| Yakima Valley Wine Tasting |
[Apr. 13th, 2008|02:14 pm] |
A decent collection
Originally uploaded by jeffreyp
We took a break from wedding planning to visit the Yakima Valley this weekend. I've traveled through there several times on my way to Kennewick for work, and every time, I'm reminded that all of that is just two hours from home.
We stayed in Toppenish on the advice of a friend, and on Saturday, we headed out for a day of tasting. We started in the Tri-Cities at Tagaris in Kennewick for lunch and then went to Prosser, where we visited Hogue Cellars, Snoqualmie, and Airfield Estates. Then, we returned to Toppenish, where we went to Maison de Padgett and Paradisos del Sol. We ran out of time before we could visit a couple other Toppenish wineries on our list, but I'm sure we'll return soon enough!
We had two meals in Yakima. The first, on the way down on Friday night, was in a brand-new Italian restaurant called Zesta Cucina. We were both starving so I think for me, the food wasn't as good as I perceived it to be. It certainly was overpriced. The place was super-popular, though, so maybe I'm missing something. And then on Saturday after tasting, we went to Greystone and I found it to be excellent all around.
This was our first trip to the wineries and we learned a lot:
Lesson #1: The Yakima Valley is much larger than it looks on a map. You'll likely want to split up a two-day trip into two nights at two different hotels. You can find maps online of all of the wineries--they tend to be clustered together, and so you can pick a hotel or a B&B for each night that is located near the clusters of wineries you want to visit. This requires some planning ahead but will pay off when you can "cut loose" a little instead of spitting out and/or dumping wine at every stop.
Lesson #2: There is no such thing as "complimentary tasting". Even if I were a raging snob, I don't think I could walk out of a tasting room without at least buying a snack. They pour you a LOT of wine and take a lot of time explaining stuff to you. As you can see from the photo, we bought at least one bottle at every stop.
Lesson #3: The only good food is in Yakima or the Tri-Cities. You'll occasionally get snacks at the tasting rooms but for the most part, you are on your own for food. Plan ahead unless you don't mind eating at Subway. Next time we go, we'll bring our own lunches and pack food for dinners. Most of the hotels out there have refrigerators or mini-kitchens, anyway, so preparing a simple meal isn't impossible. But driving to Yakima (and back) after a day of wine tasting is both irresponsible and impractical.
Lesson #4: The amount of fun you'll have is inversely proportional to the size of the winery you visit. Did I get that backwards? I'm not very good at math after tasting wine for four hours. What I mean is that the smaller the winery, the more attention and education you'll get. But don't let that stop you from visiting them all. We visited the huge conglomerates (Hogue, Snoqualmie) and had a great time, but we were blown away by Paradisos del Sol, which is--no exaggeration--bolted on to the back of a farmhouse. Paul (the owner/host/winemaker/jack-of-all-trades) could sell ice to Eskimos and has a story for everyone about anything.
Lesson #5: Don't be shy. It can be a bit intimidating for a newcomer to walk into one of these places and do the whole sniff/swirl/sip waltz, but the wineries are more than happy to teach you anything you need to know and answer questions--they want your business! We were particularly amused while at Paradisos del Sol when two full-on Hells Angels-looking bikers covered in leather and grease came in and proceeded to sit at the bar and argue over whether a chardonnay or a rose would be the best substitute for the unavailable riesling. "I can't get into the rose," said one of them. "Too much !@#$ing charcoal in the nose. It's real !@#$ing flowery on the palate but the finish tastes like ass."
Lesson #6: This would be a good place to bring a large group. You can rent a limo or a van and split the cost and have a great time. If you drive yourself, be responsible, pace yourself, and spit/dump liberally.
Overall, it was a lot of fun and I didn't drink a single beer all weekend. I have a suspicion that we'll probably be making another trip out that way pre-wedding to stock up the bar. |
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| Tropix |
[Dec. 14th, 2006|08:13 pm] |
I went to Tropix for lunch today with Benoit and Sudhanshu, and I had my usual green curry, 3 stars. I didn't see the spoonful of peppers in the bottom of the bowl and took it square in the throat with a little bit of rice and curry sauce. No joke--I was high out of my mind for the next four hours.
I love spicy food. |
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| Jamjuree/22 Doors |
[Oct. 8th, 2006|09:39 pm] |
Riley was in town and insisted that we go to Jamjuree on Capitol Hill. I used to live around the corner, and went there once for lunch...and hated it. I don't even remember why, but I remember strongly not liking it. So needless to say, I was not enthused about a return visit.
