Wow! If you haven’t seen Teatro ZinZanni in Seattle, get there at some point! It is an investment, but well worth the experience. This particular run, Hearts on Fire, showing until January 23, 2011, is REALLY fun! The event is three-hours…dine on a five-course meal and enjoy the all-out sensory experience of the international cast specializing in cirque, comedy, and cabaret. I especially liked the audience participation portions and the sensual performance of Vita Radionova. I really can’t say enough about the entire cast…I could list them all here but I’ll let you check out the website http://dreams.zinzanni.org/ to view the talented crew. To get the most out of this enjoyable evening …share a table with a couple you don’t know or go with a group of friends. The food was generally good, however, the salmon was a bit dry which is to be expected at the larger dinner events, so I would recommend the filet mignon or other entrée options. The add-on’s are not necessary. Due to the length of dinner, I would recommend bringing a bottle of wine (corkage fee is $20) or ordering a bottle to carry you through the show. The atmosphere is vibrant, visually intoxicating and the dress/costume of those that work there really brings the experience together. You will definitely leave the show with a smile on your face. 🙂
Food & Drink
A busy day…
Today was a busy day. If you are looking for a good wine selection, may I make a suggestion? Esquin Wine Merchants on 4th Avenue South in Seattle. http://esquin.com/ Lunch was had at Matt’s in the Market – just above the Pike Place Market. I made note of this in a May post, but wanted to make mention once again…I really like the hustle and bustle of the lunch crowd. We enjoyed a half bottle of 2008 Cadence along with the Lamb Burger and Roasted Lamb Sirloin. For the Lamb Burger, I especially like the brioche roll used. The bacon was cooked just right…and who could resist goat cheese? And…the spread of onion jam was a really nice touch. The dish came with a bowl of garbanzo bean-sultana salad. http://www.mattsinthemarket.com/ A nice walk through Pike Place Market was had. To complete the outing, a visit was made to the Picasso exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). I have to admit I am not much of a museum goer but did enjoy the experience today. I especially liked that I could get more information during the tour using my smartphone and Microsoft Tag http://tag.microsoft.com/consumer/index.aspx. My favorite pieces (in English) were Head of Fernande in Profile, Three Figures Under a Tree, Reclining Nude, and The Studio at La Californie. Also, it was nice to see the photographs of Picasso with his family and friends. The exhibit ends on January 17th, 2011. The best part of seeing special exhibitions at the SAM, is that this entitles you to browse through the thousands of other pieces of art that are part of the museum’s regular rotating exhibits for no extra charge. I especially like the robe-like form which is made up of 40,000 dog tags (Floor 3, see picture herein) http://seattleartmuseum.org/. Note: Not an inexpensive day out.
Happy New Year 2011!
Happy New Year! May you experience new adventures and good times in 2011. Get out there and see what your community, region, and world has to offer!
Holiday eats…
Pearl – located in Bellevue, WA at the Bellevue Collection (Lincoln Square), Pearl is a worthwhile visit for happy hour 3-6 pm and 9 pm to close… daily. Enjoy half off of signature cocktails, small plates, glass wine, and $2 off draft beer. Ross at the bar made me a delicious Crown Royal (as a Dry Manhattan) up…one of the best I have had in the area. Also, I enjoyed the wonderful Goat Cheese Crostini. This small plate consisted of yummy goat cheese with tapenade and just right crostini. Other sides tried were House Cut Fries (truffle), Dungeness Crab Cake, and Tempura. Oh, and the Pearl Cosmo was a nice treat for the holidays too. The happy hour menu can be seen here… http://www.pearlbellevue.com/docs/bar_menu.pdf UPDATE 1/28/11 – the Blue Cheese Tenderloin Strips is a hit ! and the Seared Ahi Tuna was ok too.
Rock Bottom Brewery – located in Bellevue, WA at the Galleria (also in Seattle)…always seems to please. It is a reasonable outing at happy hour. Also, join their Mug Club and instead of a pint…you get a mug with your favorite brew…whether it be Lumberjack Red (my fave) or one of the other fine selections. The nachos will please..size and presentation. A side salad is a nice accompaniment. Other Starters have been tried as well. And you may know this, but there are locations in 15 other states as well. http://www.rockbottom.com/ UPDATE 1/17/11 – the Spicy Spinach Cheese Dip – GREAT choice! Really delicious! I liked that it was served with both flatbread and tortilla chips.
