I know the whole "sister city" concept is meant to bridge different cultures and countries that share a common thread. In fact, I was pretty active in the Seattle-Nantes Sister City Association back in college. But in reality those civic relationships seem more cousin-like than sisterly. Particularly after thinking recently [...]
I tuned in to In the Kitchen with Tom and Thierry for the first half hour of the radio program (710 KIRO Saturdays from 4:00 to 7:00) this past Saturday, before I joined them for the second half hour to talk about all things bourbon. In that first segment, my [...]
It took a few moments for Jerry Traunfeld's answer to sink in. Not quite two months? Is that really all the time that Poppy's been open? The smiling, but clearly tired, chef and owner of this hot new property on Capitol Hill assured me it was true. And he surely [...]
In my right mind, I should have declined the invitation. An elegant multi-course dinner on a Tuesday night? With wine pairings? And a 4:00 am wake-up call the next day for an early flight east? But my right mind lost out to my inner pouty 4-year-old who didn't [...]
Crossroads. The new Corson Building in Seattle's burgeoning Georgetown neighborhood rather epitomizes the term in a figurative sense, serving up a dinner experience that represents the intersection where "small independent restaurant" and "private dinner party" meet. It's a communal meal, strangers can blossom into new friends over the course of [...]
It's a terrible thing to have to admit, but it's not often that I get giddy with enthusiasm about a dinner out. Part of the reason is the simple reality that I've eaten out so many times for so many years--particularly while I was editor of the Seattle Zagat guide and food [...]
It's probably just as well that the camera was still in my suitcase in the back of the rental car. Probably wouldn't have been a good idea to be taking pictures while driving yesterday afternoon. There had already been a serious accident on I-64, a backup I'd soon be caught [...]
Open this week in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle: the third in the city's mini-empire of outstanding Neapolitan pizzerias brought to us by Via Tribunali. This new outlet lands in a turn-around neighborhood that was a historic hub of Seattle a century ago. (Georgetown Brewing Company down the street, brewers of beloved Manny's [...]
Yes, another trip to Vegas. This time mid-June with good friends John and Kathy Casey. Even bigger Vegas hounds than us, they have far more wee-hours stamina than I do, though one night I did manage to stay up until 2:30 am (woo-hoo) or so, thanks to a particularly fun [...]
Lucky me. I seem to hit New York City at its most memorable extremes. My previous trip was February 2007 and there was a blizzard. I was wearing heavy boots, dressing in layers and leaping over mountains of snow at each curbside. On this recent trip, by contrast, I was treated to a heatwave, [...]