Sprung for Spring Hill

In the last few years, West Seattle has started to shed its sleepy reputation and evolved into a distinct and vibrant neighborhood. Nowhere is that more noticeable than along the Junction; home to some of West Seattle's best restaurants and shops to check out. Spring Hill is a welcome addition to the strip.

Located at California and Oregon (funny cross streets... maybe call it Jefferson Junction?), Spring Hill comes to us from Mark Fuller and his wife Marjorie. Mark's a graduate of the renowned Culinary Institute of America and served as the head chef at Tom Douglas' Dahlia Lounge. Mark moved on to open Spring Hill to showcase his take on the haul that the Pacific Northwest and all points north could provide. With glowing recent reviews, a visit to Spring Hill was on the docket.

The theme of the menu is geared towards all the great stuff that is available to us locally. Shellfish from Washington, beef from Oregon, fish from Alaska, all are meant to utilize the bounty of our local farmers and fishermen. Armed with this knowledge, we were excited and curious from the local buzz, we looked forward to our dinner at Spring Hill.

The small dishes we started with were the bread & butter and the beef hot & cold. Warm, fresh rolls with a butter spiked with sea salt. Sounds basic and simple, but the taste is anything but. Too bad it wasn't on the house. The beef steak hot & cold was a fun idea; hot side is a grilled piece of ribeye with a strong, smoky flavor; the cold side is raw steak tartare and it's explosion of beefy flavor. All in all, off to a nice start.

The next dish that came to us were a pair of Kushi oysters and Olympia oysters. We love oysters, which is funny, because growing up I couldn't stand them. Now? Give me more. Both oysters were small in size, but that's not a bad thing with oysters; with the potential for so much flavor, don't hold the size against them. We knew Olympia from our experience having them from Mashiko's down the street, and they delivered their briny goodness. Kushi we knew less about, but it's already vaulted to our favorite bivalve. The brine is nice, but the finish is where it's at; creamy, buttery, and awesome. If you see these on a menu, order them.

The Manila clams were excellent as well. In the dish was diced pork belly and lemon mayo. The olive oil grilled bread was a nice touch and great for dipping. The key to any good clam or mussel dish is the broth. And this one was great. A bit of spice and great flavor from all the ingredients. Two courses down, main course to go.

Out came the trout. The trout was nice; soft, sweet and subtle flavor. The skin was nice and crisp too. Don't be afraid to have fish skin! However the highlight of the dish wasn't the fish (although quite good), it was the spaetzle. They call it 'crispy little dumplings'. And it was awesome. This was a nice dish, get a good-sized portion of fish and the dumplings.

I love duck. It's sweet, juicy and full of flavor; it's something I'll always order if I see it on a menu. Spring Hill does the bird justice. It's a duck breast that's been sliced and is suitably undercooked, perfect for duck. The brightness of the orange mustard sauce was a nice touch. Great flavor and perfectly prepared. And the quinoa biscuit that comes with it? Genius! This was really good. Luckily you get a side of duck with it.

As for dessert? Sadly, wasn't able to partake in dessert this evening. With a couple of courses already, a bottle of Lange Pinot Noir and a fair share of starch, we limped across the finish line. but the race was definitely worth it.

If you find yourself looking to have a great dinner, make a date to go check out Mark Fuller's talent on full display at Spring Hill. I have no doubt that it will evolve into one of the finest restaurants in Seattle and is the fountainhead for the neighborhood. Much as Canlis represents the best of Queen Anne, Cafe Juanita to Kirkland, Sitka & Spruce to Eastlake; Spring Hill will represent the best of West Seattle.

Photo courtesy of Ross Mantle and The Seattle Times

Spotlight on Salumi

Of Seattle's food destinations, Salumi would be on that list. With good reason too. Its modest storefront on the edge Pioneer Square welcomes visitors from all over the world craving good food. Much has been written about Salumi from writers much better than myself, so instead we'll talk about their sublime Agrumi Salumi,

I discovered Agrumi before a trip to the Upper One of Alaska. I wanted to grab some salumi as a gift, because who doesn't love cured meats? Even vegetarians break for the right kind. Salumi opens at 11am, and I made my way around 10:45. And yup, the line was already starting. By the time Armandino Batali opened his doors, we were 30 deep. Glad I got their early. If you're at the back of the line the wait is worth it. Sandwich suggestion? Get the Porchetta and thank me later.

