The Bite of Seattle 2014 Brings us Back to the Future and Other Great Things

The Alley - Day 1, Friday, July 18 (clockwise from bottom):  Niman Ranch beef brisket with Washington blueberry corn mojo (Miller's Guild), Massaman curry with chicken (Racha Noodle & Thai Cuisine), Honey barbecue pork buns (O'Asian Kitchen & Lounge), Chickpea salad (Purple Café), Creamsicle cupcake (Pinkabella Cupcakes),  Spinach Lamb with ghee rice (hormone-free, grass-fed lamb), and Harissa quinoa with mint mint and cilantro.

If you read my blog during the month of July, you already know I enjoy going to The Bite of Seattle every year.  This year, there were many fun events at The Bite I enjoyed, along with my traditional stop to The Alley, which was hosted by Jason Wilson this year.  Wilson was named best chef in the Northwest in 2010 by the James Beard Foundation, a national non-profit organization based in New York City.

I wasn't sure what to expect from "The Alley" this year, since it is no longer hosted by Tom Douglas, but it seemed to make a smooth transition.  The menu changed up a little day to day, which is what has happened in the past few years, along with some classic favorites.

Friday was excellent weather.  It was really sunny out, maybe even a little too sunny?  However, it made it a nice environment to eat and watch all the other goings on outside.  There was not a very long line to The Alley, which was nice, since my dad (who came over just for this specific event), and I were running a little later than we wanted to get there.  We made it a little less than an hour before The Alley part closed, and we were able to get food.  Here is my review for the first day, for more details, see photo above:

Niman Ranch beef brisket with Washington blueberry corn mojo:  This must be a popular favorite, because I have had this at previous Bites, and enjoyed it immensely.  It is also fun to watch them cook it over a fiery grill, just before being served on your plate.  The meat is an excellent flavor, and mojo is excellent to.  It compliments the meat very well.

Massaman curry with chicken:  I often order a red curry dish when I go out for Thai food, because it is one of my favorites.  This was very similar to dishes I have ordered in the past.  It had a nice flavor.

Honey barbecue pork buns:  My dad looked at this and thought it was a dessert.  When he asked me, I told him that even though it had a pastry wrapped around it, it had pork inside.  It did have a sweet taste due to the honey barbecue sauce, so maybe, in a way, it was dessert!  Small, but very tasty.  I believe I have had this at a previous Bite.

Chickpea salad:  Even though I liked this, the flavor was subtle, even to the point of being a bit bland.  I told my dad this, and he agreed. Of course, chickpeas themselves are kind of bland.

Creamsicle cupcake:  Great flavor for summer without melting all over you!  I love creamsicles, and this little cupcake did not disappoint!

 Spinach Lamb with ghee rice:  Probably my favorite dish of the foods I hadn't tried yet.  A very nice flavor, like some Indian food I have had in the past.

Harissa quinoa with mint mint and cilantro:  Like the chickpea salad, I liked this dish.  It had a subtle flavor, but it too, was a bit bland.  It had a nice texture, however.  At first, my dad did not care for it, but the more he had of it, the better he liked it.  I would have it again.

After we ate, we were thoroughly full.  I saw things outside The Alley I would have loved to try, but there was no way I could have eaten them.  I still looked this year for the Deep Fried Pepsi Float, but did not find one booth that had that.  It must have not been very popular.  There was a place that had deep fried PB&J's (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches- in case you did not know), but that did not sound appetizing at all.

There were many other fun events at The Bite of Seattle this year:

There was a great exhibit about Texas where you could get a "passport" which is just a little pamphlet advertising some of what Texas has to offer, there was a little quiz on the state, a few games featuring some of the states music, attractions, and beaches.  A photo to be taken with a Texas backdrop of your choosing. There was even a possibility to win a free trip to the area as well.  I thought I knew nothing about Texas.  I got a few questions right, however.  I guess most people don't do as well, or so I was told.  It was fun.

The Geico Gecko made an appearance.  So, the radio said that the REAL Geico Gecko would be at The Bite this year.  I figured maybe it would be a live gecko that they used along with computer animation, or a person in a suit.  This was neither.  Did I miss something?  This is cool, too though.  He is bigger than I expected.  It even looks like he is holding the Geico Pig in his hand!  The people he acts with must be giants!

An over-sized Pokeball was inside the Seattle Canter, part of a display for a Wii tournament that was going on.  Again, Pikachu and Ash must be enormous!

