Dining In, Dining Out

Dining In...

Every year it seems the end of the cruise arrives too soon. We still have unexplored territory to investigate, wildlife to photograph, seafood to catch... Nevertheless, I appreciate having some final days/weeks in town at the dock. Tied up in our usual winter moorage slip we have time to clean and reorganize the boat, time to work on several of the smaller boat projects that remain on the never-ending To-Do List, and time to grab a few hours here and there to relax and visit with local friends. It's an enjoyable way to transition between life afloat and life ashore.

Dockside socializing is more about connecting with people and less about fussing over food, so this week I relied on some favorite old recipes choosing familiar dishes that are easy to prepare and tasty enough to garner a few compliments for the cook, but don't require spending long hours in a hot galley during hot summer weather. Win! The meals were good, and reconnecting with friends was a welcome treat. 

Warm Summer Night Menu for an early dinner aboard

Guacamole and Lime Tortilla Chips (no photo)

Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

BBQ Grilled Salmon

Wilted Cabbage Coleslaw

Greens with Potato Salad

and Fresh Corn Kernels with Butter, Lime, Parmesan and Basil Shreds (no photo yet)

Broiled Nutty Nectarines with Greek Yogurt

Friends are always welcome aboard, not just at dinnertime. Friend G occasionally joins us for breakfast, arriving by boat for coffee and sourdough pancakes before heading uphill to the office. Last week I changed up the menu and served a couple of my non-traditional favorites. Dessert for breakfast? why not when it's fruit? Cheese grits and sausage? Mmmmm, I love cheese grits for any meal!

Weekday Early-Morning Breakfast

Broiled Nectarines

Cheese Grits with Andouille Sausage Coins and a splash of Maple Syrup

Dining Out...

We often meet J and D at a local restaurant to celebrate summer birthdays and anniversaries. For years a local sushi spot drew us for every occasion, but now we head to Imagine Thai Food for special events... or any time we crave amazingly good Thai food. We have relished every dish we have tasted so far, and enjoy visiting with the husband-and-wife team that operate this small gem of a restaurant. Impeccably fresh ingredients, sauces made in-house, layers of flavor accented with a zing of heat, each dish beautifully plated - what's not to love?! Most recently we ordered...

Choo Chee Goong

Stir fried prawns, in a red curry coconut milk sauce, carrots, green beans, peas, bell peppers & served with rice. 

Pad Thai Goong

Stir fry rice noodles in a tamarind sauce, with chicken, prawns, tofu, egg, bean sprouts, chives, herbs, lemon & crushed peanuts. 

Thai Ice Tea and Singha beer

...and the dessert that was so tempting that we ate it all before I thought to take any photos. Yes, it was that good!

 Guay Tord Ice Cream (no photo)

Deep fried bananas & coconut, topped with vanilla ice cream and covered with home-made caramel & toasted coconut. 

Now it's time to get creative with family meals and use up more of the fresh ingredients I can't take back across the border into the U.S. Meals are often... interesting... at the end of a cruise.

Laughing Planet Cafe for Lunch

Bend, Oregon

0500 alarm clock alert, 0600 banana/peach smoothie breakfast, 0630 departure and a whole lot of driving between Seattle, WA and Bend, OR before we finally thought about stopped for lunch. No problem, dining at Bend's Laughing Planet Cafe on NE 3rd Street was well worth the distance and our 7-hour stretch between meals. The restaurant came well recommended so we didn't have to waste any time deciding where to eat. As usual, my challenge would be deciding what to eat. 

The cafe's paper, take-home menu opens with the following:

"The Laughing Planet approach to food is simple and straightforward, and looks like this: get the food from the farm to your plate as quickly as possible and in the least complicated way. We believe in directly supporting a local economy, including the farmers from whom we source our high quality produce."  

Fresh - local - uncomplicated - what's not to like so far? I noticed the nearby diners kept smiling as they ate, concentrating on their colorful bowls and plates and keeping conversations to a minimum. My flavor expectations rose a notch or two higher.

Highlighted boxes on the same menu announced:

"Your pleasure is our motto! At Laughing Planet Cafe, if you don't like what you ordered, we'll remake it for you. If after the make-over you're still not satisfied, it's on us! That's the Laughing Planet iron-clad guarantee."

