Just finished reading this article from Time.com titled 'Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin' and had some reflections to share. I know I haven't blogged in a month and a half, but I've been Tweeting (@carlman03) like crazy. The more I tweet, the less I end up blogging, so sign up for a free Twitter account and follow me! I was pretty skeptical at first about the whole Twitter thing, but decided to give it a try. I found that it is a great way to keep in touch with family, and perhaps the occasional celebrity or hobby (sports for me), as well as getting the latest news at it breaks.
Ok, so this article is a little depressing. It basically says that no matter how much or how hard your exercise to try and loose weight, it probably won't have any effect on your weight at all. Basically, the more your exercise, the more you eat and less active you typically are the rest of the day, which often results in a net zero change. Not only do people naturally get hungrier after working out, but they often treat themselves after a workout, with a muffin at Starbucks or something with greater than normal calories. Then, they are too tired or sore to do anything else so they just sit around the rest of the day.
I have an inkling of hope, as my legs are sore from my morning run and my stomach is rumbling after eating a salad for lunch. I believe that I usually do a decent job of balancing out these two negative bi-products or exercise. On the hunger front, I eat fairly healthy and like to think that I don't eat more after working out. I stick to a healthy breakfast (cereal and milk), mid-day snacks (a banana or apple), and after-work snacks (smoothie with yogurt, orange juice, banana, and frozen berries). As for the being tired part, its a wash, probably leaning towards the bad side. I do walk to work every day, which is a nice 25 minutes of walking built into my daily schedule. I try to walk the stairs at least once a day instead of the elevator from my floor on 10th to the cafeteria on 4th. Sometimes Christy and I go for a walk somewhere around Seattle. But I spend at least 7 hours a day sitting in front of this screen at work and then don't usually do to much once I get home, other than catch up on shows on the DVR, watch my Mariners/Sounders/Seahawks, or the latest Netflix movie to come through our mailbox. I would love to bike to work if we lived further out of Seattle (at least in Spring-Fall).
This article doesn't say much about how dietary habits affect one's weight. I've always thought of diet and exercise as having an equal impact on losing weight, but now I just don't know. So if one wants to lose weight, should they not even bother working out? Just walk more? As the article says, exercise has other long term benefits, but if I want to focus on the now and improving my physique (ok, that sounds weird) and just all around feeling better, what am I supposed to do? I'd like to think that regular exercise and reasonable dietary habits will eventually help lower one's weight. Its a great concept, but perhaps its just that.
What do you think?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Why does healthcare cost more in some cities?
I just finished reading a fascinating article from the New Yorker about healthcare spending disparities across the US. I found this article while reading a story form Business Week about President Obama's challenge in working with doctor's to lower costs. I have grown more and more interested in anything related to healthcare policy and spending since I started working at Regence Blue Shield. I've heard a lot about what is wrong with the system, but I think this article does a great job of laying out the facts and really investigating what is at the core of the problem.
This article primarily focuses on what doctors and hospitals are doing right and wrong and to be fair I have to mention that there are many players in the system that are to blame (government, pharmaceuticals, certain insurance companies, unhealthy lifestyles...). The core of the argument in the article is that when doctors focus on the business aspect (making the most money possible) they drive costs up, quality goes down, and service to the patient is poor. Certain models like the Mayo Clinic are shining examples of putting patients first and implementing preventative measures, which drives costs down and quality goes up.
Time some time to read the article and write a comment on this blog about your reaction or your perspective.
This article primarily focuses on what doctors and hospitals are doing right and wrong and to be fair I have to mention that there are many players in the system that are to blame (government, pharmaceuticals, certain insurance companies, unhealthy lifestyles...). The core of the argument in the article is that when doctors focus on the business aspect (making the most money possible) they drive costs up, quality goes down, and service to the patient is poor. Certain models like the Mayo Clinic are shining examples of putting patients first and implementing preventative measures, which drives costs down and quality goes up.
Time some time to read the article and write a comment on this blog about your reaction or your perspective.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Stem Cells Used to Cure Blindness
I found a fascinating story/video at Gizmodo.com about how scientists and doctors are using stem cells to help cure blindness, specifically for people who are blind in one eye. They take a small amount of stem cell from the healthy eye, cultivate it onto contacts in a lab, and then place the contact on the damaged/blind eye. Throughout the time period of a month, the three test subjects had improved vision in their blind eye. Watch the video to get a complete explanation (or visit my site to watch the video).
Pretty amazing. I wrote a blog post about stem cells a few months ago and how they have miraculous potential. Anyone else have any miracle stories related to stem cells?
Pretty amazing. I wrote a blog post about stem cells a few months ago and how they have miraculous potential. Anyone else have any miracle stories related to stem cells?
Joshua Bell performs undercover in DC Subway
I heard about this story from the Seattle Sketcher, who while waiting in the Seattle bus tunnel for a media tour on the new Light Link Rail he noticed and sketched a woman playing the cello.In his small description of the sketch, he mentions how this musician reminded him of an experiment that the Washington Post did with world famous and renowned violinist Johsua Bell. They asked him if he would be willing to perform incognito at a busy subway stop at L'Enfant Plaza in downtown DC. Only one person recognized him and in the 43 minutes of playing only made $32.17! The experiment was actually focused more on if people would stop and appreciate the beauty of the classical music as they hastily passed by on their way to work. Pretty cool story. What do you think?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Last Weekend in May: Camping, the Crab Pot, and a brand-new Herb Pot
Hello friends!
Well, another fun-filled weekend has come to a close here with the Fields (or as I like to say, the Olsen Fields)! After several attempts by Carl to get me to blog on Seattle Field Notes, I (meaning Christy) am making my first post! To be fair, I do blog all day long at work (visit us at blog.norway.com), so he does give me a break. :)
On Friday afternoon, Carl and I packed up our newly acquired camping gear to head to Snoqualmie River RV Park and Campground. This was our first time camping together, and we didn't know quite what to expect. But the allure of no TV, cooking over an open fire, and enjoying a peaceful night's sleep in the wilderness made it easy to go on an impromptu 24 hour adventure. Setting up the tent was mildly humorous. I had some serious doubts of cooking over an open fire (they sell camp stoves for a reason!), but Carl surprised me with his innovative grate-and-aluminum-pan method, and prepared us a delicious mixed grill of chicken and vegetables. The people watching was fantastic, with alot of locals mixed in with the campers. The campground itself was pretty okay-- we were glad it was close to town so we could buy batteries for our new AeroBed camping mattress-- but next time, we want to be further into the mountains. We wanted a night away from the continual stream of traffic right outside our window, and there's nothing like falling asleep and waking up to car noise when you're camping! We had a great time hanging out, playing travel Scrabble (thanks to the Osbornes for the travel set!), and eating delicious camping food (smores!). We can't wait to do it again soon!
We drove home to Seattle on late Saturday morning (yes, I even got up at 8:45!), and got ready for a fun day with our dear friends, Ellen and Kyle Aronson. The weather could not have been better-- bright blue sky, slight breeze, temperature in the low 80s. These are the days when people are glad to live in Washington! We started the day with lunch at the Wing Dome, located in the charming Phinney Ridge/Greenwood neighborhood. For anyone who likes Buffalo wings and creative riffs on the classic bar food, this is definitely a place to go. Rated with an alarm system (0-7 alarm), you can choose the hotness of your wings, from child's play to one so hot you have to sign a waiver (no joke). It was pretty spicy, but definitely a repeat. Afterwards, we headed to Denny Park for a game of frisbee (actually, Ellen and I just watched, which was more fun for us!), and walked down to Pike Place Market for the annual festival. There were a LOT of people there, but it was fun to celebrate the rich diversity that the Market brings to our city.
We finished our day with a seafood feast at The Crab Pot, which the Aronsons had never been to! Carl and I had dined at both the Seattle and Bellevue locations, and we were glad to introduce our fellow seafood enthusiasts to this fun restaurant. For those of you who haven't been there, this is a hands-on restaurant, complete with bibs, mallets, and big metal bowls on the floor to discard your shells. We had a huge mixed basket of steamed Dungeness crab, snow crab, mussels, clams, shrimp (with the heads still on!), chorizo sausage, red potatoes, and corn on the cob, all sprinkled with a healthy dose of their house spice mix. It's messy, but a really fun experience and good food. If you like seafood, this is definitely a restaurant to try!
But I digress... Carl's job is the monthly Restaurant Field Report, not mine! Today was a nice, relaxing day to run errands and such. We took a nice walk around upper Fremont, an up-and-coming area which is a little more grown-up than its counterpart down the hill. We bought a cool pot at urbanweeds, a hip niche garden store for city dwellers. I have a new penchant for growing things (okay, just houseplants for now), and I was inspired by my sister-in-law Jeannie (aka the Faux Gourmet) to grow our favorite herbs. We planted 4-inch starts of basil, cilantro (sorry, Jeannie!), rosemary, and oregano. Armed with a trowel and a fresh bag of potting soil, Carl and I officially have our own "garden" with our coastal redwood seedling, amaryllis, a Fire and Ice succulent, and other assorted houseplants. Fun! Upper Fremont is a great neighborhood, and somewhere we can envision ourselves living someday.
The only bad part of the weekend was a very unfortunate twist of fate: I dropped Carl's keys down the elevator shaft. Seriously. It's something all tenants here worry about, with that gaping hole staring you in the face every time you step into the elevator. We were locked out of our apartment and didn't have the number to the after-hours guy, so our options were reduced to knocking on the door of the apartment manager. She was really nice to us, and let us into our apartment. Thank goodness I had my keys here in the apartment-- we would have been charged $500 (yes, you read that right) to have them retrieved during the weekend. There are plenty of other things we would rather spend that money on, so we don't mind waiting until Tuesday!
All in all, it was a terrific weekend. This week marked our one year anniversary here in our apartment, and we are thankful to be done with graduation, moving, wedding, and starting jobs! As we approach our one year wedding anniversary in a few weeks, life here in Seattle truly feels like home. It's great to establish roots with someone you love, especially when that person is your best friend.
Hope you had a great May!
