Classes: Wine and food pairing classes with five-course wine-paired dinnerCovington Cellars, Woodinville, 18580 142nd Ave. NE; 425.806.8636; covingtoncellars.com; $99. Thursdays, 7–9:30 p.m.Learn the basics of food and wine pairing as a chef prepares a five-course meal and demonstrates techniques for finding the best wines. Wine and food pairing 101Wine World and Spirits, University District, 400…

When people talk about “food-friendly” wines, what do they mean? Wine and food just naturally go together, right? Well, yes. And no. Sometimes you just want a glass of wine—when you’re on a boat or in front of the fire, say—and at those times, you want a wine that will stand alone. But when you…

Cozy, not clutteredIn the former Bella Umbrella space, Essex feels like a high-end London pub, with 12 stools at the L-shaped bar, a standing bar near the door and an array of white marble café-style tables. House-made ingredientsPettit brings his hands-on approach to cocktails here, offering everything from craftily aged spirits and wild foraged watercress…

Cafe Con Leche has hit a few bumps in the road on its journey from popular food truck to sit-down spot. In its expansive new SoDo dining room, the former Paladar Cubano crew draws a big lunch crowd, yet on a recent visit, there were too few servers, and the kitchen was out of empanadas…

It’s easy to get stuck in a comfortable rut if you’re a regular at the still stellar 13-year-old Salumi. The skillfully assembled sandwiches are, after all, the best kind of flavor bomb: paper-thin slices of perfectly spiced charcuterie exploding with cured porky goodness. But, just for fun, let’s go fishing for the under-the-radar dishes at…

These days, it’s not unusual to spy diners whipping out their cameras during a meal and snapping shots of food porn. But, what’s this? People focusing their lens on the tables instead of what’s on the plate? That’s fairly routine at Collections Café— at the Chihuly Garden and Glass—where Dale Chihuly’s vast assortment of amusing…

It may sound less iconic than the braised bunny or tender agnolotti, but Café Juanita‘s roasted cauliflower is every bit—and every bite—as memorable. For this anything-but-humble side dish, chef/owner Holly Smith and her cooks roast the bland crucifer into a caramelized version of veggie crack, spiced with cumin and livened with lime juice, adding a…

Baker Hazel Lao’s culinary experimentation began in college and grew into a passion that’s endured for more than a decade. Two summers ago, while seven months pregnant, Lao moved from California to Sand Point so that her husband could pursue a Ph.D. program at the University of Washington. The two-month wait before giving birth gave…

Oprah may have flown Ezell’s chicken out to Chicago whenever she had a particular craving, but there are plenty of other crispy Northwest recipes for this comfort-food favorite. Ma‘ono Fried Chicken & WhiskyCrafting the fried chicken with gochujang and honey-hot mustard sauces is a two-day process: On the first day, chicken is soaked in buttermilk;…

At Susie McGee’s Madrona home, the walls are alive with piercing eyes, outstretched limbs and bodies in motion. “I like figurative work,” McGee says, and it makes perfect sense. Before moving to Seattle in 1994, McGee and husband Mark Lowdermilk spent 17 years as professional dancers in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. Their careers…