Not that I’m having lunch downtown anymore really, since I’m unemployed. However, I did get the chance to try out Mod Pizza twice before leaving my lonely office aerie early last month. Located at 1302 6th Avenue (Union Square), this place is relatively new to the neighborhood.

I should point out that I am a rather picky pizza eater with all kinds of pizza rules and regulations that I will be happy to bore you with if you’re dumb nice enough to ask. That said, the pizza isn’t bad, especially for the price. For $6 you can order off the menu of predetermined toppings or you can design your own. I spent less than $10 for a pizza, a beverage, and a ding-dong (impulse buy). I was full, happy, and I really can’t say that there are a lot of places in the downtown office building area that can provide all that for less than $12. Plus, did I mention ding-dongs? It’s been years!

The crust is a thin wood-fired jobbie that, while not spectacular, is a good vehicle for the toppings. The sauce is a little on the sweeter side (rather than spicy), but is tasty. The toppings are what make this pizza worthwhile: fresh, plentiful, and varied. I got a plain cheese one time and an artichoke/onion combo another. As a whole, the pizza is light and fresh tasting, rather than a huge greasy gut bomb that no one wants in the middle of the day. Service isn’t “ultra fast,” but it is well-paced and you don’t spend your whole lunch ordering and waiting for your food.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fast, tasty pizza for lunch, I’d say definitely give it a go.

Walking into the room where we’d do the tasting, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of coffee, not unlike the pleasant chocolate aroma that overhangs Theo’s Fremont factory (tours: $5!). I wondered if being around such a fantastic smell permeates your being as it does when you are surrounded by the theobromides at(again) Theo. The great smile and enthusiasm of Starbucks’ PR representative, Sonya, is an argument that it indeed does. I immediately decided that I wouldn’t mind working there.

In any case, I, and the smattering of other “press” in attendence, was there to preview Starbucks’ latest product line: VIA. VIA, if you haven’t heard, is instant coffee. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever had a cup of instant coffee prior to today. Sure, I’ve had some crystals in my pantry, but only to use in baking. The reputation is as such that I always felt, why bother? If I want something fast and caffeine filled, I need only brew some tea. The overview of instant coffee manufacture only reinforced that opinion. Sure, our tasting was being led by a company man, but I don’t have reason to doubt that his synopsis: low-quality coffee combined with bottom-line-improving quick and dirty techniques are what go into the average grocery store brand. Isn’t that the story of most mass-produced products on our shelves?

VIA’s story is different, we were assured. VIA was the brain child of Don Valencia [pi], former R&D executive at Starbucks, whose first instant coffee experiment is what brought him to Schultz’s attention. Almost two decades later, that same R&D department that Valencia founded has discovered (and is patenting) an entirely new method of turning brewed coffee into powder. Sadly, we weren’t let in on the top-secret scientific details. In addition to this new breakthrough, Major Cohen, our coffee experience specialist (read: guide), assured us that in order to produce VIA, Starbucks is not only using the same quality beans used in brewing operations, the same roasting and brewing process is duplicated as well. And finally, they also add microground beans to the final product. The result is an entirely new process of manufacture and, they hope, an infinitely better product and experience.

So, we brewed up our two cups of instant (Columbia and Italian roasts). And by brewed, of course I mean, poured hot water and stirred in the coffee. And I…well, I liked it. I preferred the Italian roast, but that’s just my personal coffee preference anyhow. The flavor was clean and crisp. While not a perfectly thick and slightly sweet Italian espresso, it’s not meant to be. Rather, it’s meant to duplicate a drip coffee and it does so nicely, even rounding out with French Press-y bean remnants floating around the bottom of your cup. I really hate to be all company shill-like, but I think they have a good product on their hands.

If you’re interested in trying out VIA yourself, packets for purchase ($2.99/packet of three) and home use will be available in Starbucks and select Target stores starting tomorrow in the Seattle metropolitan area (and in Illinois).

img from comedy central

Ahem, but anyway, Stella is, as the press release will tell you, a trio made up of Michael Ian Black, Michael Showater, and David Wain. The three have been performing together in one form or another for about two decades. Their incarnation as the sketch trio, Stella, began as a night club act in 1997 which lead to a series of short films posted on the aforementioned CollegeHumor site. In 2005, Comedy Central aired a combination sketch/sitcom featuring Stella bringing them into the mainstream consciousness, but not mainstream comedy.

It has been a few years since the end of the show, but in 2008, the group reformed, performing in February at an Obama rally and more recently uploading new shorts on mydamnchannel. I have been struggling to give a brief synopsis of what you’ll see if you attend one of their shows, but you really have to see it to understand. If pressed, I’d quote the gal on the new video preview when she said, “absurdist crazy inappropriateness.”