Well, another fun-filled weekend has come to a close here with the Fields (or as I like to say, the Olsen Fields)! After several attempts by Carl to get me to blog on Seattle Field Notes, I (meaning Christy) am making my first post! To be fair, I do blog all day long at work (visit us at blog.norway.com), so he does give me a break. :)
On Friday afternoon, Carl and I packed up our newly acquired camping gear to head to Snoqualmie River RV Park and Campground. This was our first time camping together, and we didn't know quite what to expect. But the allure of no TV, cooking over an open fire, and enjoying a peaceful night's sleep in the wilderness made it easy to go on an impromptu 24 hour adventure. Setting up the tent was mildly humorous. I had some serious doubts of cooking over an open fire (they sell camp stoves for a reason!), but Carl surprised me with his innovative grate-and-aluminum-pan method, and prepared us a delicious mixed grill of chicken and vegetables. The people watching was fantastic, with alot of locals mixed in with the campers. The campground itself was pretty okay-- we were glad it was close to town so we could buy batteries for our new AeroBed camping mattress-- but next time, we want to be further into the mountains. We wanted a night away from the continual stream of traffic right outside our window, and there's nothing like falling asleep and waking up to car noise when you're camping! We had a great time hanging out, playing travel Scrabble (thanks to the Osbornes for the travel set!), and eating delicious camping food (smores!). We can't wait to do it again soon!
We drove home to Seattle on late Saturday morning (yes, I even got up at 8:45!), and got ready for a fun day with our dear friends, Ellen and Kyle Aronson. The weather could not have been better-- bright blue sky, slight breeze, temperature in the low 80s. These are the days when people are glad to live in Washington! We started the day with lunch at the Wing Dome, located in the charming Phinney Ridge/Greenwood neighborhood. For anyone who likes Buffalo wings and creative riffs on the classic bar food, this is definitely a place to go. Rated with an alarm system (0-7 alarm), you can choose the hotness of your wings, from child's play to one so hot you have to sign a waiver (no joke). It was pretty spicy, but definitely a repeat. Afterwards, we headed to Denny Park for a game of frisbee (actually, Ellen and I just watched, which was more fun for us!), and walked down to Pike Place Market for the annual festival. There were a LOT of people there, but it was fun to celebrate the rich diversity that the Market brings to our city.
We finished our day with a seafood feast at The Crab Pot, which the Aronsons had never been to! Carl and I had dined at both the Seattle and Bellevue locations, and we were glad to introduce our fellow seafood enthusiasts to this fun restaurant. For those of you who haven't been there, this is a hands-on restaurant, complete with bibs, mallets, and big metal bowls on the floor to discard your shells. We had a huge mixed basket of steamed Dungeness crab, snow crab, mussels, clams, shrimp (with the heads still on!), chorizo sausage, red potatoes, and corn on the cob, all sprinkled with a healthy dose of their house spice mix. It's messy, but a really fun experience and good food. If you like seafood, this is definitely a restaurant to try!
But I digress... Carl's job is the monthly Restaurant Field Report, not mine! Today was a nice, relaxing day to run errands and such. We took a nice walk around upper Fremont, an up-and-coming area which is a little more grown-up than its counterpart down the hill. We bought a cool pot at urbanweeds, a hip niche garden store for city dwellers. I have a new penchant for growing things (okay, just houseplants for now), and I was inspired by my sister-in-law Jeannie (aka the Faux Gourmet) to grow our favorite herbs. We planted 4-inch starts of basil, cilantro (sorry, Jeannie!), rosemary, and oregano. Armed with a trowel and a fresh bag of potting soil, Carl and I officially have our own "garden" with our coastal redwood seedling, amaryllis, a Fire and Ice succulent, and other assorted houseplants. Fun! Upper Fremont is a great neighborhood, and somewhere we can envision ourselves living someday.
The only bad part of the weekend was a very unfortunate twist of fate: I dropped Carl's keys down the elevator shaft. Seriously. It's something all tenants here worry about, with that gaping hole staring you in the face every time you step into the elevator. We were locked out of our apartment and didn't have the number to the after-hours guy, so our options were reduced to knocking on the door of the apartment manager. She was really nice to us, and let us into our apartment. Thank goodness I had my keys here in the apartment-- we would have been charged $500 (yes, you read that right) to have them retrieved during the weekend. There are plenty of other things we would rather spend that money on, so we don't mind waiting until Tuesday!
All in all, it was a terrific weekend. This week marked our one year anniversary here in our apartment, and we are thankful to be done with graduation, moving, wedding, and starting jobs! As we approach our one year wedding anniversary in a few weeks, life here in Seattle truly feels like home. It's great to establish roots with someone you love, especially when that person is your best friend.
Hope you had a great May!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
May Restaurant Field Report
Its been two months since my last Restaurant Field Report and I have a few updates. I didn't make it to as many new restaurants as I would like, but I do get to cross one local place off my list, add a few to list, and share my all time favorites places in Seattle. Enjoy!
Spinasse: I've been looking forward to going to Spinasse with my parents and sister because they love authentic, rustic Italian food. They came over for part of Memorial Day weekend, so I jumped on the chance to take them here and I'm glad it worked out. Christy's sister Caroline also got to join us for our Sunday night dinner. All I knew about this place is that the chef makes fresh pasta every day and that it has been one of the top new restaurants in Seattle (located in Capitol Hill near Pike Street).
Now to the goods. We were seated at a community table, which we shared with two other groups. This wasn't so bad because we got to see what others were eating. Right after we sat down, were given complimentary bruschetta (one with some sort of pate and one with a somewhat sour cheese). This reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister Jeannie about whether the unexpected free food is worth the premium you pay for the rest of the food. I think that if you are going to a restaurant with premium prices then you're prepared to pay that premium, so the sticker shock isn't a factor and the unaccepted treat is just a bonus. What do you think?
The menu follows a traditional format of Antipasti (appetizers), Primi (pastas), Secondi (meat), Contorni (sides/veggies), and Dolci (dessert). We started with the sampler antipasti, which allowed us to get a taste of all the delicious starters. These aren't the kind of appetizers you get at some place like the Olive Garden (calamari, artichoke dip, or flatbread). I could hardly interpret half of the dishes and really didn't know what to expect. My favs were veal with tuna maionesse (sounds weird, but yummy) and rich anchovy fillets. Next we ordered one of each of the homemade pastas (fine cut egg pasta with ragu, ravioli with butter/sage/pine nuts, and "random wide cuts" of pasta with braised pork). Each of them had such a rich deep flavor that complemented the light and fresh pasta. I know Jeannie wished they had gnocchi...maybe next time. We like these so much we got another round because of the rare opportunity to get this high-quality pasta (and we got to keep the leftovers!). For the Secondi, we had some sort of pork chop and a rabbit dish. I think I like the rabbit better, but really the pastas were the highlight of the night. We also got some roasted turnips and their greens and some potatoes. For dessert, we sampled the chocolate torte.
Aside from the food, the restaurant was quite small with capacity for only 45 or so, and no waiting area. The bar looks straight into the kitchen, which looks more like a Julia Childs kitchen than a typical industrial type kitchen. I would love to sit up there and watch them prepare all the delicious food. The bar is used by the chef/owner Justin Neidermeyer to make his pastas in the morning. Service was a little slow, but we got there pretty late and they kept the kitchen open for us as we were a little slow in getting our orders in, so that was nice of them. I enjoyed the food, but I don't feel compelled to return. I got the experience I was looking for as I enjoyed the meal with my family, but in the end it isn't really my style of food. I'm starting to realize my style of taste with food. While I enjoy watching all the gourmet cuisine made in shows like Iron Chef and the intrigue of techniques used, I don't enjoy eating the food as much. At first I thought it was the type of restaurants that serve that type of food (see La Cirque), I think it has more to do with the food itself. I still can't quite pinpoint what it is that I don't like, but I'm enjoying going through the process of developing my preferences, both with the food I eat and they ambiance of the restaurants I eat at. So in the end, like I said, I enjoyed the experience of exploring a new restaurant, trying new tastes and being with my family, but I don't feel like I need to go back. Another reason is that there are so many other exciting restaurants in Seattle, some on my list and some yet to be discovered, that if something isn't quite right for me, then there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
Now, don't just take my word for it. Check out these other reviews by people who actually get paid to write this stuff.
Cross off the list
Spinasse: I've been looking forward to going to Spinasse with my parents and sister because they love authentic, rustic Italian food. They came over for part of Memorial Day weekend, so I jumped on the chance to take them here and I'm glad it worked out. Christy's sister Caroline also got to join us for our Sunday night dinner. All I knew about this place is that the chef makes fresh pasta every day and that it has been one of the top new restaurants in Seattle (located in Capitol Hill near Pike Street).Now to the goods. We were seated at a community table, which we shared with two other groups. This wasn't so bad because we got to see what others were eating. Right after we sat down, were given complimentary bruschetta (one with some sort of pate and one with a somewhat sour cheese). This reminds me of a conversation I had with my sister Jeannie about whether the unexpected free food is worth the premium you pay for the rest of the food. I think that if you are going to a restaurant with premium prices then you're prepared to pay that premium, so the sticker shock isn't a factor and the unaccepted treat is just a bonus. What do you think?
The menu follows a traditional format of Antipasti (appetizers), Primi (pastas), Secondi (meat), Contorni (sides/veggies), and Dolci (dessert). We started with the sampler antipasti, which allowed us to get a taste of all the delicious starters. These aren't the kind of appetizers you get at some place like the Olive Garden (calamari, artichoke dip, or flatbread). I could hardly interpret half of the dishes and really didn't know what to expect. My favs were veal with tuna maionesse (sounds weird, but yummy) and rich anchovy fillets. Next we ordered one of each of the homemade pastas (fine cut egg pasta with ragu, ravioli with butter/sage/pine nuts, and "random wide cuts" of pasta with braised pork). Each of them had such a rich deep flavor that complemented the light and fresh pasta. I know Jeannie wished they had gnocchi...maybe next time. We like these so much we got another round because of the rare opportunity to get this high-quality pasta (and we got to keep the leftovers!). For the Secondi, we had some sort of pork chop and a rabbit dish. I think I like the rabbit better, but really the pastas were the highlight of the night. We also got some roasted turnips and their greens and some potatoes. For dessert, we sampled the chocolate torte.Aside from the food, the restaurant was quite small with capacity for only 45 or so, and no waiting area. The bar looks straight into the kitchen, which looks more like a Julia Childs kitchen than a typical industrial type kitchen. I would love to sit up there and watch them prepare all the delicious food. The bar is used by the chef/owner Justin Neidermeyer to make his pastas in the morning. Service was a little slow, but we got there pretty late and they kept the kitchen open for us as we were a little slow in getting our orders in, so that was nice of them. I enjoyed the food, but I don't feel compelled to return. I got the experience I was looking for as I enjoyed the meal with my family, but in the end it isn't really my style of food. I'm starting to realize my style of taste with food. While I enjoy watching all the gourmet cuisine made in shows like Iron Chef and the intrigue of techniques used, I don't enjoy eating the food as much. At first I thought it was the type of restaurants that serve that type of food (see La Cirque), I think it has more to do with the food itself. I still can't quite pinpoint what it is that I don't like, but I'm enjoying going through the process of developing my preferences, both with the food I eat and they ambiance of the restaurants I eat at. So in the end, like I said, I enjoyed the experience of exploring a new restaurant, trying new tastes and being with my family, but I don't feel like I need to go back. Another reason is that there are so many other exciting restaurants in Seattle, some on my list and some yet to be discovered, that if something isn't quite right for me, then there are plenty of other fish in the sea.Now, don't just take my word for it. Check out these other reviews by people who actually get paid to write this stuff.
