February 2011

Q&A: 'Growing a Farmer' Author Kurt Timmermeister

Q&A: ‘Growing a Farmer’ Author Kurt Timmermeister

Seattle restaurateur turned Vashon Island dairy farmer Kurt Timmermeister shares his life makeover i

In 1991, Cafe Septieme owner Kurt Timmermeister threw his citified lifestyle a curve, buying 4 1/2 acres of cheap, brambly farmland and a shack on Vashon Island. Hoping to simply have a nice retreat at the end of his daily commute, he gradually began farming the land—first vegetables, then raw milk, and currently, making Dinah’s…

Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Row Boat Press' 'I Love You Because' Print

Valentine’s Day Gift Idea: Row Boat Press’ ‘I Love You Because’ Print

Scribble your sentiment of the moment on the glass-encased poster with a dry-erase pen, then wipe it

Leave your valentine a sweet message on Row Boat Press’ (formerly Seattle Show Posters) “I love you because” framed print. Scribble your sentiment of the moment on the glass-encased poster with a dry-erase pen, then wipe it away and recompose as many times as needed to cover why you heart your honey. $49 at rowboatpress.com….

Designer Binh Nguyen's Kiddo-Chic Clothing Line

Designer Binh Nguyen’s Kiddo-Chic Clothing Line

A Belltown resident perfects funky, playful streetwear for kids.

Designer Binh Nguyen is a bit of surprise, even to himself. A hip-hop emcee in a previous life, the 31-year-old left music behind in 2006 when his 2-year-old niece was diagnosed with cancer. After spending months with tykes at Seattle Children’s, he dramatically shifted career focus to kids’ wear, starting off silk-screening custom hoodies and…

Going Old School at Retro Fit

Going Old School at Retro Fit

This new Fremont clothing shop puts a sporty twist on vintage.

Rio Estolas has gone retro. The former owner of Ballard streetwear shop Officials Urban Clothing (which closed in 2004), Estolas has blended street and sport at his similarly named new venture, Officials Vintage (Fremont, 3602 Palatine Ave. N; 206.257.5027; officialsvintage.blogspot.com), a quaint showroom stocked with old-school sportswear. Open since last fall, the boutique’s selection of…

Dynamic Duos: Couples Pair Up on Locally Made Wine

Dynamic Duos: Couples Pair Up on Locally Made Wine

Love and wine just seem to go together. And for some Washington winemaking couples, their mutual lov

Love and wine just seem to go together. And for some Washington winemaking couples, their mutual loves—for wine and for one another—is what adds passion to the process. At Nefarious Cellars in Chelan, for instance, husband and wife Dean and Heather Neff have split the winemaking duties: Dean makes all the red wines; Heather crafts…

Bar Hop to First Hill's Vito's

Bar Hop to First Hill’s Vito’s

Vito’s Restaurant & Lounge (927 Ninth Ave.; 206.397.4053; vitosseattle.com) opened its doors in 1953, serving Seattle’s power elite and, later, a sketchier crowd (which led to its closing in 2009). Last September, Hideout owners Greg Lundgren and Jeff Scott lovingly brought the First Hill hangout back from the dead. THE VIBE: The low-lit Italian joint…

Eat Big? Vegas-style Dining at Northwest Casinos

Eat Big? Vegas-style Dining at Northwest Casinos

Best bets for dining at Seattle-area Vegas-style restaurants.

There was not one. Not two. Not even three or four. On the evening I dined at Terra Vista recently, there were five luxe steak options available, from the “low-end” Delmonico ($47) to the primo côte de boeuf (a shareable 48-ounce American Wagyu rib steak for $160). As surprising as the price of that rib…

Pictorial Photography and the Seattle Camera Club at the Henry

Pictorial Photography and the Seattle Camera Club at the Henry

A new show sheds light on the pre–World War II work of Japanese photographers in Seattle

Despite the renown of its members, you probably haven’t heard of the Seattle Camera Club. Here’s why: Founded in 1924 by 37 talented Japanese photographers, the club thrived until World War II, when many of its members were sent to internment camps. The group disbanded and much of its work was lost, but the UW…

John Evison Talks About His New Book, "West of Here"

John Evison Talks About His New Book, “West of Here”

Local author Evison dishes on writing his latest work, an epic tale centered on the 1890s founders o

ARTIST: Jonathan EvisonBainbridge Island–based authorBOOKS: The coming-of-age novel All About Lulu, which earned the 2009 Washington State Book Award, and the just-released West of Here, an epic tale centered on the 1890s founders of Port Bonita, a fictional Washington coast town based on Port Angeles.READINGS: Various area bookstores 2/15–2/19, including Elliott Bay Book Company (2/17)….

“Ten Tiny Dances,” the Twitter of Dance Shows

Seattle choreographer Crispin Spaeth gives audiences big fun with diminutive modern dance.

As artists know, constraints imposed upon creative work may seem initially frustrating but often turn out to be the very thing that inspires genius. Such is the premise of “Ten Tiny Dances,” a concept originated by Portland choreographer Mike Barber and replicated by Seattle choreographer Crispin Spaeth. In this case, participating dancers are bound by…

ACT, 5th Avenue Tag Team City Arts

ACT, 5th Avenue Tag Team City Arts

Seattle’s ACT and 5th Avenue Theatre join forces to produce a new and improved musical.

Seattle actress Billie Wildrick is bouncing atop a trampoline, dressed up like a 1960s cheerleader in a retro blue and yellow uniform. With an all-American ponytail, she smiles and waves her pompoms. It’s part of a promotional photo shoot for Vanities: A New Musical (in which Wildrick is one of three female leads), a new…

Find the Perfect Paint for Your Home

Find the Perfect Paint for Your Home

Local paint color consultants help writer Maria Dolan get a kick out of hue.

Color consultant Renate Ruby’s discerning eyes slid past the stripes of color I’d swiped onto the entry wall of my home—kaleidoscopic evidence, in hues ranging from eye-popping saffron yellow to mealy nonwhite, of nine months of color indecision. She patted the thick white trim framing my living room—the very thing I fell in love with…