I have told a number of people I could eat breakfast foods for every meal of every day. This would probably be rather unhealthy, but breakfast food is just about the best thing ever.
Needless to say, one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning (or early afternoon) is go to brunch with a friend. Today I went to Blue Star in Wallingford - one of my favorite breakfast grub spots. I love their potatoes and huge amount of choices for scrambles, omelettes, and various types of eggs benedict. I usually order the Eggs Seattle - basically an Eggs Benedict except the ham is swapped with smoked salmon.
Friday afternoon after trying to sleep away a nasty cough, I enjoyed breakfast at the Coastal Kitchen - a local favorite on Capital Hill. The Coastal Kitchen is unique because they regularly update their menu with foods influenced by various regional cuisines. On Friday, there were a number of dishes influenced by cuisine of Tunisia. They also serve breakfast till 3 PM daily, so it's my kind of place.
Other breakfast spots I have been known to frequent include Hales Ales (Fremont/Ballard), the Hi-Life (Ballard), Atlas Foods (U Village), 14 Carrot (Eastlake), the Varsity Inn (a total greasy spoon in Wallingford), and Chandlers (South Lake Union). I've been anxious to try brunch at Peso's in Lower Queen Anne - I certainly love their dinner.
For my fellow Seattleites - any favorite breakfast/brunch spots?
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Friday, October 17, 2008
Melted Chocolate Heaven
Last night I met friends for happy hour at Twist in Belltown. They have some great food specials, but it was hardly memorable after our next stop. After Twist, we migrated to the late night happy hour at The Melting Pot on Mercer in Lower Queen Anne.
This was my first experience with fondue. We shared the cheddar cheese fondue. The cheese was fantastic, warm and garlicky. They brought apples, veggies, and bread to dip in the melty ooey-gooey cheesy goodness (that sounds a little like a Taco Bell commercial, I apologize).
To follow-up the cheese fondue, we shared the pure milk chocolate dessert fondue. I will say, without hesitation, that this was the most amazing dessert I have had in my entire life. They brought out a plateful of pieces of brownie, pound cake, oreo-covered marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, and rice krispie treats. All to dip in the melted milk chocolate. Ahhh-may-zeeng. Whatever hippie thought up fondue must have a very prominent seat in heaven now. All three of us were giddy and giggly over the pleasure of our chocolate fondue.
I definitely want to make it back to the Melting Pot as soon as possible. And we vowed to start hosting our very own fondue parties. I also really enjoyed savoring each piece of food individually, instead of wolfing down a plate of pasta, or whatever I would have for dinner. Thinking about each piece and savoring it seems to be a better approach to eating than simply snarfing down whatever is available.
So if you have some time and love chocolate - try out The Melting Pot. Great for a girls night. And, Galen, we are so going when you are in Seattle!!!! Or making our own.
This was my first experience with fondue. We shared the cheddar cheese fondue. The cheese was fantastic, warm and garlicky. They brought apples, veggies, and bread to dip in the melty ooey-gooey cheesy goodness (that sounds a little like a Taco Bell commercial, I apologize).
To follow-up the cheese fondue, we shared the pure milk chocolate dessert fondue. I will say, without hesitation, that this was the most amazing dessert I have had in my entire life. They brought out a plateful of pieces of brownie, pound cake, oreo-covered marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, cheesecake, and rice krispie treats. All to dip in the melted milk chocolate. Ahhh-may-zeeng. Whatever hippie thought up fondue must have a very prominent seat in heaven now. All three of us were giddy and giggly over the pleasure of our chocolate fondue.
I definitely want to make it back to the Melting Pot as soon as possible. And we vowed to start hosting our very own fondue parties. I also really enjoyed savoring each piece of food individually, instead of wolfing down a plate of pasta, or whatever I would have for dinner. Thinking about each piece and savoring it seems to be a better approach to eating than simply snarfing down whatever is available.
