Monthly Archive for April, 2010

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Serious Pie – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on April 18, 2010 in Pizza, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 14 Comments

Since we dined at Tom Douglas‘ first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, on our first night in the city, it was fitting that we visited his latest venture, Serious Pie, for our final dinner in town. Opened in 2006, Serious Pie is seriously popular. Just like our local darling Pizzeria Mozza, this forty-seater is packed at all hours of the day. Whether it was morning, noon, or night, every time I peered through the restaurant’s subterranean windows there were always smiling pizza eaters staring right back.

Reservations aren’t taken for smaller parties, so The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I stopped by 40 minutes before we wanted to eat and had our names added to the lengthy list. When our table was ready, the hostess tickled us on the telly.

With delicious memories of Delancey still dancing in our heads, we couldn’t help but compare the pizzerias course by course. To start, we shared a black kale salad with pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Calabria peppers ($8). Kale rarely fails to please, and in this case it was fresh and evenly dressed. The tart vinaigrette was countered by the sweet peppers and salty cheese. While the salad was well-composed, it wasn’t as fist-pumpingly awesome as Delancey’s frisee with bacon and Dijon dressing from the night before. Team Pettit took the greenery round, but the main attraction was still to come.

All of Serious Pie’s pies are made in a 600 degree, stone-encased, applewood burning oven. The crusts come out of the fire mostly golden with a few blackened bumps. The texture is crispier and heavier than Neapolitan-style pies, and as a lover of all things bready, I completely approved.

Our slightly tipsy, birthday-celebrating neighbor convinced me to order the chanterelle mushroom pizza ($16). When it arrived at our table, the distinct aroma of truffles filled the air. The rectangular pie was presented on a slate and studded with chanterelles galore, gooey pools of truffle cheese, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Topping it all off was a dousing of olive oil and Murray River salt. Truly, it was a beautiful and fragrant sight. Whereas Delancey’s pies were light and understated, the ones here brought an avalanche of flavor in the form of fat and salt. Pitting ‘shroom against ‘shroom, Serious Pie took this round.

The Astronomer’s sweet fennel sausage pizza with cherry bomb peppers ($16) was our least favorite pizza of the evening. The crust, cheese, and herbs were all outstanding, but the meat’s flavor was subdued. Delancey’s housemade pork fennel sausage was the clear winner in the “charcuterie topped pie” category.

Rosalind’s Penn Cove clams pizza with house pancetta and lemon thyme ($16) was phenomenal. After tasting disappointing renditions at Bottega Louie and Pizzeria Mozza, I was finally convinced that a proper clam pie can be executed on the west coast. The pizza’s intensely clammy flavor left me happy as a clam. The wild card round went to Serious Pie.

And finally, vanilla panna cotta with rhubarb and pistachio ($8) served in an oddly-shaped jar. The dessert was creamy and refreshing, but Delancey’s rustic fruit desserts were more interesting and satisfying.

While the first and final courses weren’t nearly as winning as the ones from Delancey, the seriously spectacular clam and chanterelle pies more than made up for it. I will forever remember Seattle as the city that opened my eyes to the greatness of pizza and doughnuts.

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Serious Pie
316 Virginia Street
Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: 206-838-7388

Delancey – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on April 15, 2010 in Pizza, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 18 Comments

A year and some months ago, Molly Wizenberg announced on her lovely food blog Orangette that she and her husband Brandon Pettit were opening a restaurant. I don’t remember where I was when I read the news, but I distinctly recall feeling extraordinarily excited for the both of them even though we were complete strangers. I followed the trials and tribulations of building and running a pizzeria from the ground up through Ms.Wizenberg’s sporadic and thoughtful posts. She painted a more intimate and heartfelt picture of restaurant life than any book I’ve ever read on the topic. Needless to say, I was routing for Delancey long before I queued up outside the restaurant.

Located in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, Delancey occupies a sparse and small space. The limited number of tables means that hour-long waits are the norm and the bar across the street receives a lot of business. Our party of three arrived ten minutes before the doors opened for dinner service and were fortunately seated with the first wave of diners.

The restaurant’s interior is so very Orangette. A mix of handmade, vintage, and industrial fittings fill the room. The tables were made by hand by Mr. Pettit, who taught himself how to pour concrete, while old glass jars were converted into proper lighting fixtures. The color scheme is mostly black and white. I liked how diners were called upon to add splashes of color and personality to the space.

The centerpiece of the pizzeria is the woodfired oven. The massive structure was built from scratch by Mr. Pettit, along with a pizza oven pro. According to his better half in an article for Bon Appetit, Mr. Pettit has been working on his dough recipe for more than two years.

