Melrose Market and Calf and the Kid, Elysian Brewery

April 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

After our stop at the Crumpet Shop, we made our way to browse Melrose Market in the Capital Hill area (almost a straight walk up Pike Street and then a couple blocks over, about 15 minutes away walking), which is a small market full of various artisans shops all together in the open space of one large building.

Looking at the selections of fresh butchered meats at Rainshadow Meats really put me in the mood for steak. And lamb. And pork. And sausage. And mortadella. And pancetta.

Melrose Market Rainshadow Meats Melrose Market Rainshadow Meats Melrose Market Rainshadow Meats Melrose Market Rainshadow Meats

I also stalked Sitka and Spruce- I so wanted to be sitting at that table right by that kitchen that seemed like I was eating right in someone’s home. You’ll see this repeated shortly at our dinner at the Whale Wins in a later post…

Melrose Market Sitka and Spruce Seattle

At Calf and the Kid, I bought two cheeses, but am even more excited about the fact that they had temporary cheese tattoos. Here are some of the selections of cheeses they offered and the fun descriptions they had (I’ve pulled out a few in bullets for those too lazy to click the photos to read):

Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle Melrose Market Calf and the Kid cheese Seattle

  • Quadrello di Bufula: “Soft yet strong; husky yet full of panache; the Brawny Man of cheese”
  • Harbison: “This sinful delight of a cheese should be rated R”
  • Tarentaise: “Yep, I could take a bath in this cheese”
  • Pondhopper: “Sweet, floral, and bathed in a beer, just like a prom date you’ll never forget”
  • Montgomery’s Cheddar: “Darth Vader in cheddar form. Feel the force!”
  • Caveman Blue: “Smells like a skunk in a sweatsock, tastes like pure blue cheese heaven”
  • Gruyere 1655: “The Liberace of cheese; rich, fruity and smooth as velvet on a baby’s ass”

We reluctantly parted ways and headed towards Elysian Brewery. We had to wait 10 minutes or so before they opened, and held ourselves back to only getting a sampler of the current specialty beers, and one glass of the special beer that caught my eye, the Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale Ale. They had other beers as well, but since they were their regular lineup we had some before, and figured we would be able to get them in the future if desired.

Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer Elysian Brewery Seattle beer

We then returned back to downtown to get ready for our Pike Place Market food tour, which is the next food post. At this point, including the last post, we have only been in Seattle for 4 hours… if it sounds like the tour I am giving my friend includes a lot of walking and a lot of looking at food this day at various eating or drinking destinations .. you are correct.

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Filed Under: Beer Review, Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Mmm Crumpets

April 28, 2013 by 1 Comment

Last weekend, I was in Seattle for a couple days, both for work purposes but also to show a friend around Seattle on the Sunday before the workday and after work hours. I’m going to spread the posts out a little bit, but here’s a first taste.

We took the Bolt Bus- I can’t speak highly enough for the fact that it was faster than taking the Amtrak since it was a straight shot (and with no traffic on Sun morning to worry about at our early departure time at 6:30am) and the fare was only $15 for each of us. Later, our return cost us $8 a piece. The cost for both of our tickets round trip is the equivalent of the Amtrak fare. Now, Amtrak has a little bit more room in the seats and offers a dining car, but by choosing such an early and late bus schedule route she and I each had a double seat to ourselves and were fine. I got quite a lot of work done on the way to Seattle.

Bolt Bus Portland Seattle

Once we were there, we walked just about 15 minutes from where it drops off in the International District/King Station area and reached the downtown area and found our hotel for our stay the next two nights, the Hotel Monaco Seattle. This boutique hotel already had a room for us before 10am so we were thrilled to be able to put our bags in the room and then go off to our first adventure. If you stay here, make sure you sign up to be a Kimpton InTouch Loyalty member so you can get access to free wireless and also $10 room minibar raid! We did not partake, but they have a complimentary coffee stand in the morning from and a hosted wine reception every evening as well, something they kept as a tradition from their founder (who used to host these himself).

Hotel Monaco Seattle Hotel Monaco Seattle Hotel Monaco Seattle Hotel Monaco Seattle

I had signed us up for a Pike Place Market tour later in the day, so I tried to keep our stomachs mostly empty so we would be able to enjoy it. For a tiny breakfast, we walked towards Pike Place Market and had a small bite at The Crumpet Shop. On the way there, the city was still waking up, and it sort of peaceful as we made our way there. It was still overcast gray skies, but the flowering trees added color and cheer. Since it was early, the walkways were not crowded yet with people.