If you are one of the many (many) die-hard fans of Stella and want to avoid the $22.50 ticket price, send an email to seattle.metblogs at gmail dot com with the subject line STELLA for your chance to win two tickets to see them at Neumos next Wednesday, January 21st at 8 p.m.
update: thanks everyone, we picked a winner.

Tickets went on sale this morning and as of now there are still seats at four different times on both Friday and Saturday. However, all past three Hump!s have sold out, so if you want to go, get over to Brown Paper Tickets now and reserve your spot. [bpt]

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a column [times] about how the cute little Belltown restaurant, Marjorie [#], was losing its lease. I immediately thought, “Dang it, Beth!” [mb] Although not quite a “landmark,” this adorable and quirky space was/is a nice place to go for dates and/or to sit on the patio and enjoy a nicely made cocktail. The warm intimate feel paired with the personal service was always a hit.

This morning I received the official news in my inbox:

“it is with a heavy heart that we announce marjorie’s last night…
after 6 beautiful years at our belltown location, and without a new home lined up as of yet, we have decided to end on a high note.
on september 6th, our last night, we will host a wine dinner.”

Former Marjorie chef and current Tavolata chef de cuisine, Matt Fortner, has created the wine dinner menu, of which there will be two seatings (5 and 8:30). Since the restaurant is on the small size, both seatings will be sure to sell out. Reservations are necessary [opentable] and the cost will be $150 per person, which isn’t bad for 8-ish courses and wine pairings.

If you’re not up for a fancy-schmancy dinner, make sure to stop by on the next nice day between now and the 6th and check out that off-the-street patio. Personally, I will mourn the loss of the perfectly made beignets and look forward to Donna Moodie’s new endeavor.

address: 2331 Second Avenue | Seattle, WA 98121 | phone: 206.441.9842

Squirrel Nut Zippers at the Triple Door - August 15, 2008

It’s interesting how a band that was practically broken up by the time I started listening to them has spanned so much of my adult life. Of course, that was twelve years and at least two cities ago so probably not THAT surprising. Thank God I signed up for that seemingly long dead mailing list years ago since as late as the 14th there was practically no advertising for their two Seattle shows. But, you know, I suppose everyone who cared was on that same mailing list since the Triple Door looked if not sold-out then pretty close.

For the record, the Squirrel Nut Zippers [myspace] are not a swing band – although swing’s 1990s resurgence did help catapult them into the limelight. They’re more of a gypsy-esque amalgamation of hot southern jazz, blues, calypso, and maybe just a little swing. SNZ is fronted by both a male, “Jimbo” Mathus, and female, Katherine Whalen, singer – but rarely both during the same song – which adds to their stubborn resistance to classification. The fact that the boyfriend has this cd in with his full collection of Judas Priest and old school metal probably says something about both him and the band.

As far as the show went, the band was very very tight. There was fiddling and fancy saxophones and mainly a right good time. Strangely no banjo or much from the tiny guitar family, but still deliciously fun. The set list was fairly early-catalog heavy, including my favorite, Good Enough for Granddad, but I think they were playing to crowd expectations. No one appeared to be complaining though, as the crowd was pretty fairly into it. One couple even flaunted the no-dancing rule (gasp!) towards the end of the show. However, the highlight was, without a doubt, the live accompaniment to the animated video/film, The Ghost of Steven Foster [youtube].

Next time they blow through town, I highly recommend the show. In the meantime, keep a look-out for their promised new live record – which might contain performances from these past Triple Door shows – as well as a new studio record next year.

There were several reasons why we chose Alki Beach as the setting for our first apartment in Seattle, including:

1. Walkable market (of course it closed the day before we moved here)
2. Great bars (they’re okay)
3. Lots of food choices (we hardly ever eat here any more)
4. Great view (okay, that one is still valid)
5. Fun beach activities, including one Seattle Music Festival ostensibly held in August which hasn’t occurred since 2004.

Now that’s not to say there aren’t great things in West Seattle, because there are and we do like living over here. However, we are a little less starry-eyed about our chosen locale these days and a little more get-off-my-lawn-ish.

Anyway. About that music festival, I started to wonder if it was ever going to happen again and so I started to poke around. The non-profit behind the Seattle Music Festival, Northwest Program for the Arts’ (NPA) Web site claims they are still planning a 2008 festival:

The Next Seattle Music Fest will be held August 10, 11, and 12, 2008

but clearly that is not happening. That is, after all, next week. So, putting on my Nancy Drew hat, I called the phone numbers that were listed on the site, only to find out that both have been disconnected. How curious.

