One Last Trip to Ballard

I kept one of my favorite things until the end of the trip.  On Saturday I drove a little outside Seattle to visit with Robin and Christian. It is incredible to see Robs pregnant and they are so excited.  I was also super lucky to be there the one week that she was not feeling ill. 

I like WA because there are a lot of trees all over the place.

We drove into Seattle on Sunday to check out the farmer's market and eat at Bitterroot.  You can kind of see us in the photo.

My food photo is blurry but it kind of shows you what was happening.  The pulled pork sandwich was good.  I had read a lot about this place but then I ate barbecue two weeks later in Knoxville and Seattle just can't compete.

I made Robs pose with her flowers. 

We stopped by hot cakes where she tried the cookies and I had the before mentioned  Salted Caramel shake.  I forgot to take a photo of Robs and Christian but I won't the next time when I meet little Mario*.

*play name for the baby boy

Sitka & Spruce

Mom asked me tonight how many meals I had each day I was in Seattle because it certainly seemed like a lot. She's right to ask.  I seem to travel just for food.

I woke up Saturday morning and walked up the street to Sitka & Spruce, a restaurant I've been reading about quite a bit.  I actually walked by this place the last time I was in Seattle but didn't feel like going in because eating alone was just too intimidating.  I'm so happy that I'm over that.

It's difficult for me to decide to eat brunch at a restaurant that is known for being good at dinner as well.  I just never want to miss out with what they can do with a meal that a restaurant often uses to set themselves apart.  Typically brunch is just the usual - eggs benedict, pancakes, oatmeal - with a few variations.  Sitka & Spruce showed me an entirely new way to look at breakfast.  I only wish I could have ordered more on the menu.

I love that I make reservations for even my meals that start at 10 am.  This place should have been crowded but not yet.

I started with a warm buttermilk scone with lemon curd and rhubarb.  It tasted even butter than it sounds.

And this is something I wish I could have every day - wild rice, mustard greens, cranberries, tahini and sheep's feta.  I needed this healthy and tasty start to my day after my dinner at Canlis the night before.  I want to return here for dinner someday.

Canlis Restaurant: Happiness for a Few Hours

This is this place to come to when you want to experience a 4 star restaurant in NYC but you are in the Northwest.  The elegance, attention to detail, and memorable dishes make this one of those experiences that I want to return to but I'm scared it can never be like the first time.

I did not take any photos because I was alone and it just was not one of those places to take photos.  I arrived for a very early reservation but there were a couple of advantages like watching the guests arrive and seeing everyone in their finest clothing.  I was also able to experience the restaurant when it was quiet and I could hear the pianist from the bar who has been playing there for over 20 years.  He was mixing Sinatra with Beyonce and it worked really well.

I was seated in a booth and told that it was the same booth where Peter Canlis would conduct restaurant business when he was alive.  There was even a phone right to my left  that he would use to conduct that business and I was invited to use if I so felt the need.  I didn't use it and I wonder if anyone ever takes them up on that offer.  During his lifetime, the booth was only for Mr. Canlis except when special visitors like John Wayne would eat at the restaurant.

I ordered a cocktail (sans alcohol) called the Thom Yorke.  I don't remember the ingredients because I just saw the name and knew it right.  The meal took a couple of hours and I was able to enjoy the view over Lake Washington while watching the other diners around me.  I was taken by surprise but also impressed with the family at the table near me who prayed before they ate.  It reminded me of a Rockwell print we had in the house growing up of a mom and her son praying at a diner. 

The staff did an impeccable job walking me through the menu, giving suggestions and making sure I was always happy.  They started me with lemon sourdough bread and an amuse bouche of carrot curry soup.  I ordered a  four course meal and started with the Canlis salad.  I have read articles about this salad and heard it talked about on tv shows.  It was a given that I would order this.  The best part was how it was made at my table by Mark Canlis, the owner. We had a really lovely discussion about food, dining in the Northwest, and restaurants in NYC where he had connections.  This was a definite highlight of the night.  I know that salads can often be not that special but this one was very worth it.

