Sunset Insider Q&A with Poppy's Traunfeld

Looking through some back issues of Sunset, I spotted this feature with Jerry Traunfeld of Poppy - where he recommends plants, produce & garden restaurants in town:

• Corson Building is his pick for best restaurant garden
• Favorite stops for tableware are Capers, Bitters Co. & Kobo (for Japanese ceramics)
• University District Farmer's Market (closest to his house and open year-round) - he also likes the Columbia City one
  
• Sky Nursery in Shoreline for plants - an "awesome selection of herbs and edibles"
  

Value Wines at Drug Store or Grocery Under $10

If you are in a hurry, here are some tasty wines (all under $10 recently) that you can pick up at your neighborhood drugstore or grocery. I omitted the years as I have not found too much of a difference among vintages for those released in the last four years, but let me know in the comments if you disagree:

• Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Brut (Sparkling)
• Yellow Tail Chardonnay (White)
• Chateau Se. Michelle Riesling (White)
  
• Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc (White)
• Pepperwood Grove Pinot Grigio (White)
• Meridian Chardonnay (White)
• Forest Glen Pinot Grigio (White)
• Santa Rita 120 Carmenere (Red)
• Columbia Crest Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (Red)
• Pepperwood Grove Zinfandel (Red)
• Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon (Red)
• Forest Glen Cabernet Franc (Red)
• Columbia Crest Grand Estates Shiraz (Red)

Here is a previous blog post that discusses some smaller Washington labels - also priced right around $10 that I enjoy. If you have suggestions of other under $10 wines that I should try - let me know!

Capitol Hill Seattle Octopus Map

I ran across this image on Flickr - thanks to afiler for creating it and making it available via Flickr CCL.

Hillside Quickie Sweet Southern Brunch

Hillside Quickie recently began offering brunch - a nice vegan alternative to 15th Avenue staples such as Coastal Kitchen, 22 Doors and Smith. Eric chose "Spicy Cajun Mac & Yease, Southern Fried Seitan Steak, Biscuits Grits & Gravy"and I picked the "Smoked Yam & Caramelized Onion Crepes with Cajun Fried Okra". Eric said he would give his dish 3/5 stars. His main complaint was that the Seitan Steak was dry (surprising considering that one of Hillside Quickie's strengths is their use of sauces, toppings & gravies). I would give my crepes 3/5 stars. The crepes were soggy and the yams were sweet and mushy. The deep-fried okra was a nice touch but the cornmeal batter overwhelmed the vegetable and was bland. I ended up peeling off the batter and eating the fried okra and enjoyed that. Ignore their website and the signage on their 15th avenue store regarding the hours - they generally open at 11 am on Saturday & Sunday for brunch.

FoodPortunity Networking Event

Ras Malai with Pomegranate Seeds at Haldi (Novotel Hyderabad Airport Hotel)

I just bought tickets to FoodPortunity, an event that is being produced by Keren Brown. Details for the event:

Time: July 22, 2009 from 6 to 9 pm

Venue: Palace Ballroom

Price: $25 (includes bites & wine) but does not include $4.20 in service fees

Panelists: Nancy Leson of the Seattle Times, Rebekah Denn of Eat All About It, Matthew Amster-Burton, author of Hungry Monkey and Ronald Holden of Cornichon

It should be a good chance for food bloggers, food writers and photographers to mingle and Keren promises to have some vegetarian treats available as well

Amazon Fresh Experience

image by leff via Flickr CCL

Even though we live within five blocks of Safeway, Trader Joe's and Madison Market, I saw a $20 off coupon on Twitter for new customers (sorry - no longer available) and decided to try Amazon Fresh. We were super happy with being able to purchase the following for $30 (the cut-off point for free delivery):

• two 4-pk Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA at $16.92 ($21.96 at Safeway)
• one 6-pk Scuttlebutt IPA at $6.15 ($7.99 at QFC - not available at the trio above)
• one 6-pk Lagunitas IPA at $7.01 ($3.99 for 22 oz bottle at Pike Street Beer & Wine - not available at any of the grocery stores mentioned above)

Unfortunately, it looks as if Amazon Fresh had a sale last week. The inexpensive prices have now gone back to normal:

• 4-pk Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA at $10.99 (same as Safeway)
• 6-pk Scuttlebutt IPA at $7.99 (same as QFC)
• 6-pk Lagunitas IPA at $8.49 (still a bargain)
  

We will not be ordering from Amazon Fresh regularly - but for a party - they will be a great option.

Tidbit Bistro

After a party in Portage Bay, we stopped by Tidbit Bistro in the early evening yesterday and were lucky to score a spot on their shaded patio. Eric started off with a Grilled Caesar - perfect for the outdoor setting and the beautiful 80 degree weather. I started off with the Caprese Calda - a bit of a change from a traditional caprese - since it is served with melted cheese. The caprese calda was reminiscent of a pizza margherita. It was tasty but not memorable. Next, Eric had the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina - Eric thought that the Gnocchi were a little too soft to stand up to the hearty creamy tomatoe sauce - but the flavors were there. My Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini was perfect - the sauce was delicae and light. The pasta was houemade and cooked al dente. I had a Terra Serena Prosecco (available at Vino Verite) by the glass and Eric had a 500 ml Aventinus Dunkelweizen. We met Nic (@tidbitbistro) and let him know that we had been tempted to try Tidbit - even though it's a bit far from us - because of Nic's tweeting and their CHS sponsorship. We will definitely return to Tidbit if we are in the area again - it's a charming, neighborly place.