Sipping in Seattle - Dinners at Union, Tilth, and Ten Mercer
Better late than never. Isn't that how the saying goes?
I've been meaning to write about Susan and my trip to Seattle which took place in early December. We spent a short week in Seattle promoting her book, sharing wine with customers, eating at great restaurants, and, of course, doing a bit of last-minute Christmas shopping. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it and we pulled the long end of the stick...
We started off with a fabulous dinner prepared by Ethan Stowell at Union. Union is Seattle's hot new restaurant, and we were thrilled to do a wine dinner there. The restaurant closed down and 75 people joined us for an amazing four course meal as part of the Cooks and Books Visiting Chef Series. My mom is no professional chef, but she did write a book and we had good wine to share that night. Ethan is coming down to Portland in a couple months for the Classic Wines Auction. If you're at the CWA, you'll get the opportunity to taste his fabulous creations. And, if you're at the restaurant in Seattle, be sure to try the Frisee, Baby Beet and Crème Fraiche Salad. It was an extraordinarily flavorful and creative salad.
The next night we ate at Maria Hine's new restaurant, Tilth. It's an amazing concept, and one my mother and I especially loved. Everything on the menu is wild or organic. How cool is that? Even though the restaurant was brand-new, it was packed that night, which is a true testament to Maria's culinary genius and the concept. I can't even remember how many small courses we had; I stopped counting for fear of overdoing it. I do, however, remember the amazing cheese course at the end. (Note - Susan will be back in Seattle to do a dinner with Maria at Tilth on February 5th. RSVP by calling Tilth at 206-633-0801 before it fills up!)
The last night, we had a small wine dinner at Ten Mercer, a restaurant I frequently when I lived in Seattle in 2002-2004. It was a small and intimate way to finish a great trip up North. The highlight of the five-course meal was the fresh oysters served with Evolution and red chile ice. I love oysters and usually eat them straight with a bit of lemon. But, the chef's Evolution and red chile ice was a great compliment to both the oysters and the Evolution we drank with that course. I hope they consider making that a permanent addition to their menu!
So, that was our trip to Seattle. Great food, great wine, book readings, shopping, and a bit of mother-daughter bonding during the holidays. What more could you ask for?