Yes, yes, playing a little catch-up on posts. Sorry about that.

Here's a ridiculous product being aggressively sold at Market Place on 4th Street in Berekely. Perhaps the buyers regretted their purchase and just wanted to clear it out?

Rose petals in a jar, for "sprinkling over a lamb roast" or whatnot. $15— per jar.

Field trip to new Hitchcock Deli on Bainbridge Island

The Hitchcock Deli is now open, and it's amazing. I love both the working environment and the food. I've had two lovely sandwiches, and ca't wait to start buying dry-aged meat and fresh fish from the case. And some bread-and-butter pickles, they have those too from local cucumbers. I'm not alone in loving it in a simple, satisfied way. The top picture is of a house-made braunschweiger sandwich with butter, gruyere, and a little mustard on rye.

Summer veg in Western WA

August 10, and finally the first "real" vegetable delivery from the farm comes in...so welcome, so overdue, so WA. Chard, Kale, small tomatoes, green beans, lettuces, and a few herbs to die for.

     

And on August 9th I met up with a friend new to gardening for some downtown happy hour drinks/snacks, and what utterly sweet giftu did she unexpectedly provide? A lovely lemon cucumber, a summer squash, and a neat little packet of basil all from her home plot. Yum, and thanks.

Wish I'd photographed them too before devouring.

Welcome email

It's rare that a business sends you email (whether you subscribe or not) that you actually welcome. I love the email I get from Big John''s PFI (Pacific Food Importers).

It's a great offbeat — and off-the-beaten-track — location in Seattle to buy bulk olives and whatever kind of edible wonders you may or may not be looking for. For instance, they carry my favorite packaged pasta, Rusticella d'Abruzzo (brand) Croixetti (shape) pasta I crave and can no longer get at my local grocery, as well as surprise finds I cannot resist.

As a visual designer, I cannot say I love everything about the email. It is intensely hard on the eyes. And I am utterly amazed that somehow they manage to send their email as an embedded image rather than HTML or text. Wow.

But, it's kinda cute in a "Que?" kind of way, and it makes it way easier to share here, and it's worth your and my read (Click to see larger:)

A lunch well remembered

Houston. April 9, 2011. I found D'Amico's and was delighted by my very first muffaletta sandwich.

The olive relish had a crunch to it which was unexpected and incredibly welcome. Also, not too much bread.

The restaurant was full, but I liked the side room with retail walls better than the main area, maybe because there were windows and I am a daylight hog. It was so serene in there, away from the crowd.

I also liked, while I was waiting, considering the lunches that I didn't order that day:

And who doesn't love an Italian treat without having to buy the box/tin? Genius!

If you go:

Also visit the nearby Menil Collection.