Category Archives: Seafood

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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The Publican’s Mussels in Sour Beer

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Dinner in mere minutes: A big pot of mussels cooked in sour beer.

Dinner in mere minutes: A big pot of mussels cooked in sour beer.

 

Pucker up.

For sour beer, that is.

My husband may wince at this style of brew, much preferring a smooth Amber Ale instead.

But I can’t get enough of the specialty fermented beer that gets its characteristic tang from wild yeast strains or bacteria.

I love its bracing quality, especially paired with food, much like that of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc in the wine world. Both wake up the taste buds with a brisk bite, acting like a natural-born palate cleanser.

Though I’ve cooked with various types of beer over the years, somehow it never dawned on me to try it with sour beer.

That is, until I spied the recipe for “Mussels in Sour Beer” in the new “Cheers to The Publican Repast and Present: Recipes and Ramblings from an American Beer Hall” (Lorena Jones Books), of which I received a review copy.

PublicanCookbook

The book is by Chef-Owner Paul Kahan of The Publican in Chicago, a modern-day beer hall known for its huge communal wood tables, deep beer list, and rustic dishes flavored with gusto and served charmingly on mismatched plates.

The Publican is just one of eight establishments in Chicago by Kahan and the One Off Hospitality Group. The others include Avec, Blackbird, and the wholesale Publican Quality Bread. (His bread is fantastic, too, as I found out when he brought loaves to a recent holiday dinner at Acacia House in St. Helena where he cooked with Chef Chris Cosentino.)

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Eating My Way Through New York: Chef-Tastic

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The whole duck confit at Cosme that takes four days to make.

The whole duck confit at Cosme that takes four days to make.

Cosme

When planning this trip to New York, one of the places highest on my list to dine was Cosme.

A couple of years ago, while attending the “Worlds of Flavor” conference at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone campus in St. Helena, I had a chance to try a little of Mexico City-chef Enrique Olvera’s innovative cuisine.

Ever since, I have been hooked. And craving more.

Herb guacamole.

Herb guacamole.

Complimentary purple tortillas and Marcona almond dip.

Complimentary purple tortillas and Marcona almond dip.

This is not your standard tacos and burritos taqueria. This sleek establishment is all about modern Mexican cuisine with star power. The prices reflect that. Yes, guacamole is $17 here. It’s a beautiful bowl of deeply rich smashed avocados strewn with micro herbs and served with huge purple tortilla chips that you break apart to scoop.

If you’re already balking at that price, then this isn’t the place for you. When you walk through the doors, you have to vanquish the notion that Mexican food has to be cheap in order to be worthwhile.

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