Its been some time since my last post. I attribute the gap to a couple things including a hectic lifestyle, some laziness, and a lack of culinary inspiration.
Sometimes I wish I didn't know about great food and drink. Imagine if it were possible to ignore Whole Foods, Pete's Wines, or your favorite sushi joint.

I recall a day not too long ago when my trips to the grocery store involved large packages of mass-produced tortillas, a five pound brick of Tillamook medium cheddar, a massive jar of salsa, and some sort of macro-brew (preferably with a nice can liner to impart that bottled taste.)
Sounds boring, yet to the early 20s Scott this cheezy-spicy-light beer combo was pretty damn good morning, noon, or night!

Somehow along the way I was introduced to new foods...and it didn't happen all at once. It was a gradual transition that led me from the simple, easy to find joy I had at Rosauer's to the hard to find, difficult to pronounce, and wallet-taxing experiences I have at Whole Foods today.
If you're not following what's happened, here is a simple "before and after" chart that should illustrate what used to be a staple in my world to what I'm enjoying today:

Carl Buddig proccesed "ham food" => sliced Safeway Select Turkey => Wine cured Proscuitto

Tillamook "baby loaf" => Irish cheddar => Ridiculous cheese habit

Tap water => bottled water => tap water (I'm not playing that any more unless forced)

Keystone Light => Red Hook => Rosemount Shiraz => Start a food and wine company

Iceberg lettuce=> Romaine => organic baby greens

Grocery store wheat loaf => baguette => kalamata olive bread

White mushrooms=> portabellos=> chantarelles=> morels

I could go on and on, but I think the bottom line is I have (with the help of shrewd grocery marketing gurus) slowly changed my taste across the board. The end results are pretty interesting. I am harder to please, I have to search harder and go to more places for the specific items I'm after, I spend WAY more on the most basic of items, and above all I absolutely love a good meal more than ever.

I hope you're enjoying whatever it is that you're eating today.

Have you been to Utah recently? Yeah, me too...last weekend.
Having never been to Ogden i didn't really know what to expect. What would it be like? Is a "dry" cold better than a "wet" cold? Is there such thing as "traditional Mormon food?"
So let me address these points before I drone on any more:

1) What was it like? bland. its like any other third-tier western city...only whiter
2) It doesn't feel as cold when the humidity is low
3) No, there doesn't seem to be a high profile Mormon food, but I hear lime jello may be a contender

While in Ogden I had the pleasure of meeting a whole slew of nice people and sampling some local fare. I'm not going to highlight any particular establishment in this rant, but I will say Ogden has all the same sorts of restaurants we enjoy in major metropolitan areas, but without the high prices or tasty ingredients. The culinary focus is not on creating interesting tastes and textures, but rather filling your plate for $8.95.
here is a handy reference you can use to decode the somewhat **tricky** Ogden fare:

Bolognese = Ketchup and ground beef
Gourmet Pizza = doughy bread and greasy cheese
Butter = "gold n soft" margarine
Phad Thai = oops, sorry...no Thai food
Pint of Pale Ale = $4.00 to join a "private club" and $3.50 for a bud lite tall boy

There is one standout food experience I need to share in the Ogden area, and its actually located about 20 miles away in tiny Huntsville, Utah. The Shooting Star Saloon is as old as dirt (and seems to be covered in a fine layer.) We went for lunch and enjoyed a surreal meal in this seriously old school saloon. The food options are limited (you can have a burger, a cheeseburger, a "mini star" burger, or a "star" burger, the last two include a nice knockworst on top of your patty! Don't ask for substitutions, don't ask for table service, and bring cash...cause they don't take American Express.

On a completely unrelated note, I have added another "favorite" torta joint to my list. Its simply called "Aca las Tortas" in Canyon Park and it is run by the same bunch that make my Tortas at the Kenmore roach coach at 80th & Bothell Way. They literally have 22 Torta options so it can be a bit overwhelming...but you'll get over it. Check it out yo.

What the heck is Yule?

Hey yule over there! Happy Festivus already.

Does anyone else have the feeling that the holiday season will soon be the holiday trimester?

I'm pretty sure Costco had pallets of Christmas swag before the trick or treaters came a knockin'.