As I rummaged through the cured meats, I asked about one called Agrumi. I was told that it was a new flavor incorporating citrus and cardamon. Citrus? In salumi? I gave it a shot, and I was sprung. The flavor of the citrus is restrained and delicate. Softly touching on your palette with a slight zing. It's already my favorite of theirs and that's saying something.

Thankfully you don't have to wait in the lines to grab some. You can order some through their website and Metropolitan Market also carries Salumi at some of their deli counters.

And the folks that I gave it to in Alaska? They were in cured meat heaven as well.

A taste of the Caribbean in the land of the Scandinavian

As mentioned on the excellent MyBallard blog, Paseo has recently opened along Shilshole. If you're familiar with the Paseo location in Fremont you know how popular this place can be. It's great to know that there is a second location in Seattle to get your fill on Paseo's sublime Midnight Cuban sandwich, and other goodies like their chicken and prawns.

Go now! You'll love it! Couple of tips; grab lots of napkins, things can get messy. And bring cash. The prices are great, so twenty or thirty bucks should be good for two. Also, don't be disappointed if down the road, they'll be closed when they'd normally be open. The folks at Paseo Fremont like to take vacations. And they close early when they run out of food. Which is often.

Comfort Food Science Fair

In Ballard along 15th is a food spot that brings some of the most decadent and tasty burgers and comfort food in the city. The spot is Lunchbox Laboratory. And we are thankful for Scott Simpson and Allegra Waggener bringing it to us. Our tastebuds appreciate it.

The main draw at Lunchbox Laboratory is burgers; from making it your way or trying their 'daily experiments' the options are limitless. There is an array of meats, cheese, extras, sauces, and more to choose from. Scott's Daily Experiments are not to be missed. They are combinations that the chef has concocted that go well together; the names are rad too. Definitely try the Dork! It's ground pork and duck and the two distinct flavors work really well together. The veggie could either be a falafel/quinoa blend or a portabello mushroom. Just go and try it; you'll love the burgers.

The Lab also has great dinner and brunch options. Because comfort food is Chef Simpson's specialty you'll find one of the better Mac 'n Cheese in town. And the biscuits and gravy for brunch are awesome. And we can't forget the shakes and drinks. The flavors for the shakes are so, so good; nutella, Boston cream pie, and green tea sit next to the standards. And the sodas are stuff you wouldn't find at any burger place. Dublin Dr. Pepper and Mexican coke are available.

Lunchbox Laboratory is a very unique place that is an assault on all your senses! In a good way of course. From the food to the decor to the sassy service, the experience at the Lab is something else. And bring your appetite, you'll be full in no time. You'll love every minute of it.

Wining and dining with Stephen Tanzer

Last weekend, my friend Julie invited me to this really cool event a wine dude from Microsoft organized. It was an evening eating and drinking with acclaimed wine writer, Stephen Tanzer. The event was to taste 10 of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that Washington could produce. I knew I had to attend; how often do opportunities where you can drink great wine and learn a ton happen?

David Hamilton was the guy that organized this event, and it was awesome. It was located at the wonderful Art of the Table restaurant in Wallingford. I could go on and on about how great the food was, but I'll save that for another time, as Chef Dustin Ronspies has some great themes ahead for dinner. I'm looking forward to going back for the Julia Childs' dinner. Chef Dustin is a really cool guy and all the praise Art of the Table is getting is well deserved.

But yes, the wine and Steve. Every summer, Steve visits Washington to do some tastings and check out the pulse of the industry as he preps for his renowned wine articles. He tries a ton of stuff from all sorts of different producers. He wanted to have an event to taste the absolute best that Washington can produce, which brought us to that evening. Five Cabs and five Syrahs. All were excellent and with Steve's expertise, we were able to understand the unique differences of these wines and the future of the Washington wine industry.

