It's August already?

It has been a while, hasn't it? I earned the nickname "world traveler" after spending most of June and July in Europe and then on the East Coast. Thankfully, though, I did not miss summer in Seattle. It started just before I got back, and I am happy to report the usual blue skies and warm days predominate.

How's this for beautiful?

I went to Shakespeare in the Park with some friends on Saturday night. A picnic in the park, any park, with a good view, good friends, and a good show is pretty much a perfect outing. After Much Ado about Nothing, however, we thought this sight was SOMETHING! The play was at Des Moines Beach Park, a spot I had never been before, but to which I may return. Views of the Sound and Olympics are superb, and a walking pier stretches out into the water for even better views.
(We later found out the extraordinary sunsets last weekend were somewhat caused by the smoke from fires in BC and near Lake Chelan.)

I am sorry to say last weekend was it for Seattle Shakespeare Company's Wooden O productions, but if you want to catch more Shakespeare the Greenstage shows are still on for a couple more weeks. Let me know, I might come too!

This week's market purchases:
Apricots
Corn on the cob
Tomatoes
Nectarines
Onion
Bell pepper
Spinach
Berries
Carrots
Rainier cherries
Eggs

Tip: Buy fresh raspberries in the summer and freeze them for winter when the market is a distant memory. Spread them out individually on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. When they are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag and back in the freezer. In the winter when you want to use them you won't have a mushy mesh, but beautiful whole berries!

Springtime

Winter returned this week, but otherwise we've been enjoying spring here. Last Saturday exhibited brilliant blue skies, zero clouds, and warm temperatures, and the need to be outside was great. So explore we did. We went places we've been before...and discovered places we haven't. Like...Fish tacos at Steamer's on the Seattle waterfront (eaten outdoors on the deck of course)...great fries!

Daffodils on the roof of Pike Place market. Did you know there are  miniature avocados? So you buy an avocado, eat half, wrap the other half, put it in the refrigerator, discover it brown and withering a week later...the cure:  mini avocados, one at a time!

Cherry trees in bloom...

and other trees not quite there yet...

The wonder of Kerry Park's view on a clear day...

and new wonders. Continue on West Highland Street past Kerry Park and see how the other half lives. 

While you're at it, discover a quaint little garden...

and another park, this one extolling the virtues of the Olympics.

Where's the Beef?

Tonight's dinner was a time-honored American tradition: The Burger. A slight amount of guilt is niggling at my fingers as I write this post after yesterday's conversation with a friend about shopping only from the perimeter of the grocery store (a.k.a. healthy, fresh, non-packaged foods) and while trying to lean more toward the plant side of omnivorous eating habits. But I digress...

Exploring is one of my favorite pastimes and when presented with the opportunity to go somewhere I'm not usually found I take the chance. Being in the vicinity of Phinney Ridge this evening, a burger at Red Mill was in order. Red Mill serves typical burger joint fare--burgers, onion rings, fries, shakes, and other drinks--but it is the flavor of the beef and interesting additions to the burgers that make me go back.

Don't bother with the fries, but try the onion rings. The shakes are amazing too. Tonight, though, I only ate the Red Onion Jam burger. A thin but flavorful patty of beef is sandwiched in a sesame seed bun between Red Mill's special sauce, red onion "jam" (caramelized red onions with other secret ingredients), and a large piece of romaine lettuce. I love Red Mill for the simple fact that I can actually get my mouth around their burgers (unlike another chain of a similar name). Reason #2: Usually I can finish one off without making a complete mess of the floor, the table, my hands, or my clothing.

Check out the website for directions, appetizing photos, and other information: Gotta love the map to the scale of one sesame seed = 300 miles. By the way: Cash only.

Revisiting Brunch

There is no greater meal than weekend brunch. Having slept in (or at least slept later than usual) you arise and stumble/ride/crawl/drive to your favorite haunt to chow down. There is no reason to hurry, just enjoy. It's the weekend, after all.

There are few greater places than Lola for that weekend brunch. Lola is owned by Tom Douglas, a James Beard award winning chef and owner of 5 (soon to be 6) Seattle restaurants. With a friend in town on business and another local friend and I both craving vanilla mascarpone on mini-donuts we made tracks to Lola.

We were not disappointed. As always, just a few minutes after the waitress poured our hot, strong mugs of coffee she returned with the little white paper bag, shook it up, and dumped those doughy, sugary pieces of goodness on a plate beside that amazing vanilla mascarpone, this time with pear butter alongside. What flavor! There were only 3 of us so we got two each...woot!

On to the photo you are salivating over. I have not been very experimental with the Lola menu because the eggs benedict still gets me every time. It is served with dill hollandaise and shaved ham, and accompanied by the smashed potatoes. The English muffin bread comes from another of Tom's haunts, Dahlia Bakery. One of the other reasons I love this meal is that it was my return to real life after a particularly awful dental procedure in which I could not eat solid foods for a few weeks (horrors!).

You can't beat brunch, but should you happen to be wandering through Seattle at an hour more appropriate to lunch or dinner, Lola serves that too. The menu has a decidedly Greek theme to it. I have not had the pleasure, but let me know if you do!

One tip: Make a reservation. I have walked in on a weekend without one and often there is an open table or just a short wait, but if you make a reservation they will have a table ready and you won't have to wait long for donuts and vanilla mascarpone!