The Bite of Seattle 2011

In photo above:  Grilled flat-iron steak w/ Sweet Corn and Blueberry Relish (Seatown), Grilled Italian Sausage w/ House Made Pepper Onion Relish (Seattle's Little Italy), Grilled Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese and a Rhubarb Lavender Vinaigrette and Seared Tiger Prawn (Gordon's On Blueberry Hill), Taiwan's Famous, Hand-Made, Steamed Pork Dumplings Filled with Soup (Din Tai Fung), Triple Chocolate Cupcake (PinkaBella Cupcake), Spicy Calamari Topped with Saffron Aioli on Bruschetta (Andaluca), and Shaved Roast Beef Slider w/ Carmelized Onions and Dijon Mustard on a Pretzel Bun (Purple Café).

It's that time again!  The Bite of Seattle started off right, on a warm and sunny day!  The Alley did not disappoint! 

I started off with the pork dumpling.  It was very good.  It had a nice salty flavor and wonderful textures.  Perhaps a little, was it ginger?  For garnish?  That was good, too. 

The grilled watermelon salad was amazing!  I was curious to see how all the ingredients together would work at first, and found that the Feta cheese, with the sweet chunks of watermelon, made of very nice blend of flavors, along with the other ingredients.  The prawn was cooked perfectly for it too, not overdone like I have had at other places before.  One of my favorites, if not my favorite of all the dishes. 

I was most concerned about the calamari on the bruschetta.  I thought I would not like the textures, but the textures were really good.  I am not sure how I felt about the sauce.  It wasn't my favorite.  I think, however, it could be an acquired taste, that I could grow to like.  The presentation of it was absolutely beautiful, as you can see.

The sausage dish, although not bad, was a little bland tasting, in my opinion.  I have had other sausage dishes previously at The Alley that had been much more impressive.  Like the one last year with crab.  That one was better.

The roast beef slider was delicious, a nice thing to eat on a summer day, nice blend of flavors with the caramelized onions, and the pretzel bread was a nice twist -- um... no pun intended...seriously.

The grilled steak was cooked to order, and served by Tom Douglas himself.  Very tasty.  Amongst mine and my friends favorites.  I had had this dish before at another Alley event.

The cupcake was a nice way to end the meal.  Perfectly chocolaty!  Nice and rich.  Totally delicious!

Overall, the whole plate of food was very good and my friends felt they got their money's worth, which is $10 per plate.  If you want water with your meal it is an extra $2.50.  If you drink wine, there is a extra cost for a wine tasting with the meal.  Proceeds go to Food Lifeline.

The Bite is going on all weekend!  The Alley changes some of it's menu items every day.  So, obviously, it is tempting to go back.  There are also many other vendors at The Bite, if you are not into gourmet.  I also tried some Avocado Ice Cream, and some Fried Macaroni and Cheese this year.  They have regular food too, such as Famous Dave's (BBQ), and Black Angus Steakhouse (steak).

So grab your family or your friends, head over, listen to some bands play, while munching on Fried Mac & Cheese, play in the fountain, maybe visit the Science Center, and if you were lucky enough to score tickets ahead of time, see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II at the IMAX!  You will have a good time.  Enjoy!