Jeremy Faber bangs on my door a little after 5 a.m. at the end of May, on a day that promises temperatures in the 70s. “Bring a down jacket,” he advises. Thin and lanky, he possesses a barely contained intensity that seems ready to spring at any moment. As I gather up my stuff, Faber…

Many of our local breweries have tasting rooms where you can get pints of beer but nothing substantial to eat, unless you consider peanuts and pretzels a meal. Food trucks are rushing to the rescue, and it is increasingly common to find some of the area’s best mobile cuisine outside of brewery tasting rooms. It’s…

Elliott Bay BrewingThe original Elliott Bay Brewing location (Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub) in West Seattle opened in 1997 and has always been the kind of place where customers and servers know each other by name and maybe even attend the same Zumba classes. It is a welcoming, comfortable and kid-friendly neighborhood pub that just…

Not only is our local cider great for sipping, but because it is complex, not overly sweet, and layered with fruit and other flavors, it makes great cocktails, too. Here are a couple to get you started. What the Doctor OrderedIce cubes2 ounces dark rum1/2 ounce Sidetrack Distillery nocino walnut liqueur3 ounces Seattle Cider Company…

It’s surprising that, with its deep, rich history, hard cider hasn’t had a more prominent place in the artisan drinking revolution. As we’ve reached into the past for cocktail influences, cider has been a bit overlooked, especially considering it was the premier Colonial beverage. But recently, a bevy of small-batch cider makers are crushing it,…

Dashi Matzo Ball Soup Ingredients:1 ounce olive oil1 ounce garlic2 ounces ginger, coarsely chopped1 ¼ ounces dried shiitake mushrooms1 ounce kombu, dried kelp, available at Asian markets1 ounce bonito flakes1 gallon water Instructions: Sweat garlic and ginger over medium heat in olive oil. Add water, shiitake and kombu, and bring to a boil. Turn off…

Say hello to bonito flakes. They’re waving at you, perched on an Osaka Pancake at the newest Tom Douglas restaurant, TanakaSan. The heat from the savory pancake—a variation on traditional okonomiyaki made with cabbage, scallion and shrimp—causes the delicate fish shavings to sway. So, it’s kind of like dinner and a show. Bonito flakes are…

This cupcake is made with one of the most delicious confections I have even eaten, cooked condensed milk, aka dulce de leche or milk caramel. It’s so good you might catch yourself eating it by the spoonful right out of the can. The recipe is very simple, but takes some time and a keen eye…

(*see Horchico, below, for kids’ version)   2 cups of long-grain white rice 2 cinnamon sticks 8 cups water, room temperature 2 (14-ounce) cans evaporated milk (may substitute 3 cups half-and-half and 1/2 cup whipping cream) 1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 cups tequila plus 2 tablespoons   1…

BALLARDJolly Roger Taproom Maritime Pacific Brewing Company is Ballard’s oldest brewery, having opened in 1990 at a location just west of 15th Avenue, and its pub (the Jolly Roger Taproom) is a beloved fixture in the neighborhood. The décor is an obvious nod to Ballard’s maritime history, with just enough pirate flair to get the…