"Iron-clad guarantee: please do not pay for anything you don't like! Seriously!"

Make overs - on the house guarantee - okay, now I expected some seriously good eats. I was not disappointed. Three of us ordered different items,  sampled each dish, and each declared our individual menu choice a winner. We all won, lunch was delicious!

RL ordered the Korean BBQ bowl, a riotously colorful dish where the beef marinade and spicy sauce rock the taste buds... in a good way. I really want need the secret recipe for the beef marinade and BBQ sauce! Are you listening Laughing Planet?

Photo: Korean BBQ Bowl
Your choice of local braised 100% grass-fed beef or baked organic Surata tofu, broccoli, brown rice, cilantro-lime slaw, quick-pickled cucumbers, toasted sesame seeds, and spicy Korean BBQ sauce.

I chose the Thai Bowl, a beautiful mound of crisp-yet-tender neon-bright vegetables, savory baked tofu plus some added extra chicken, and an amazing peanut sauce - all of that over brown rice. It tasted as good as it looked and yes, I ate every bit of this piled-high delight.

Photo: Thai Bowl with tofu and chicken
Thai Bowl: Baked organic Surata tofu, garlic green beans, steamed broccoli on brown rice, topped with a cilantro lime slaw and served with Thai Lemongrass Peanut sauce.

Local resident Donna recommended Laughing Planet and was familiar with the menu. Already a fan of the various bowls and quesadillas, this time she headed to the burrito side of the menu. The vegetarian and omnivore sections offer interesting combinations of ingredients and seasonings, but Donna zeroed in immediately on the mole-sauced chicken and bean combo in the Holy Mole. Flavorful and filling, this burrito could be a whole-meal-in-a-wrapper favorite. 

Photo: Holy Mole burrito
Smart pinto beans, grilled Draper Valley natural chicken, Tillamook jack cheese, brown rice, pico de gallo and homemade Mole sauce.

Laughing Planet's staff was enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable; I especially appreciated the helpful food and beverage ordering suggestions. The recommended local micro brew (dark porter) and a hard cider paired well with our menu choices. The room was light and bright, the seating comfortable, the service fast and the decor.. interesting. Several small dinosaurs lurked here and there. There must be an interesting story behind the colorful assortment of reptiles.

On a return trip to Bend the menu's soups, salads, smoothies, homemade cookies and a handful of breakfasty items might tempt me, but today's choices couldn't have suited us any better. Laughing Planet has 9 cafes in Portland, 2 in Eugene, 1 in Corvallis, 1 in Bend and 1 in Reno. Reno? So when is LPC coming to Seattle?! I'm waiting.

Ladies Who Lunch, and Brunch, and Occasionally Visit Starbucks

And since you are going to ask, yes, that would be me this past week now that I am fully off the crutches. Omigosh, I have reveled in the opportunity to be out and about, to engage with friends and family, and to enjoy someone else's cooking. 

Snoqualmie Falls & Lodge

Sunday Brunch at Salish Lodge led off the recent series of dining excursions. The weather cooperated and the setting was breathtaking, a mere hundred+ yards from the top of Snoqualmie Falls, the 268-foot waterfall, that is one of Washington State's most popular scenic attractions. Built in 1919 the original Snoqualmie Falls Lodge was famous for its view, hospitality and hearty breakfasts. My first visit to the old lodge was many decades ago during my freshman year at the Univ. of Washington. I remember a steaming bowl of tasty oats, fluffy pancakes, fresh biscuits and the waitress drizzling honey onto our plates from an impossible height. 

Biscuits & honey

The property changed ownership, major renovation and remodeling followed, and the new Salish Lodge & Spa opened in 1988. The dining room and country breakfasts are still renowned. Laci and Slone spent the early morning on a snowy roundtrip hike to Snow Lake, and met us at the lodge for a 10:30am brunch. 

Photo: My brunch companions at Salish Lodge

Seated near the crackling fireplace we poured over the tempting menu, sipped mugs of well-brewed coffee and caught up on recent happenings. The tabletop soon filled with 1 order of Oatmeal plus a side of eggs, 1 Eggs Benedict over Ham, another Eggs Benedict with Vegetables, and my Smoked Salmon Hash Skillet, plus plates of biscuits... with honey still drizzled from on high. I wouldn't bother with the salmon hash skillet again, but the Oatmeal and the Eggs Benedict rated high marks from the other diners.