Add to the list
Caribbean
Paseo: I heard about this place from a waiter in New York city who grew up in Seattle. Then I saw it in piece about Fremont in the Seattle Magazine. Apparently they have killer Caribbean sandwhiches, though I don't really know what that means. I found a picture from MyBallard.com and it looks like a taco wagon for Caribbean food. They don't even have a website. Found a Seattle Times review, which puts them in same category as Baguette Box, which just happens to be one my favorite gourmet sandwhich places in Seattle. Excited to learn more about this place. Located in Ballard and Fremont.
Gastropub
Quinns Pub: I first heard about Qunnis from the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine I was glancing through while I waited in line at Whole Foods. I had never heard of a gastroub before, but it sounded like it had gourmet food in a bar atmosphere, which sounded both delicious and fun (though the more I look into the more this it looks like this might fall into the "too fancy for Carl" category mentioned in the Spinasse review)! Quinns was also reccomeded by the waiter in NY. According to a Seattle Times review, "Will it be marrow bones, oxtail or rabbit pâté? Maybe a burger of Wagyu beef, or a wild boar Sloppy Joe? How about house-made sausage with lentils, or hangar steak with fries? Perhaps just a salad will do — but will it have smoked trout, grilled romaine, or Stilton cheese and pear?" Sounds intriguing...guess I'll have to find out for myself. Located in Capitol Hill.
French/Italian/American
Bis on Main: I heard about Bis on Main from the waiter in New York. And thats about all I know. Taking a look at the menu, I'd want to try the Gravlax with potato pancakes, Gnocchi in saffron cream, and Penn Cove Mussels in a curry sauce. The entries all look pretty expensive, so I'd probably stick with these appetizers. Check out this review from Seattle Times. Located in Bellevue.
Artisan Cured Meat
Salumi: I heard about Salumi as I was reading about the new Olive 8 Hyatt Hotel in Alaska Airlines magazine. I had just read that the hotel served meat from Salumi and then my dad mentioned something about how it was owned by Mario Batali's father, Armandino Batali. Thats about all I know about this place. It sounds like they have great sandwhiches and long lines at lunch. After a doing a little reading on their website and a Seattle Weekly article, I found out that Armandino grew up near Yakima (Mario Batali was born in Yakima...who knew!), worked for Boeing for 31 years before learning the art of meat curing and opening up Salumi. It started as a small deli but has turned into a well known and respected meat curing wholesaler with a deli (which is still tiny apparently). Can't wait to try this one! Located in Pioneer Square.
CaribbeanPaseo: I heard about this place from a waiter in New York city who grew up in Seattle. Then I saw it in piece about Fremont in the Seattle Magazine. Apparently they have killer Caribbean sandwhiches, though I don't really know what that means. I found a picture from MyBallard.com and it looks like a taco wagon for Caribbean food. They don't even have a website. Found a Seattle Times review, which puts them in same category as Baguette Box, which just happens to be one my favorite gourmet sandwhich places in Seattle. Excited to learn more about this place. Located in Ballard and Fremont.
GastropubQuinns Pub: I first heard about Qunnis from the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine I was glancing through while I waited in line at Whole Foods. I had never heard of a gastroub before, but it sounded like it had gourmet food in a bar atmosphere, which sounded both delicious and fun (though the more I look into the more this it looks like this might fall into the "too fancy for Carl" category mentioned in the Spinasse review)! Quinns was also reccomeded by the waiter in NY. According to a Seattle Times review, "Will it be marrow bones, oxtail or rabbit pâté? Maybe a burger of Wagyu beef, or a wild boar Sloppy Joe? How about house-made sausage with lentils, or hangar steak with fries? Perhaps just a salad will do — but will it have smoked trout, grilled romaine, or Stilton cheese and pear?" Sounds intriguing...guess I'll have to find out for myself. Located in Capitol Hill.
French/Italian/AmericanBis on Main: I heard about Bis on Main from the waiter in New York. And thats about all I know. Taking a look at the menu, I'd want to try the Gravlax with potato pancakes, Gnocchi in saffron cream, and Penn Cove Mussels in a curry sauce. The entries all look pretty expensive, so I'd probably stick with these appetizers. Check out this review from Seattle Times. Located in Bellevue.
Artisan Cured MeatSalumi: I heard about Salumi as I was reading about the new Olive 8 Hyatt Hotel in Alaska Airlines magazine. I had just read that the hotel served meat from Salumi and then my dad mentioned something about how it was owned by Mario Batali's father, Armandino Batali. Thats about all I know about this place. It sounds like they have great sandwhiches and long lines at lunch. After a doing a little reading on their website and a Seattle Weekly article, I found out that Armandino grew up near Yakima (Mario Batali was born in Yakima...who knew!), worked for Boeing for 31 years before learning the art of meat curing and opening up Salumi. It started as a small deli but has turned into a well known and respected meat curing wholesaler with a deli (which is still tiny apparently). Can't wait to try this one! Located in Pioneer Square.
Top Restaurants in Seattle
I decided to put together a list of restaurants in Seattle I would recommend hands down, without reservations.
- Portage Bay Cafe: Best breakfast/brunch in town and its within walking distance.
- Buenos Aires Grill: Argentine steakhouse in Belltown where Christy and I had our first date and we got engaged.
- Red Mill Burgers: Best burgers anywhere...located in Phinney Ridge and Interbay
- Zeeks Pizza: Excellent pizza place a few blocks from our apartment. Christy's office gets it for work some days.
- Whole Foods: Great selection of fresh, delicious ready to eat food: sandwichs, soups, sushi, teriyaki, pizza, salad bar, and hot bar. Sooo good.
- Purple Cafe: So many good things here, like tapas, cheeses, salads, and mini-desserts. Attractive wine tower, though no corking fee if they don't have the wine you bring.
- Pita Xpress: My favorite lunch place downtown. Great food and nice people.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Twitter and my other blog
Well I'm finally getting around to testing/using my Twitter account (carlman03) I created last year. I was inspired after I saw that the City of Prosser (cityofprosserwa) and my sister's food blog (TheFauxGourmet) both have Twitters. I need to start catching up on the social networking curve as I've fallen a little behind. For those of you who don't know what Twitter is or don't get it (I don't really even get it), allow me to attempt to enlighten you. According to their website, "Twitter asks one question, "What are you doing?" Answers must be under 140 characters in length and can be sent via mobile texting, instant message, or the web." Some people like to stay connected and share what they are doing or keep tracking of what others are doing, and some people could care less. My suggestion: Create a free account, search for some of your friends to see if they have a Twitter account or search for your favorites things (restaurants (searestaurants), stores (Starbucks), media outlets (SeattleTimes), celebreites (THE_REAL_SHAQ)...you'd be surprised). Check out this list of top Twitters, based on the number of followers for each account. Feel free to follow my twitter as I start tweeting more often (tweeting is the act of writing an update for your Twitter account). One can tweet through the internet at Twiter.com or they can use their phone and text their tweet to their account and it is posted immediatly. How cool is that! I'm curious what you all think about Twitterting, so send me your feedback by adding a comment.
Update: I just found this great article about Twitter and sports, specifically Seattle sports.
My other announcement is that I have another blog I occaisonaly write for called TheSouthlake.com. It is a blog for the neighborhood I live in and I've been following it since I moved here a year ago. Rick, the founder of the blog, invited poeple to start posting their own stories on the blog, so occasionaly when I found a piece of news about SLU (South Lake Union) that I think is interesting, then I'll post it. Today I posted a story about a new Tesla (luxury electric car) showroom is opening up in SLU later this summer. Wonder if they require a $10,000 deposit to let you test drive it. Anyway, just wanted to share with you all that I am polyblogamorus...I read many blogs and write for many blogs.
In case you are curious, here are some other blogs that I follow:
Update: I just found this great article about Twitter and sports, specifically Seattle sports.
My other announcement is that I have another blog I occaisonaly write for called TheSouthlake.com. It is a blog for the neighborhood I live in and I've been following it since I moved here a year ago. Rick, the founder of the blog, invited poeple to start posting their own stories on the blog, so occasionaly when I found a piece of news about SLU (South Lake Union) that I think is interesting, then I'll post it. Today I posted a story about a new Tesla (luxury electric car) showroom is opening up in SLU later this summer. Wonder if they require a $10,000 deposit to let you test drive it. Anyway, just wanted to share with you all that I am polyblogamorus...I read many blogs and write for many blogs.
In case you are curious, here are some other blogs that I follow:
- Norway.com: Managed by my wife Christy
- What's in the Pot?: Run by my sister Jeannie Rose
- I became a wife of August 11th, 2007: Run by our friend Ellen in Puyallup
- Life, From This Day Forward: Run by our friend Emily in Boise
- The Southlake: Community blog for my neighborhood
- Sounders Blog: News about the MLS team Seattle Sounders, hosted by Seattle Times
- Seattle Sketcher: Sketch artist in Seattle, hosted by Seattle Times
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Seattle Sketcher
So there's this guy named Gabriel Campanario, or Gabi, that does some incredible sketches around Seattle and in his homeland of Spain. He used to posted his sketches on his personal blog, until the Seattle Times gave him an blog called Seattle Sketcher.
Check out all his sketches in this Google Map and tell me which one you like the best. My favs are the ones that are very close to my apartment, like the Pink Elephant one and the La Qunita mural. I even saw him painting this one just a block away from my office while I was getting lunch a few weeks ago! The building on the left of the top drawing is my building. Each one has a story that goes along with it, whether it is a homeless guy or a fellow blogger.
