But you know what? I’m not going to.

You may remember the second half of my post about Tacos el Asadero, where I talked a bit about what was going on with mobile food in Seattle (back when Skillet Street Food & taco trucks were basically your only options). I talked about how excited I was that things were changing. Having lived in Portland for years — a city that has TONS of cheap, accessible, year-round and late-night street food — one of the things I was bummed about up here was the lack of it. I wanted to be able to walk through downtown, Cap Hill, or South Lake Union and get myself some creative, tasty, cheap meals. That’s where I thought Seattle was headed.

Instead, we got Mobile Chowdowns.

I was excited about the first one — cool, a festival showcasing street food that will be the catalyst for more vendors to start up, I thought! I could even get on board with the second one. But I’ve come to realize that if this is all Seattle can do, it is not enough.

Skillet prices have gotten out of control. $13 for a BURGER from a trailer? No thanks, no matter how good they are. Only 3-5 mobile food options in the ENTIRE city, spread out and with limited hours? No thanks again — it’s just not enough.

Sure, I’ll support the ones already out there, like Maximus Minimus, hoping it will keep them alive and encourage others. And I luuuuuurv Burgerville, a Portland vendor that’ll be at the upcoming Chowdown. But I’m just not going to support an event that encourages only sporadic street food with access to multiple vendors, because this should be a day to day reality in my mind.

Why should we be limited to these couple days a year, where we face ENORMOUS crowds and rapidly sold out food options? Mobile Chowdowns are the equivalent of Black Fridays for street food. And I hate Black Friday.

So what do you say? Protest Mobile Chowdown 3 with me, and advocate for more day-to-day street food? I hope so. We need to let entrepreneurs, Seattle Mag, and the city at large know that we want a change — and that only having regular Mobile Chowdowns isn’t it!

What’s your opinion about the mobile/street food here? What about the Chowdowns?

Vivace Espresso (www.espressovivace.com)

I still remember the first time I found Vivace. I was on Capitol Hill with an hour to spare before a swing dancing workshop at Camp Jitterbug. I searched yelp, which led me to Vivace (at their old location on Denny). From that day forward, I have thought of Vivace coffee as one thing: heaven in a cup.

There are only a few places I’ll buy coffee beans, and Vivace makes the list, offering two delicious blends. Also, if you remember my post about Louisa’s Bakery & Cafe you’ll remember two things 1) their pastries are HUGE and delicious; 2) I discovered them at Vivace, which serves them daily.

Locations & Hours

Cafes are open daily from 6am – 11pm.

My drink of choice

• Hazelnut Latte – and a hint, I usually get nonfat milk at other places, but to experience the full glory that is this latte, you should get regular milk. Indulge a little, you won’t regret it.

Perks

• Both cafes have quiet meeting rooms that look oh-so-sophisticated and have large tables.
• All the baristas are skilled & friendly (as well as a bit quirky)
• Their latte art is AMAZING — they are known for it
• Their coffee stand is super convenient when you’re on the run in Cap Hill
• Their pastries are to-die-for

Have a day brew or night brew spot recommendation? Let me know here!

Coffee is the obvious one — Seattle has been known for its coffee since at least the Kurt Cobain – Grunge era. Starbucks kicked off the mass popularity of Seattle’s coffee, and local & dedicated neighborhood spots have legitimized the reputation. If you live here, you know, you can’t get much better than Seattle for the coffee scene.

But Seattle is also a leader in craft breweries and beers. While I dare say Portland is still more famous in this realm, Seattle is a very, very close second. In general, the Northwest is home to some of the best beers you’ve ever laid your mouth on, and we have many bars, pubs, taverns and drinking holes dedicated to rocking these brews.

So it was kind of obvious for me — why spend half the blog covering all the great coffee shops and bars OR try to capture the best of them in just one or two Bonanza posts when I could make it a monthly feature?

With that, I introduce two new features to Eats and Interests:

• “Day Brew” Spot of the Month, AND
• “Night Brew” Spot of the Month

As you may have been able to decipher, Day Brew spots are coffee shops & Night Brew spots are pubs/bars.

First post later this week, when I recommend the first Day Brew Spot of the Month. Next week you can expect  my first recommendation for Night Brew Spot of the Month.

