Posts Tagged ‘Beecher’s’
- In: Eating | Queen Anne | Seattle | USA | Washington
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Seattle enjoyed a week of sunshine in late January. The Emerald City shone, and residents and visitors dispersed outdoors to revel in its glorious beauty. I uttered the phrase ‘the mountains are out’ with glee, admiring the snow-capped range reflecting light in the solitary distance.
After a Keren Brown event with authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg in December, I returned to emmer&rye for lunch with Shirley on a spring like day.
At the pinnacle of the Queen Anne Counterbalance, the restaurant is located in an elegantly restored Victorian house.
Upstairs is a private event space and downstairs are connecting dining rooms. We were seated in the front room where natural light filtered in through the bay and stained glass windows.
Shirley recommended the farro fries and, macaroni and cheese. Rectangular planks of golden farro were served with a sage yoghurt dipping sauce. Dense and crispy, the ‘fries’ were well seasoned and a nutty appetiser.
We also shared a beet salad of mixed lettuce, smoked blue cheese and hazelnut vinaigrette. A classic salad, sweet and tender slices of crimson beets contrasted with pungent cheese, crunchy lettuce and piquant dressing.
The fresh salad balanced the decadent mac and cheese. A generous portion of creamy yet light pasta was sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs. It was a hearty, wintry dish.
emmer&rye has the motto ‘locally derived, seasonally driven’. On the website each menu item has links to the ingredients’ local producers. For example, the mac and cheese pasta is from Lagana Foods, and cheeses are from Beecher’s and Mt Townsend Creamery. Bravo Chef Seth Caswell for supporting our community!
- In: Drinking | Eating | Pike Place Market | Seattle | USA | Washington
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A group of friends gathered at 106 Pine for mid week wine and cheese. Next to Chocolate Box, both are boutiques specialising in Northwest goods. With adjacent entrances and a common wall with two gaps, the joie de vivre of chocolate, wine and cheese are intertwined.
A wooden table in the bay window was laden with Christmas themed gifts and wine paraphernalia. Recycled wine bottles are converted into bright lights.
Glass shelves displayed hampers, decanters, Artisan Salt Company salts, Chocolate Shop wines and Boat Street Pickles.
I sampled the Chocolate Shop wine at Seattleite and Gilt City Seattle’s Fall Comforts Taste the Season at Wing Luke Museum a couple of months ago. It was a favourite of Naomi‘s, an infused red wine with an intense chocolate aroma.
A view into Chocolate Box and Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream.
A map of Washington State‘s American viticultural areas.
Bottles of wine lined neatly against the wall.
A long communal table is at the centre of the room. The bar separates a handful of cosy tables at the back.
It was a busy evening but service was efficient. The menu recommended wine flights, and wines are priced by full glass and tasting size. Flights of red wine were customised, and charcuterie and cheese platters were ordered to share.
From top to bottom: Mt Townsend Cirrus camembert, Beecher’s market herb curds, Rogue Creamery blue, Rollingstone Chèvre and Boat Street Pickles pickled raisins. Presented on a plank covered by parchment, the camembert was delightfully creamy, the curds squeaky, the blue mild, and the goat cheese delicate. I was the only one who nibbled on the mini bowl of pickled raisins which were appetisingly acidic.
From top to bottom: Beecher’s Flagship, Beecher’s market herb curds, salumi, olives and Deluxe Foods plum jelly. The wafer thin slices of Flagship were sharp and paired well with the buttery salami.
A smiling Ms S said ‘wine and cheese, just like in France … I’m happy’!
- In: New York | Travelling
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I had read about Beecher’s Handmade Cheese opening in New York and made a mental note to visit the next time I was in the Big Apple. Located in the Flatiron District in a spacious loft, Beecher’s New York is a retail store, café, licenced restaurant and cheese making factory.
The original Beecher’s Seattle is at a busy intersection at Pike Place Market. Noses press against the windows to watch the cheese makers at work, inside the crowds shuffle along the narrow room to the cheese counter, and queues frequently curl out onto the sidewalk for their ‘world’s best’ mac and cheese.
The New York outpost spans three levels. The ground floor has a cheese counter, a produce section, the cheese kitchen and the café. There is seating on the mezzanine level and downstairs is The Cellar, a cheese and wine bar.
A large sign hangs above the café proclaiming the company’s mission of ‘changing the way America eats’ and directs the spotlight to the Flagship Foundation, Beecher’s contribute one percent of all sales to educate children on nutrition, health and food choices.
An L shaped counter entices with artisan cheeses and charcuterie, and shelves are laden with preserves.
The mezzanine level was empty when I visited for a mid afternoon snack. The elevated area has panoramic view of the cheese kitchen, although no cheese was being made on the day.
After many hours of walking, I ordered a small pasta salad to nibble on for sustenance.
A hearty combination of salami, marinated bell pepper, capers, fresh mozzarella and olive oil were tossed with fusilli.
The East Coast version of Beecher’s is glamorous but still with Seattle at its heart.
