Posts Tagged ‘Bing cherry’
Seattleite and Gilt City Seattle’s Fall Comforts Taste the Season – Wing Luke Museum
Posted on: Wednesday 19 October 2011
- In: Learning
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Online shopping is easy in America. There are many aggregate websites that curate brands with cheap delivery and free return. I like browsing the ones with a short sales period such as One Kings Lane and Gilt as there tend to be bargains for items that are on your wish list.
When Gilt City launched in Seattle I was curious as to how it would be positioned in a crowded market. They seem to have targeted a demographic keen on a lifestyle of culture, health, fashion and food. Maybe I’m one of those people as I’ve purchased vouchers!
Gilt City Seattle and Seattleite hosted the Fall Comforts Taste the Season event at Wing Luke Museum yesterday evening. The autumn gastronomic celebration coincided with the ‘Fields to family: Asian Pacific Americans and food‘ exhibition.
Concentric circles are suspended from the ceiling at the entrance. The bells can be rung with a donation, to ‘clear the air, send a wish, say hello’.
This list of restaurants was what enticed me to attend! (Image courtesy of Seattleite website.)
The GastroGnome, Lovely Lanvin and her neighbourly friend Phia were my dining companions. The GastroGnome and I needed a cool drink after a brisk walk on a mild day. Golden Beetle was mixing two cocktails and I had the Cargill. Hendrick’s gin, lavender liquor, black pepper syrup and lemon juice was a refreshing apéritif.
The tasting room was resplendent in Chinese red. Tables surrounded the perimeter and were decorated with an autumn theme.
Our first sample was the cassoulet from RN74. A generous ladle eaten with a petite spoon, the bean stew was peppery and warming, and crunchy from a scattering of bread crumbs.
Pork rib was braised in foie gras nage and wild mushroom, and topped with harissa jam. This morsel from The Chef in the Hat was tender with intense earthy flavours.
A mini tray of Foodz Catering brie and truffle mac and cheese was al dente and creamy.
Foodz Catering also had peppers stuffed with feta and pistachios, a sweet and savoury snack on a bamboo skewer.
Platters of corned lamb Rueben with sauerkraut and green curry aioli were substantial from Revel.
Artusi had scoops of eggplant and stone fruit caponata with cherry tomato and toasted pine nuts. The vinegar was balanced with the sweet fruits and the silky eggplant contrasted with the seeds.
Pork cheek pibil with potatoes was stacked in a cup by Poquitos. The chunk of meat was a little chewy but the diced potatoes were spiced and crispy.
Bastille had mussels with Rockridge hard cider, young ginger and fennel pollen with potato chips. In an aromatic broth, the plump bivalves were briny and fresh.
My favourite dish was pasta fagioli from Staple & Fancy, served by Ethan Stowell! Borlotti bean and ditaloni pasta in broth made with Parmesan rinds and bacon, and sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano. This was the definition of hearty comfort food!
We meandered through the Fields to Family exhibition. It was an interactive display of the ‘sights, sounds, tastes and smells of foods in the homes and restaurants of diverse Asian Pacific Americans’.
Wok accoutrement hung on the wall.
On the left is a fortune cookie machine, and on the right is a noodle press and dough roller.
Framed photos of Chinese restaurant neon signs.
The story of Bing cherries.
We returned to Spur for dessert. Chefs McCracken and Tough paired freeze dried house made cereal with whole milk ice cream.
It was theatrical to watch the canister of liquid nitrogen being poured. The ice cream tasted of wholesome milk and cereal flakes were the sweetener.
A final treat was dianne’s Delights cake pops. Pumpkin, chocolate or vanilla, these whimsical desserts on a stick were popular.
Cheers to Gilt City Seattle for a food and drink event where the chefs were present!
RN74 – Downtown, Seattle
Posted on: Wednesday 06 July 2011
There’s been a buzz in Seattle about the opening of RN74. I felt a tingle of excitement every time I walked past the site at the corner of the Joshua Green building, with glamorous expectations preceded by his reputation. A native of Ellensburg, it is a welcome home to Washington for Michael Mina.
The website blurb explains that ‘the cuisine at RN74 aims to be a perfect complement to the wines – creative, modern, but simple interpretations of regional French cuisine punctuated with seasonal, fresh ingredients and bold flavuors, all executed with a signature original twist’.
We dropped in for some snacks prior to a Sounders match and it was happy hour in the bar area. I always flinch when I see the ‘no minors, no firearms’ sign - a little culture shock, a brief reminder that I’m in America.
The bar was crowded and we spotted many Sounders fans proudly wearing the team jerseys and scarves. Wooden shutters darken the space and there’s an eclectic collection of lanterns and spotlights framing the entrance. The signature real time wine list display in the style of traditional train and flight schedule boards is in the main dining room and there is a static version in the bar area.
We were lucky to be seated at a booth just as the table was cleared. Happy hour discounts selected items from the wine bar menu and we ordered the maitake mushroom tempura, duck confit arancini and pommes frites to share. Service was efficient – the kitchen speedily cooked small plates, and wines were poured, cocktails shaken and water glasses refilled by the polished wait staff.
Presented in a deep basket, there was an abundance of maitake mushroom tempura. Meaty and earthy, it was seasoned with yuzu salt and paired well with the green onion mousseline. Although a light batter, it was a rich snack and best shared among a group.
The duck confit arancini with Bing cherry jus was an aesthetically pleasing dish. The crumbed balls were a mini celebration of duck. I would recommend having one plate all to yourself!
We’ve eaten more burgers and fries in the five months we’ve been living in Seattle than the last three years in Sydney, they’re ubiquitous on restaurant menus here! The RN74 trio of pommes frites was styled as a tasting flight with dipping sauces of, left to right, basil aioli, ketchup and classic aioli. Each cylinder of French fries was dusted with a spice mix, black pepper and chicken salt respectively.
Restrooms are probably taboo on a blog about restaurants but there’s a unisex dressing room with mirrors and a long counter at RN74. As you exit, there’s a sign that kindly reminds you to ‘check your dress before leaving’!
