Okay, so it’s not the first in the area, and there are nearly 700 others in the country, but Chipotle is opening at Southcenter Square—today! Culinary Institute of America grad Steve Ells opened the first Chipotle in Denver in 1993, not quite expecting it to grow into the chain it is today. Anyone ever been to one? We have a bunch of burrito places in Seattle, ranging from local and national chains to little... [continue]

We’ve been big fans of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid since reading Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia (James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook of the Year for 2000). This coffee table-worthy book completely captured us with great recipes, gorgeous photos, and even its glossary. We immediately dug deep into their earlier work, including the aptly named Seductions of Rice, which is also as much travelogue as it is cookbook. There have... [continue]

The weather’s really going to warm up this weekend, which means the cheeses will be even more ooey and gooey at the Seattle Cheese Festival, now in its fourth year. We’re looking forward to the wide range of choices (word is there will be 250 or more) from local and international artisan cheesemakers, with an eye out for the most stinky delights. Sponsored by DeLaurenti Specialty Food & Wine, the festival is about more... [continue]

For years, we’ve heard that the best New York-style pizza in Seattle is actually in Snohomish. Snohomish? Who goes to Snohomish? We did. With New York in our blood, and not quite satisfied with Seattle options, it was time to test the waters. (According to some, it’s the water that makes New York’s pizza the best.) #1 New York Pizza is an odd place. Our GPS couldn’t find it, but go straight on Route 9... [continue]

As if chocolate alone isn’t enough, tonight Theo Chocolate adds music, massage, and meditation to the menu. Can you believe it? Head over to Theo’s fun shop in Fremont to sample some chocolates and sip some Choice organic tea. They’ll have a string quartet playing, and if you’d like even more relaxation, you can enjoy a complementary Ayurvedic mini hand massage with Sweet Beauty chocolate lotion. Or ante up and purchase a two-person Ayurvedic... [continue]

As much as Ray LaMontagne blew us away his last time through town, even more enduring is the memory of David Ford's opening performance. Ford opens again tomorrow night at the Showbox, supporting his new Songs for the Road album. We love his previous album title: I Sincerely Apologise for All the Trouble I've Caused—a clue that this British singer/songwriter's music can be melancholy and reflective, yet sometimes surprisingly uplifting, like in "Cheer Up (You... [continue]

We sometimes go to the Farmers Market to buy and eat some animals. Yesterday, at the West Seattle Farmers Market, a bear escaped to the Junction at California and Alaska looking like it was wanting to eat some humans. Anyone know what was going on here?... [continue]

We’ve been slurping down news of all the new Japanese noodle shops in Seattle. Samurai Noodle’s pretty good; people like it enough that they’ve got a second location. The noodles themselves are better at Kaname, but the broth is lacking. And we’ve heard some good things about Boom Noodle, though our Japanese friends tell us the ramen is disappointing. As we hear more and more about great noodles in New York, LA, and Vancouver,... [continue]

It’s a new month, and that means a new dining promotion around town. Returning is New Urban Eats, featuring some of the relative newbie restaurants in and around the Seattle area. For $30, you’ll enjoy three courses—a choice of appetizer, entrée, and dessert from a fixed-price menu. Participating restaurants: 94 Stewart, Beato Food & Wine, Betty, Coupage, Cremant, Crush, Cucina De-Ra, Divine, Enotria, Iris Grill, Kurrent, Lucia, Moxie, 0/8 Seafood Grill, Opal, Portage, Qube,... [continue]

Gelatiamo means “let’s have gelato together.” To celebrate May Day and its reopening, Gelatiamo invites you into its shop from 11am to 1pm on Thursday, May 1 for a free gelato. That’s the easy part. The hard part is choosing between the flavors. Mocha or mango? Cappuccino or caramel? Tiramisu or toasted almond? Pistachio or panna cotta? If you try to sample them all, you’ll waste too many sample spoons, and you’ll just get... [continue]

