Amazing Grazing at the Sunset Supper

Tags

pike place market, Pike Place Market Foundation, Piketoberfest, Rachel the Pig, Seattle, Sunset Supper

There are some days when nothing tastes good. Like when you are sick – as I have been this last couple of weeks.

Then, there are days when everything you eat just tastes amazing! That’s what happened when I attended this summer’s Sunset Supper at the the Pike Place Market last month.

I know it’s been a few weeks, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share with you my favorites bites (and sips) that I enjoyed at this wonderful event.

I happened to be hanging out with a pescatarian that evening, and joyfully for her there was plenty in the way of seafood.

One of my favorite tastes of the night was this house smoked salmon with buttermilk, chives, jalapeno and steelhead row on a bagel chip from Manhattan restaurant.

Chef Thierry Rautureau was there representing his downtown Seattle Loulay Kitchen and Bar.

The Chef in Hat served up some lovely smoked salmon with fingerling potato, citrus creme fraiche, cherry tomato and basil.

At the City Catering Company booth there was a savory hamachi crudo with sea beans, french breakfast radish, togarashi powder and yuzu oil. What a gorgeous dish!

And Flying Fish featured shrimp ceviche with pineapple, jicama, mango, avocado and cilantro.

After several seafood tastes, this meat eater was in the mood for something more to sink my teeth into and this event did not disappoint!

These grilled beef short ribs from Chan Seattle called to me and momentarily satisfied my craving for (RED) meat!

Then it was on to this Asian duck confit on a homemade brioche roll with spicy aioli, homemade kimchi and micro greens from Thomas Cuisine Management.

Kaspars Special Events & Catering was grilling up some enticing looking coiled sausages. I am not one to pass up sausage of any type!

I was delighted with this grilled lamb and potato sausage with curry cabbage slaw.

Just a few booths down was more sausage at Local 360…

The rabbit bratwurst with stone fruit mustard and house kraut was tasty indeed.

I do love dessert, but my preference tends towards the savory side. I was thrilled with the nice selection of not-too-sweet-desserts.

Such as this breakfast complete in a mini cupcake from Yellow Leaf Cupcakes. Pancake cupcake with maple frosting topped with crumbled bacon.

And this olive oil ice cream from Aragona. Very interesting – I loved it!

The prettiest dessert of the night and the favorite among my friends, who like their sweets sweet, was this strawberry shortcake from Macrina bakery.

But my favorite is always chocolate, and City Catering Company had done it up right with this peanut butter daquoise with devils food cake, peanut feuillantine and dulce de leche.

Drinks were aplenty at Sunset Supper as well.

We tried this lovely Verna Mae Viognier from Sonoris Wines.

And some rose from Alexandria Nicole winery – they also make one of my favorite Washington reds – the Jet Black!

3 Howls Distillery was also on hand trying out samples of their fantastic spirits – I’m not a big shot person but just loved the blood orange vodka!

Rachel was all decked out for her big night, and she had every reason to the celebrate! Through Sunset Supper, the Pike Place Market Foundation raised $286,565 for community services in Pike Place Market!

Speaking of raising funds for this worthy non-profit, on Sunday, September 28 from 5:00-9:00 PM, Pike Brewing Company will host PIKETOBERFEST— a Fall Harvest Festival featuring beer, wine, spirits, cider, local artisan foods, sausage, and charcuterie.

PIKETOBERFEST is a harvest festival featuring local and imported German-style food and drink. It is an opportunity to compare local craft beers spirits, liqueurs, wines and spirits with their German counterparts.
There will be an abundance of extraordinary foods to sample and Pike Brewing Company is teaming up with The Pike Place Market Foundation to make Piketoberfest a benefit to support efforts in providing medical services, low-income housing, child care, and other social services to people in need.

2ND ANNUAL PIKETOBERFEST FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL
Featuring Beer, Wine, Spirits, Cider, Local Artisan Food, Sausage, and Charcuterie
Benefit for PIKE PLACE MARKET FOUNDATION

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2014
5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

PIKE BREWING COMPANY
1415 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101

Cost: $40.00
Admission includes: all food, authentic Piketoberfest beer mug, 10 drink tickets, music, and up to $4 of validated parking at Russell Investment Garage.

Purchase tickets HERE.

 

Happy Hour at Urbane Seattle

Tags

appetizers, happy hour, pike place market, Poutine, Sunset Supper, Urbane Seattle

I just love a good happy hour. Unfortunately many are held, or begin, in the later part of the afternoon when I am still hard at work in the office.

