Archive for the 'New American' Category

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Matt’s In The Market – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on January 11, 2012 in New American, Restaurant Review and Seattle. 5 Comments

The Astronomer and I would have never stumbled upon Matt’s In The Market had our friend Daniel not pointed us here. The restaurant is tucked away in the Corner Market Building, three floors up from the throngs of tourists crowding Pike Place Market. Here, owner Dan Bugge and Chef Chester Gerl source fresh ingredients for their ever-changing menu from the market stalls below.

Without having to ask, we were seated at a table for two under the arched windows overlooking the iconic Public Market sign. It was the most memorable view of the entire trip.

Glancing to our right, we could see the pale blue water and snow-capped mountains in the distance. Seattle is a beauty.

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The Walrus and the Carpenter – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on December 27, 2011 in Mixology, New American, Restaurant Review, Seafood and Seattle. 7 Comments

An article penned by Frank Bruni inspired The Astronomer and me to bus it to Ballard for dinner at The Walrus and the Carpenter. We had a beast of time scoring a table at the adorable seafood shack, but everything was smooth sailing after that initial hurdle. Our meal here turned out to be not only the most memorable of the trip, but one of my favorite of the year. Seafood and cocktails—what could be better?

Located in the newly restored Kolstrand Building, The Walrus and the Carpenter is the vision of Chef Renee Erickson (Boat Street Café, Boat Street Pickles) and her partners Jeremy Price and Chad Dale. Together they’ve achieved their goal of building a restaurant serving the “highest quality food and drink in a space that is stripped of pretense and feels like home.”

The Astronomer and I were seated along the back of the restaurant with views of the elongated bar and open kitchen.

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Steelhead Diner – Seattle

Published by Gastronomer on December 21, 2011 in Diner, New American, Restaurant Review, Seafood and Seattle. 3 Comments

Whenever The Astronomer travels out of town for physics conferences, I usually stay home and revel in our quieter-than-usual apartment. However, this past August I packed my bags and came along for the ride to Seattle. In between powwowing about the latest developments in the field of plasma, we wined and dined on amazing Pacific Northwest cuisine.

For our first lunch in the city together, we stumbled upon Steelhead Diner near Pike’s Place Market. The restaurant is set atop a hill with terrific views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic mountains.

A collaborative effort between Chef Kevin Davis and his wife Terresa, the restaurant’s focus is contemporary diner fare inspired by the seasons and scenery.

Every meal at Steelhead begins with a basket of crusty bread accompanied by a slab of butter drizzled with olive oil and herbs.

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Food & Wine All-Star Weekend: A New American Lunch at Sage (Aria Resort & Casino)

Published by Gastronomer on November 9, 2011 in Las Vegas, Media Event (this meal was free), New American and Restaurant Review. 1 Comment

For those who haven’t been following along intently on the #Foodies2Aria tour, let me catch you up quickly. After arriving in Vegas, we supped on uni risotto and white truffled fishes at BarMasa. Day two started early at Jean Georges Steakhouse, where tomahawk chops and roasted bone marrow graced the table. Next, we traveled down the hall to American Fish by Michael Mina, where we were served a suite of dishes prepared using the restaurant’s four signature techniques.

For our third meal of the day, we walked downstairs to Sage for “A New American Lunch” hosted by Chef Shawn McClain and Top Chef season 4 winner Chef Stephanie Izard. This event was part of the Food & Wine All-Star Weekend.

I wasn’t sure I’d be up for a six-course lunch after such a hearty breakfast, but thankfully my appetite was game for more as soon as I sat down.

Prior to the first course arriving, both chefs stood in front of the packed dining room to welcome the crowd and to chat a bit about the food. Chef McClain explained that the first and fourth dishes belonged to him, while the second and third were Chef Izard’s. The cheese course and dessert were anyone’s guess.

Chef McClain started us off with a shaved Brussels sprout salad with Taylor Gold pears, macadamia nuts, and a bacon mustard vinaigrette. The smoky and tangy dressing played nicely with the sweet pears and snappy sprouts.

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Dinner at Farmshop – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Published by Gastronomer on October 4, 2011 in Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), New American, Restaurant Review and Santa Monica. 5 Comments

While The Astronomer and I were eating our way through Vietnam, one of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles quietly launched dinner service. After nearly a year of dishing up only breakfast, lunch, and brunch, Farmshop finally began serving supper late last month.

As soon as we landed on dear, sweet American soil, The Astronomer and I made reservations to dine at Farmshop. Even though we were both feeling the effects of jet-lag, we couldn’t let a little fatigue stop us from coming in for a long-awaited taste.

The restaurant was busy enough for a Wednesday night when we arrived just after eight. I loved the look and feel of the dining room during brunch service and was pleased that the space transitioned nicely into nighttime. We were joined for dinner by our friend Kat on her final night as a restaurant PR rep.

Dinner at Farmshop is currently offered five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday. The menu changes daily except for Sundays, which are dedicated to Chef Jeff Cerciello’s famous fried chicken [See: Fried Chicken Night at Ad Hoc].

Dinner each night is a three course affair served family style with prices ranging from $40 to $60. Our menu was priced at $46 per person.

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