Seattle Cheese Festival

On Saturday Steven and I revisited Pike Place Market with camera, water bottle, and crackers in tow for the third annual Seattle Cheese Festival. The festival showcases over 200 varieties of international and domestic artisanal cheeses. In addition there are wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, seminars, and scavenger hunts for the kids. Best of all, cheese sampling and most of the activities (with the exception of the seminars) are free! I was afraid it would rain since the weather report predicted AM showers, but it turned out to be a beautiful day so I couldn’t have been happier.

I never found out what this big cheese was.

We wanted to get there before 10 to see the cheese race where local restaurant owners roll cheese down the cobblestone streets of the market but we ran a little late and just missed it. Maybe next year.

The tables were lined with cheese after cheese; it was a plethora of cheese as far as the eye could see. There were imported cheeses from all over Europe including France, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and domestic ones from Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, and Montana. There were cheeses made from cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, and goat’s milk and cheese of all shapes, sizes, colors, smells, and textures, from nutty hard cheeses, smooth soft cheeses, to stinky runny cheese.

Do you dare try the Stilton?

How about the intimidating Roquefort?

Off the top of my head, I recall we tried about 2 or 3 Stiltons, some Roquefort after rallying up our courage, 4 delicious Goudas, an amazing smoked Cheddar, cave-aged Cheddar with lots of crystals, an odd Fontina that left a bitter aftertaste, Comte, Asiago, 3 or 4 goat cheeses, delicious Irish cheese that reminded us of Parmesan, Camembert, and dozens more that I can’t remember. I discovered I’m not the biggest fan of goat cheese. We loved one of the Goudas so we purchased some along with some blue cheese.

Eventually, the little cubes of cheese add up! After sampling over 40 varieties of cheese, Steven and I were full of cheese, crackers, and delicious local bread. I don’t know how we would manage to sample all 200 plus varieties.

More photos from the festival.

The festival is over for this year but I think it will be back next year. It's a lot of cheese and a lot of fun! Cheese sampling goes from 10 am to 5pm but it's best to get there early because the lines get longer and longer. There are sometimes crackers and breads available with the cheese but it's a good idea to bring some crackers with you so you can clear your palate occasionally (you never know when you'll taste a really strong cheese). Also bring a water bottle because you might get thirsty.


As we were leaving, we met an adorable African Gray Parrot, Phineas, and his trainer. Phineas was so sweet and intelligent (about the intelligence of a 7 year old his trainer says). If you point your finger at him and say "Bang!" he swings back and dangles from the trainer's finger. Phineas also did a handstand and back sommersault for us and calmly rested on my palm while I petted his head.






And a trip to Pike Place wouldn't be complete without getting some more Daily Dozen Doughnuts. See more photos here (no smell-o-vision I'm afraid).

5 Yum Yum Sup Sup - Five Favorite Places to Eat in Seattle, WA

I was recently tagged by Tigerfish of Teczcape with a food meme to share my top 5 favorite places to eat in Seattle. Seattle is known for fresh seafood, primarily salmon and lots of it, and coffee (Starbucks anyone?) but there are also many immigrant populations here so there is a wide variety of different cuisines to choose from. I have to admit Steven and I don’t dine out much but there are a few places that we love. We are always on the lookout for “cheap eats" and many of these are close to the University of Washington, where Steven and I spent our days for the last 5 years. So without further ado, here are some of Steven and my favorite places to eat (in no particular order).

1. Le Fournil
This French bakery has a wide assortment of breads, croissants, tarts, and pastries. On sunny summer days Steven and I would take a leisurely walk from the University across the Eastlake Bridge to the bakery for their lunch specials. For $7 (now it’s $8) you get a sandwich (quiche, salad, or soup), a drink, and an individual dessert. Our favorite sandwich is the pate and cornichon sandwich. It features a generous layer of luscious pate, sliced cornichons, and a thin layer of Dijon mustard on a fresh baked baguette. It’s soooo good! As they make our sandwiches Steven and I would stare at the glass display case debating which pastry to try that day (the strawberry tart, chocolate eclair, or cream puff, it’s so hard to decide). They also have a breakfast special: an espresso and croissant (they’re quite big if I remember) for $3, a great way to start your morning.

2. Campagne
Campagne has been around for a long time. Tucked away in Pike Place Market, it is a small intimate restaurant that serves classic French food. Pomme frites ala canard, duck confit, tart tatin, (all so good) the list can go on and on. Steven and I can’t wait to go again though it is fairly pricey. If you live in the Seattle area, give Campagne a try (they participate in the 25 for $25 deal in March and November and occasionally have promotions like $20 buck duck, 2 course duck dinner) or visit their less expensive sister restaurant, Café Campagne that serves bistro fare.

