Late Night Dinner @Tavolàta

Once again my Facebook friends came through with a great late night dinner suggestion: 

Tavolàta (2323 2nd Ave Seattle, WA)  I forgot that they serve food until 11 pm.  Tavolàta, who participated in my Dine Out Seattle for Haiti earlier this year, has a great dinner menu.

Last night's selection consisted of -

Warm Baguette served with Arbequina Olives in an olive oil & balsamic vinegar dip.  They are serious about the warm bit.  It took them a little bit of time to get it to the table so make sure you ask for it right away so that you have it with your meal.  

The Stone Fruit Salad was a tasty antipasti that mixed savory and sweet.  It had naturally sweet fresh juicy peaches, plums and cherries tossed with fennel, olive oil and balsamic and was topped with a thinly sliced juniper flavored ham (that one was described to this non-meat eater).  This salad was the definitely the highlight!

I followed this up with the Grilled Summer Beans.  This was a fried egg atop the edge of a bundle of grilled wax and green beans wrapped in slices of cured capicola (you guessed it, I passed this on).  Dessert was the Affogato - a sweetly caffeinated way of ending a meal - for some reason caffeine doesn't keep me from blissful sleep.  I was excited about this dessert, but it wasn't what I was expecting.  Something was up with the ice cream - it just wasn't creamy.  I like Via Tribunali's much better.

 

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Sushi Kappo Tamura Opening Night

Had the chance to stop in at Sushi Kappo Tamura on their grand opening tonight.  This is the third venture for Kyoto-native Taichi Kitamura.  I wish I could tell you that all three of his restaurants are open, but the sad news is that Sushi Kappo Tamura is meant to replace Kappo while Chiso remains open.

Kappo was by far more than a restaurant, it was an experience that put you at the table with Taichi-san himself as he prepared a wonderful array of selections for you.

Sushi Kappo Tamura does not come close to Kappo, but it does make a Kappo-style experience available to more people in a large space.  

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Seattle and The Beatles

I recently shared a little fact that Seattle was the first city to play a Beatles song on the radio.  I have been told that song was "I Want To Hold Your Hand."  That would make sense since it was their first #1 Hit on the Billboard Top 100, but I'm not 100% sure if that was really the song played on air in Seattle.  I'm still looking for the best way to confirm this little fact.

I never grow tired of the Beatles.  My dad was the one who got me hooked as a child and so many Beatles songs take me back to memories of my dad playing his Beatles records and me and my brothers singing along with a hairbrush mic.  Picking a favorite song would be really tough, but  I think the song "Things We Said Today" is in my top 10 for sure.

Isn't it so cool how memories are triggered by music?  It makes me think of an experiment with sound and memory that I read about a while ago; something called The Memory Machine that was installed at the British Museum back in 2003.  Cathy Lane and Nye Parry, two composers, built an interactive sound installation into which visitors spoke memories via a telephone and those memories were spun into a mix of constantly changing musical sounds.  It was described as an "aural metaphor for the workings of human memory."  Beautiful!

"Someday when we're dreaming,

  Deep in love, not a lot to say.

Then we will remember

Things we said today........"

 

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Disappearing Mountain Makes A Comeback Today

One of the main attractions of Seattle requires no tickets, no line-ups, no need to pack into a stuffy room - you just need to wish for a clear blue Seattle skies, good weather and some time to sneak out for a look.

On the corner of West Highland Drive and 2nd Avenue West in Seattle you will find Kerry Park and one of the best views of Elliot Bay, downtown Seattle, our famous Space Needle and on very clear days Mount Rainier makes it's majestic reappearance.  

As soon as I found this spot, it became one of my favorite places in Seattle.  I continue to be amazed by the disappearing and reappearing of Mount Rainier even after living in this city for three years now.  The truth is, even longtime Seattleites never get bored of this spectacular view.  Seeing Mount Rainier simply gets the heart pumping and reminds us what a great place Seattle is and how wonderful it is to be surrounded by natural beauty.

