We learned all about bitters from the team at Scrappy’s Tuesday night at the Seatown cocktail class (which had to be held at Etta’s while Seatown got some new HVAC equipment.) The standout cocktail was the Seatown Cobblestone with rye whiskey, amaro nonino, dry vermouth, Cointreau, and Scrappy’s cardamom bitters. The founder, Miles, promises more cocktails and suggestions for how to use bitters in cooking in their soon to be updated website.
Be sure to check out the Dahlia Bakery’s lovely sidewalk art- drawn by our lovely Ashley!
Root Beer Float Cake!!!!! On the menu at Palace now.
My husband, Frank, got us reservations to the Patricia Wells Cookbook event at Boat Street Cafe last night. Since Boat Street is one of my favorite places, and since I own many of Wells’ cookbooks, I looked forward to the evening. The restaurant, festooned with paper light shades and parasols, was its lovely, quirky self. It was a treat to meet Patricia, and I now possess a signed copy of her latest book, Salad as a Meal. The meal was delicious, each course matched with a very nice wine, but the Nantucket scallop crudo with lime and vanilla dressing was my top favorite. Of course, I didn’t say no to the asparagus with speck and sauce mousseline.
Another favorite course, not in the book, but pure Renee Erickson, was the dessert of creme fraiche ice cream, poached rhubarb, and butter cookie. “Butter cookie”- so nondescript sounding and such a sensational shortbread!! In fact I think Renee is the master of all things made with butter!
….and all I got was this blurry photo! Sob! Frank said he had to wait in line, but only 5 or 10 minutes. He also said Tom was there, overseeing the process (no surprise there). The only other thing Frank said was…. “mmmmmmm.”
All the joints are open now! I can’t wait to return to Ting Momo, Cuoco, and Brave Horse!
We got a few more recipes tested for the upcoming Dahlia Bakery Cookbook today. We started our day testing egg sandwiches on Dahlia Bakery English Muffins- this one (photo top left) has ham, gruyere, and Dijon. Julie and I gobbled it up in a few bites. What could be more delicious than a grilled cheese sandwich? This one (photo top right), made with Beecher’s Flagship white cheddar and smeared with pesto was our top favorite. We also made grilled cheese with bacon and smashed avocado and with “pretend” heirloom tomato slices. (It’s April, not a good month for tomatoes, but we can’t always be seasonal in the test kitchen!)
My favorite success story of the day was this pumpkin pie! We have a “chef-y” pumpkin pie in the book, made with freshly roasted sugar pie pumpkin, that’s fabulous but a little challenging to make. I wanted to balance that one with a recipe where you open a can of pumpkin, mix the filling up in a bowl, pour it in a pie crust, bake it in the oven, and end up with the best, old-fashioned pie with the best custardy texture and sweet smelling spices that everyone wants at the end of the Thanksgiving feast. It took us three tries, but we think this (photo above right) is it! And the Dahlia crew didn’t seem to mind eating pumpkin pie in April.
Last night, my husband Frank and I headed to Fremont to check out Revel, the second restaurant by the owners of Joule. After driving around, peering out the windows of the car, we finally spotted the small Revel sign (the hipper the place the smaller the signage?), so we parked and wandered into the tiny adjacent bar, Quoin. It took us a moment to find our bearings and make our way into Revel’s stylish space (photo above)
I started with a refreshing Soju (Korean liquor similar to a sweetened vodka), infused with lemongrass (photo above left), then we ordered from the small but very intriguing menu. 
Everything was delicious but my favorites were the shortrib dumplings and the shrimp pancake with edamame (photo above right) and the five spice duck meatballs with noodles (small photo right ). I also enjoyed the rice bowl with albacore, egg yolk, and fennel kim chi. We loved the little quartet of sauces that arrives with the food, ranging from chili paste to fish sauce. In fact, Revel is now one of our favorite new places! They have a brunch menu too (mmm… Kimchee ramen with pork belly!) We’ll definitely be back.
Youtube link here. You might remember Eddie’s BEAUTIFUL voice from a Seatown video a few months ago. Here he is again in the spotlight making pretzels at one of Tom’s newest places Bravehorse Tavern! THE CAMERA LOVES THIS MAN.
If you’re munchin’ on one of our freshly baked pretzels (my favorite is with Chef Brian’s homemade lil’ smokies) and you see Eddie hanging out in front of the hearth (right next to the shuffleboard decks), make sure to say hi!
The asparagus and Brie sandwich (photo above- being eaten at my messy desk) at the Dahlia Bakery is my new favorite. It’s one of the new “grab and go” sandwiches on baguettes that are ready to pick up and go (as opposed to our warm sandwiches which are made to order and take a couple minutes.) You might think Brie would make a heavy sandwich, but it is just the right amount, balanced perfectly with the asparagus and the bread. They brush the bread with shallot oil which makes it just moist enough. I may have to eat one of these every day throughout asparagus season.
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
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