The Corson Building (www.thecorsonbuilding.com)

The Seattle Times wrote about the Corson Building right before it opened, in early June 2008.

Four years ago, chef Matthew Dillon went to a party in a nearly century-old building in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, and something about the place got under his skin. With its square tiled roof, arched windows and fanciful gardens, the one-time ornamental-stonework operation felt like it belonged in the Italian countryside, yet it was surrounded by, as Dillon puts it, “all this industrial mayhem.”

I think this is the perfect quote to start the description of the Corson Building with, as the first thing you are struck by is this little gem of a house & grounds smack in the middle of industrial Georgetown. We arrived about 20 minute early, remembered that they ask that people not arrive until the start time, and so took a bit of a wander around the neighborhood. Neither of us had been around Georgetown before and were absolutely floored with how amazing & history-laden the neighborhood is! Old early-1900’s brick buildings that once housed factories line streets where there are now no lack of saloons, pubs, and antique shops (and not much else beside a cafe or two). Dusk was just setting in and I honestly felt like we were in a dream, traveling through time to 1915 Seattle.

We arrived back at the Corson Building right at 6pm and were served champagne cocktails and oysters while we were invited to wander around the small house and ask any questions we had. I talked to the very friendly host a bit about the history of the gorgeous (but still quaint) building and he was very knowledgeable. The story is great — but I’ll let you hear it yourself as it’s best told there by the people who know what they’re talking about.

Soon the wine was brought out to the three large tables, and people began migrating to the spots we were told were ours when we arrived. We found ourselves sitting in the middle section of the far table with 4 other couples, and we all poured each other some wine as we introduced ourselves. The host then quieted the room to explain the evening:

All courses (there were 5 of them) would come out on a platter, family style, and each person should take a bit and pass it along. We were free to drink the red and white wine already on the table, or order more from a wine menu they had.

This is not the kind of place each person orders what they want off a menu — and as such, the chef uses this opportunity to expose people to new types of foods or combinations of flavors that people may have not had before.

Matthew Dillon says he envisions The Corson Building, in South Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, as not a restaurant but a community space where the focus is food.

If this isn’t your cup o’ tea, you’d best go somewhere else. I couldn’t believe how many bad reviews the Corson Building had on Yelp because of the seating, family style meal, or the food (One said: “They didn’t even pit the cherries!”)

Our meal started with: Paté & pickled peppers on crostini, apples & pickled onions in a dill yogurt sauce, and then mussels in a wonderful sauce with a fat slice of bread. Then the main courses were brought out: Braised lamb atop collard greens & chickpeas and roasted duck atop a warm, diced tri-colored beets. For dessert: Rice pudding with a slice of  orange topped with a bit of creamy goat’s milk cheese. French press coffee and a small flute of Gewurztraminer were served with dessert.

Are you salivating yet? Best part is they are committed to local, sustainable ingredients cooked with heart (they grow a lot of the food on the grounds, weather permiting).

Sunday dinners are served once or twice a month. Reservations are needed, and it is $60 a person. We recommend these Sunday dinners, as Thursday – Saturday dinners are twice as much, although they do come with a wine pairing for each course. The Corson Building also serves brunch on Sundays for $23 a person, and ou can reserve your place or just show up.

Museum of History & Industry (www.seattlehistory.org)

If you’ve ever even been curious about the history of Seattle, MOHAI is the place to go to find out more than you’d ever expect. This city’s history is fascinating and there is so much packed into this small museum space, and you could go over a handful of times and still not have a chance to learn it all. The museum has a ton of pictures and artifacts along with the typical descriptions about different time periods and pieces, but on top of all that they also have interactive exhibits (read: great for kids, fun for adults!), and fun things like the “Toe Truck” & Flying Boat (pictured above), and the original huge red Rainier sign!

The picture below is Seattle of the 1930’s… made entirely of Legos!

Let MOHAI take you from the First Nations cultures all the way to today’s city. Through gold rush times, salmon industries, WWII Japanese internment, the World’s Fair of 1962, and the WTO protests of 1999. Go back a couple times a year to see the different featured exhibits focusing in-depth on one area of Seattle’s history. Upcoming featured exhibits have titles like The Enemy Within: Terror in America – 1776 to Today,  Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices, and Celluloid Seattle.

