...:: I PUTTER ::...

Sunday Putterings

Before heading to the Frye Museum to check out Candida Hofer’s The Architecture of Absence exhibit, we grabbed a quick lunch at The Baguette Box.

Located in Capitol Hill, the Baguette Box is Eric and Sophia Bahn’s second restaurant. The siblings other restaurant, Monsoon, delivers a fine menu mixing traditional Vietnamese flavors with Pacific Northwest influences. This chic spot is a must for anyone who enjoys Vietnamese cuisine.

Anyone in Seattle who loves Vietnamese sandwiches knows about Saigon Deli. Much fancier than Saigon Deli’s but still inexpensive and simple, the sandwiches at the Baguette Box are incredible. It’s a casual place with a menu full of simple sandwiches and sides that deliver complex and rich flavors.

The glass of Stella beer was the perfect addition to my Grilled Tofu Baguette with Beet in Garlic Oil Salad.

I love the patterns and symmetry in Candida Hofer’s photos of interior spaces. The more you examine the images, the more obvious the grid of the interior space. I had to resist pulling out a pencil and ruler… I wanted to trace the sharp lines running across the photos from top to bottom and from left to right.

I also love Hofer’s use of natural light and how it affects the shape and depth of the interior spaces that she photographed. Hofer’s technical skill and mastery of the camera creates images far more impressive than a photographer whose mastered Photoshop.

We Do Wine

This past Tuesday, Larry and I watched Lura’s performance at The Triple Door. Lura’s music reflects her Cape Verde heritage – a mix of Portuguese and West African beats and rhythms along with touches of bossa nova and jazz.

The show was amazing but it’s hard not to love any show performed at the Triple Door. This beautifully renovated, 1920s-era Vaudeville Theater is an intimate spot with comfortable booths and very attentive and personable service.

A well-connected friend with The Triple Door made a call to management on my behalf. From the moment we arrived, it was evident that my friend pulled through for us. Our host promptly seated us at a prime booth with one of the best views in the entire theater.

Our waiter arrived at our table within seconds of being seated and explained that we were special guests of the evening and that all our wine would be on the house. After he gave us a brief history of the theater, the main wine steward arrived to make a few suggestions. Larry mentioned that he enjoys Australian Shirazes. The wine steward quickly decided that the d’Arenberg’s ‘Dead Arm’ Shiraz, 2001, was the perfect bottle. This bottle is far from cheap and a sure sign that our night would be full of adventure.

Am I the only person is Seattle who doesn't love the food from Wild Ginger? Wild Ginger sits above The Triple Door and provides the food. I liked our appetizer, the Salt and Peppered Squid, but it’s not as tasty as Sea Gardens. Sea Garden does it right - a super light crust and loads of chopped peppers that add a nice kick.

It took me forever to decide on my entrée because most dishes include coconut, peanuts, beef, lamb, or pork. I finally settled on the Seven Flavor Beef minus the peanuts and tofu in replace of the beef. My ‘Six Flavor Tofu’ was disappointing. The heavy and salty sauce overpowered the cubes of super dense tofu. Larry ordered the Mongolian Lamp Chops. The lamb was fatty and the super rich sauce dominated this dish. We decided it was time to move on to another bottle of wine.

The wine steward recommended the, Vignalta’s ‘Gemola’ Rosso, 2001, for our second bottle of the evening. This bottle was much lighter in body and taste than our first and paired nicely with our desserts. Larry’s Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee with star shaped sugar cookies was tasty. My Chocolate Chip Mocha Soufflé was a mixed bag – the first few bites were good but the center was cold.

Our waiter took a liking to us and let Larry and I finished the bottle of wine he bought us while the staff was closing down for the evening. I really enjoyed drinking in the empty theater with no other patrons… it felt like Larry and I owned the place.

Still hungry, the three of us headed to El Gaucho so I could get my grub on. I don’t really remember what we ordered, but I do know that we ordered a ton of superb seafood dishes and another bottle of wine. I love dining at El Gaucho because of its swanky, dark ambience along with the impeccable service and fab menu. El Gaucho could easily double as a Fred Astaire film set.

I’ve also dined at their sister restaurant down the street, Waterfront. Aside from the same impeccable service, amazing food, and wine selection, The Waterfront is totally opposite of El Gaucho. It’s a bright, sunny place with large floor to ceiling windows that look out to Elliott Bay, Olympic Mountains, and more. Our waiter was a young, chatty guy well versed in wine and provided great oyster recommendations. The only down side to Waterfront are the patrons. Where else in the States can you dine in a 5 star restaurant and be surrounded by patrons wearing shorts and Tevas? Come on Seattle… this doesn’t event count as business casual!