Pike Place Market Pike Place Market Pike Place Market

And here’s the Crumpet Shop! I have walked by it several times and wanted to stop, but always was on my way to another meal stop. There was a line out the back door of the little store extends into the rest of the Corner Market Building (you saw a glimpse of it to the right in the first Pike Place Market shot above). The building has looked the same since 1912 when it was first built over the remains of a collapsed hotel from attempting to build a railroad tunnel underneath. Meanwhile, the Crumpet shop has been making fresh crumpets everyday in their kitchen (which you can see right there) for thirty-six years. Standing by the windows into the kitchen, we watched a man mixing the dough in a huge bowl that was 1/3 the size of our body, and a woman managed a whole griddle full of crumpets.

the Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market

We came through the front door which gave us a chance to peek at tables and what the crumpets looked like before we lined up in the hallway. The line moves pretty fast though- and you may find that it is barely sufficient time by the time you get inside to decide what you want from the menu of all crumpet but with various toppings. Well ok, there is coffee and tea and scones too, but really it is all about crumpets- sweet, savory, simple with just organic butter or a fruit topping, or all out with egg and smoked salmon cream cheese, or with homemade hazelnut chocolate and ricotta, or Stilton Blue Cheese and orange marmalade, or… yeah I had a hard time selecting just one. Their website doesn’t have the whole menu as shown below… there are probably more than 30 variations possible.

the Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market the Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market

A crumpet is a traditional English griddle cake made from flour and yeast, and then on the pan/griddle are put into rings which gives the crumpets it’s round shape and the way it is cooked is similar to a pancake, and it has a fluffy softness with a crispy edge that is similar to pancakes as well. They are thick in a way that is reminiscent of a bagel which is perfect for carrying the toppings and eating with with your hands, but with its flat top with many small pores and chewy spongy texture, it also like an English muffin. My ultimate selection was Walnuts, Honey & Ricotta (AKA The Walrus). My friend selected the crumpet with English cheese and tomato and pesto.

As you can see, these are very do-able as part any progressive meal. And now I’ll just let you enjoy the food pron pictures.

Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market crumpet with English cheese and tomato and pesto Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market crumpet with English cheese and tomato and pesto

Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market Walrus walnuts honey ricotta on a crumpet Crumpet Shop Pike Place Market Walrus walnuts honey ricotta on a crumpet CCrumpet Shop Pike Place Market Walrus walnuts honey ricotta on a crumpet

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Kargi Gogo – Food from Georgia from a Food Cart

April 26, 2013 by 4 Comments

I always like to support local businesses, and after returning a library book I had borrowed to read during my flights to/from Baltimore, I decided to take an extra few blocks of walking to circle the food carts at SW Alder and Washington and SW 9th/10th. During that little stroll, I discovered a new food cart has just recently opened, Kargi Gogo, showcasing food from Georgia. No, I know you went naturally to southern food from Georgia, USA, but actually this cart specializes in the Republic of Georgia, the country in Eastern Europe.

Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food

That face of that cartoony wide eyed girl made this cart hard to miss, and endearing to me immediately. I had to give them a try, and as I was reading their menu I found them very reasonably priced and liked their attention to detail in descriptions of the food, and the helpful photos as well on the cart, and the ALSO endearing illustrations of the food next to each menu item. What great design!

So feeling not very hungry, but very adventurous, I went with the #8, the Supra Feast of a sampler of all of the 5 items on their menu:

Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food

  • Khachapuri: Georgian Cheese Bread. Melted cheeses wrapped in crust and cut in a triangle. I was tempted to go back and just get a whole order of this to have for dinner, and even after walking 2 blocks away after eating it I was still thinking about it. Yes it is reminiscent of a quesadilla and a grilled cheese sandwich, with the bread is more like a doughy pizza or foccacia bread. I went back later and just got an order of these and had all 4 pieces for lunch and dinner 🙂
    Khachapuri Georgian Cheese Bread Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food
  • Lobiani: Stuffed Bean and Onion Bread. Ground red beans and caramelized onions and Georgian spices stuffed inside crust
    Lobiani Stuffed Bean and Onion Bread Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food
  • Khinkali: Not Your Average Dumplings. More like gigantic dumplings the size of my palm that are full of a soupy filling that includes beef pork and herbs, like a supersized Chinese soup dumpling but with a Georgian take, and the dough here of the dumpling is thicker which reminded me a bit more of pierogi.
    Khinkali soup dumplings Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food
  • Badrijani: Eggplant, Garlic and Walnut rolls. Small strips of eggplant rolled in a mixture that includes ground walnuts, garlic, and Georgian spices, topped with a pomegranate seed… Looking lovely like a fancy appetizer, and this seemed to have a bit more of a Mediterranean feel to the flavors.
    Badrijani Eggplant, Garlic and Walnut rolls Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food
  • Peasant’s Salad: a light acidic salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and parsley in a walnut garlic dressing: walnuts are very abundant in Georgia

As a tidbit I found out while still thinking about that deliciously savory and cheesy Khachapuri, I learned that per Wikipedia’s article on Khachapuri, since is a Georgian staple food, the price of making a Khachapuri is used as a measure of inflation in different Georgian cities by the Khachapuri index! I did go back a week later just to get the Khachapuri.

Khachapuri Georgian Cheese Bread Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food Khachapuri Georgian Cheese Bread Kargi Gogo food cart portland Georgia food

Speaking of food carts, tomorrow is the Willamette Week’s Sixth Annual Eat Mobile Food Cart Festival, boasting a single price admission ticket (no food tickets needed) and then small tastings from almost 50 food carts from all round Portland until 9pm (starts at 5:30 for general admission, 4pm for pre-tasting early admission which is the ticket I have).  Just as last year, it will be held in the parking lot area of Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), and this year OMSI is going to partner with Eat Mobile to also include food demonstrations and a Whole Foods Eat Mobile Culinary Science Stage. I’ve been going since 2010- see my blogs/photos there from my first time, and then my visits for 2011 and 2012, and enjoyed every single one.

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Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

April 22, 2013 by 2 Comments

I attended another Caprial + John cooking class last week, this one centered on Modern Pot Pies. This was held again at their Chef’s Studio 2818 S.E. Pine, and included

  • Radicchio Salad with Black Pepper Fromage Blanc Dressing with toasted hazelnuts
  • Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato Crust
  • Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Crust
  • Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust
  • Buttermilk and Lime Curd Layered Panna Cotta

As usual, the class started with Cappy opening up various wines for the class- it is BYOB- so that us students could sip and swirl as they started teaching us the various courses that we would also be eating as our dinner. Recipes are already printed with our names for our places at the table so we can take notes as they cook and we drink.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

My favorite of the three pies was the Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese crust. The roasting of the vegetables just brought out a wonderful depth of flavor that I really liked and could make even for F and I (without the bacon). The vegetables in the recipe include onion, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, fennel but Cappy talked about how she loves to throw in swiss chard or kale too, and I love that idea.

The vegetables were already roasted when we arrived as that takes more time, so mainly John and Cappy talked about creating the ricotta crust on top- and I totally agree that the topping alone just thrown with pasta would be delicious. Putting pieces of the recipe on pasta was mentioned a few times- perhaps because they happened during the class to be on day 5 of a no carbs no alcohol diet in preparing to rest their stomach and livers for an upcoming trip to France.

She also made her own ricotta for this recipe using milk, cream, and white vinegar, and talked about her obsession (which will soon become mine) with being able to recreate a baked ricotta dish (just plain pressed ricotta- not ricotta cake) and finally tracking it down in some Australian recipe.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

At the same time, the pork for the Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Crust was cooking and the cauliflower steaming away in the background: they are definitely multi-taskers in the kitchen. John showed us his trick to very efficiently dice an onion which includes flattening one side and not cutting fully through when doing the first rows so everything holds together at first until you cut the rows the other way.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class dicing an onion Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class dicing an onion Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class dicing an onion Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class dicing an onion

As John sauteed the pork and onions and added potatoes, Cappy talked to us about the panna cotta part of the Buttermilk and Lime Curd Layered Panna Cotta, specifically the combining of cream, sugar, gelatin, and buttermilk so that it would then have time to chill as we returned out attention back to the pies.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

Back with the Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower crust recipe workstream, John zested and squeezed lemons and prepared the mashed cauliflower crust with all its cheesyiness thanks to parmesan and goat cheese. We agreed we could enjoy that mashed cauliflower just as too.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