During a subsequent weekday lunch at the Columbia City Ale House the Soup Du Jour sounded so tempting that I veered from my usual order of the Red Reuben Sandwich or Fish Tacos. A steaming cup of Hearty Beef with Barley Soup paired with a small Honey Apple Mixed Green Salad was the perfect combo for a cool, gray December day. Good choice! 

Photo: Soup & Salad Combo at Columbia City Ale House

RL ate every bite of his Southwest Flat Iron Steak Sandwich, so the ancho chili rub, chipotle mayo, melted Jack cheese and fresh Pico de Gallo salsa must have been a hit... but I didn't notice or take any photos. I was too busy enjoying every drop of that colorful cup of richly flavored soup.    

Photo: Entrance to Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room in Seattle

Another day, another adventure! The newly opened Starbucks Roastery & Tasting Room in Seattle is Howard Schultz's latest shrine to coffee, most striking (to me) for the visual experience inside this incredible location. Copper pipes, pneumatic tubes, little coffee bean lifts and giant vats... everywhere we looked intriguing equipment sparkled under Disneyland lighting. 

Photo: Ladies Who Do Lunch & Occasionally Visit Starbucks

Hilary, Chelsea, Laci and I wandered wide-eyed through the multi-level, Willy Wonka-style, warehouse-size space. We were intrigued with the overall design, the unique equipment, the entire coffee-production process, and impressed for the most part with the helpful staff. The actual ordering of a cup of coffee needs some fine tuning... order where? which line? not here? 45 minutes and still waiting, really?

Photo: Inside Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle

A new Tom Douglas Serious Pie restaurant fills a small corner of the building, and that destination was the highlight of my day. Our starter plate of creamy burrata, charred Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced Fuji apples with a drizzle of pine bud syrup was absolutely swoon worthy - no exaggeration. Four of us shared two pizzas, wildly different in flavorful toppings but equally desirable atop thin and crisp, lightly charred, delicious crusts. Generous portions of Penn Cove clams, house-cured pancetta and lemon thyme topped the first pie - ok, this was my favorite and I devoured two pieces, but you do have to love clams. 

Photo: Penn Cove Clam Pizza at Serious Pie

Photo: Sweet Fennel Sausage Pizza at Serious Pie

The second pie held sweet fennel sausage, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese - not surprisingly it disappeared first (not everyone is wild about clams). I am totally ready to return here, or to any  other Serious Pie location, and nibble my way down the rest of the tempting menu offerings. Maybe a Happy Hour sip and graze with friends. As for coffee, I'll still brew it at home, though the foam won't be as pretty.

Fish Taco Tasting Tour

Part One: Alki

What combination of flavors, textures and preparation makes for an awesome fish taco? Grilled or fried fish? Corn or flour tortilla? Creamy sauce, fresh salsa or both? Shredded lettuce or cabbage? Pickled onions or jalapeños?... the questions go on and on. H and I began our search for answers.

Memories of a Spring lunch at Marination Ma Kai (link) took us back to Seattle's Alki waterfront for Day One of our quest. We revisited Ma Kai to resample their fish taco and establish a baseline for comparison. Grilled white fish would be the standard.

First we sampled the fish. The marinade kept the perfectly-cooked cod moist but contributed little flavor. That was not a problem since the kimchi-flavored crema, pickled red onions, jalapeño rings and a few dashes of sriracha packed plenty of flavor into each subsequent bite. It was tempting to order another taco, but we had more stops to make.

We headed farther west along the waterfront. Drat! the food cart that we thought would be on location was missing. Out of business? Seasonal schedule issues? Whatever! we continued on.

Next we popped into a sit-down Mexican restaurant, happy to get out of the dreary drizzle outside. Hmmm, the atmosphere was dark, the seat-yourself joint was nearly empty and the menu noted their tacos held battered and fried fish. We quietly left without ordering, not that anyone really noticed or seemed to care. 

