roll with jen

Yep, you read that right.  The lovable Ina Garten, otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa, will be making her first Seattle stage appearance on September 16th at Benaroya Hall.  Garten is the author of several best-selling cookbooks and the beloved host of the Food Network show Barefoot Contessa. In an interview format, Garten will be answering [...]

When you find yourself looking for the newest baking sensation to hit Seattle, go low tech by setting your smart phone aside and instead, let the smell of butter intuitively guide your nose to Neil Robertson’s petite bakery in Capitol Hill, Crumble & Flake. Located on the corner of a powerhouse block next to Rachel [...]

Lately, I have been craving anything and everything not American:  German faucets, French eye-wear, a Swedish teapot, and food. As an ardent fan of Lebanese cuisine, I am stoked to hear about 4 month old Cafe Munir in the Loyal Heights Ballard neighborhood.  Specializing in small plates, I decide to start with the hummus and dig [...]

I have had numerous people ask when I am going to write about the closing of two restaurants I frequent on a weekly basis:  Elemental and Elemental Next Door (END).  For those of you who aren’t familiar with these two joints and the polarizing masterminds behind them, Elemental is a petite restaurant located across from Gas Works Park, specializing in a blind tasting menu [...]

With all of the no-fuss, quick service, and sometimes cash-only deals in the International District, packing a lunch is so 1995. Here are my top five go-to spots: Thai Curry Simple (406 5th Avenue South):  Finally, a Thai place that doesn’t rely on ketchup as the key seasoning in pad thai.  Little Uncle’s takeout window in [...]

I have definitely slurped down my fair share of bubble tea and devoured many red bean-based desserts in the International District, but when I crave straight-up pastries, I hit up Fuji Bakery and Beard Papa. Fuji Bakery (526 S. King St.):  It is a rarity when a business originates on the East side and subsequently makes [...]

My favorite food writers include the usual suspects:  Mark Bittman and Jonathan Gold.  But in the same vein which the Surly Gourmand makes me giggle and squirm with his candor, my friend Jorge’s food commentary always has me laughing hysterically while vehemently nodding my head in agreement. Here is what Jorge has to say about [...]

When I see a business professing to be the real deal in its name, I am instantly suspicious.  It is like calling a restaurant The French Bistro which likely means you will see french fries, cookies molded in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and other faux-Parisian cuisine on the menu. But after falling in love with Switzerland after [...]

How can Wallingford’s Art of the Table get any better, you may ask?  Art of Table with a bar as diminutive as the 4-year old off-the-beaten path restaurant. Chef/owner Dustin Ronspies reopened his doors on Friday after 2 months of teaming up with a contractor to convert his office into a bar/lounge. Here is the lowdown [...]

As I excitedly tell my neighbors I am heading to meet a friend who works at Amazon for lunch, they immediately start guessing where I am going, naturally assuming I am going to hit up one of the newly constructed restaurants popping up like whack-a-moles in the bustling South Lake Union area:  Cactus, Re:Public, and Serious [...]