Happy Holiday Weekend...

I'm late to the well-wishing happy holidays weekend posts. I started to write yesterday but was too tired to turn words into sentences so gave in to a nap instead. Filled with food, wine and conversation, the few days prior drained me of an ability to do anything productive. I spent the majority of those days with my boyfriend's family--a smart, lively and active bunch that's full of fun, opinions, life and love for each other.

Thanksgiving is not a one day celebration for this group. It starts with a smaller (and by smaller I mean 15 people) family dinner the Wednesday before, includes the holiday itself and ends with a hike the day after. This year was especially significant because it served as a memorial for my boyfriend's grandfather. I only knew him briefly but admired him, his life and feel comfortable saying that I'm pretty sure he helped instill a long list of admirable qualities in each member of his clan.

For the Wednesday night fete, my boyfriend made an amazing vegetarian lasagna. It was layered with homemade tomato sauce, noodles, a mixture of Ricotta, leeks, peppers and mushrooms and heavy handfuls of mozzarella and Parmesan. It was delicious. It went well with a perfect spinach, apple-flecked salad someone whipped up out of nowhere and the Petite Syrah I was sipping.

Veggie lasagna, ready for the baking.

We left a tad early so we could hit Met Market for some last minute Thanksgiving shopping. We were bringing hors d'oeurves for 40 and hadn't started a thing. My boyfriend still needed to buy everything for the spicy cauliflower soup shots and braised lamb pizettas he was planning. I'd done most of my shopping for the gougeres I was making, but needed the makings of the pomegranate ginger prosecco cocktail I decided I wanted to serve them with after reading this post from Lean with Green, the blog my friends Melissa and Lacy pen together.

We spent the next morning frantically grating, chopping, pureeing and baking so we could make it to his grandmother's place in time to help turn the barn into a dining room and set up for the day's festivities, which in addition to eating, include baseball golf, round robin ping pong and singing.

We finished plating our snacks while everyone made their way in from baseball golf. I think our contributions turned out pretty well. The cauliflower soup shots had a nice bite and good texture, and the gougeres (which I've made a couple of times using this Jacques Pepin recipe) were fluffy and full of cheese flavor.

Taking to the field for baseball golf.

Gougeres and Prosecco cocktails.

But my boyfriend's lamb pizettas were hands down amazing. He braised the lamb overnight and made a reduction of the braising liquid. He cut Greek pita into small, bite-sized circles and toasted it before adding a topping that consisted of the uber tender lamb, the reduction and a dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with Siracha. They were a hit and served as an amuse bouche for dinner and the incredibly touching slide show that illustrated the full, adventurous life his grandfather lived.

Little lamb pizettas.

Dinner in the barn came after the slide show and conversation, and was followed by a ceremony by the pond on their property, dessert and round robin ping pong (which I like to think I'm slowly but surely improving at). It was one of the most memorable holidays I've had and was filled with amazing people, tradition, food, wine and laughter.

I went into the long weekend missing my own clan but thankful for a lot. My family...my health...my job...my friends...relationships with the people I care about...the happy feeling I get in my belly when I think about the future and what's ahead. And I closed the day even more thankful, feeling lucky to have spent the holiday surrounded by a huge group of warm, interesting people. (Not to mention incredibly full, since dinner apparently wasn't enough and we decided to turn what remained of that braised lamb into quesadillas that made for a perfect late night movie-watching snack.)

I hope you all had lovely holiday weekends.

Matt's in the Market: A Weekday Lunch at its Best

Non-regimented days off are ideal in my world. Days I wake up a little later than usual and smile when I realize that I can fall back asleep if I so choose. Days I don't have to get up with the rest of the world. Days I know I don't have to do anything I don't really want to. Those days are even better when they're Fridays, because I know if I didn't get enough nothing done the day before, I have the rest of the weekend to make up for it.

