Bellevue Arts Fair 2015 & 2016

Many of you may have thought I did not go to last year's Bellevue Arts Fair, but I did.  It was fun, too.  I did not wind up buying anything, though.  Last year, there was a little bit of rain.  Everyone took cover for awhile.  This year it was scorching hot, for around here, anyway.

Last year, they had a cool sign representing the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM).  This was shot from the back.

This year, I think I saw the same letters out, and also some things that looked like Willa-Wonka Gobstoppers.  I thought they were kind of cool.  I saw someone else's photo, taken at night, and they looked even better.

Last year, there was a fun playhouse made for children by Chris Axling.  It was really creative.  To see more of this playhouse, and the artist's work, click here.

Every year, they have chalk for kids (and adults) to draw on the brick sidewalk.

They seemed to have more color options last year, than they did this year.  I did this last year.  I was influenced by Luna, from Sailor Moon and Calvin and Hobbes, which I was watching/reading at the time.

They had an area to weave some various colors of yarn/fabric into a collaborative piece last year.  I did mine after this photo.  They had some different activities for kids this year.  I didn't really pay attention, though.

After several hours of walking around, I found a beautiful coaster I just had to have.  I have been needing some coasters, and this fit purr-fectly with the rest of my cat related items on my lamp table.  The artist is Mary Gibbs, and this coaster piece is called, "Izzy In the Sun," named after her personal cat, which she painted in watercolor.  I just love it.  See more of her artwork here.

There were so many great artist's work to see both years, it was just so awesome.  Over 300 artists to look at.  It makes a long day.  The Bellevue Art Museum is free to the public during the fair.  This year, it had some amazing fashion Celebrating 50 Years of the Ebony Fashion Show.  I would have loved to taken some photos, but photos were not permitted (even though I saw some people taking some anyway).  Out of respect for the artists and their artwork, I do not take photos unless permitted.  You can view some of the garments here, but they are even better in person.

Some other artist's work that stood out this year were:

Doug Brannan - Doug's Refried Robots Fun, quirky robots, made from recycled material.

Amy Flynn - Fobots Also, some really fun, quirky robots, made from found objects.

Doug Roy - Paper Carvings Fascinating, eccentrically detailed work.

Desarae Lee She has a really nice cross-hatching style.

Hayley Nolte and Scot Ray - Folk Art - Recycled metal made into mirror frames.

Kate Beck - Wearable Art, very beautiful.

Richard McCullum - White Forest Spoons Very unique, wooden utensils that are also useful!

There were many other great works, but way too many to name.  You just have to go and check for yourself.

The BAM Arts Fair and Bellevue Festival of the Arts runs July 29-31 2016, so if you missed it, you still have till tomorrow at 6PM.  They also have food booths and bands that play live music.  There is much to see, so go early, if you can.  Have fun!

My Week In Canada

It has been several years since I went up to visit Canada, but a couple of weeks ago, my parents and I drove up to visit my Aunt.

When I was a kid, we would take a long drive almost every year to Canada for vacation time, to visit some of my extended family members.   It was not an overly exciting place as a kid to visit, but there were a few things I liked.  I have a better appreciation now for the natural beauty, among other things.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, our trip turn out to be about 4 hours longer than it should have.  Because of this, we wound up staying a brief night in Cranbrook, Canada, called The Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort.  It was so late, only the restaurant bar was open for food.  I ordered some wings covered with Birds and Bees sauce (which was salted honey).   I would describe them as "wings with honey and fairy dust."  They were that good.  The celery was okay.

We had planned to be at my aunt's place the day we left.  It didn't happen that way.  In order to see one of my cousins, we got up super early, and were on our way...

This area (below) is known as Frank's Slide, due to a devastating disaster in 1903, that buried a town, in Frank, Alberta.  I was told (decades ago) that one little girl was the only sole survivor.  It was chilling to drive through that area every time.  Being a little girl, back when I heard the story, made me wonder what it was like to be the only survivor of something so horrible.  After doing some research, I have come to find today, that there were more survivors than just one.  Still devastating, though.  For years, only the rock remained of the tragic slide, covering each side of the highway.  Over time, trees are now forming on some of the rubble, and the Earth is starting to heal.

Right after Frank's Slide, a cute little church stands.  It's surroundings has changed throughout the years, and it has had a few renovations, but it is basically the same place I remember as a kid.

Also along the way, is the world's largest truck:

There are many sign warnings for moose, but we didn't see any this trip.

We did see a whole bunch of deer, however.  That was fun.

Here are a few photos from a small museum in Claresholm, Alberta.

One photo I was hoping to get a better picture of, didn't quite compare to the one I took several years ago, when cameras still used film.  This was Lethbridge then:

This is Lethbridge, now.  My photo is more clear, and true to color, but the flowers are more sparse, and the setup is less fancy.

Another area of the garden, then:

...and now (the other side).

It is still nice to see, but not as grand as it once was.

Even though we stayed in Canada for about a week, the visit seemed brief.  I enjoyed my time there, and enjoyed seeing old sights.  It is good to be home now.

