Seattle Metblogs » sea_aimee

Keeping Up with the Jones’

sea_aimee — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 16:56:55 +0000

Not to be outdone by Alaska Airlines, United Air grabbed the baton and continued the series of relatively-harmless-yet-unsettling-airline-mishaps last night by crashing into a passenger bridge.
Fortunately, no one was on the passenger bridge and the door to the plane hadn’t yet been opened. Reports indicate the brakes had been set, but the plane rolled forward and hit the bridge just after the seatbelt sign had been turned off.
No one was seriously hurt; however, a passenger and flight attendant were treated for minor injuries from being tossed about the cabin.

Who Needs Food When You Can Have Trendy Housing?

sea_aimee — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 05:19:28 +0000

Green Lake residents have just one more week to use the Albertson’s that straddles that nasty 5-way stop – it’s getting torn down to build more condos.
A wise business decision, but it leaves a multitude of senior citizens (and others) who live in the area without a grocery store within walking distance.
More info here.

REAL Pizza comes to Wallingford

sea_aimee — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 23:24:23 +0000

I have been waiting in eager anticiaption for the opening of Tutta Bella’s new location in Wallingford (4411 Stone Way North). Originally slated to open in October, they did not actually open doors until sometime in November. Like all good fairy tales, the magic appeared with the promise of liberation from greasy, bland, over-cheesed pies when I had my back turned.

At first chance, I gave it a go. Rumor on the street said they had been open for about 3 weeks and were ironing out some kinks. My sister and I stopped by and tried the Quattro Stagioni and the Quatro Formaggio with a lovely Tutta Bella Mista (salad) to start.

Our service was among some of the best I have had in the Puget Sound. The server (and I can’t recall her name!) was attentive but not overbearing. She informed us that the salad I ordered would feed two easily, and brought an extra plate for my sister. Crisp colorful greens were piled onto the plate and laced with roasted red peppers, onions, olives and carrots and lightly tossed in a flavorful vinaigrette (they used half as much dressing as I had expected, making it a perfect light course to begin the meal). Atop the salad was a dollop of herbed white beans. These white beans had incredible flavor and really added a great deal to the dish. My only complaint — not enough beans and roasted peppers.
We had hardly finished our salad when the Quattro Formaggio came to the table. My sister generously offered of her pie to me (all pizzas are 11″ in diameter and will feed 1-2 people). I bit into an amazing blend of mozzarella, house cheese, Grana Padano and gorgonzola touched with a hint of oregano and a splash of olive oil. The foundation of the pie is what made my heart sing, however. The crust was yeasty and chewy, heavenly salty and boldened by the wood-fire stove. Tutta Bella’s claim to fame is that they are a true Neopolitan Pizzeriea; the main ingredients (flour, salt, water, yeast, and tomatoes) must meet the strict regulations set by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, a governmental organization based in Naples which has a similar role as organizations upholding the quality of wines and olive oil in Europe. This was most apparent to me in the unique flavor profile of the crust.
I had nearly finished my slice when the Stagioni came to the table. A marinara-based pizza, this was topped with the house cheese and herbed mushrooms, artichokes, zuchini and roasted red peppers. The marinara sauce was largely forgotten due to the array of vegetables. I happily chowed down and enjoyed it, although part of me still lingered for the bite of gorgonzola on my sister’s side of the table.

We had the waitress place an order for a second Quattro Formaggio to take home to those who had missed out. Without any prompting, she placed it in as a rush order and it came to us shortly after we had filled ourselves to capacity. Declining on dessert, we gathered our leftovers and went home happily full but not painfully stuffed.

The flavors of Tutta Bella lingered in my mind for days. Not one to let a culinary gem go unshared, I invited several of my friends out last week for an encore meal. This time was radically different. Our server was a little spacy and inattentive — she came by to ask us how our salad was before we had even dished it out and repeated the faux pas with the pizza. In addition to the beloved Quattro Formaggio (which lacked the spectaculaity of the previous pie — a touch too much gorgonzola and a limper crust) we ordered a Mediterranea and a meat pie which I took no notice of (I do not partake of land-loving flesh). The Meditteranea was the star here – eggplant, olives, the beloved herbed mushroom and an essential sprinkle of fresh basil on a marinara base. Complaints were made regarding the sogginess of the crust of all pizzas. Being in food service, I know this to be due to the waitress not taking the pie to the table immediately. It was a rather slow Tuesday evening, so I do not see any reason for this (unless she wanted to bring out more than one pie at a time, which she did).