Anyone ever eat a Yule log? Sing songs that include Yuletide greetings? Do you know what you're eating? do you know what you're saying? I didn't think so.

Turns out the the term "Yule" dates back many years to aboriginal Scandinavians and meant "celebration of the winter solstice." I'm sure you already knew that, but it was news to me.

Well, I digress...

For the three of you that read this blog I want to share with you some of my favorite holiday treats in no particular order:

1) The twice-baked potato. I was raised on these delectable treats. Not sure why I like them so much, but its kinda like a potato eating a cheesy pastry then falling asleep in a tanning booth. All crispy and baked on the outside, fat and gooey on the inside. mmmmm mmmm good.

2) Spritz cookies. Not sure what I like more about these, the taste or the process. I'm pretty sure its the process since anything that requires a specialized "gun tool" is a-ok in my book. They taste good too and they give me a reason to use food coloring. Fun stuff.

3) Large format wine. This is another mystery to me, I'm just not sure why I like massive bottles of wine so much. I buy them, I horde them, but I rarely open them. The holidays represent a time when I can go the northwest corner of the wine cellar, find a big fat magnum, dust it off, and show my friends and family exactly how much I care...1.5Liters worth!

If you haven't been to Stevens Winery, you may want to schedule a visit soon. Their latest release, Stevens Merlot is arriving and Tim has a few magnums available for purchase.

Lastly, here is a shameless plug for my little venture, Northwest Exclusive where we seek out the best food and wine we can find from the Pacific Northwest, wrap it elegantly, and ship it all over the place on our customers' behalf. In fact I'll be hosting a dinner party tonight consisting of our Northwest Prime filet mignon and some fabulous NW wines . If you need some last minute holiday gifts let us know, we'll help you out.

Cheers

Scott

They can't take that away from me

Call it vice, indulgence, or life's little luxuries, we've all got things that we take part in or consume in order to stave off the tedium that is everyday life.

A little while ago i ventured out of my office for a bit. I walked down the hall and saw a massive tub of soda on a co worker's desk. I rode down the elevator and smelled freshly huffed cigarette fumes. I walked out onto 4th Avenue and recognized the legions of Starbucks patrons streaming in and out of the local java spot...and then I thought to myself...these things are all kinda the same.

Everyone needs to feel entitled to something. Your job may suck, your kid might be remedial, your life may not measure up to your expectations, but no one can take away your **insert stupid habit here**.

Here are my (current) personal indulgences:

• Cafe Ladro grande nonfat latte. It tastes a lot like coffee...which is nice
• Theo Chocolate OR Dagoba Chocolate either one is good really
• Expensive magazines has anybody noticed that magazines are really freakin expensive? here's a tip: do not buy a magazine in Canada with US dollars. Why? 'cause they jack you, that's why. Your $5.95 magazine is all of a sudden nine bucks CAD...which is now $23 US. ARGH!!!

Whenever I think about how much money I waste on stupid shit I get mad at myself for a minute...then I need to calm down so I treat myself to a nice cup of coffee, a little chocolate, and peruse a magazine that doesn't really have anything to do with my life.

I hope you and your vices are doing fantastic!

Cooking is one of life's great joys. I'm not a great cook, but the more I learn about cooking the more comfortable I get...and sometimes that extra comfort leads to burning some shit.

I've always loved eating, but it wasn't until college that I fell in love with cooking for myself and my friends. It turns out that while your parents support you emotionally and financially (if you're lucky) they can't really be there to provide things like pot roast on Sundays, interesting pasta creations mid-week, or even a fridge stocked with condiments. So, rather than succumbing to a life fueled strictly by pizza pockets, the ambitious student begins to experiment.

The early experiments were more about utility than flavor, and often involved some combination of Carl Buddig meat products, ranch dressing, and tortillas. That worked ok for the fellas, but quickly fell out of favor making way for the more ambitious fare like fettuccine Alfredo which while still very basic, seemed to lend itself better to meals with the opposite sex.