But last weekend, while I was looking for a place nearby the Paramount Theatre for a bit of pre-show noshing, I came upon this fantastic happy hour at Urbane.

Urbane serves Northwest cuisine in a relaxed and comfortable neighborhood- style setting and utilizes resources and regional farmers across Washington that are dedicated to sustainable growing techniques. This ensures the use of only the freshest, seasonal ingredients at their peak of quality.

Urbane’s happy hour is held Monday thru Saturday from 4pm to 7pm, and also from 10 to close. But the best thing is that they have a happy hour every Sunday that runs from 2:30pm – close!

The regular bar menu, already low priced, is paired with a happy hour menu that features two dollars off a selection of appetizers, and specials on wine, beer, well drinks and martinis all priced ranging from $4 – $7.

My favorite thing to do at happy hour is order several small plates and share.

So we decided to try the refreshing Oregon Bay Shrimp and Crab Ice Box Salad made up of fresh snap peas, purple potatoes, dill and bacon, served with lightly salted crackers.

And the chilled Marinated Corn on the Cob topped with black sheep tomme. This was delightfully different and the perfect summer time snack!

Then we indulged in the Mac n’ Cheese (of course we had it with the added dungeness crab for $4.) SO decadent with house made, velvety Beecher’s cheddar cheese sauce, cavatappi pasta and breadcrumbs.

But the Poutine, made with hand cut fries smothered in chicken gravy and topped with melted cheese curds, put me over the moon!

Oh my! I am already dreaming about going back to Urbane just to have this dish again. (And AGAIN!)

You can try out Urbane for yourself this upcoming week at one of the hottest parties of the summer – they will be one of the featured vendors highlighted at the Pike Place Market’s Sunset Supper next Friday. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us!

I do hope you will join me for this fun and festive event, but hurry! Tickets are going fast!

EVENT: Pike Place Market Sunset Supper

WHEN: Friday, August 15, 7:30 – 11 pm

WHERE: Pike Place Market on the cobblestones and inside the Market’s Arcade

TICKETS:

General Admission: $125 – All the food & fun, seating not included. Ticket sales end at noon on August 13.

Patron Tickets: Individuals, $250 (Table of 10, $2,500) – 7 pm early admission, canopied seating, exclusive wine service, free parking, and more.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Foundation’s mission to feed the hungry, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without at Pike Place Market.

Sunset Supper 2014

Tags

birthday, Event, pike place market, restaurants, Seattle, summer, Sunset Supper

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and that can mean only one thing!

The Sunset Supper event at the Pike Place Market is just around the corner!

The Pike Place Market and I share a birthday. And each year to celebrate theirs, the Pike Place Market Foundation holds this annual benefit event. This year’s event will be held on Friday, August 15th and you won’t want to miss it!

Where else can you taste the fine cuisines of local renowned chefs, mingle with culturally-savvy Seattleites, take a whirl at a Chef’s Dinner raffle wheel, dance along the Pike Place cobblestones, and support a great cause all in the same night?

Every year the Market Foundation invites more than 70 local restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries to serve the 1,200 ticketed guests at Sunset Supper. Now in its 19th year, Sunset Supper at the Market is one of the most anticipated and unique events of Seattle’s summer season.

To view a complete list of participating restaurants and beverage companies please visit the website.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Foundation’s mission to feed the hungry, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without at Pike Place Market.

WHEN: Friday, August 15, 7:30 – 11 pm

WHERE: Pike Place Market on the cobblestones and inside the Market’s Arcade

TICKETS:

General Admission: $125 – All the food & fun, seating not included. Ticket sales end at noon on August 13.

Patron Tickets: Individuals, $250 (Table of 10, $2,500) – 7 pm early admission, canopied seating, exclusive wine service, free parking, and more. Ticket sales end August 2.

I hope to see you there!

About Pike Place Market Foundation:

The Pike Place Market Foundation is the heart of the Market. By helping low-income neighbors who work, learn and live in and around the Market, the Foundation helps the Market remain a thriving, caring community. Established in 1982, The Market Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports housing and services for low-income neighbors by fundraising, advocacy and community building. Over the past 31 years, The Market Foundation has contributed to a neighborhood model that allows a diverse community to live and thrive at Pike Place Market.