( Last four photos are back in the states, in or near Bonners Ferry, Idaho).

To read about this year's Bite of Seattle click here.

An Amazing Bite with Pokemon, and a Long Drive to Canada

I wasn't certain I would make it to this year's The Bite of Seattle 2016, even though I planned to go every single day of it when I scheduled for my vacation last month.  At the last minute, plans changed, and my family and I took a long drive to Alberta, Canada.  I will post some photos of that trip later.  I can tell you are anxious to see my photos and review from this year's Bite.

Much has changed over the years since I first went to The Bite of Seattle.  One thing I noticed this year, more than ever, was the number of selfies being taken around this area (between the EMP and the Space Needle).  "Selfies" was not even a word back then, even though we still would try to hold the camera far away enough, hoping we would be in focus and centered when we turned the camera on ourselves.  It didn't happen as often, due to the limitations of film.

Another thing that changed, was the location of The Alley, which is the main reason I attend every year, almost always with my dad, as he is a big fan of The Alley, too.  It is sort of a tradition of ours.  The new location of The Alley was on the Fisher Rooftop this year.  I think it may have provided more seating, and was more centrally located, so passersby could easily stumble across it.

The Alley did not seem to have a host this year, and I think that was a good change.  I felt The Alley offered more variety in restaurants this year.  They also did away with the wine pairings, charged $2 more, which gave you a water.  So $12 gives you six different bites, that fill your plate, plus, you get a water.  Still a great deal.  Food Lifeline is in the process of doubling their operation with a new Hunger Solution Center, and claims it will be able to feed 800,000 hungry people in Western Washington!  It's a great cause.

The menu for this year's Alley looked particularly good.  I really wanted to go on Friday, but I also felt I needed to spend just a little more time in Canada, so my priorities changed.  I was exhausted when I got home on Saturday, but determined to have some tasty food, and to support a good cause.

Saturday's Alley was so amazing, seriously good.

Clockwise, from the top left:  Vegetable & Pork Wontons w/ Spicy Sauce (Din Tai Fung Restaurant), Seafood Ceviche (Salty's on Alki), Traditional Dish of New Orleans:  Pork, Duck & Rice, breaded and deep fried, served with a spicy and sweet red pepper jelly (Sazerac), Thai Salad featuring shredded papaya, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, fresh chilies, lime juice, dried shrimp and crushed peanuts (Noi Thai), Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates wrapped with Bacon and Fig Balsamic (Levitate Gastopub), and Husky Wilbur:  Root beer braised pulled Duroc Pork, Crispy Fried Red Onions & Spicy Mustard Aioli on Potato Roll (Skillet Diner).

After trying each bite from Saturday's Alley menu, I thought to myself, "How am I going to review this?  Everything tastes so great, and has great texture and flavor!  I cannot decide!"

First up: the wontons from Din Tai Fung Restaurant.  I have had wontons at previous Alleys.  They have always been good, and this one was no exception.  It had a nice, mild flavor.

I was surprised by the Seafood Ceviche from Salty's.  I have had similar dishes in the Alley, from Salty's, that I did not like the texture of, because of the presence of squid.  Even though the ingredients were not listed for this bite, I believe it may have had some squid in it.  It had chewy textures, with a slightly spicy salsa.  I really liked the textures and flavors, so bravo, Salty's, you did a nice job with this one.

The Traditional New Orleans Dish from Sazerac.  I really loved the textures of this bite!  It was a texture like shredded meat, and along with the other flavors, and the sweet, red pepper jelly... I found it very tasty.

The Thai Salad from Noi Thai.  Tasters were given a choice of spicy or non-spicy.  I like spicy foods, so that it what I chose.  It had a nice flavor.  Crisper than sauerkraut, almost like a coleslaw, but if I remember right, it had a vinegary flavor.  It was very good.

The Goat Cheese Stuffed Date from Levitate Gastropub.  Okay.  I have to say this, I am sorry, when I first saw this I thought it was probably a small sausage wrapped in bacon with something that resembled icing on top, but it looked more what looks like a cat would put in a litter box at the end of the day.  I was sure however, that it was going to be delicious anyway, despite it's strange presentation.  It was delicious.  Not what I expected, quite (after all, I thought it was sausage, I didn't study the menu closely beforehand).  It had a nice, sweet flavor.  Very unique.  It was so good, that it was tough competition with the rest of the bites for that day.

The Husky Wilbur from Skillet Diner.  What a memorable name!  Husky Wilbur.  I really like the little sandwiches they have had at the Alley the past few years.  As I was reading the ingredients for this sandwich, I was thinking, "No wonder I liked this so much!"  It had a nice crunchiness, from the crispy fried onions, and a great tasting sauce.  Yum!

One thing I noticed about the booths this year, is that two were decorated especially nice.  The awards for best booth display, go to Noi Thai:

and Din Tai Fung Restaraunt (which also gave out cute, red pens).  You know how I love red.

So fun!  Such cute and beautiful displays.  It was nice to have a pen, too.  I can always use good pens.  Noi Thai passed out fans the next day, which was very smart, since it was very hot that day.

