Hitchcock Deli
No photos for this post because I keep forgetting to take them! I finally decided (after another missed photo opportunity yesterday) to just write-up a post anyway because I love this place and you should give it a try.
Hitchcock Deli is the sibling and neighbor of Hitchcock (the restaurant) on Bainbridge Island, located just a short walk from the ferry landing. I have yet to try Hitchcock the restaurant but have been to the Deli a few times. And I’ll continue to come back to this delicious place.
The folks at Hitchcock make nearly everything by hand – even the condiments on the sandwiches, although I believe the bread is from Macrina. I’ve seen the delivery bag at the restaurant and assume they also supply the deli.
The menu looks like a basic deli menu listing turkey, roast beef and pastrami sandwiches, to name a few. But it’s the quality of the ingredients that elevates the sandwiches to praise-worthy. The short menu of salads is filled with thoughtful, tasty options, too. The pastries have been a bit hit or miss for me. For instance yesterday my friend had a scrumptious apricot scone but my biscotti didn’t do much for me. I’ve yet to try the tarts, quiche and cake but they look great. I’m saving those for a future morning treat, since Hitchcock opens at 7:00 am.
The one drawback for the deli is seating is extremely limited. There are a couple of window seats inside and a large, communal, picnic table outside. On nice days you can walk across the street to a little corner park or to an open seating area about one-half block east (back toward the ferry landing). On a rainy day you’d need to be a little more creative.
A day trip to Bainbridge Island is a great little escape. With “main street” (Winslow Way) just a 5 or 10 minute walk from the ferry landing you can walk on the ferry in Seattle (no waiting in a line of cars or worrying about not getting in line early enough to catch your ferry). Once you arrive in Winslow check out the new Bainbridge Island Museum of Art on the corner of Winslow Way and Hwy 305; wander in and out of the shops along Winslow Way; and just as you near the end of “downtown” you’ll see Hitchcock Deli on the south side of the street.
Hitchcock Deli
129 Winslow Way
Winslow
Bainbridge Island
206.451.4609
Mo’s Pub and Eatery
Somehow I’d missed it on previous visits to the little town of Langley on Whidbey Island. I’m not sure how I’d missed it. Langley’s “downtown” is basically two main streets of one long block each with a few odd nooks and crannies to keep it interesting. There’s not much outside that tiny area so it surprises me that I’ve never wandered by Mo’s Pub and Eatery before. It’s on one of the main streets half a block outside the core area.
Last weekend I was in Langley for the Choochokam Arts Festival. I arrived early after spending a little time at Double Bluff beach. Since festival booths filled the core area I looked for parking nearby and ended up with a spot just up the street from Mo’s. After browsing the booths, listening to a couple of great bands on the main stage and walking along the seawall I returned to Mo’s for lunch.
I had a burger and substituted onion rings for fries. Both were decent if not especially noteworthy. A toasted bun and a bit more of the “special sauce” would have improved the burger. The onion rings were perfectly crispy and as non-greasy as something deep-fried can be. Where Mo’s really shined, though, was with their staff.
They opened at noon and there was already a line of customers waiting just outside the door. As soon as the door opened people rushed in and grabbed tables. It was a gorgeous day and it was warm in the sun. Many of the first folks grabbed tables in the shade on the outside deck. Then they got a little cool and moved to the sun. Or inside. Others then moved to the open tables in the shade. Through it all Mo’s wait staff smiled and tracked people down as they moved. And even with so many people seated at once, orders came out fairly quickly. They did a great job.
I’ll give Mo’s another try soon. The fish and chips looked good and a couple other menu items seem interesting. I love the little outside deck and the inside bar seems like a cozy place to hang out on a chilly day.
Mo’s Pub and Eatery
317 2nd Street
Langley, WA
Whidbey Island
360.221.1131
Strawberry Season
My strawberry plants have produced berries for the last three or four weeks. I don’t have too many plants but there are enough that nearly every day I can pick a cup or two of berries. I eat most of them with breakfast or as a snack but occasionally I save them for a day or two to make something with them.
I made jam a few days ago. It’s now sealed in jars and will remind me of summer when I open the jars throughout the dreary winter days.
There are several ways to make jam. For many years I used commercial pectin of one sort or another and made delicious jam. For the last several years though I’ve let the fruit’s natural pectin do its work. Along with the natural pectin, you let the fruit and sugar mixture simmer to eliminate liquid from the fruit to make a nice thick jam.
I like the idea of making jam in this more natural way, but it does take a little patience and experience to get it just right. It’s nice you can use any amount of fruit you have on hand. When you use commercial pectin you need to use the amount of fruit they specify so when you add the pectin packet it provides the correct amount of jelling power.
David Lebovitz has a recipe for Sour Cherry Jam that uses this method. When using strawberries (or any berry or soft fruit) you can skip his first cooking step. Since the berries are soft you can easily mash and measure them from the start.