In tasting, Steve looks for two main things; aromatic complexity and definition of flavor. I thought this was cool. It's easy to drink wine, but with tasting having a game plan helps out in appreciating wine. He also mentioned some exciting producers that he was surprised by. From Gramercy to Long Shadows, Trust to Va Piano, even our friends at aMaurice, these were all wineries to keep an eye on.

For the Cabernet, my personal favorite was the 2004 Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was an utterly brilliant wine that felt like silk on my palette. From the full, lush nose, to the clean and long lasting finish. This was a wine that as Steve mentioned, 'is a classic expression of Walla Walla.' The wine was spicy, slightly acidic thus making it a great food wine. And the soft tannins made it easily drinkable. Here was a cool way that Steve mentioned accounting for tannins; think about them as grains. Are the grains fine? Smooth and elegant? Or are they granular? Chunky and bold? Things to consider.

The Leonetti was excellent. Not surprising as they have always been one of the finest purveyors of Washington Wine. Plus, winemaker Chris Figgins is a supersmart and talented dude.

I was really looking forward to the Syrah tasting. I haven't drank as much Syrah as I used too. For a stretch it was the 'in' grape; much like how it used to be Merlot, now it is Pinot. So there were a ton of Syrah out there, and I slowly started to try other wines. But the Syrah that we drank were all great. Very different from the Syrah that I use to drink (or was I just drinking some inconsistent stuff?). A really cool thing that Steve mentioned is that the best is yet to come for Washington Syrah.

Of the Syrah's we tasted, my personal favorite was the 2006 Betz La Serenne Columbia Valley Syrah. This was an excellent wine. Bob Betz always comes through with great wines and this was no exception. It had a smoky nose with hints of tobacco and meat. It rolls along the palette with a ton of body and finishes with a nice lushness that goes on and on. Couple this with the malolactic fermentation, this was a wine with a ton of mouthfeel. I really did love this wine, it reminded me of late summer. I don't know how to quantify that, but it just felt like late summer, the enjoyment of looking back and the hope of looking forward.

Betz Family Winery is considered one of the best of Washington, and this Syrah proves that. Another cool thing is that Bob Betz has always been supportive of retail, in other words, it shouldn't be too hard to find this wine, he always makes sure to allocate wine to his friends in retail.

Here were the other wines on the menu, all were excellent:

• 2005 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Valley Syrah
• 2005 Waters Forgotten Hills Walla Walla Valley Syrah
• 2005 K Vintners Walls Walla Walla Valley Syrah
• 2004 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah
• 2005 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2005 Abeja Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2005 Chateau Rollat Edouard de Rollat Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2004 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

So yeah, we had a great time tasting some truly awesome wines. Thanks David for organizing. Thanks Julie for inviting me! And thanks Steve! For dropping the knowledge and teaching us the potential and greatness of Washington wine.

Bite of Seattle

Along with the Northwest Folklife Festival in May and Bumbershoot in September, the Bite of Seattle is part of the triumvirate of community events at Seattle Center. The Bite hits the good folks of Seattle in July and it's the city's crowning achievement of food, gluttony, excess, and awesomeness. The Bite has always been one of my favorite events, and as I've gotten older I've grown to appreciate it even more.

The beauty of nostalgia has deepened the colors for me when it comes to the Bite. When I was younger my family would always go and I loved it! In my mind, Seattle Center was this huge massive grounds, there were food vendors everywhere, it wasn't anywhere near as crowded as it is now, and we would be there until the sun would set. It's a little different now, mostly in that it's super crowded and there are really only about four dozen food vendors there

The vibe at the Bite has definitely changed in recent years. Is that bad? No, if anything it's different, and the glow of my memory only enhances my appreciation of the event. It's a chance for many to wear their 'Bite outfit' they've been saving all summer. It's a chance to walk around with friends and feel important. And you can eat till your more full than you could imagine.