Check out all his sketches in this Google Map and tell me which one you like the best. My favs are the ones that are very close to my apartment, like the Pink Elephant one and the La Qunita mural. I even saw him painting this one just a block away from my office while I was getting lunch a few weeks ago! The building on the left of the top drawing is my building. Each one has a story that goes along with it, whether it is a homeless guy or a fellow blogger.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Spring Update!
I don't even know when my last blog post was, but I'm back at it, as I watch the replay of the Sounders game today. It was a bittersweet game, because we were playing at home and scored first but we only got a tie out of the game, which isn't bad considering we played the last 30 minutes after man down after a red card. The Sounders had a great start winning their first 3 games without giving up a goal, but have gone 1-2-2 (which means 1 win, 2 losses, and 2 ties) since including today. They just announced that the Sounders are playing Barcelona later this summer, which is exciting because they are playing for the European Championship in a few weeks and because they are one of the most storied teams in the world. Whenever I wear my Sounders gear or talk to people about it they always ask me if I've been to a game yet. Well, the answer is no, both because I haven't made the effort to buy tickets and because the game are sold out really fast. The next 3 home games are sold out already. They play at Qwest Field, but don't open up the upper sections so seating is maxed out at about 29,o00. I've heard rumors that they may open up more seats for the rest of the season or for next year. I'm planning on going to a game with my family this summer and it looks we we all will be able to go the August 29th game against Toronto. Go Sounders!
Well, what else have we been up to besides watching Sounders games each week? Um...multiple trips to Tacoma/Puyallup, a few visits from Christy's dad Rich (with even more visits from the Olsens expected the rest of the year...more on that later), walks around Seattle, an impromptu weekend adventure to Port Townsend, a trip of the mountains to visit mom and dad for Easter, a few business trips to Portland, lots of home-work for Christy on the 17th of May Norwegian Celebration in Ballard, culinary adventures in our kitchen, and fun planning for the summer.
So lets start with all the trips to the South Sound. We went to the annual PLU Spring Donor banquet last weekend, where we got to see a lot of alumni friends and enjoy the music and stories of alum and EMAL Michael Peterson. We got to spend the rest of the night with our dear friend's Ellen and Kyle. We all watched the Sounders game that was on during the donor banquet, which they tied. We had a great breakfast with them on Sunday morning and played some Trivial Pursuit on their Wii. On the Friday night before, we went with Rich to the PLU Relay for Life to hang out with Caroline and Taylor. That is always a special event. We went to Ellen and Kyle's a few weeks before that for a PLU GOLD alumni group. Afterwards, we went to visit our dear friend Molly Olmstead. She graduated with us last year from PLU and has been doing student teaching and working on getting her Masters in Education. She just moved into a new condo in Puyallup and we had a wonderful time catching up with her!
We've been trying to enjoy living in Seattle by going on walks around the city. We walked down to the Olympic Sculpture Park and then north along with waterfront by some huge gain elevator silos. We came back through Interbay and then through Queen Anne. I probably wasn't super far and it wasn't the prettiest part of Seattle, but it was nice to get out enjoy the nice weather. We went on another walk yesterday, this time exploring Woodland Park (thats right, next to the zoo). We parked by some soccer/baseball fields south of Green Lake, walked west towards the zoo, then wound up in Phinny Ridge. We checked out a new townhouse, which was way out of our price range, but had an incredible view over Ballard and the Olympic Mountains. Then we stopped at our favorite burger joint in Seattle called Red Mill, where we shared a burger with caramelized onions, fries, and a yummy chocolate peanut butter shake. We finished the loop by walking down the hill towards Green Lake, where we found some grass to throw the frisbee around before heading home. Good times.
I got to take two business trips to Portland to work on a new website with our department management. It was a great opportunity to interact with our director, assistant director, and managers! I've been working on this for a few months and it is more than just a new site for our department. It is a new intranet for the entire company which allows departments to create their own pages, which is new, and have it all on one platform and one common template instead of the many different sites currently across the company. All that hard work paid off as our new site launched this week and I spent a lot of time getting the site ready. I'm proud of my work and am grateful for this opportunity to be valuable and visible to the rest of our department (I got that valuable and visible bit from my high school coach...applies to football and life. Also, check out this new website called Healthy Heights that Regence built to teach people about how healthcare costs can be managed in a community. Let me know what you think! Its like a sims city simulation thing.
Well, as I type this I am sitting next to my parents on a flight to New York to attend my sister's graduation from NYU law school. I'll take this as opportunity to give a shout out to my fellow blogger/sister and her delicious food blog called What's in the Pot?, as well as her gig writing recipes for Airfield Estates website called Chef's Corner! Check out her blog, which features her favorites restaurants around New York and the world as well as new recipes that she puts together. She is a brilliant cook and soon to be lawyer (don't worry, she'll be the good kind of lawyer defending human rights and saving the world). I got three days off of work for this trip and had to leave Christy behind because she had to put all the finishing touches together for the 17th of May Norwegian Constitution Day on Sunday. Luckily, I fly back on Sunday morning and get to attend all of the festivities! So what am I going to be doing with my parents and two sisters in the Big Apple? We're going to see Guys and Dolls on Thursday, Jeannie's graduation on Friday, a Yankees game at their immaculate new stadium, and a whole slew of fancy/fun restaurants. I even bought some sweet new shoes (Echo brown leather European style classy looking loafers on clearance at Macys!) and brought my sporty gray jacket. Watch out New York City!
Well about a month ago Christy came home from work on a Friday and said "Lets go on a road trip tonight and stay in a bed and breakfast somewhere!" It took me about 10 minutes to warm up to the idea, but before I knew it we were sitting in our car in line at the ferry terminal about to head to Bainbridge Island with our GPS and Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest book. We looked up a few B&B's to stay at in Port Townsend, which seemed like a fun place that neither of us had been to and was just the right distance away. We found one called Ravenscroft Inn which is run by a sweet old couple and we just happened to be the only guests that night. We got there around 9 PM and walked to a restaurant downtown where we had free entertainment watching a bachlorette party as we wined and dined. The breakfast served up at the B&B was so delicious. We had broiled grapefruit and pumpkin waffles with diced granny smith apples drizzled with caramel sauce...yummo! Amid walking along the beach and through downtown, we enjoyed lunch at a 50's style diner and checked out the local museum (where we had to listen to the clerk talk for like an hour, as he had to stop and say hi to every person that walked through the door and ignore us for 5 minutes...he was a sweet old guy though). We checked out an old fort nearby where they filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman" which I hadn't seen, but we watched a week after. We decided to go for a bit of a joy ride and head over towards Dungeness (which doesn't have a downtown apparently) and Sequim. We say a bunch of deer everywhere, like just chilling in people's yards and they were fearless. It was weird. Since we were in Dungeness, we had to get a crab, so we went to the local "Whole Foods"-esque organic grocery store and got a previously frozen crab and a halibut steak (halibut season just started!). On the way home, we stooped by my coworkers house right by the Hood Canal Bridge and hung out with her and her two granddaughters for a few hours, which was really fun! Her granddaughters are so energetic and exhausted us for the short time we spent with them...made us glad we are waiting a few years before we have kids. It'll be fun, but we like having lazy evenings and just enjoying each other. Anyway, we finally made it home and were so glad we took this impromptu road trip. Can't wait to do it again this summer! Oh, and the crab was the best crab I've ever had...wow. I thought because it was previously frozen, it wouldn't be good, but the flavor and texture was prefect. Yummo!
Another weekend trip was to Prosser for Easter. We hadn't been home to visit my folks in a few months and they had just returned from their exciting Europe trip to visit my sister in Austria with my two other sisters. They went to Austria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy in their 3 week adventure. We had fun hearing all about their trip, doing a little wine tasting, gave our dog Charlie a bath, and enjoyed some incredible cuisine from the kitchen of Burrfield Manor. We especially enjoyed visiting a new winery/pizzeria in Prosser called Wine O'Clock, owned by Ron and Susan Brunnell. First off, their wine is first class and we got to sit at the bar and have Ron pour wine to our heart's content. Our favorite was the intriguing Mouvedre, a spicy Sryah-like red wine. Just as good as the wine is the gourmet, wood oven stove pizza that Susan creates. Last time we were there, she did all the food prep herself and they didn't have much hired help, so things were a little slow. This time, they had some excellent staff and man were they cooking (double meaning)! I definitely recommend a stop at Wine-O-Clock if you are planning a trip near Prosser. In fact, there are at least 10 excellent wineries within walking distance and just off the freeway and more are on the way! It was good to see mom and dad (and Charlie) and its good to be with them now! I think they are going to come to Seattle for Memorial Day weekend next week because Jeannie will be in Prosser and needs to get to Seattle to fly back out to NY. We're planning all the restaurants we want to go to (Spinasse, Taberno de Alabadero, Portage Bay Cafe, Seastar Seattle, Purple Cafe Seattle...and so many more).
Well I saved the biggest news for last. We found out that Christy's family is officially moving back to Washington this summer! Her dad, Rich, works for Lockheed Martin and they won a contract at Hanford to provide all of the business services (IT, finance...which is his specialty, HR, security and more). We're very excited that the Olsen's will be a 4 hour drive away instead of a 4 hour flight away! This means more reasons for us to drive over the mountains and more guests in our spare bedroom! Plus, we'll get to see both families for holidays now since they're probably going to live only 25 minutes away from my parents! Woot woot! Rich has been flying out every few works to get things setup at Hanford and often stays the night with us and takes us out to breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe or dinner at Purple Cafe.
Well I think that about covers it for now. We're about to land, my battery is almost dead, and if you've made it all they way to the end of this blog then you're a true fan! Don't forget to write a comment and spread the word about my blog!
Well, what else have we been up to besides watching Sounders games each week? Um...multiple trips to Tacoma/Puyallup, a few visits from Christy's dad Rich (with even more visits from the Olsens expected the rest of the year...more on that later), walks around Seattle, an impromptu weekend adventure to Port Townsend, a trip of the mountains to visit mom and dad for Easter, a few business trips to Portland, lots of home-work for Christy on the 17th of May Norwegian Celebration in Ballard, culinary adventures in our kitchen, and fun planning for the summer.
