October 2011

Seattle's Zombie Obsession

Seattle’s Zombie Obsession

Nine reasons why Seattle is the Zombie capital of the world.

An infection is spreading through Seattle—one so virulent it threatens to overtake the city’s other iconic symbols (coffee, rain, hipsters in plaid): zombies. Put another way, you can’t swing a dead cat in Seattle without hitting a dead person (who’s been reanimated and craves flesh and brains). There’s plenty of cruel speculation as to why…

Artusi

Artusi

Spinasse's Jason Stratton does lighter bites and striking cocktails at this aperitivo bar.

In a window-wrapped corner space next to the recently expanded Spinasse (which now has a new, open pasta-making station, but retains its utterly charming trattoria), chef Jason Stratton has debuted Artusi, a drop-in-friendly, wildly decorated—zebra-patterned walls, ceilings hung with tubular light fixtures—aperitivo bar. Stratton, named one of Food & Wine magazine’s best new chefs of…

Chawanmushi at Flo

Chawanmushi at Flo

We love this comforting custard.

Like the first time I wrap myself in a trusty woolen sweater, there are culinary rites of passage that I find myself revisiting as autumn softens into the cool, dark months of winter. Chawanmushi (“tea cup steam” in Japanese), a fragrant, soft egg custard steamed in a pretty ceramic cup, is a new favorite ritual….

Seattle's Best Pub Grub

Seattle’s Best Pub Grub

At these local beer-centric watering holes, the(great) food’s the thing.

When I moved to New York City a decade ago, I couldn’t believe how bad they had it. Oh sure, they’ve got Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud and so many other of the country’s best chefs. They’ve got world-class service, a genius on every corner, yada yada. But when it comes to what’s really important in…

Cravings: Kale

Cravings: Kale

All of the sudden, we can't get enough of this hearty, nutritious and delicious green.

GOLDEN BEETLEMaria Hines’ newest restaurant serves up Carnation-based Full Circle Farm’s kale sautéed with harissa, lemon and garlic for a flavorful balance of earthy, bright and spicy notes. $8. Ballard, 1744 NW Market St.; 206.706.2977; golden-beetle.com BOAT STREET CAFEThe kale gratin brunch entrée’s baked-cheese top is melted over a creamy bed of kale, served with…

Skillet Diner is Unpretentious, Really Good Food

Skillet Diner is Unpretentious, Really Good Food

The brick-and-mortar sister of food truck Skillet Street Food is as good as we'd hoped.

You’ve gotta figure that a guy who builds his business out of an Airstream trailer has a sense of humor and a lightness of heart, and Josh Henderson’s Skillet Diner—the new brick-and-mortar sister of food truck Skillet Street Food—proves you right. On the hottest new corner in “foodland,” 14th and Union (also home to the relocated…

Zippy's Giant Burgers Has a Delicious Secret

Zippy’s Giant Burgers Has a Delicious Secret

Welcome to burger heaven. Now with booth seating.

It used to be that a visit to Zippy’s involved squeezing into a cramped space or waiting outside in the mini-mart parking lot for your burger. Now that Zippy’s has relocated to a corner spot in White Center, there are red vinyl booths, plenty of tables and a lot more breathing room. And I love…

The Forge Lounge

The Forge Lounge

A new casual downtown Seattle bar is made for sandwich-lovers and ferry riders.

A new watering hole sits along the steel paths of the pedestrian walkway downtown, offering a sweet escape during long ferry waits. THE VIBE: A clean, industrial theme beckons: Brick walls are decked with black-and-white photos of steamers and steel workers, and drinkers sink down at one of three micro steel-lined tables or take a…

How to Use Marrons Glacés in Your Favorite Dessert

How to Use Marrons Glacés in Your Favorite Dessert

These candied, glazed chestnuts have been popular since Louis XIV's court.

What they are: The earliest recipe for marrons glacés, or candied and glazed chestnuts, originates from 16th-century France, and gained in popularity in Louis XIV’s opulent Versailles court. Thousands of years of careful breeding have made the choicest chestnuts—also called marrons—less bitter and naturally sweeter. How I discovered them: I have always loved chestnut desserts—one…

Link Lab is a Meat Lover's Dream Come True

Link Lab is a Meat Lover’s Dream Come True

Why a former Microsoft librarian is now making specialty Northwest sausage.

Seattleites store all sorts of miscellany in their garages (bike racks, the inevitable rain boot collection, a gardening trowel, chicken feed) but Link Lab Artisan Meats owner David Pearlstein uses his Wallingford garage to house something much more high tech: the USDA-inspected and -approved sausage production facility of his dreams. After spending all of 2010…

Melanie Burgess: Costume Designer

Melanie Burgess: Costume Designer

Thanks to her kid's Halloween costumes, this local costumer is in high demand at local theaters.

NAME: Melanie BurgessOCCUPATION: Costume designerON CAREER PATHS: “Sometimes I think I was trying to find acting and costume design found me.”FAVORITE GIG SO FAR: Jesus Christ Superstar at the Village TheatreSEE HER WORK: In Inherit the Wind (Strawberry Theater Workshop; through 10/8), Harold and the Purple Crayon (Seattle Children’s Theatre; through 10/30) and Sylvia (Seattle…

Palikka: Seattle's New Favorite Game

Palikka: Seattle’s New Favorite Game

Inspired by the Finns, Wallingford's new gamemaker has Seattleites chucking wood.

The Northwest has a long history of knocking down logs, and while we no longer have endless forests to plunder, we do have…Palikka. The brainchild of Wallingford resident Santtu Winter, Palikka is based on the popular Finnish game Möllky, which Winter purchased while visiting his parents in Finland in 2006. Loving the game but wanting…