The GastroGnome & I met up in Redmond today to have an Eastside lunch with Frank. After reading Nancy Leson’s coverage of the nomadic chef, I wanted to track it down. We ordered:
1. Dan Dan Noodles
2. Chong Qing Chicken
3. Twice Cooked Pork
4. Wild Chili Lamb with soft tofu in hot gravy
It lived up to the spicy name & I enjoyed every dish. The Chong Qing Chicken reminded me of popcorn shrimp (mostly in a good way). I loved the heat of the lamb but the pork and those Dan Dan Noodles set me for the day. We had plenty of leftovers.
Author: Rachel
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Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
Driving through South Lake Union, I stumbled across the Fred Roger’s Building. His place is very different from what I imagined.
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Ocho Happy Hour
I was in Ballard to heed Lara Ferroni’s advice to clean your sensor a few times a year, when I realized it was the perfect time to partake of Happy Hour somewhere nearby. I fired up Urbanspoon, and was on my way to Ocho for tapas in a matter of minutes. I tried Revueltos con Trufa (scrambled eggs on toast), Pan con Tomate (tomato sauce & spanish cheese, also on toast), and Banderilla de Boquerones (fried artichoke, piquillo pepper, and anchovies with aioli). I wrapped that up with the pink drink, a spicy & sharp Dragon’s Tongue. It was a blissful break from errands.
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Finally, Bakery Nouveau
For years, I’ve tried Bakery Nouveau’s goodies at gatherings or as treats from friends. As luck would have it, I was in West Seattle around the perfect time today to pick up twice-baked croissants and some of their new pizza at their store. They serve possibly the most beautiful French pastries and sandwiches in Seattle.
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74th Street Alehouse
Met up with 2 old friends at the alehouse tonight.
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ShockRule Wedding!
Our final wedding of the season. Our table had issues with setting our crossword puzzles on fire. Literally or figuratively? I’ll let you be the judge.
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Girls Weekend on Camano Island
The women in Mr. T’s family held their annual Girls’ Weekend at Aunt C’s on Camano Island. I loved taking part in this — and felt so lucky to be included. They are a smart & welcoming group.
I wasn’t sure how much they’d like me taking their pictures, so I mostly stuck with nature and the younger crowd. 🙂
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Alki, Late Summer
At lunchtime, I visited the Bellevue Art Museum with some friends. Afterward, I had very important business to attend to on Alki.
Followed by a marvelous dinner at La Rustica, I wrapped up the day at the College Inn Pub in the U-District, with Misty in her final 48 hours as a single lady.
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Mother Nature, Please Press Pause
Yesterday & today could not have been more perfect, here in Seattle.
Mid-afternoon, I hit up the King County Airport to update a Nexus/Global Entry pass of mine. On my way back, I noticed the new euro-style speed zones in South Seattle.
Mr. T’s mom, sister, and I caught a viewing of The American. I believe E! described it best when they called it a George Clooney Coffee Table Book. It was a very art-house Anton Corbijn film — goths of the 90s would recognize him from his Depeche Mode days. Every single shot was flawless.
I preceded that with lunch with Carey & Joanne at Sitka & Spruce. Another restaurant work of art.
I wrapped up the evening at Mistral Kitchen for September’s LUPEC meeting. Sorry, no pictures this time!
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Post Alley Mural, Pioneer Square
The countdown for Misty’s wedding’s on: 6 days!
The Gastrognome & I met her for lunch in Pioneer Square, at Delicatus.
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On the 5th Anniversary of Katrina
Photo by Alistair James
Six months ago yesterday, I got married in New Orleans. In all this weekend’s news regarding the fifth anniversary of Katrina, I had to take a moment today to consider this miracle on a personal level, and all the ones that led to being able to have a wedding in New Orleans.
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Upstaging the Lady Named Camille
A few weeks ago, I found myself wanting to dig up the NOAA warning from 5 years ago today. I still recall how much it scared me & how unfortunately right those fears turned out to be. I remember being up late in the night of the 28th — maybe ’til 3 AM on this night five years ago, until I forced myself to leave the TV, watching CNN and waiting for Katrina to make landfall. I copied out the weather service warning, and apparently I wrote extra notes, remembering another time.
Thirteen years ago last week: we left Baton Rouge for New Orleans during Hurricane Andrew. Going 50 minutes southeast was supposed to help and Dad, having been recently diagnosed with his brain tumor, had the rights and coverage for us to stay in the hotel adjoining the hospital where he had his radiation treatments. I remember we came back once Andrew passed, but we came back to a beat up city, power lines down, roofs gone, electricity out, & school canceled. Forty trees lost in our backyard! Electricity out for at least a week. Miserable in August–my long hair wasn’t dry for days. It was that muggy. I remember losing it with the Entergy repairmen, yelling at them for taking so long, letting us go without relief. We seemed to be the last in the city to get power restored. I wonder what they must have thought of this crazed 16 year old girl on a rampage. (In my defense, my Dad was dying.) A part of me is mortified, a part of me laughs.
I remember that rage at feeling like we were forgotten.
What if this storm kills Louisiana?
I can’t fall asleep while I go relive this childhood anxiety I had that preceded all hurricanes that came into the gulf. Evacuating was never a thing we needed to do. Wouldn’t it feel silly if the storm turned? Wouldn’t it be a waste? I remember the waiting, the watching, and waiting some more for the power to go out, the power going out on its own schedule regardless of wind, the power coming back on either early or late into the wait. You never could tell. Passing time talking to neighbors. Getting the radios ready, flashlights placed all over. Candles. Watching the sky, watching those low, strong clouds roll in. The Prejeans next door drinking through the storm. Hurricane parties were a thing. Are they a thing right now?
I called my mom earlier though I haven’t seen anything ominous about East BR Parish.
What to do. What to do. I can’t get over the “WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.”
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005
…DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED…
.HURRICANE KATRINA…A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH…RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.
MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS…PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL…LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE…INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.
HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY…A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.
AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD…AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION.
POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS…AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING…BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED.
AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE…OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE…ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.
ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET…DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!
Camille crushed the area 40 years ago. Will Katrina be the same?
Images in the editorial feed are not alleviating these fears.
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Skate Night
Tonight, skating in ol’ Lynnwood, with motomotoyama, Ms. N, & friends!
If I hadn’t planned to skate for so long, I might’ve taken a fancier camera which could have better captured this man with the neon-lit spinner rollerskate wheels:
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Hammock Time
The days are getting shorter. I advise time in a hammock to enjoy these last days (or weeks? I could go for at least 2 more) of sunshine & heat.
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Family Birthdays
We were over at Mr. T’s parents’ house today for a family birthday celebration.
It also happens to be the birthday eve of this 21 year old dame:
Feisty Mickey! She’s doing much better than last year.
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Bachelorette at Emerald Downs
Today was a fine day for the races for Misty’s Bachelorette!
Set on Flickr, and here:
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer
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Biking the Interurban
Today = long bike ride in SE King County, where we spotted this sign.
I would like to know the backstory of this event.
Another hilarious evening with Ian Bell’s Brown Derby’s staged reading of Saturday Night Fever. Nick Garrison was in good form as the main love interest, but Scott Shoemaker aka The Kid/Prince from July’s Purple Rain stole the show tonight as The Soundtrack, showing up for every BeeGees tune to sing the background. One of those things where you had to be there. Make sure you don’t miss their 8-mile rendition in November.
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Concert Night
A good friend’s concert band had a free concert going in Shoreline tonight. We enjoyed the show from the lawn.