We’ll miss you, Gustavo!!
(Editor’s note: Gustavo had the important job of being in charge of transferring goods -our breads and desserts, plus many other items- back and forth between the Tom Douglas Restaurants. Yesterday was his last day at the company as he is returning to Mexico to be with his family. All of us at TDR will miss you greatly, Gustavo! Good luck and best wishes.)
To continue my adventures with Mom…. to our busy meal schedule which didn’t allow me enough time for cooking dinner with my precious truffle butter, add the need to do dinner at Palace since I’d begged Brian Walczyk to make scrapple for New Year’s…. great, but Grandma never put jalapeños on hers. We also had the Fried Beecher’s Curd with Bacon Sriracha Aioli- talk about a delectable heart attack on a plate. We offset that with a buffet of seafood- swooning over the Scallops, Cauliflower Confit, Meyer Lemon Romesco, and Clams- and perfectly cooked Albacore with Garbanzo Cakes and Escarole. Plus my having to work. As easy as I may make it look, pasta does not make itself and this was during the holiday rush…suddenly there we were with one day left to visit and too much left to do.
So we did lunch at Serious Pie, sharing a spicy sweet Arugula Salad with Figs and Blue Cheese and grazing on the Tomato/Mozzarella, and Egg with Iowa Coppa and Dandelion Pies. Seriously great, as ever. So, for Mom’s very last meal in Seattle, she got Hand Cut Duck Egg Tagliarini with White Truffle Butter and leftover Serious Pie. With Coconut Cream Pie Bites for dessert. Then it was off to the airport for the red-eye to Florida. Sniff.
And now it’s back to work. How long until the new restaurant opens and the pasta load quadruples? Details soon to come, I’m sure. Loved the handmade duck egg tagliarini the new chef for the new joint shared with Mom and I for our final meal, can’t wait to see more from him.
To continue my adventure with Mom…then it was New Year’s in Portland. (A lovely thank you gift from Tom for rolling enough pasta to reach Prosser.) If you haven’t gone to Huber’s for their Spanish coffee and famous turkey dinner, do so. Plan on strolling through the Pearl and International District to work off the heap of turkey and the booze in the coffee. They caramelize sugar by flaming three different liquors, then flavor that with a drop of coffee and a dollop of cream- delicious- but potent. We took the train down and up, and saw frost and snow and fog- and otters- on the way down and a brilliantly lit range of mountains on the way up. We also got thoroughly confused by the views of Mt. Rainier that were not what we’re used to and the way it kept hopping from one side to the other as the railway twisted. Good thing we had such good views that day since the rest of the time the weather had been true gray Seattle weather.
Next the company party, where I dragged Mom onto the stage with me. We performed a little ditty we called “The Twelve Days of Tom Douglas’ Christmas.” No pictures, please.
Tuesday, we did a pilgrimage to the Panama Hotel to stand on the corner of “Bitter and Sweet.” If you want to read a touching story set in Seattle, pick up Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. It’s the story of one young man’s experiences as a twelve year old Chinese American in the days when Japanese Americans were being rounded up and interred… indeed bitter and sweet. Afer picking up prescription food for my cat at the Rainier Vet Hospital, we had lemon scallops and pan fried noodles in the ID.
Hooray for the bread bakers in our new space at Western and Harrison in South Lake Union!! We have bread for sale at the Dahlia Bakery again!!
I just finished two days of jury duty at King County Superior Court, on Third and James. You get a lunch break each day. You also get a stipend of a grand $10 a day for serving jury duty. (They don’t hand it to you each day; you get it in the mail as a check some time later.) So the question is, can you eat lunch near the courthouse for $10 or less? The answer is yes! Go to Bakeman’s. I haven’t been to this venerable Seattle institution for decades. (Though my husband, Frank, goes there about once a month and usually gets the meatloaf sandwich.) Walk over to Cherry between 1st and 2nd and then down a short flight of stairs. Get in line to order your sandwich after giving the specials board a quick scan. The counter staff shoot questions at you- what kind of bread? lettuce? tomato? anything else? in quick succession, so be prepared. Also be prepared to pay cash at the register, then carry your tray to one of the Formica tables.
My turkey sandwich with cranberry cost $4.50, and that’s for real turkey, not a processed turkey loaf (the counter person asks if you want white, dark, or mixed), and the navy bean soup cost $2.75, for a grand total of $7.25 plus tax. You can’t do better with your jury duty dollars, and only a short walk from the courthouse. (You can also check out the sweet Mystery Bookshop right across the street. If you buy a few books, like I did, you’ve overspent your jury duty stipend, but saving money isn’t everything.)
