple cider took some of the sting out of defeat.)

There's Vivace coffee, a real bar, and a sandwich/soup/salad food menu. The "rec room" atmosphere--seriously, besides board games, there's an Xbox--surprises people expecting a standard coffee shop, and people used to Starbucks' consistently genial service are clearly taken aback by the staff's "attitude" and the music volume that's at the whim of the barista. (For better photos of the interior than an iPhone can provide, click here.)

Yelpers and Urban Spooners are divided into love it/hate it, and it's-just-a-coffee-shop-relax camps. However, if you are sensitive flower and need quiet study time, you might want to try somewhere else. That is not the aim of Watertown, which has a clubhouse vibe, and where--if you consistently miss ping pong returns and have to chase the ball as it thwocks and pwocks across the room--the baristas won't glance at you twice.

Last night, the members of the South Warsaw Street Social Club assembled at an eatery called Taste of Chicago, at 52nd Avenue and University Way NE. The majority of the club's members were from Chicago, and boasted names that ended in "-ski." Their plans to visit Taste of Chicago, announced on Facebook, had triggered a flurry of responses from other Chicago transplants along the lines of "I've got my coat on! Where is it?"

"Realistic, from the good food to the lame decor," was the verdict. The club sampled a gyro ($5.75), an Italian combo ($8.50, combining the gustatory pleasures of the Italian beef sandwich and Italian sausage sandwich), and cheese fries (cheese $0.50, everything comes with fries), and--between discussions of Wisconsin ski resorts and the cost of heating oil--plans were made for a return visit. The menu's low-end entrée seems to be bratwurst ($3.50) and it tops out at $8.50 items. Onion rings are $2.50.

Taste of Chicago has a new co-proprietor who arrived in town in October. "How do you like Seattle?" a table asked him. He shrugged. "I don't see anything but the restaurant. I wake up, I come here, I go home."

Here is a squat shoebox space with one of those hanging-tile ceilings you suspect has asbestos on the reverse, a linoleum floor, and a counter at the far end from the door. Chicago memorabilia--a painting of the skyline, a photo of the American Giants--hangs from the walls. Above the cashier is a genuine plastic diner's order board; a plastic menu is also taped to the counter. On one table sits a chess set, with foot-tall wooden pieces. On another, a Connect 4 game.... (more)

When Seattle Magazine decided to throw a street food extravaganza, it sounded like a great idea: tons of mobile food carts, collected together in one place, providing mini-bites.  What could possibly go wrong?

But the first Mobile Chowdown, held last October, turned out to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions: poorly organized, misused space, crazy-long lines, and carts running out of food.  It was a post-apocalyptic hellscape *thisclose* to being The Road.  Everyone I know who went took one look at the mess and left.  Those who stayed suffered. (Seattle, the only city in the world where folks will patiently wait in line for hours, and then complain.)

Tomorrow (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) marks the second attempt, and word is that this time around, organizers have taken steps to ensure it runs a little more smoothly.  The site's the same--the parking lot at 1616 W. Vertona--but now the carts will be spaced farther apart to keep the space organized.  There will also be more staff on hand to help direct people, more clearly designated vendor line areas, and plenty o' port-a-potties.  Because yes, even that was a problem last time around. ... (more)

Jennifer Katzinger (Photo: Rachelle Longé)

"I had been exposed to gluten-free at a juice bar in Greenlake years ago, and I was baking there and I really had fun working with all their different flours, and so I was just familiar with other grains," Jennifer Katzinger said. "And so I just got thinking, there are so many baked goods you can get in the Northwest, but finding a baked good that is with whole grains, or dairy and egg-free was hard. Organic too. Hence the Flying Apron."

Katzinger and I were sitting in the corner of the Walnut Street Coffeehouse in Edmonds, her nine-month-old daughter Lily, wearing a white knit sweater, playing on the seat between us. Charming and enthusiastic, Katzinger was telling me about the genesis of her vegan, gluten-free bakery, which she opened with her father in the University District in 2002. Eight years and two moves later, the Flying Apron is still going strong, and in addition to recently becoming a mother, Katzinger is now an author: in November, Sasquatch Books published her first cookbook, Flying Apron's Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book ($21.95).