Think you already know everything about this city & its history? Try out MOHAI’s new pub quiz nights (keep an eye on this page for more details soon).

MOHAI is located in the Montlake area, and is open daily from 10am til 5pm (8pm on First Thursdays!).  Admission is $8 Adult; $7 Senior, Military & Student; $6 Youth (5-17); and FREE on First Thursdays and to anyone under the age of 5.

MOHAI also honors AAA and Public Broadcasting Member Card, U-Pass, Passport Unlimited/Prime Card, and GoSeattle.

*photos from MOHAI’s website

Oddfellows Cafe & Bar (www.oddfellowscafe.com)

You might remember me mentioning Oddfellows back in the Cupcake Bonanza post. That’s because it’s where Jennifer Nicole & I met up to organize our cupcake notes — only to discover that Oddfellows has their own delicious-looking house cupcakes and treats. That wasn’t my first time at Oddfellows, and it hasn’t been my last either. I love this place.

Oddfellows Cafe & Bar has been around only since last December, so I won’t blame you if you haven’t stopped in. It’s located in the Oddfellows Building (who woulda thunk?) on Capitol Hill — underneath the Century Ballroom & around the corner from the new Molly Moon’s. They are open for breakfast, lunch, dinner & drinks — so far I’ve been there for the first three. I’ve actually only been once for dinner, back in December, so I can’t speak to it much. But my food and the drinks were good, the desserts looked promising (although I did not order any), and I loved the atmosphere (dark, warm, slightly casual, slightly romantic, and a bit boisterous).

My favorite time to go to Oddfellows though is weekend mornings, like I did last Sunday, during the breakfast and lunch hours. During those times you order at the bar and sit anywhere you want in the spacious, communal area. On Sunday I ordered the fruit plate special, their Oddfellows cookie (which I am quite addicted to) and an americano. I’ve also tried a couple of their salads, which are amazing. And from the looks of it, anything in their pastry case is a good bet.Their coffee is Stumptown, so you know it’s great tasting and fair or direct trade AND that their baristas have all been trained well.

This is a great place to come with a group of friends for a low-key brunch or get-together OR with a date OR just by yourself with a book or laptop OR for drinks before or after you partake in other Cap Hill goodies. You can literally spend hours here, and are welcome to. It’s a fantastic hang out and couldn’t be located in a better spot on the hill.

I’ll be sure to note which ones I’ve done before with an asterisk & the others will all be new experiences! Here we go…

1. Eat at the Corson Building
2. Participate in the Fremont Solstice Parade
3. Throw a BBQ at Golden Gardens
4. Visit Vancouver Island
5. Host a party at my house where every piece of food is local within 100 miles
6. Take a ferry to Port Townsend & spend a day there in the summer
7. Ride the Ducks (finally)
8. Walk around Greenlake during the Pathway of Lights luminaria night*
9. Host a chocolate & wine or beer pairing with Theo Chocolate’s pairing kit
10. Do a self-led Washington wineries tour
11. Spend the afternoon kayaking then chow down at Agua Verde*
12. See a burlesque show
13. Take the water taxi to West Seattle
14. Go to the Tulip Festival & tour some Skagit County farms
15. Take a cheese-making class
16. Eat at both Paseo’s
17. Get completely plowed on Capitol Hill, and then eat a signature Seattle hot dog with cream cheese
18. Go to a Teatro Zinzanni show
19. Bike the entire Burke-Gilman trail
20. Go to the Ballard Locks

So, what’s on your list?

Lola a Tom Douglas Restaurant (tomdouglas.com/restaurants/lola/)

You may remember that at the company the Boyfriend works at, everyone receives a $100 Tom Douglas gift card each year they are there. He got his in early fall and we decided to eat at Serious Pie (with a stop at the Dahlia Bakery as well). However, we used less than half of the card there, and a couple weeks later we both agreed that Lola was where we wanted to finish it off.