Wild Ginger isn’t a place to go if you’re a true food junkie, but it’s worth a try when you’re enjoying a show at the Triple Door. Don't expect much of the food, but do expect a lot from the wine. And if you don’t know much about wine, make sure to ask for one of their wine stewards.

Ballard Spots

Ballard is becoming quite the hot neighborhood in Seattle and it’s easy to forget what Ballard use to be like. Get a taste of the old and new Ballard by starting your evening with dinner at La Carta de Oaxaca then head next door for drinks at The People’s Pub.

La Carta is my favorite Mexican restaurant. Unlike the typical Azteca or Jalisco’s, La Carta is a super comfy, casual restaurant located in Ballard creating authentic Oaxacan cuisine that’s fresh, delicious, and inexpensive to boot. This contemporary spot has beautiful photos lining the walls, a large communal table, simple yet stylish furniture, and a small bar in back.

There’s always a long wait but the super fresh salsa bar and Pozole is so worth the wait. And although the wait can be painful when you’re starving, once you’re seated, the owners provide fast, friendly service.

The People’s Pub has the feel of an old divvy bar minus the smoke… wood paneling, round back oak chairs, and a jukebox. The waitresses are friendly and don’t cop the usual attitude that you find in neighborhood bars.  A nice bonus is thier diverse selection of German beers.

I’m headed to Germany in June for the World Cup and I’ve been regularly hitting Die Bier Stube to brush up on German culture. Die Bire Stube offers 14 German beers poured in authentic glassware and every visit I try a new beer. I’ve now added The People’s Pub to my list of German Pubs to get me ready for my upcoming trip!

Lonely Nights

This past weekend, Rachel and I checked out Amsterdam based company, Kassys’ KOMMER show at On The Boards. This great show about grief, stress, and loneliness is split into two parts – the first part is performed live, and portrays a group of 6 actors as they respond to the news of the death of a loved one.

The second part is a video performance of the actors in their ‘real life’. The camera follows the actors after they have finished the performance that we have just watched. We observe them in their ‘private’ lives, and witness their loneliness.

Watching the actors in their ‘private’ lives was really disturbing…

the frustrated stewardess destroying objects around her and finally passed out on the bed, in the depressing hotel room…

the lonely guy sitting on his bed, binging on anything and everything he found in his room….

and the older gentleman climbing the cluttered stairs to his living room, drinking tea, surround by piles of unpacked boxes, unopened mail, and more junk. I walked away from the show feeling sad, lonely, and depressed.

After KOMMER, Rachel and I headed to BalMar, a comfortable and stylish bar located in the heart of downtown Ballard at the intersection of Ballard Avenue and NW Market. BalMar serves yummy small plates in a two-story building with exposed brick walls. Both floors have a bar along with two pool tables on the top floor. The huge picture window on the top floor makes the BalMar an ideal spot to people watch.

Everything we ordered was delicious and prepared simply with the freshest ingredients. We shared slices of prosciutto on apricot bread with spicy olives, a house salad, spinach with golden raisins and garlic, crispy chicken breast served with vegetables, and persimmon flan.

The bottom floor was comfortably packed but the upstairs was chocked full. This place definitely is a hot spot on the weekends and caters to an older crowd. I won’t hang out here on the weekends but I’ll come back for happy hour during the week.

DO YOU WANT TO TOUCH MY PYRAMID?

2 Wednesday nights, 2 Phinney Ridge Neighborhood pubs, and 2 freaks make for 2 very interesting nights...

4 professional drunks and 1 bartender greeted me when I arrived at the Sully Snow Goose Tavern. The first Wednesday Freak Night involved a slurring, slobbering, spitting alcoholic who wouldn’t leave me alone. The Sully Goose is a rustic, cozy neighborhood bar with a great fireplace, outdoor fire pit, and wood paneling.

Turns out Wednesday nights are Ladies night at the Sully Goose so I received a complementary chocolate covered strawberry along with every pint. No amount of strawberries makes up for the drunken regulars that ruin this intimate spot.

The second Wednesday Freak Night occurred across the street from the Sully Goose at The Park Pub. A silly drunk introduced himself as Cousin Vinney. Do you want to touch my pyramid? That’s what he asked me after he shared his 5 reasons why Korean chicks are the best. His list of 5:

1. Koreans chicks are Christians
2. Koreans chicks are the hottest
3. Koreans make fun of their parents
4. Koreans chicks have the best personalities
5. Korean chick on the Gilmore Girls

The Park Pub is a cool spot where the local hipsters hang out. Comfortable booths, simple mod chairs and basic tables, pool tables and friendly staff make this a chill place to grab a beer. The Park Pub reminds me of what Linda’s Tavern used to be before it became a scene.

Something must be in the beer served in the Phinney Ridge pubs – there has to be.

