Belltown, your brunchtime options are expanding: this weekend Del Rey started serving brunch. I don’t know how it will compare to Rite Aid during the afternoon as a pick-up spot, but I do know that the Kahlua french toast was really, really good. The batter was not too sweet, the portion not too huge, and the jam on the side possibly lifesaving jam.

My companions all went for more savory dishes (I can’t tell you what they were because the menu isn’t up yet, although there was definitely a giant breakfast burrito and some ham cups), and there was a significant amount of passing plates around and enthusiastic mumbling. The chorizo is excellent, and stuck on a skewer with an olive to garnish the Bloody Mary. If you really need to wake up, the Angry Maria is a Bloody Mary using habanero-infused tequila. Personally, I will stick to mimosas.

Brunch is the most important meal (or two) of the week, so another option in Belltown is definitely a thing to be happy about. As a bonus, you can follow Del Rey on Twitter, and sometimes they will give you things. Del Rey is also the only place in town I know of so far with a mayor special if you use foursquare–happy hour prices all day for the mayor and one guest. Everyone else gets $2 off their first well drink Sunday – Thursday.

Hajime Sato, chef-owner of Mashiko Japanese Restaurant

Hajime Sato, chef and owner of West Seattle’s Mashiko Japanese Restaurant made the switch to serving only seafood that is sustainable on August 15th. A few (darn few!) sushi joints have opened their doors as sustainable, but Mashiko will be the first established, successful sushi bar (*) in the world to make the switch, and Seattle’s first fully sustainable sushi restaurant.

“I have always had so much respect for the oceans. Learning about some of the common fishing methods left me no other option – Mashiko had to go sustainable.” Chef Sato continues, “The process has been so inspirational. Instead of just cutting things from the menu, there are now more unique options than before.”

With information available from so many sources, Chef Sato’s sustainability education will be ongoing. He has put his head together with the Seafood Watch department at Monterey Bay Aquarium and is in close contact with the experts at Select Fish, the seafood division of Whole Foods Markets. He is also consulting with noted fisheries analyst Casson Trenor, author and “sustainability guru” for San Francisco’s groundbreaking Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar.

“The sushi industry draws from some of the most depleted fish stocks on the planet,” Trenor said recently. “The five most popular sushi items in the United States – long-line tuna, farmed salmon, imported shrimp, farmed freshwater eel (unagi), and farmed Japanese amberjack (hamachi) – are all generally unsustainable.”

Vowing that this is no green-washed marketing ploy, Chef Sato will make Mashiko fully responsible. He says, “Sushi lovers will be surprised how delicious sustainable choices can be.”

Sushi done conscientiously can include B.C. spot prawns, domestic albacore tuna from the North Pacific, hand-lined yellowfin tuna, farmed California striped bass, suspension-farmed Hokkaido scallops, farmed almaco jack (kampachi) from Hawaii, farmed Washington State Coho salmon, and much more.

Mashiko, well reviewed and thriving since 1994, is known not only for its classical sushi but also for Chef Sato’s innovative departures. The menu is one of the most interesting and unusual in Seattle.

Mashiko Japanese Restaurant
4725 California Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98116-4412
(206) 935-4339
www.sushiwhore.com

M-Th: 5:33pm-9:30pm
Fri: 5:33pm-11:00pm
Sat: 5:03pm-11:00pm
Sun: 5:03pm-9:30pm

* See comment: http://www.bamboosushipdx.com/

I have to admit to being somebody who rarely considers the Eastside of our Metro Area when it comes to planning social engagements and local excursions.  Like many, I tend to think of it more as a hub for commerce and fine dining than I do as someplace I’d want to spend my weekend.  As I recently discovered, the best part of such misconceptions is how easily they’re replaced once the reality of a situation becomes clear.

Last week I was given the opportunity to take part in the “Camp Woodmark” experience at The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in  Kirkland, which just so happens to be the only hotel located on the shores of Lake Washington.  Camp Woodmark was designed with adults in mind, meaning they offer a grown-up kind of fun without any of the awkward moments or pre-teen angst from the summer camps of our youth.

Upon my arrival at The Woodmark I was cordially greeted by Brandon, one of the “camp counselors” entrusted with making each campers stay as relaxing and hassle-free as possible, who presented me with a welcome package that included several Woodmark t-shirts and reusable aluminum water bottles.  Not long after that I was on the balcony of my amazing fourth floor lakeside room, enjoying a cool breeze and feeling that there may just be some merit to escaping into your own city after all.

