Monthly Archives: April 2005

Monday, April 4th, 2005

Honey Hole

When I first started working on Capitol Hill, I was dismayed by the lack of lunch choices (my last job put me within a block of the Pike Place Market). A coworker suggested I try Honey Hole, but I resisted as long as I could. I just couldn’t get past the name. It was too similar to Honey Bucket. Finally I relented.

I got hooked on the Dirt Burger, which is a great garden-burger type sandwich. I burned out after three years of Dirt Burgers for lunch, so when Honey Hole started serving dinner, I never went. I assumed that it was the same menu as at lunch, but as usual my assumptions were wrong.

Zach said Honey Hole had really good (beef) burgers and that’s what I was craving tonight. They only had a few different items on the dinner menu, but one of them was the Western Sky Burger. I was really impressed that they used Misty Isle Beef. It seemed like an extra special touch for a burger and sandwich joint.

Either I was starving at the time, or the Western Sky Burger was the best burger I’ve ever eaten. Or maybe a little of both. Zach and I got into an argument over whether or not it was better than the blue cheese burger at Septieme. I say hell yes. I will tell you what was in it: bacon, cheddar cheese, deep-fried-crunchy-golden-yummy-yummy onion rings and BBQ sauce. It came with crisp-yet-fluffy, dangerously addictive French fries.

The only (and fairly major) downfall is that when we left, we reeked of smoke and grease. Oh yeah, and they play their music so loud that it’s hard to have a conversation. But it’s worth it for that burger.

Sunday, April 3rd, 2005

Macrina Bakery & Cafe

Zach wanted to try a new breakfast place today. He’d never been to Macrina before so we headed to the Belltown location for brunch. It was of course PACKED. There were more people crammed into the bakery area waiting for a table than people eating in the dinning room. There was a list of 20+ people ahead of us, but luckily most of them had given up and left, so we got a table in about 20 minutes.

Zach had the French toast, which was thick-cut and fluffy, but I didn’t care for the peach syrup. It tasted funny to me. The pork and apple sausages that came with the French toast were great.

I had a demi baguette with ham and Dijon. The bread was awesome, but I was wishing that they had used nicer ham and saltier mustard. I also had a side order of the applewood smoked bacon, but I fear that I have been spoiled to the point of no return and nothing will ever compare to wild boar bacon.

I have eaten at Macrina before and remember it being great, so I’m not sure if today was an off day or if I’m just getting jaded. I suspect it’s the jaded thing. Although, watching the cute kid at the next table over puke his breakfast all over the floor didn’t help.

Saturday, April 2nd, 2005

Asian Fusion

For K’s birthday, she wanted to throw an “Asian fusion” dinner party. I’ve lost track of what that actually means, but for this party it meant a Chinese and Japanese potluck. K was looking for a good rib recipe. I told her she had to make my uncle’s amazing Chinese-style ribs and I offered to help cook.

The night before the party I helped her marinate the ribs and make Scallop Dumplings with Garlic Chives and Pork Dumplings. I haven’t made dumplings before so it took me a while to catch on, but by the end of the night, my dumplings were almost pretty. (I found this handy guide after the fact.)

Everyone was asked to bring something that went with the Chinese / Japanese theme and we ended up with a wonderful feast:

Smoked salmon and veggie sushi – The rolls were gorgeous and I couldn’t believe that N had made them. They were light and delicious.

Vegetarian gyoza and veal gyoza – A had made these the night before and pan-fried them at the party. They were served with a spicy oil sauce. The vegetarian gyoza were good, but the veal ones were amazing.

Scallop dumplings with garlic chives – We heated these in a bamboo steamer and they were fantastic—the garlic chives added so much flavor. We served them with soy sauce mixed with a few drops of hot chili oil, minced ginger and chopped scallions.

Steamed pork dumplings – These were good, but paled in comparison to the veal gyoza.

Pickled baby octopus (from Uwajimaya) – Bright red and too cute to eat, but I tried one anyway. Uh, ick.

Pickled shiso (from Uwajimaya) – This rocked my world and normally I don’t even like shiso. I need to figure out how to make it.

Quick pickled daikon – Zach made the pickled daikon in my new pickle press. It was very good, although I missed the crunch that comes from pickling a long time.

Pickled baby cucumbers with a sesame seed paste – Zach made this as well and it’s SO good. I need the recipe to so I can post it.

Fried soft-shell crab salad – The salad was good, but the crabs seemed a little watery.

Chinese long beans – I made these after having way too many drinks, but they were surprisingly good. I pan fried them in peanut oil and then threw in some sake and let them steam. Then I topped them with a little soy, hot chili oil and sesame seed oil.

Steamed rice – I totally forgot to serve the rice.

Ribs – By the time I served these we were all stuffed, but they were so good that everyone managed to eat at least two or three.

B made his signature drink, called a Sneaky Steve. The crowning touch was a single Kasugai Muscat Gummy that was deposited in each drink. By the time you were done with the drink the gummy was extra soft and had soaked up the vodka. Delicious!

For dessert K had requested a fresh fruit and whipped cream cake from Sweet & Fresh Bakery. This is one of my all-time favorite cakes.

Saturday, April 2nd, 2005

Morning at the Market

I’m throwing a tamale making party in a few weeks, so it was the perfect excuse for an early morning visit to the Pike Place Market for ingredients. I love the market, but I hate crowds, so it’s heaven to be there in the morning when the stalls are just opening and the tourists are still sleeping.

I only had a few things to pick up, so I parked down below on Western where they have free parking. My first stop was El Mercado Latino—a tiny store with narrow isles, but the shelves are packed tight. I took a cursory look around, wanting one of everything. I stuck to my list and got Maseca Masa Harina, corn husks, and an assortment of dried chilies: ancho, pasilla and New Mexico.

My next stop was La Buona Tavola, Truffle Cafe. They have a beautiful array of truffle products including oils, salts, creams and butters. Plus they sell dried pastas, wines, olive oils and real balsamic vinegars. I was there for the Casina Rossa Truffle & Salt. Zach had bought me a dish for Valentine’s day and I love it. I use it on practically everything, so now my friends are addicted to it. I needed a jar for a birthday present, but I really should have purchased a case; everyone I know wants one. While there, I couldn’t resist getting a truffled porchetta sandwich. I wasn’t hungry, as it was only ten in the morning, but I knew I’d be glad later on (I was and so was my kitty, who ate the napkin that some juices spilled on).

Next stop: Don & Joe’s Meats. I heart Don & Joe. But I think I may just have a thing for butchers. I picked up a beautiful beef shoulder roast and pre-ordered a pack of duck legs and duck fat to pick up the next week. I resisted the urge to go into DeLaurenti, but I just had to stop and buy a huge bundle of gorgeous orange tulips. I happily walked back to my car, thinking that I really should do this more often.