A Northwest native, Katzinger grew up baking. In her early teens, she was already working at Lake Street Bakery ("That was a warm and cozy and delicious atmosphere, and I felt so safe there"), but after getting her BA in English Lit at the UW, she pursued a degree in industrial design at the Pratt Institute in NYC before returning to Seattle. When her and her father, both in need of new career directions, decided over coffee one morning to open the Flying Apron together, the concept wasn't as expressly gluten-free as it eventually became. While Katzinger was an on-and-off again vegan, originally the bakery featured a couple items that used egg and dairy--the idea was to have something for everyone, and the gluten- and wheat-free products were as much a creative touch as a conscious choice.

What led Katzinger to purge her work of gluten and wheat was the ecstatic response of customers. Wheat and gluten intolerance are actually common allergies, and on top of that, there's Celiac disease, in which wheat gluten wreaks havoc on the small intestine. The responses of her customers, some of whom would burst into tears when they found themselves in a bakery they could actually eat at, deeply affected her.

"The symptoms are so broad and different," Katzinger told me of the various stories her customers have shared. "One woman, a really beautiful woman who'd come to the bakery often, she traveled for work a lot, and she had been gluten-free for a long time, and had to go to Italy on business. And she thought, 'What the heck? I'm going to have the lasagna.' And for her, it was actually something like a schizophrenic type of situation. She had an episode, and just realized she can't go down that road."

"And other people, it just took them so long to be diagnosed Celiac. I remember this young woman coming in, I think she was going to the UW, and for years she was going to the hospital with digestive issues. And they would say, 'Oh, you need to eat more bran.' And so she would eat more bran and keep going in, and they would say, 'Oh, I think maybe you have something mentally going on, because we don't see anything wrong with you, and yet you keep complaining about your digestive issues.' So they put her on anti-depressants, and she went to Bastyr after that, where they did an allergy test and a Celiac test, and said, 'You have Celiac, there's no reason for you to be on anti-depressants.' So there's some really unusual stories out there, but in the U.S. they're pretty common. I think it takes, on average, 11 years to be diagnosed with Celiac's disease."

In order to create the rich variety of tasty baked goods that have garnered her attention, Katzinger experiments with and uses a wide-variety of alternative flours and sweeteners. Her list of staple ingredients includes at least nine flours: brown rice, garbanzo bean, buckwheat, teff, quinoa, corn, fava bean, chestnut, and hazelnut. Her goods are also organic and avoid most highly-processed ingredients; she doesn't use standard sugar, and many recipes call for non-sugar sweeteners like agave syrup, maple syrup, or concentrated fruit juice.

Katzinger also tries to locally source as much as possible. Asked where she came by hazelnut flour, she exclaimed: "Holmquist Farms! They sell hazelnuts and hazelnut oil and hazelnut flour at the farmers' markets! And I think they're in some of the grocery stores, now."

The recipes in the book range from sweet morning pastries to cookies to cakes to breads. Asked whether any of the recipes were particularly meaningful to her, she told me, "The pecan pie recipe is very special, because my husband was very involved with that one. That was early on, when we met each other, that we did that recipe together. I met him through the bakery, actually. He was a customer, and he would come to the take-out window in the University District frequently, and we just became friends. I was going to delivery my very first wedding cake, and I was really nervous about it, just kind of sharing this with him not so much to invoke an invitation to help, but in any case, that's indeed what happened. He said, 'Can I give you a hand with that?' And I took him up on it, and we had a great time."

For eight years, the Flying Apron was Katzinger's life, and in some ways the cookbook represents the apex of that career. "I dedicated the cookbook to Lily," she said, looking down at her daughter, who'd long since let all her toys slip to the floor and was now playing with a saucer, sitting in her mom's lap.

"I wrote it while I was pregnant with her, and finished it right before she was born. And since her arrival, it's just completely changed me. Before she arrived, the bakery was what I gave my all to, my absolute all to. Since she's been in the world, it's been a wonderful experience, but it's been hard to give my all to the bakery and to give to my daughter, which is what I want to do. I didn't see that coming. I mean, I knew I'd love being a mom, but I had no idea how powerful that is."

