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Jerry Traunfeld has always loved Chinese food. The James Beard Award–winning chef first learned Chinese cookery in the 1980s from master chef Ken Hom at the California Culinary Academy. He continued honing his skills at home while he was chef at The Herbfarm and, later, when he opened Capitol Hill’s Poppy, poring over Chinese cookbooks…

As the year winds down, pundits and such spend a lot of time doling out their end-of-the-year best-of lists, and talking about their favorites. Which is great! But sometimes it’s nice to hear from the folks who just go to bars and have drinks for fun. With that in mind, we asked some local cocktail-and-bar…

What does winter in Seattle taste like? For some of us, it’s the briny snap of an Olympia oyster lifted from the icy waters of Puget Sound. Washington is the biggest producer of oysters on the Pacific Coast, and right now, the mollusks are at their peak—plump, crisp and bursting with Champagne-loving salinity. Culinary expert…

On the radio recently, I heard a DJ disparage Atlantic farmed salmon, saying it shouldn’t even be called salmon. I agree, the stuff is mush. I’ve been thinking the same thing about the genetically modified salmon, approved last month by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Sometimes called “Frankenfish,” these fish are genetically engineered to grow fast…

Walk into Salish Sea Organic Liqueurs’ tasting room, located just off Interstate 5 in Lacey, and you’re instantly faced with a very difficult choice. Which, of the many liqueurs it makes, to try first? The popular hibiscus? Classical limoncello? Floral chrysanthemum? Culinary-minded thyme-coriander? The newish nectarine? Maybe the best idea is to take a step…

Call it what you want. Warm and wet or cool and dry. Winter is coming, and it is already cold. If you’re like the staff here, you’re craving bowls of hot slurpy goodness. We’re sure there are dozens of spots, both casual and formal, making memorable soups and stews in Seattle, but these five were…

Opening up in an area of Mount Baker that’s been fairly bereft of restaurant and bar options, Heyday is already pulling in loads of local families and neighbors, thanks to its sunshiny combination of decor (the new building has a comfortable mid-century modern feel, with a teal- and gray-tiled bar, cool slatted wood on the…

You’ve heard of the cronut and the cretzel. What about the crumpwich? Not to be confused with the single, open-faced English griddle cake, a crumpwich is a sandwich made of two toasty crumpets stuffed with everything from jerk chicken to turkey and avocado. It is the brainchild of Justin Sledge, executive chef of Capitol Hill’s…

Most casual dining chefs work their way up to fine dining, but John Howie’s career follows the opposite trajectory. For years, Howie’s name has been synonymous with fancy steak and cedar-plank salmon. But, his newest project, Beardslee Public House, a massive, family-friendly restaurant and brewery in Bothell, is all about made-from-scratch, casual comfort food. Of…