The Blue Glass

My first visit to The Blue Glass in Ballard was in February 2011, and I liked it so much that I brought another friend there the following week. I had not returned for several months simply because it's not on my everyday path, but two recent visits reminded me why I liked it so much in the first place.

The menu includes bar bites, small plates and large plates priced from $4 to $20 (avg. entree was $15.)We ordered several small plates, including some of the best fried chicken and gravy that I've eaten in Seattle. Being from the South, I didn't expect much from the crab hush puppies, but they were the star of the evening. 

I've also been to The Blue Glass twice for brunch. The chicken fried pork cutlet was cooked just right. I expected it to be a thin, brown piece of pork, but it was a thick, white pork steak with the same batter they use on the fried chicken. The caramelized bacon was the biggest surprise. I knew the bacon would be good, but the surprise was the maple bourbon goat cheese that was actually a savory whipped cream. I dipped both the bacon and the thinly sliced apples in the frothy goodness and was more intrigued with every bite.

The Blue Glass has an excellent cocktail list, and my first drink was the Scottish Monk (one of three savory cocktails on the menu.) I thought it might be too much of a "spring/summer" flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the cocktail, making it the perfect before dinner drink. My friend ordered the Ginger Lemon Drop and was very satisfied as well. Because I can't stand horseradish, I asked the bartender to make a bloody mary from scratch, and both times I was there for brunch, he gladly accommodated my wish.  Despite the extra effort by making it from scratch, I was only charged the regular $7, which for a pint of a strong drink, seemed like a good deal.

The service each time was really good and lacked that pretentious air that new Ballard restaurants tend to have. There are two owners -- one who worked at Bicks for years and then managed Saltoro for several more, and one who owns The Tractor in Ballard. The place was packed by 7:30pm, but the food was served in a timely manner and I never felt rushed. 

This is a great place to go with friends or for a romantic evening. I'll be back!

News & Events

Ya'll know I'm from Southern Louisiana, so when anything relating to my heritage comes to Seattle, I'm all over it. This time, it's by way of yet another food truck. Jemil's Big Easy will start rolling through Seattle in April, and it will serve po boys, gumbo, jambalaya and muffalettas, as well as a host of other traditional New Orleans comfort food. What excites me even more is the fact that the chef, Jemil Aziz is from New Orleans and he went to the best school in the country: The Culinary Institute of America. (holla, Cully)

• If you're interested in Who's Who among Seattle chefs, check out the James Beard Award Semifinalists from Seattle.  I'm surprised not to see The Walrus & the Carpenter for Best New Restaurant, but I guess that's ok since Renee Erickson  is on the list for Best Chef Northwest. I'm also surprised to see Canlis up for so many categories.

• Do you have a bit of cash, burning a hole in your pocket?  Maybe you want to use that tax return for an unforgettable meal. Check out The Herbfarm's A Taste of Trees from Feb. 17 - March 4. It looks incredibly interesting, and it's sure to be a unique experience. If you're searching for prices, you won't find them on their website. I called The Herbfarm to enquire, and they said that all of their meals are themed, 9-course meals paired with Northwest wines that range from $179 to $205 plus tax and gratuity per person, depending on the theme. If anyone goes, please let me know your thoughts!

• Conitnuing with The Herbfarm, check this out!
  

  Free Room in the Lodge

  On Friday, February 24^th as well as Sunday, February 26^th, make a new reservation for two or more guests and The Herbfarm will put you up at the Willows Lodge FREE! Gratis! Yes, that's on us!
  Revel in The Herbfarm's 9-course dinner, fine matching wines and music from guitar virtuoso Patricio Contreras. Then stroll back through the gardens to your room at Willows Lodge, replete with beckoning fireplace and soaking tub big enough for two. Next morning, relax a while before heading home or to work, renewed and refreshed.

Blogger Note

If you subscribe to the e-mail updates through Feedburner, you might want to click on my blog name rather than read the post in the daily e-mail. I've noticed that the words are often jumbled together, making it difficult to read.  If you simply click on the blog name at the top of the e-mail, it will take you to my site where I can assure you, my spacing is (almost always) correct.

RN74

I'm not sure why I thought RN74 would be pretentious, but I quickly learned that it is anything but--at least for happy hour.

From the leather chairs and banquettes to the multitude of lanterns hanging by ropes as room dividers, this place manages to be simultaneously modern and cozy. The wrap around bar can seat about 15 people, and the lounge can seat another 25 without anyone feeling cramped.  The restaurant portion is in the far back of the large space, and it is equally stunning with a long line of red and golden bottles hollowed out as lights hanging from the ceiling.