She smiled at her daughter, who'd given up on the saucer and was now pawing her mom's face. "So I've actually just sold the bakery, believe it or not. The first day of my not being the owner was January first."

Katzinger is remaining on as a recipe consultant, developing new recipes when not dedicating herself to parenting. For her, it's apparent that the joy of baking is no longer the only reason to continue her work--today, Katzinger seems as inspired by the need for food like hers as the joy she gets from creating it.

"In my young adulthood, there were times when--I wasn't allergic to food, but I made choices: to be a raw foodist at one point, a strict vegan at others," she told me. "And actually, I was unhealthy for a while, someone with real food issues. So while I don't know what it's like to have Celiac, I know what it's like--and this by my own choice, so there are differences but similarities, too--I know what it's like to be an outcast with eating. And how painful that can be. So for people who have allergies, or Celiac, I'm excited to share with them these recipes that I think so many people will enjoy, so they can have a table that's abundant, full of sharing of food and stories, and that's inclusive."  

Near the end of October (thank you, CHS), Zhivago's Café (Facebook) opened on Broadway, where the old Dilettante's used to be. It's a piroshkis-and-more shop (including Wi-Fi), founded by Geno Sabra, who is half Russian and half Middle Eastern. I have walked past it for weeks until today, when I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a piroshki.

I ordered the lunch special (piroshki + borscht + bread roll = $7.95), and had a seat. The server had my food ready before I sat down. As The Stranger promised, the borscht was remarkable, served warm with a dollop of sour cream. The piroshkis are baked on the premises daily (Time to make the piroshkis! is 4 a.m.), and there's a variety of carnivore and vegetarian options ($4-$6), as well dessert pastries and Russian tea cakes.

I had the beef, potato, and cheese piroshki, which was perfectly acceptable, if outshined by the borscht in terms of yumminess. But don't take this as a review, anyway--I've only stopped in the once. Take it as encouragement to pop in the next time you're in the mood for a piroshki and see for yourself.

Two Christmases ago, I published two delicious candy recipes in a magazine printed on real paper. It’s true. You can ask my mom to show you one of her nine copies. These recipes, for soft caramels and peppermint marshmallows, are still among my holiday favorites, but since my friends did not leap at the chance to make the candies themselves, I had to wonder.

Either my friends considered it supportive enough to simply eat candy that I had already made (weak) or, perhaps the required candy thermometers proved too much for them. Time and continued interaction with non-food professionals has led me to see that most people don’t like candy thermometers--they believe thermometers to be indicative of exacting recipes, recipes that require accuracy and hold the potential for messy, sugary failure.

Luckily, there also exist easy, thermometer-free candy recipes and for Christmas, I’m going to give you one.  

It’s for almond toffee.

This toffee (you could also call it brittle, but I like to affect British-ness, so toffee it is) is basically a classic butter toffee with toasted almonds mixed it. It can be dipped in a chocolate glaze, or left plain--it’s delicious either way. It’s also quite fancy-looking and can be happily packed into bags and boxes to be given away as presents.

Now, I would be lying if I didn’t warn you that candy-making is different from other kinds of cooking for the obvious reason that it involves molten hot sugar. Try to think of this as exciting, rather than terrifying. To assuage your fears, below is a somewhat long-winded, but extremely useful overview of candy-making that a magazine would have happily cut out (many thanks, kind SunBreak editors). Below that, is the recipe itself. Enjoy.

When you make any caramelized sugar and butter/cream type candy, this is what’s going to happen. First you’re going to cook some sugar with a little bit of corn syrup and water until it comes to a boil. You’re not even going to think about stirring it. Stirring the mixture at this point can cause it to seize, meaning to turn from a liquid into a solid clump of crystallized sugar. Bad.

Next, you’re going to add a lot of butter (or in the case of soft caramels, cream); the mixture will bubble and souffle up in a way that is not un-terrifying to some, but that won’t bother you at all because you will either be using a long-handled whisk or wearing one of these babies.

Then you’re going to whisk and whisk and continue to cook over high heat until the mixture turns the a nice light amber color. You’re going to add a couple last minute things and then, carefully and without burning anyone, you are going to pour the candy out onto a sheet pan that you have already prepared. Done. Now relax.