We started off with a simple but superbly executed frisee salad ($10) with chunks of hard-boiled egg, crispy bits of bacon, and a well-balanced Dijon vinaigrette. The little tumbleweeds of frisee were sweet and crunchy.

The first pie to arrive was the crimini mushroom ($12) with fresh mozzarella, thyme, and olive oil. The mushrooms were thinly sliced and mostly mellow, while the olive oil and thyme rounded out the flavors. Inspired by the pizzas Mr. Pettit grew up on in New Jersey and New York, the crust was crisp, light, and blistered around the edges. The flavor was subtle, but outstanding—very much like a great loaf of country bread. The char was a bit too intense for me on some slices, but Rosalind seemed to favor those pieces most.

The Astronomer’s favorite pizza featured housemade pork fennel sausage, tomato sauce, fresh and aged mozzarella, and grana ($15). The most glorious bites brought a mouthful of sausage and warm cheese dribbling down our chins.

My favorite was the Romana ($13) with tomato sauce, sliced garlic, anchovies, kalamata olives, chili oil, and oregano. The cheese-less wonder was wet and salty, and I couldn’t get enough. Delancey’s slices went down so easily that I managed to eat seven this evening. That’s a whole pizza and then some!

Even more so than the interior, the desserts at Delancey are a reflection of Orangette. Even though Ms. Wizenberg no longer spends her days in the kitchen, her rustic seasonal fruit desserts remain. The rhubarb compote with shortbread and whipped cream ($8) was a hit with our table. Rosalind adored the buttery shortbread cookies, while the rhubarb compote and whipped cream had my name all over it.

The caramel-poached apple ($8) with gingerbread streusel and chantilly cream was elegant and satisfying. Leaving the stem on the apple was an adorable touch. Come to think of it, the entire restaurant is one big adorable touch.

Dinner at Delancey was the highlight of my delicious tour of Seattle. From beginning to end, the food, service, and ambiance hit all the right notes. I’ve never fancied myself as a pizza lover, but after this experience (and a dinner at Serious Pie the following evening), I am now completely obsessed.

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Delancey
1415 NW 70th Street
Seattle, WA 98117
Phone: 206-838-1960

Frost Doughnuts – Mill Creek

Published by Gastronomer on April 14, 2010 in Breakfast / Brunch, Dessert, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 27 Comments

Following a sugary breakfast of crumpets and waffles, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I boarded an express bus to seek out even more sweets to stuff down our gullets. My friend and Seattle native Alice scooped us up from a random bus stop somewhere north of the city and drove us to Mill Creek, the home of a glorious little doughnut shop called Frost. Although the trip was comparable to traveling from Pasadena to Glendora to visit The Donut Man, the voyage somehow seemed more epic because we were in a foreign land. Plus, gray skies and rainfall always add a bit more drama to any situation.

Opened in July 2009, Frost aims to make the best doughnuts anyone has ever tasted. Alice, a connoisseur of all things delicious, is a huge fan of the shop’s sophisticated, indulgent, and gourmet offerings. To taste as many flavors as possible, Alice and I split a dozen doughnuts ($16) between our two parties. Purchased a la carte, doughnuts are priced between 99 cents and $1.89.

The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I carefully chose six doughnuts—clockwise starting from top left—a French Cruller with Maple, an Aztec Chocolate, a Lemon Bismarck, a Bavarian Crème Bismarck, a Smokey Bacon Maple Bar, and a Strawberries & Creme.

The French cruller was studded with airy pockets that made it so incredibly light and eggy that we swore we were eating a sweetened popover. The maple icing had hints of real maple syrup.

The Aztec Chocolate was comprised of a moist chocolate cake doughnut iced with a cinnamon-cayenne ganache , and topped with chocolate shavings. I loved the bold spicy notes and how the thin shards of chocolate melted in the afternoon sun.

Just as Alice promised, the textures of the Bismarcks were downright perfect. The Astronomer adored the tart and unabashedly lemony curd filling.

I was a bigger fan of the Bavarian crème variety, because smooth vanilla custard is more my style.

The doughnut that made me close my eyes and tilt my head in utter bliss was none other than the Smokey Bacon Maple Bar. A maple bar is pretty amazing on its own; add to it freshly fried bacon crumbles, and man oh man, this baby is a heart breaker. Heck, it’s breaking my heart at this very moment because there are 1,158 miles between us. Nickel Diner can’t compete.

And lastly, a pretty in pink strawberry cake doughnut topped with whipped cream. We loved how the doughnut was full of fresh fruit.