I ate the pork belly with huckleberry.  I seem to always want pork belly especially when it's coupled with a fruit and it never fails to make me happy.  My main course was Sockeye salmon that was alive earlier that day.  I seem to only eat salmon when I'm in the Northwest and that is where it should be eaten.  The meal finished with  a Mille-feuille which was a cake with layers of milk chocolate, bananas, caramel and peanut butter.  Everything I love is in that dessert.

This meal is in that all time favorite category.  I'm happy I went on my own because I paid attention to so many things that I never would have if I had been otherwise distracted by good conversation.

Today the NY Times took away one star from Daniel because the service was preferential to the recognized critic and not to other diners, namely his friend at the other table.  I don't know if that happened when Trish, Mer and I visited in April 2012 but it was still one of my favorite meals in NYC.  I subsequently judged other 4 star restaurants to the service we received there because the bar was set so high.  I hope that all is smoothed out soon because it was a 4 star restaurant a year ago.

A Day of Seattle Favorites

I've had a couple of opportunities in my life to spend at least a month or two in Seattle.  This was the city I wanted to move to whenever I thought about where to next.  It currently is in battle with Portland for my affections but it's a city I jump to visit whenever possible.

I just happened to be there on National Doughnut day this year and my hotel was right down the street from Top Pot which wasn't planned at all.  I grabbed a couple to take into the office for some appreciative people.  I returned on Saturday to buy a dozen for Robin and Christian because the doughnuts are still loved even when you live an hour outside of Seattle.

I don't know why it took me so long to visit the Seattle Public Library even when my hotel was right across the street during an earlier visit.  It's a gorgeous building designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus.  It is worth a look when you have the opportunity.

I walked up to Capitol Hill to eat a late lunch at Bakery Nouveau which is unbelievable.  I loaded up on a little bit of everything and was properly impressed, especially with the double baked chocolate croissant.  My only wish was to have been there with Phor because she would have loved it as much if not more than me.

I walked over to my absolutely favorite clothing store - Totokaelo.  I first visited this place in Fremont in 2006 and it was my entrance drug into fine fashion.  The shop moved since my last visit and I was shocked by the vastness of the new space.  It's gorgeous and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the shoe wall.  I found the perfect pair for walking in a city.

And it is in an even better area because it's right by the Elliot Bay Bookstore which is another place I visit whenever I am in Seattle. It has the perfect combination of new and wholesale priced books.  I bought a couple by Don DeLillo and Evelyn Waugh that I would not have typically picked up.

tilth + hot cakes

After a few hours drive north, I was finally in Seattle.  This is one of the cities where I feel at home and it's very comfortable.  I checked into my hotel and immediately walked down to Pike's market to look at the flowers and bought a bag of Ranier cherries.

I took the bus to Fremont, walked around and then met up with Nada for dinner.  We drove over to Tilth where I was interested in eating because I've seen the chef so much on Top Chef.

The restaurant is in this cute house and the weather was warm enough for us to sit outside.  We had a difficult time deciding what to eat and I made Nada eat gluten which wasn't nice but necessary for what we could have missed out on.

We both immediately said yes to the Hors d'Oeurve which was mission fig, farmer's cheese and almond.  I didn't think it would come out looking like this but it was very good.

We had to get the mini duck burgers with fingerling chips.  Nada was amazed at the size of the chips and the fact that they were homemade.

I really wanted this - the house made ricotta gnudi with lardon, fava bean, pequin chili.  I love fava beans and am drawn to them on most menus.

Our last course was the slow cooked pork belly with spaetzel, rhubarb and arugula puree.  Pork belly and rhubarb belong with each other.

None of the desserts struck our fancy so we drove to Ballard to Hot Cakes.  I had read about this place and was super excited to eat here.

The place is essentially molton cakes made in little mason jars.  I had the Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate cake with peanut butter fudge.  It's as good as it sounds.  I went back with Robin on Sunday and tried the Salted Caramel Shake.  It again lived up to its promise.