My favorite thing to eat when I was younger were the Filet Mignon sandwiches from Metropolitan Grill. I loved those things. These were one of the things I most looked forward to as I got out of school. Sadly, The Met no longer participates in the Bite, but scores of other great places offer new discoveries.

What are some of your favorite foods at the Bite of Seattle? Is it the roasted corn? Funnel Cakes? Shiskaberries? No matter what, all of these are the right choice!

Setting the bar

"Good things happen when you sit at the bar."

So she says during our recent dinner at Steelhead Diner. And it's factually correct, sitting at the bar of an open kitchen is truly awesome. You're in the midst of all the action, you're able to talk with the line, chat with the chef, and who knows? You might be surprised what you can learn about your experience.

When you have the chance to sit at the bar take it! For instance, this weekend at Steelhead Diner, we eagerly walked up to the counter outside of Chef Kevin Davis' open kitchen. We've always wanted to do this, especially there, but never have, so seeing a bunch of open seats we had to seize the opportunity.

But it's not just a Steelhead Diner thing; people all across town are noticing that sitting at the counter in an open kitchen is the 'cool' thing to do. You'll have a great time with your fellow patrons, the other people sitting at the counter will often be regulars; they'll tell you ins and outs of what to order, trivia, and even gossip!

As mentioned on Nancy Leson's All You Can Eat blog, there a ton of places all across Seattle where you'll happily sit on rotating chairs.

It's a great experience and one you should take at any restaurant or bar. Again, you'll have to trust me on this one. You'll love the experience. You'll even start to wonder what the big deal is about sitting in a booth.

Celebrity Roast

I love roast chicken. Love it. What's not to love; rich flavor, moist meat, basically everything you love about chicken is amplified. Great in its simplicity, but like most things that are simple can be incredibly challenging. Cook too long, you get cardboard. Cook too short, hello food poisoning. But that middle point of perfection is one of the best things you'll ever eat. Roast chicken is the star of the show at any dinner.

Some interesting notes on roast chicken:

Le Pichet/Cafe Presse

Listed both as they are sister restaurants, but they are slightly different, mostly in the experience. Le Pichet is whimsical, playful, with an old world energy, while Cafe Presse is energetic, urban, vibrant. The feel at both places pass onto the dining experience. When you order their chicken expect to wait an hour. It's worth it. The chicken will be quartered off for you and you'll get a healthy portion of fries at Cafe Presse and Le Pichet will have some veggies and maybe polenta to accompany it. And for dessert definitely make sure to order the Chocolat Chaud. It's so good it's not even on the menu. Another insider tip from your friend Frank.

Heston Blumenthal Search for Roast Chicken Perfection

In the molecular gastronomy world there are a gaggle of renowned chefs doing their thing. Folks such as Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria (I'll be writing more about him soon...) and more, Heston Blumenthal is doing his thing at his renowned restaurant, The Fat Duck. What's unique about his roast chicken is that he cooks his for about 4-6 hours at 60 degrees Celsius. You read that right. 60 Celsius (about 140 Fahrenheit) how is this possible you ask? Doesn't the internal temperature of chicken need to be 165? Conventionally speaking, yes. But molecular gastronomy is about breaking walls of food through science and technique. What Chef Blumenthal does is keep the chicken roasting at 60 continuously, as in there isn't waves to the temperature. His ovens pump over those four hours at a steady temp. For our pedestrian ovens, the heat fluctuates and reaches an average that achieves that temperature. Tricky. And yes, I want to try it.

Costco Rotisserie Chicken

The seasoned rotisserie chicken at Costco is unbelievable. And it's only five bucks! It's super flavorful and will yield at least a couple of meals out of it. You can also use the bones and scrap meat to make broth. Another great thing that Costco does with their chicken at the end of the day is make soup and chicken salad. Great way to reuse the meat. The tricky thing with going to Costco is that the trip will easily cost you $100 in the end. This is also known as The Costco Effect. An example; one time we were at Costco to grab water. That's it water. But as we're walking past the butcher counter I mention that people were waiting for the chicken. So that peaked our interest. As we wait for the next round of chicken to be ready we decide to mosey over to the books and DVDs. That wait ended up costing us another $100.