Learn more: www.pikeplacemarketfoundation.org

11 Things I Did On My Summer Vacation

Tags

birthday, Birthday Dreams, blueberries, Burlesco Di Vino, burlesque, ByBerry Farms, Concerts in the Park, Cupcake Royale, excursions, Garage Sales, Marymoor Park, Miss Indigo Blue, Mother of All Garage Sales, picnics, pike place market, PlaceFull, Scandinavian Specialties, Seattle, Skymania Trampolines, stay-cation, Sunset Supper, The Great Wheel, Tom Douglas

A top ten list is always fun. But as I don’t always go with the flow (and since I really couldn’t choose which one thing to cut!) I added a bonus, and am bringing you a top eleven list today.

August has been a whirlwind of activity for me – it is my birthday month, Mom was in town from Florida for a couple of weeks and I took a week off to spend with the kids. I usually take some time off in the summer so that the boys and I can go camping, but because I had waited too long and my favorite camping spot was all booked, I decided on a Stay-cation instead.

Here’s what I did to celebrate my birthday and make the most of my summer stay-cation in Seattle. Maybe it will inspire you to get out and explore the great opportunities we have for fun around here!

1. Cupcakes! – To celebrate my birthday, my friends over at Cupcake Royale and I gave away a dozen cupcakes to one of my readers. Thank you to all my dedicated readers (and to all my new ones!) for such lovely comments about my blog and all the “sweet” birthday wishes. The winner of the dozen cupcakes is Angela Pearson! Congratulations Angela! I hope you enjoy your treats!

AND, very soon, even more people will be able to enjoy Cupcake Royale! Did you know that they are opening a new cafe – their seventh! – in the heart of Queen Anne? Yep! It’s slated to open in late September!

2. Berry Picking – I wanted to do a short day trip with the boys so I decided to take them berry picking out in the “country”. Bybee U-Pick Blueberry Farm in North Bend offers 6 varieties of fresh organic blueberries at only $1.95 a lb! (They don’t take cards though, so be sure to bring your checkbook or stop at the cash machine on the way!) Berries warmed by the sun and right off the bush are the freshest you can get, and the view here!

Oh the view! The farm is located at the base of Mt. Si and offers one of the best photo opps of the famous little mountain!

After working up an appetite picking berries stop by Twede’s Cafe in North Bend – the diner featured as a major shooting location from the ’90’s TV show, Twin Peaks. At Twede’s, almost everything is made from scratch and they still have “Twin Peaks” cherry pie and “A damn fine cup o’ coffee!”.

3. Concert in the Park & Picnic  – While Mom was in town, she took me to a summer concert at Marymoor Park as her birthday gift to me. It turned out to be a bit of a crazy day with one dead car battery upon our departure (ugh!) and two out of our party of four (including our “chef” for the evening) cancelling last minute, leaving Mom and me needing to pull together a quick picnic on our own. We didn’t let any of it spoil our fun and it turned out to be very special mother-daughter time.

My wonderful husband gave my dead battery a jump, and on the way to the park, while I kept the car running, mom hopped into the grocery store and picked up a few picnic essentials. If you ever find yourself in this predicament (though I am sure you never leave your lights on and end up with a dead battery…) please know that even the most simple, thrown-together picnic meal can be a delight.

Some fresh summer fruit, a bag of baby carrots, local cheeses, salami and a fresh baked baguette is all you need for the most delicious picnic ever.

4. Pike Place Market Sunset Supper – Since I share a birthday with the Pike Place Market, what better way to celebrate my birthday than to attend their biggest fundraiser of the year? This event benefits the social organizations run and funded by the Market Foundation. The Market Foundation is a non-profit organization which supports housing and services for its low-income neighbors by fundraising, advocacy and community building. Here are a few of my favorite tastes from the evening.

Tarts from Macrina Bakery

Grilled Salmon with Tom Douglas Rub and Tomatoes from Prosser Farms

Pork Belly Rilletes from Dragon Fish Cafe

Find out how you you can support the Market Foundation and the agencies that provide vital services for more than 10,000 homeless, low-income and elderly residents of downtown Seattle each year, here.

5. Trampolining – On my birthday, we headed around the North end of the lake to Kirkland for a very special Birthday Party. Placeful and Birthday Dreams hosted an event at Skymania Trampolines to raise money to bring birthday celebrations to kids in need.

They raised over $2,000 for Birthday Dreams. And what a great place to have a birthday party!

6. Scandinavian Specialties – To honor our Scandinavian roots Mom and I took the boys to our favorite Ballard eatery and store.

They sell all kinds of Nordic gifts and food supplies (fresh, frozen and imported). Pea soup and wieners and lefse. Oh my!

