Sushi Maki

I believe that in order to properly appreciate a piece of sushi it should be consumed in one bite. There are several reasons for my distaste with over sized rolls:

a) You have to spend extra time getting just the right grip so you don't drop it while trying to bite through it
b) The piece of sushi may fall to pieces, possibly in your lap
c) It is unlikely that you will be able to evenly distribute the various components of the roll with your bite, therefore you will not experience the flavors as intended

I decided to give Sushi Maki a chance anyway. Sushi Maki should just rename all of their rolls "Godzilla Roll." My friend and I ordered 3 rolls and ended up taking an entire roll home. I foolishly attempted to fit a whole piece of the Volcano Roll in my mouth and had to work on it for the next five minutes. Thank goodness my friend was too nice to take a photo!

The sushi itself just wasn't memorable. It didn't satisfy my sushi craving so I felt like I hadn't even eaten sushi. I can't even think of anything to say about it except it was huge and cheap.

Sushi Maki clearly isn't the right restaurant for me but I do know many people who will love it. $5-7 for a roll big enough to be a meal has a lot of mass appeal.

Spur Gastropub

I've been curious about the reincarnation of the old Mistral space so when I heard that Spur Gastropub was holding a soft opening last Friday I immediately made plans with my sister to be the first ones in the door. I like to beat the bar crowds so I can actually chat with my bartenders.

For the soft launch every customer was asked to fill out a comment sheet in exchange for receiving a free cocktail and appetizer. We chose the Slow Poached Butterfish and Free Range Chicken Confit for our appetizers and finished with the Pistachio Financiers for dessert. If you don't care for the taste and texture of raw fish (like my sister) the slow poach preparation is probably not ideal. I enjoyed it and thought that it paired perfectly with the peas and morels. The Chicken Confit was a hit with both of us. The skin was crispy and flavorful and the meat was tender and fell easily off the bones.

My sister had marked the confit as her favorite dish prematurely and scratched it off immediately after her first taste of dessert. A warm pistachio cake with foie gras ice cream atop olive oil powder and a cute little elderflower liqueur and lillet gelee. It was perfection.

Kevin, who will be tending bar on Fridays and Sundays, knows our drinking habits well and easily guided us to drinks he knew we'd enjoy. My sister ordered La Rocia, a drink reminiscent of sangria made with tequila, red wine, and stone fruit and topped with a red wine foam. She's the one who hasn't developed a taste for liquor and she loved it. I am partial to drinks with a base of rye whiskey so The Foreigner was an easy choice. The drink was of the same vein as my usual cocktails of choice (Sazeracs & Torontos) but with variations of herbal/fruity qualities that I found pleasing.

A really nice touch was the house made corn nuts. I'm praying that these are complimentary with every visit! They were delicious and we devoured them voraciously.


http://spurseattle.com/
Daily: 5pm - 2am

New distillery opening in WA!

As usual my excitement is a little premature but today I came across rumblings of a new source for local spirits. Pacific Distillery is a micro-distillery based in Woodinville with plans for a premium gin on the market in October and their flagship product, absinthe, available around December of this year. They will be using traditional distilling methods and you can take a peek at their beautiful handmade copper alembic still on their blog. As of this month distilleries in WA state are allowed to conduct tours and offer product sampling so you can bet I'll be making a trip to Woodinville later this year!

Check out their blog at http://pacificdistillery.blogspot.com/

Kress IGA

The supermarket has been open for a few weeks now and I'm very pleased with it. The store is very reminiscent of the supermarkets all over Europe. It's on a much smaller scale than what we're used to here but they still manage to pack in all the essentials and top it off with a great beer and wine department. The price premium for location is manageable and the IGA brand is competitive to generic brands in other supermarkets.

One of the highlights of the store is the selection of local products. They have baked goods from Dahlia Bakery and Boulangerie Nantaise, doughnuts from Mighty O, pasta from Sorrentino, and more. Many of these vendors are selling their product outside of their own stores for the first time.

I was concerned at first about lines since a small grocery has to focus on volume of customers rather than volume of product sales but since the first week it hasn't been an issue at all. In fact I'm a little concerned that the store won't be sustainable. The storefront is tiny and easy to miss. I've spoken with people who live or work within a few blocks who had no idea the store was open yet - several weeks after the actual opening. If you haven't been yet please check it out!

Kress IGA Supermarket
1423 Third Avenue
7am-10pm

Kress IGA Supermarket

I'm the kind of person who radiates my emotions and all day I've been brimming with excitement. Tomorrow is the grand opening of the Kress IGA supermarket in downtown Seattle. I understand if my elation seems a little misplaced but I live a very urban lifestyle - i.e. carless - and I don't often remember to hit up the Pike Place Market before it closes. And the new market satisfies all my little romantic notions of what an urban supermarket can be. Every day local vendors from the area will walk over a day's worth of freshly baked goods and flowers. Once I figure out the delivery schedule don't be surprised if I'm first in line for a freshly walked baguette!

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/367253_kressiga17.html?source=mypi

Spokane Gin

I can't pretend to any real knowledge of liquor but when I heard about a new distillery opening in Spokane - the first full commercial distillery in Washington State since prohibition - I got excited. I'm a sucker for locally produced goods. I tried in vain to get my hands on a bottle of the Dry Fly gin when it was first distributed near the end of last year but it wasn't until March that I came across a bottle in stock at the Queen Anne liquor store. Batch #5 suckas. The liquor is brewed from local wheat and infused with juniper, coriander, lavender, mint, dried apples and hops. I'm no expert but Sun Liquor has been spoiling me with their cocktails for awhile now and this makes one tasty gin & tonic. 

Banh Cuon Tan Dinh

After a work lunch of unplanned leisure, I like to offer my services for a banh mi run.  Vietnamese sandwiches are easy on wallet and the coders can work through their lunch and free themselves from any guilt remaining from yesterday's two hour excursion.

There is a perfectly serviceable Vietnamese restaurant less than ten minutes walk away but they charge the outrageous price of $3.25 for their sandwiches. Fewer than ten years ago I was purchasing these sandwiches for less than half that price at a small shop in my parents' neighborhood so naturally I can not bring myself to pay such an exorbitant amount even taking inflation in to account. Instead I hop on the bus for a 45 minute round trip visit to the Little Saigon neighborhood. There are a number of shops within a two block radius all offering near identical versions of my beloved BBQ pork banh mi.

Which brings me to my provider of choice - Banh Cuon Tan Dinh. There isn't much that banh mi dealers can do to distinguish themselves. They tend to have the atmosphere of a convenience store with a large display of unfamiliar ready-made food items for a quickie lunch stop. Banh Cuon has yet to serve me a stale loaf, they accept credit cards, the counter guy is friendly and helpful, and the menu is entirely in Vietnamese. The sandwiches are $2.25 and it's located on a side street so it doesn't get the traffic of its competitors. I've chosen it as my favorite and you should eat there too.