So if you have some time and love chocolate - try out The Melting Pot. Great for a girls night. And, Galen, we are so going when you are in Seattle!!!! Or making our own.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Salsa Recipe, Upon Request
A coworker brought this delicious salsa into work, and I requested the recipe from her. I made the salsa for my family party, and had some requests to post the recipe here. Thanks to my coworker for the recipe. Enjoy!
Sweet and Spicy Salsa
1 – 15 oz can black-eyed peas (rinse thoroughly)
1 – 11 oz can shoe peg corn (drain)
1 to 1 ½ large chopped bell pepper (green, orange, yellow or a combination)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium jar pimentos (2 – 2 ½ inch tall jar), chopped
Marinade
¾ cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup olive oil (light)
3 – 4 tablespoons of Tiger Sauce (found with the BBQ sauces)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a large bowl, cover with marinade and refrigerate overnight. Scoop out salsa with slotted spoon to reduce liquid. Serve with “scoop” style tortilla chips.
Sweet and Spicy Salsa
1 – 15 oz can black-eyed peas (rinse thoroughly)
1 – 11 oz can shoe peg corn (drain)
1 to 1 ½ large chopped bell pepper (green, orange, yellow or a combination)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium jar pimentos (2 – 2 ½ inch tall jar), chopped
Marinade
¾ cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup olive oil (light)
3 – 4 tablespoons of Tiger Sauce (found with the BBQ sauces)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a large bowl, cover with marinade and refrigerate overnight. Scoop out salsa with slotted spoon to reduce liquid. Serve with “scoop” style tortilla chips.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Get in my Belly!
I was reading a review on Yelp of the new Cuban sandwich shop that will be moving into where Gordo's was up until last month (on Seaview Avenue at Shilshole Bay in Ballard). I saw someone's profile that said "I wish I were a picky eater then I wouldn't be so poor." I thought that was funny, and too true for those of us who love pretty much any kind of food except maybe pickled pigs feet. Though I guess some of you might like them too.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Ballard Seafood Fest
This past weekend was the 34th Annual Ballard Seafood Fest. Market Street is closed off to cars and Seattleites and Ballard folk come out to enjoy seafood and local vendors. Seafood Fest is always a lot of fun and is considerably less crowded than other Seattle events like the Bite.One of the best vendors is Vintage Ads, Prints, and Magnets, where you can find a huge variety of old print ads from newspapers and magazine. They have a great collection of vintage car ads. I also found another vendor, Hogan GlassWorks, selling beautiful and unique handcrafted glass jewelry.
I'm sure I'll be back at the Seafood Fest next year, maybe even to see the lutefisk eating contest!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Ballard Farmers Market
The Ballard Farmers Market operates every Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM and offers extensive fresh vegetable and fruit choices, along with organic soaps, locally-made wines, jewelry, honey, cheese, flowers, and more. Ballard Avenue starting at the old City Hall bell tower down to 22nd Avenue is closed off from cars during the Sunday Market.
On this past beautiful, sunny, warm Sunday, Ballard Avenue was packed with Seattle folk and the air richly intermixed with the aroma of flowers, herbs, crepes, fresh-baked bread, and soaps. The Ballard Farmers Market has been operating since 1999, when it split off from the Fremont Farmers Market.
On a previous trip to the Ballard Farmers Market, I found a pair of hand-painted porcelain earrings with a very Dutch Delft pottery look for only $10, along with a large bouquet of fresh flowers, gigantic snap peas, and some berry cider made by Rockridge Orchards in Enumclaw, Washington. This past Sunday, the ripe, sweet cherries were hard to pass up, so I bought a pound of those.
Hungry for lunch and a chance to enjoy the sunshine, we meandered our way south on Ballard Avenue, where we found a new restaurant (opened early 2008) called the Ballard Loft, with outdoor seating and many satisfied-looking patrons. The menu specialty was a variety of hot dogs and bratwursts, but I settled on the BBQ pork sandwich. It came with a fresh salad, side of coleslaw, and the hearty BBQ pork sandwich with a touch of horseradish and topped with pepperocinis. I enjoyed the food, but I think the warm sunshine and feel of a laid-back Sunday afternoon was more enjoyable.