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Still haven’t made it out to theaters to catch this year’s blogging success-turned-book-now-a-movie, Julie & Julia?  We just got word from Gold Class Cinemas in Redmond, and it sounds like good things are in store for those who waited.  In a limited-run event, GCC will be recreating some of Julia Child’s most famous recipes to serve you in one of their ultra-comfy recliners, all while watching the film.  If that wasn’t enough of an experience for Child fans everywhere, moviegoers will also be able to enjoy live cooking demonstrations on select evening throughout the month of August:

For this special event, some of Child’s distinctive dishes are brought to life and featured on the Gold Class Cinemas menu, including Red Wine Marinated Beef Satay, Classic Quiche Lorraine and Lange De Chat. Prices range from $8 to $14 per dish. Patrons can also order any of the other delectable choices from the regular menu as well.

Gold Class Cinemas has also gone one step further in creating the ultimate cinematic experience by offering live cooking demonstrations by Gold Class Cinemas’ executive Chefs on August 13th, 19th, 20th, 23rd and 26th. A Gold Class Cinemas Chef will prepare Child’s signature dishes and serve them straight to your seat, providing for a hassle-free, delicious event.

For each item purchased, Gold Class Cinemas will donate to Food Lifeline, a local organization which is working to end hunger in local communities. Food Lifeline distributes nearly 22 million pounds of food to 600,000 hungry individuals each year.

Event Details:
Julie & Julia Dinner & Movie Cooking Demo:
Cooking Demo begins promptly at 6PM (Film begins at 6:45PM)
For movie times, ticket and theater information, go to www.goldclasscinemas.com

Ballardites will get a new pizza option soon, in the form of Delancey Seattle which will be opening mid-August at 14th & 70th. Drawing inspiration from joints such as Pizzeria Bianco, Di Fara, and Pizzeria Mozza, they hope to offer “Brooklyn-inspired wood-fired pizzeria using local ingredients.”

Can’t wait? You can follow their progress online…

Thai Tom, the uberpopular, tiny, and always crowded restaurant and main reason for venturing into the northern reaches of the Ave in the U-District has been closed for a variety of hygiene and safety reasons by the County.

snapshot from kingcounty.gov

(via @andypixel)

One of the few things I’m always complaining about related to living in Eastlake is the lack of affordable, delicious dinner options, so when the rumors started up about Tako Truk opening up operations out of the 14 Carrot Cafe space, I may have squealed with glee. (I am a fan of the taco revolution, and would move in to Tacos Gringos if there was enough space.)

Tako Truk runs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from around 6 to around 12, taking orders from a wooden crate set up in the doorway of the 14 Carrot. They have a chalkboard set up with the night’s offerings, and $5 in cash will get you three of most of the tacos and two of the octopus tacos. (Two tacos is plenty for me, but I am little, so your mileage may vary.) It takes some amount of time between two and ten minutes to get your tacos, which is plenty of time to meet your neighbors who are all standing around humming in taco-related excitement. Tacos bring everyone together.

Last night, the octopus was great, not rubbery, oniony and spicy and sitting on a smear of yogurt. Cormac Mahoney, formerly of Sitka and Spruce, is behind this operation, which means that everything is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting and delicious, so I’m already plotting how to make sure I’m home on at least one of their three nights next week too. Each day they Twitter what the menu is going to be, update when they run out of something, and then let everyone know when they’re closing down.

Tako Truk is really pretty brilliant, and an exciting addition to Seattle’s slowly awakening street food scene. I wish they were open every day.

This year’s Taste TV sponsored Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon was a thoroughly enjoyable event. A variety of chocolatiers from throughout the US–including a respectable showing of locals–had products on display and available for sampling. The focus, of course, was on actually tasting the chocolates, truffles, and caramels on offer, but a a definite bonus was being able to talk with the chocolatiers about their craft. Chocolate making is a fascinating process limited only by the skill, imagination and access to raw materials available to the maker. Fortunately for everyone in attendance at the salon, the chocolatiers on hand all seemed to have plenty of each.