Congratulicious Lunch

Balt treated me to a most delicious lunch last Friday at Le Pichet to celebrate a retainer contract that I confirmed earlier in the week. Retainers are a good thing and so is Le Pichet. Le Pichet is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. The name is French for "pitcher" and refers to the traditional ceramic pitchers used for serving inexpensive French wines. It’s a casual place that screams Paris, 1934… slate tabletops, tile floors, and a rolled-zinc bar.

Although the food is equally good for lunch or dinner, I especially love dining at Le Pichet for lunch. The menu is rustic French and offers lots of small plates and appetizers. This is an ideal place to dine with a friend who enjoys sampling and sharing a variety of dishes.

We shared the Salade Verte, green salad with mustard and hazelnut vinaigrette, the Gratin Lyonnais, onion soup with crouton minus the gruyère cheese, and the Moules-Frites à la marinière et son fumet au jambon d'Espagne, Penn cove mussels sautéed with shallots, herbs, butter and a Spanish ham fumet, with fried potatoes. Everything was divine.

The mustard and hazelnut vinaigrette on the Salade Verte was perfect. The mustard isn’t overpowering and the pieces of toasted hazelnuts tossed in the dressing are a nice touch. You can’t find a more perfect and hearty Onion soup than the one offered at Le Pichet. The crouton - one thick, large slice of day old bread smack in the middle of the bowl that perfectly soaks up the broth. The sauce for the mussels is light and subtle which allows you to actually taste the mussels. And the generous side of fries… the perfect touch.

See Dick Jiggle

Sam and I had a busy Saturday night. We kicked off our evening at a holiday party at Bonzai Bistro in Pioneer Square.  When they opened 2 years ago, Bonzai Bistro was all the rage because they served sushi on naked women.

Bonzai Bistro no longer serves sushi on naked women but they’ve expanded and opened a bar/lounge next to the main dining room. The entire bar was reserved for the party and it’s a great layout for hosting a private event. The spread was amazing – loads of sushi, salmon cakes, chicken and beef teriyaki skewers, and lots of other tasty treats.  The best part – unlimited drinks of your choice. This is a sure fire way to guarantee a great time for everyone.

Next stop – Forced Entertainment's Bloody Mess Show at On The Boards.

 

Forced Entertainment is British based experimental theater company. A collective of individuals drawing from all forms of artistic expressions to push the themes of contemporary urban life in new performance and theatre forms.

The show is aptly named a Bloody Mess because it truly is a mess of 10 moving characters and their stories all mixed up in one show. Theses stories involve chaos and the desire for order, and the need to confess their secret thoughts.

It was a little long and a little painful to watch but really damn funny at times. There’s lots of swearing and even more male and female frontal nudity. I’m not sure what the nudity adds or if it helps or hurts the performances. I got wrapped up in the psychology of why I’m watching the naked man dance across the stage instead of the other 9 actors. Wondering if I’m focusing on naked dick because it involves the strongest story or because I can’t help not staring at a naked dick jiggle or if I’m understanding why the dick must jiggle.

After the Bloody Mess show we went to Neumos to meet up with Greg for the Sharon Jones show. I haven’t had a chance to hang out with Greg for over a year so it was nice to catch up with him. I’m glad I did because now I owe him for introducing me to the music of Sharon Jones and for putting me on his guest list. Greg dj’ed two sets, one before the opening act and one in between the opening act and Sharon Jones. If you have a chance, check out his weekly show, The Roadhouse, on KEXP featuring American Blues and Roots. It’s on every Wednesday night and the shows are archived so you can listen to past shows.

Sharon Jones is a badass women with a mean strut. You know what’s hot? A 60 year old woman rockin' a stage with pigtails. Her powerful voice and hot beats makes your body break a sweat from moving so fast and hard. Sharon Jones puts on an amazing show and from the moment she enters the stage, she’s on fire. A female version of James Brown –she dances and belts out lyrics like nobody’s business. It’s incredible. You get a live version of the history of dance when watching her perform  – she busted out The Tiger, The Mashed Potatoes, The Swimmer, The Chicken and so many more dance moves… love it.

I also love that she pulled several men on stage from the audience to dance with her. They loved getting freaky with her. If you ever get a chance to see her perform live – you must go.

After giving Sharon Jones a big hug and getting our cd's autographed, Greg, Sam, and I headed up the street to Barca for drinks. Why is last call at 1:30 am in this town? Can't it at least be 1:45 am? We were bummed that we didn't have time to finish our drinks. But whatever, we still had an amazing evening.

Slumber Party

Larry and I had a slumber party at the Seattle Westin last night.

After I wrapped up a client photo shoot, the suite was all ours… We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite with an attached parlor on the 45th floor in the North Tower (the taller and newer of the two Towers). The Seattle Westin’s Director of Marketing informed me that a scene from the movie, The Ring, was filmed in our suite.