The Ballard Farmer's market is a fun way to spend an afternoon and with so many restaurants and cafes around, it's easy to find something delicious to eat. Though I am interested to return to the Market on a cold, rainy December day to see how many Ballardites come out to enjoy the Market when the weather is not quite so nice.
Some other neighborhood Farmers Markets:
Fremont, Sundays 10-5 (summer hours)
Wallingford, May through September, Wednesdays 3-7 PM
Madrona, May through September, Fridays 3-7 PM
Queen Anne, June through September, Thursdays 3-7 PM
Fresh veggies galore!
The wall of an old brick building next to the Ballard Loft. Elgin Watches were some of the first American-made wrist watches sold in the United States. Founded in 1864, Elgin made watches until the 1960s (http://elginwatches.org/). Thanks to J. for taking this photo.
On this past beautiful, sunny, warm Sunday, Ballard Avenue was packed with Seattle folk and the air richly intermixed with the aroma of flowers, herbs, crepes, fresh-baked bread, and soaps. The Ballard Farmers Market has been operating since 1999, when it split off from the Fremont Farmers Market.
On a previous trip to the Ballard Farmers Market, I found a pair of hand-painted porcelain earrings with a very Dutch Delft pottery look for only $10, along with a large bouquet of fresh flowers, gigantic snap peas, and some berry cider made by Rockridge Orchards in Enumclaw, Washington. This past Sunday, the ripe, sweet cherries were hard to pass up, so I bought a pound of those.
Hungry for lunch and a chance to enjoy the sunshine, we meandered our way south on Ballard Avenue, where we found a new restaurant (opened early 2008) called the Ballard Loft, with outdoor seating and many satisfied-looking patrons. The menu specialty was a variety of hot dogs and bratwursts, but I settled on the BBQ pork sandwich. It came with a fresh salad, side of coleslaw, and the hearty BBQ pork sandwich with a touch of horseradish and topped with pepperocinis. I enjoyed the food, but I think the warm sunshine and feel of a laid-back Sunday afternoon was more enjoyable.
The Ballard Farmer's market is a fun way to spend an afternoon and with so many restaurants and cafes around, it's easy to find something delicious to eat. Though I am interested to return to the Market on a cold, rainy December day to see how many Ballardites come out to enjoy the Market when the weather is not quite so nice.
Some other neighborhood Farmers Markets:
Fremont, Sundays 10-5 (summer hours)
Wallingford, May through September, Wednesdays 3-7 PM
Madrona, May through September, Fridays 3-7 PM
Queen Anne, June through September, Thursdays 3-7 PM
Fresh veggies galore!
The wall of an old brick building next to the Ballard Loft. Elgin Watches were some of the first American-made wrist watches sold in the United States. Founded in 1864, Elgin made watches until the 1960s (http://elginwatches.org/). Thanks to J. for taking this photo.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Bite of Seattle
Last year was my first Bite of Seattle, and it was perhaps more Seattle-esque considering that it rained for a good part of the weekend. I realized this year that rain can help keep crowds away. The Bite of Seattle this year was July 18-20. I made it down to the Bite on Saturday evening around dinnertime. The crowds were massive and it was hard to maneuver through so many hungry Seattleites.
We opted for the new "Just a Bite" food options, where you can actually buy "bites" instead of entire entrees, which have become the norm at the Bite of Seattle over the past years. I chose some Thai bite options - pork and chicken satay, a small plate of Pad Thai, and spring rolls, all reasonably priced but nothing out of the ordinary. The strawberry shortcake was tasty as always, though the same shortcake you can find at Bumbershoot and other local Seattle festivals.
Next year I might forgo the Bite and avoid the overwhelming crowds and underwhelming food.
