Early this year, word off the street (well, Twitter) was that the good folks at Tako Truk were planning an event for Saturday 3/6. Details were vague at the time, but the murmur was growing for the event. More info has come out and the purpose of the event is noble indeed. On Saturday March 6th from 1-6pm, Tako Truk is teaming up with SoDo’s Two Beers Brewing Co. to raise support for Haiti.

How will they do this? They’ll accept donations which will go towards purchasing ShelterBoxes. ShelterBox USA is a really great organization that provides kits with relief supplies. They provide these amazing boxes to those in need, so your donation will go towards getting a ShelterBox. Your minimum donation of $20 will get you four tickets towards beer and tacos. Here is how the tickets work; for one ticket, you’ll either get a beer or two tacos or some tosses in the Bad Beer Toss. So for that $20, you could get two beers and four tacos, which is pretty awesome. Plus, you’ll get good karma for helping out. The people of Haiti need it, and this event is another way to help those in need.

Some other details on the event – this should be obvious as it’s at a brewery, but it’s 21 and over. DJs will be spinning. Be sure to RSVP by emailing Tako Truk. The RSVP is to let the Tako Truk crew know how much food to prep. They’re hoping for a big crowd to increase the amount of donations, so be sure to get on the list. The MO for most of Tako Truk menus is to have three different types of tacos; one veggie, a meat of sorts (usually pork, sometimes beef, sometimes chicken), and the eponymous tako (octopus) taco. And the last detail; keep an eye on Tako Truk’s twitter feed, they’ll post updates on the fly.

When Tako Truk went into hibernation last fall, many people asked me for details on their next venture (full disclosure – Bryan of Tako Truk is a friend from high school). Well, they’ve been plotting their next steps and their event with Two Beers to support ShelterBox is one of the things they’ve got up their sleeves. Again, be sure to email the Tako Truk guys to RSVP for 3/6 and I’ll be sure to see you that afternoon for some beer and tacos.

One more thing, if you haven’t read the Adriana Grant’s Seattle Weekly’s feature on Tako Truk’s Cormac Mahoney, but sure to read them here and here. There is even a recipe on the famed coco piggy. And if you want to read what Bryan of Tako Truk is up to here is some of his stuff. Enjoy!

A recent post from Serious Eats about this apparently unbelievable espresso machine heralding coffee’s fourth wave made me think of something; most people don’t even know that coffee is in its fourth wave.

Here’s a short rundown; coffee, in the mind of connoisseurs, has gone through four waves. These are movements, or consumer shifts, that spur massive change through the industry. It effects corporations, growers, businesses, customers, bloggers, and the list goes on. Here are the four waves and brief descriptions:

• First wave – This was eons ago where Folgers, Maxwell House, or Nescafe made instant coffee an essential component of home kitchens and into ubiquity. This was the start of the nation’s dependence on java.
• Second wave – We have Starbucks to thank for this. The second wave is where consumers started to look through the coffee prism and see espresso, cappuccino, lattes, etc. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a cup of joe. This was the start of our nation needing coffee at every second of the day served on every street corner.
• Third wave – This wave is where growers, retailers, and customers were achieving a higher sense of possibility and uniqueness with coffee. Probably the most discussed of the coffee ‘waves’, the Third Wave had people thinking about origins of the beans, characteristics, differences, etc. This was the start of the nation being snobby about their coffee.
• Fourth wave – Honestly I had no idea that we were even in our fourth wave, but apparently change in the world of coffee never stops. This was the start of the nation Googling ‘coffee third wave’ to learn about the fourth wave.

In the post on Serious Eats, the Fourth Wave is described as the technique and creativity of the barista to enhance the coffee experience. And one can kind of see this happening. Think about the kerfuffle a while back about the Clover machine. This was the espresso machine that was supposed to create as perfect a cup of coffee possible. So awesome that Starbucks bought the company, but only has these machines in a handful of their cafes. Now comes the Slayer (awesome name) a new $18K machine that is supposed to be a game-changer. Hence the fourth wave. I guess. It’s very interesting, but a bit presumptuous.

Honestly, I’m not as well versed on coffee as I could be, but this subject was too interesting to not share. So now if you ever find yourself in a conversation about third wave coffee you can throw your two cents in and elevate your clout by talking about the fourth wave. If there is even such a thing. I’m still getting a hang of the third wave.

Photo from Slayer Espresso

My first stab at writing a restaurant ‘review’ was about West Seattle’s Spring Hill. Looking back on that post, it wasn’t one of my stronger posts and it didn’t do too well at talking about Spring Hill. Since then my voice and style has changed, so I’m going to take another stab about the place. This is because, over the course of the last year, Spring Hill has evolved and become an unbelievable restaurant that should be propped up with the other greats in Seattle. In short, they have become one of the best restaurants in town.