The Internet reveals that at some point NPA got completely sidetracked by raising money for the refurbishment of the Statue of Liberty on Alki [sl, wsh]. Funneling their fundraising efforts towards that project seems to have derailed at least a couple of years of the festival. However, last summer, the NPA’s part of the fundraising was finalized and the continued funding of the statue was taken over by a non-profit (Sealady.org) dedicated solely to that goal. Also around that same time – and the time the recast statue was replaced [wsb] – the head of NPA, Adam Sheridan, stepped down and was replaced by Ezra Graziano and Holly Santos. Since then, which was around September of 2007, there has been nothing. No updates, no news from NPA or any of our local papers.

What gives? Shall I call some meddling kids and have them find out if Old Man Wickles is keeping the beach fest-free? Who has the scoop?

This, of course, happens all the time (hello, Harry and the Potters tomorrow). And so as payback, we will be attending the Judas Priest show this evening. I am both excited and a little frightened. This will be my first full fledged metal show as well as my first time at WaMu Theater. Will they kick me out for not wearing a black t-shirt (let alone leather chaps)? Am I going to spend all of my money on overpriced cheap beer?

And more importantly, just how many people will be there to stalk lead singer, Rob Halford [slj]? Oh Seattle LJ, I’m unsure if I should be concerned or amused. Shall we start a pool on whether or not he finds him?

The grand opening of the new downtown grocery store is old, old news. However, due to my crazy work schedule these past couple of months, it’s been a while since I’ve left my office long enough for more than a quick lunch in the building. Yesterday, however, I managed to escape (to go to the dreaded post office eek!) and thought it would be a good time to check out the miracle on Third. I mean, much of the press generated about the store mentioned the large pre-made area geared towards downtown office workers and their lunchtime needs, so I decided to take one for the team and try it out.

I should mention that I have old memories of the scary Safeway in downtown DC that I’m using to compare the Kress to, so my opinion of the place might be a little shiny. That said, my first impression of the place, of course, was pretty good. The entrance is kind of overwhelming, what with it’s escalators right into the cherries, but I suppose it is a good use of space…and as in any heart of downtown establishment there were a few crazies talking loudly already, but easily avoided. The layout was easy to follow and even though it is in the basement, the lighting is good. The produce was nice and shiny and the peach I had for lunch was tasty and ripe. They had a good selection of dry and frozen goods as well. Everything one might need, including the same ginger beer that I had gone out of my way to get from Metro Markets the night before (mmm Dark and Stormy).

As far as the lunch bar area, it was indeed large, taking up a good third of the place, it seemed to my untrained eye. The options include a salad bar, soup station, Asian food counter, sandwiches and other deli options. I decided to give the sushi a whirl and also ordered a small (that wasn’t so small) bowl of hot and sour soup. Normally I have neuroses that keep me from cross-culturally ordering, but I wanted to try out a few options and everything else seemed too heavy to pair with the sushi.

lunch: sushi combo, hot and sour soup, a peach and free reusable bag

Everything looked good and clean and fresh. The customer service was quick and friendly. Prices weren’t that bad; my lunch was a little over $13 for the sushi combo, hot and sour soup, peach, and free reusable grocery bag. I really wanted to like it. However, as you might expect, it was still just grocery store food. The sushi was the same as you can get at any area grocery store, and quite frankly I can get better sushi over at Sushi Kudasai in Century Square [us]. The hot and sour soup was decent, but I don’t think this place is a lunchtime destination at all. Harried and Hungry next door can get you better food for the same or less price and time. Sadly, the food gives me no reason to abandon my routine of delicous sandwiches from the Other Coast, located in my own building. I say sadly because I really do need to get out into the sunshine more.

That said, it is still the long awaited and nicely stocked grocery store that downtown has needed forever and I’m glad it’s here. Just not for lunch.

A few minutes later when we arrived at the last stop on Alki, I disembarked the bus to a large crowd of teenagers. It was after 11 so I was a little shocked. Not that I think teens can’t be out at that hour, but that the beach park closes at 11. Huh. As I turned towards home, I saw a huge crowd of people and several police cars and heard the worst ear-piercing noise that I think the police were using to disperse the crowd. I should have tried to figure out what was going on, but with the bull horn announcements for people to leave, I just turned on my street and went home.

West Seattle Blog reported yesterday that there was some end of the school year shenanigans at Alki around 8 p.m., but otherwise there’s no mention anywhere of what was going down last night. That can’t be the same thing, can it? Anyone have a clue what was up?