I spent a recent one of those days sleeping in just late enough to wake up without an alarm and rested enough to hit the gym before meeting one of my nearest and dearest for a Friday lunch. She works downtown, is lucky enough to be within walking distance of the market, and was kind enough to trek over in the rain to spend a portion of her busy day catching up over a long leisurely meal at Matt's in the Market.

I took advantage of my lax schedule and got there early ('cause she'd attest I never am), holding down our table and taking in the small, quaint and decidedly Seattle dining room and bar. I probably looked like a bit of a crazy, smiling to myself as I watched the the tables fill up with casually chic but unique diners debating orders consisting of good, fresh ingredients.


We took our time ordering and started with cold, crisp glasses of Sauvignon Blanc, a standard of sorts for the two of us. We recounted our weeks (mine already done and hers almost there), trading war stories that made the house chips and dip--crisp, salted homemade potatoes served with a rich onion dip--seem necessary.

The second or third time our server politely interrupted our convo to see if we were ready to order I decided on a seafood cake sandwich that was served on potato bread with a remoulade. Good, but the salad I got with it was better. Served with toasted pumpkin seeds, blue cheese and a garlic vinaigrette, it was everything I look for in a plate of greens (or anything else really)--nutty with some richness and acidity to balance it all out.

We lingered over lunch, filling each other in on things that were stressing us out across the board, asking each other questions and genuinely caring about the answers. She's the kind of friend you spend 30 seconds talking small stuff with before you find yourself spilling relationship details, family headaches, the future, worries, hopes--all of it. And it's not just chatter--you really talk.

I felt bad for keeping her so long, but the best part was she sincerely didn't mind. It wasn't that she didn't or doesn't care about her job (she's one of the most dedicated people I know); it was more that for that hour and a half her attention was undivided.

We both just knew that the best thing we could be doing with that time was exactly what we were doing. Catching up. Laughing. Relishing a Friday and realizing that in the grand scheme of things, we're actually pretty lucky. It was the best possible way I can think of spending that afternoon off. And the good food? Well, to be honest, it was kind of an added bonus in this case.

Columbia Crest Nabs Top Spot in Wine Spectator Rankings

Big news in the local wine world today. Or at least it seems as much given pretty much all of my local RSS feeds are abuzz with word that Wine Spectator magazine deemed Columbia Crest's 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the "No. 1 Wine in the World" in its latest Top 100 list.

The list has been an annual thing since 1988, and this is the first time a Washington winery has taken the top spot. It's based on quality (score), value (release price), availability and "excitement." They apparently paid more attention to value than previous years given the current economic situation and chose the local bottle out of 17,000 releases the editors tasted in '09. More info here and here.

It seemed a decent deal for the top pick, so I was going to take a lunch break (a rarity for me) to grab a couple of bottles--one to make a low key night later this weekend feel a tad more special and one for a holiday gift. Silly me--it's sold out, of course. Columbia Crest made 5,000 cases, and they obviously went quickly.

Nonetheless, I think it's sweet to see a Washington winery featured prominently.

Anyone tried it?

To Zig Zag, with love, from Drink.

When I was in Boston visiting family earlier this fall, I treated my little siblings to a few nights out. We started one of those nights indulging at Sibling Rivalry and ended it with cocktails at Drink, a hip little bar on Congress. It's the kind of place that's the perfect amount of crowded (thanks to the doorman, also known as Joey Bag of Doughnuts), has a cool candlelit ambiance and drinks that are for real.

I'd first come across the spot in a Bon Appetit article featuring the bartender, Misty Kalkofen. She's got kind of a cool story, getting into bartending by way of Harvard Divinity School (slinging cocktails to fund her education). Misty was actually working the night we went in, and I couldn't resist asking if it was her and about the article. She laughed, admitted it and gave us the scoop on photo shoot. She was totally friendly, amazingly cool and mixed me one of the best cocktails I've ever had. (No clue what it was called, something with gin and Chartreuse, which sounds not so great but was actually oh so great.) When we told her we were from Seattle, she lit up, asking if we'd ever been to Zig Zag and if we'd ever met Murray.