Our server, Kristen, was attentive and charming despite the happy hour crowd. I had a glass of Cotes du Rhone, which was fine for the $5 price tag. My friend had the "Shot and a Beer," which was a can of Rainier with a shot of Fernet Branca (an astringent drink that tasted like Jagermeister and Listerine.) The best part about this combo was that the Rainier was served in a huggie that guests gets to keep!


The happy hour menu is diverse and extensive enough to make even a picky eater excited about a small bite.  And the bites ARE rather small, so sharing three or four plates will get your appetite all geared up for a more substantial entree. We had just about everything on the menu, but the two dishes worth highlighting were the grilled skirt steak skewers and the short rib ragout charred toast. There were five mini skewers, and the meat was marinated in a mild soy-cilantro glaze that had just a hint of Asian flavoring. The charred toast was about six inches long and cut into five bite-sized morsels. The depth of flavor was surprising even for such a small portion.


If parking didn't cost $16, I would make RN74 a regular happy hour spot. The ambiance, service and food all add up to an A in my book. (Happy hour is Mon - Sat from 3 to 6 pm; late night from 10:30 to close.)

News & Events

• Seattle Weekly’s Voracious Tasting & Food Awards will be on Thursday, April 5.  Here’s a blurb:

Voracious Tasting 2012 will host 1,000 attendees at the Paramount Theatre on Thursday, April 5, for a night of culinary celebration and recognition featuring 40 select restaurant samplings, a handful of food trucks, specialty food sampling, libation tasting from local mixologists, live demonstration, live music, and the fifth annual presentation of the Seattle Weekly Food Awards to this year's winners of the Sustainability, Innovation, and Pellegrini Awards.

A few restaurants worth mentioning are Barrio, Tavolata, Bastille and Marche. There are two types of tickets: for $40 you get an open bar & unlimited bites. For $80 you get the same treats, plus an exclusive, private bar and access to the Voracious Tasting an hour and a half early.

• Perhaps the best sandwich I have ever eaten in Seattle was the Cuban Roast at Paseo.  They also make a fantastic Sautéed Prawns sandwich with six big prawns soaked in garlic, spices and olive oil.  Both sandwiches are big enough to split, but you won’t want to hand one half over.  Never eat a Paseo sandwich with long sleeves—the juices will surely drip down your arm. My point: Paseo has been closed for winter and just reopened on February 10.  Get your Caribbean grub on.

• If you haven’t been to the Ballard Farmer’s Market, GO! It was awarded best large farmer’s market in Washington. Fresh produce, cool jewelry, tasty meat and celebrity sightings (after all, I met Dave Matthews here a few months ago.)  Open every Sunday, rain or shine from 10 am to 3 pm.

Channeling My Inner Norm Peterson

It wasn't until I was in my late 20s when I started appreciating beer, but when I had my first good beer, I was hooked.  Before my first Abita Amber, I drank whatever one cent could buy on Penny Pitchers night at Waldo's Bar in New Orleans.


Fast forward 15 years, and you'll find a passionate beer drinker. No, I don't love it as much as I love red wine, but there are occasions for both. You wouldn't catch me drinking wine with nachos or while watching football. I also don't love red wine in the summer months, and I don't like white wine at all. This leaves me with one logical choice: a cold beer.


That brings me to today's report that I found on one of my go-to sites, myballard.com: Ballard's Booming Beer Business. Since it was mentioned in the article, I figured I would post the review of Hilliard's Beer that I wrote for Yelp in November.

One visit to the Hilliard's Beer tasting room and you'll want to return to introduce this place to your friends. They're bringing sexy back in a can of Amber Ale, and they have three other amazing brews on tap including a Pilsner, Stout and Blonde. The pint glasses resemble a can, and they're made of thin glass that is pleasing to the eye as well as your mouth. Think Riedel wine glasses, but for beer.

The atmosphere of the tasting room is rustic and manly, but it's perfectly comfortable for everyone, including kids and dogs. I get the sense that the owner wanted the space to be trendy without shoving it your face, and it worked.

The guys behind the counter are knowledgeable and as friendly as it gets. I will definitely be back for a pint or two and maybe rent the space for a party.