I split a Tiramisu with 2 of my amici. We were told it would serve two, but when it came we found it easily would have given 4 people a generous sample. The resident tiramisu fan gave it two thumbs up. I found the espresso-darkened spongecake to be quite enjoyable, but the mascarpone was a little too heavy and fatty for my taste. It did make it easy not to overindulge, though. A few bites of this rich dessert is plenty. I recommend splitting it four ways. The others ordered gelato – a vanilla and a Nutella. Both were pleased with their desserts, which made the evening end with a higher note than the soggy crust would have otherwise allowed.

Take home notes:
Ask that the pies be brought to the table as soon as they are ready. The crust is thin enough that it will not stand to sitting without damaging the overall experience.
If you order the tiramisu, be sure you have at least one friend along to enjoy it or you may hurt yourself.
The salad still stands as a winner — it would make a great light dinner if dining solo.

Pathway of Lights — Tonight!

sea_aimee — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 16:51:34 +0000

Seattle Parks and Recreation is placing luminaries around Green Lake from 5:30 – 8:30pm tonight. In addition to the beautiful lights, there will be experienced singing groups caroling and walking around the lake. To foster and celebrate community, you are encouraged to bring a candle and join others in walking around the 2.8 mile path. In addition to the walking carolers, there will be musical performances at the Bathhouse, Aqua Theater, and Community Center.

All of the Christmas spirit, none of the guilt!

My Brother is Bigger than Your Brother:

sea_aimee — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 22:23:02 +0000

In a classic example of band-aid legislature, the City Council has proposed placing restriction on alcohol sales downtown and in the U-Disctrict in an attempt to curb public inebriation. Seattle has a funny way of dealing with social issues; rather than enforcing existing laws, the city likes to create new ones to try and solve the problem with the least effort possible…

Does anyone really think that restricting sales of alcohol is going to curb people walking around town drunk? Wouldn’t people just stock up on liquor when it was available and continue to stagger merrily down the Ave after hours? Has the City of Seattle actually considered enforcing the laws in place or perhaps increasing penalties for being a public nuisance and embarrassing eyesore?

If you have anything you’d like to say on the matter, I recommend attending the Public Hearing on this matter next Tuesday at 9:30am at the City Council Chambers (400 6th Avenue between Cherry and James Streets). Your influence in the city isn’t just at the polls, people!

Seattle Marathon Recap

sea_aimee — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:54:00 +0000

Those of us on the course Sunday were grateful for yet another rain-free start at the Seattle Marathon and half-Marathon. In hindsight, most of us are probably also grateful that the cold snap was spared an extra day. Temperatures of 37 degrees were just a few degrees chillier than typical at the start, but being huddled among masses of hyped-up athletes keeps one warm while waiting for the gun to go off.
As if there was any doubt, Uli Stedl again took the win for this year’s run and smoked his competition with a finish time of 2:24:24 – a full 10 minutes ahead of the second place finisher and giving him a 7 of 7 winning streak. Sara Otepka took the win for the women with a time of 3:07:44. It was her first time on the Seattle course and her sixth marathon.

With an estimated total of 15,000 participants completing 4 events (half and full marathon runs and walks) there were people streaming into the recovery area for hours. The course ends with a 2 mile overall downhill grade into the Seattle Center which takes a heavy toll on one’s quads after pushing yourself for at least 11 miles. In the Recovery area, it’s all made worth it by free chowder from Ivars, smoothies from Jamba Juice, warm beverages, fresh fruit and even Krispy Kremes (for some tragic reason). Bastyr University offers massage and accupuncture at a deeply discounted rate ($10!!) and multiple vendors are onhand to give you a foot soak or offer a goodie bag or coupons for their products.
The course itself is not easy, but it is quite scenic. I have yet to complete the full marathon, and don’t know if I even want to, given that the extra 13 miles are a trip through Seward park and then a run on I-90 to the Eastside and back. It seems pointless to run out and back over the bridge, especially knowing that around mile 20 you head up some nasty hills before you decend into the city.

As far as marathons go, Seattle is pretty good at taking care of you pre and post run. There is a warm place to go when you finish, an assortment of vendors and speakers the day before the race to pump you up and get you set, and plenty of onlookers for the length of the half-marathon course to cheer you on. A special hello to the young man at mile 8 or so who told us we were well-primed athletic machines. That was pretty rockin’!