They showed the movie, "Back to the Future" for free in the park by the mural.  I was hoping it would be ON the mural, perhaps covering it with a sheet first or something.  My dad said, "That would be impressive."

I said, "Maybe they should think of doing that in the future" (Pun not exactly intended).

Glow sticks were passed around to everyone watching the movie, but the guy passed my dad and I!  Hey!  Why didn't we get one?  Some people got up to get theirs, but he was too far away before I realized what was going on.

A very awesome replica of the "Back to the Future" DeLorean was there on display.  It even had the Flux Capacitor!  This was truly impressive to see.  It also had steam come out the back every once in awhile.  Apparently it can be rented for parties and events such as this.

The Alley - Day 2, Saturday, July 19 (clockwise from bottom):  Honey barbecue pork buns (O'Asian Kitchen & Lounge), Creamsicle cupcake (Pinkabella Cupcakes), Fried chicken sammy with garnish (Skillet Diner), Vegetable and pork wonton with spicy sauce (Din Tai Fung), Charred Monterey Bay squid salad with chorizo & green garbanzo beans (Crush), Niman Ranch beef brisket with Washington blueberry corn mojo (Miller's Guild), and Citrus poached white gulf prawn, Demitri's Bloody Mary Mix, pickled local vegetables (Salty's on Alki). 

The second day of The Bite was windy.  We got our food, and I had some challenges trying to photograph it well, and later I had to hold onto things to keep them from blowing over, but there it is.  Three of the seven food items I already have reviewed, so you can go to the top of this blog for reference on those.  Here is my review for the rest of the food items:

Fried chicken sammy with garnish:  I really liked this little sandwich.  It was really tasty.  The flavors seemed subtle, but not bland.  My dad thought it had a little heat to it.  I had just eaten the wonton before it, which was spicy, so I did not really notice that the sandwich was spicy.  It was served on a deliciously flaky bun (my dad did not notice the texture), but it was one of my favorites.  I would definitely like to have another one sometime.

Vegetable and pork wonton with spicy sauce:  My server told me this was the "best wonton," and I believe him.  It was very flavorful.  Quite spicy, but not too spicy.

Charred Monterey Bay squid salad with chorizo & green garbanzo beans:  Apparently this is one of Jason Wilson's dishes.  I didn't like it.  I am starting to think I just don't like squid.  I have tried to like squid, but I just don't.  The texture is very bothersome to me.  I did not really care for the other flavors of the dish, either.  My dad liked this dish, he said the squid was very tender.  It may have been his least favorite of the seven dishes served that day, but he still liked it.  I would think since it says "charred" in the title, that it would have some brown spots or something.  The salad did not seem to have that.  I really don't know much about squid cooking, however.  I don't plan to use that skill in the future.

Citrus poached white gulf prawn, Demitri's Bloody Mary Mix, pickled local vegetables:  This was so good.  Maybe my favorite.  Very nice flavors, properly cooked.  Very tasty.

Before leaving The Bite, we looked around some more, sat around the International Water Fountain, while kids soaked themselves under it's spray.

We were listening to a band from far away called "Bowievision".  I told my dad I thought they were good.  My dad at that point said they were "okay."  I am not sure all the songs they sang were by David Bowie, but after awhile, I realized they were playing several in a row.  My dad noticed, too.  He then decided the band was really good, and told me he thought the singer's voice was better than David Bowie's.  I liked the band, but I disagreed about the singer having a better voice than Bowie.

We decided to leave The Bite after their music set.  Outside the parking garage there was a sign that said that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was open free to the public.  We decided to check it out.  It was very interesting and educational, it also has some fun interactive things.  I did not know it was always free till that day, but you should check it out.  It sits kiddie-corner from the EMP, right next to the parking garage there.

  

My aunt and uncle came into town on today, and wanted to go to The Bite with my dad and I on the last day it was here.  It was sprinkling a little, and a bit colder than the past two days.  We got our food, and luckily found one last table that had an umbrella.

The Alley, Day 3, Sunday, July 20 (clockwise from bottom):  Niman Ranch beef brisket with Washington blueberry corn mojo (Miller's Guild), Chilled cucumber soup with truffle oil (on the side is a bite of marinated salmon, which was not mentioned on the menu) (Triumph Bar), Honey barbecue pork buns (O'Asian Kitchen & Lounge), Coconut chicken with cumin rice (Spice Route), Creamsicle cupcake (Pinkabella Cupcakes), Lamb and goat cheese risotto fritter with sauce tomate (The Repp), and Pork belly mac and cheese with house-made chicharrones (Manhattan).