Skipping ahead a good 10 years I marry an amazing woman who happens to be a much better cook than I am. So what does a food focused fella like myself do in a situation like this? Settle in for 50 years of the little missus' cooking, or try to do culinary battle by claiming the kitchen as my own? The answer is neither...I've opted to play a bit part in our kitchen production, typically chopping a bit of this or that, or doing the dishes (I challenge any of you to a dish duel...my skills are wicked.) I have however built a small portfolio of "signature dishes" that I whip up from time to time and here they are in no particular order:

• "Sauce" On any Sunday afternoon in Kenmore during the rainy season (heh) you can find me in the kitchen working on some sort of hearty red sauce. I never do it the same way twice, but ask anyone who has tried it whether its good...it is. You can make it lots of ways, but I would include some combination of great canned tomatoes (you'll need to experiment here, but these are most likely imported and come from San Marzano Italy) combine these with fresh shallots, garlic, red wine, and olive oil. You then need to decide if this is going to be a meat-focused sauce or not. If so, you should have started by browning the meat (beef, Italian sausage, or chicken sausage.) This sauce will require some serious simmering time so leave it on the stove for as long as you can (hours.) lastly you should top a meat sauce with a dollop of ricotta, and a veg sauce with good Parmesan **hint-its not in a plastic tub**.
• Lasagna. This one takes a lot of work, but my lasagna includes spicy chicken sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and a bunch of other great stuff. you want one? have a baby and i might swing by with one of these in hopes that you get a break from multi tasking
• Spicy grilled prawns. I think this recipe is in Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchens book, but I can't recall. you basically take some big-ass prawn, dip them in good olive oil (truth be told I am still trying to figure out how to source a high quality olive oil at a good price) you then chop fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs, and garlic together. throw in some salt and pepper, then coat the oily prawns with this multi-colored stuff and grill them briefly over a medium-hot grill. Don't overcook them.
• Salmon. If you see some of my early blogs you'll see my whole salmon spread...its good if a little predictable
• Patagonian Toothfish I'm not going to call it by it's real name 'cause some people think it is endangered, but it rhymes with "filetin' tree grass" and I only buy through reputable distributors. This one is easy. buy the biggest, fattest piece you can get your hands on, marinate it in a big zip loc with Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce, some sliced Walla Walla onions, and a little garlic. Sear it on both sides, then place the fish on a bed of the sliced onions on some foil. leave it on the grill on fairly low heat for ~10 minutes (need to monitor based on thickness) pull it off the grill and let it rest before you eat it. pair it with the Conundrum, some fresh greens, and a sunny deck. Savor this meal and think about how freakin' lucky you are to have a Whole Foods nearby.

So this past Saturday I broke out of my rut...I decided to try some new things. To be fair, some of the things were not really new (steak) but Emily felt like a filet so who am I to argue? Here's what I made:

appetizer: crab/artichoke spread on plain crackers with Prosecco (just ok)

starter/side: Dungeness crab and spot prawn mac and cheese! (ridiculous)

side: asparagus with chanterelle mushrooms, tarragon, shallots, and butter (nice)

main: prime aged filet mignon topped with morel/chanterelle cream sauce

all paired with a bottle of 2000 Elderton Shiraz. In a word, amazing.

Unfortunately my ability to multitask is limited so I overcooked the steaks, but the rest was a work of art. I kind of got the cooking thing out of my system for a while now, so the Pagliacci hotline is pretty much my go-to recipe this week.

Bon appetite!

When good restaurants go bad!

Kinda Jerry Springer eh? Or maybe Maury Povich...

Regardless, this installment in my critically ignored drone about food and beverage is all about restaurants that had "it" and lost "it". I'm sure you've experienced this sort of thing; a place you enjoy thoroughly once (or many times) that becomes a little too proud of their success and begins to slip.

As you may know if you've read my rants before, I am a creature of habit. For me a new restaurant experience is exciting and fun, but a restaurant that consistently performs is something to be revered.

Recently I had a chance to visit two restaurants that I've enjoyed in the past and was disappointed by both. These two restaurants are very different, yet occupy a similar place in the value chain for me...known quantities...places you go when you want a "sure thing." Turns out their status has changed.

#1 "my nyc neighborhood Italian joint" Puttanesca has been a favorite for a couple years. Its casual, comfortable, tasty, open late, and is a short walk from the hotel I frequent when I come to NYC. Historically I've been treated to prompt service, great food, and a reasonable price tag...but the last two times I've visited it has been sub-par.

