Sizzling at The Bite of Seattle 2015

 

First of all, I want to apologize for taking so long to write my review for The Bite of Seattle this year.  I have been experiencing technical difficulties with every electronic device I own, and I am still working on some of those problems.  I kind of feel like the juggler above, who is standing on a ball while juggling several things at once! 

 

Isn't this guy cool?  I would fall flat on my face, just trying to stand on that ball.  He was one of the many sources of entertainment at The Bite of Seattle this Year.

 

We also watched a Caricature Artist draw a couple who also wanted to have their dog in the picture with them!  I was kind of curious how the illustrator was going to handle that situation, after all, the dog was large, but still had a lot of puppy in him.  The artist took out his cell phone, and after several attempts to calm the puppy down, he took a photo and started sketching!  It was great.  Without color, the dog kind of looked like one of the 101 Dalmatians, without spots.  However, once he was colored in, he looked like a cartoon version of the chocolate lab with golden eyes, that he appeared to be. 

 

After finishing the full color of the dog, he moved to each of individual owners, the first person female, the second person, male.  I don't know what their relationship was to each other, but my guess was boyfriend and girlfriend.  However, they could have been engaged or married for all I know.  The picture turned out great, some surrounding people took photos while the picture was in process.  I chose not to.  I wanted to respect the artist's work, as well as the subject's privacy.  You will just have to believe me, that it was pretty neat.  I have never watched a caricature artist do a piece that was front-on in color before.  There were several artists that appeared to be with the same company, dispersed throughout Seattle Center.

 

The Bite of Seattle continues to be a tradition with me and usually my dad.  Sometimes we go with other family members, sometimes I have gone with friends (when my dad is unavailable), and sometimes I have even gone alone.  We look forward to it every year.  The reason we go is because there is a great section called "The Alley."  There are 7 decent sized "bites" of gourmet food for $10.  Add $1 for soda or water, or add a little more for the alcohol section.  A share of all proceeds go to Food Lifeline.

 

Sunday at "The Alley"

 

 

Pictured above, clockwise:  Raw Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bite (Chaco Canyon),  Panang Curry with Chicken (Racha Noodles & Thai), Spicy Tahitian Pizza (Shambala Bakery), Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms (Gnocchi Bar), Grilled Niman Ranch Beef with Washington Blueberry Mint mojo (Miller's Guild), Mini Shaved Tenderloin Sandwich with Gorgonzola Truffle Butter & Balsamic Red Onions (The Capital Grille), and Mexican Caprese (Eat at Mexico).

  

Saturday at "The Alley"

 

 

Pictured above, clockwise:  Salmon Rifette, Toasted Brioche, Local Radish, Lavender Vinaigrette (Salty's), Vegetable and Pork Wonton with Spicy Sauce (Din Tai Fung), Raw Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bite (Chaco Canyon),  Mexican Caprese (Eat at Mexico), Wood Roasted Turkey, Charred Brocolli, Pickled Onion, Smoked Cotija Dressing, Corn Nuts (Catina Lena), Mini Fried Chicken Waffles (Skillet Dinner), and Grilled Niman Ranch Beef with Washington Blueberry Mint mojo (Miller's Guild).

 

 

My dad and I went to The Bite on Saturday and Sunday.  We really wanted to go on Friday this year as well, however with a fire closing down I-90, and work reasons, we were both unable to make that day.  It is too bad, because some of the food looked especially good. 

 

The temperatures were in the low to mid-nineties Fahrenheit, and for Seattleites, that is pretty hot!  We spent about 5 scorching hours at the Bite on Saturday, but we only stayed for a few minutes and ate what was on our plate on Sunday.

 

Saturday I really enjoyed the items on my plate.  Sunday had some of the same items, with a few changes.  I will review each item, starting with Sunday's plate in the top photo, and then add the Saturday items from the bottom photo in.

 

 

Raw Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bite by Chaco Canyon:  The first day, this was one of 3 of my favorites from Saturday's dish.  I loved the colors, a dark pink, green, and brownish crust in layers.  The first day, I could really taste the strawberry very well.  I could not place the basil flavor, until I looked on the flyer to see what it was.  Saturday it held up well under the heat.  It may have been just taken out of a cooler.  Sunday, there was just a thin layer of strawberry flavor, the heat was getting to the cheesecake a little, but it still tasted really good.  Great crust, too.  It was a nice break from the cupcakes (that were also yummy) that have been featured at "The Alley" for the past several years now.  One of my favorite things on my plate.

 

 

Panang Curry with Chicken by Racha Noodles & Thai:  My dad and I loved this dish.  It reminded me much of Red Chicken Curry that I often order from another restaurant.  It was spicy and delicious, it had a great sauce that went well with the rice.  One of my dad's favorite things on his plate.

