Rubber Duckies for Homeless Shrimp Gone Wild,

The duckies symbolize Urban Rest Stop, Seattle's eight-year-old "hygiene center" for the homeless. How important is this? Well, in a year, 25,000 people will use the place, a couple of blocks from the Greyhound station. Almost half a million showers, four times that many just to use the rest room. Laundry, too: close to 200,000 loads. And it's the only place in town that serves entire families.

Services for the homeless were at the forefront of the first Seattle Food & Wine Experience, underway this weekend at Qwest Field. Almost 150 wineries, a dozen fancy restaurants, another 20 food suppliers. A couple of duckies at each booth, by the way.

The shrimp? Well, we won't name names, but two restaurants went crazy. One chef combined reductions of Grand Marnier and orange juice, pulverized orange zest and, so help us, mayonnaise. Into this, chef stirred a mess of freshly fried prawns. Tasted like, well, orange-flavored mayonnaise. Another whack concept: cover a crispy taco with shredded greens, add your shrimp, then gild the lilly with a dollop of huckleberry puree and a squirt of Dijon. Top with a pinch of chives and serve. No smug comments here about hungry homeless, please.