Seattle – Staple & Fancy Renzell Dinner

Renzell is a new app trying to provide data driven ratings from its user base that I’ve been contributing to since I found out about it late last year. Unlike Yelp they aim to have a more objective rating system that provides valuable data back to the restaurants. They have events in their cities where members can redeem their points for events and this was the first one in Seattle.

Dinner was basically the same as their standard tasting menu which at $55/person is one of the best deals in town. Had a bunch of appetizers, a few pastas, one main and a dessert. Was a fun evening talking to other members who are passionate about food and debating which restaurants need to be added to Renzell’s list in the next update.

Redmond – The Stone House

After visiting a few wineries in Woodinville made the short drive down to Redmond to finally try The Stone House which people have been telling me for years I must check out. I’m sad I didn’t listen to them sooner as the meal was excellent. The pock belly was super tender and paired with the marshmallow was a new taste. I wish I had ordered the fish as it was better than my lamb, which was still good but not the same complexity of flavors. The donuts were super light which was good since K only had a bit I ate 3.5 of them.

Pork Belly – Thai gastrique, tart apple emulsion, fennel-apple slaw, toasted ginger marshmallow

Bone Marrow – bacon jam

Black Cod – clams, bacon dashi broth

Lamb – bread pudding

Zeppole – lemon

Seattle – Tavolata Sunday Feast

We hadn’t been to Tavolata’s monthly feast in a while, so we forgot to pace ourselves since there is just so much food. March’s dinner was originally supposed to be suckling pig but turned out to just be pig, a welcome change to me since the dishes were more interesting and easier to eat. The last time I went to suckling pig it was presented whole to the table and I ended up carving it with a wide steak knife which isn’t the easiest thing to do.

Most of the pig was used throughout the meal and each course was somehow better than the last. I really enjoyed the meatball, I wonder how glorious it would be if I wasn’t forcing myself to eat at that point. We got two servings of each dish for six people, one of each would’ve been fine except for the salad and pastas which we ate 75% of both.

Salumi Board: porchetta, capicolla, proscuitto, speck, mortadella

Pork Fat Torta Fritta

Pig Head Fritters: truffle aioli, meyer lemon

Crispy Pig Ears: white anchovy, apple, cippolini agrodolce

Bloomsdale Spinach: pancetta, huckleberry brown butter, semolina crouton

Pork Neck Agnolotti: roasted carrots, pea vines, marjoram

Pork Skin Cacio e Pepe: tonarelli, cracked pepper, pecorino

Wild Mushrooms

Charred Allium Tenderloin: onion soubise, vinaigrette

Pork Meatballs: smoked pomodoro, cannelini beans

Wine Poached Pear: pistachio, creme fraiche

Seattle – The Butcher’s Table

I normally don’t go to steakhouses much since they’re relatively easy to make at home. At least the steak part, I either sous vide for an hour and finish in the cast iron or more recently I use a Big Green Egg at 700F for about 3 minutes total and it produces amazing results. However, all the other things one can get at a steakhouse are a bit harder to produce, in this case the sublime beef tallow fries. Many friends had recommended I try it out, K took her brother there for his birthday last year and both really enjoyed it. So grabbed a bottle of wine out of my collection and we headed out for a lovely evening.

The beef Butcher’s Table serves is a Japanese Wagyu and American Angus crossbreed and they serve three different grades. We both went for the 5 star, I was tempted to get the Ultra but they were out for the cap of ribeye while K got the New York. I have to say it was an amazing steak, perfectly charred outside and a bright red interior with the right level of seasoning. The fat rendered nicely and made it melt in your mouth. The best part is they have a retail counter where can buy the beef to make at home.

Yellowtail – avocado, preserved lemon

Bone Marrow – grape salsa, English muffin

5* Cap of Ribeye

Beef tallow fries

Pasilla Pepper Donuts – dulce de leche