 

 

Spicy Tahitian Pizza by  Shambala Bakery:  I must have been really hungry on Sunday, because I didn't set up my photo well enough to get a decent shot of the photo of the pizza presented here.  The pizza looked beautiful.  However, my dad and I were both a little disappointed in the taste.  We expected it to be spicy (because of what it is called), which it wasn't at all.  It also was extremely subtle in flavor, which was also a disappointing surprise.  My guess is that the ingredients were not as fresh as they could be.  These ingredients tend to loose flavor over a certain amount of time.  I could not really taste the pizza.  The texture was nice, though.

 

 

Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms by Gnocchi Bar:  It was hard to tell what this was until reading the description.  The potatoes were small (which was okay), a little mushy (which I didn't mind), it had a nice sauce, but the overall dish did not have much flavor.  Also, I could not taste any mushrooms in mine, or they did not have them in my serving.  My dad did not taste them, either.

 

 

On the left, Saturday - good enough, not great.  On the right, Sunday - First piece, downright awful.



 

Grilled Niman Ranch Beef with Washington Blueberry Mint mojo by Miller's Guild:  This dish was all right the first day for me on Saturday, a little tough to cut, and extremely tough to cut, and impossible to chew for my dad. It did not have much flavor.  It didn't seem to be marinated or anything.  The Blueberry Mint mojo had no hint of the flavor mint, and did not appear to have any in it.  My dad doesn't like mint, and he couldn't taste it either.  I would have liked to.  He really did not like this dish on Saturday.  He said before he tried this dish, he was thinking that Miller's Guild might be a good place to eat out.  After this dish, he decided that he would not ever want to go there.

 

I thought maybe he just got unlucky and got a bad piece. I was sure that Sunday would be much better and change his mind.  However, I wound up getting a piece that was barely cooked (which normally would be fine), and extremely grisly and tough.  I tried chewing on it for a long while, but I wound up spitting it out!  It was absolutely awful!  I felt like I was eating a raw, tough beef sushi.  If it chewed easily, it probably would have been fine.  The other two pieces were cooked a little more.  They were alright.  However, that experience made me decide my dad was right to begin with.  There have been similar entrees to this one at "The Alley" in the past that were so much better.  It was by far the worst thing on my plate.

 

 

Mini Shaved Tenderloin Sandwich with Gorgonzola Truffle Butter & Balsamic Red Onions by The Capital Grille:  From the worst to the best thing on my plate on Sunday's dish!  Just reading the description, you can probably tell how great this little sandwich was!  It kind of reminded me of the "Burger of the Gods" from Lunchbox Laboratory, which is an amazing burger.  They both have similar ingredients, but are not exactly the same.  Very impressive, nonetheless.  One of my favorites!

 

 

Mexican Caprese by Eat at Mexico:  This was my dad's favorite dish, and another one of mine.  It had subtle flavors, but in a nice way.  Described as  "Roma Tomato, Avocado Mousse, Queso Fresco, Blood Orange Balsamic Reduction."  I could not tell what the Queso Fresco was.  Saturday, my guess was that it was tofu, done right.  Sunday, the texture reminded me of cheese, which it turned out to be.  My tomato on Sunday was smaller, but had a fresher, more vibrant flavor.  Both days were superb, though.  A perfect presentation, as well.

 

 

 

Salmon Rifette, Toasted Brioche, Local Radish, Lavender Vinaigrette by Salty's:  This item had nice flavors and nice textures.  I usually like a salmon spread anyway.  My dad thought it was better than most salmon spreads that he has had in the past. 

 

 

Vegetable and Pork Wonton with Spicy Sauce by Din Tai Fung:  This wonton was good, but did not stand out from other wontons presented at "The Alley" in the past. 

 

 

Wood Roasted Turkey, Charred Brocolli, Pickled Onion, Smoked Cotija Dressing, Corn Nuts by Catina Lena: While going through the line, to get this dish, the turkey was first set down, very nicely.  You walked a little farther down the table and someone dumped the rest of the stuff on top!  At first, I thought it was a mistake, and they covered up someone else's dish.  Then, I read in the flyer that that is how it is put together.  The flavors all went well together.  The turkey had a nice crust.  I thought one of the corn nuts was a broken tooth in my mouth at first, but they really made the dish exciting and interesting.  I would definitely try this again.

 

Mini Fried Chicken Waffles by Skillet Dinner:  It has been days now after the bite, and I am still thinking about this great entrée.  It is hard to tell from the photo, but I thought it was presented beautifully.  The waffle is the size of a Ritz cracker.  In fact, until I tasted it, and looked up what it was, I thought it was on a cracker of some sort.  The bottom had a small cornmeal waffle, covered with summer slaw,  a perfectly fried crusted chick thigh, and had a black pepper honey drizzle.  Having all three layers together was a very great combination of taste and textures.  My dad thought it was okay, but I really loved this one.  This was my favorite.