And it’s not just Spring Hill’s food. Which is unique, delicious, and a reflection of chef Mark Fuller’s vision and talent. If you’ve been paying attention (or are an obsessive food nerd like me) you’ll notice all of the cool stuff they’ve been up to. Which is why their status has vaulted in my mind. From trying out new things with their menus, to hosting great events, and surrounding themselves with unbelievable talent, Spring Hill has elevated their game and should be recognized for being aggressive with their business.

Here are three cool things about Spring Hill:

A thought has been bouncing around my head since a book signing at John Howie’s Sport Restaurant in lower Queen Anne; why is it that this chef, who has four very high-profile restaurants in the Seattle area, have absolutely no buzz?

I will admit, it’s been years since I’ve been to any of John Howie’s restaurants, so I can’t fairly comment on the food or experience. But something must be working. He has four restaurants; SeaStar in Bellevue, SeaStar Seattle, Sport Restaurant in lower Queen Anne, and the recently opened John Howie Steak at the Bravern in Bellevue. And these aren’t little neighborhood bistros. These are massive 20,000 square foot dining palaces, so he obviously has a formula that works. But with the opening of John Howie Steak, I wouldn’t have been tipped off to it, if it weren’t for the TV commercials. Commercials for local restaurants! Weird, but effective; it has me talking.

For me though, Chef Howie’s newly opened place still didn’t resonate with anticipation. Maybe it has something to do with a big part of fooders being in Seattle while he carved his niche in Bellevue, but from my perch, he doesn’t resonate to the local food community in the way that Tom Douglas, Ethan Stowell, Matt Dillon, or Tamara Murphy all have. When those folks open new places, the information is absorbed and shared ad nauseum. They become a part of conversation.

But this is not the case with any of Chef Howie’s spots. I think, if anything, it cuts to the differences between Seattle and Bellevue. The food culture (and culture in general) is different between Seattle and the Eastside. The divide that Lake Washington creates, drives a stake in similarities between the two areas. In fact, most Seattleites often think that the Eastside is a whole other state. Maybe this has something to do with why I know nothing about John Howie or any of his places. If I lived in Bellevue, would I follow his restaurants like I do Tom Douglas? I don’t know.

But lots of people have said really good things about his restaurants, that they are indeed some of the finest on the Eastside, that they’ve won handfuls of awards; so maybe I should visit them again, sometime soon. However, that would require me to cross that bridge. Which for most Seattleites is often a trek not taken.

One of the challenges of heading to the north end of the Seattle area is the lack of good restaurants. I grew up in Lynnwood, and I’ve spent plenty of time in areas like Edmonds, Mukilteo, and Mountlake Terrace. In fact, I still meet old friends from high school for food and drinks in the area, but trying to choose a great restaurant to meet up is always the tough part. Though, this is no longer the case. For a new foray into the restaurant scene has arrived. That place is Epulo Bistro.

I first heard of Epulo from my friends over at Cook Local. They mentioned trying out Epulo a bit after they officially opened. I didn’t even know about the place, so it was exciting to hear of something new. In the days following, Nancy Leson wrote about Epulo and provided more context and backstory to the crew behind the restaurant. This piqued my intrigue. I knew I had to visit soon

Here are the three cool things about Epulo Bistro:

Seattle, are you ready? On the day after Elvis’ birthday*, be prepared for your own version of gluttony with the second installment of the Mobile Chowdown.

After the massive, runaway success of the first Mobile Chowdown in the fall, the folks at Seattle Magazine, Suzuki+Chou Communimedia, and The Freehold Group, wanted to get the band back together for another go around. And with the volume of crowds that came for the Mobile Chowdown in October, there is obviously demand for street food in Seattle. And it’s great that there is an opportunity to try these food trucks at an event specifically built for street food.

With the winter hibernation that has kicked in, we have the opportunity to eat food from vendors like Marination, Veraci Pizza, Gert’s BBQ, El Camion, amongst others. And if you haven’t heard Marination was recently crowned as the best food cart in the country by Good Morning America. Now you’ll have a chance to try their Spam sliders and kimchee rice bowl.

Tips for when you go: arrive early, be patient, bring cash, and remember that for most of these places the food is made to order. Which means a wait is as much a part of the day as the food. So while waiting, enjoy the festivities and your fellow eaters.

See you at the Chowdown, I missed the last one, so I’m definitely looking forward to this one.

*For those that aren’t fans of the King, that means that the Mobile Chowdown is on January 9 from 11am-3pm in the same location as the first; 1616 W. Bertona in Interbay.

Photo from Bay Area Bites

On the heels of last week’s gift guide comes news that makes for one of the best gifts to the sweet tooth in your life: Momofuku Milk Bar is shipping their cookies and pies. As a result, a nation of food lover’s rejoice.

Momofuku Milk Bar is the dessert arm of Chef David Chang’s empire. Connected to Momofuku Ssam Bar in the East Village, it’s where pastry Chef Christina Tosi works her magic. And all of their treats are unique, innovative, and most of all delicious.