URBAN enoteca
URBAN enoteca’s VIP pre-opening party took place November 30, 2010. Experience the grand opening December 8th…that’s the buzz I hear. You will find some of the top wines in the state of Washington at their new SODO location. At this new style wine bar, you can try a taste, a pour, a glass, or a bottle of seven different wineries offerings. Stop in with friends after work, on the weekend, or book an event. This is a perfect location for an intimate get-together, a corporate party, a wedding, or any other type of special event. The wine country feel is awaiting your arrival…just under the 1st Avenue South bridge.
Great wine, Great food, Great venue!
Taste of Tulalip 2010
The second annual Taste of Tulalip (Grand Taste, Saturday, November 14th) was again a success.
Taste of Tulalip is the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards 2010 winner for “Best event featuring Washington Wine”
http://www.tulalipresort.com/entertainment/taste-of-tulalip.aspx
The Rock ‘n Roll Challenge, mc’d by Q13 Fox’s Lily Jang, was fun to watch as there was healthy competition while viewing the big screens with some of history’s favorite Rock…I happened upon Guns n’ Roses and Free. Wine Tasting was plenty. I can give a shout out to 1. Lachini Vineyards (Oregon) 2007 Pinot Noir 2. Isenhower Cellars (Walla Walla and Woodinville) El Conquistador 3. Five Star Cellars…Everything! 4. Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese 5. Flying Trout Malbec blend 6. 2008 Turnbull Red (Napa Valley) 7. and my favorite new find..Lantz Cellars (Lake Stevens)…especially the Syrah and the now released cabernet sav. And if you like to Tweet, watch the posts in the Twitter Lounge.
A good preamble for this event can be found at http://blog.seattlepi.com/eastsideinside/archives/227940.asp.
Missed the Grand Taste Pass at TOT this year? Mark your calendar for 2011 – Saturday, November 12th!
The food served at this event is varied, modern, and tasty. A variety included Crab Cobb Salad (my favorite..absolutely wonderful), Scallop sautéed in butter (so good…) and lamb, among others.
The Resort showcases top of the line guest suites. The rooms are all suites and offer many comforts of a road trip worthy getaway. The staff was fabulous…from housekeeping to the service by William in the Shehal Room while we enjoyed the Seattle Seahawks game the following morning.
Tulalip hosts a great array of restaurants. As this was a Saturday evening and the Resort and Casino were packed, we picked up some snacks to go and brought them in to the Canoes Cabaret for consumption while we danced in our seats to The Spazmatics..and then cut a rug at mpulse Lounge. On Sunday, while watching the Seahawks game, we enjoyed Prime Rib, Club Sandwich, and Burgers in the Shelal Room.
Spend the weekend, stay the night, enjoy the experience of pure delight!
November Eats
Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant – East Valley Hwy. in Kent, WA off 180th and Hwy 167. Dim Sum – Baked Pork Buns, Ribs in black bean sauce, Sticky Rice in lotus leaf wrappers, Shrimp spring rolls, Shrimp in steamed rice noodle, and hot tea. We have stopped here a number of times as we enjoy Dim Sum. Lunch entree’s run $3-4 a piece . If you’re in the mood for Dim Sum and can’t get to Seattle or Issaquah, this is a nice option. Our rating…2-1/2 out of 5. Reviews tend to be mixed per Yelp, citysearch, and others…http://www.yelp.com/biz/imperial-garden-seafood-restaurant-kent
Palomino – in Washington…located in Seattle and Bellevue. This visit was to Bellevue as it was recommended for its lunch specials. Combination specials are a hit here…allows for a mix/match of soup, salad, sandwich or pasta. The two choices are served in bowls on a rectangular platter. The presentation was key! I can recommend the chop chop salad, tomato basil soup, and Rigatoni Bolognese. Check out the menu http://www.palomino.com/page/menu/ The hostess was top notch and service was nice. The person removing dishware from the table could have waited a bit longer.