Recipes

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

Looking to impress someone with a delectable dinner? I use this recipe as my base for preparing the most succulent short ribs:

 

4 English cut beef short ribs, trimmed (roughly 8 ounces each)

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 bottle full bodied red wine, such as Cabernet

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (original recipe calls for 4 cups of veggie broth)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

Notice that there are only five main ingredients, so it makes your shopping list as well as the cooking very easy.  Short ribs can be expensive, but in Seattle, Fred Meyer, QFC and Safeway all sell them for half the cost of a butcher or fancy grocery store; you just might need to budget for two ribs per person. (Five, 5 oz short ribs at Fred Meyer was $9; Five, 8oz short ribs at Central Market was $22.75.)

My spin on the recipe is that after one hour in the oven, I add chopped carrots (figure one carrot per person) and any leftover wine and give it all a big stir.  It’s also important to use good red wine in this recipe if you want the meat to develop full flavor.  I serve the ribs with mashed potatoes, polenta or rice. Add a green vegetable if you want more than carrots (asparagus, Swiss chard or broccoli are good choices.)

For the original recipe, click here.

Hoisin Glazed Shrimp

I bought a pound of fresh, medium shrimp and wanted to make a tasty, easy dish, so I turned to my trusted Real Simple magazine.

1 lb shrimp

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds

Instead of threading the shrimp on skewers and broiling them, I simply put them in a pan for three minutes on one side, flipped them and then added the hoisin sauce to the pan for another four minutes of cooking.

My spin on this recipe is the hoisin glaze.  I added a tablespoon of orange marmalade and a splash of orange juice to the sauce, stirred it and then poured it on the shrimp. I served the shrimp over brown rice with a cucumber salad on the side. (See recipe for more details.)

Wine Roundup

Had a great night in Woodinville for two wine release events last night.


Hands down, my favorite Washington red wine comes from Obelisco Estate.  Doug Long, the owner/founder is a genius when it comes to growing grapes and making wine.  He began his career in 1971 in the Napa Valley with his two brothers, and their first winery, David Arthur, was named Winery of the Decade by Wine Spectator in 2000.  Obelisco currently only makes red wine, but Doug is excited to release a Dry Riesling and a Chardonnay in the spring.  If you're looking for a balanced red that goes with just about anything, try the Syrah ($30). The 2009 Obelisco Estate Electrum Cabernet ($65) recently won Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.  It's worth mentioning that all of the grapes are Red Mountain, so you know it's got to be good! (I should mention that I volunteer as a wine pourer at Obelisco, so I might be a bit biased.)


Des Voigne Cellars' release party was complete with Glassy Baby and jewelry from Stella & Dot.  We tasted four wines: San Remo, Solea, The Composer and The Groove. The two that intrigued me were the 100% Malbec, The Composer, and the red blend, The Groove.  In fact, my friend and I bought a case of The Groove to split because it is a GREAT VALUE for a deep, rich red at $16 a bottle.


We stopped by Robert Ramsay Cellars, but the only wine worth mentioning there was a 100% Mourvedre ($35)-- something you don't see much of in the Pacific Northwest -- called Mckinley Springs. It was peppery and earthy like a cab, but it didn't have a long finish like most cabs do.


Finally, we stumbled upon an open release party at Mark Ryan Winery where they were serving Veraci Pizza and two new releases: 2010 Black Love Pinot Noir($52) and 2009 Lonely Heart Cabernet ($80). I'm not certain why Mark Ryan's wine is so expensive, but you can find Washington wines that drink just as good for half the price.

News & Events

The Seattle Food and Wine Experience will be on Sunday, Feb. 26.  It will feature wines from around the world, beer, cider and locally distilled spirits. Twenty chefs will prepare gourmet bites. A few restaurants worth mentioning are Luc, The Coterie Room, Cantinetta and Wild Ginger. Tickets are $49 in advance or $60 cash at the door.

Le Gourmand/Sambar in Ballard is closing this summer. I’ve never eaten here, but I’ve always wanted to try it, especially Sambar. A friend of mine celebrated her husband’s birthday here about a month ago and had a wonderful dinner. The only bit of good news about the restaurant closing is that it’s the owner’s decision—not the economy forcing them out.

• There are two new food trucks coming to Seattle: Happy Grillmore will serve burgers and fries in Redmond and Off the Rez will serve Native American fare  in South Lake Union, Fremont and late nights in Capitol Hill.  I’m not thrilled about the name of the truck, and I expect someone or some group to have a field day with the slang.

Top Chef: Seattle???

Huge news for those of us who love Top Chef! If you want to see Top Chef: Seattle, consider giving a little encouragement to the Seattle Film Office. Imagine Tom Colicchio in our fair city.  He's as delicious as the food.