We opted for the new "Just a Bite" food options, where you can actually buy "bites" instead of entire entrees, which have become the norm at the Bite of Seattle over the past years. I chose some Thai bite options - pork and chicken satay, a small plate of Pad Thai, and spring rolls, all reasonably priced but nothing out of the ordinary. The strawberry shortcake was tasty as always, though the same shortcake you can find at Bumbershoot and other local Seattle festivals.
Next year I might forgo the Bite and avoid the overwhelming crowds and underwhelming food.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Triathlon Weekend
Similar to a triathlon, which consists of cycling, swimming, and running for specified distances, I spent a good portion of my weekend cycling, swimming, and hiking, though certainly not in any competitive manner.
After work on Friday, I packed my bike into a friend's truck and set off on the Burke Gilman trail, starting from Matthews Beach along Sand Point Way on Lake Washington. Matthew's Beach is a great starting point for cycling on the Burke Gilman trail - it has a large parking lot and requires no street riding to reach the trail. We biked at a leisurely pace all the way to Fremont, where we stopped for a short rest under the Fremont Bridge. After some shopping a few weeks ago, I was equipped with a bike bell, cycling gloves, and a front bike pouch for necessities on this ride. The temperature was in the mid- to upper-70s, so the air streaming gently past felt wonderful and the ride was great.
Saturday was even better. I spent the afternoon out on a friend's boat. It was perfect Seattle weather - bright blue cloudless skies and about 80 degrees. We motored from Ballard to south of I-90 where we turned off the boat and went for a swim, or a float, rather. I strapped on my life jacket for easy flotation and plunged into the surprisingly warm waters of Lake Washington. Though I know the lake water is not terribly clean, the water was delightfully warm and refreshing on the hot day. We finished up the day with a barbecue and even toasted marshmallows for s'mores while listening to neighbors light off M-80s (a little late for the Fourth, but whatever floats their boat). I am pretty sure I saw a shooting star, which reminds to me look up the dates for the Perseid meteor shower in August.
Late Sunday morning we set out for the short hike up to Rattlesnake Ledge, just outside of North Bend. The trailhead starts at Rattlesnake Lake, which we discovered is a very popular summer destination spot on a sunny day. With the car thermometer reading in the 80s, we knew it would be hot for those two miles in which we had to gain 1,100 feet elevation to reach the Ledge. We spent most of the trail in the trees, passing a few random large boulders and getting quick glimpses of Rattlesnake Lake as we climbed further above it. Huffing and puffing and feeling rather out of shape, I could feel my calf muscles stretching to push me up the steep incline. Getting a little discouraged by the steepness and lack of views, we hoped the hike would be worth it. As we emerged from the trees at Rattlesnake Ledge, the view was breathtaking.
Still a little shaky and exhausted from the steep switchbacks, we carefully peered 1,100 feet down to Rattlesnake Lake and out across Issaquah Valley, North Bend, and the Central Cascades towards Mount Washington and south to Chester Morse Lake, a prime source of Seattle water supply. Rattlesnake Lake looked turquoise from the distance and we could see tiny specks of people floating on the serene water. We could even spot the car in the parking lot thanks to the silver sun shades.
The hike was fun (minus one blister) and great exercise. But next time I think I will opt for a little longer hike with more gradual elevation gain and more views along the way. And maybe an alpine lake - those are my favorite.
To top off the weekend, we went to Chiso Sushi in Fremont for dinner on Sunday. The atmosphere in Chiso is very relaxed and the service quick. When we went there a few weeks ago, we sat at the sushi bar and watched the chef create many delectable-looking rolls. My personal favorite is their "crunchito roll" with tempura vegetables dipped in spicy red pepper, rolled in rice, and topped with crumbled tempura. Even my non-sushi-loving parents would like this roll. Délicieux!
It was a wonderful Northwest weekend. And thanks to my friends for being so much fun and ready for lots of activity!
