Best Worst of 2013: What’s In and What’s Out in Seattle Food

By Seattle Mag December 31, 2013

oystersbestof

This article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.

!–paging_filter–pstrongIN/strongembrTap Cocktails/embrTasty, punchy and made fresh daily, the cocktails created at some of our favorite bars, including a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/cocktails-tap-capitol-hills-montana” target=”_blank”Montana/a, Radiator Whiskey and The Bait Shop, make grabbing a drink simple, quick and easy. brstrongbrOUT/strongembrCask Wines/embrWhile several restaurants have poured wines (by Proletariat Wine Company and Wilridge Winery, for example) from a cask, small barrel or keg—we’ve seen it at Luc, Coastal Kitchen and Skillet Counter at the Armory—the trend didn’t gather as much steam as we expected./p
pstrongIN/strongembrBees/embrWhen the neighbors stop by to ask about bee allergies, you know the backyard bee movement has taken hold. So, too, the artisan honey movement; you can find local honey at farmers’ markets all around town. Check out: Bee Works, Anna’s Honey, Ballard Bee Company and Brookfield Farms Bees and Honey.brstrongbrOUT/strongembrChickens/embrCock-a-doodle-phew! The neighbors got rid of that noisy rooster—whoops, I guess they weren’t all hens. Backyard barnyards haven’t gone away, but stories of hipsters deserting their flocks and puzzlement over what to do with a chicken who quits a’layin’ seem to have slowed the trend a bit. The proof is in the diminishing supply of eggs deposited on our doorsteps./p
pstrongimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/icecream.jpg” style=”margin: 10px; float: left;” height=”300″ width=”200″IN/strongembrIce Cream/embrWith daring new flavors—and new outposts—from favorite ice creameries such as a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/three-cheers-ice-cream-lick-pure-creamery” target=”_blank”Lick Pure Cream/a, Full Tilt, Molly Moon’s, Bluebird and Parfait, it’s safe to say this trend won’t melt away soon.brstrongbrOUT/strongembrCupcakes/embrThey’re still delicious, and we still love them, but the cupcake trend has peaked. We think. Probably. OK, who knows? Cupcakes are surprisingly tenacious./p
pstrongIN/strongembrCharcuterie/embrIt used to be that only your Italian great-grandmother or your uncle who hunted his own meat was doing it. Now, though, it seems like every menu brags of house-made sausage/pâté/rillettes/prosciutto/salami/bresaola. And we are loving it.strongbrbrOUT/strongembrPork Belly/embrWhen bacon jumped the shark back in 2011, chefs cleverly tricked people into eating it in slab form. Hence: pork belly. Yes, it is fatty and delectable, tender and incredible. It’s also becoming a bit of a yawner. Time for a break./p
pstrongIN/strongembrOysters/embrThey’re sustainably farmed, good for the environment (they filter the water as they grow) and impossibly delicious. a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/best-oyster-palaces-and-raw-bars-seattle” target=”_blank”Oyster bars have popped up all over town/a, at Ballard’s Walrus and the Carpenter, Capitol Hill’s Coastal Kitchen and Taylor Shellfish, and at Little Gull Grocery, the oyster bar at North Lake Union’s Westward./p
pstrongOUT/strongembrPoutine/embrAny Canuck will tell you, Seattle never quite got poutine right anyway. Now, just a few years after it began, it seems our love affair with the gut-filling concoction—fries topped with cheese curds and ladled with gravy—has ended. But we’ll always have the extra padding on our thighs to remember it by./p
pstrongIN/strongembrBocadillos/embrHello, fine a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/cheap-eats-chico-madrid” target=”_blank”Spanish cheese and ham on a crusty baguette./a Why, yes, we do enjoy our sandwiches even more when they’re neatly wrapped in paper./p
pstrongOUT/strongembrPaninis/embrWhy take the joy out of our carbs by squishing them down so hard? Sorry, panini, you and your friends, pesto and roasted red pepper, leave us cold./p
pstrongimg src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/whiskeybar_bestof.jpg” style=”float: left; margin: 10px;” height=”200″ width=”300″brIN/strongembrWhiskey Bars/embra href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/radiator-whiskey-pike-place-market” target=”_blank”Radiator Whiskey in Pike Place Market/a (left) joined Canon Whiskey and Bitters Emporium and Ma‘ono Fried Chicken Whisky as proof that brown liquor is in. em(Photo by Andrea Coan) /em/p
pstrongOUT/strongembrSpeakeasies/embrWe’ll happily keep the craft cocktails, but we’re happier to lose the hidden, unmarked doorways and the intimidation factor of those phone-access back bars./p
pstrongIN/strongembrKimchi/embrFermented cabbage equals yum. Wait, we’re not kidding! The Korean side dish is healthy, spicy and acts as a palate cleanser. We love the varieties we’ve tasted at Revel, the Korean Tofu House, a href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/article/affordable-fare-marination-ma-kai” target=”_blank”Marination Ma Kai/a, and the jarred varieties from Firefly Kitchens at the Ballard Farmers’ Market./p
pstrongOUT/strongembrPickles/embrWe love snacking on properly pickled veggies and fruits—especially strawberries—but too many restaurants are hopping on the bandwagon without the know-how, serving raw, hard veggies that have taken too short of a bath in vinegar. It’s palate-shocking and unsatisfying. img src=”/sites/default/files/newfiles/andrea_nguyen_pickles.jpg” style=”float: right; margin: 10px;” height=”199″ width=”300″strongbrbrIN/strongembrJuicing/embra href=”http://\/\/seattlemag.com/gallery/new-tastemakers-2013?page=1” target=”_blank”We’re revving our engines with the vivid nectar of kale/a, beets, ginger and apples. And boy, does it keep us regular!/p
pstrongOUT/strongembrPour-overs/embrThis precious brewing method turned quick coffee pit stops into half-hour ordeals. All this for coffee as weak as tea?/p

 

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