But there is something to be said for second chances! I had a green curry with chicken that was delicious and just spicy enough to wake me up (the waitress groaned in disappointment when one of our party asked for 1 star, so I went for 3 stars). I also tried one of the spring rolls that we ordered as an appetizer, and it too was excellent. Jamjuree might be the best Thai restaurant in Seattle that I've been to so far.
Afterward, we went to 22 Doors and Riley mis-ordered so we ended up with an extra Maison Surrenne cognac, which I happily volunteered to consume on top of a Tanquerey and tonic. Always take one for the team--that is my motto! I'm not much of a wine/cognac snob, so I can't do it justice other than to say it was pretty freakin' good. I like the atmosphere at 22 Doors (especially the back patio). It reminds me of a European cafe. The only conceivable way to improve it would be to have sidewalk tables. |
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| Noodle Ranch |
[Sep. 23rd, 2006|02:07 pm] |
My search for good ramen in Seattle continued today with a trip to Noodle Ranch. I've walked by many times on my way to Mama's or Shorty's or the Croc (or all three) but I'd never gone in until today. I ordered pork ramen and a Thai iced tea for lunch. When I heard the cooks at this purportedly Asian restaurant yelling at each other in Spanish, I began to worry.
The Thai iced tea was loaded with something that wasn't sugar--probably Sweet 'n' Low or something like that. I ended up drinking more water to get the aftertaste out of my mouth.
The ramen, well...let's just say that I'll be suspicious of any "pan-Asian" restaurant from now on. It wasn't bad, but it should have been a lot spicier. The strips of pork were barbecued and draped on top of the noodles, instead of being immersed in the broth and contributing their flavor to everything else. The noodles were, um, noodles. The miso broth was good and the vegetables were fresh (and still crunchy even after being smothered in miso).
I'd go back under the right circumstances. I think it would be a good "date" restaurant. The ambiance is slick and it is conveniently located near several good nightspots. Some of the other dishes I saw served to other customers looked intriguing.
But good ramen? Not really. The search continues. |
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| Kabab House |
[Sep. 10th, 2006|08:43 am] |
I checked out Greenwood's Kabab House on the advice of a co-worker. The place isn't easy to find. There is a strip mall with a convenience store and a teriyaki place. Nestled in between with virtually no signage is Kabab House. Inside, it is...um, quaint? Seating for eight and not the cleanest place I've been in recently, but I've found that dingy places have better food. Kabab House didn't disappoint. Their naan might be the best in town. I had a combination plate with chicken, beef, lamb and a ground beef seekh. The beef was a little tough, but the others were great. Each one had its own flavor and unlike Taste of India, nothing was bland. I'll be going back soon to try the masala after watching them cook it. |
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| Taste of India |
[Aug. 12th, 2006|08:35 pm] |
Everybody raves about this place. Supposedly, they are owned by the same family that owns Cedar's in the U-District, and I love Cedars, so I stopped by TOI to get some take-out for lunch today. Maybe I just wasn't feeling adventurous enough, but my chicken tandoori was lame and my nan was, well, nan. You can't really screw up nan. But the chicken tandoori was dry and not spicy at all. The steamed vegetables served alongside it were bland and tasteless. I was not impressed and will stick to Cedar's and their fantastic deck from now on. |
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| Matt's In The Market |
[Feb. 16th, 2006|09:44 pm] |
The participants: me, Riley.
Somehow, I've managed to live in Seattle for virtually my entire life without experiencing Matt's In The Market. The place is tiny--it seats only 20--and legendary. We sat at the counter and watched the show.
The menu is short and sweet: five starters and four entrees. I had a "simple green salad" and a plate of vegetable gratin (squash, potatoes, turnips with cheese served in chili sauce). I wish I could remember the second of the two wines, as I'm not much of a wine snob but found its taste pleasantly distinctive. For dessert, I ordered up a slice of lime cheesecake. The grand total for my portion was in the neighborhood of $50, which isn't cheap but still...everything was excellent. Highly recommended. |
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| Gorditos/Prost! |
[Feb. 10th, 2006|08:05 pm] |
The participants: me, Johnny
I don't know why I do this to myself.
A Gorditos burrito is roughly the size of a fully grown dachshund. They bill themselves as "healthy Mexican food", but there is nothing healthy about a three pound burrito consumed in a single sitting. Of course, I order mine "wet" with extra sauce and cheese, and if I had to guess, I'd put the caloric intake somewhere around 2000 for a single serving. In other words, I'll have to run a marathon to work it off again.