We answered, well yes, of course we'd been to Zig Zag, and that no, we'd never met Murray but know him as a local legend of sorts. Things get a tad fuzzy from there, but the night essentially ended with this:

• My boyfriend and little brother sampling some of Drink's finest Chartreuse and Mescal with Misty and the staff.
• Misty signing a $20 bill that we promised to deliver to Zig Zag on her and Drink's behalf.
• Us leaving feeling like the coolest kids in school.

We finally delivered on our promise last week and headed to Zig Zag for after-work drinks with Kate (the Violet in Orange Violet) and Joe, a couple of friends who absolutely love and make a habit out of frequenting the place. We met Murray himself, handed over the $20 along with our story, and he laughed as soon as my boyfriend uttered "Boston."

Murray then explained more about how the money trading started. It's apparently a thing the two bars, on opposite sides of the country, have had going for awhile. They send customers going from Seattle to Boston and vice-versa to each other's spot, sharing business and stories in the process. So cool. He genuinely seemed to appreciate our participating.

The whole thing was one of the more memorable exchanges I've had in Seattle. Loved it, and partaking with people I knew would dig it as much as I did made it all the better.

The lovely Orange Violet has the play-by-play and the photos, including one of Murray, here.

Welcome to the 'hood: Toulouse Petit

I call a little apartment in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne (LQA) neighborhood home for the time being. I like that pretty much anything I need is accessible by foot. A ten minute walk will get me to a handful of coffee shops (Caffe Ladro or Uptown Espresso are my cups of choice), grocery stores (I'm semi-embarrassed about how much of my paycheck Met Market gets), a few dry cleaners (convenient, because I am awful at ironing), nail salons, a post office...and Bartell's for pretty much everything else.

There's also of course a bunch of bars and decent restaurants, but not a lot of spots I get really excited about. Sure, I'm fine grabbing a cocktail at the Sitting Room, having a glass of wine and an appetizer at Ten Mercer's bar or taking some Panang curry from Tup Tim Thai to go. But I think LQA has been in bad need of a new spot for a better, sit down meal for awhile.

Lucky for me (and my neighbors), Toulouse Petit--a French Quarter inspired restaurant/lounge--opened it's doors this week. I've been walking by this place for the past year, peering in the big windows and trying to get a glimpse of what was going on in there. Now I know. Good, good things have been happening in that green, stucco-painted building.

My boyfriend and I slid into a big wooden booth for a late dinner on the place's second night open, and I was ready to claim it as our new neighborhood spot (though, come to think of it, I guess we never really had an old neighborhood spot) as soon as my drink hit the table. (A pretty Kir Royale in a flute so big that I saw the champagne and creme de cassis blending in front of me. Fun.)

The place is pretty and big. We took in the mosaic tiles, dark wood, big windows and textured walls in between slurps of oysters from the half shell that were served with a spicy remoulade that tasted like cocktail sauce but thicker, tangier and better. They also came with a mignonette, but all I got from it was a vinegar taste that did nothing for me. We followed the oysters with shrimp cakes that were crisp but not crunchy, almost like they'd been broiled versus pan-fried. I swore I tasted a hint of mustard in the sauce that accompanied the cakes and the little greens on top of them. Delicious.

Almost as delicious as the duck confit we shared as an entree. We debated the steak frites but somehow decided a duck leg rendered in its own fat and served over lentils would be a less indulgent choice for a 10:00p.m. dinner. (Logical, I know.) Probably not the case, but I didn't care either way because this thing was amazing. The duck was crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. The lentils were the perfect texture of soft but not mushy and soaked up a gravy like sauce that helped a slight, sweet flavor (cinnamon, I think) sing. I couldn't do dessert but saw beignets on the menu so will undoubtedly be giving them a go during my next trip (I love you friend dough). I'd also like to try the crab appetizer served over fried green tomatoes, the lamb burger and the charcuterie.