About two weeks ago I went to Puttanesca on a Tuesday night. It was lively but not overly crowded. I was seated quickly then ignored for about 15 minutes. When my server did appear I got indifferent service and he went away for five more minutes before I got a glass of wine.

Next came the basket of bread... which did not include their foccacia which I love, but rather some very stale wonderbread-like rolls. My entree, a squid-ink pasta dish was bland and luke-warm, and the same waiter spilled a glass of wine on the woman next to me.

This single instance does not mean I won't go back...but they are currently in limbo as far as my "go to" restaurant status...stay tuned to learn their fate.

#2 The Slanted Door is a fairly famous San Francisco restaurant featuring Vietnamese food with a twist. Although I can't say I frequent the Slanted Door, I have been a few times and I fondly remember the first time I enjoyed lettuce cups at the "old" Slanted Door location and found myself very disappointed when I visited last week.

My wife and I made a reservation for Sunday dinner last week. The current location in the Ferry Building is fantastic and worth a trip. We strolled down the Embarcadero, peeked in the many interesting food and wine shops in the Ferry Building, then checked in for our dinner at the 'door.

We were seated a bit late at an extremely small table. Our waitress was attentive at first, then disappeared for the evening. The food was uninspiring, under-seasoned, and served without any explanation. to tell you the truth, I don't even recall what I ate. We left without finishing and agreed that we probably will not go back. With so many great restaurants in SF, why waste time with one that clearly has let it's reputation go to it's head?

On a more positive note, Arby's has been running their tried and true "5 for 5.95" promo recently and from what I can tell they still deliver the goods.

Cheers

-Scott

Laguna on a budget

This past weekend Emily and I had a chance to visit Laguna Beach and I've gotta say it is a very nice place to spend a weekend.


It almost seems too perfect; Ferraris at every stoplight, perfectly tanned, tucked, and tailored "clone-people" cruising around (who make it very hard to concentrate), and a plethora of great culinary options!


I'll get to the eating shortly, but I want to touch on the "budget" idea covered in the title...this is sarcasm, plain and simple. If you want to find a budget beach vacation, go to Ocean Shores 'cause Laguna is not about "deals." Lucky for us we have some very generous friends who let us tag along for their weekend away, otherwise I'm not sure I could have dealt with the sticker shock. I'll leave it at that.

So back to the food! There are a TON of great restaurants in this area ranging from taco stands to very high end establishments. I enjoy both ends of the spectrum (and all points in between) so lets just say I had a great time.


Driving down the PCH its hard to miss the many fish-focused restaurants, Mexican joints, and of course the obligatory California cuisine. Lucky for us our host had some great recommendations in hand so we didn't have to guess!


We arrived Friday evening and the plan was already in place. We drop our bags, open some very good wine (our contribution to the weekend) jump in the resort's Lexus SUV, and head to 230 Forest Ave . This place looks like many other casual restaurants; crowded bar, some outdoor tables, kind of cramped. But once we sat down and took a look at the menu we knew we'd found a gem.



The first thing that caught my eye was the Lobster Alfredo. Shortly after that my forearm whisked by my right love handle and steered me away from this decadent entree, but one of our party ended up ordering it and gave it rave reviews.
I had the Ono special and some lobster mashed potatoes washed down with a wonderful Cakebread Cellars Sauv Blanc.
I could probably go on about everyone's entrees, but I won't bore you. All you need to know about this place is it is very good, very busy, and pretty reasonable. They have a nice wine list with several great wines by the glass, the service was excellent, and I am positive we will go back.

The next evening we went out for an amazing Mexican meal. We're not talking Azteca here, this is interesting Mexican food and drink. Javier's Cantina is a bustling, loud, electric scene complete with some of SoCal's most enhanced patrons.
Most of our crew enjoyed the house margaritas; rocks, salt, Sauza...very well done indeed. The entrees run from the run of the mill enchilada platter to some very interesting meat dishes with complex sauces, spices, and sides. I very much wanted to figure out how to get back there for a follow-up meal but couldn't swing it.

So the bottom line is this: if your friends invite you to join them in Laguna, take them up on it and get ready to enjoy yourself!

Cheers