LloydMartin

I first heard of LloydMartin in the February issue of Seattle Magazine, where it got a great review. It’s rare that I venture to Queen Anne for dinner, but a friend of mine was in the area, so I thought what the heck.

Before I moved to here in 2009, I thought all Seattle restaurants were outfitted with stained wooden tables with a votive neatly placed in the center; a wrap around wooden bar; an espresso machine that looked more like a ’57 Chevy than a coffee maker; and some version of Brussels sprouts and nettle on the menu.  After realizing that most restaurants are not at all like that, it was nice walking into LloydMartin and seeing that my idyllic image still exists in Seattle.

While the Brussels sprouts were replaced with roasted carrots and nettles were replaced with black trumpets, the menu was still an eclectic blend of the best produce and meat that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.  We began the meal with hamachi crudo with white grapefruit and meyer lemon. The tartness of the fish made my cheeks pucker, but what surprised me most was the flecks of gray salt on top that gave the dish the texture that it needed. Next, we had the shrimp with chorizo, sherry and plugra (a fancy European-style butter with higher buttermilk content.) It reminded me of what we Cajuns call BBQ shrimp—shrimp roasted in butter and garlic.  I would have liked more than two croutons to sop up the juice at the bottom of the bowl, but it was still tasty.  My favorite dish of the meal was our main course: chicken leg & thigh with roasted carrots, citrus and a medley of mushrooms.  Again, the flecks of salt with the crispy chicken skin had me making sounds of culinary pleasure.  The meat was tender, the carrots were sweet and the mushrooms were mossy deliciousness.  For dessert we had the maple flan, banana and waffle, which was an outstanding, not cloyingly sweet end to the meal.

The wine list is extensive, and the pours by the glass are not that pricey; however, my first glass of Olsen Estate 2008 Red Blend was a stingy pour.  My next glass of Nottola 2010 Dei Colli Senesi Chianti was more generous.  There is also a choice of three Dry Sodas for those who don’t want any alcohol. It’s important to note that there is not a full bar, so if you’re craving a Negroni, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

Overall, the experience was good.  The service was outstanding—our server was knowledgeable, attentive and efficient.  He coursed out the meals perfectly, so I never felt rushed or pressured to choose the next course.  My only issue with LloydMartin is that it’s a bit pricey for such small plates.  We walked out of there with a $90 bill, and I could have eaten at least another small plate to feel wholly full.

Il Corvo

I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Il Corvo, which is located just below Pike Place Market. I'll get to what I love most about this place (the food, duh) in a minute, but I always find it exciting when a bar or restaurant is mostly a secret. In Il Corvo's case, the secret is that it's housed inside Procopio Gelateria.

There are always three dishes for lunch, the only time Il Corvo is open, and when one of the pasta choices runs out, the chef can either nix it from the menu or choose a different type of pasta to serve with the sauce. On the menu the day that I went was the following:

Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco

Fregola Di Sarda, alla Pescatore

Ravioli with garlic-leek-artichoke filling

The picture is what I chose: Spaghettoni with Ragu Bianco, which is a tasty twist on bolognese sauce without the tomato. Like all of their dishes, mine was cooked to order and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The sauce had so much depth that the meaty/cheesy combination lingered in my tummy after each bite. I've found that many Italian restaurants either over or under serve when it comes to pasta, but Il Corvo's bowlful was the perfect portion for lunch.

The long line that stretched out of the door moved rather quickly, and I learned three things while waiting with the other salivating diners: you cannot take orders to go, you're asked if you'd like a glass of red or white wine for $4 upon checkout, and there are only about 10 tables inside. The good news is that the food is delivered quickly, so tables open up every few minutes.) I had a glass of the red wine, which was perfectly fine for the price. There is also a jug of cold water that patrons can help themselves to for free.

All of the pastas are between $7-$10, so it's easy to walk out of Il Corvo for less than $15 with a full and happy belly.

Welcome to my blog

I’ve tried countless times to start a blog about restaurants that I’ve enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy), but I never had a clear sense of what I wanted to say, which is more than just reviewing restaurants.  Here is my last attempt at pouring my creative juices onto the web in a format that I hope readers will enjoy.

This blog is about two of my passions: food and wine.  Sometimes I’ll post restaurant reviews, other times I might write about an intriguing bottle of wine that I’ve shared with friends.  I’ll also share local events related to food and wine, and I’ll capture photographs when I can.

If you’re in the mood to read about culinary adventures from a girl from New Orleans, transplanted to Seattle, you’re in the right place.