So there you have it!  The Bite this year did not seem to be as crowded.  I suppose with the extreme temperatures, people decided to hit the beach instead!  I certainly don't blame them. 

While we were watching Kellee Bradley sing on Saturday, I was enjoying her voice, but dying to get some shade.  Listening to her and her band play was worth it, though.

Also playing at The Bite near "The Alley" on Sunday, was Michael Powers, who played with a nice, jazzy sound.  It was a great to listen to while enjoying our dinner.

Starting Friday, and going through Sunday, The Bellevue Festival of the Arts is coming!  Luckily, the temperatures will not be as hot.  There will be a little drizzling throughout the day, it looks like, so come prepared!  Maybe I will see you there.

The Bite of Seattle 2015

Pictured above, clockwise:  Salmon Rifette, Toasted Brioche, Local Radish, Lavender Vinaigrette (Salty's), Vegetable and Pork Wonton with Spicy Sauce (Din Tai Fung), Raw Strawberry Basil Cheesecake Bite (Chaco Canyon),  Mexican Caprese (Eat at Mexico), Wood Roasted Turkey, Charred Brocolli, Pickled Onion, Smoked Cotija Dressing, Corn Nuts (Catina Lena), Mini Fried Chicken Waffles (Skillet Dinner), Grilled Niman Ranch Beef with Washington Blueberry Mint mojo (Miller's Guild). - for full review, click here .

It's that time of year when The Bite of Seattle, an event I look forward to annually, rolls into town.  This year has been a hot one in the Northwest, with temperatures in the 90s yesterday, which will continue on to today.

This is Kellee Bradley, my dad and I were walking around The Bite, when I heard her beautiful voice.  I decided I wanted to hear more, so we sat on the ground, and listened to the rest of the set.  They were really good.

This was part of a cool playground set up around the Seattle Center.   It was very artsy and imaginative, with cranks on some items to move and make sounds.  It looked really fun.  It made me wish I was a kid again!

There is still one more day of the Bite!  If you get the chance, you should definitely go! 

Perhaps I Am No Longer a Brown Thumb?

It has been a little over a year now, and I am proud to say that I have kept this plant alive for over a year now!  In the past, I have had trouble with plants.  When I was young I accidentally killed a beautiful little cactus garden by under-watering it.  One by one, each cactus died off.  Another plant died due to me playing with a punching ball too close to it.

As an adult, I have had plants die due to bugs, improper sunlight, etc.  Vacation times also caused problems.  This plant survived that.

I started 3 separate plants from seed (some gifts I got for Easter a year before).  One was a Snapdragon, a favorite flower of mine, one was a Marigold which is also very nice, and then the last one, Impatiens.

They all started pretty well, which was exciting for me.  I looked forward to seeing them change from day to day.  I was worried about a three-day weekend coming up, but somehow, I tried some things, and the plants survived!  They were on the verge of dying, but I revived them, soon enough.

All three plants did very well, for quite some time.  The Snapdragon became challenging, as it grew taller.  I also noticed it wasn't thickening in its stems, and that made it difficult.

The Marigold was doing well, it even looked like it would start to flower, showing the tiniest bit of gold starting to bloom, but even that one bud did not fully bloom.

The Impatiens grew hardy and fast.  I had no real trouble with them.  They soon all became too big for their pots, and I wound up transferring them to new pots, (twice!) in a short time that they grew.  That was a new experience for me.  I had never repotted plants before, and I was sure they were going to die soon after, but they didn't!

I bought some water globes, to help me with my watering.  I followed the directions exactly.  That was a mistake.  Not the water globes themselves, but following the directions exactly, when I should have followed my intuition.

The directions said to fill the globe with water, every time it emptied.  Two of the three globes emptied quite quickly, but I figured the instructions knew best.  What I didn't know, was that I was over watering my plants!

It didn't take long for me to figure that out, however.  I still used the globes, but also estimated when the plants needed to be watered.  I also realize that the Snapdragon and Marigold should have gone outside, but my balcony doesn't get much sun.  Also, I was enjoying them so much indoors!

The Marigold, to my surprise died first.  I was very sad, because it was the only one that showed any hint of blooming.  I am still unsure as to why - but my guess is that it either needed repotting, yet again, or perhaps it was root rot .  Either way, I felt discouraged.

The Snapdragon was next to go, which also made me sad, but was also a relief, because I struggled with its straggly stems.

The Impatiens stayed strong, but they never bloomed.  So, I was disappointed.

I did some research online.  I found out that Marigolds don't really live that long, and Snapdragons are often a big challenge.  Maybe I am not doing so bad after all.