3. Mirak
Korean BBQ is always fun and tasty, just don’t wear your Sunday’s best and leave your coat in the car because you will inevitably leave smelling like oil and smoke. I still remember Steven's parents telling me to wear an old t-shirt. Each table is fitted with a gas grill built into the center of the table. The barbeque menu offers various cuts of meat, beef, chicken, etc. Platters of marinated meat are brought out, along with rice, Romaine lettuce leaves, and an array of small side dishes. You cook for one another, serve one another, then finally talk and relax while sipping corn tea. It’s a very hands-on dining experience and a great place to go for family meals.

4. Thai Tom
There are lots of Thai restaurants on the Ave also known as the University Way. Lined with restaurant after restaurant, it is the epicenter of University District dining. This hole-in-the-wall Thai joint is tiny, you might walk right past it if it wasn't for the line that stretches out the door and onto the sidewalk. Thai Tom is the best thai restaurant in the U-Distict and one of the best in Seattle. It features an open kitchen where you can watch the chef work his magic so the best seats are at the counter, which are the front row seats for the seemingly choreographed show of sauces, ladles, blackened woks, and fire. There will almost always be a line but wait is worth it. Their pad thai is delicious, my only complaint is I wish I get more because I love pad thai.

5. Honeybee’s Cafe
Honeybee’s is gone now but I want to pay tribute to my all time favorite lunch spot that sustained me, Steven, and many of our friends through our college years. The sandwiches were great and the crinkle-cut garlic salted fries were always hot and fresh. A half sandwich and a side of fries was the perfect size lunch for me and it was only $3! The whole sandwich and an even larger side of fries was only $6 to $7. Whenever Steven and I needed an afternoon snack we would order just the side of fries. The menu featured a variety of hot and cold sandwiches including the “Turkey-Bacon-Avocado,” “BBQ Chicken Quesadilla,” “French Dip,” and the sandwich Steven and I would get most often, the “Create Your Own,” with pastrami and salami (and cheddar, pepperjack, and usual sandwich fixins'). We always ordered a side of ranch to dip our fries in and pretty soon we became regulars and the owners knew our order. It was pretty awesome. Honeybee’s was always a popular place but sadly, during my last year of undergrad, it came under new management and was turned into yet another teriyaki joint on the Ave that featured a strange combination of Japanese and Korean food and some sandwiches. While the sandwiches had the same name as the Honeybee's classics, they just weren’t the same. The eccentric music was gone, our beloved owners replaced with unrecognizable new ones, and the adorable name replaced with a cheesy “Udublicious” (then renamed again Yummy Bites). Sadly, Honeybee’s is no more.

5 1/2. Last Bite (or Sip)
Jones Soda Company is based in Seattle, Washington. It features many unconventional soda flavors, my personal favorites are “Crushed Melon” and “Green Apple.” Recently, the company switched from using HFCS to cane sugar. The unique bottle labels are photographs that can be submitted by anyone. During the holiday season they have limited edition collector’s flavors like “Green Bean Casserole” and “Mashed Potatoes with Butter,” which probably tastes as good as it sounds (ick). Anyways, the best part is that Friday afternoons are Free Soda Fridays (I think from 3:30 to 5pm) so you can just walk in and grab your favorite soda from their fridge.


So with that, I’d like to tag other fellow food bloggers around the world to share their favorite places to eat.

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
eastcoastlife (East Coast, Singapore)
Tigerfish of Teczcape (California, USA)
Amy of Nook and Pantry (Seattle, WA, USA)

2. List your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

3. Tag 5 other people (preferably from other countries/states) ..and let them know they’ve been tagged

I would like to tag:

1. Sig of Live to Eat (Seattle, WA, USA) – I want to know where fellow Seattleite Sig and Siv like to eat.
2. Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen (Sao Paulo, Brazil) – I’ve always wanted to go to Brazil and want to know what to eat so I'm eager to hear what Patricia loves.
3. Melting Wok (Covina, California, USA) – Bettina (Steven’s sister) is down in SoCal for college so I'm eager to know what's good so Steven and I can go when we visit.
4. Anh of Food Lover’s Journey (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) – Australia is also on my to-visit list and I wanna know what Anh likes to eat.
5. Gattina of Kitchen Unplugged (New Jersey, USA) – I haven't visited the East Coast in a long time so I curious to see what Gattina likes.

If anyone else would like to do this meme, leave me a note so I can link to ya. I’m looking forward to seeing your favorite places to eat (other the delicious food everyone makes at home).