Finally we came to Cactus, a restaurant already familiar to both of us. Warmly welcomed by staff and then a cheery fireplace, we headed for a well-lit corner of the lounge. Torn between two fish taco choices on the menu we made the very practical decision to order both.

Omigosh, the fish alone was delicious - ceviche-like in preparation and bursting with flavor. Smokey chipotle cream sauce and red onions added contrasting notes for a perfect bite. The avocado slice was pretty, but superfluous - this taco did not require decoration. The brittle corn tortillas served a display function but shattered at the first bite. Oops! no problemo, we could handle this challenge. Undaunted we pressed the halves together and enjoyed our flat, fish taco crispy tortilla sandwiches anyway.    

There is no photo of the next menu descriptor, but the Taco Pescado featured grilled cod, coriander, pasilla slaw, mango (I think) pico de gallo and buttermilk crema on a corn tortilla.

The fish was moist, without a distinctive flavor of its own. Ah, but the toppings provided a lively, satisfying bite. Pasilla coleslaw and fresh salsa added crunch and pop to this taco. The flavor of the corn tortilla seemed more discernible, distracting a bit from the overall taste combination. 

So we give high marks to Ma Kai's marinade and kimichi-flavored crema, to Cactus' flavorful ahi, chipotle crema and pasilla coleslaw. Obviously we need to keep searching.

The food memory of a terrific fish taco at the Train Wreck Bar & Grill would draw me back to Burlington, but that's a long drive for a taco when we haven't begun to taste-test our way through Seattle yet. My favorite local hangout, the Columbia City Ale House, features a dynamite fish taco that is hard to resist, but it's breaded and grilled. We are focused on marinated and grilled this month. The search goes on. Do you have any suggestions for the team? We are committed to further research.

A Cupcake to Celebrate Elvis' Birthday

Photo: The Velvet Elvis Babycake at Cupcake Royale

January 8 is the day to honor The King on his birthday, and the blogosphere has been full of Elvis this and Elvis that. Seattle's Cupcake Royale is honoring Elvis the entire month of January with their Velvet Elvis. Their website describes it as:

"A Cupcake for a King!
Brown sugar banana cupcake swirled with peanut butter chocolate frosting. Now this is where it gets interesting. To bacon or not to bacon? To be a true Velvet Elvis you must choose with!"

H and I dropped into the West Seattle shop for a small dessert, just a bite, and CR's Babycakes were the perfect choice. Mini cupcakes provide energy and have almost no calories, right? H loved the Velvet Elvis and I... well, I passed on that choice. 

Photo: The Classic Babycake at Cupcake Royale

I don't care for peanut butter... nope, not even to honor The King... not even topped with bacon from Zoey's Meats. Nope, instead I relished my Classic:

"When you...feast your eyes on this treat, the holy spirit of deliciousness is gonna jump up inside you and it's gonna shout to the heavens -- 'Rainbow sprinkles! I want the one with the rainbow sprinkles!'"

It wasn't quite that easy to order since more than one cupcake in the display case tempted me. Is it always this difficult to choose "just one" at Cupcake Royale? 

This local treasure of a bakery was founded in 2003 as Seattle's first cupcake-only bakery. CR claims to be a pioneer, the first cupcake bakery to open outside of NYC. Now with seven locations it's easy to enjoy their made-from-scratch cakes all over the city. That's a good thing for anyone with a sweet tooth since the Babycakes are perfect little bites of deliciousness... and are almost guilt-free. 

South Fork Public House

Road trips are about so much more than merely traveling from Place A to Place B, and often it's the small things that linger in the memory. One of the best food memories from a recent trip comes from an early dinner at the South Fork Public House in Pullman, WA.   

When dining in an unfamiliar locale you could a) randomly choose a spot by interesting name or signage, b) cruise the downtown or nearby mall and look for restaurants with full parking lots, a sign that it's popular with the locals, c) skim Yelp reviews, or d) ask the hotel's front desk staff for recommendations. We asked. We scored! South Fork Pub and its Cilantro Pesto Pasta sounded appealing for a late lunch/early dinner after our 285-mile drive and a few photo-shoot stops.

Cilantro Pesto Pasta - Penne pasta tossed in a cilantro pesto with chicken, black beans, corn, sauted peppers & onions, and salsa fresco. 