Daim! it was good!

We then drove down to downtown Ballard and perused the cute little shops along Ballard Ave.

7. We Assembled –  The boys and I gathered Mom and my brother for a mid-week excursion to the new Tom Douglas complex in Downtown Seattle to check out  Assembly Hall for breakfast.

This 10,000 square foot space on the ground level of the new Via 6 Apartments houses a juice bar, deli, flower shop and the modern American Asian restaurant, TanakaSan, named after Tom Douglas’ business partner and corporate chef, Eric Tanaka.

8. The Great Wheel – Okay – to be honest, I had to get off after the first go around (maybe not the best choice for one with a height phobia), but not before snapping a few picturesque shots.

The boys however, who stayed on for the duration of the ride, gave it a glowing review! While we were there we also took the opportunity to ride the beautiful, nearby, vintage carousel on Pier 57- that was a bit more my speed.

9. I Cooked – The Desert King figs on my backyard tree were in full harvest mode and I made my annual grilled figs and pork tenderloin dish (recipe to come soon.) I also made this great lamb dish from Fine Cooking – Grilled Lamb, Tomato, and Halloumi Skewers with Orzo Salad – with my youngest son.

We don’t have lamb very often since my husband and older son don’t care for it, but I have to say I think this is probably one of the best things I have ever cooked!

10. Garage Sale-ing – My favorite things to add to a party table when I am entertaining are vintage items – flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores all are great sources for some of my many table treasures. I spent a day with the Mothers (my mother and mother-in-law) at the annual Mother of All Garage Sales in Everett picking up a few “new” beauties.

11. Burlesque – After taking a couple of Burlesque classes during my stay-cation at Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque, with instructor Inga Ingenue, it was fun for my good friend Bridget and I to take it full circle and see Inga perform in the show, Burlesco DiVino: Wine in Rome, presented by Lily Verlaine & Jasper McCann. Inspired by the great costume epics Quo Vadis and Satyricon, as well as mid-century visions of Rome such as La Dolce Vita and Roman Holiday, this show mixes classical music, jazz, and Italian go-go rock with the traditional music of ancient Rome. It runs through tomorrow night at the Triple Door. Information about available tickets can be found here.

Phew! I’m a bit tired from all this activity! I need a vacation after my vacation!

What did you do this summer?

Pike Place Market Sunset Supper

Tags

birthday, Event, pike place market, Seattle, summer, Sunset Supper, wine

One of my favorite places in all of Seattle is the Pike Place Market.

My birthday is next week, and as a Seattle native I am so proud to share my day with this extraordinary Seattle treasure. I love that the Pike Place Market and I have the same birthday and frequently plan a trip down there in honor of this special connection.

This year I am planning an extra memorable outing!

Each year, close to the Market’s birthday, the Market Foundation invites more than 70 local restaurants, wineries, breweries and distilleries to serve 1,200 guests at Sunset Supper. Now in its 18^th year, Sunset Supper at the Market is one of the most anticipated and unique events of Seattle’s summer season.

I hope you will join me on Friday, August 16th to celebrate the anniversary of Pike Place Market (and my birthday!) and enjoy the bounty of local food, wine, brews and more! – see a complete list here.

Meet and taste the fine cuisines of local renowned chefs such as Adrienne Lasko and James Drohman. Sample the flavors of local winemakers and take a whirl at a “Spin-the-Bottle” wine wheel. Try your luck in the “Pig Pen”. Mingle with other culturally-savvy Seattleites along the Pike Place cobblestones. And dance to live music under the stars.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Foundation’s mission to feed the hungry, care for the sick, educate kids, and find homes for those without at Pike Place Market.

WHEN: Friday, August 16, 7:30 – 11 pm

WHERE: Pike Place Market on the cobblestones and inside the Market’s Arcade

TICKETS: http://sunsetsupper.brownpapertickets.com

•  General Admission: $100 – includes all the fun, seating not included
• Reserved Seating: $140  – includes all the fun, plus open-air, community-table seating

About Pike Place Market Foundation:

The Pike Place Market Foundation is the heart of the Market. By helping low-income neighbors who work, learn and live in and around the Market, the Foundation helps the Market remain a thriving, caring community. Established in 1982, The Market Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports housing and services for  low-income neighbors by fundraising, advocacy and community building. Over the past 31 years, The Market Foundation has contributed to a neighborhood model that allows a diverse community to live and thrive at Pike Place Market. Learn more: www.pikeplacemarketfoundation.org