Also: I’ve just been informed that the caramel and marshmallow recipes are no longer available on the ReadyMade site. If you want ‘em, just say so in the comments.... (more)

Much in the way that Christians gather at church on Sunday morning to refresh their connection with God, our city's expatriates gather on Sunday mornings at bars to refresh their connection with their place of origin. The vehicle: Rooting on their hometown NFL team.

I arrived at Bill's Off Broadway around 10 a.m. to find a table of four Indianapolis Colts fans, two tables of Green Bay Packers fans, a Broncos fan, and a Bears fan. All were easily identifiable by their team-specific clothing.

There was also a guy watching the Baltimore/Detroit game. Didn't see what he was wearing, but as I didn't hear much cheering from him, and Baltimore won 48-3, I assume he's a Lions fan. (Poor Lions fans may actually have forgotten how to cheer at this point. When the team gets good again they'll probably shred their atrophied vocal cords attempting to elate.)

I was there to watch my Seahawks, and it soon became clear that these Seahawks are so irredeemably horrible that they can't even compete with the Houston Texans. A... (more)

If there's anything better than drinking top-notch craft-brewed beer in a comfy neighborhood pub, it has to be making your special someone happy. While drinking delicious craft-brewed beer.

So the best place to be this evening—hell, this chilly gift-giving season—is Greenwood's new-ish Naked City Taphouse. Three reasons why:

1. 20+ taps of Washington's finest nectar for your imbibing, body-warming pleasure.

2. First-ever taps of the Naked City owners' own brews (Exhibit A: "White Russian Imperial Stout aged on Kahlua-soaked oak." Aptly named Big Lebrewski. Um, yum.)

3. Nifty artisan-crafted wares your lady or guy friend (or yourself) would love to unwrap on Christmas morn.

They call it Naked City Brewtique. Apparently booths will be set up inside the pub, where you'll find fine jewelry (some courtesy of SunBreak Jack's talented wife), greeting cards, "beer-inspired" soaps, and etched pint glasses. Cool stuff.

Craft sales start at 5 p.m. Ditch work and drop in for a beer or three well before that. Tight wallets do not a strong economy (or happy special someone) make!

I go in for all manner of dorky DIY projects: jam, scarves, window cleanser, but I’ve always drawn the line at homemade granola, because frankly, enough is enough. It seemed to me that people who made their own granola were tidy and polite and always wiped down the stove. They probably kept both toilet paper and tissues in their bathrooms and even made their own yarn prior to using it to knit their own scarves.

In other words, people who made granola represented an entirely new level of domesticity and one that I felt compelled to resist lest I find myself on the slippery slope towards hand-crocheted doilies and clothing for animals.

Besides, I thought, store-bought granola is pretty good, right?

However, my homemade granola ban began to erode just before Christmas last year. I was faced with shopping for my dad, a man who buys everything he wants even right before major gift-giving holidays. With days to spare, I recalled one of his favorite treats: Maple Granola, baked and sold by the Cold Hollow Cider Mill of Waterbury, Vermont.

My dad goes to Vermont often, but not quite often enough to satisfy his taste for granola, and since the Cider Mill charges an “astronomical amount” (his words) for shipping, he refuses on principle to order it. I decided on a temporary lift of the ban, just long enough to replicate the granola and provide him with a homemade batch and a recipe. Perfect.

The basic premise behind granola is to take rolled oats, nuts and some spices, and use something sticky and slightly sweet to bind it all together. After that, the whole mess gets toasted in the oven until dark and crunchy. It’s really quite simple, but the Cider Mill’s granola has a rich fall flavor and a Vermont-y quality that I had to get if my dad was going to be satisfied with this substitution.

I flavored my granola with maple syrup and reduced apple cider, added a bit of cinnamon and ginger and the results were sublime: flavorful and crunchy, full of toasted almonds and every bit as good as the original. If not better.