By my Impatiens first birthday, I read that it is good to prune them.  I was worried about this, due to my history with plants, but knew it had to be done.  I found a video on YouTube on how to do it.  The Impatiens in the video were growing outside, and a older man used a chainsaw, and whacked them all away!  

"What are you doing?!!!!"  I thought.  It was unfathomable that he just beheaded several colorful blooms!  After the hacking, he said:

"Don't worry, they will grow back, they always do.  I am allergic to them, so I have to get rid of them."

"Oh,"  I thought.  I guess it isn't a joke.  He also seemed serious.  I once looked up a different video on how to change a license plate (because my car's plates are attached differently from other cars I have had) and the guy in the video totally ruined his car.  By the end of the video, I realized it was a very stupid joke.  I was not amused by that guy, but I trusted Chainsaw guy.

So, I pruned my Impatiens.  First, a little.  Then a little more.  I then was just trying to bend a stem to see how the rest of the plant was doing, when I heard a "crack" sound.

"Omigosh, what did I do?!!!!"  I was panicked.  Was it the punching bag experience again?  I accidentally broke off another one after that, too!  Ugh!

I put the  prunings in a vase.  It has been a few weeks now, and you know what?  They are growing roots in the water!  I should replant them, and see how they do.

My potted Impatiens have new sprouts forming, and I am giving them more shade, because I read that they like shade.  Also, they are more likely to bloom if they grow slower.  So, we shall see what happens.

The Real Forks, Washington

Last Summer, my friend Danita, came for a visit from Las Vegas.  We only had one full day to spend with each other, so I asked her what she wanted to do.  To my surprise, she said she wanted to visit Forks.  

Some of you may have heard of a book and/or movie called "Twilight."  It was made into a series of books, and then a series of movies.  I read them, I liked them okay, but I would not necessarily call myself "a fan."

My friend Danita, obviously is.  Especially since she wanted to see Forks long after the book series and movie series was over.  She said she could go with this other friend of hers, but since we had limited time to spend together, and I don't mind seeing new things, I decided to take her.

Before our trip, I did some research.  She wanted to go to Forks before all the fan related stuff was gone, which she said has been happening recently.  I found a place online that gave out maps for the "Twilight Tour."  What I didn't know was that absolutely no scene from the movie was actually filmed in Forks!  I knew that some of the scenes weren't, but all of them?  I wondered if my friend knew.  I decided to tell her, because I didn't want her to be disappointed when we got there.  She must not have minded, because we wound up going anyway.

I recently decided to watch the movie because I swore I saw the photo above in one of the movies.  It wasn't in the first movie, that is certain.  I also noticed that Edward Cullen's car had an Oregon license plate!  Couldn't they at least have a Washington license plate on the car?  Am I being too picky?

The town is small.  Which I expected.  It actually did not take long to get to each tourist attraction on the map.

This is "Bella's house."

This is Forks High School.

This is the place where Bella and Michael worked.

This is City Hall.

This is just some scenery around city hall and the "Cullen's house."

This is the "Cullen's house."  Actually, it is a bed and breakfast.  I looks pretty nice.

They even have a mailbox that says, "Cullen."

The Community Health Center, where Dr. Cullen works.

He even has a reserved parking spot!

The vampire threat seemed pretty high, despite how sunny it was outside.  This was taken at a place to eat on the "Treaty Line."  They had very good hamburgers there.  They even had a little area set up for fans to sit in.

Even though it took only a few minutes to get to each attraction around Forks, it took forever to drive out to La Push!  It was worth it, though.  It was my favorite part of the trip!  The beach was beautiful!  My photos don't do it justice.  Also, the sand was not black like most beaches I have been to in Washington, it was actually the color of sand!  I didn't know we had sand-colored beaches in Washington till then.

We came across some sand art while we were there.  Below, a volcano:

a starfish:

part of an octopus head (the whole thing was impressive, though): 

An alligator:

a crab:

and last, but not least, SpongeBob SquarePants!

It was getting late, and earlier I had suggested we should go see "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" which was playing for free at the Mural in Seattle Center.  We thought we had plenty of time to get there.  We wound up not taking the ferry (which was a mistake), and wound up on some back-roads on the way home.  If I had known my GPS was going to take me a totally different direction going home, I would have stopped to get gas first.  I was beginning to wonder if my car would even make it to a gas station as far into the woods as my GPS took us.  Eventually we did make it to a gas station, and a much needed facility.  We grabbed some snacks, and went home.

Overall, we had a great time!  It was nice to spend time with my friend, see something new, and embrace nature.

So, if you are looking for a place to take a day-trip this summer, I would definitely recommend La Push.  However, make sure you have gas before you leave the area.  You may want to ride the ferry on the way back, too.