For this most recent batch of strawberry jam I used 4 cups of mashed strawberries (I use a potato masher so that there are still some chunks of berry visible, but you can also use a food processor or blender); 3 cups of sugar, zest from one lemon and juice from two lemons.
I simmered the mixture about an hour to get it to the consistency I wanted. I ended up with 5 cups of jam.
Rione XIII
Rione XIII opened quite some time ago but my first visit was last week. I think it is my favorite Ethan Stowell restaurant. The food is great but that’s true of all of his places. What makes Rione XIII my favorite is the feel of the place. Exposed brick walls, high ceilings and interior windows (repurposed from the original exterior windows) combine for a relaxing, comfortable, welcoming room.
What’s odd is that you could describe most of Ethan’s other locations with the same or similar words. In fact, the layout of Rione XIII is the same as Bar Cotto, although on a bit larger scale. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that gives Rione XIII that extra bit of warmth. I think it’s something to do with the light.
As always, the menu is full of inspired food – similar to things you know, yet presented with a twist of some sort that elevates and deliciously surprises you. Happy hour is a bargain with several pastas and pizzas offered at greatly reduced prices. On a recent visit we tried two pastas and one pizza and I’d be more than happy to have all of them again. Pastas are made in-house and have a luscious, silky, toothy bite. Pizzas are shaped flatbread style and have perfect, crispy crusts.
While there is plenty on the menu to satisfy the meat-eater, there are also enough options to keep vegetarians satisfied.
Rione XIII
401 15th Ave E
Capitol Hill
Seattle
206.838.2878
Time for a Summer Cocktail
It was supposed to rain today – starting around noon or so. It didn’t. Happy hour is warm and sunny at my place. Thought I’d have one of my favorite cocktails – Tuscan Rosemary Lemon Drop, slightly modified based on my current supplies. This recipe is from Kathy Casey’s Sips & Apps. Delicious and refreshing. Everything a cocktail should be!
Pegasus Pizza
It seems whenever my local nephews or niece have a celebration their choice of venue is Pegasus Pizza on Alki. And I can see why. The pizzas are loaded with delicious toppings – although strangely several of them include sunflower seeds – that come on a not thick/not thin but crispy crust. I love the way they shred the pepperoni on the Tom’s Special! It makes a crispy confetti topping that highlights the pepperoni flavor.
The salads are also generous and filled with a medley of vegetables. They are interesting and tasty, although the vegetables seem to be from a bulk restaurant supply distributor. Nothing wrong with that but I call it out since we have so many places using farm fresh produce that it can be a little bit of a surprise.
The location at the west end of Alki Avenue is perfect if you need sustenance after a day on the beach. I never have an issue with parking in that area (I park south of Alki, towards Admiral) but if you don’t plan your route it can be crowded on those super, sunny Seattle days.
The staff are always very nice and accommodating. I think Pegasus is one of those great family places that provides a relaxing and good time without a lot of fuss.
Pegasus Pizza on Alki
2770 Alki Avenue SW
West Seattle
Seattle
206.932.4849
Afternoon Tea
The mother of a friend of mine recently moved to Seattle and lives less than a mile from my house. I thought it would be nice to welcome her to Seattle and the neighborhood. A couple of weeks ago they came over for an afternoon tea. We lucked out with the weather. It was absolutely gorgeous so we had tea out on the deck, surrounded by a few recently planted (like the day before!) flower pots. The fragrance of lilac surrounded us, while poppies and a few rhododendrons added splashes of color to the backdrop.
A “formal” tea is really one of the easiest ways to entertain. If your menu is part savory and part sweet – like any good tea should be – you’ll find you can make the sweets a day or two ahead of time. Prep the ingredients for the savory items early in the day and then assemble them an hour or two before tea time. Because this isn’t a giant meal you only need small amounts of each item. I had three types of tea sandwiches on the menu but only made one or two sandwiches of each variety, which I cut into “tea-size” pieces.
And this is a perfect time to use some of the great options we have available at grocery stores or bakeries, too. You might choose to buy small tarts at a bakery but bake the cookies. For the Lemon Curd Tarts on my menu, I purchased frozen miniature shells from a local shop, defrosted and baked a few of them in the morning (they take about 10 minutes to bake) and then filled them with lemon curd I’d made a couple days prior.
Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge
Lost Lake Café and Lounge had barely been open a week when I dropped by. I generally wait a little longer to check out a new place but I was motivated to try it immediately because it’s open 24 hours. While for most people the draw of a 24 hour place is late-night dining – especially after one too many cocktails – my interest is on the other end of the spectrum.
I am a morning person. There’s nothing better than getting up and having the whole world to yourself. It’s still fresh and clean; quiet enough to hear the birds and your own thoughts. The one downside is eating breakfast out. There are a couple other 24 hour places in Seattle and a few that open pretty early. Still, I’m always looking for something new to try.