The fine folks at The Four Swallows invited us over (by over, we mean across Puget Sound) for some supper. Saturday was a superb day for a ferry ride, and after a short stroll through town, we reached the farmhouse that’s been home to the restaurant for 16 years. Inside, it’s quaint and charming, with the staff adding to the warmth of the home. The menu changes daily, tilting a bit toward Italian, but reflecting... [continue]

We’d been hearing a lot about the new KFC (Korean fried chicken), so we took a drive down to Federal Way (with its little Koreatown) to sample some at Cockatoo’s Chicken Restaurant—a place that, once you find it, is basically a bar with a snack menu. You might think we were drunk, but really it was a case of brain-lock induced by being lost in the Korean-ness of it all. Having ordered some deep-fried wings... [continue]

Need a good excuse to eat out? Mark your calendars: One week from today, April 24, is the 15th annual Dining Out for Life. Hosted by the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, 30% of your meal cost goes back to the organization, which provides a wide variety of services to people in the Puget Sound who are living with HIV/AIDS, including fresh meals and groceries from the Chicken Soup Brigade, housing, insurance, and education/prevention programs. Nationally,... [continue]

We’ve sung Green Leaf’s praises in the past, and it’s still one of our favorites with fabulous food and sweet service. This time, we especially enjoyed the vermicelli with grilled beef in lop leaf. But what’s that in the background of the photo? Is that a nautical theme? Our beloved Green Leaf closed for a couple of weeks to expand to the second floor, and the new décor has many bewildered. Floral carpet? Chunky wood... [continue]

Next week, icon Grill’s Chef Nick Musser (known for his Aroused Americana cooking—and cookbook) is doing a demonstration at Dish it up! in Magnolia. On the menu are signs of spring: grilled asparagus salad, spring pea soup, oven roasted rack of lamb, and white chocolate strawberry cake. We had an opportunity to spring these questions on him: Why do you like to teach cooking classes? It’s great to interact with the participants, as I... [continue]

Maybe it’s the springtime snow that’s got us savoring the South—or any taste of it we can get. Last time it was Waterfront Seafood Grill. This time, when Sazerac asked if we wanted to sample some "damn good food" from its Southern-inspired menu, we said "damn right we’ll be there." Sazerac’s had a bit of a makeover, with red and amber shades and new lighting creating a chic atmosphere. Tables and table settings have... [continue]

Sadly, Seattle lacks a Singaporean restaurant. The closest we’ve got are Malay Satay Hut (a favorite!) and Salima, but they’re both primarily Malaysian. So if you can’t go out for Singaporean food, then why not make it yourself? NuCulinary offers lots of cooking classes at Uwajimaya in Bellevue (later this month will be Thai Seafood Dishes and Basic Sushi Rolling). Coming up next is one called Singaporean Straits Cooking. In the Straits, Chinese traders... [continue]

Last week, Dishin' described how Dulces' Chef Guerrero defeated our childhood’s Chef Boyardee in battle: ravioli. This week, shrimp and eggs get the grown-up treatment at Waterfront Seafood Grill. Recalling our younger days, we remember rejoicing on that rare occasion when someone splurged for Sau-Sea shrimp cocktail. The shrimp were so small that they disappeared amidst the added oyster crackers. And, as a frugal family, four people had to share the three-pack. So imagine... [continue]

First there was the 25 for $25. That became 30 for $30. (Okay, it’s actually called Dine Around Seattle, and you can cash in on it through the end of this month.) Then came another 30 for $30 called New Urban Eats, featuring newly opened restaurants. That will return in May. But between now and then comes an all-new 25 for $25 known as Seasoned Seattle. Throughout the month of April, choose a restaurant, and... [continue]

What is it about a dumpling that’s so delightful? We love dough that’s filled and then folded or otherwise formed. Dumplings come in different shapes and sizes (recall our reviews of pelmeni, xiao long bao, and har gow, to name a few) and cut across all cultures. Proper preparation requires attention—and the finished product demands the diner’s attention. Each one is a gift—the wrapper cleverly hiding the surprise within. Growing up, we never heard of... [continue]