The former Mistral space in Belltown on Blanchard Street, halfway between First and Second Avenues, has been reborn as Spur Gastropub, and the new entry is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. The lofty prices and hefty attitude of Mistral have given way to an inviting historic space and expert service backed by a steady hand in the kitchen thanks to the chef team of Brian McCracken and Dana Tough. McCracken comes from a family of fisherman and farmers and has studied with some of the nation’s top chefs. Tough, the former Chef de Cuisine at Tilth restaurant, is most inspired by his local farmers’ crops like Bill & Steff’s tomatoes, arugula and peaches from Billy Alstott’s Farm and Annie’s French heirloom melons and cape goose berries from King’s Garden. According to their media representatives:

Brian and Dana first met working together under Maria Hines at Earth & Ocean. Schooled in techniques from around the world, these chefs have polished a cooking style where sustainably conscious dishes feature farm-to-table, native ingredients on a menu where a ham sandwich is not a “croque” and a casserole is not a “cassoulet”. Look for signature dishes like the duo’s Pork Belly Sliders (with Smoked Orange Marmalade, Arugula and Mustard) and seasonal rotations like Pan-Seared Trout (with Mizuna, Farro and Almond). Spur nods to the area’s pioneer, fisherman and occasional outlaw roots. Spur will feature a rotating photo exhibit projected on restaurant walls.

From the first moment, we were on board thanks to our knowledgeable server, Bree, who we remember from Campagne (where she also works). She advised us on which wines went best with our choices and how much food to order. 

We began with Mussels and Clams with Butter, Parsley, and Chicheron (fried pork skin) and weren’t disappointed. Salads were stellar, from something as simple and flavorful as Spencer’s choice–Heirloom Lettuces with Champagne Vinaigrette, Pine Nuts, and Ricotta Salata–to my Baby Chiogga Beets with Chèvre, Arugula, and Pistachio.

The Pan-Seared Trout was a study in creative contrasts thanks to the addition of slightly bitter/peppery mizuna, sharp mustard, and crunchy almonds. The Charred Bison Burger with Provolone and Aïoli, served with a heap o’ thin-cut shoestring potatoes, was the real deal for meat lovers. 

Although sated, at Bree’s suggestion, we opted to split the Sous Vide Strawberry Ice Cream and weren’t disappointed. This essence of berry was topped by the perfect plump, local berry and underlined with coconut crunch, a light, crunchy counterpoint that reminded me of similar accompaniments we’d experienced at wd-50 in New York City.

The wine list ranges around the world with well-thought-out offerings. The only local wine by the glass is A to Z Chardonnay, although local bottles include Buty Sem/Sauv Blanc and Cab Franc/Merlot and Seia Horse Heaven Hills Syrah.   

Every so often Voilà Bistrot, Madison Valley’s little slice of sunny France, offers a themed dinner. In August we were lucky enough to experience the Provence & Languidoc-Roussillon dinner, complete with a three-course dinner ($45), wine pairings ($20 extra), and a live guitarist.

We most enjoyed chef/owner Laurent Gabrel’s Grilled Sardines, a duo of dollar-bill-sized beauties on a bed of buttery Swiss chard. Summer Vegetable Soup was light and lovely, rife with veggies of the season. 

Bouillabaisse was swimming with seafood and not overly tomato-y. Roasted Half Chicken with Fennel Gratin was simple and satisfying. 

Apricot Pie, all buttery crust with a layer of almond cream, sang of the season, while Pèche Melba boasted a large scoop of vanilla ice cream, a poached peach, and a fluffy dome of whipped cream. An assortment of cheeses from southern France rounded out the dessert selections on a savory note.  

Immediately after the Riesling Rendezvous in late July, the Washington Wine Commission set up a one-day trip for visiting journalists to the conference to visit four wineries across the mountains in eastern Washington. At 6 a.m., a busload of us left the warmth and comfort of the Willows Lodge in Woodinville and made the journey to Sea-Tac for our early-morning Horizon flight.

Once there, we stopped at Badger Mountain/Powers Winery to see their gorgeous spread of estate grapes in the midst of a bustling residential neighborhood (!). Next stop was the huge facility of Pacific Rim, which specializes in Riesling of all sorts and price ranges (value-priced, single-vineyard-designate, and a yummy dessert Riesling). 

