Balance

Since it's been a little bit of a meatfest over here as I catch up on some posts, I thought I'd offer some vegetal balance: What an amazing pea salad served as room service at Meaddowood in Yountville a couple of weeks ago, at the height of spring (there.) Everything was so fresh and crisp!

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.

In that vein...

If you're looking for soul food and find yourself in Columbia City (Seattle) please take the time to visit The Silver Fork for a burger that has !!! after the name (hot links on top) or a bone-in pork chop sandwich. You won't be sorry! Don't worry about the sketchy people in the parking lot, they have problems of their own :-( and shouldn't be a bother. I haven't been lucky enough to return for awhile, but here's a recentish write-up in the Seattle Weakly [sic] and their photo (credit Steven Miller).

Cold, rainy barbecue

Not known for its barbecue, Washington nonetheless strives to dish up some of that sort of goodness. Word has it some really great specimens used to be on offer underneath the 520 overpass on Northup Way in Bellevue. Dixie's Barbecue was the lovechild of a gent — Gene Porter — from Mississippi who named his hotter-than-hell sauce "The Man," and those who survived a tiny taste of The Man were given a bumper sticker to that effect.

Alas, 2010 saw his demise, and neither The Man or the man are around anymore. (Apparently you CAN take it with you.)

The joint perseveres nonetheless, and though I can't say the BBQ sauce is not too predominant and sweet, and the brisket a little on the tough side, it's nonetheless a pleasure to darken the door, order lunch, and feel the awesome past and better days of the place. The images below will show you why, when you go to Dixie's, you feel a million miles from Washington State, the Eastside, and its shadow of a software giant.

File under: Go at least once, miracles can't last forever, and have fun.

Sandwich of the day

When a boy needs a sandwich, sometimes it's a ham and cheese on brioche with house pickles.

Scenographic sandwich

when a 12-year-old makes a sandwich...it might be provolone, mayo, and overboiled, halved hotdogs on white bread. Sigh. At least he was proud.

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.