With so much great stuff from which to choose, selecting prize winners is surely a true challenge for the judges. I would have liked to give everyone a prize for their great work, but there were some items that stood out as my favorites. Crave Chocolates, of Bozeman, Montana, produces lovely to look at, even lovelier taste artisan truffles in dark, milk and white chocolate, with flavor combinations that enhance the chocolate without overwhelming it. Their Cold Smoke truffle–white chocolate, lime zest and coconut–was a taste of light zesty sweetness like a breath of fresh, citrus-scented air. Posh Chocolat, from Missoula, Montana, had a great selection of chocolates and truffles but it was their artisan sea salt caramels with flavors like coconut-pineapple caramel with Hawaiian pink sea salt, Thai peanut caramel with ginger sea salt, and bacon caramel with Applewood smoked sea salt that impressed me the most.

Speaking of caramels, my absolute favorite single item tasted today was the chipotle caramel from Forte Chocolates, out of Stanwood, Washington. Smoky, sweet, with the precise amount of richness to make them luxurious without being overwhelming, this was one of the best caramels I’ve ever tasted. Owner Karen Neugebaur also offers in-home chocolate classes and tasting parties; check out her web site for details. Oh! Chocolate, with locations in Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Madison Park is also offering chcoolate classes, every Friday at 3 pm through Labor Day at their Madison Park location.

Port Orchard’s Carter’s Chocolates presented what were my favorite truffles of the salon with excellent flavors inspired by wine, tea, liqueurs, beer and fuit and chili. Their chile, crafted using a blend of spices created by Two Snooty Chefs, also from Port Orchard, was a masterful blend of smooth chocolate and fire.

Mmmm....Sounds tempting....

It’s almost time for the annual “Bite of Seattle”, the festival runs Friday 7/17-Sunday 7/19. (Fri & Sat 11 AM-9 PM, Sun 11 AM-8 PM).

Should be a great time as always, this year there are over 100 food booths with every type of food imaginable. There are also 4 beer gardens for when you get thirsty and 7 outdoor entertainment stages with all types of live music; rock, pop, soul, jazz, 80’s, reggae….Pretty much something for everybody….

Looks like the weather is going to cooperate, should be in the mid 70’s all weekend….

Summertime in Seattle, can’t beat it….

photo by xmatt via Creative Commons

Knowing how very, very picky I am about chocolate, ne of my co-workers asked me if I thought the $20 ($25 at the door) charge for the second Seattle Chocolate Salon this coming Sunday is worth it. My answer was that last year’s Salon happened on a hot and sunny day when Bell Harbor’s air conditioning broke down, turning the entire exhibition area into a humid, crowded mess and, yet, I still thought it was more than worth the price of entry. As far as I could see, everyone else thought so, too. This is a great event.

Hopefully there won’t be any mechanical issues this year.

What there definitely will be are tasting, demonstrations, talks by chefs and authors, a chocolate spa and an endless loop of chocolate themed programming from Chocolate TV. Chocolatiers present at the event include Amano Artisan Chocolate, Theo Chocolate, Intrigue Chocolates, Oh! Chocolate, and Posh Chocolate (all of them 2008 Chocolate Salon award winners) and Crave Chocolate, Forte Chocolates, Divine Chocolate, Carter’s Chocolates, Chocolopolis, Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates, La Châtelaine Chocolat Co., Eat Chocolates, Choffy, The Chocolate Traveler, William Dean Chocolates, Xocai Healthy Chocolate, Suess Chocolates, Claudio Corallo Chocolate and other vendors like Marco Polo Designs’ Chocolate Jewelry, Honest Tea, TasteTV, Yelp, Sizzleworks Cooking School, and more.

If you like chocolate at all, you’ll want to be at this event. If you’re one of those people who feels a little intimidated by luxury chocolates (maybe you’ve spent your whole life eating Hersey bars and they’ve always tasted just fine to you), don’t be. The chocolatiers are all friendly people who are excited to share their love of chocolate with you and are happy to answer your questions. Fine chocolate isn’t just pleasant to eat, it’s actually really interesting. Plus, it’s nice to have all different kinds of chocolate in one place. Last year I got to try some excellent trufflles in flavors I would have never previously imagined and I’m really looking forward to see what’s new this year.

The talks are great, too, especially for people who like to cook–there are a ton of tasty dishes you can make with chocolate and they’re not all desserts. You could make a whole chocolate meal if you like.

The Seattle Chocolate Salon takes place Sunday, July 12 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at Bell Harbor Conference Center, down on the waterfront at Pier 66 (2211 Alaskan Way). Advance tickets and a schedule of events can be found at their website.