On our way to The Alley on Sunday, we saw what appeared to be a statue.  Of course, I knew better.  I may or may have not been acquainted once with the person wearing this costume.  It is difficult to tell, with the make-up and all.  He did a great job standing still.  Making slight, mechanical movements, now and then.  All the kids standing around thought he was great, and many adults were intrigued.

Clockwise, from top left:  Sausage link sample (Uli's Famous Sausage, Prepared by Chef Tobie Robinson), Moist, handcrafted carrot muffin, French Toast Bagel with a "nutty cream cheese" (Blazing Bagels), Fried Banana (Noi Thai), Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookie:  A Tom Douglas Favorite (Tom Douglas' Dahlia Bakery).

Sunday's Alley featured a "Sunday Brunch."  This was a nice breakfast.  I think it mainly catered to the less ambitious eaters, which is fine.  Nothing seemed like it could be overly fancy or strange for a regular eater.  I also noticed at the ticket counter, they had a bit of allergy information, such as what had nuts or other concerns in them.  That is a nice improvement for those concerned.

This day's plate, I had a clear favorite.  The French Toast Bagel, from Blazing Bagels.  It just really stood out for me, was so incredibly delicious and flavorful.  This booth had a choice of 4 different bites of bagel to choose from, and the decision was so difficult, but I chose what must have been the absolute best one!  I heard my dad choosing the French Toast Bagel.  I thought of trying something different, so we could try each others, but it just sounded good, right after he said it.  There was also a choice of different cream cheeses.  All were labeled, but one.  I was trying to decide what would go good with the French Toast selection, when the server made a suggestion of the one with no label, he said it had a "nutty flavor."  I knew that was the one I wanted to try, as soon as he said that.  I was very impressed.  I have already looked this place up on the internet, and plan on making a future visit, to have a whole bagel with cream cheese.  They have sandwiches and other things, too.

The Fried Banana from Noi Thai was delicious too, and unique.  

Everything else was good.  I had some trouble with cutting the sausage from Uli's Famous Sausage with plastic-ware, however.  Also, I have had better Biscuits and Gravy before (a breakfast favorite of mine), with a flakier biscuit at another restaurant I have mentioned, in another blog.  I did notice, though, that the one from Honest Biscuit advertised local and organic, so there is that selling point, if you like that sort of thing.

The Bite of Seattle this year had a great turn-out.  Walking around on Saturday my dad said to me, "It seems better this year."  I agreed.  It seemed like there were more food booths, it was better attended, people were dancing around, listening to the various bands playing, I overheard someone saying, "We should just walk around, finding 'Pokemans.'"  Yes.  He did say "Pokemans."  It made me chuckle to myself.  That Pokemon Go!  game is definitely popular right now.  Speaking of, guess who I saw posing with fans in the Seattle Center Armory?  That's right!  Pikachu!!!

Mario, from Mario Brothers, also made an appearance waving at fans, taking photos with them:

There were also some awesome things on display, like these Mario Brothers Vans shoes, with the words "Game Over" marked on the bottom...

...and a claw arcade game, filled with Pokemon and Mario Brothers items.  I saw someone successfully grab that Jigglypuff on the top right-hand corner.  It was exciting to watch.

The entertainment was especially good on Saturday.  I heard one band from a distance, covering a Bon Jovi song.  I thought they sounded so good, I had to find out who they were:

Once I saw the pink scarf, wrapped around the microphone, in Aerosmith fashion, the long, platinum hair, and the tiger spandex, I knew I had seen this band before.  It is Platinum Spandex!  I saw them a few years ago at the Bite.  They were very entertaining, and sound amazing.

A woman came up to me and asked me, "Are these guys famous or something?"  It was kind of funny.  I suppose in Seattle, they might be  a little, but I am sure she meant "World Famous."  I said, "No, they are just popular, and sing a bunch of cover songs."  She asked me their name, and I told her.  I think she had a hard time hearing me right, so I showed her their name in the program.  She photographed the program, so she could remember.  There were lots of people in the audience for this group.  Some were recording them with their phones, others were dancing.  They are a good cover band.

Two other mentoins:  Sonic Funk Orchestra "A disco funk experience," and Satoria "Funk, hip-hop, R&B, Soul."  The first one was fun sounding, the second one had a singer with an amazing voice.

We didn't stay long enough to hear what may have been some great bands on Sunday.

There were some other fun things at The Bite of Seattle, like a mini carnival, advertising Nathan's Famous, known for hot dogs, and hot dog eating contests.  There were free samples, a carousel for small children, a variety of games, which you could win various prizes, and a Zoltar machine!  Remember the movie "Big?"  Anyway, it gave a fortune with a coupon.  

As we wrapped up our time, looking around, I saw these amazing flowers.  I thought at first they were done by Dale Chihuly, since he has a museum in the Seattle Center, but on closer inspection, they were real!

Overall, I felt the Bite was a big success, and a ton of fun.  I came home after it all, and had a nice, long rest.

To see my blog and photos from Canada click here.