I gave my dad the granola, he liked it--but unfortunately, this is not where the story ends. Sadly, my ban has never been put back in place. I haven’t bought granola in a year and probably never will again. I’ve been making it every couple of months, slowly improving it. Worse still, I’ve been wiping down the stove and making my bed. It’s kind of nice; and since I’ve yet to produce any dog sweaters, you should feel safe enough to go ahead and make a batch yourself.... (more)

A wacky wordsmith had his or her way with the awning of Ballard's Bit Saloon :

I've heard a completely unsubstantiated rumor that Barrio--the upscale Mexican-meets-Northwest restaurant/bar from the same folks who run Purple--is not doing so well in this economy.  Don't know if it's true (hence the "unsubstantiated"), but it makes sense, in this economy.  (I'm betting that is the three-word phrase employed most in 2009...in this economy.)

Anyways, that might explain why the Capitol Hill and Bellevue Barrio locations have brought back their popular $5 margarita, as well as expanded their happy hour times and menu.  (Not to mention the other good deals: half-price bottles of wine on Sundays and half-price tequila on Mondays.)  Full list of happy hour eats and drinks after the jump.... (more)

Pacific Place's "ultimate shopping experience" is now a little more ultimate, with the addition of a holiday liquor store, "Spirits," on its third level. I stopped in before a movie (Ninja Assassin, a frothy little romantic comedy, with ninjas) to survey the goods.

I had no idea of the number of gift packages that involve liquor, prior to visiting. Just in case you don't get the holiday gift theme, they have built a Christmas tree out of Jim Beam. There's not much to report on prices; it's a Washington State Liquor store, after all, and it's only at the mall because the state is hoping to make a little extra green during the holiday season.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The store will be open through December 31, and then it'll vanish.

One thing you'll notice is that the shop doesn't stock much wine, because there's already a wine shop on the third level, Sixth Avenue Wine Seller. They have over 2,000 bottles in stock, with an emphasis on West coast wineries, and... (more)

Seems like everyone's got their holiday-themed food and drinks going on this Thanksgiving. 

The Bottleneck Lounge has a truly frightening drink special tonight: a cocktail made with Jones Soda's Tofurky and Gravy flavor.  I'm a-scurred.  There will also be Jones giveaways, and the first ten people (starting at 7 p.m.) who dare taste this libation get a free t-shirt.  You will have earned it. 

For those of us who would rather not drink fake tofu turkey flavor, there will also be plenty of Thanksgiving Old Fashioneds, made with fresh cranberries, to go around.  Now that's consumable!

Meanwhile, the good people at Po Dogs are offering up a seasonal wiener all week. As per Ye Olde Twitter: "Come in today and try our Thanksgiving dog. It's a Wiener topped with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy...."  That just might work with a brioche bun.

(You're taking pictures of the bird again, right? So here's Lou's Tips again, republished from last year this time.)

A little while ago, the fine photographic folks at Olympus put us in touch with Lou Manna, "Olympus Digital Visionary Photographer," for a story on photographing holiday meals.

If you're a foodie, it's likely you've already run into Lou Manna's food photography; he shot for the New York Times for 20 years.

Now he's got his own Fifth Avenue food photography studio, which is where he works with corporate, advertising, and restaurant clients, using (it must be noted) Olympus E-System cameras and flashes. Check out his website www.loumanna.com and blog www.digitalfoodphotography.com.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we talked Lou in to a photo essay. Click through each photo for a tip on how it's done. We can vouch for the "good enough to eat" part.

Here's Lou to get things started:

You’ve spent two days baking all of your holiday goodies… Finally on Thanksgiving Day, the turkey is ready to be gobbled up. Now you want your sweet labor to translate well in photographs. If you follow some of the following tips, then the pictures of your feast will look good enough to eat!... (more)

Coastal Kitchen's happy hour is from 9-11 p.m. every day, with $3 small plates, and $3 wells, drafts, and wines. These items are from the Cuban menu. I might give the Midnight Cuban sandwich (right) a miss, but the rest satisfies.

The Bella Edward, at the Hunt Club.

All you need to know about New Moon is contained here.  After making approximately a bajillion dollars this weekend--well, $140.7 million here, $258 million globally, but who's counting?--Twilight fever is raging now more than ever. Soon, they will have all the monies.  But whether you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob or some other team, we can all agree that the Twilight series is for fourteen-year-old girls, the occasional gay, and sad middle-aged housewives.  So roll out the terrible themed tie-ins.