So lets start with all the trips to the South Sound. We went to the annual PLU Spring Donor banquet last weekend, where we got to see a lot of alumni friends and enjoy the music and stories of alum and EMAL Michael Peterson. We got to spend the rest of the night with our dear friend's Ellen and Kyle. We all watched the Sounders game that was on during the donor banquet, which they tied. We had a great breakfast with them on Sunday morning and played some Trivial Pursuit on their Wii. On the Friday night before, we went with Rich to the PLU Relay for Life to hang out with Caroline and Taylor. That is always a special event. We went to Ellen and Kyle's a few weeks before that for a PLU GOLD alumni group. Afterwards, we went to visit our dear friend Molly Olmstead. She graduated with us last year from PLU and has been doing student teaching and working on getting her Masters in Education. She just moved into a new condo in Puyallup and we had a wonderful time catching up with her!
We've been trying to enjoy living in Seattle by going on walks around the city. We walked down to the Olympic Sculpture Park and then north along with waterfront by some huge gain elevator silos. We came back through Interbay and then through Queen Anne. I probably wasn't super far and it wasn't the prettiest part of Seattle, but it was nice to get out enjoy the nice weather. We went on another walk yesterday, this time exploring Woodland Park (thats right, next to the zoo). We parked by some soccer/baseball fields south of Green Lake, walked west towards the zoo, then wound up in Phinny Ridge. We checked out a new townhouse, which was way out of our price range, but had an incredible view over Ballard and the Olympic Mountains. Then we stopped at our favorite burger joint in Seattle called Red Mill, where we shared a burger with caramelized onions, fries, and a yummy chocolate peanut butter shake. We finished the loop by walking down the hill towards Green Lake, where we found some grass to throw the frisbee around before heading home. Good times.
I got to take two business trips to Portland to work on a new website with our department management. It was a great opportunity to interact with our director, assistant director, and managers! I've been working on this for a few months and it is more than just a new site for our department. It is a new intranet for the entire company which allows departments to create their own pages, which is new, and have it all on one platform and one common template instead of the many different sites currently across the company. All that hard work paid off as our new site launched this week and I spent a lot of time getting the site ready. I'm proud of my work and am grateful for this opportunity to be valuable and visible to the rest of our department (I got that valuable and visible bit from my high school coach...applies to football and life. Also, check out this new website called Healthy Heights that Regence built to teach people about how healthcare costs can be managed in a community. Let me know what you think! Its like a sims city simulation thing.
Well, as I type this I am sitting next to my parents on a flight to New York to attend my sister's graduation from NYU law school. I'll take this as opportunity to give a shout out to my fellow blogger/sister and her delicious food blog called What's in the Pot?, as well as her gig writing recipes for Airfield Estates website called Chef's Corner! Check out her blog, which features her favorites restaurants around New York and the world as well as new recipes that she puts together. She is a brilliant cook and soon to be lawyer (don't worry, she'll be the good kind of lawyer defending human rights and saving the world). I got three days off of work for this trip and had to leave Christy behind because she had to put all the finishing touches together for the 17th of May Norwegian Constitution Day on Sunday. Luckily, I fly back on Sunday morning and get to attend all of the festivities! So what am I going to be doing with my parents and two sisters in the Big Apple? We're going to see Guys and Dolls on Thursday, Jeannie's graduation on Friday, a Yankees game at their immaculate new stadium, and a whole slew of fancy/fun restaurants. I even bought some sweet new shoes (Echo brown leather European style classy looking loafers on clearance at Macys!) and brought my sporty gray jacket. Watch out New York City!
Well about a month ago Christy came home from work on a Friday and said "Lets go on a road trip tonight and stay in a bed and breakfast somewhere!" It took me about 10 minutes to warm up to the idea, but before I knew it we were sitting in our car in line at the ferry terminal about to head to Bainbridge Island with our GPS and Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest book. We looked up a few B&B's to stay at in Port Townsend, which seemed like a fun place that neither of us had been to and was just the right distance away. We found one called Ravenscroft Inn which is run by a sweet old couple and we just happened to be the only guests that night. We got there around 9 PM and walked to a restaurant downtown where we had free entertainment watching a bachlorette party as we wined and dined. The breakfast served up at the B&B was so delicious. We had broiled grapefruit and pumpkin waffles with diced granny smith apples drizzled with caramel sauce...yummo! Amid walking along the beach and through downtown, we enjoyed lunch at a 50's style diner and checked out the local museum (where we had to listen to the clerk talk for like an hour, as he had to stop and say hi to every person that walked through the door and ignore us for 5 minutes...he was a sweet old guy though). We checked out an old fort nearby where they filmed "An Officer and a Gentleman" which I hadn't seen, but we watched a week after. We decided to go for a bit of a joy ride and head over towards Dungeness (which doesn't have a downtown apparently) and Sequim. We say a bunch of deer everywhere, like just chilling in people's yards and they were fearless. It was weird. Since we were in Dungeness, we had to get a crab, so we went to the local "Whole Foods"-esque organic grocery store and got a previously frozen crab and a halibut steak (halibut season just started!). On the way home, we stooped by my coworkers house right by the Hood Canal Bridge and hung out with her and her two granddaughters for a few hours, which was really fun! Her granddaughters are so energetic and exhausted us for the short time we spent with them...made us glad we are waiting a few years before we have kids. It'll be fun, but we like having lazy evenings and just enjoying each other. Anyway, we finally made it home and were so glad we took this impromptu road trip. Can't wait to do it again this summer! Oh, and the crab was the best crab I've ever had...wow. I thought because it was previously frozen, it wouldn't be good, but the flavor and texture was prefect. Yummo!
Another weekend trip was to Prosser for Easter. We hadn't been home to visit my folks in a few months and they had just returned from their exciting Europe trip to visit my sister in Austria with my two other sisters. They went to Austria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, France, and Italy in their 3 week adventure. We had fun hearing all about their trip, doing a little wine tasting, gave our dog Charlie a bath, and enjoyed some incredible cuisine from the kitchen of Burrfield Manor. We especially enjoyed visiting a new winery/pizzeria in Prosser called Wine O'Clock, owned by Ron and Susan Brunnell. First off, their wine is first class and we got to sit at the bar and have Ron pour wine to our heart's content. Our favorite was the intriguing Mouvedre, a spicy Sryah-like red wine. Just as good as the wine is the gourmet, wood oven stove pizza that Susan creates. Last time we were there, she did all the food prep herself and they didn't have much hired help, so things were a little slow. This time, they had some excellent staff and man were they cooking (double meaning)! I definitely recommend a stop at Wine-O-Clock if you are planning a trip near Prosser. In fact, there are at least 10 excellent wineries within walking distance and just off the freeway and more are on the way! It was good to see mom and dad (and Charlie) and its good to be with them now! I think they are going to come to Seattle for Memorial Day weekend next week because Jeannie will be in Prosser and needs to get to Seattle to fly back out to NY. We're planning all the restaurants we want to go to (Spinasse, Taberno de Alabadero, Portage Bay Cafe, Seastar Seattle, Purple Cafe Seattle...and so many more).
Well I saved the biggest news for last. We found out that Christy's family is officially moving back to Washington this summer! Her dad, Rich, works for Lockheed Martin and they won a contract at Hanford to provide all of the business services (IT, finance...which is his specialty, HR, security and more). We're very excited that the Olsen's will be a 4 hour drive away instead of a 4 hour flight away! This means more reasons for us to drive over the mountains and more guests in our spare bedroom! Plus, we'll get to see both families for holidays now since they're probably going to live only 25 minutes away from my parents! Woot woot! Rich has been flying out every few works to get things setup at Hanford and often stays the night with us and takes us out to breakfast at Portage Bay Cafe or dinner at Purple Cafe.
Well I think that about covers it for now. We're about to land, my battery is almost dead, and if you've made it all they way to the end of this blog then you're a true fan! Don't forget to write a comment and spread the word about my blog!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
March Restaurant Field Report
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about some local Seattle restaurants that were on my list to eat at. Well, I had the opportunity to visit a few of them and will share about those experiences, as well as new restaurants on my list. I hope to make this a regular monthly feature, so keep an eye out for future Restaurant Field Reports!
Tougo Coffee Co: My first experience here was a sandwich for lunch. They don't actually make their own food, but get it from a local, organic food company. The turkey sandwich was good, but what I enjoyed more was talking with the owner of this brand new coffee shop for about 15 minutes. I was impressed with him, so I brought Christy over the weekend to get some coffee the next day and we weren't too impressed with the coffee. I am willing to give it another chance, but I haven't been back since.
Seastar: I was really excited about this new seafood restaurant above Whole Foods and knew that both my dad and Christy's dad would like it, so when Rich came to visit about a month ago, we dined at Seastar, and didn't regret it. While the service was a little slow, it was only their second week open I think, the food was absolutely delicious! Rich ordered cedar-planked salmon, Christy had the mahi mahi, and I can't remember what I had, and we also shared an excellent bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle's Cold Creek Chardonnay. I can't wait to go with my parents! They also have a great Happy Hour, so I'll have to try that sometime too.
Feierabend: Christy and I have been here twice and look forward to taking our family and friends here. It's two blocks from our church, so its a convenient Sunday lunch spot, though is in second place behind Portage Bay Cafe for our fave after church cuisine. This German pub has a good ambiance with a great selection of beer and a separate glass for each type! We had a great brat sandwich and pommes frites with curry ketchup the first time and absolutely loved it (Curry ketchup with pommes frites are served at Christy's favorite Scandinavian bar in Ballard, so it must be a European favorite). We sat at the bar that looks into the "kitchen" and enjoyed watching the 3 men at work. I call it a "kitchen" because it was the same size as our small kitchen in our apartment and is completely open to the restaurant. This time we got Wiener Schnitzel with cabbage and spatzle and it made me feel as if I were with the rest of my family traveling and dining in Austria and Germany!
Purple Cafe: Where to start here...Christy and I met the fabuluous Jen Tracy here one night as she was in the middle of a conference downtown. I hadn't met her yet, nor had I met Purple Cafe: neither let me down. Jen works at PLU and works with the class representatives (Christy just become the 2008 class rep a few weeks ago!). We met her at the bar upstairs and quickly grabbed a mini-table once one was available. These tables were so low that I could'n' fit my knees below them and there wasn't enough room between the table and bench to put my legs in front of me, so needless to say it was a little uncomfortable. The restaurant had a good vibe, with candle chandeliers and an enormous, spiraling wine tower in the middle of the room that dominates the spacious, high ceiling room. Now, on to the important topics: food and wine. My standard approach to wine by the glass at a restaurant is go with a Prosser wine, but sometimes I'll get an Argentine wine to change it up. I am a firm believer that Prosser wines are better than every other wine! Actually, I think that most wines taste good, but it always tastes better when it is inexpensive and made in Prosser (or at least the grapes are grown in Prosser). That's another blog post for another day, but back to Purple Cafe, I got an Argentine Malbec that was delish. The food was the best part. We ended up sharing 3 different dishes: pumpking gnocchi with pancetta bits (think bacon bits, but way fancier...Jeannie, we are going here next time you visit), calamari with a moroccan tomato aioli, and a chevre goat cheese and braised mushroom pizza, and yes, it all tasted just as good as it sounds! Definitely can't wait to go back!