But it is so good. And for $6, the value of food/dollar is probably higher than anywhere in town. The problem is that it really does fill you up, and just in case it doesn't, there is enough rice expanding in your stomach to cover the difference. The last thing you want to do afterward is drink a beer.
So naturally, since I was in the neighborhood and always wanted to check the place out, we went to Prost! For some reason, I continue to try German beers in America in spite of the fact that I know they won't taste right.
I had a single half-liter of Franziskaner (which of course tasted horribly of preservatives) and started to wonder if I could make it home.
I made it home but I'm still full beyond belief. Not bad for less than $10. Gorditos gets a thumbs-up for being the sort of place I like to try once in awhile. I wouldn't want to go there every week. Prost! loses, though. The beer isn't very good and the ambiance isn't very German. |
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| Blue C Sushi |
[Jan. 14th, 2006|02:23 pm] |
The participants: me, Laura, and Laura's friend Karen.
It works like this: you sit at a counter while small individual-sized plates of various dishes glide by on a conveyer belt. Each plate is colored, and each color corresponds to a price ranging from $1.50 to $4.50, depending on what is on the plate. When you're done eating, the waitstaff tallies your bill based on the number of empty plates of each color sitting on the counter.
This is a great way to spend a lot of money and eat too much. The miso soup was the only thing I "ordered" in the traditional sense, and it was returned from the kitchen in moments and tasted excellent. From the conveyer, I grabbed a bowl of soba noodles that were somewhat bland (but that could be because I prefer ramen). Next, I tried some maguro sashimi. The fish was great but I had to add wasabi because the chefs apparently forgot.
At this point, I was craving fried food, so I grabbed two pieces of fried chicken (!) that were fantastic. Emboldened by this, I took a plate of California roll and some tempura vegetables. The California roll was squishy and I think it may have been a little old. The tempura was good and proves that you can improve anything (including asparagus) by frying it.
For dessert, we shared a cream puff that probably met my daily caloric intake in one shot. It was sweet and very tasty.
All told, it was a good meal. But I have some concerns about the place--namely, the conveyer belt isn't refrigerated or cooled, so it concerned me that certain dishes may have been floating around for most of the day. I also much prefer my sushi to be rolled by a grizzled old Japanese sushi-master rather than a bunch of fresh-faced American kids. I'm a big fan of Koji Osakaya at Harbor Steps and the unfortunately-named Ichiro Sushi in Magnolia. And while Blue C might be #3, the ambiance makes it a great place to take people for their first sushi experience. I'm sure I'll be back. |
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| Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria |
[Jan. 6th, 2006|08:32 pm] |
The participants: me, Riley, Daniel, and Johnny.
Johnny has been talking about this place all week, so we went after work on Friday. For reasons I can only accept the blame for, we went first to the Wallingford version of Tutta Bella only to find it packed beyond belief. Like "two hour wait, if you're lucky" packed. So we drove from Wallingford to Columbia City to take advantage of the much shorter wait in the ghetto.
But to my surprise, Columbia City is no longer a ghetto. In fact, it looks like Ballard with all of the requisite hipsterism. Quite a disturbing change for me, since my recollection is of empty storefronts and a DSHS office.
To be clear, Tutta Bella is not a typical pizza joint. It is a nice restaurant that happens to serve pizza. While you wait for a table, the waitstaff passes out tastes of the house red wine. Johnny ordered a house salad that we shared, and it was quite good. The vegetables were fresh and tasty, and it was tossed with the right amount of oil and was not dripping all over the place. The gorgonzola had a slight bite to it but wasn't overwhelming.
I didn't sample anybody else's pizza, as I was too pleased with my own Campania (chicken sausage, kalamata olives, garlic, house cheeses, red chili flakes, and fresh basil). It really is a tasty pizza and not terribly expensive ($10.50). I downed a couple of pints of Moretti with it just to remind myself that the Italians can brew some beer, too.
For dessert, we ordered and shared a tiramisu. It didn't have much (if any) booze in it and was fairly bland. But hey, 1000 calories per serving!
Tutta Bella is a great "date restaurant". Not that I go on too many dates, but you get the idea. It is "nice" and the food is not too adventurous, so anyone can find something to order and have something to talk about afterwards. But it isn't the sort of place I want to hang out with the guys. For that, I'm sticking with Stellar Pizza in Georgetown, which remains my favorite pizza joint proper in Seattle. |
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