There was the Twilight menu at Gold Class Cinemas. And now there's two terrible cocktails at ostensibly classy joints:  the Hunt Club at the Sorrento has the Bella Edward, "a dance of love, evil in a cocktail glass," while Canlis (et tu, Canlis?) has a drink that sounds like a sewage-tini: The Temptation of Edward Cullen.  Head barman James MacWilliams' inspiration:

The Temptation of Edward Cullen. Photo care of Brian Canlis.

I was trying to capture some of the essence of the movie with this particularly vampires and the Olympic coast.  Forks is surrounded by the Olympic national park on one side and the pacific ocean on the other.  I was trying to create a biting crisp taste just hinting a forest and visually feeling like vampire.  This drink is not for the feeble of heart.  Strong but strangely keeps pulling you back.  The crushed ice helps chill it and if done right will frost the outside of the glass like the crystal vampire skin of the books and movie.

Nasty-ass recipe and Volvos after the jump.

The Temptation of Edward Cullen:

• 1oz Plymouth gin
• 1/4oz Zirbenz (Austrian Arolla stone pine liqueur)
• 1/8oz Le Tourment Vert Absinthe (A french vert or green absinthe with pronounce crisp eucalyptus notes)
• 2oz Champagne
• 3/4oz Green Walnut Wine (a sweet, homemade, aromatized, fortified wine with a spicy nutty flavor)

In a 10oz long drink glass pour Gin, Zirbenz, and Absinthe.  Fill glass to the top with crushed ice and stir.  Top off the glass with champagne.  Pour green walnut wine over the top so it slowly sinks through the crushed ice. Garnish with lemon fangs and a straw.

Meanwhile, the Volvo dealership on Pike has the below photo in the window.  Now all the fourteen-year-old girls can go out and buy a sensible Swedish sedan.  Edward, drive me away!

It is on, bitches. After a couple delays, Capitol Hill gourmet hot doggery Po Dog is all set for their official opening tomorrow. Today's the soft opening, and our good friends at Capitol Hill Seattle were lucky enough to attend the friends and family gathering that took place last night. 

I've perused the menu several times, and I'm not still not sure what dog to try first. My brain knows that the best way to judge Po Dog's quality would be their classic hot dog, but my heart pines for a Chicago dog, while my stomach is tempted by the menu's wackadoodle offerings (hot dogs with guacamole and wasabi aioli sound NOM NOM NOM). I suppose I will have to go back more than once. Darn.

Full press release after the jump.

Dog Days - New Gourmet restaurant opens on Capitol Hill by first time Restaurateur

While her friends and co-workers were being laid off left and right, Laura Olson, 25 decided to take a risky and unique path. She quit her job as a recruiter and began the full time planning of Seattle’s first gourmet hot dog joint, Po Dog. Working all hours of the day and night, Ms. Olson created a substantial business plan. Inspired by hot dog institutions like Pinks in L.A., Laura spent the first few months researching, tasting and thinking everything hot dog. Her next struggle was finding the capital required to open a business in the worst lending environment in recent history. She ran into road block after road block and was turned down at every door. But she persevered and was finally able to interest investors and raise the capital required. She was ready to embark on her new venture.

First, she hired local modernists Pb elemental to design her space inside a vacant Auto Battery shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The design of the 1100 sq ft interior and storefront in Capitol Hill (Seattle) is based on the desire to offer something as unique as the owner’s toppings (ranging from peanut butter and bananas to deep fried egg roll wrapped wasabi dogs) and a desire to leave everything in the open. A 30’ Caesaerstone counter is the centerpiece of the 16' wide restaurant, housing the open kitchen and bar area. The bar is clad in wainscoting and lined with white bar stools. Built-in mahogany plywood seating lines the back half of the restaurant along with Lyptus community tables. A twelve foot tall pixelated photograph of Olson’s pet pug hangs at the end of the tables watching over the customers as they eat. The original fir beams and concrete block wall were sandblasted and exposed to regain the original character. A series of framed 8'x4' mirrors line the western walls, reflecting the Thug Stripe wallpaper (a blend of colt 45's, bullets and floral print). A 4' wide vertical lift window allows Po Dog to open up to its patio in the summer as well as provides access for deliveries. Next, Laura planned Po Dog's menu with input from local culinary celebrity Josh Henderson, founder of Skillet street food. Henderson will be appearing as a guest chef at Po Dog for the month of November.