Most of my inspiration for these restaurants come from the Seattle Magazine latest issue of Top Restaurants.
Thali
Poppy: This Capitol Hill eatery features an Indian format of food called Thali, which is a selection of dishes served in small bowls all on a big plate. My impression is that you would order 1 and share it with someone. I didn't know it was Indian food until I Wiki-d, and after reading the description in Seattle Magazine, I'm just really not sure what to expect. We walked by it yesterday and it looked fun, with an eye catching logo that almost seems to be from the 70's.
Spanish
Taberna del Alabardero: I first heard about this place just on Friday at dim sum lunch with some co-workers, then saw it in Seattle Magazine. From what I heard, they had 10 different types of paella, which sounds magical and I'd be surprised if my dad doesn't leave Switzerland tomorrow to fly home early and beg me to take him here! After taking a look through their website, it sounds like this place is the real deal. This Belltown paella house is the second location for Taberna, and the first, which is a few blocks from the White House, has been voted the "best Spanish restaurant outside of Spain" after opening 35 years ago. Seattle Times claims its Tapas Menu is one of the best Happy Hours in the city. Seattle Magazine calls it the "most authentic ethnic restaurant in Seattle." Boy, I'm getting hungry...
Ok...got a snack (ants on a celery log)...back to work as I watch Tiger Woods battle to win his first PGA tourney of the Year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
French-Spanish
Olivar: This may sound a little weird, but I think the person that might enjoy this restaurant this most is my friend Sean, who spent a semester in France last year and enjoys food. I say it is weird because it was picked as the "Best Restaurant for Romance on a Budget" by Seattle Magazine. Christy and I walked by this place in Capitol Hill yesterday and it looked like fun. Kinda a rustic, European style place with things on the menu that are supposed to be delicious, but I've never tried, like duck confit and stuffed rabbit. Sean, what do you say? Man-date this summer?
Cross off the List
Tougo Coffee Co: My first experience here was a sandwich for lunch. They don't actually make their own food, but get it from a local, organic food company. The turkey sandwich was good, but what I enjoyed more was talking with the owner of this brand new coffee shop for about 15 minutes. I was impressed with him, so I brought Christy over the weekend to get some coffee the next day and we weren't too impressed with the coffee. I am willing to give it another chance, but I haven't been back since.
Seastar: I was really excited about this new seafood restaurant above Whole Foods and knew that both my dad and Christy's dad would like it, so when Rich came to visit about a month ago, we dined at Seastar, and didn't regret it. While the service was a little slow, it was only their second week open I think, the food was absolutely delicious! Rich ordered cedar-planked salmon, Christy had the mahi mahi, and I can't remember what I had, and we also shared an excellent bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle's Cold Creek Chardonnay. I can't wait to go with my parents! They also have a great Happy Hour, so I'll have to try that sometime too.
Feierabend: Christy and I have been here twice and look forward to taking our family and friends here. It's two blocks from our church, so its a convenient Sunday lunch spot, though is in second place behind Portage Bay Cafe for our fave after church cuisine. This German pub has a good ambiance with a great selection of beer and a separate glass for each type! We had a great brat sandwich and pommes frites with curry ketchup the first time and absolutely loved it (Curry ketchup with pommes frites are served at Christy's favorite Scandinavian bar in Ballard, so it must be a European favorite). We sat at the bar that looks into the "kitchen" and enjoyed watching the 3 men at work. I call it a "kitchen" because it was the same size as our small kitchen in our apartment and is completely open to the restaurant. This time we got Wiener Schnitzel with cabbage and spatzle and it made me feel as if I were with the rest of my family traveling and dining in Austria and Germany!
Purple Cafe: Where to start here...Christy and I met the fabuluous Jen Tracy here one night as she was in the middle of a conference downtown. I hadn't met her yet, nor had I met Purple Cafe: neither let me down. Jen works at PLU and works with the class representatives (Christy just become the 2008 class rep a few weeks ago!). We met her at the bar upstairs and quickly grabbed a mini-table once one was available. These tables were so low that I could'n' fit my knees below them and there wasn't enough room between the table and bench to put my legs in front of me, so needless to say it was a little uncomfortable. The restaurant had a good vibe, with candle chandeliers and an enormous, spiraling wine tower in the middle of the room that dominates the spacious, high ceiling room. Now, on to the important topics: food and wine. My standard approach to wine by the glass at a restaurant is go with a Prosser wine, but sometimes I'll get an Argentine wine to change it up. I am a firm believer that Prosser wines are better than every other wine! Actually, I think that most wines taste good, but it always tastes better when it is inexpensive and made in Prosser (or at least the grapes are grown in Prosser). That's another blog post for another day, but back to Purple Cafe, I got an Argentine Malbec that was delish. The food was the best part. We ended up sharing 3 different dishes: pumpking gnocchi with pancetta bits (think bacon bits, but way fancier...Jeannie, we are going here next time you visit), calamari with a moroccan tomato aioli, and a chevre goat cheese and braised mushroom pizza, and yes, it all tasted just as good as it sounds! Definitely can't wait to go back!
Add to the List
Most of my inspiration for these restaurants come from the Seattle Magazine latest issue of Top Restaurants.
ThaliPoppy: This Capitol Hill eatery features an Indian format of food called Thali, which is a selection of dishes served in small bowls all on a big plate. My impression is that you would order 1 and share it with someone. I didn't know it was Indian food until I Wiki-d, and after reading the description in Seattle Magazine, I'm just really not sure what to expect. We walked by it yesterday and it looked fun, with an eye catching logo that almost seems to be from the 70's.
Spanish
Taberna del Alabardero: I first heard about this place just on Friday at dim sum lunch with some co-workers, then saw it in Seattle Magazine. From what I heard, they had 10 different types of paella, which sounds magical and I'd be surprised if my dad doesn't leave Switzerland tomorrow to fly home early and beg me to take him here! After taking a look through their website, it sounds like this place is the real deal. This Belltown paella house is the second location for Taberna, and the first, which is a few blocks from the White House, has been voted the "best Spanish restaurant outside of Spain" after opening 35 years ago. Seattle Times claims its Tapas Menu is one of the best Happy Hours in the city. Seattle Magazine calls it the "most authentic ethnic restaurant in Seattle." Boy, I'm getting hungry...
Ok...got a snack (ants on a celery log)...back to work as I watch Tiger Woods battle to win his first PGA tourney of the Year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
French-Spanish
Olivar: This may sound a little weird, but I think the person that might enjoy this restaurant this most is my friend Sean, who spent a semester in France last year and enjoys food. I say it is weird because it was picked as the "Best Restaurant for Romance on a Budget" by Seattle Magazine. Christy and I walked by this place in Capitol Hill yesterday and it looked like fun. Kinda a rustic, European style place with things on the menu that are supposed to be delicious, but I've never tried, like duck confit and stuffed rabbit. Sean, what do you say? Man-date this summer?
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sounders Goals
Check out this video of the three goals scored by the Sounders in their 3-nil victory from Thursday night (courtesy of www.SoundersFC.com, discovered from Seattle Times Sounders Blog). Kevin Calabro, former voice of the Sonics, provides play by play. Go Sounders!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Sounders FC Win Their First MLS Game!
The Seattle Sounders FC won their season opener in their first season as an MLS expansion team tonight! They beat the New York Red Bulls 3-0 in front of 32,523 fans at Quest Field, but we were not in the stands (more on that later). I'm stoked that the Sounders won and have been waiting for this game for months as I've kept track of their preseason progress from the Seattle Times Sounders Blog. Today was a huge day for Seattle sports, with both the Sounders and UW Huskies winning. Perhaps things will start looking up now for the Seattle sports scene. So, now that you know that the Sounders won, you get to hear about our quest to watch the game.
The best option would have been to buy tickets to this historical game, but the tickets all sold out in the first 15 minutes they were available. So with that option dead, I thought it would be fun to organize to watch the game at a local Irish pub (St Pattys week) where I knew they had a bunch of tvs. I worked with a friend who knows people at Paddy Coynes and they said they didn't have anything planned and I even got our apartment manager to publish a flyer in 3 apartments in South Lake Union advertising the event. Then, out of nowhere, a checkstand clerk at Whole Foods offered me her and her husband's tickets to the opening game. I was ecstatic and gave her my buiness card and she was supposed to call me. Naturally, she never called me and I stopped by Whole Foods yesterday after work and luckily found her, but unfortunately she got someone to cover her shift so they can go to the game now...sigh, good for her...bad for me.
So Christy and I wandered over to Paddy Coynes to watch the game, and guess what happens: they only have one satellite feed and everyone was watching the Gonzaga game and the rest of the March Madness, so that kind of fell apart. I don't think anyone else was coming anyway. So, then we tried out the German pub called Feierabend, but they only have one TV and it was on NCAA basketball too. Sigh...so we ended up at our go to restaurant, Southlake Grill, and not only did they offer to change the channel on one of their TV's, but they let us go up to the private room with a sweet TV just for us! We didn't miss the kickoff (or whatever its called at soccer games) and enjoyed a delicious hummus platter and habenero pork enchiladas. We watched the game with the general manager, who is a really nice guy we've talked to before, and a girl our age and her brother from Minnesota. The Sounders scored two great goals in the first half, to which I yelled "GOALLLLLLLL" and woke up Christy, who did appreciate the goals upon watching the replay. We headed home to watch the second half, and of course the Sounders won 3-0. They played great, especially for an expansion team. And we didn't even have Beckham-esque Sweedish superstar and underwar model Freddie Ljungberg for the game. The difference is that Ljungberg is recovering from surgery, whereas Beckham is being a punk and doesn't wanna leave his pretend team in Europe (AC Milan) to play with the real team (LA Galaxy).