Chester Morse lake in the distance, Rattlesnake Lake in the foreground.
Beautiful Cascade Mountains.
We stopped at Snoqualmie Falls on the way home. The power of water is impressive.
After work on Friday, I packed my bike into a friend's truck and set off on the Burke Gilman trail, starting from Matthews Beach along Sand Point Way on Lake Washington. Matthew's Beach is a great starting point for cycling on the Burke Gilman trail - it has a large parking lot and requires no street riding to reach the trail. We biked at a leisurely pace all the way to Fremont, where we stopped for a short rest under the Fremont Bridge. After some shopping a few weeks ago, I was equipped with a bike bell, cycling gloves, and a front bike pouch for necessities on this ride. The temperature was in the mid- to upper-70s, so the air streaming gently past felt wonderful and the ride was great.
Saturday was even better. I spent the afternoon out on a friend's boat. It was perfect Seattle weather - bright blue cloudless skies and about 80 degrees. We motored from Ballard to south of I-90 where we turned off the boat and went for a swim, or a float, rather. I strapped on my life jacket for easy flotation and plunged into the surprisingly warm waters of Lake Washington. Though I know the lake water is not terribly clean, the water was delightfully warm and refreshing on the hot day. We finished up the day with a barbecue and even toasted marshmallows for s'mores while listening to neighbors light off M-80s (a little late for the Fourth, but whatever floats their boat). I am pretty sure I saw a shooting star, which reminds to me look up the dates for the Perseid meteor shower in August.
Late Sunday morning we set out for the short hike up to Rattlesnake Ledge, just outside of North Bend. The trailhead starts at Rattlesnake Lake, which we discovered is a very popular summer destination spot on a sunny day. With the car thermometer reading in the 80s, we knew it would be hot for those two miles in which we had to gain 1,100 feet elevation to reach the Ledge. We spent most of the trail in the trees, passing a few random large boulders and getting quick glimpses of Rattlesnake Lake as we climbed further above it. Huffing and puffing and feeling rather out of shape, I could feel my calf muscles stretching to push me up the steep incline. Getting a little discouraged by the steepness and lack of views, we hoped the hike would be worth it. As we emerged from the trees at Rattlesnake Ledge, the view was breathtaking.
Still a little shaky and exhausted from the steep switchbacks, we carefully peered 1,100 feet down to Rattlesnake Lake and out across Issaquah Valley, North Bend, and the Central Cascades towards Mount Washington and south to Chester Morse Lake, a prime source of Seattle water supply. Rattlesnake Lake looked turquoise from the distance and we could see tiny specks of people floating on the serene water. We could even spot the car in the parking lot thanks to the silver sun shades.
The hike was fun (minus one blister) and great exercise. But next time I think I will opt for a little longer hike with more gradual elevation gain and more views along the way. And maybe an alpine lake - those are my favorite.
To top off the weekend, we went to Chiso Sushi in Fremont for dinner on Sunday. The atmosphere in Chiso is very relaxed and the service quick. When we went there a few weeks ago, we sat at the sushi bar and watched the chef create many delectable-looking rolls. My personal favorite is their "crunchito roll" with tempura vegetables dipped in spicy red pepper, rolled in rice, and topped with crumbled tempura. Even my non-sushi-loving parents would like this roll. Délicieux!
It was a wonderful Northwest weekend. And thanks to my friends for being so much fun and ready for lots of activity!
We made it to the top - and the view was amazing!
A panorama of the Central Cascades from Rattlesnake Ledge.
A photomerge of Rattlesnake Lake - can you see the people 1,100 feet below?
A panorama of the Central Cascades from Rattlesnake Ledge.
A photomerge of Rattlesnake Lake - can you see the people 1,100 feet below?
Chester Morse lake in the distance, Rattlesnake Lake in the foreground.
Beautiful Cascade Mountains.
We stopped at Snoqualmie Falls on the way home. The power of water is impressive.
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