February 2021
Local Chefs On Why Riesling is the Best Thanksgiving Wine
Wine is my absolute favorite condiment on the Thanksgiving table; it’s an important supporting character at the feast, but not necessarily the star. After many years of searching for that perfect complement to all the diverse flavors at the mother of all traditional meals, Riesling from Washington State has become my go-to wine on the…
The Museum Store at Frye Art Museum
As part of their current exhibition Mw [Moment Magnitude], the Frye Museum Store has been re-conceptualized by photographer Charlie Schuck into one of the most exciting and interesting retail experiences to hit the scene in ages. Schuck, who also owns Belltown’s Object, has transformed the Museum Store into a modern repository for Seattle’s best and brightest…
Meet Your Maker: Ahamefule Oluo
A Seattle composer/comedian/writer transforms personal trauma into meaningful performance.
BD: Told through monologues, comedy and a 13-piece orchestra, your new show, Now I’m Fine, is described as “musical theater,” but I’m guessing we are not talking Cats.AO: It’s certainly not Cats, but the music definitely aspires to some of the grandeur of traditional Broadway musicals. The first album I ever bought when I was…
The Cupcake Challenge: Who Won?
Who makes the best cupcake in Seattle? We host a panel of judges and a blind tasting to find out.
Newsflash: Cupcakes are the new cupcake. Despite the petite cakes’ years-long run as the trendiest sweets around, shops selling the treats continue to flourish and reproduce as rapidly as the Pitt-Jolie clan. Debates about which bakery produces the best (Trophy? Cupcake Royale?) can get as intense as football rivalries (Husky? Coug?). We at Seattle magazine…
Rione XIII: Good with Reservations
The menu here offers some true winners—and several could-be-betters.
Inspired by Trastevere, the 13th district (or rione) of Rome, Ethan Stowell’s latest endeavor lives in a casual, spirited corner dining room on the east side of Capitol Hill. Like Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Stowell’s Ballard restaurant, which shares a space with another eatery, Rione cohabits with The Wandering Goose café; an interior wall of…
Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen is Kick-butt Good
Yes, Ballard has come to this: a barbecue joint with $8 valet parking. Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen isn’t really a joint, though. It’s an enormous, polished, ironwork-brick-and-beams concept in the growing restaurant empire of Nathan Opper and Zak Melang (seven Matador restaurants in three states, plus a Portland sibling to the Whiskey Kitchen). Luckily, the…
Sweet Mickey’s Stands Out
Minutes after I walked into this tiny Ballard candy shop, the mop-topped young man behind the counter asked: “What can I do to put a smile on your face?” Believe it or not, this line did not come off as saccharine, but as charming as the cheek-pinchingly adorable Sweet Mickey’s. In a space that’s roughly…
Washington’s Treveri: Bubbles Only
For the holidays, Washington’s Treveri crafts unexpected styles of bubbly meant to be shared.
Some people love sparkling wines. I mean love sparkling wines. “They go with everything!” enthuses my friend and frequent tasting partner, wine representative Sarah Budge. “The only way you can use all your senses,” she says. We clink glasses. “They are so festive!” I say. We speak in the plural, as if bubbles are a…
Clever Bottle: A Bit of French Countryside in Belltown
A refreshingly different stop along the clutter of Belltown’s Second Avenue.
Uniquely WelcomingWalk into Clever Bottle and you’ll probably feel a bit enchanted by its contrast to the outside world: With an airy design highlighted by candles, white walls, Edison lightbulbs and the occasional palm frond, the bar seems less “downtown” and more “French countryside.” Clever CocktailsOwner Kristen Burns (a former manager at the Space Needle’s…
Crumble & Flake’s Canelé
Pastries worth lining up for.
Two reasons to visit Crumble & Flake Patisserie on weekends: One, the doors open at 9 a.m. (weekdays, it’s 7 a.m.), a more civilized time to get into the ever-present queue before your favorites sell out. Two, weekends are when perfectionist owner/baker Neil Robertson takes the time to create CRUMBLE & FLAKE’S CANELÉ, a challenging…
Britt’s Pickles: Perfectly Spiced, Preservative-Free
Take a crunchy bite out of these locally-made, delicious cukes.
Britt Eustis’ life has always been closely linked to pickled products: He moved to Seattle from Connecticut in the 1980s, and worked first at Charlie’s Produce and then at a food distribution company that took him all the way to Japan. There, he helped import miso, kimchi from Korea and other traditional fermented foods. But…
A Perfect Holiday Cocktail Mixed with Strega
A.J. Rathbun’s must-have spirit for festive holiday drinks.
What it is: Strega is a magical Italian liqueur made from spells and spun gold. OK, it’s actually a blend of 70 herbs and spices that traces back to the 1860s, when Giuseppe Alberti—a grocer’s son—decided to make a liqueur with saffron (which gives Strega its signature color), a local wild mint and other intriguing…