Niman Ranch beef brisket with Washington blueberry corn mojo:  I know I already reviewed this, but I have got to say we got some nice portions this time around on this particular dish.  The server almost looked like, "Maybe I shouldn't give her this much..." I was telepathically saying, "Yes.  Yes, you should!"  So, he did.  The rest of my family got good sized portions as well.  The mojo seemed to taste more vinegary today.  I did not really notice the vinegar before, but I liked it.

Chilled cucumber soup with truffle oil:  My aunt really liked this, and I did too.  It was different, but in a good way.  She did not like the raw salmon on the side.  I thought it was okay.  I think it is a taste I could acquire.  I dipped some of it in the soup and liked it better.  Maybe that is what we were supposed to do.  I don't know.  There was no instruction to do that.

Coconut chicken with cumin rice:  I really liked this.  Even better than the  Massaman curry with chicken from Friday, which seemed similar.  Really good flavor.  

Pork belly mac and cheese with house-made chicharrones:  The title on this one is confusing.  First it says "pork belly," then it says "chicharrones."  I looked up "chicharrones," and it looks like they are pork bellies.  Am I wrong?  While my family was eating this, they mentioned bacon.  "I didn't get any bacon!"  I said.  I felt ripped-off!  How can you leave out the bacon?  The mac and cheese was a little different than I sometimes expect from mac and cheese.  The cheese was like a Parmesan sprinkled over a pasta that was not macaroni. What I had was really good, but I think it would have enhanced the flavor if it had bacon.  Because of the confusing title, my family thought maybe the bacon was actually chicharrones.  After my research, I think they had bacon that I did not have.

Overall, the Bite was really fun this year.  I liked the added events.  Especially the free movie in the park and that awesome car!  I think my guests enjoyed themselves, too.

Even seagulls love The Bite of Seattle!

A share from all proceeds of "The Alley" go directly to Food Lifeline.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

First of all, I want to congratulate my favorite band of all time, Daryl Hall & John Oates, for finally making it into The Hall of Fame!  It was long overdue and well-deserved.  I have been a fan of the band for the majority of my life now, and am glad both are still continuing to evolve their talents in making great music.

Next, I want to wish my favorite (and only) little niece a Happy Birthday this month, she is turning 1 tomorrow (May 7th)!  I had the pleasure of meeting her in person last month. It was her first visit to the United States!  She is quite the character, with a wide range of faces.  When first meeting people, she usually gives them a scowling stare-down.  Once she feels more at ease, she starts babbling.  Usually it's ma-ma-ma.  She also makes a cute little noise, similar to a ambulance siren while bobbing her head up and down, she usually smiles after that.  She is highly curious.  She is more entertained by two pieces of paper over her toys.  She makes a beeline to try and grab anything that is computer related, including keyboards, Kindles, and cell phones.  When meeting some sweet cats for the first time, she initially seemed timid.  Later, she started crawling after them to pet (or more like tug) their fur.  She often rolls her arms when she first sees animals.  Luckily for the pets, she can only crawl after them.  She is bound to be up and running soon, however, as she constantly pulls herself up to stand.  We had an early birthday party for my niece, and I gave her the sunglasses you see in the photo above.  Doesn't she sort of look like a celebrity, not wanting anyone to take photos of her?

Along with her baby, my sister took her cat back to Japan with her.  I am sure the cat is happy, because it is finally away from our parent's cat.  Our parent's cat seems nice enough, but for some reason he invades the other cat's space, making her terribly grumpy.  You don't usually want to touch my sister's cat when she is in that mood.  When she is happy, she is nice and friendly.  I am really going to miss her being in the States.

How I Met Your Mother Fan by jackie-s-eyeslikeacat featuring Department 56

One of my favorite shows ended this year, and I am fine with it.  I have recently been re-watching the series and appreciate some of the episodes more than when they first aired.  The dad, tells several stories, often not appropriate, to his kids on the relationship he and his group of friends share with with one another. Sometimes, there are twists and turns in the story-line. Ted, is ultimately looking for "the one" who will be the kids mother.

I thought I watched every episode from the very beginning, but I noticed there was one Christmas episode I missed (the one with Lily standing on the bed, with a bat wrapped in tinsel).  There were some episodes I forgot, but really liked, once I remembered, such as the one with the blind date.  There were also favorite moments that I remembered and enjoyed again, like the two minute date, and the time when Ted let Robin throw a drink in his face to impress her friend.  There are other moments as well, but those could be spoilers, so I will just leave it at that.