So one lazy Sunday about a month ago we headed to Lola for a late brunch. Boy, did we make the right decision. The place was pretty busy with families and friends drinking coffee (unfortunately Starbucks, but I’m sure it pleases the tourists), Prosecco spumante sparkling mimosas, and their house-made jalapêno infused vodka Bloody Marys. After looking over the menu, we ended up deciding on the two best brunch items, according to our waitress. The Boyfriend ordered Tom’s Big Breakfast (pictured above), which was an octopus hash with chickpeas, crispy pork belly, squash, a touch of what we think was greek yogurt, and an egg on top. Sound funny tasting or strange? It wasn’t — it was a-maz-ing. Mmmm. I ordered their Ham Eggs Benedict with smashed potatoes (pictured below) and it was also incredible. The portion was a bit large, so I couldn’t finish the whole eggs benedict, but you better believe I ate all those crispy, creamy potatoes that came with it. Delicious.

Oh, and I almost forgot — we were also talked into ordering some of Lola’s famous made-to-order donuts! Giada DeLaurentis, from the Food Network, declares these donuts “the best thing she ever ate.” Don’t believe me? You can find the video here (you’ll have to scroll a couple pages right in the menu below the video). Like I said, these things are made-to-order, so they come to your table still hot. They’re transferred straight from the fryer to a bag filled with cinnamon and sugar, and shaken at your table to coat them. Then they are laid out on a plate with vanilla mascarpone & smooth cranberry dipping sauces. They really are to die for, and I’m pretty sure you can get them during breakfast as an appetizer or any other meal for dessert.

And the best part was probably that even with tip we didn’t have to spend a dime — the amount we had left on the car covered it all! I’d definitely go back for a bloody mary and those donuts — or if I were hungry enough, another brunch!

What’s your favorite Tom Douglas restaurant? Favorite Tom Douglas menu item?

Mobile Chowdown 2

Mobile Chowdown 2 will take place on January 9th. We here at Eats & Interests have word that the following restaurants will be in attendance:

• Marination Mobile
• El Camion
• Skillet
• Veraci Pizza
• Kaosamai Thai
• Dante’s Inferno Dogs
• Gert’s BBQ
• Anita’s Crepes
• and more!

Plus there will be a “dining area” and live music. And if you showed up last time, you may remember how crowded it was. “At this round the trucks will placed more strategically so that the lines will be more distinguishable between trucks. There will also be event staff that will keep things a bit more organized. Because the last event was the first time any of the vendors took part in an event like this, it was a learning experience for all. This time they will be more prepared with food, etc.,” says Jamie Hintz, Suzuki + Chou Communimedia.

Where and when? 11 a.m.–3 p.m.  Interbay, 1616 Bertona.

See you there?

Shelter Lounge (Yelp Page)

Shelter Lounge is a half-indoor, half-outdoor bar in Ballard that just opened in late October. And although it doesn’t looked too covered in the picture above, it is. The outdoor section also has a long fire pit with bench seating, and a bunch of heat lamps. When I went the first time it happened to be a particularly windy night, so the heat from the lamps didn’t have a chance to warm the area up, but I’d assume on a still day (even a very cold one), it would be very comfortable out there.

Indoors and out both have matching curved bars, plus some booth tables and some interesting other seating/stand options. There’s a big garage door between the areas, which I assume they open fully in the summer (we’ll have to see), and open halfway in the colder months (so wait staff can scoot under it to take orders).

Good beer + avocado fries + silly friends = a good time at Shelter

But to get passed the awesomeness of the building itself, I have to admit that they also have great food. In particular I was eager to try their avocado fries, as I had heard a lot of hype about them. And they are awesome! Crunchy and spicy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. Mmmm. They also have PB&J Poppers (like jalepeño poppers), but I’m of a rare kind that doesn’t like PB&J, so I didn’t try — heard they were good though! Their wine list wasn’t fantastic, but they had a decent selection of beer and cocktails, which the waitress was able to recite to us from memory, which was impressive.

Parking is great, since it’s just passed the Ballard bridge on Leary, where there isn’t a bunch of other stuff. And if you don’t like huge crowds, I’d recommend trying it out for some happy hour plates and drinks (4-6pm).

This site has a great slideshow of 12 pictures of Shelter Lounge. Click on the main picture to check them all out.