Mount Rainier is actually an active composite volcano formed by layers of lava and rock.  Just 54 miles southeast of Seattle this mountain stands tall over the Cascade Range at 4.03km/13,211ft. of prominence (in its glory days it used to be more like 4.9km/16,000 ft).  It is Seattle's naturally showy beacon and on the clearest days Seattle shares this view with our neighbors in Portland and Victoria, British Columbia.

To truly appreciate what I mean by "disappearing mountain" you have to see it or not see it to believe it.  Take a look at the pictures in my gallery and you'll see no mountain to the right of the Space Needle.  I'll try to get out today to take some with the mountain so you can see this natural wonder.  For an even better experience, you really just have to plan a visit!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

 

 

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New to Capitol Hill - Food from El Salvador

I got to reminisce a little this weekend about my trip through Central America.  Capitol Hill regulars can now enjoy food from the Central American country of El Salvador.  Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria has opened a second location to it's original restaurant located in University District.  The new place is located on 219 Broadway E inside the building that houses Table 219.

Although there are other things on the menu, a must try are the "pupusas."  "What are they?" you ask.  Well, these are deliciously handmade creations that start with a corn or rice flour dough that is patted into a thick disc shape and then stuffed with your choice of chicken, cheese, spinach, refried beans, fried pork, or zucchini.  You can also try them stuffed with cheese and "loroco" for a truly authentic experience.  

Loroco is a vine that is native to Central America.  Off of this vine, the unopened flowering buds are taken and used to stuff into a pupusa.  The loroco bud is slightly aromatic with the consistency that I would say resembles a tender broccoli stalk with a very slight nutty hint.  It's actually a good source of vitamins A, B, C, calcium, iron and fiber.  I'm surprised it doesn't get used more in gourmet cuisine.

Pupusas are served hot with a side of something called "curtido"  which I can best describe as a spicy cabbage slaw.  To eat, top the pupusas with the curtido add a bit of Guanaco's hot sauce and enjoy them with a side order of fried plantains with crema.

This is a great break from the usual and something you're sure to enjoy!

 

 

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Espresso Vivace: One of Seattle's great coffee spots

My coffee addiction can resume now that I am back in Seattle.  I have tried a few things on the Vivace menu from a simple shot of espresso to the more complex Caffe Nico.  My favorite is the Caffe Caramel that is subtly sweet and topped with a creamy, hand-designed foam.  Now that I've been spoiled by these espresso drinks, it's hard for me to find equivalents when I'm out of town.

Espresso Vivace, started up by David Schomer and Geneva Sullivan, has an interesting story that involves 15 years of research and scientific precision!  They definitely have lived up to their motto at everyone of my many visits - I always get "una bella tazza di cafe."

Schomer's book is also a good read.  It's a book that's pretty well known by many pro baristas.

 

WARNING: Visit the Vivace closest to you and you might just hooked!

Vivace Espresso Bar at Brix 
532 Broadway Ave East 
Seattle WA 98102 
Telephone 206.860.2722 
Open 6am until 11pm daily 

Espresso Vivace Alley 24 
227 Yale Ave N 
Seattle, WA 98109 
Telephone 206.388.5164 
Open daily 6 am until 11 pm.

Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar 
321 Broadway Avenue East 
Seattle, WA 98102

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Great Breakfast Spot in Redmond, WA

Today I discovered Village Square Cafe in Redmond.  When I worked in Redmond, I would leave the house early to beat traffic and often had to sacrifice breakfast.  Sometimes leaving early to beat traffic meant getting to work early and I never knew there was a worthy breakfast place nearby.

If you find yourself in Redmond and need a good breakfast to start your day, check this place out.  They have a full breakfast menu.  Today I tried the the Florentine Benedict and was happy with my choice.  It had a good lemony hollandaise over two sunny side up eggs, spinach, tomato and English muffins.  It's a comfy restaurant and the service was good.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

 

 

 

 

 

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