After managing the construction of her space for four months, Laura is set to open this Saturday, November 14th. Her menu features twelve signature gourmet hot dogs all on Macrina brioche buns, including the Deep Fried Danger Dog (bacon wrapped, deep fried), Texas Dog (Tillamook cheddar cheese, homemade onion crisps and mesquite BBQ sauce), Wasabi egg roll Dog (deep fried roll wrapped dog, covered in a wasabi aioli) and the Dub’T Dog (crushed potato chips and cheese sauce) to name a few.

Actually, the last time I was in Ivar's, I noticed the $0.75 cup of chowder, but settled on the bowl, thinking I'd pay full freight. When the bill came, it was $1.50. So, full disclosure, I'm not all that worked up about the billboard hoax/prank, even though I asked my waiter for the straight dope. An underwater billboard campaign aimed at nonexistent submarines strained credulity.

The Seattle Times sounds a little nettled though. Executive Editor David Boardman says they are reviewing their relationship with Paul Dorpat, the local historian who vouched for the authenticity of the underwater billboard campaign, saying "As far as I can tell, it's the real thing."

The Times took Dorpat at his word, it sounds like, and never checked to see if the price was correct for 1955 (it wasn't) or noticed that the "wrong governor was put on the letterhead from the Department of Fisheries." But maybe this is the attitude a very important newspaper must take. Public trust, and all.

The important news here is that the... (more)

Bartenders come and go, it's in their often footloose nature, but you expect a physical bar (not the building, but where you belly up) to stay put. The back bar at Tini Bigs made its home in a seafaring city, though, and it is a voyager. 100 years old, it was built in 1909 by Brunswick-Balke-Collender (you pool sharks may know them more briefly as simply Brunswick) in Dubuque, Iowa.

The reclaimed-wood and mirror bar first took up residence at the Watertown Tavern (at First and Bell). Tini Bigs founder Keith Robbins rescued it when Watertown closed, stashing it away until 1990. After he opened The Romper Room, the adjacent space became available, and he finally had a place to install his treasure: Tini Bigs Lounge.

If you're not of a nostalgic or historical bent, you can still profit from the centenary. Tonight from 6 p.m. until close, Tini Bigs is celebrating with drink specials and hoopla: Tini Bigs "10-ounce" Finlandia martinis are $4.50, the West Village Manhattan cocktail is $5.50, and Stella beers are a... (more)

If you attended Blogsgiving last year, you know that it involved drinking and eating cupcakes, and helping out the hungry through a donation to Northwest Harvest. It worked once, so we're trying it again.

This year the contributors of The SunBreak, CHS, CD News, and the whole Neighborlogs network, along with Seattle Metblogs, are gathering at Central Cinema on November 18, from 6 to 9 p.m. We haven't worked out all the details yet, but we do know there will be food, drinks, and festivities.

And we're bringing back our amateur paper-turkey contest. That was huge.

Free fries at Fish Fry! Try saying that five times fast. Head over there tonight from 5-7 p.m. to pick up your complimentary fry boat. Our good friends at CHS report that this giveaway springs from a change in Pike Street Fish Fry ownership from Michael Hebb (nee Hebberoy) to Michael Yuasa. They also say that tonight you can get Fat Tire and Blue Paddle beers for $2.

In other VERY IMPORTANT food news, free chicken at KFC Monday!

The Kentucky Grilled Chicken train rolls on Monday, when you can get a free piece of chicken at any KFC location. Apparently KFC is lobbying the United Nations for a seat, because sixty million people have tried their grilled chicken and that somehow represents a country? And because an international obesity-causing conglomerate should definitely be taking up the UN's precious time with a poultry-related publicity stunt? Um, no. But don't take my word for it; check out the press release below.