Well, thanks for reading and know that Christy and I are super excited to go to a few Sounders games this year and are looking for friends and family to go with! Check out their schedule and let us know if you wanna go to a game with us.
BTW- I went 14 of 16 in my bracket picks today! Check out my bracket below.
The best option would have been to buy tickets to this historical game, but the tickets all sold out in the first 15 minutes they were available. So with that option dead, I thought it would be fun to organize to watch the game at a local Irish pub (St Pattys week) where I knew they had a bunch of tvs. I worked with a friend who knows people at Paddy Coynes and they said they didn't have anything planned and I even got our apartment manager to publish a flyer in 3 apartments in South Lake Union advertising the event. Then, out of nowhere, a checkstand clerk at Whole Foods offered me her and her husband's tickets to the opening game. I was ecstatic and gave her my buiness card and she was supposed to call me. Naturally, she never called me and I stopped by Whole Foods yesterday after work and luckily found her, but unfortunately she got someone to cover her shift so they can go to the game now...sigh, good for her...bad for me.
So Christy and I wandered over to Paddy Coynes to watch the game, and guess what happens: they only have one satellite feed and everyone was watching the Gonzaga game and the rest of the March Madness, so that kind of fell apart. I don't think anyone else was coming anyway. So, then we tried out the German pub called Feierabend, but they only have one TV and it was on NCAA basketball too. Sigh...so we ended up at our go to restaurant, Southlake Grill, and not only did they offer to change the channel on one of their TV's, but they let us go up to the private room with a sweet TV just for us! We didn't miss the kickoff (or whatever its called at soccer games) and enjoyed a delicious hummus platter and habenero pork enchiladas. We watched the game with the general manager, who is a really nice guy we've talked to before, and a girl our age and her brother from Minnesota. The Sounders scored two great goals in the first half, to which I yelled "GOALLLLLLLL" and woke up Christy, who did appreciate the goals upon watching the replay. We headed home to watch the second half, and of course the Sounders won 3-0. They played great, especially for an expansion team. And we didn't even have Beckham-esque Sweedish superstar and underwar model Freddie Ljungberg for the game. The difference is that Ljungberg is recovering from surgery, whereas Beckham is being a punk and doesn't wanna leave his pretend team in Europe (AC Milan) to play with the real team (LA Galaxy).
Well, thanks for reading and know that Christy and I are super excited to go to a few Sounders games this year and are looking for friends and family to go with! Check out their schedule and let us know if you wanna go to a game with us.
BTW- I went 14 of 16 in my bracket picks today! Check out my bracket below.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Weekend in LA
Christy and I spent the weekend in LA visiting my incredible 92 year old grandma. We had a wonderful time and will write more about the weekend soon, but for know you can check out the photos in my Facebook album. If you have a Facebook account, then you can find the album in my profile page and comment on the pictures. Enjoy!
Monday, March 9, 2009
SNOW!
Its snowing in downtown Seattle! I don't think I've seen it snow from my 10th floor window yet and it is very exciting! When we got all the snow in December, I worked from home or it was on the weekend. I have been trying to think of a topic to blog about for the past few weeks, so this seemed appropriate.
On another note, I have an updated related to my last blog was all about stem cell research. Today, President Obama officially repealed the policy that restricted federal money to fund embryonic stem cell research. We'll see how this plays out.
Well, in the time it took my type this all, it has stopped snowing again and I can now see Queen Anne Hill (I couldn't during the snow flurry). Exciting, breaking news from downtown Seattle!
Spring weather in Seattle/Puget Sound baffles and frustrates me to no end. You'd think that after 4 years of living in Tacoma, I'd be used to the fact that it could be sunny, rainy, hailing, or snowy all within a half hour. Maybe I notice it more now since I have a better view of it from my window. I grew up in Prosser, where if it was sunny in the morning, then it would usually be sunny all day, or cloudy in the morning = cloudy all day...so simple.
Christy and I are flying to Los Angelos to visit my grandma this weekend (it better not snow down there!). We haven't seen her since the wedding, where she wasn't really herself because of a fall right before she flew up to Seattle. She sure was a trooper though! My aunt's Teresa and Carolyn and cousin's Charlie and Anne will also be around too, so it should be a great time!
Well, Happy Birthday to Dean (either 24 or 42, I can't remember). We had fun celebrating Christy's uncle's birthday with the whole Van Vleet clan at her grandmas house. Saw some pictures of Diane playing nurse as an 8 year old with the same smile she has now.
I guess that's it for now. Nothing profound, but its the latest and greatest from our life in Seattle.
On another note, I have an updated related to my last blog was all about stem cell research. Today, President Obama officially repealed the policy that restricted federal money to fund embryonic stem cell research. We'll see how this plays out.
Well, in the time it took my type this all, it has stopped snowing again and I can now see Queen Anne Hill (I couldn't during the snow flurry). Exciting, breaking news from downtown Seattle!
Spring weather in Seattle/Puget Sound baffles and frustrates me to no end. You'd think that after 4 years of living in Tacoma, I'd be used to the fact that it could be sunny, rainy, hailing, or snowy all within a half hour. Maybe I notice it more now since I have a better view of it from my window. I grew up in Prosser, where if it was sunny in the morning, then it would usually be sunny all day, or cloudy in the morning = cloudy all day...so simple.
Christy and I are flying to Los Angelos to visit my grandma this weekend (it better not snow down there!). We haven't seen her since the wedding, where she wasn't really herself because of a fall right before she flew up to Seattle. She sure was a trooper though! My aunt's Teresa and Carolyn and cousin's Charlie and Anne will also be around too, so it should be a great time!
Well, Happy Birthday to Dean (either 24 or 42, I can't remember). We had fun celebrating Christy's uncle's birthday with the whole Van Vleet clan at her grandmas house. Saw some pictures of Diane playing nurse as an 8 year old with the same smile she has now.
I guess that's it for now. Nothing profound, but its the latest and greatest from our life in Seattle.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Stem Cell Research
I'm going slightly political and controversial this week, after reading a great article from Time, Stem Cell Research: The Quest Resumes. I don't have much to say about it, but I wanted to provide a few facts and encourage everyone to read the article and comment with their opinion, professional or personal, and questions.
The basic idea of the article is that a method has been developed that can artificially create stem cells without the use of embryonic stem cells, thus side stepping the issue of using early stage human embryo stem cells, which destroys the human embryo. Adult stem cells are also used, but are less flexible. Embryo stem cells have the ability to mutate into one of the body's 200 tissue types, whereas adult stem cells have already mutated and can only be used for certain tissue types. One of the goals of stem cell research is to develop new therapies for diseases, such as Type 1 Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, MS, and various cancers, that currently have no treatment.
From the article, here is a timeline of major stem cell research:
There are other controversies around stem cells besides the use of human embryos. You know it is a big deal when it has its own Wikipedia page (Stem Cell Controversy). Some say that cloning cells could lead to cloning humans and devaluing the worth of a human being. According to the Washington Post, the Catholic Church "condemns as immoral the destruction of human embryos to obtain stem cells or treat infertility, and denounces any attempts at more futuristic possibilities such as cloning people or using gene therapy to enhance the human race."
I'll be the first to admit that the I don't have the best understanding of all this, from the scientific, ethical, political, or religious perspective. I realize it is a very sensitive issue to people for varying reasons, but I think it is important to have logical, discussions about issues like this one. I think it is a fascinating discovery and am curious what the research will produce 1, 5, or 10 years from now.
Here's one last article I didn't get a chance to read, but its from The Economist, so it should be good!
The basic idea of the article is that a method has been developed that can artificially create stem cells without the use of embryonic stem cells, thus side stepping the issue of using early stage human embryo stem cells, which destroys the human embryo. Adult stem cells are also used, but are less flexible. Embryo stem cells have the ability to mutate into one of the body's 200 tissue types, whereas adult stem cells have already mutated and can only be used for certain tissue types. One of the goals of stem cell research is to develop new therapies for diseases, such as Type 1 Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, MS, and various cancers, that currently have no treatment.
From the article, here is a timeline of major stem cell research:
1998: James Thomson, U of Wisconsin, isolates human embryonic stem cells
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2001: President Bush restricts federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells
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2004: Douglas Melton of Harvard creates more than 70 embryonic-stem-cell lines using private funding and distributes free copies of the cells to researchers around the world
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2006: Shinya Yamanaka, Kyoto University, turns back the clock on mouse skin cells to create the first induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, or stem cells made without the use of embryos. He uses only four genes, which are inserted into a skin cell's genome using retrovirus vectors
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2007: Yamanaka and Thomson separately create the first human iPS cells
2008- July: Kevin Eggan at Harvard generates the first patient-specific cells from iPS cells — motor neurons from two elderly women with ALS
2008- August: Melton bypasses stem cells altogether and transforms a type of mouse pancreatic cell that does not produce insulin into one that does
2008- September: Konrad Hochedlinger at Harvard creates iPS cells in mice using the common-cold virus rather than retrovirus vectors — an important step in making the technology safer for human use
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2008- October: Melton's team makes human iPS cells by replacing two of the four genes, known to cause cancer, with chemicals. All four must be swapped out before iPS-generated cells can be transplanted into people
2008- October: Yamanaka creates mouse iPS cells using safer plasmids of DNA instead of retrovirus vectors
- 2009: January: Food and Drug Administration approved the first trial of an embryonic- stem-cell therapy for a handful of patients paralyzed by spinal-cord injuries
There are other controversies around stem cells besides the use of human embryos. You know it is a big deal when it has its own Wikipedia page (Stem Cell Controversy). Some say that cloning cells could lead to cloning humans and devaluing the worth of a human being. According to the Washington Post, the Catholic Church "condemns as immoral the destruction of human embryos to obtain stem cells or treat infertility, and denounces any attempts at more futuristic possibilities such as cloning people or using gene therapy to enhance the human race."
I'll be the first to admit that the I don't have the best understanding of all this, from the scientific, ethical, political, or religious perspective. I realize it is a very sensitive issue to people for varying reasons, but I think it is important to have logical, discussions about issues like this one. I think it is a fascinating discovery and am curious what the research will produce 1, 5, or 10 years from now.
