Alongside presents, mistletoe, getting a few days off work, and the bottles Santa might put in your stocking, the finest part of the holidays is getting to catch up with family. And, of course, the best place to catch up is a great bar. However, it can be a challenge to pick a suitable watering hole for the right vacationing relative—which is why I’ve put together a little tailored guide to help smooth out your holiday season, matching specific relative types with specific bars.
I woke up hungry at 5:34 this morning, but instead of being annoyed by the Dark O’Clock beginning of my day, I replayed the sweet, sweet dream that stirred me from slumber. There was a pile of perfectly lovely pasta on my brain.
Since supping at a hosted, soft opening dinner earlier this week at Maria Hines’ brand new Agrodolce in Fremont, I had been thinking about the hand cut tagliarini.
It’s that time of year, when pundits of all disciplines, from movies to books to boozes, are making their picks for those "Best" and "Most" end-of-year lists. I thought it’d be a good balance to let the people have their own say. So I asked five folks about their favorite cocktails and watering holes. Here's what they had to say:
Emi MatsumotoBallard
What's your all-time favorite cocktail?A rye Manhattan.
The holiday season has put me in the mood for some green red wine.
Nope, that’s not a new varietal. I’ve got a hankering for wine that’s made with grapes that are grown using the latest in Old World sustainable practices. That’s such a hot button word in the world of food that we’ve kind of tuned it out, but it really hasn’t made a big splash on the Washington state wine landscape.
When Eater Seattle broke the news that Rover’s was for sale and its iconic Chef in the Hat was ready to move on to new projects, the reaction was immediate and heartfelt.
Sweet! The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook is a huge hit! In addition to being on bestseller lists, the goodie-filled tome showed up over the weekend on The New York Times Book Review's list of great holiday gifts and it's featured in this month's Martha Stewart Living.
The holidays give us plenty of reasons to visit local bars: getting to see friends and family, getting over the stress of shopping for friends and family.... And while there are many great bars and cocktails to enjoy all around Seattle, we think you should check out one of these cool events when searching out a cocktail this month.
There may be no better pre-holiday gift than a spot at Bruce Naftaly's (sure-to-sell-out-in-a-hot-minute!) cooking classes at Le Gourmand. In fact, several years ago I sent my parents to one of Naftaly's classes, and though I have yet to see demi-glace grace the old Austin table during a holiday dinner, George and Nancy sure enjoyed sipping wine and watching chef Naftaly's expert cooking, and then tasting the delicious meal he cooked for them. They still talk about it nearly ten years later.
When I found out that Marx Foods, the online specialty food retailer that supplies restaurants like Alinea and recently caught the attention of Food & Wine magazine, would be opening a brick-and-mortar space, it piqued my interest. There's still plenty of demand for specialty food stores in Seattle, and Marx Foods, which opened yesterday, sounds distinctive.
If you've been to a bar on Capitol Hill lately, there's a good chance it was one opened by Linda Derschang.
Since launching the bar Linda's (707 East Pine St.) in 1994, Derschang has been on a major roll, piloting some of the hippest hangouts in the neighborhood, including Oddfellows Hall and Smith. And now she's about to open two more: the Bait Shop and Tallulah's, both also in Capitol Hill (as Leslie Kelly reported in our November issue).
Matthew Dillon is putting the pioneer back in Pioneer Square. Opening two new places early next year, the local star chef is shoving the neighborhood into contention for the city’s new hot spot.
“I grew up in Seattle and spent a lot of time in this neighborhood. I want to stop complaining about how it’s not what it should be,” said this year’s winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for the best chef in the Northwest.
It’s not only a big week for Thanksgiving drinks and eats but also a big shopping week (which may lead to more drinks).
If you’re looking for gifts for a home bartender or someone who wants to make better party drinks, I have some suggestions. And if you’re just shopping for yourself, I certainly won’t make fun—as long as you invite me over for drinks.
10-Piece Punch Bowl Set (shown above)
Maybe it’s time we flipped the bird off the Thanksgiving menu and replaced it with the original other white meat, eel. You know, the fish those first settlers probably ate instead of turkey.
Have you been wondering whether a wheaty hefeweizen, a malty amber or a chocolate stout would pair best with an oven-roasted turkey this Thanksgiving?
Marination Ma Kai has. That's the latest brick and mortar outpost of one of our favorite food trucks, which is not only located on Alki Beach, but also offers a full bar and wide selection of beers.
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