Lost Lake is divided into two parts. One side is high-ceilinged and bright; the other side – the bar – is low-ceilinged and dim. Both sides have counter seating with booths and tables dotting the rest of the room. Although Lost Lake has a bar and is open 24 hours, it has to follow Washington’s liquor laws so alcohol is not served for a few of the hours they are open. Last call will be at 2:00 am, as with every other bar in town, but they will begin serving again at 6:00 am.
For my first visit I sat at the counter on the bar side to check out Happy Hour. The Happy Hour food menu is short but sweet and leans toward the fried side. Tap beers and well drinks are also on special.
I ordered a Manny’s while I took in the scene. Bartenders and customers are all friendly. I mostly talked with a couple from Pennsylvania who were in town for just a few days. The crowd ran to the normal Capitol Hill group – a little of this, a little of that with lots of tattoos in evidence. For my dinner I opted for the burger with hand-cut fries priced at $2.50. I’d heard that service was running a little slow as the kitchen worked out their timing in this new space but my burger came out within a few minutes. It was a little bit charred on the outside, which means the center was pretty well done but it had good flavor and the fries were really good! Probably the best burger value in town. I had a second beer with my burger and my tab for the evening was under $10.
Next up? I’ll be checking out the breakfast menu which is served all day. I notice hash browns are on the menu. I love hash browns and way too many places now serve some version of cubed, fried potatoes instead of proper hash browns so I’m very excited to see if Lost Lake’s version measures up. Breakfast served at the crack of dawn and hash brown potatoes? This could turn out to be my perfect breakfast spot.
Update May 28, 2013: Had breakfast at Lost Lake on Monday. I’m sold! We had Crab Cake Benedict and Chorizo and Eggs. Loved them both. Portions are generous, I had the leftovers as my dinner. It was pretty busy at 8:30 am and started getting packed at 9:00 am.
Lost Lake Café and Lounge
1505 10th Ave
Capitol Hill
Seattle
206.323.5678
Baked Rhubarb Pavlova
I’ve wanted to make pavlova since the first time I saw Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, make individual versions on one of her shows. I thought my recent Afternoon Tea was a good time to try them out. Once I started looking at recipes I decided to use Giada DeLaurentiis’ recipe for the meringues and Martha Stewart’s recipe for a rhubarb topping, although I skipped the pistachios.
The recipe for the meringue shells is basically the same you’d use for meringue cookies. The shells are sweet and a little bit addicting. Using slightly sweetened, tart-by-nature rhubarb for the “fruit” topping (technically rhubarb is a vegetable) provides a nice balance for this dessert.
While pavlova looks impressive, this dessert is easy to make. You need to plan enough time for the meringue shells to bake and then cool (about 4 hours after they’ve been mixed and formed). You can also make one large pavlova then slice it into wedges for serving.
Again, this is a recipe where all the components can be made ahead and the final dessert quickly assembled just before serving.
You’ll need:
- Meringue shells
- Fresh fruit or fruit compote for the topping
- Whipped heavy cream
Lemon Curd Tartlets
I served these fun little tarts as part of an Afternoon Tea menu a couple of weeks ago. I’ll post the full menu for the Tea soon but wanted to start with this recipe.
If using candied lemon slices for garnish make them at least 1 day prior. The curd can be made 2 or 3 days before use and refrigerated until needed. The shells can be baked a day or two ahead of time and then stored in an airtight container until needed.
The curd recipe makes more than two cups, which is enough for several small tarts, depending on the size of your shells. I made about a dozen 2″ tartlets and still had curd to use for other things.
Candied Lemon and Tangerine Slices
Use this recipe or something similar to make candied lemon or lemon and tangerine slices for garnish. Note that they need several hours to dry. Store in the refrigerator after drying.
Tartlet Shells
Purchase pre-made or make 2″ – 3″ tart shells. Dock them, then bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.
Lemon Curd
adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
2 extra-large eggs
4 extra-large egg yolks (save the whites for another use)
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)*
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Zest the 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. If you are using a Microplane or similar zester you can put the zest directly into your mixing bowl with the sugar and butter. If you are using a peeler to zest the lemons, first add the zest with the sugar to a food processor and process until the zest is tiny. Then cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture.
Mix in the eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined. The mixture will look curdled.
Pour the mixture into a 3 quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap (to keep a skin from forming on the top) and cool or refrigerate.
* You can be creative with the citrus juice. Use all lemon or other type of citrus (lime or tangerine, for instance) or mix different types together. For instance I used mostly lemon with about 2 – 3 tablespoons of tangerine juice for this version.
Lemon Curd Tartlets
Fill each baked shell with 2 to 3 tablespoons of curd – just until the curd is nearly level with the top of the shell.
Cut the candied citrus slices into quarters and garnish each tartlet with 1 or 2 pieces.
Culinary Fool 