Here's one last article I didn't get a chance to read, but its from The Economist, so it should be good!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Going to Prosser
(Again, I posted this message under Christy's name earlier, so I am reposting it)
Christy and I are just about to leave for Prosser today. Not only are we excited for you usual exceptional wining and dining and hospitality at Burrfield Manor, but we are watching the Super Bowl and celebrating my dad's birthday! So not much to report, but I wanted to make sure I kept to my resolution to write a post every week this year. Here's some other things going on:
Christy and I are just about to leave for Prosser today. Not only are we excited for you usual exceptional wining and dining and hospitality at Burrfield Manor, but we are watching the Super Bowl and celebrating my dad's birthday! So not much to report, but I wanted to make sure I kept to my resolution to write a post every week this year. Here's some other things going on:
- We finally finished all our Christmas cards! Our printer stopped working for awhile, which delayed us a few weeks, but they are signed, sealed, delivered (hopefully delivered by now). There is a link to this blog was in the Field Notes, so hopefully some of you all will come visit our blog.
- Taylor is coming home from Italy tomorrow! Caroline's boyfriend from Ellensburg and PLU has been studying in Italy this month and, speaking from personal experience when I got back from China my sophomore year, its sure nice to come home to an Olsen girlfriend.
- If you haven't heard yet, there was a tragic shooting in Portland last weekend that took the lives of an exchange student from Peru and a high school girl who was to be an exchange student starting this summer. They were in the same program that I was in with Rotary International when I went to Argentina. Please keep their friends and family in your thoughts and prayers. Read more here.
- Website of the week: WhatsTheRealCost.org is all about learning more about healthcare. It is a new website hosted by employer, Regence Blue Cros Blue Shield, and the goal is to shed some light on where the real costs are in the healthcare system. Check it out and let me know what you think (even if you don't agree with any of it).
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Favorite Seattle Restaurants that I've Never Been To
Christy and I have lived in Seattle for almost 7 months now and have had fun eating at some delicious restaurants. I have a growing list of restaurants that I've heard of and can't wait to try, but haven't been to yet. We love going to restaurants with our friends and family, so I hope you all get the chance to come visit us so we can create new memories at these fine establishments (and see you too I guess, but mostly as an excuse to eat good food).
Coffee
Tougo Coffee Co.: "It's our goal at Tougo Coffee Co. to embrace our neighborhood and the diversity within it. And we hope to achieve this by providing a comfortable, vibrant atmosphere for all to enjoy."
Seafood
Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar: "Seastar provides guests with an amazing array of freshly prepared seafood, great steaks, poultry, pastas and raw bar items." Located above Whole Foods and opens next week. Check out the review from South Lake Union Blog
German
Feierabend: "Here at Feierabend, our goal is to bring a taste of Germany to Seattle. All of our 18 biers on tap are imported from Germany and served in their appropriate glass. Our food is a pleasant combination of traditional German cuisine with a Northwest touch." Located a few blocks north of REI.
Spanish-esque
Tango Restaurant and Lounge: "The tango dance was flavored by ingredients of dance from Spain, Cuba and South America. At Tango Restaurant we use the history of the tango as a guide for our latin infused food and drink. Taste our Spanish tapas, Cuban mojitos or South American ceviche and enjoy!" Located between Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle.
Italian
Spinasse: "Our menu is directly inspired from the region of Piedmont. We encourage guests to enjoy our family style menus, or simply dine a la carte. We are true to the cooking techniques and traditions of the region. That said, we source as much local organic product as possible. We believe in the core simplicity and beauty of our ingredients. We also pride ourselves on continually honing artisan skills in the production of hand made pasta, butchery, salumi, vinegars, and other specialties." Located in Capitol Hill between Pike and Pine.
Wine Bar
Purple Café: "We are a multifaceted food and wine concept that merges casual sophistication with an upbeat metropolitan style. We feature a global wine selection coupled with a menu that blends classic American styles, seasonal northwest ingredients and Mediterranean themes. The atmosphere is often described as an urban retreat with rustic elements." Located downtown by Fairmont Olympic Hotel (Shuckers).
If you've been to any of these places, let me know what you think. Or, if you have any other suggestions, make a comment.
Coffee
SeafoodSeastar Restaurant and Raw Bar: "Seastar provides guests with an amazing array of freshly prepared seafood, great steaks, poultry, pastas and raw bar items." Located above Whole Foods and opens next week. Check out the review from South Lake Union Blog
GermanFeierabend: "Here at Feierabend, our goal is to bring a taste of Germany to Seattle. All of our 18 biers on tap are imported from Germany and served in their appropriate glass. Our food is a pleasant combination of traditional German cuisine with a Northwest touch." Located a few blocks north of REI.
Spanish-esque
Tango Restaurant and Lounge: "The tango dance was flavored by ingredients of dance from Spain, Cuba and South America. At Tango Restaurant we use the history of the tango as a guide for our latin infused food and drink. Taste our Spanish tapas, Cuban mojitos or South American ceviche and enjoy!" Located between Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle.
ItalianSpinasse: "Our menu is directly inspired from the region of Piedmont. We encourage guests to enjoy our family style menus, or simply dine a la carte. We are true to the cooking techniques and traditions of the region. That said, we source as much local organic product as possible. We believe in the core simplicity and beauty of our ingredients. We also pride ourselves on continually honing artisan skills in the production of hand made pasta, butchery, salumi, vinegars, and other specialties." Located in Capitol Hill between Pike and Pine.
Wine BarPurple Café: "We are a multifaceted food and wine concept that merges casual sophistication with an upbeat metropolitan style. We feature a global wine selection coupled with a menu that blends classic American styles, seasonal northwest ingredients and Mediterranean themes. The atmosphere is often described as an urban retreat with rustic elements." Located downtown by Fairmont Olympic Hotel (Shuckers).
If you've been to any of these places, let me know what you think. Or, if you have any other suggestions, make a comment.
President OBAMA!
(Note: This was re-posted using my account. I accidentally used Christy's account the first time around)
Christy and I are watching the Inaugural Parade, recorded on our DVR from yesterday, enjoying watching history happen. Neither of us got to watch it live because I was on a business trip in Portland and Christy had to work. We watched the Inauguration last night after my train ride back from Portland and tonight are watching the parade and balls. There's not really much to say about the hole thing that hasn't already been said...but I'll try anyway.
Its weird to see Obama as President. For so many years, the public has seen him as a campaign man, selling himself as a great leader for our country. His job was to become President, other than the past few months of the transition after the election. Now that he is President Obama, its hard to see him in this new role. I think this was just a first time shock, and wears off as time goes on and he settles in. I think he and his family just look so normal. I'm not used to seeing the first family with young kids and with kind, warm smiles. I suppose that was part of the intrigue with Barack; he's not a Washington insider but rather he and his family could easily be your down the street.
It is so exciting to witness history happening, especially at a time when our country is such dire need of positive change. I am inspired by Barack's call to service; that he alone cannot change this country, but if everyone gives of their own time to serve in their community, our country will surely be a better place. While many things are out of our control, like Guantanamo, Iraq, Iran, banks, stimulus plans (although Christy and I claim we are enacting our own stimulus plan any time we go shopping), reforming healthcare (something I am growing more passionate about), national deficit, and not least of these is taking care of the environment and energy Independence; we can make a difference in the communities we live in. It can be as simple as giving blood, donating to a local food bank, build new homes with Habitat for Humanity, or just helping spending time with the elderly or disadvantaged. Its not easy, not comfortable, not convenient, but can make such a difference in other's lives. When all is said and done, that's what life is all about: building relationships and helping others. Borrowing the words of Martin Luther King Jr, we should not "judge others by the color of skin [or status in society], but by the content of their character." What do you want your legacy to be...
Well, that got a little heavy, so to end on a lighter note, today was a momentous day for the Seattle sports scene: The Seattle Sounders FC had their first practice. After months of planning and exciting announcements, it was exciting to see it all come together on the pitch. Their first game is on March 19 on ESPN2, so stay tuned for more details. I hope to go to a few of their games this year.
As for website of the week, check out this article about a new winery in Eastern Washington called Gard Vinters. If you like what you see, leave a comment on the blog. I know the writer would appreciate it.
Good night and God bless America!
Monday, January 12, 2009
¡Nuevo Televisión!
Thats right people...the Fields have a new TV! In the words of my newfound Scandinavian-ness: Woot Woot! We decided it was time to replace my 20" tv from the college days of long ago and upgrade to a sweet 42" LG LCD. We got a great deal at Video Only and thanks to Jonah for helping me pick it up (too big for our Subaru...speaking of which, thats a blog post just waiting to happen). It fits quite nicely in our little apartment. I can easily watch the ball game while I'm washing dishes...and now that we have Comcast HD-DVR, we can even pause, rewind and fast forward live tv! Christy thinks she'll use this to talk to me during the game because I could just pause it...sigh...we'll see.
So, if you wanna check out our new family member, I mean tv, then come on by and hang with the Fields. We'll cook good food, drink good wine, and ignore one another as we stare at the screen corner.
A new feature I'm starting this week is called Website of the Week. I think the title explains it well enough. So for this inaugural edition, I've gotta go with a shout out to my employer, Regence Bluecross Blueshield, and the 5 other groups they joined together with to create this tv ad promoting healthcare reform. Let me know what you think!
UPDATE 1/17
By special request, here's a picture of our old TV and the sweet new TV in our living room.
So, if you wanna check out our new family member, I mean tv, then come on by and hang with the Fields. We'll cook good food, drink good wine, and ignore one another as we stare at the screen corner.
A new feature I'm starting this week is called Website of the Week. I think the title explains it well enough. So for this inaugural edition, I've gotta go with a shout out to my employer, Regence Bluecross Blueshield, and the 5 other groups they joined together with to create this tv ad promoting healthcare reform. Let me know what you think!
UPDATE 1/17
By special request, here's a picture of our old TV and the sweet new TV in our living room.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Years!
So I would like to take this opportunity of the first blog of the year to wish you all a Happy New Year and to make a few announcements. The most exciting thing is I've brought in a professional to help me with the blog and she's agreed, so everyone give a big warm welcome to, non other than my wife, Christy Olsen Field! We decided to turn this blog into something we can both use, since I did steal her idea for the name after all. She had been looking forward to using "Field Notes" as our the name of our annual Christmas letter (due out soon as a special edition New Years letter), but I stole it for this blog.
Me and new co-blogger Christy
The other exciting thing is that we are going to make every effort to blog at least once a week for the whole year! After all, whats the point of having a blog if you don't use it for months at a time?
Well, that's all for now, but look forward to more great posts! Chau!
-Carl
Me and new co-blogger ChristyWell, that's all for now, but look forward to more great posts! Chau!
-Carl
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