If you are up for the challenge of running or walking 13.1 or 26.2 miles, you can join Team in Training or one of the many other groups that offer support and professional assistance to get you to your athletic goal while you raise money to support their cause. Or you can hire an experienced personal trainer or running coach if you feel you need to. It may seem like an unsurmountable distance, but it really is quite achievable!

What to Do with old Running Shoes…

sea_aimee — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 21:56:04 +0000

This Weekend Only:

Donate your used running shoes at the Harrisdirect Seattle Marathon! You may toss them in a bin at the Health and Fitness Expo or if you plan on attending the Seattle Marathon (as a participant of spectator) you may dump your shoes at a bin located in the recovery area this Sunday. Please help sorters out by tieing your laces together! Shoes donated this weekend will be washed and distributed to children in an impoverished region of The Gambia, West Africa, to help curb the spread of hookworm. Hookworm can infect children who run barefoot on contaminated soil and may lead to difficulty learning, stunted growth, severe anemia and congestive heart failure. Each pair of shoes can help prevent hookworm and improve a child’s health – so gather all your old shoes, tie laces together for sorting purposes and bring them downtown!. This project is led by University of Washington student Christina Asavareungchai, in partnership with the Seattle-based nonprofit GambiaHELP (Health Liaison Education Project). Please contact donate_shoes@yahoo.com with questions.

If you don’t think you will get there this weekend, you may also take your old running shoes to Super Jock ‘n Jill (directions here) at any time. Shoes are picked up and donated to various shelters around town.

Another Way to Influence Community:

sea_aimee — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 16:19:48 +0000

Aside from casting your ballot tomorrow, you can make a difference this week by lending your opinion to the naming of three city parks. Until next Monday, the public is allowed to suggest official names for what are known as South Lake Union Park (near Westlake Ave. and Valley St.), the Magnolia Elementary School playfield, and Fremont Peak Park (in upper Fremont).

Your ideas should reflect geograhical, historical, or cultural references. Naming the park after someone who has passed on is only acceptable if said person has been compost for three or more years. After next Monday, a panel will review suggestions and pick their favorites to present to the Parks Department chief, who is evidently the reigning official in such matters. Suggestions may be mailed to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Park-Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109, or by e-mail to paula.hoff@seattle.gov.

For the Germphobe and the Curious:

sea_aimee — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 22:54:40 +0000

FYI – if you’ve ever wondered how sanitary your favorite King County restaurant is, you can pull up all of their health inspection reports here. What is equally astonishing to some of the violations reported is how long it takes inspectors to get back to an establishment for education and training of restaurant staff.

Staying Active in the Dark:

sea_aimee — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 15:01:34 +0000

Fall is quickly slipping into winter as temperatures continue to fall and daylight hours plummet alongside them. Tis the season of hiding out indoors with a hot chocolate (or hot toddy!) and guiltily abandoning exercise until the New Year, filling those hours devoted to exercise with holiday shopping and noshing on seasonal goodies. After all, with the rain and wind, the seemingly inevitable softening of the body is easily hidden, right? What we fail to realize is that holiday pounds gained usually do not come off again. They stick around for the long haul.

It doesn’t have to be this way! You know this. I know this. In an effort to promote winter exercise Always Running is now offering free group runs Tuesday mornings before work. The premise is this: few people (especially women) want to run in the dark, so why not provide what Always Running does best – support and comraderie during the cold winter months!

The loop is the same – the outer perimeter of Green Lake. Mile markers will be provided (for split time junkies like myself) and the course will be monitored by AR staff to ensure you are safe and accounted for. You will be running with others about your same pace and can choose to start at 6:00am, 6:30am, and 7:00am. For the more ambitious who want to run longer than 3.2 miles, showing up at 6:00am will allow you to run the loop twice and have the Always Running guarddogs watching your back.
It gets better – the gym will be open so you can begin and end your run in a warm, dry environment. No need to stand out in the wind and rain if you show up early or know better than sacrifice your pre- and post-run stretching.

Stay active and be 2 months ahead of the Resolution Rush! As momma said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound (or four) of cure!

Always Running is located on 7300 E. Greenlake Dr. N., next to Super Jock N’ Jill. For more information, call 206-985-7405 or email them at alwaysrun@aol.com.