Yesterday, KFC issued a letter to the United Nations Secretary General requesting that Grilled Nation “earn a seat” at the international organization’s table. KFC’s “Grilled Nation,” the 60 million-plus people who have tried Kentucky Grilled Chicken, has a population that is the equivalent to that of the 24th largest country in the world and represents nearly 1 percent of the world’s population.

To expand the population of Grilled Nation, the world renowned KFC Colonel is sampling new KGC for all UN employees and visitors on First Avenue, directly across from the UN and asking them to “UNThink” their typical lunchtime routine.

For those that are not employees or visitors at the United Nations on Thursday, KFCs from coast to coast are giving away FREE KENTUCKY GRILLED CHICKEN FOR AMERICA with Grilled Nation’s unofficial holiday, “UNFry Day,” on Monday, October 26.  Potential Grilled Nation citizens are encouraged to stop by KFC throughout the day on Monday, Oct. 26, and receive a FREE piece of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

I just got a tip that the Marination Mobile (which I just posted about yesterday) is rolling their Hawaiian and Korean cuisine over to the new Belltown Key Bank branch on First Avenue at Wall today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone that visits the Key Bank branch--ask about the interest rates on 6-month CDs--will get a coupon worth $10 of Marination munchies. I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict there will be a line.

A street foodie commented on my post about creating a street food corral downtown, so I gave Parks & Rec a call to see what they thought about my genius idea. I believe I got waved off the street-food take-over of Occidental Square, but in general they were supportive of "legalizing it." (It turns out the hugely successful "Mobile Chowdown" in Interbay wasn't permitted quite as strenuously as it could have been.)

The person to talk with about creating a street food corral may be Virginia Swanson, of the city's Special Events Committee (scroll down for contact information). The Parks & Rec... (more)

As far as dowries go, mine is pretty weak. A busted '60s Farberware chicken rotisserie, a sizable Calvin and Hobbes collection, and a bejeweled vintage green clutch; in terms of tangible items, this is what I bring to the table. So obviously, I rely on the intangibles--namely, my cooking--which is precisely why I’m so hesitant to reveal that one of my long time winning-hearts-and-minds staples, Squash Soup, requires no expertise or skill at all.

Squash soup was one of my first great cooking triumphs, and a delightful surprise considering that I had no idea what I was doing. I invited a friend for dinner, meticulously followed a recipe found on Epicurious.com (even before I knew how cook, I still had moderate success in the kitchen as I am an ace direction-follower) and spent an hour in our dorm’s depressing communal kitchen making this sublime soup: smooth and creamy, with sage and thyme, and just a little bit of sweetness. Perfect for cold weather.

My friend and I sat in my dorm room and ate two bowlfuls each, blissfully happy to have found a temporary escape from the dining hall’s chicken strips and supermarket lighting.

Over the years, I’ve continued to make this soup every fall and winter. I’ve tried different squash combinations, introduced homemade chicken stock, and for efficiency's sake, tinkered slightly with the method, but the recipe below is virtually identical to the one I first used. Feel free to use any firm, tasty squash you like, my favorite is a mix of Butternut and Acorn. Neither of these is new or fashionable, but each is delicious and easy to find, though the best specimens are local ones, found at the Farmer’s Market.

Right now, the weather is crisp and cool, squash abound and not even a complete lack of cooking knowledge will serve as an excuse. Just follow the directions and make some soup. And while you’re at it, eat it with someone you like.... (more)

It's tech day on The SunBreak, I guess. I've been wanting to write about Locavore, the Seattle-grown iPhone app, for some time, and their recent update announcement just gave me a reason to. (Full disclosure: I have been at parties at the same time as Buster Benson.)

Locavore responds to the notion that eating locally grown food is not just better for your green self-esteem, it's better for local farmers, the environment, and food quality. Plenty of people value locally grown food over an organically grown label, although you often aren't called upon to make that choice around Seattle. (Of course, there are trade-offs.)

The $2.99 app identifies your location in the U.S. and then tells you what's in season where you live. (It also tells you what's coming into season, and what's going out.) It also gives you a list of local farmer's markets and farms, with a description of what the market is like, and tells you how to get there. If you're into the whole social media thing, you can also announce your local eating... (more)