We finished the Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust assembly and put it in the oven.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust

Meanwhile, the pork was ready to be placed in the pan and topped with the cauliflower mixture, and also put in the oven.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

At this point the Bacon and Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Crust was almost ready, so Cappy quickly talked through the importance of soaking the radicchio while John prepared the dressing and talked through how to attempt to fix the dressing if it breaks. And then it was time to eat the salad and that first pie!
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Bacon and Herb Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie with Ricotta Cheese Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class

The Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Crust didn’t seem as seasoned as it should be. In order to make it for a meal for vegetarian F, I will probably take their other suggestion which is to just make the cheesy mashed cauliflower and fry those into cauliflower cakes!
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Pork and Lemon Pot Pie with Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Crust

While we were eating the pork and lemon pot pie with mashed cauliflower, John showed us how to create the mushroom leek mustard and garlic white wine (well, they actually used vermouth) cream sauce for the Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato crust. I don’t have a mandoline, so although I like the idea I’m not sure when I’ll execute this recipe.
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato crust Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Braised Leek and Chicken Pot Pie with Crispy Potato crust

Everyone was close to drinking up every last drop of that Buttermilk and Lime Curd Layered Panna Cotta. Because it was not chilled overnight it was softer than a usual panna cotta, but all the flavors were there, and everyone liked how it wasn’t too sweet (thanks to the buttermilk) and was so light and refreshing. It’s a super simple dessert to make, although since F can’t have gelatin I wonder how agar will substitute in…
Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Buttermilk and Lime Curd Layered Panna Cotta  Caprial + John: Modern Pot Pie cooking class Buttermilk and Lime Curd Layered Panna Cotta

I always enjoy their classes and the little stories they tell and tricks and tips they offer that are outside what you would find in a recipe. They have classes once a week- check out their website to see the menus of their upcoming classes (they always create their own menu for the class), or see if you are interested in attending one of their monthly supper clubs!

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A breakfast at Miss Shirley’s in Baltimore

April 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Another name of a restaurant that was recommended multiple times by other attendees of the IA Summit conference in Baltimore, Maryland the first weekend of April was Miss Shirley’s Cafe. Since I had a little time before I had to fly out on Monday, I got up early to get breakfast there.

I started out with a phenomenal spicy bloody mary, the Spicy Shirley, their version of a Bloody Mary with Absolut Citron, Green Tomato Slice, Pickled Okra, Peppers, Jalapenos, Celery, Peppadews, Lemon Wedge & Lime Wedge, with an Old Bay Rim. I mean, just look at this beautiful thing! I will definitely remember the option of an Old Bay rim.

Miss Shirley's Cafe Spicy Shirley, their version of a Bloody Mary with an Old Bay Rim Miss Shirley's Cafe Spicy Shirley, their version of a Bloody Mary Miss Shirley's Cafe Spicy Shirley, their version of a Bloody Mary with an Old Bay Rim Miss Shirley's Cafe Spicy Shirley, their version of a Bloody Mary with an Old Bay Rim

For my eating portion, I was so so so torn between so many options, and cursed myself for not coming earlier than the day I had to fly out. I will not make that mistake next time, that’s for sure. Finally, I settled on the Trio of Breakfast Sliders, served with Scrambled Eggs – one with White Cheddar & House-Made Carolina Pulled Pork, one with White Cheddar Cheese & Applewood-Smoked Bacon & one with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper, all on Mini Challah Rolls & choice of Shredded Potato & Onion Hash Browns or Savory Grits with Diced Bacon (I picked the grits).

Miss Shirley's Cafe Trio of Breakfast Sliders, served with Scrambled Eggs - one with White Cheddar & House-Made Carolina Pulled Pork, one with White Cheddar Cheese & Applewood-Smoked Bacon & one with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper, all on Mini Challah Rolls Miss Shirley's Cafe Trio of Breakfast Sliders, served with Scrambled Eggs - one with White Cheddar & House-Made Carolina Pulled Pork, one with White Cheddar Cheese & Applewood-Smoked Bacon & one with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper, all on Mini Challah Rolls Miss Shirley's Cafe Savory Grits with Diced Bacon

No wonder Miss Shirley’s Cafe has such acclaim, making the local Baltimore magazine’s list multiple times in categories in the Best Restaurants. There is also a mobile truck version, also serving their menu of breakfast, brunch, lunch.

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