After a tour of the Col Solare facility, a partnership between Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Antinori family of Italian winemaking fame, and designed by Boxwood, a Seattle architecture firm fast becoming known for its gorgeous winery designs (such as Novelty Hill/Januik in Woodinville), we enjoyed a three-course lunch (paired with various vintages of Col Solare, of course!) prepared by Picazzo 7Seventeen chef/owner Frank Magaña. 

We ended the day at Goose Ridge Vineyards, which boasts the largest spread of contiguous vineyards in Washington state and is making two tiers of wines–Goose Ridge and Stone Cap–which we tasted through with winemaker Charlie Hoppes.

Then it was back on the bus for the short ride back to the Pasco Airport and the 45-minute flight home, exhausted but all the wiser about our state’s formidable eastern Washington grape resources.

The Dungeness Crab “Ravioli” at the new Juno restaurant in the recently opened Arctic Hotel in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood is simply sublime. Lacy and light pasta is studded with chives, draped over crab meat, and napped with lobster cream sauce that is intriguingly sweet thanks to the addition of the dessert wine. Arugula and pine nuts add both bitter elements and crunch. Inspired!

Go for the double serving (two ravioli) for $24 versus a single for $18, as you will be sure to savor each and every bite. 

Steven Han and executive chef and partner Billy Beach welcomed media members to the opening of their newest Japanese restaurant, Kushibar, on August 27. The new Belltown restaurant, located at 2319 Second Avenue, features grilled foods, noodle dishes, beer, sake, and cocktails. Lovers of the less-well-known cuts of meat will appreciate offerings such as beef tongue and heart, chicken cartilage and gizzards, and pigs’ feet. More conventional offerings include fried squid and tofu, edamame, yaki soba, and ramen. 

A large outdoor patio, complete with overhead heaters, promises streetside dining year-round. 

Over the Labor Day weekend we had the pleasure of trying Juno, the new restaurant in the refurbished Arctic Hotel in downtown Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, for the very first time.

It’s a beautiful space with dark wooden booths, marble floors, and a full bar with warm Veuve-Clicquot-orange back lighting. An Heirloom Melon & Cucumber Salad with Elderflower Vinaigrette was a Day-Glo sculpture of melon balls and cucumber curls. Light and luscious!

Crab & Fig Salad suffered from too many elements. I would have preferred the organic greens with the sweet crab claws, crunchy Marcona almonds, and vanilla vinaigrette alone. Both the halved figs and Cabrales (Spanish blue cheese) overpowered the rest of the dish. 

My main of Dungeness Crab “Ravioli” with Sauternes Lobster Cream, Arugula, and PIne Nuts was simply sublime–one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time. The dish was suggested by our overly perky server, whose constant description of everything as “perfect” quickly grew tiresome. 

A three- or five-course tasting menu is offered for $45 or $65, with accompanying wine flights for $15 or $25. Shrimp & Grits and Niman Ranch Ribeye were two of the savory courses, with a Mission Fig Tart (paired with McCrea Ciel du Cheval Rosé) for dessert. 

For dessert I chose one of the “Small Plates” which is actually normally served as an appetizer. Stilton Soufflé was a real egg soufflé, and the “perfect” (sorry!) after-dinner savory cheese course with its creamy texture, sweet pepper relish, and thinly sliced trio of grilled bread ovals.

Sour Cream and Basil Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries and Basil Purée combined sweet and savory elements to “perfection,” the sweet, dense pudding tamed by the anise-y basil. 

The wine list is substantial and rich with wines from around the world, as well as many excellent Northwest selections. We chose a 2006 Meursault and were not disappointed. 

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels rallied the troops at the Top of the Market meeting space on August 20. The Mayor and supporters are waging a campaign to urge voters to pass a six-year levy promising $73 million for much-needed and long-overdue improvements to the Market’s crumbling infrastructure, heating and cooling systems, and additional public restrooms.  

In his short speech, Nickels emphasized that the November referendum is equally as important as the “Save the Market” campaign waged by Friends of the Market in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“Back in 1971, Seattle voters brought the Market back from the brink of destruction,” Nickels said. “We saved it from the wrecking ball. Now we need to save it from the ravages of time so it can be around for another 100 years.”

