A Few Restaurant Recommendations from @herbguy Bisato

Bisato is Beard-Award winning chef Scott Carsbergs follow-on restaurant from his previous incarnation as Lampreia. Smallish plates of inspired fare with spot on flavors and whimsical flair. The food floats majestically somewhere between Italian rustic and French haute. A top choice. (Belltown: north of downtown) 2400 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 206-443-3301 No restaurant in the city of Seattle comes closer to fare just-from-the-farm than Seth Caswells Emmer & Rye. Chef is former head of the Seattle Chef s Collaborative and active in the Slow Food movement. Farm-rustic never tasted better. (Queen Anne Hill) 1825 Queen Anne Ave, Seattle, WA 98109 New American from chef-owner Jason Wilson is set in a restored 1903 Capitol Hill farmhouse, where the urban-chic dining room is appointed with curvy Verner Panton mid-century-modern furniture, dark floors and white tabletops. Can be noisy. (Capital Hill) 2319 East Masdison St., Seattle,WA 98112 206-302-78 Chef/owner Bruce Naftley creates the flavors of yesteryear with a 25-year gathering of local ingredients. Its a little off the beaten path, but offers fine prix fixe menus that change about 6 times a year. I personally thought the decor better before he painted over the birch wall mural. (Ballard-Phinney Ridge) 425 NW Market Street (in Ballard). 206-784-3463 Fabulous. Chef/Owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are proud advocates of New American cuisine in a gastro-pub environmentcreating interactive and seasonally pure plates to share. (Belltown) 113 Blanchard Street, Seatle, WA 98121 206-728-6706 One of the best dining rooms in the Seattle area in a former house now winery and restaurant on a creek. Owner/Chef Holly Smith has appeared on Iron Chef and won the James Beard Award 2008. Food has only gotten better over the years. Highly recommended. (Eastside: North Kirkland) 9702 NE 120th Pl. (97th St.) Kirkland, WA 98034 425-823-1505 One of the few American restaurants that truly uses only regional ingredients in the creation of 26 different deep-scratch 9-course dinners each year. In the summer 90%+ of the produce comes from the restaurants own farm. The wild-yeasted breads are baked each day in a woodburning oven, butter is hand-churned in house, and the restaurant makes over half of the cheeses and all of the charcterie it serves. Dinner includes 6 wines and lasts 4-1/2 hours in an unstuffy and magical 5-Diamond setting with garden tour and wine cellar open house before dinner service. Live Spanish guitar each night. (Eastside: Woodinville Wine District) 14590 NE 145th St, Woodinville, WA 98071 425-485-5300

Emmer & Rye

Crush

Le Gourmand

Spur

Cafe Juanita

The Herbfarm

Ron Zimmerman: 14590 NE 145th Street Woodinville, WA 98072 425-485-5300 www.theherbfarm.com

July 2010

Recommended Restaurants: Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia 1. Sooke Harbour House [outside of Victoria]
23 miles west of Victoria and is one of the great restaurant in North America. They use only locals seafoods and products and serve items youll never see elsewhere. Get to know Sinclair and Frdrique Philip, my friends. He has a doctorate in Political Economics from France, but loves food so much that he has to run an inn and restaurant. Sinclair is also the Canadian ambassador to Slow Foods in Italy. An amazing place. Stay there if you can. 23 special rooms on the water with the Straight of Juan de Fuca and the snow-clad Olympic Mountains as a backdrop. Wine Spectator Grand Award. 1528 Whiffen Spit Road, Sooke, BC (on Vancouver Island) 250-642-3421 sookeharbourhouse.com

2. West
Innovative cuisine that appeals and wows tastebuds. The service was friendly albeit a bit slow at time. The decor is closer to that of a brasserie so dont expect peace and quiet. However, the tables are set apart in such a way as to preserve intimacy. 2881 Granville St. (W. 13th Ave.) Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3 604-738-8938 www.westrestaurant.com

3. Bishops
John Bishop is a wonderful man and host. His restaurant is an eduring West Side classic with wonderful service and engaging food using organic ingredients of the first rank. 2183 W. 4th Ave. (bet. Arbutus & Yew Sts.) Vancouver, British Columbia V6K 1N7 604-738-2025 www.bishopsonline.com

4. Tojos
Just sayOmakase to Chef Tojo (Trust Me/Chef Choose). Choose the Omakase menu option and experience sushi in a way no other resturant delivers. Tojo customizes a meal just for you with your input on what you desire and hate. The result can be an awesome experence of food. Sit at the sushi bar by all means. Warning: can max out your credit card limit. 1133 W. Broadway (bet. Heather & Willow Sts.) Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 604-872-8050 www.tojos.com

Recommended Restaurants: Southern Oregon New Sammys Cowboy Bistro

For some 20 years Vernon and Charlene Rollins, owners of New Sammys Cowboy Bistro, have been filling plates with awesome food. Chef Charlene consistently produces fine meals, with homemade breads, entrees (fish, poultry, red meat, vegetarian) and desserts at lunch and dinner seatings. Vernon takes care of the front of the house. Sammys is completely organic and food is sourced as locally as possible. The wine selection is legendary and unexpected. The place is a tad unusual, which just adds to its allure. 2210 S. Pacific Highway, Talent, OR (near Grants Pass & Ashland) 541-535-2779

New York Restaurant Ideas

Le Bernardin Daniel wd-50 Blue Hill Adour Alain Ducasse Blue Ribbon Brasserie

14590 NE 145th Street Woodinville, WA 98072 USA 425-485-5300 www.theherbfarm.com

August 2006