We were able to visit Ssam Bar and Milk Bar during a trip to NYC in October. We heard of the unusual concoctions that they make at Milk Bar, so our anticipation to try their stuff was high. They didn’t disappoint. And the cookies, oh the cookies. I’m a bit of a cookie freak and we ordered a half dozen cookies for the walk back to our hotel and to snack on for breakfast in the morning. My personal favorite was the appropriately named Compost Cookie. Made of a hodgepodge of ingredients that include potato chips, pretzels, coffee grounds, chocolate chips, graham crumbs, and butterscotch chips; this cookie is weird, tasty and interesting. Order this. And laugh gleefully when you get to enjoy it.

Now we have the ability to eat these at the ready. Thank you David Chang and Christina Tosi for opening up the Milk Bar doors to share their treats with fans across the country. Right now it’s the cookies and crack pie that they’ll be shipping. I don’t know how quickly they’ll ship before Christmas time; regardless, they will make an awesome gift for any season.

Word of warning though; shipping prices are notoriously expensive, so consider this before your order. I played around on the site and it can be very expensive. Couple this with keeping the cookies fresh, expedited service will drive the shipping cost up.

Click here to order.

Photo from Momofuku

I wanted to help spread the word on a noble goal for food and wine bloggers around the world. The program is called Menu for Hope and it’s objective is to raise donations to support the UN’s World Food Programme. Menu for Hope was started by Pim, of Chez Pim, and the level of contributed support and giving has been astounding. The program operates from December 14th to the 25th; i.e., this is the window of time to support and participate.

How can you help? Well, my friend Four Chickens has a nice succinct post that breaks down how to give to Menu for Hope. One of the cool things about this program is that, with your donation, in addition to helping the goals of the World Food Programme, you also have an opportunity to win some pretty cool raffle items. As in very awesome. Check out the list that Pim has provided. Or if you want to see the West Coast specific items, the delightful Gluten-free Girl has the scoop.

The Menu for Hope initiative ends on Christmas Day, so be sure to participate before then and check out the items that might tickle your fancy. Take pride in knowing that a little bit of giving increases tenfold to areas where food isn’t as bountiful as to what’s available stateside. I’ll be donating, hopefully you will too.

Go to the First Giving page to get started; after the jump is a rundown on how to donate from the Gluten-free Girl:

Tis the season for holiday shopping. Throughout the year, I’ve shared what I think has been interesting in the world of food. As the year closes and gift-giving is at the top of mind for most people, trying to find that perfect something for those near and dear to us can be challenging. Here are my suggestions on fun gifts for the food and wine aficionado on your list. Now let’s do our part to spur the economy!

First off, I want to list the items that I want someone to give to me. If anyone feels generous…

• Kitchen-Aid 90th Anniversary Stand Mixer

I think this thing is awesome. And only because of the candy apple red and glass bowl. As I’ve been delving into more and more baking (and wanting to make my own pasta), I’ve been yearning after a Kitchen-Aid for awhile. You will be mine, oh yes, you will be.

• Bob Kramer’s Meiji Knife by Shun

Having a great chef’s knife is key to working in a kitchen. Bob Kramer is one of the very best knifemakers in the world. He’s partnered with Shun to make knives and I’m taken with the beauty of their cutlery. This one in particular fits the bill for what I want out of a knife. Another wishlist item that I’d be thrilled to slice and dice with.

Now for a few more achievable gift items for those close to you; here are a few items worth looking into.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. A holiday that is centered around food. And this is the reason why I feel that Thanksgiving is pretty awesome. It’s the start of the holiday season, you’re around friends and family, and you can stuff yourself silly with food; all together it’s a winning combination. But amongst the volume of eating you’ll find yourself with a mountain of leftovers. Unless you can go through a 14 lb turkey, several side dishes, and pumpkin pie, chances are you’ll need to find something to do with them. Have no fear, David Chang has ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers. And they sound amazing.

David Chang is the brightest culinary star of the moment. An opinionated and supremely talented chef who has been a game changer in the restaurant world. His Momofuku restaurants are considered some of the best in New York and his style of food is utterly unique and blow-your-mind delicious. Recently, he and Peter Meehan released an amazing cookbook, Momofuku, that tells the story of Chef Chang and his restaurants. Needless to say, David Chang knows how to make enticingly tasty food.

Last year, I wrote a couple of short posts about Thanksgiving; one was about what wine to have with the dinner, the other was what to do with the leftovers. Chef Chang has taken what to do with those leftovers to another level. In a recent article in Food & Wine magazine, Peter Meehan did a short feature on what David Chang would do with Thanksgiving leftovers. And the results sound amazing. For example:

• Mashed-Potato Spring Rolls
• Turkey Cracklings
• Soy-Braised Turkey with Turkey Rice
• And more!

What’s really cool about some of these recipes is that they aren’t too ‘chefy,’ – recipes that are crazy complicated with obscure ingredients and technique most home cooks don’t have. Most of these recipes are straightforward and use the leftovers that stick around from Thanksgiving. I’m already looking forward to trying some of them.

Enjoy this Thanksgiving! Take in the moment, exhale, eat up, and most of all have fun!

Photo courtesy of Food & Wine