We headed back to the city with a box full of half eaten doughnuts and happy thoughts of Frost.

Dear God, Please bring Frost Doughnuts to Los Angeles. Love, Cathy.

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Frost Doughnuts
15421 Main Street, Ste. 102
Mill Creek, WA 98012
Phone: 425-379-2600

Sweet Iron Waffles – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on April 12, 2010 in Belgian, Breakfast / Brunch, Dessert, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 12 Comments

The timing couldn’t have been anymore perfect. Right before I left for Seattle, I posted about a lackluster Liège waffle served up at Holly’s Coffee. I lamented its pathetic texture and yearned for the real deal. The food blogging gods must have been smiling down upon me because on my second day in the city, I was riding on one of the city’s dependable public buses when I spied a shop specializing in “The Real Liège Waffle!” I made a mental note of the coordinates of Sweet Iron Waffles and swore to return the following day.

After a visit to The Crumpet Shop, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I indulged in a second breakfast at Sweet Iron. The moment I walked into the shop and saw the Belgian waffle iron and smelled the caramelized sugar, I knew I was in the right place.

As is the norm in these here parts, all of the waffles at Sweet Iron are made with the best organic, local, and all natural ingredients. Most notably, the flour is from The Shepherd’s Grain, an alliance of progressive family farmers who are dedicated to sustainable agriculture.

We started off with a classic Liège waffle ($2.99) made with a brioche-style dough (all natural butter, flour, honey, yeast) and plenty of little pearl sugar beads. Finished with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar, the waffle arrived crisp, warm, and glossily caramelized. Its texture was slightly flaky, while the flavor was ever so sweet. Sweet Iron’s specimen was indeed “The Real Liège Waffle.”

Taking a walk on the savory side, we also ordered a basil and Val de Saone brie waffle ($4.99). Soon after the above photo was snapped, the cheese melted its way into the waffle’s crevices, yielding a sweet, savory, and herbaceous blend. Rosalind was on the fence about whether or not savory toppings went well atop a sweet waffle, but The Astronomer and I were certain it was a winning combination.

Thanks, Sweet Iron Waffles, for erasing the awful memory of Holly’s Coffee.

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Sweet Iron Waffles
1200 3rd Avenue, Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-3336

The Crumpet Shop – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on April 10, 2010 in Afternoon Tea, British, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 12 Comments

If there was one British practice that we should have retained before ousting them from our shores centuries ago, it surely is afternoon tea. I can’t think of a better way to spend the hazy hours between lunch and dinner than indulging in warm tea with clotted cream-slathered scones. As much as I adore the practice, I’ve only been to tea exactly two times in my life. On both occasions I was in a fancy hotel in Saigon [See: Caravelle and Park Hyatt] and on both occasions I missed out on crumpets. Sure, there were dainty finger sandwiches and adorable petit fours, but sadly, not a single crumpet graced my three-tiered towers.

I finally had the pleasure of tasting a coveted crumpet while in Seattle. Opened in 1976 by Gary Lasater and Nancy McFaul, The Crumpet Shop has become a city institution. While crumpets aren’t traditionally eaten for breakfast, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I thought they’d be perfectly pleasant in the morning. We snagged a table near the kitchen, granting us the opportunity to spy on the unknowing chap performing his crumpet making duties.

Crumpets are the result of a simple yeast batter meeting a hot griddle and circular molds. The spilled-over batter is scraped off to create a neat disc. The surface is spongy and porous, which allows butter and jam to seep into every little hole. The texture is similar to an English muffin, but a bit doughier and more substantial.

On our first visit to The Crumpet Shop, we shared two crumpets with butter and fresh preserves ($1.95). Each one was toasted to order and buttered up nicely. The marmalade was full of zesty bits and bitter enough to remind us that we were eating a whole orange with a bit of sugar rather than the opposite.

The gooseberry jam offered two firsts in one bite—my first crumpet and my first gooseberry! Taste-wise, the jam was better balanced than the marmalade.

The Astronomer and I returned to The Crumpet Shop a few days later for an afternoon snack. This time around, we sampled a savory one. The warm crumpet came topped with a thick spread of ricotta cheese, house-made pesto, and shredded ham ($4). The highlight was the subtle and creamy ricotta. I don’t think I’ve ever been so taken by ricotta cheese.

I loved my crumpet experience so much that I purchased crumpet molds from Amazon as soon as I arrived home. I cannot wait to have afternoon tea in my apartment with fresh crumpets and jam served on the brand-new China from the wedding registry. Good times ahead.

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The Crumpet Shop
1503 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-1598