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.
Pike Place Market
Seattle Cheese Festival 2010
The 2010 Seattle Cheese Festival took place on May 15-16th. Good weather and my love of cheese couldn’t keep me away this year (as I had not been previously). http://www.seattlecheesefestival.com/ The festival takes place on the cobbled streets of the Pike Place Market – Seattle.
The event offers a sampling of dozens of artisinal cheeses from producers around the world. There is a wine garden (mostly lower priced wines), educational seminars, and cooking demonstrations. Also, there are over 35 Seattle area restaurants that offer a “Cheese Fest Best” dish during the week of the festival (the restaurants are not at the actual Festival). My husband and I tasted some of the cheese offered and purchased a Roquefort (most cheese was available for purchase at a discount). My favorite was a Gorgonzola from Italy. Also, we liked that Mt. Townsend Creamery http://www.mttownsendcreamery.com/ brought some of their specialty cheeses as well. The festival has a lively atmosphere but I probably wouldn’t go back anytime soon as the logistics are not well executed. Many people stood in long lines while others would walk up to their destination and take their sample. Frankly, if you stood in those long lines (as we did at the beginning), it would make for a very long day. But cheese is always fun – isn’t it? Sample a variety of cheese at Whole Foods, take a class or try DeLaurenti’s Saturday wine tasting (which is paired with cheese). DeLaurenti’s is a primary sponsor for the festival.
DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine is a must-see when visiting the Pike Place Market (or Seattle). Whatever your culinary endeavors are, the deli offers the best specialty foods, cheese (hundreds offered) and deli meats around! http://delaurenti.com/
Macrina Bakery & Cafe offered a number of different breads at the Festival. Macrina offers bread, pasteries, cakes, catering, wedding cakes, and a number of delicious cafes serving brunch and lunch. http://www.macrinabakery.com/ Oh Mamma Mia!
A number of notable mentions for take-out are Piroshky-Piroshky (did not try today) and Mee Sum Pastry. A favorite at Mee Sum is the Pork Hom Bow. On this day, we had the Pork Hom Bow and a Pork Stick. http://www.piroshkybakery.com/ Of course there are numerous other notable options at and around Pike Place Market. I will leave those for another outing on a different day. Salud! http://www.pikeplacemarket.com/
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