As most of you know, the bread bakery has moved to its new headquarters at Westlake and Harrison, fondly entitled “Dahlia Work Shop.” They’ve nestled into their new space alongside the pastry kitchen, Michael Teer’s new wine shop, Soul Wine, Tom’s prosciutto bar, and a new Serious Pie up on the second floor that gives a whole new meaning to Robert Plant’s Stairway to Heaven! (photo above) I, however, am in mourning over the absence of the incredibly talented bread bakers (editor’s note: from their old space adjacent to the 4th and Virginia Serious Pie), the heavenly smell of our English muffins, challah, custom house loaves, and entire basket full of other wonderful creations that the baking staff hand formed and browned to perfection with the greatest of care.
Imagine how comforted I was today when I noticed the empty and lonely shelves the breads used to occupy while cooling, are now stacked with the bounty of Jackie’s Prosser Farm vegetables that she laboriously transports over the pass each week in summer. Pickled beets, fennel, cabbage, cucumbers, only to name a few! Come into the 4th and Virginia Serious Pie and see how gorgeous the colors of summer are when submerged in vinegar and preserved!
As soon as word got out that Mom had gotten into town, people started asking: “Have you eaten the truffle butter yet?”
And I had to say “No.” Over and over again, “No.” You see my last minute frenzy of cleaning had so stressed out one of my cats, instead of greeting Mom with a heap of truffle scented noodles, I greeted her with “we’re renting a car and rushing to the emergency vet because Nate’s urinary tract has shut down.” Good news is Nate’s going to be fine, but rather than the leisurely build up to Christmas we had planned… time went rushing by and nights we didn’t have plans out, like the Dessert Cruise on the Virginia V (view from cruise, small photo right),
we had leftovers to eat or other meal plans….We did get in a beautiful dinner at the Dahlia Lounge. The last time Mom ate at the Dahlia, we were on our way to a Sonics game and Holly Smith was in the kitchen and sent out paté (I think). (Editor’s note: Holly Smith is now chef/owner of Cafe Juanita.) This night, we shared the Sea Bar- Yum! Then Mom had the pork (amazing), and I had the Dekyi-licious duck…But the star of the night was the Sticky Date Toffee Pudding. Words simply fail to capture the perfection of that dessert.
Have you had a chance to check out the new Serious Pie at Westlake and Harrison in South Lake Union? My husband, Frank, and I finally made it over there last night. The first thing we saw when we walked in was Executive Chef, Eric Tanaka, at the new Pie’s prosciutto bar, and he made us this delicious array of little bites.
Next we walked into Soul Wine, Michael Teer’s new wine store, for a bottle of wine to take home. Soul Wine is beautiful and spacious and has a wine tasting bar!
Then we headed up the stairs. The new Serious PIe is up on the mezzanine. Here’s their pizza oven.
Of course, you’ll be ordering some pizza. They’ll make if for you here.
I’ve been dying to check out our splendid new bread and pastry bakery space. So I peaked over the railing at the back of the Pie and saw Tom, wine glass in hand, talking to Pastry Chef, Stacy, and Sous Chef, Katharine.
It’s all very exciting! Have you checked out the new Pie yet? What are you waiting for? 401 Westlake Ave N. There’s morning coffee, too, and you can watch the bakers working!
Look at this puff pastry pear tart! Garrett really nailed the puff pastry recipe for The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook. I thought the recipe was excellent, but he wasn’t satisfied, so he tweaked the recipe some more. Look at those beautiful layers- so crisp and delicious!! Tomorrow Garrett teaches me how to make this superb puff!!
RSS SubscribeWelcome to Family Meal, a blog that examines all things new and noteworthy in the world of food, wine, and dining.
At family meal, otherwise known as staff meal, there’s no hierarchy; you’re breaking bread with your friends. For those 30 minutes, everyone is equal- and hungry. Family meal is our version of the water cooler- but with better food.
I’ll be sharing my thoughts, tips, and observations, and, in the spirit of family meal, I’ve invited our creative, energetic staff- everyone from line cook to bartender to bookkeeper- to have a say. I hope you’ll add your own comments and join in the conversation.
-Tom Douglas
Home • Lola • Palace Kitchen • Dahlia Lounge • Dalia Bakery • Etta's • Serious Pie Downtown • Seatown • Brave Horse Tavern • Cuoco
Dahlia Workshop • Serious Pie Westlake • Ting Momo • Shop • Catering • Events • Blog & Newsletter • Prosser Farm • Contact • Reservations
© 2009-2011 Tom Douglas, All Rights Reserved • About Tom and Jackie • Employment • Newsletter Signup