Cilantro was a dominant flavor in the creamy pesto sauce, as you would expect, but the fresh, bright notes of the salsa added a sufficient contrast to provide balance to the dish. Cilantro-haters won't order Cilantro Pesto Pasta, but the rest of us shouldn't miss it. The photo above shows a half-portion of the entree, plated by the accommodating kitchen. We loved every forkful we ate, and still had enough left over to enjoy the next day. That's a lot of pasta, enough for really hearty appetites!   

Lentil Chili - Thick and hearty house-made chili made with ground beef and pork, Andouille sausage, and Palouse Brand Lentils.

I'm a committed chili fan and love to sample new recipes everywhere we travel - culinary research of a sort. Lentil Chili sounded...well, odd, beyond my experience tasting or cooking, so I cautiously ordered a small cupful. My mistake, I should have ordered a bucketful of this amazing concoction. Definitely not vegetarian, the trio of meats provided a rich, deep, background flavor for a mellow blend of spices and chiles. Beans and lentils?! Don't get me started on the Beans vs. No-Beans regional debate. Here in the Palouse Country it seems beans belong in chili and lentils are welcome additions to the pot. It works. This is damned fine chili and I'd return again for this dish alone. 

When I skim the rest of the pub menu I realize, there's more than a handful of other tempting items to taste test, several new brews to sample, and that warm, friendly atmosphere to welcome us back like valued friends. South Fork Public House celebrates its fourth anniversary this month and seems certain to flourish for years to come. I'm ready to return again soon... and I think I'll start with an order of Lamb Sliders topped with tomato chutney, caramelized onions and tzatziki sauce. Meanwhile I will keep updated on SFPH happenings on their Facebook page. (link)

Lunch at WildFin

What were we thinking, driving to a major shopping center on a busy Saturday, the weekend before Christmas?! This was not about holiday shopping, not your typical seasonal shopping run. Nope, RL we had an emergency. We absolutely, positively, needed printer ink. That need sent us to The Landing, a medium-sized shopping center in Renton, hoping with fingers crossed that it would be less crowded than some of the other malls in the area. Hah! the parking lots were jammed, the stores crowded, and the people looked "focused".

Mission accomplished with minimal fuss and reasonable lines, but it was lunch time and we had earned a reward. We took the opportunity to enjoy lunch at Wild Fin American Grill, a new-to-us eatery at The Landing. Good choice! The decor was oddly interesting, with large graphics of cows, assorted poultry and a moose (I think) adorning the walls. WildFin, what's up with the barnyard motif? Moving on... I sipped a warming Hot Toddy while studying the menu, a perfect beverage to counter the chill of a damp Winter Solstice afternoon. It was odd to have a teabag, spoon and dish of honey plunked down alongside the mug of lemony hot water and booze. No problem, I was up to a DIY challenge and actually enjoyed having the honey available to adjust the sweetness level.

 Check out the cover of the 3-fold paper menu for the week, a listing of local sporting and cultural events. That was a friendly welcome-to-the-neighborhood touch.

The lunch menu was challenging with too many tempting choices. I couldn't decide between a dozen or so items, and that was my short list of choices. Skim WildFin's online menu and you'll see the problem. RL ordered the New Orleans Fettuccine, a large plate of pasta with ample chunks of Andouille, shrimp and chicken scattered throughout. The jambalaya sauce was sensational, spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and the seafood cooked perfectly. The portion was large enough to serve two, so RL enjoyed it reheated for Sunday lunch. 

Photo: WildFin's New Orleans Fettuccine 

Indecision was my issue, not uncommon when I face a large and  appealing menu. I took the easy option and went with a choose-your-favorite lunch combination. A cup of Smoky Chicken Tortilla Soup and half a Smoked Chicken Club Sandwich were good choices but more than filling. The soup stole the show, one of the best versions I have ever tasted. Yes, better than my own recipe so I need to up my game! The broth was smoky, tangy with lime, spicy but not hot, and packed full of veggies and large pieces of tender chicken. I wish I knew the spice combination that provided the back notes. The club sandwich was quite good, but totally overshadowed by that delicious soup.