All in all, I'm an early but big fan. Kudos to Brian Hutmacher (who also owns Pesos) and team for taking their time and turning the space into something special. My biggest hope is that the late night Pesos crowd doesn't claim Toulouse Petit as a second spot on their bar hopping docket. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to having afterwork cocktails, dinners with the girls, Sunday brunches and steak frites with pan veal sauce just steps away.

What's your favorite neighborhood spot?

Delancey Family Supper Series

Seattle Magazine's Lorna Yee spread the good word today about a new Family Supper Series Delancey is hosting. The idea is to use their cute little space to host a family-style, reservations-only, prix-fixe dinner with optional pairings.

A couple of weeks back I posted here about how in love I am with this place, and this sounds like the perfect occasion for round two. The first dinner is Nov. 17, and the menu includes oysters, mussels, braised rabbit and an Heirloom apple tart.

They're taking reservations via e-mail at delanceyseattle@gmail.com. I shot them a note tonight and am crossing fingers and toes I'm not too late to snag two spots. For more info and a more detailed overview of the menu, see Yee's post here.

Smitten Kitchen's Salted Brown Butter Cripy Treats

Deb of Smitten Kitchen's post on Rice Krispie Treats last week left me craving gooey squares of marshmallow goodness. And when Deb mentioned this specific recipe making a quick but special treat for something like a Saturday party I thought, "Huh, is she talking to me, 'cause I need something to bring to my friend's Oregon vs. Stanford get together this Saturday? How did she know?"

OK, so I know she was not talking to just me (evident from the nearly 300 comments on the post), but the recipe did do the trick yesterday. I'm a big fan of Rice Krispie Treats in general (seriously, I'll even eat the single serving prepackaged ones), but these guys were special.

Made with sea salt and brown butter, they have a salty, nutty thing going on that tastes great with the sweet marshmallow. And they're still super easy to make. Though I did learn that you have to watch a pot of browning butter very, very closely. (Deb gave some words of caution on that bit; I just should have read that portion of the post a tad more carefully.)

I took a couple of pictures, but my camera is functionally challenged at the moment so the one at the top is about the only shot worth sharing. You can't see the grains of sea salt sprinkled over the top, but they did add a little something.

Sweet, salty, chewy, crunchy and definitely worth a try. Thanks for reading my mind, Deb.

The Counter

A few weeks back a girl I work with mentioned The Counter, a new burger place at Ballard Blocks. She’d gone on a Sunday (presumably after a night out; though she didn’t spill) and was a fan. Burgers aren’t really on my regular brunch rotation but seemed like the best possible choice last weekend for me and a friend—two girls who found themselves tired, starving and all around lazy the day after Halloween.

The company that owns it is California-based, and their whole thing is letting you take the wheel. You get a clipboard and pencil and go about checking boxes to make your own custom combination in the form of a traditional beef, chicken or veggie burger. You choose cheeses (everything from standard cheddar to herb cheese spread), toppings (dried cranberries to the standard lettuce and tomatoe) sauces (aioli, soy ginger glaze, onion marmalade and more) and a couple of varities of buns (or English Muffins, if you prefer). You can also do a burger bowl if that’s your thing, but I figure if I’m going to take on an actual burger I might as well go all the way and get the carbs.

It was a lot decision making for a Sunday morning. (You can also choose from about a handful of pre-determined options, but that seemed wrong.) I went with beef, jalapeno jack cheese, lettuce, Bermuda red onion, bacon, roasted chiles, dill pickles and horseradish mayo. Random with no rhyme or reason, but it worked out. Pretty well actually. We shared their fifty-fifty too—a side of onion straws and sweet potato fries.

I had a round of Bravo reruns for dessert and was a normal, productive person again in no time.