Category Archives: Seafood

Snapshots, Snippets and Cheese Ice Cream

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A scoop of cheese ice cream and blackberry ice cream at Kurt's Farm Shop.

A scoop of cheese ice cream and blackberry ice cream at Kurt’s Farm Shop.

 

SEATTLE, WA — Yes, I said, “cheese” ice cream. Not “cheesecake” ice cream. But ice cream made with actual cheese. Have I got your attention now? I should — because this ice cream is worth making a special trip for.

Hats off to my friend Tami, who lived in Seattle for a few years, and suggested I make time for the ice cream at Kurt Farm Shop on Capitol Hill. Tucked inside the Chophouse Row building food hall, this sliver of a shop sells cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and glorious ice cream.

The custard base is made at its Kurtwood Farm using Jersey cream and milk from its own cows.

Gotta love the cow art work.

Gotta love the cow art work.

They’re generous with samples. I knew I wanted the Flora’s Cheese flavor from the get-go. The ice cream is super rich and smooth, with a pronounced naturally sweet milky taste. There are actual bits of frozen feta-like cheese in this flavor. It’s cheesecake-like, but not quite as tangy. There’s more of a developed cheese flavor, though, no funkiness. It’s ever so savory and just a twinge salty. It’s one of those flavors that’s an instant classic.

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The Quest For Triple Coconut Cream Pie

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Follow the sign.

Follow the sign.

 

SEATTLE, WA — When my husband and I were planning our recent trip here, there was one thing first and foremost on my mind.

Coconut cream pie.

The Triple Coconut Cream Pie by Tom Douglas, to be exact.

It’s been Douglas’ best-selling dessert ever since he put it on the menu when he opened his flagship Dahlia Lounge in 1989. It’s the primary reason he later opened his Dahlia Bakery next-door. He sells more than 1,000 coconut cream pies a month. He’s donated them to charity auctions, where they fetch upwards of $5,000 each!

Even one of my best foodie friends told me she’s not usually a coconut cream pie fan, but fell hard for this one. A Lyft driver on my trip told me she loved it so much the first time she had it, that she went back the very next day for another slice. Friends on Facebook described the pie as “life-changing.”

Our first stop the morning after flying in was indeed Dahlia Bakery, where you can buy a whole 9-inch coconut cream pie ($42), a 6-inch one ($22), a slice ($7.75) or even a “bite” ($3), which is a two-bite-sized pastry with the same filling and topping as the regular-sized version.

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Filling Up Happily At Renee Erickson’s Restaurants

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A fun little snack of Spanish sardines at Barnacle.

A fun little snack of Spanish sardines at Barnacle.

 

SEATTLE, WA — When you land in Seattle on a late-Thursday afternoon, what is — and should be — your first stop after checking into your hotel?

The Walrus and the Carpenter for Oyster Happy Hour.

Oh, yes, it is so worth it to make a beeline for this Monday through Thursday Happy Hour, if you are a fan of oysters on the half shell because these are some of the best around. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., the oysters are half off. From 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., they are 25 percent off.

Of course, everyone else has the same idea, so no doubt you will arrive to find the restaurant already packed, as my husband and I did. No matter, it just gives you a great excuse to enjoy a cocktail at adjacent Barnacle bar.

Actually, this one building houses THREE Renee Erickson establishments.

Actually, this one building houses THREE Renee Erickson establishments.

Both places are owned by James Beard Award-winning Chef Renee Erickson. In fact, she even has a third restaurant, Sea Creatures, in this one building. Plus a whole lot more.

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Join Yours Truly for a Climate One/Commonwealth Event, Plus A Franco-Filipino Feast & More

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CommonwealthClimate

“The New Surf and Turf”

Join yours truly in conversation with Patrick Brown, founder of Impossible Foods, and Mike Selden, founder of Finless Foods, as we talk about “The New Surf and Turf,” innovative new protein products that mimic your favorite burger or seafood.

The event takes place at the new Climate One at the Commonwealth Club on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, 6:30 p.m. July 19.

Brown, a former Stanford University biochemist, is the man behind the Impossible Burger, the plant-based burger that actually “bleeds” and has the texture of ground beef. Selden, also a biochemist, founded the start-up that’s aimed at creating real fish meat from stem cells.

With changes in climate, not to mention over-fishing of so many species, their inventions could have a profound effect on the way we eat in the future, as our world population continues to grow.

At the end of this fascinating talk, you’ll also get a chance to taste samples of Impossible Foods products prepared by Jardiniere restaurant.

General admission for non-Commonwealth member is $20. However, use the code, “Neighbor” at check-out to enjoy member ticket prices at $12 each.

Sundays Were Meant for Meat & Threes at Town Hall

San Francisco’s beloved Town Hall restaurant has debuted a fun “Meat & Threes” prix-fixe Sunday supper menu.

Town Hall restaurant's Meat and Three's Sunday dinner with its famed fried chicken. (Photo Copyright Nader Khouri 2018.)

Town Hall restaurant’s Meat and Three’s Sunday dinner with its famed fried chicken. (Photo Copyright Nader Khouri 2018.)

During 5 p.m to 9 p.m., diners have a choice of soup or salad, one of eight meats, three of 11 sides, and a slice of Key Lime pie.

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Cameron’s Seafood — Plus A Food Gal Giveaway

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The "Best Sellers Sampler'' from Cameron's Seafood.

The “Best Sellers Sampler” from Cameron’s Seafood.

 

Time to get to work.

Time to get messy.

Time to get cracking.

Indeed it was when a “Best Sellers Sampler” showed up on my porch last week as a sample to try from Maryland-based Cameron’s Seafood.

The company was founded in 1985 and remains family-owned. It specializes in Maryland crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, where the climate is colder, thereby building up an extra layer of fat on the crabs that burrow into the mud during winter. For crab lovers, that means crabs with flesh that’s buttery, sweet and rich tasting.

The bountiful “Best Sellers Sampler” ($99.99) includes 1/2 a dozen Maryland blue crabs, 1 pound spiced shrimp, 2 crab cakes and 16 ounces of crab bisque.

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