  

While I'm not usually a fan of desserts at lunch, the Salted Caramel Bacon Popcorn Crunch Sundae did sound intriguing. How many sweet, salty, crunchy, boozy and smooth ingredients can you pile on?! The menu states the adult version comes with Grand Marnier, Godiva Chocolate liqueur and brandy. Now that's some combination!

I'm already plotting our return visit, reviewing the lunch menu again and again to select my next entree. Tuna Tacos with mango mint salsa? Shrimp and Cheese Grits? Cougar Gold Chili Prawn Mac & Cheese? The Appetizer Tower with stacked crab, prawns & artichoke dip, calamari and clams? Sausage & Mushroom Flatbread? Sigh, and I haven't even skimmed the dinner menu yet!

A Tim Horton's Morning

Photo: Tim Horton's vanilla latte and scone 

"Awake before dawn" sounds dramatic, but it's routine when sunrise is scheduled close to 8:00 a.m. This morning the hours before dawn felt unusually quiet, with none of the usual waterfront sounds filling the air. The color outside the windows felt wrong, much too monochromatic gray. No wonder, an inch of snow covered everything and the flakes were still coming down. The snow didn't stop falling all day.

I grabbed the camera after a light breakfast and set off to explore this unexpected winter wonderland. Hmmm, the ramp was my first challenge, not so much steep as very slippery. 

A handful of local feral cats looked quite unsettled, lifting one paw then another to shake out the crusty snow clumps as they waited for the Kittycare Crew to come by with breakfast.

I wandered about the waterfront for an hour before the cold finally penetrated my jacket, seeped through the soles of my boots, chilled my fingers through my gloves, and nearly turned my cheeks and nose into lumps of ice. Enough of this fun! Across the busy Island Highway a Tim Horton's Restaurant beckoned to me, promising a warm interior with hot drinks and good company to save me from freezing any vital parts. 

The restaurant was warm, the company was terrific (good to see you N), but next time I will know better and order tea, just tea, instead of a vanilla latte and scone. The latte was overwhelmingly sweet with a heavy hand on the odd vanilla flavoring and the scone was cold and quite dry. It must not have mattered since I ate every crumb and sipped away at the drink for over an hour. Warmed and cheered by good conversation I trudged out once again into the falling snow… after N drove me back to the marina... meandered back to the boat and heated up a bowl of chili verde for lunch. Now I wonder where the dozen or more waterfront cats are curling up to stay warm in this weather.

A Hit and a Miss at Pizzeria Pulcinella

The continuing search for a terrific minestrone soup...

We are now approaching classic soup weather in the Pacific Northwest. You know the signs; it's a season of cool temperature, dark clouds, drizzly rain, plus wind-gusts-to-rattle-the-windows kind of a weather all mixed with glorious days of cool sunshine.  Mmmmm, minestrone soup kind of weather. Lunch at a favorite Italian joint, Pizzeria Pulcinella, should have been the perfect antidote for any dreary weather blues. Well, it almost worked. 

Pulcinella's Neopolitan pizzas and delicious salads have become our go-to favorites, but the daily lunch sheet looked way too tempting to pass up. I'll admit I arrived primed to enjoy a steaming bowl of minestrone, anticipating a tomato-based broth loaded with seasonal vegetables, beans and a handful of pasta.Then again, the panini did sound amazing. The plan was to order a two different items and share both. So I ordered the panini and RL went for the bowl of minestrone with foccaccia. 

We did share my panini, a crisped focaccia thickly layered with various meats and cheeses that was a full-flavored delight. The large serving was more than enough for the two of us.

The much anticipated house minestrone should have been the real treat, but didn't deliver. It looked unappealingly murky with no evidence of any tomatoes, winter greens or pasta. Moving past the visual I dove into RL's bowl for a taste test.  The first spoonful of broth lacked flavor, and a second spoonful confirmed the bland taste. It was an okay chicken-broth based cabbagey soup, but it wasn't the minestrone I was after. so I graciously let RL enjoy the rest of the bowl.  The attentive waitress offered soup refills, but we politely declined. 

Pulcinella remains on the list of good local pizzerias, and we will return again and again for pizza and salad. However, the minestrone soup search goes on. It might be time to try another recipe at home.