The Triple Door Happy Hour – Located on Union Street in downtown Seattle, happy hour is offered from 4-6 pm seven days a week. On Fridays, live music is featured at 5:30 pm. The happy hour menu serves up bites inspired from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. We enjoyed the pot stickers, duck sliders, and both the shiitake and prawn satay. The Triple Door is next door to Wild Ginger. We originally had said we were going to Wild Ginger for their happy hour but were sent to The Triple Door…the two venues share the same kitchen and are related. The lounge is called the Musicquarium as there is a large freshwater aquarium that separates the lounge and main stage. If you have not been to the Triple Door for a show, do so! http://www.tripledoor.com/Our-Lounge/happy-hour-(1).aspx
Daniel’s Broiler, Bellevue – Dining at Daniel’s Broiler is one of the real treats in the Puget Sound area. Great service, excellent food options and high quality beverages served. On this evening in the vintage room, the following was savored: Scallops wrapped in bacon (I would have preferred the bacon to be cooked more, as it was hard to chew), Sirloin tips, Ahi Tuna, Five Star Cellars Stellar and a limited edition 12 year old Kentucky whiskey…Pappy Vanwinkle…so good! http://www.schwartzbros.com/daniels.cfm
UPDATE 3/10/11 – ooohhh…got the last of the Pappy Vanwinkle. So worth it! This visit…celebrating an anniversary found us ordering the crab legs, filet steak strips, steakhouse slider with fries, artichoke hearts, and an apple tart.
The Old Spaghetti Factory – Believe me, I am all for the extraordinary scallop, pate, sushi, etc… but I have to admit that when it comes to comfort food, I love The Old Spaghetti Factory. My favorite? A combination of mizithra cheese and white clam sauce, blue cheese dressing on the salad, and a Bloody Mary to go with (if lunch..and at the Lynnwood location). It is so satisfying to me, that I had to make mention of it. 🙂
Dine around Seattle 2010
This November, there are 38 restaurants who participate in the 3 for $30 promotion. The 3-course meal includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Enjoy the delicious fare at some of the top restaurants Monday thru Thursday during the month of November. Some offer lunch specials as well for $15 per person.
Check out http://www.dinearoundseattle.org/about.php and you will find the participating restaurants. Click on the restaurant and you will find the mouth-watering menu selections. Reservations recommended. Menus are not available on Thanksgiving.
An added bonus for those who might like to write about food…open the Table Talk tab! You are encouraged to compose a review and then submit it for a possible chance of winning two $30 gift certificates to one of the participating restaurants. So much fun!
New October eats…
Crossroads Bar and Grill – Crossroads Bar and Grill is new to Bellevue in 2010 and in my opinion, a nice addition to the Crossroads Mall (and east Bellevue area). The bar area is substantial and offers a nice option to sitting in the dining area. The menu has a nice range of salads, burgers and sandwiches. Most sandwiches are served on a ciabatta roll which makes a nice meal. They have daily specials (including happy hour) and breakfast is served until 2 pm on weekends (at least this was our experience). This location is the fifth of the Neighborhood Grills family. Check out www.neighborhoodgrills.com for other locations and menu options.
Doofers – this “rural” sports bar will please as there are many TVs for viewing your favorite team and/or game. Doofers is located in the east part of the Renton Highlands at 16430 SE 128th St. The staff was nice enough to change a number of TVs to various games so that we could have the optimal viewing experience for Sunday NFL football. We shared the beef sliders (served on potato rolls) and wings…choosing the mild sauce (great flavor). Yelp.com has a variety of reviews…mostly good but service and wait time seem to be an issue here and there.
Something I missed this month… Seattle Restaurant week http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/seattlerestaurantweek/ In case you missed it also, check out the next Seattle Restaurant Week in the Spring.
And something old….Elysian Fields. Need to give a shout out to Jimmy…great service, best bartender in the city! Strongly recommending the Lamb Ragu – really good, the noodles that were used made it extra special. Skip the Cuban Sandwich.
Things to Do in the Northwest
If you are wondering what is going on this weekend around the Puget Sound or your community, check out the NW Weekend section of The Seattle Times every Thursday. Parts of this section can also be found at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/?from=stnvpg1
NW Weekend has a variety of sections to tempt you… Best Bets, Weekend Highlight, Getting in Gear, and a detailed section called Datebook. In Datebook, you will find various community events such as Animal Events, Benefits, Biking, Dance, Fairs/Festivals, Food Events, Hobbies, Museum Events, Sports, Performance…and the like. There is always one main story showcased as well – this week it is Monte Cristo and Maples…Autumn Treasures of the Mountain Loop.
If I was to head off to one of the events this weekend…I think I might choose Issaquah Salmon Days http://www.salmondays.org/ Enjoy!
Within 4 hours reach... 