This morning we ordered in for breakfast to maximize our suite time… lounging in our robes we soaked in the incredible views, watched Airline - one of A&E’s trashy shows, and got ready for our afternoon of shopping.

Our first stop was Salon Shoes at Nordstroms to visit Matt. I dropped off a pair of boots to get cleaned and to see if he had anything special set aside for me. Next we picked up a sweater that was repaired at Sally Menders. The sweater cost me a fortune and continues to because of all the times I’ve dropped it off to get a snag repaired. I should probably get rid of the sweater but it’s so beautiful…

After we finished my errands, we continued to putter around downtown to start our holiday shopping. The best part of today was that I felt like I was on vacation with Larry and it definitely got me thinking of how I can convince more clients to have photo shoots in hotel rooms!

Suppa Night

Rachel and I have season tickets to On the Boards. Our friend, Brian, joined us for the Super Vision show created by The Builders Association in collaboration with dbox.

We started the evening with dinner at Shiki. A simple, small Japanese Restaurant in lower Queen Anne blocks away from OTB. Turns out that the owner, Ken Yamamoto, is an ex- Shiro’s chef. Love him or hate him, I dined at Shiro’s once with Dale Chihuly.

Rumor has it that Mr. Yamamoto turned down an invitation to appear on Iron Chef. I was impressed with the size and quality of the sushi and was even happier to discover that more than half the patrons dining in were Asian and that all the employees spoke Japanese. Brian noticed that the sushi was wasabi heavy. If wasabi can be over powering for you, ask for no wasabi on your order and just add what you like. If you’re looking for a traditional Japanese menu featuring super fresh and tasty food that’s reasonably priced – this place is a must.

The highlight of the evening was definitely the Super Vision Show!! The show questions all the “subtle and unseen forms of surveillance of the data that we create as we move through our daily lives.” What a brilliant show – the audio, the visual, the story lines… so amazing. I loved it. It’s mind blowing and really pushes 3D digital media, architecture, electronic music, and live performance. There is as much bad digital media as there is bad glass art in Seattle but TBA really makes you take notice.

The show had me from the opening scene and how the stage is built before your eyes. Partial screens slide across the stage, digital images are projected from front and back to create multiple layered sets that float in the air, and the actors interact perfectly with the imaginary and real elements of the set.

After the show we went next door to The Sitting Room. It’s a super convenient location and kind of charming. The lighting and furniture kind of works in creating a semi-cozy feel but the ceilings are too high, and the space still feels cold. It wasn’t the best place for us to hang out to discuss the show. We only lasted for one cocktail since we were practically yelling at each other.

We never made it to Mcmenamins for another drink. We ended up at Fenomen A, a gallery/wine bar.

Our waiter explained that it’s purposely spelt with the ‘F’ and ‘A’ for fine art.  It’s a simple place with a great idea… enjoy fine drinks and food in the company of good art. This is something you’d find in New York City -  not Seattle. Maybe that’s why we had the entire spot to ourselves on a Saturday night?

A couple, Ksenya, the Russian wife, and her Israeli husband own Fenomen A. This spot focuses on Israeli and Russian artists, wine and eats. Fenomen A is only two months old and definitely feels young and still could use some finessing. I don’t like how the oversized digital print outs from the current show, YOSSI VEISSID :  Architectural Dreamscapes, are hung with binder clips.

I also don’t care for how they arranged the artwork. Several walls seemed off balance especially the columns hung with paintings. But the line drawings are amazing and the detail is incredible. It's just too bad the space doesn't showcase Mr. Veissid's work better. 

Rachel, Brian, and I were planning on sharing a bottle of wine. But we couldn’t all decide on one. Actually, I couldn’t. The first bottle, a red blend from Israel, the 2003 Yarden Mt. Hermon, was described as a full, complex wine but it was more like a basic red table wine. The next bottle, a red from Georgia, the 2002 Kindsmaruli Semi-Sweet, was described as a port like wine. It had more body but definitely far from a port but what turned me off was it's smell. It smelled like a bottle that had been corked and kind of tasted like it had. We then tried the 2001 Khvanchkara Semi-Sweet, another port like option, but it tasted flat and didn't do anything for me.

I decided to skip wine and chose the Baltika Porter.

In addition to our drinks, Brian had our favorite dessert of the night, the Napoleon cake, Rachel ordered Rugalachs, and I chose the Chocolate & Rum Rolls.

cheap thrills

Today I received a free calculator in the mail.

Damn thing arrived busted. Balt reminded me that he is an engineer and that engineers can fix anything. I told him – go ahead.

Balt lied.

Shortly after he began taking it apart, he had to stop because he got a plastic sliver. Balt said his finger hurt. I gave him a band-aid.

This is what became of the calculator... loose parts with no way of getting put back together.

If you would like Balt to fix your broken calculator or anything else, call the number below.