But back to the chicken, since it's rotisserie, it rotates on a spit and self-bastes to stay moist. The chicken is always perfectly cooked and seasoned and will make you want to eat it then and there. When you grab yours, make sure to grab a plastic bag to put it in, careful as it may leak. Also, the trussing they use is a bit tricky to take off when you're ready to eat, so make sure to cut it away and pull it off, the wings are the tricky part.

There you have it; my soliloquy to the glory of roast chicken. Trust me, I could go on even more, but we'll save that for another post.

Oh yeah, wine pairings. Because of it's richness, something with a nice bit of acidity would be great to have with it. For whites, a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc or Washington Riesling would be perfect. And don't exclude reds as the bold flavors of roast chicken could stand up to some reds. French Beaujolais or Oregon Pinot Noir, even Washington Cab would make a great match.

Whole buncha good food

Tucked away in the back of the Westlake Whole Foods is a food gem. If you're into getting good food for cheap prices. Walk past the produce and in front of the butcher and fish counters lies the SeaSmoke Cafe.

I must admit in my first few visits to Whole Foods I didn't know what to make of the cafe. There was a grill, a range, seating, pretty much a tiny 8-seat restaurant. But I used to always walk by it. Then my friend Jen, extolled its virtues. She gushed praise and talked about how much she loved grabbing lunch or dinner there. She described the experience; go to the fish or butcher areas, grab the serving you want and the SeaSmoke cook will make it to order. Seems simple enough, but I still never tried it; chalking it up to a weird idea that I couldn't really understand.

One day, we gave it a shot and now we are fans. Basically, everything Jen mentioned is spot on. You ask for whatever you like at the counters and bring it to the cooks. Choose your sides and you're rolling. One time, we grabbed a lamb loin chop and a calamari steak. You pay for the precooked weight of the food. For the two items; seven bucks. Sides are $2.99 for two. So in total two entrees along with two sides each only set us back $14.19. Holy smokes is that a deal.

You can try out anything; ribeye, crab cakes, dover sole, chicken sausage, kabobs, they'll make anything! And again it's affordable and made to order.

Trust me you should visit. Others around Seattle know about this foodie hideway.

Up in yo Grill at Joule

This summer, Joule will be doing something really cool. Every Sunday, they'll be hosting an Urban BBQ with a different theme as the week starts anew. What's cool is that they are treating it like one big family picnic; live music, kids encouraged to come, affordable prices ($3-12), there is no reason not to visit this Wallingford gem.

Went to Joule for Valentine's Day and had a great time. We more or less stumbled upon the place and were greeted and immediately seated. Not bad for not setting up a reservation on one of the more prominent date nights in the calendar. The menu is very original and intuitive. Three categories, with distinct cooking styles to each. We had a number of great dishes. A couple really stood out. One was the branzino. Branzino is a tasty fish that is usually served whole; head, bones, tail, all of it. Delicious. The other was anchovy potatoes, amazingly delicious. Anchovies are an item that most people shy from; we on the other hand, love it. They add a unique flavor and brine to dishes and are excellent on a toasted baguette. The balance of the saltiness from the tasty little fish, with the fruitiness of the olive oil, and the sublime texture of perfectly cooked potatoes combine into a near-perfect dish.

In addition to the food, the service, ambiance, and feel of Joule were top notch. It is a restaurant that's creative and inventive enough to make you curious to see what comes next. The chef/owners of Joule are Seif Chirchi and Rachel Yang. They come to us after doing their thing at Coupage in Madrona. They opened Joule late last year to spread their wings and showcase their skill with Korean and French techniques. Unique pairing, but one that allows for the pair to shine with interpretation and ingenuity.

I think that is why I'm so excited to try a couple of the Sunday BBQ dinners, to see their takes on all sorts of themes and ingredients. From chicken to pork, streetfood to salmon, I'm looking forward to seeing what Seif and Rachel have in store for us.

Joule Restaurant
1913 N. 45th St
Seattle, WA 98103
206.632.1913