May 2015

SIFF Picks: Two Must-See Movies from Seattle Filmmaker Mel Eslyn

SIFF Picks: Two Must-See Movies from Seattle Filmmaker Mel Eslyn

Eslyn steps into the spotlight as an up-and-coming film producer

“I’m sitting here with a busted ankle thanks to a karaoke injury last night,” says Mel Eslyn. The Seattle-based filmmaker is in LA, keeping her foot elevated and speaking via a spotty Skype connection. She’s mid-shoot for a film she’s producing called MF, the directorial debut of Robert Schwartzman, brother of Jason (Rushmore) and cousin…

Powerful Exhibit Looks at the Mount St. Helens Eruption

Powerful Exhibit Looks at the Mount St. Helens Eruption

This month marks 35 years since Mount St. Helens blew her stack

Living with volcanoes in your backyard breeds a certain nonchalance; our prominent peaks make for inspiring vistas and weather gauges, sure, but unless they’re actively rumbling, we rarely think about their explosive potential. On May 18, 1980, that tranquil attitude was shaken when Mount St. Helens erupted in a spray of gas and rock that…

Building a Glass House: A Modern Take on Home Redesign

Building a Glass House: A Modern Take on Home Redesign

Architect creates nature-inspired space for taking in the stunning Northwest scenery

Adrian Burton Jovanovic knew he needed to replace the decaying roof of his 1940s house, nestled on the hillside between Queen Anne’s Kinnear Park and Elliott Bay. But the music education software company founder, who has a penchant for hosting impromptu musical performances and parties, also wondered if he could maximize the space’s potential, with…

Chic Scissors for Everyday Snipping and Slicing

Chic Scissors for Everyday Snipping and Slicing

Scissors—the household workhorse that we all too often take for granted until a pair comes along that inspires us to rethink the simple acts of snipping and slicing. Case in point: This ten-blade showstopper is made to mince tender herbs but is just as handy at transforming ribbon for especially lovely packages. Nab your pair…

Lunchtime cravings: Slab Sandwiches & Pie

Lunchtime cravings: Slab Sandwiches & Pie

Inventive, mouthwatering sandwiches-- what more could you want from a lunch spot?

The ideal lunch at Slab Sandwiches & Pie—part of the new Lark conglomer-ate near the busy heart of Capitol Hill’s Pike/Pine corridor—is a brisket sandwich ($11), slathered in smoked mayo, with pickled jalapeño peppers and grilled romaine lettuce, shared with someone else. This is so that you can then eat a warmed-up chocolate and smoked…

Pioneer Square Dining: Casco Antiguo

Pioneer Square Dining: Casco Antiguo

Flavorful tacos and fresh margaritas are just a few of the mouthwatering menu items

At Burnt-Orange-hued Casco Antiguo (in the former Calozzi’s space in Pioneer Square), you can opt for family-friendly dining on the “cocina” side, where kitchen-bar seats offer a view of the busy crew grilling meats, stirring pots and toasting just-made tortillas on a griddle. Honey-toned wood banquettes and tables, built by co-owner Harvey Van Allen, stand…

Step into Greenwood's English Village-Style Cozy Nut Tavern

Step into Greenwood’s English Village-Style Cozy Nut Tavern

Enjoy a hand-crafted cocktail, U.K. tap list, and hearty snacks

Squirreled away near the intersection of 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue, The Cozy Nut (123 N 85th St.; 206.784.2240) has an English village pub atmosphere and hosts a crowd of regulars from the neighborhood. But be warned: The first thing you’ll see when you enter is a large glass diorama with a big horned sheep’s…

An Eastside Home Gets a Modern Game Room Redesign

An Eastside Home Gets a Modern Game Room Redesign

Fremont-Based Architecture Firm Turns Basement into Upscale Wine Cellar and Entertainment Center

How do you transform an open, undefined 1,800-square-foot basement into a sophisticated space for fine wine, video games, sports, movies and music? Such was the challenge presented to designer Margaret Menter when a video game executive and his wife charged her with creating the ultimate home entertainment center in their Eastside home, located on the…

Spend Memorial Day Road-Tripping Through Willamette Wine Country

Spend Memorial Day Road-Tripping Through Willamette Wine Country

Celebrate 50 Years of Pinot Noir Planting in the Willamette Valley

Where: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. WHY: Because 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pinot Noir planting in the Willamette Valley, which the whole region celebrates during the annual Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country event (5/23–5/25; willamettewines.com). WHAT: Once considered the promised land for pioneers on the Oregon Trail, the Willamette Valley now holds…

6 Emerging Washington White Wines

6 Emerging Washington White Wines

A growing number of uncommon grape varieties in Washington are transforming our white wine palate

Chardonnay and Riesling together make up nearly 80 percent of white wine grapes harvested each year in Washington. Include the next six varieties—Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Semillon—and the number rises to 98.7 percent. That leaves just 1.3 percent for the whole splendid mess of Earth’s other white grapes. (To put…

Lady Rizo Struts her Stuff in Teatro ZinZanni's New Show

Lady Rizo Struts her Stuff in Teatro ZinZanni’s New Show

Nancy Guppy gets behind the persona of Lady Rizo

Chanteuse, comedienne and cabaret star Lady Rizo recently told alma mater Cornish College that she’ll know she’s truly successful when drag queens start doing impressions of her. But as a major force on the NYC singing scene and with a Grammy under her belt, Ms. Rizo (aka Amelia Zirin-Brown) has already arrived. She struts her…

One of the Deadliest Days on Mt. Rainier: One Year Later

One of the Deadliest Days on Mt. Rainier: One Year Later

A Mount Rainier guide tries to put last year’s deadly accident into perspective

On a Thursday evening one year ago this May, I walked into my kitchen wearing flannel pajamas. I had just driven back to my apartment in Seattle after guiding a three-day summit bid on Mount Rainier, and I could still feel the raw bite of the wind on my face. A light flashed on my…