Personally, I loved the ending of the entire series.  I am glad the writers stuck to their original idea on how it should end.  I know many fans were upset, but one of the things I liked about the show is how many fake-outs it had throughout the series, making it basically saying "anything can happen."  I thought the cast was exceptional as well, including the addition of "the Mother."  The series had some of my favorite guest stars throughout the years, Danica McKeller (from my absolute favorite show ever, "The Wonder Years"), Mandy Moore (who is one of my favorite female vocalists/actresses), and Rachel Bilson (who was in another series I loved, called "The O.C.").

The series had a good run of 9 years, and even though it kept me entertained over the years, I was ready for it to end.  I think the cast was, too.  I will miss the cast, they really seemed to work well together.

One thing that is keeping me entertained now, is one of the books I am reading.  I recently started one of my favorite cartoonists complete collection.  I haven't officially made a review on this book yet, since I am not done with it, but this is what I think so far:

The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952 by Charles M. Schulz
I am really enjoying this book so far. It starts from the very beginning of the comic strip of the Peanuts gang.  I am in awe how well done this strip has always been.  I have never read Schulz's work this far back, but I am enjoying seeing how much the strip and characters have changed over the years.  Charlie Brown's mom actually speaks words in some of the early strips!  You don't see her, but you "hear" her voice!  The birds that Snoopy chases look closer to what normal birds look like.  Snoopy has not met Woodstock yet.  I just read the panel where Schroeder is introduced, and he is a baby!  As I read it, I can definitely see the influence Schulz had on Bill Watterson (who drew the famous Calvin & Hobbes strip).  There are several books for this particular collection, and each one has a real vibrant color, often with a large face of one character.  The covers are very eye-catching.  I am pretty certain my overall rating of this book will be 5 stars.

View all my reviews

My Silver Lining Day

It has been incredibly, blindingly sunny and record-breaking hot lately the past few days in the great Northwest, and so this morning I did not take a coat  work.

I just finally managed to convince my boss that my route car needs the air conditioning fixed.  Lately, it has been like driving all day in an oversized Easy Bake Oven on-wheels.  I really should not be driving with the windows down, due to a severe allergy to bees, either.  A wasp landed on the outside of my windshield yesterday, so I baked to a nice medium-rare to well-done stage, after rolling all the windows up, waiting to get to an area less populated by insects.

After taking my car into the shop, it was discovered that the car has a leak.  So, I wound up borrowing someone else's route car for the day.  My morning run went well.  So well, that I offered to help cover another person's route in addition to my own, due to being a little short on drivers today.

My boss gave me a special delivery that I just barely had time to get to, if I left right away.  Feeling positive I could make all my stops, I rushed out the door to make my deliveries.  As I headed down the interstate, I noticed the car steering wheel shook a little.  I thought, "No big deal, that happened yesterday, and I told my boss about it, and he told me 'the car is old.'"  So, I drove on.

The route car started making a loud noise.

"Stupid car...," I grudgingly thought, "it's old, I am sure it is fine.  I am in a hurry.  I will check it when I get to my next stop."

I took the exit to the next interstate highway.  The noise continued.  I wanted to keep going, but I had a strong feeling that I should pull over just in case.  I quickly made my decision when I looked over to notice an unusually wide shoulder in the area I just happened to be in.  I got out, and sure enough the back tire had gone flat (later to be discovered that it had a medium-sized nail lodged into it).

I called my boss, let him know that the delivery would not make it on time, and then called for road-side assistance that we just got recently.  So recent, that my boss asked me this morning if I had the number for them.

Two very nice young men from the insurance company came and changed my tire to the spare, and I was on my way.

The special delivery wound up a hour late, but fortunately, they understood.

I was able to make all the stops on the route I helped with, but only able to make one of the three stops I had on mine.  I wound up calling the two places instead.  Everything was okay.

As I was leaving work, it started to rain.  "Great... the day I didn't bring a coat!"  I mused.  That is when I remembered I stuck an umbrella (I never usually carry) in my purse, and proceeded to walk to my car (not parked too far away for once).

I am grateful how everything that tried to ruin my day, turned out for the best.  Even if the sun is shining, sometimes it is best to take a jacket.  Good days can take a turn for the worse, but if you are prepared, your challenges may have a silver lining.