The levy proposal includes:

$68.6 million for major repair, structural, and infrastructure and accessibility upgrades to all Public Development Authority (PDA)-owned Market buildings, as well as associated tenant space alteration costs.

$4.4 million in estimated financing costs. 

For more information, or to volunteer or make a donation, please visit Citizens for Pike Place Market. 

Cold soups were the dish du jour at the 13th annual Sunset Supper at the Market, held on Friday, August 15, from Serafina’s Chilled Cauliflower and Leek Soup with Salsa Verde to Le Pichet’s Chilled Summer Melon Soup (garnished with a yummy smoked prawn and chive crème fraîche) to Andaluca’s Gazpacho with Dungeness Crab.

Cocktails in many forms were also popular items, the most innovative being Volterra’s Bellini Gelée (upscale Jell-O shots, anyone?!?!).  Sangria BalMar, from the popular Ballard cocktail bar (BalMar), paired well with the Gazpacho. 

Other popular dishes included the Paella Mixta from Tango Restaurant & Lounge, which chef Mike Bruno serves up from his huge paellera (paella pan) each year; Cafe Campagne’s Petite Lamb Burgers; and the Sorrento Hotel’s Anderson Ranch Lamb Chops with Northwest Bing Cherry Glaze. 

My favorites included Kaspar Donier’s Northwest Red Snapper Tacos with Corn Salsa and, for dessert, Rose’s Chocolate Treasures Sunset Rose–a dark-chocolate, gold-dusted rose filled with creamy caramel. 

Since March 2004 I have been honored to belong to a group called Les Dames d’Escoffier International, an invitational organization of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality whose mission is education, advocacy, and philanthropy. Over the past 15 years, our Seattle chapter has disbursed more than $240,000 for educational programs, community projects, and culinary scholarships for women in Washington state. 

Every year we host a fund-raising benefit. Kathy Casey Food Studios has been chosen as the site for this year’s event, which will be held on Thursday, October 16, at 6 p.m. It will celebrate the Seattle debut of the brand-new, Dames-branded cookbook entitled, Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier: At Home with the Women Who Shape the Way We Eat and Drink (Sasquatch Books, September 2008).

The fundraiser will be a walk-around reception featuring dishes created by the Seattle Dames whose recipes were chosen for inclusion in the new cookbook. Seattle Dames with recipes in the comprehensive new book, edited by Seattle Dame Marcella Rosene with Pat Mozersky, include Fran Bigelow (Fran’s Original Cheesecake), Braiden Rex-Johnson (Salmon Fillets Baked in Grape-Leaf Wraps), Gina Batali (Batali Family Stuffed Artichokes), and Lisa Dupar (Walnut Fennel Tarts). The book also includes recipes, beverage-pairing tips, and kitchen wisdom from leading Dames and culinary authorities from around the United States and Canada, including Lidia Bastianich, Nathalie Dupree, and Gale Gand. 

Attendance is limited for this exclusive gathering, and tickets cost $110 per person, which includes one copy of the cookbook. Additional copies of Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier will be available for sale that evening, with fifty percent of the proceeds going towards the Seattle Dames fundraising efforts. 

I encourage you to purchase a ticket, or tickets, on our Web site, as they are sure to go fast!

One of our favorite restaurants in Seattle, Marjorie, will offer its last two dinners at 5:30 and 8:00 on Saturday, September 6. Donna Moodie, our friend and owner of the restaurant, has been forced out of her beautiful space (former Café Septième and Lush Life) by cancellation of her lease, and is in search of a new venue. She will most likely relocate on Capitol Hill. 

Here’s the lovely Market Select Fish I enjoyed just a couple of weeks before the scheduled closing–Albacore Tuna with Soba Noodles, Snap Peas, and Avocado Cream. Spencer devoured his Grilled Kurobuta Pork Chop with Bacon Corn Cake (yum!), Braised Chard, and Roasted Tomatillo Salsa. 

A bottle of Dobbes Estate 2006 Assemblage Pinot Noir paired well with both our selections. 

Fare thee well, Donna, and hope to see you back in business soon!